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This was a knock-out debut thriller that drew me in from the first page. Told from alternating perspectives, the story centers around Kira Rascher, an aspiring actress, and Joanna Cuyler, the co-founder of a theater company in Chicago. The two women's paths cross when Kira lands a leading role in a play entitled Temper and gets the opportunity to work with the mercurial actor/director, Malcolm "Mal" Mercer, who is the other theater company co-founder and is known for pushing the limits on and off set. From the first few chapters, the reader knows that the relationships in this triangle will be far from easy.
As the plot progresses, the tension is palpable and continues to build right up through the final pages. I tend to like thrillers with an edge, especially when they explore the dynamics of female relationships; this one definitely checked that box for me. I found myself wanting to find out what happened next to Kira and Joanna. I could not put this book down after a certain point. While I deduced the outcomes of a couple of the plot twists prior to them being revealed, I was still riveted from start to finish. In some ways, I felt satisfied after the twists were revealed because I had guessed right. It made me feel like I had connected with the characters and understood their perspectives and how they would behave. I liked the twists, which felt true to the characters and moved the story forward well.
The writing was strong and evocative. While I don't have any theater background, the author did an excellent job of describing this world and making it feel like I was there in the audience watching the drama unfold. My only regret in reading an early edition of her debut is knowing that I will now be waiting impatiently for her second novel to be published, which can't come soon enough! This review is based on an advanced reader edition that I received courtesy of NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press (thank you!).
As the plot progresses, the tension is palpable and continues to build right up through the final pages. I tend to like thrillers with an edge, especially when they explore the dynamics of female relationships; this one definitely checked that box for me. I found myself wanting to find out what happened next to Kira and Joanna. I could not put this book down after a certain point. While I deduced the outcomes of a couple of the plot twists prior to them being revealed, I was still riveted from start to finish. In some ways, I felt satisfied after the twists were revealed because I had guessed right. It made me feel like I had connected with the characters and understood their perspectives and how they would behave. I liked the twists, which felt true to the characters and moved the story forward well.
The writing was strong and evocative. While I don't have any theater background, the author did an excellent job of describing this world and making it feel like I was there in the audience watching the drama unfold. My only regret in reading an early edition of her debut is knowing that I will now be waiting impatiently for her second novel to be published, which can't come soon enough! This review is based on an advanced reader edition that I received courtesy of NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press (thank you!).