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289 reviews for:

Ladykiller

Katherine Wood

3.57 AVERAGE


What a great book!! So much doubt, mistrust, and unease while reading this twisty domestic thriller!

I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Wood!

The beginning was slow but then once I got into it, it was so good! Very mysterious and scandalous lol
dark mysterious reflective

megreadsalot23's review

4.0
mysterious tense medium-paced

LADYKILLER by Katherine Wood
Narrators: Marcella Black & Hallie Ricardo

I received an early copy from NetGalley, but I got behind so I used the audio to help me catch up. 

Okay so no lies, when I started this one I made it about 15% and had no clue what was happening. Once I realized that the chapters were from Abby’s perspective and Gia’s manuscript that helped me follow along a little better. 

This one was good. I enjoyed the story and the twist. In the end you don’t know who is lying and who is telling the truth. 


Where is Gia?

This novel centers around the disappearance of Gia, who vanishes from her luxurious Greek island home.

Her friend Abby and brother Ben join forces to find her, using the journal she left behind.

I found this book incredibly easy to read. The setting was lush, the characters misbehaved, and there were lots of twists and turns. The use of the journal reminded me of the novel Verity, in a way. Can a journal ever be completely truthful? Is it filtered, and if so what truth is it trying to portray, if, in fact, it can be trusted at all.

This was one of 3 islands set on a remote Greek isle that I read back to back, so it did blur a bit with the others. Maybe Greece is the hot novel setting for this Summer?

Regardless, I give this book 4 stars for sheer enjoyability. What a great beach day Summer read this will be!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reader copy of this novel for my review.

4.5 Stars

Note:
I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley.

Best friends Gia and Abby, forever linked by a tragic event in Greece during their youth, find their lives diverging. Years later, Gia, now an heiress, invites Abby to celebrate her birthday beneath the Northern Lights in Sweden. However, upon arrival, they discover Gia missing and a cryptic manuscript revealing disturbing truths about her recent marriage and the guests at her Greek estate. Determined to find Gia, Abby and Benny, Gia’s brother, embark on a journey to uncover her whereabouts before it's too late.

The allure of a Greek island setting drew me into this narrative, painting a vivid picture that resonated with my own experiences. Amid this atmospheric backdrop, Gia's character felt a tad exaggerated, yet strangely enjoyable. Abby, on the other hand, emerged as a more relatable figure, although both protagonists made decisions that seemed inconsistent with their established traits. The author's strength lies in characterization, bringing the players to life with convincing depth that really resonated with me.

The initial pace was slow, but as the story unfolded, the mystery got more gripping. While some twists proved foreseeable, they retained an element of entertainment, with a surprise turn that genuinely caught me off guard. The concluding chapters introduced an intriguing direction, although I thought some of the issues were unresolved.

Overall, this was an engaging read that sustained my interest, featuring a cast of compelling characters. I'd recommend it to enthusiasts of psychological thrillers. I am really excited about what else this author has to offer in the future.

On a side note: how does a person who lives in a lap of luxury afford to live the same style of life without working and only expecting to see a house for $15 million minus taxes?
emilykjosness's profile picture

emilykjosness's review

3.0
mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC of this title.

This sort of thriller tends to not be my jam, and yet I pick up 2-3 of them a year. Multiple viewpoints! One (or maybe more?) of the narrators is unreliable for reasons that will be revealed 70% of the way into the novel! Another little Twist That Potentially Changes Things gets chucked out at around 95% as a little treat! This is absolutely by the numbers, and you set can practically set your watch to it, but it was a good turn-your-brain-off book for a few commutes.

There's a few elements of the book that are screaming "Hey, remember The Talented Mr. Ripley?" in such an unsubtle way that it's distracting, and there's maybe one too many con artists in the who's-conning-who equation happening throughout the book. Also:
SpoilerI never want to read the phrase "blood is thicker than semen" again.
. This wants to be a Netflix miniseries so badly it hurts (derogatory).

Ladykiller is a messy, sexy, destination thriller that will grab your attention from the beginning and refuse to let go.

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were kids, when Abby's mom became Gia's wealthy family's chef, and they moved into their home. When they were 18, a traumatic end to the summer left the girls going in different directions: Gia wrote a salacious novel about the ordeal, and Abby got to studying to become a lawyer. Twelve years later, Gia asks Abby to come on a trip with her to see the Northern Lights, which have been on their bucket list forever. Abby reluctantly agrees and makes the journey with Gia's brother Benny, who she had confusing feelings about that last summer they all spent together.

When they arrive, Gia doesn't show up, and they start to become concerned about what happened to her, until they find a manuscript in her Greek summer house that starts to clear up some of their questions, but not all of them.

This book screams summer beach read, and its beautiful, broken and lethal characters will mesmerize you just as much as the white hot Grecian setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.