Reviews

This is a very hard book to rate. On one hand, I couldn’t put it down! It was so gripping. On the other hand, I disliked the ending. The climax happened so late that I wanted more to wrap up the book. But then I loved Bea’s character development and the battle of whether she is the same as her mom or not. Then the plot holes that seemed to form because I can’t relate to the psychological trauma that influences Bea’s secret keeping.
Overall a fun read, just wish I had more answers!

spaces_and_solaces's review against another edition

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4.0

Stone Cold Fox is an absolutely wackadoo of a book!!! It’s a hilarious, sad, horrifying as well as an oddly addictive account of a con woman’s life.
I think after reading so many stories on gold diggers/ con man I’ve become kind of blasé about this whole concept, & I thought this book might just add to the growing pile of disappointing stories.
But!! This is no ordinary book.
It starts off as one, for sure – “Bea”, an extremely sharp woman with unmatched wit & boundless charm attempts to con her way into one of the richest families in America & get a security blanket for life. No easy task, considering the all-powerful & extremely close-knit legacy of the family.
But, as the story progresses, & Bea’s character is unraveled through flashbacks you get glimpses of horrifying childhood traumas and by the end of it you not only feel pity for Bea but you end up cheering for her.
Groomed to be a con woman since she was a child by her own mother no less, this is the only life she’s ever known. But somewhere deep down, all she wants is a good stable loving family & trustworthy circle of friends. The author’s portrayal of Bea’s abandonment issues, body dysmorphia disorder and other childhood traumas deserve a special shoutout here. They sneak up on you in a way that is subtle but then makes its presence known throughout the story.
This morally grey character of Bea stole the show, & the supporting characters were just that “supporting”. The writing is fast paced, the horrors written in an almost offhand manner, the cat & mouse game between Bea and one of the supporting characters was juicy & the femme fatale narrative definitely stole the show.
This book is downright addictive & an absolute blast, although sad too.

kristadollimore's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was savagely entertaining. It was even more fun to read because my friend Tricia picked it up at the same time, and we were able to have a long phone conversation last night about our thoughts on the book.
It was incredibly interesting living in the mind of a narcissist. Seeing the world from her perspective. Understanding why she’s making the choices she’s making, and what goes on under the ruthlessness of those decisions. I actually enjoy books where there isn’t a single character that I actually like in the book… I’m not entirely sure what that says about me🤪
The novel was an absolute page turner. And I kept wanting to see what would happen next.
I love the biting commentary on the Uber wealthy , and the dark humour that was laced throughout the novel. It felt very gossip girl, and I was like get me some popcorn. I want to see what shit is going to go down!
I think this would make an excellent movie.

Ok.. this final bit is very mildly entering spoiler territory so keep that in mind if you are going to read on with this review.
I personally felt a little disappointed with the ending. I think so much of this novel didn’t hold back on the viscousness, and it fell a little flat. I predicted the two major twists, and everything felt a little too neatly tied up if that makes sense ? I loved how dark the novel was , and I wish it leaned a little more into unhinged territory. However, it was still tons of fun to read. Tons of fun to chat about, and I look forward to reading more of the authors work.