Member Reviews

The thing about a good thriller book is that it always puts me on the edge of my seat. And so does THE LOST NIGHT. I sped through this book within 2 days. It was so easy to get into. The plot pulled me in from the start and the dialogue between characters felt so natural. It's truly a hard-to-put-down book. The author made me curious about what truly happened to Edie. Was it suicide or was she murdered? Also, what happened to Lindsay the night Edie died? All my questions are answered by the final twist at the end, which completely surprised me.

I recommend this book for those who love a juicy drama mix with psychological suspense.

** Thank you to Thomas & Mercer Publisher and #NetGalley for providing me this digital ARC of #TheLostNight**

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I can't wait to properly review this on Amazon and Good reads. I did not see the final twist coming. This is a must read!

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The Lost Night is a good meaty story that I kept reading because I wanted to know what really happened the night Edie died. Was it suicide or did someone set the stage? Lindsay is the main character who was in a blackout drunk ten years ago when her friend Edie was shot. Lindsey was very disturbed when it was suggested to her that she wasn't where she thought she was on that night.

The Calhoun Apartments was a freewheeling place to live with parties, live bands, drugs and drinking almost always available. We learn about what happened in little bits and pieces when Lindsay starts questioning people about the incident. There are memories from different points of view that help fill in some of the blanks for Lindsay but someone made it very clear she should stop looking for answers.

Andrea Bartz has written a complex mystery that gives the reader a good flavor of the New York setting and the young people who populate the area.. Some of her phrasing easily shows feelings. One of my favorites is Lindsay saying, "I fell asleep in a fuzzy bag of self pity."

Thank you Crown Publishing and NetGalley for supplying the Advanced Reader's Copy for purpose of review. The opinions expressed are completely my own. Look for this book to be published early March, 2019.
#TheLostNight #NetGalley

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This book took a twist I did not see coming! I had trouble seeing why everyone loved Edie so much, she seemed like a fair weather friend to me.

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This book should honestly come with a content warning. The graphic depictions of alcohol blackouts and blackmail arising from them could be traumatizing for individuals that are in early recovery. Not joking, speaking as someone with alcohol abuse disorder, in recovery, the graphic writing was so incredibly vivid that I had to take breaks from the book to get my bearings. That said, this author writes with a raw reality of the grittiness of alcohol abuse disorder of someone who has really been down in the gutter with it. She's incredibly talented. The main character in this book comes across as an unlikable child. She's in her early 30's romanticizing her 20's to the point that she finds herself obsessively thinking back to one night where a friend committed suicide, seemingly out of the blue. Thanks to a series of blackouts, one of which occurred the night of the suicide, she now has to try, 10 years later, to piece together from other people's memories what occurred that evening. I think that was the main problem I had with that, there was very little build up to what made her, all of a sudden, 10 years later want to figure this out. As if that wasn't odd enough the author sprinkles in random romances with men that do little to add to the plot other than to further show her isolation in life besides a couple of friends that have only been around for a couple of years. Andrea Bartz does a fantastic job describing 2009 Brooklyn. It's an incredibly descriptive experience, movie-like, and one of my favorite parts of reading when a really good author can set a scene where you're in the set with the characters. Even though the protagonist was imminently unlikable, it didn't matter because the plot was on fire. I didn't find it completely believable, but it was fun, it was page turning, and it was, for me, completely un-guessable until nearly the end and that's really all I ask out of thrillers. I would definitely look for future books from this author, knowing going in this time that I need to be aware that her books may contain content that is somewhat disturbing for me in particular.

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The Lost Night by Andrea Bartz
It’s been almost 10 years since Edie killed herself. She was a wild, lively young woman with such a zest for life that none of her friends could believe it. Lindsay and Sarah get together after a lapse of 10 years and they discuss the questionable suicide of their friend, Edie. This novel was a terrific read! I enjoyed every page. The plot was complex, suspenseful and intense. It’s one of those books you can’t put down until the end. Great book with a great ending. Full of twists and turns you won’t see coming! I highly recommend this book. ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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way unreliable narrator, no one seems to have grown up over the past 10 years, memories that are out of proportion to what really happened. And I figured out the premise and the perpetrator almost from the beginning!

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After 10 years of no contact, Lindsay and Sarah get together. They reminisce about their friend, Edie, who had died from a gun shot to her head. Although it was ruled as a suicide, Sarah mentions that the wound was on the right side of Edie's head and that Edie was left-handed. Then they began to talk alibis. Sarah said that Lindsay was NOT at a concert that Lindsay KNEW she was at.

The remainder of the story builds up on the possibility that Edie was, indeed, murdered. The sheer number of suspects and lack of firm clues keeps the reader guessing. (If not frequently changing their minds about what DID happen to Edie).

The background mostly revolves around Lindsay, Edie, Alex, Kevin and Sarah. Lindsay begins to remember her past and her psychiatric problems. Could it HAVE been her that murdered Edie? Was it a suicide? Or?

Read, read, read this one! It is GREAT - Highly recommend!!~!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read this!

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It’s hard to write a review without a spoiler but here goes:
I immediately didn’t like Sarah. Introducing her with her telling Lindsay that her memory was off and things she thought were fact weren’t they are weird fantasy or a dream. I did like Lindsay for the most part. I thought it would have been better to speak of her being bored with being single, her fact-checking job and so on. Maybe trying to recall fun times and not Edie killing herself.

Maybe overall the timeline should have been clearer. I can’t pinpoint what was missing for me. Not yet Published ARC was given to me. IF I was the publisher I would certainly have a new round of beta's and maybe an editor. I did see a few other reviews and there is a general overall issue the others see with the storyline

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This is a work by a very fine author. I could not put this down. As soon as it is published I will post a review on Amazon. They don't let you post one until the book is published. Great job! Cant wait to read the next one by this author!

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I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. The "flashbacks" gave atmosphere and context. I am usually pretty good at guessing the "who did it", but the reveal was a complete surprise to me. Well done!

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I can't remember the last time I was up to 3am, unable to stop until I found out the end of a story. Along with being a good mystery, this was a very good sketch of New York in 2009 at the beginning of the great recession and what it was like coming of age at that time. Lindsey, the main character, is a likable fact checker struggling with a childhood history of low self esteem and of not quite fitting in. She has carried these traits into adulthood and has dealt with them by drinking. She has a best friend, Edie, who is a charismatic fashion student has been Lindsey's entre" into a group of "hipsters" at a Brooklyn loft where Edie lives. On a cataclysmic summer night, Edie is found shot dead and her death is ruled a suicide. Lindsey cannot remember what happened due to a blackout. Now, ten years later, Lindsey sets out to find out the truth of what happened that night.

While Lindsey is the primary voice telling the story, other characters occasionally make an appearance and narrate for short bits. I felt these interludes were an interruption to the flow of the narrative and could easily have been left out.

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This book could have been written in 20 pages. Instead, I slogged through the entire thing waiting for something - anything - to happen to redeem this long drawn out book of post adolescent angst, drinking, sex hookups with no end in sight. Edie killed herself - or did she? Ten years later her friend tries to unravel the mystery. Slogging through old photos, videos, discussions with friends etc. and the ending, when it finally came was anticlimactic. A real ‘who cares.’

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Most of us have a had a night out and we wake up and can't remember how it ended... maybe it was because we were tired or maybe alcohol came into play. The Lost Night touches heavily on a night like this. Edie is a popular 23 year old who takes her own life... or does she? Ten years later, Lindsey is reflecting on Edie and how her life ended. Is there more to what happened than Lindsey remembers? Read and you will find out. I will be recommending The Lost Night to my friends and coworkers. I was stunned but how it ended and you will be too.

I am thankful for NetGalley giving me an advanced copy of The Lost Night in exchange for an honest review.

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For everyone who loves a great mystery/thriller, The Lost Night is a MUST READ! Andrea Bartz did a fantastic job with creating an addictive “who done it”! The pacing was perfect- there are several smaller mysteries within a larger mystery that will keep you on the hook until the very end. I enjoyed that Andrea Bartz told The Lost Night through several character’s perspectives, changing viewpoints added so much to the storyline! I literally found this 5 star novel unputdownable and I definitely can’t wait for more from Andrea Bartz!

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I wasn't sure what to think and still am not. There are some things to really recommend this book, and some that weren't so thrilling.
The narrator, Lindsay reflects on a really fun time for her and her crew in '90's New York. Lots of kids, parties, drink, drugs, sex, shifting alliances and friendships. One of the more attractive yet mercurial girls is found dead and it appears to be suicide. But why?

As the people drift apart and grow she ants to go back and figure out what happened that fateful night. Her research reveals all sorts of secrets that all culminate in a shocking revelation.

The idea of the story isn't that novel but what kept me reading were some of the language and phrasing of the author. Although she seems pretty young (relative to me) yet I found some of her perspectives as applicable to me. There were some lovely allusions and descriptions of feelings and reactions.

The red herrings and misdirection are a little frustrating, but I guess I can see how they fit into the story.
Overall, its well written, and if this author applies her skill to a more novel storyline, I would really look forward to her next work.

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Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC

I absolutely hate giving poor reviews but I know it's part of why we do this. Unfortunately, this novel was a lackluster version of what a thriller should be. I felt that the predictability and suspense that Bartz attempted to portray did not come through in the writing. The characters were underdeveloped and there was too much time spent on superficial dialog. I begged for it to get better, for the characters to broaden, or deepen in perspective but it just did not happen and the plot fell flat. 2 stars.

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I found this book to be a perfect slice of the early 2000’s. Everyone was so self absorbed and a bit clueless. The change that occurred to all of them in the next ten years was very realistic. It was an interesting book even though I am much older. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review!

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*yaaaaaaaawwwwnnn*

This book is reminiscent of a really bad Lifetime movie staring a bad actress from a 90's drama that you end up watching on a Sunday afternoon because you can't find the remote.

The Lost Night lost me about halfway through when I realized it was turning into the typical whodunnit only without the who.

I had a suspicion of who the killer was but kept dismissing the thoughts in hopes of a less obvious outcome. Although I guessed the killer, I hadn't yet figured out the why until it was revealed.

The reveal was painfully cliché in it's execution with the guilty party giving a long, detailed and convoluted account of the implausible chain of events leading up to and following the murder. I mean this scene goes on and on and on and becomes more ridiculous by the page.

The lead protagonist, Lindsay, is an unbearably annoying character with the mental fortitude of a teenager rather than a woman in her 30's.

The writing is very wordy and I found myself skimming through paragraphs of relentless dialogue.

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3 for effort


I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This novel was a terrific read! I enjoyed every page. It was quite a long novel, but it didn’t need to be shortened. Every page was essential in moving the plot & characters forward. Ms. Bartz wrote a very moving & memorable novel. While the focus was on the main character Lindsay, Edie was also a main character even in her absence. The outlying characters (Lindsay’s friends) were deeply moving, realistic & empathetic. The reader is able to see & understand the development & evolution through the years of Lindsay as a person. The plot was intricate, intense & suspensful.
I’ve not read any novels by Andrea Bartz before, & plan on buying more of her novels.
The editing was superb. I found no typos or grammatical errors.
While I would charscterize this novel as “women’s fiction”, I’d also consider it “psychological drama”, both of which are among my favorite genres.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review this remarkable novel!

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