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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
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.
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.
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?
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?
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:. This wants to be a Netflix miniseries so badly it hurts (derogatory).
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:
Spoiler
I never want to read the phrase "blood is thicker than semen" again.
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.
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.
There were some twists and shifting dynamics that kept it interesting. Even at the end it wasn't totally clear who the bad guy was, although it's possible that I was a bit zoned out and just missed a definitive conclusion
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You know a good thriller when it keeps you interested after the first few pages.
It’s well written with Gia who is bold, bossy and boastful; and Abby who is ethical, works all the time and tends to please people. Everything revolves around the emotions of Gia – the girl with the money. Her father, Hugo Torres, recently passed leaving her with a $14 million estate and a good chunk of comfort funds.
Shortly after that, Gia was enchanted with Garrett, who of course was charming and handsome. Within a month, they were engaged and three months later married against her friend’s judgement. Abby didn’t go to the wedding. And now Gia was pleading with Abby to join her in Sweden to see the northern lights and added that her attractive, single brother would also be there. How could Abby say no to this trip complete with first-class airline tickets? She was a hard-working lawyer and needed a vacation.
We know something was going to happen. And with a few clues, it wasn’t too hard to make basic predictions half way through. It’s a perfect beach read and easy plot to get caught up in the passionate romance and dreamy images of life on a beautiful Greek island. This would be the type of book that would be fun to watch as a movie.
My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 9, 2024.
It’s well written with Gia who is bold, bossy and boastful; and Abby who is ethical, works all the time and tends to please people. Everything revolves around the emotions of Gia – the girl with the money. Her father, Hugo Torres, recently passed leaving her with a $14 million estate and a good chunk of comfort funds.
Shortly after that, Gia was enchanted with Garrett, who of course was charming and handsome. Within a month, they were engaged and three months later married against her friend’s judgement. Abby didn’t go to the wedding. And now Gia was pleading with Abby to join her in Sweden to see the northern lights and added that her attractive, single brother would also be there. How could Abby say no to this trip complete with first-class airline tickets? She was a hard-working lawyer and needed a vacation.
We know something was going to happen. And with a few clues, it wasn’t too hard to make basic predictions half way through. It’s a perfect beach read and easy plot to get caught up in the passionate romance and dreamy images of life on a beautiful Greek island. This would be the type of book that would be fun to watch as a movie.
My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 9, 2024.