You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
bringmybooks's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Review: Most important thing to say here is please READ OTHER REVIEWS and don't rely on just mine because I seem to be so far in the minority on this one ... but this felt very meh :(
I liked the idea of all the flashbacks leading us to present day Evie, but eventually I kinda forgot where we were and why we were there (and why I cared). The slog during the middle was real, y'all.
The writing wasn't bad and I definitely would pick up another thriller by this author, but with all the thrillers you can pick up in bookstores these days, this one would not be my recommendation.
Overall Rating: ★★★★ / 3.25
Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★
Atmosphere ★★★
Writing ★★★
Plot ★★★
Intrigue ★★★★
Logic ★★★
Enjoyment ★★
Pacing ★★
Dialogue ★★★
★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
3readingcircus's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence
lwl000's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Does anyone else feel that this genre has <i> so </i> many titles being released, that the storylines tend to blur together and the twists get harder and harder to make pop? Admittedly, I do...
Nevertheless, I thought this book re-ignited my excitement and delivered exactly what one looks for in a read like this! I was guessing and second-guessing the next steps throughout the entire book, and I love good twists that keep you on your toes until (literally) the last sentence.
Nevertheless, I thought this book re-ignited my excitement and delivered exactly what one looks for in a read like this! I was guessing and second-guessing the next steps throughout the entire book, and I love good twists that keep you on your toes until (literally) the last sentence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Death, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
nolawords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Does anyone else feel that this genre has so many titles being released, that the storylines tend to blur together and the twists get harder and harder to make pop? Admittedly, I do...
Nevertheless, I thought this book re-ignited my excitement and delivered exactly what one looks for in a read like this! I was guessing and second-guessing the next steps throughout the entire book, and I love good twists that keep you on your toes until (literally) the last sentence.
Well done, Ashley Elston! I look forward to the screen adaptation of this!
Nevertheless, I thought this book re-ignited my excitement and delivered exactly what one looks for in a read like this! I was guessing and second-guessing the next steps throughout the entire book, and I love good twists that keep you on your toes until (literally) the last sentence.
Well done, Ashley Elston! I look forward to the screen adaptation of this!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
kshertz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a great mystery book! I love an unreliable narrator and everyone is very unreliable. I’m not really sure who to root for. I don’t know who will come out on top. There are twists! It was really enjoyable to follow along with them.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
While I think this book was a little overhyped on TikTok, I still found the premise and the story arc interesting. It was a little different than most thriller/murder mysteries I’ve read in the past. The narrator is unreliable yet likeable. There were a lot of twists and turns, some expected and others unexpected. The ending is a little bit of a cliffhanger which is fun and leaves the reader wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
lvfrks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Addiction
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had me absolutely gripped! I’d been seeing this book all over instagram and booktok so I was suspicious about whether it would live up to the hype, and boy did it! I love a page-turner thriller that isn’t super dark or scary, so this really fit the bill. The twists and turns throughout were absolutely delicious - I was truly on the edge of my seat the whole time and found it difficult to put this book down to go to work or function in real life! Fabulously written and highly compelling, I recommend this to anyone who wants a book that will get them out of a slump, because it certainly did that for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
lindaahogannxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book, was fast paced was a quick read and it kept me guessing until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
daydaybookbay's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I rated this book a 7 out of 10. I was pulled into this thriller, and I love the idea of undercover work. Evie shows her cleverness over the years and pulls ahead in work. Some sections felt repetitive, but I liked how everything was revealed for a reason. I wish there had been some character development; the characters themselves were a bit flat.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
This story is a quick read, but slow paced (if that makes any sense) game of cat-and-mouse. We watch the back and forth of Evie's work and personal life while she tries to keep it from crumbling.
The major plot of the story is introduced in chapters 1 and 2. We follow Evie in her undercover scheme for the first half of the book. In the second half, we have an altered plot and follow Evie in her con artist scheme. It is a bit basic at times, but the plot keeps pushing forward.
The flashbacks to Evie's previous jobs threw me through a loop a few times. It wasn't always clear why any of those moments were important. Eventually, it all comes full circle, and we understand, but I think they were more randomly distributed rather than strategically placed.
I'1l say it again here: there is next to zero character development. Here's a character at face value, and there is nothing added. I wish there would have been more there (maybe in the flashbacks) where we could understand more about the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail