When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year's Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe's life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected--and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe's body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna's confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn't satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina's podcast uncover the truth?- Goodreads

I liked this book but what I thought was going to be a slow build was pretty much slow throughout the book. What I liked was being able to read the different point of views and read the past and present. However, the tension within this novel never actually gets resolved. Even at the end when everything is said and done it still felt like something was missing. Maybe it was Anna and her ending that felt incomplete or maybe it was how everything was wrapped up. Something was missing and that bothered me.

The story is not just told through different POVs and past and present but it is also told through a podcast. This was a nice "break" in the overall reading and it was done pretty well. What I didn't like was how the author put a Black boy within the novel to add complexity. It felt unnecessary and I say that because what was written sounded true enough but there wasn't a follow up or anything to the racial concerns that said boy had. There was also other conversations/situations added to the novel but with no follow up or real grip. It made things a bit confusing as in I was unsure where the author was going with this information.

Overall, I liked the book. I liked the who done it in the Hamptons. But I wish the book wasn't as slow and was more fleshed out.

2.5 Pickles

Good, twisty YA mystery inspired by DuMaurier’s Rebecca and true crime podcasts like Serial. You may guess a few of the answers, but you’ll never put the whole story together until the very end. An unreliable narrator, Anna gives up partying with her friends to spend the summer as a nanny in the Hamptons. She hears about Zoe, a girl she resembles, who disappeared six months earlier, and she begins to have visions of Zoe and her death. The PERFECT beach read!

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick is a young adult thriller that is inspired by Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This one is done in four parts with the chapters going between a then and now timeline with occasionaly there also being a transript of the podcast.

Then Anna Cicconi had been hired for a summer nanny position in the small village of Herron Mills in the Hamptons. Soon after arriving people begin to comment on how much Anna resembles Zoe Spanos who had gone missing the past New Years Eve. Anna finds that it’s no coincedence that she has so much in common with Zoe.

Now we find that Anna has confessed after Zoe’s body was found in a lake a couple of months after her fateful arrival in Herron Mills. However, not everyone is convinced Anna is guilty as her confession is full of holes so Martina Green, a teen who had been running a podcast on Zoe’s story becomes determined to get to the truth.

As complicated as the set up for I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick may sound it actually was pretty easty to follow as it switched between the then and now and sections of the story. Not having read Rebecca myself though I really can’t give a comparison as to how much this one was inspired by it. I did however think it was an interesting story on it’s own and enjoyed reading it myself.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have been looking forward to reading this book since I read the synopsis months ago, and I was not disappointed. It had a great gothic vibe and a mystery that kept you guessing the whole time.
This book is told in various timelines, which could be confusing, but it wasn’t. You know at once that Anna has confessed to killing Zoe, but you don’t know why or how. When then start at the beginning of summer when Anna starts her job as a nanny, and we first learn Zoe Spanos is missing. For this book to work, you have to like Anna, and I think the author does a great job of making her a very likable character. It helps that you are introduced to Anna as the patient-caregiver of a young girl who is trying to change her party girl ways.
The mystery is great and every time you think you know the answer there is a twist, all the way to the very end. Though not every twist came as a surprise, I was overall surprised by the outcome. I also like how a lot of the information about the case was told you in the form of a podcast. I have a feeling this would be a great audiobook for that reason.
This is a perfect summer mystery and I highly recommend it!

A little slow to start, but the mystery and the twists were well worth it in the end! I really enjoyed Kit Frick's descriptions of the setting, and Anna's character throughout the entire book! Well worth it, and I'm very excited to have Kit on the podcast!

“First time in the Hamptons?” Tom asks. I turn my head toward him, tearing my eyes from the hedgerows and entrance gates that obscure what promise to be jaw-dropping houses from public view. “Yeah. Yes. I think so, anyway.”

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really enjoyed reading Frick's I Killed Zoe Spanos, but the story's ending didn't blow me away. I was initially captivated by the unreliable narrator and her sketchy, half-remembered details, but there was something lacking there at the end. The characters were all the same, but the Big Reveal wasn't all that remarkable. It was unexpected, yes, but also a little underwhelming. After reading the first part of the book, I had higher expectations for its conclusion.

Anna would frequently lose time, forget important details, and had an alarming number of gaps in her memory. At first, I thought she might have a mental health issue that caused her to struggle with facts and retention, but even that aspect of the story lost some of its steam towards the end. Some of her memories were explained, while others were left untouched. I wanted to know more about all of Anna's dreams and hallucinations, not just the ones that were relevant at the end. If you've read this, I'm mostly referring to the one she had about Paisley. It seemed to be the only major one not addressed.

Additionally, I felt like the adults in this book were at the root of everyone's problems, and wish that had also been elaborated on a little more. Unfortunately, we only get a few breadcrumbs regarding their involvement in Anna's life. The secondary characters were interesting, if also somewhat one-dimensional. I understood the need for secrecy, and know the lack of details only made me more suspicious of everyone. I kept wondering what they were hiding, and if this or that reaction had anything to do with Zoe.

What I didn't understand was why anyone would be attracted to Caden. He was unlikable from the start, and clearly only cared about himself. However, I thought the podcast element was very interesting, and reminded me of Courtney Summers' Sadie. We get to learn details about the past without the characters having flashbacks, and I thought it really complemented the Then and Now format.

I can't really say too much more without giving something away, but if you like unreliable narrators, suspenseful thrillers, and small beach towns, then definitely give this book a shot. I Killed Zoe Spanos held my interest and kept me on my toes, but I wanted something more from its conclusion. (★★★★☆)

Fascinating Plot that Slightly Fizzled at the End

I don't read a lot of YA, but I do read a lot of thrillers. I've seen a lot of hype about this book and decided to check it out.

I was pleasantly surprised by the content. There are enough plot twists that it took me a while to figure everything out, and the story moves along at a nice pace. The character development extends far past "awkward teenage girl every boy desires" and "scorching hot teenage boy who only has eyes for her." Everyone seems to have a secret, and their reveals are quite satisfying. That is, until the big reveal at the end. So much buildup went into the story that the climax required a bang, not a whimper. And while it might not be fair to call the ending a whimper, it was definitely not a bang.

I received this book from NetGalley, so I may not have had the final, polished version. Because of that, it's unfair of me to judge the book on mechanical errors. There were several, but I did not let that factor into my rating. Instead, I'm only considering content. This author has a fertile imagination and a good sense of story development and pacing. The book is engaging, and despite the fizzling ending, I can comfortably give it a solid four stars.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is a great thriller that combines an unreliable narrator and podcast feel. Much like SADIE, this one kept me on my toes and guessing the verdict throughout! I really enjoyed the commentary on class structures, privilege, race, and mental health. Fans of THE GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER will definitely enjoy this twisty book!

2.5 stars. This book started incredibly slowly. A lot of it was just boring to me. It’s set in the Hamptons so it has that lazy, a rich person was murdered vibe that I really don’t prefer in a story.

The actual story wasn’t too bad though. The mystery wrapped up in a somewhat unexpected way, but was still mostly plausible. This one had one of those last chapter extra reveal about the main reveal that I really like in thrillers. (Recommend The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas and The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager if you’re looking for a similar effect)

I don’t feel that I’ve gained anything by having read this but it wasn’t awful. I do think if you like more affluent mysteries you’ll like this one.

Finally got the kindle download and oh so grateful! This was one of those books that really hooked me from page one, didn’t let go until the very end! Had lots of suspense throughout, lots of goosebump inducing chills, and gasp worthy shocks! I found it to be written in a fast paced, intense style, which was gripping and absolutely thrilling! I did not love the ending, but dull must give a full 5 stars for the unputdownable pull this book kept on me, Until I finished it and even then it remained in my thoughts for a bit! My recommendation is, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, but this is one you will need a clear schedule for, also prepare for that book hangover you are sure to get, after you finish!

5 EPIC STARS for this page turning YA Thriller! I was HOOKED & read this book in just about 1 sitting, never anticipating THAT ending! I plan on re-reading via audiobook since I'm a big lover of the podcast SERIAL & think this will be an engrossing audiobook. Full GUSH RTC on Lair Of Books on Friday 7/3/2020, links will be added once it goes live, here on Netgalley.

UPDATED FULL REVIEW

It’s safe to say by now that I’ll give anything a shot when described as having a podcast style of writing & to this day I have yet to be disappointed. I guess my only wish here is that I had been able to also listen to the audiobook of this GRIPPING new YA Thriller. This being a eGalley however, I sat down to read for a bit not expecting to have to pry this book away or break night reading. Set in the Hamptons during the summer, we meet Anna Cicconi who has been hired as a nanny for a wealthy family. Anna is looking for a fresh start where she can shed some of her toxic past & prepare for life as a college student. When Anna arrives in the Hamptons she is received by many with stares due to the uncanny resemblance she bears with Zoe Spanos. Zoe is a girl who has gone missing & is being grieved by many, she is also the source matter for a trending local podcast run by Martina Green. Martina’s podcast is rising in popularity with many listening in as she interviews friends & family about Zoe. I absolutely LOVED the entries we read that are transcribed from the people Martina interviews. Although I was reading the eGalley, it was done so well that I could hear these people as if I were listening to the Podcast myself.

Anna Cicconi has the unfortunate luck of looking very similar to Zoe Spanos & that triggers in her a need to do a bit of investigative work herself. Anna starts asking questions that raise eyebrows & soon enough she finds herself deeply involved. Anna is an unreliable narrator, I definitely didn’t know if she was innocent or not for a good chunk of this book. Throw in the fact that Anna acknowledges having an alcohol problem, this made me question certain things. Anna finds herself confessing to the murder of Zoe Spanos however her story is riddled with holes & Martina is on a mission to fill those in. I could NOT stop myself from reading “just one more chapter” hooked until the very last page, I just needed to know what really happened to Zoe Spanos. How Anna came to be in the situation she finds herself in & whether or not there really was foul play afoot. Well! I could’ve NEVER guessed that ending & when I read that last paragraph I did so while my mouth hung open in shock. Sign me up for the next Kit Frick book, I’m here for it!

What I liked
- The haunting premise hooked me right away — When Anna moved to Herron Mills to start a nannying job, everyone in town told her that she looked like a girl named Zoe... who had been missing for months. Since then, Anna began seeing visions of places she’d never been and memories she’d never had. The mystery kept me guessing every step of the way.
- I loved the mysterious and chilling vibes of the story and the setting, such as Anna’s neighbour’s home — an old mansion that had once been glorious, now rundown and overgrown with weeds. It was a bit unsettling to read this novel at night!
- The characters were more than what met the eye. Anna herself was an unreliable narrator, whose point of view I began to question later on throughout the novel. Several other characters who seemed at first friendly and amicable later turned out to be prime suspects of the mystery.
- I enjoyed the format of the story, which was comprised mostly of narrative in alternating points of view (Anna and Martina’s) along with transcripts from Martina’s podcast. The variety in the format kept the story interesting.
- The book kept me guessing about the culprit until the very end. I had absolutely no idea who was responsible for Zoe’s disappearance and why. Many mysteries are somewhat predictable but I liked that this one wasn’t.
- This novel was inspired by Rebecca which is a classic novel that I liked. I loved that the book borrowed elements from Rebecca without being a direct retelling of the story. It also channeled the same ghostly tone as Rebecca which was pretty cool.

What I didn’t like
- Although I wasn’t able to predict the ending, I found it to be slightly... anticlimactic? It was interesting enough but I felt that I had expected more given all that had been set up in the beginning.
- Secondly I felt that the pacing dragged towards the end. Although I was eager to get to the bottom of the mystery, the build up to the ending wasn’t as spectacular as expected.

The bottom line
I Killed Zoe Spanos is a gripping psychological thriller that captivated me from the first page and sent chills down my spine. I enjoyed the haunting tone of the story and the unpredictable twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end.

I tried to get through this one but the book was so slow.... I had no feelings for any of the characters. Ziltch. I'm sorry to say that I have DNF'd this book. I loved the cover and that was one of the reasons it drew me in other than that this is a no go for me.

A tight YA thriller destined to be a mega hit. A definite must buy when purchasing time comes along.

This book is definitely going to be the hottest YA thriller of the summer! I could not put it down! 😁

This book reminded me a lot of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. (In a good way!)

Can we talk about the cover?! And the sprayed edges?! I was so excited to receive my finished copy! 😍

This thriller had twists inside twists! I really thought I was onto the truth but I was actually wrong 😱

I wish that I would have been able to live in a pool house like Anna did during the summer. Being a live in nanny would be a lot of work, but working for the rich family would come with a lot of perks.

I really loved the podcast aspect of the book. The book went back and forth between the past, current times and transcripts of a podcast about Zoe Spanos’ disappearance. My thoughts while reading the podcast transcripts was “Imagine being able to listen to the podcast during those sections of the book!” That would have been so cool! I wonder if someone could make that happen 😉

I’m not normally a fan of amnesia/lost memory stories; I find them too convenient or full of cliches. But in I Killed Zoe Spanos, it works. We meet Anna as she is confessing to the murder of Zoe Spanos, detailing the night of New Year’s Eve, the night she saw Zoe die. Then we move back in time to Anna taking a job in the Hamptons, Zoe is a girl who’s been missing for months, and Anna is constantly being told how much she looks like her. Soon Anna starts having flashes of memories... did she know Zoe? She listens to a podcast made by a friend of Aster (Zoe’s sister), Martina. Everything she’s learning is mixing with her broken memories all coming to a point. In a deliciously twisted story, Zoe is entangled in Anna’s life, pulling her in different directions, and Anna struggles to keep a clear head.

Though I've never read Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, I now want to after reading Kit Frick's I Killed Zoe Spanos, which is based on Rebecca. But you don't need to have read Rebecca to enjoy I Killed Zoe Spanos.

A murder mystery, Frick's book takes the reader on a journey with main character Anna, who, when we meet her, is confessing to have killed Zoe. However, the book alternates the "now" of Anna's confession and subsequent incarceration while awaiting trial with the "then" of the events that led up to Anna's confession. Frick uses transcripts of a character's podcast to fill in backstory, and all the major characters are interesting and hold interest.

There are lovely plot twists and surprises throughout and the ending was satisfying. I would recommend.

Kit Frick’s new novel, I Killed Zoe Spanos, has all of the ingredients that make for a great summer read. It has a compelling mystery regarding what has happened to Zoe Spanos and who is responsible, and it also features a fantastic podcast run by a teenager who doesn’t think the police are doing enough to solve the mystery. Top that off with an unreliable narrator and a small town setting in the ultra-elite Hamptons and you’ve got yourself a must-read book for the beach or your next vacation.

The protagonist of I Killed Zoe Spanos is Anna Cicconi. Anna has come to Herron Mills, a village in the Hamptons, to work as a nanny for a family there. She is hoping this job will be a fresh start for her. Anna has gone through a rough patch lately and spent entirely too much time partying and drinking, to the point where she has started experiencing blackouts and memory loss. Anna’s journey takes an unexpected turn when she arrives in Herron Mills and is immediately told by everyone she meets that she looks just like Zoe Spanos, a young woman who went missing in the village months earlier. Anna becomes interested in Zoe’s disappearance and starts having little flashes of memories that convince her that she knows Zoe and that she has been to Herron Mills before. When the story opens and we are faced with a scene in which Anna is confessing to Zoe’s murder, it becomes clear that Anna’s summer in the Hamptons is life changing in all the wrong ways.

We get most of the story from Anna’s perspective, and Anna is a classic unreliable narrator. From the moment we meet her as she is confessing to Zoe’s murder, it’s clear that we can’t necessarily trust what she’s saying. The confession is oddly specific yet filled with comments like “I guess,” “I think,” etc. It doesn’t sound at all like a statement made by someone who is sure she committed the crime. An even bigger cloud of doubt is cast over Anna’s story when we learn from her best friend Kaylee that she was with Anna and they weren’t even at the house where Anna is saying Zoe died. Even though the story opens with a confession, the mystery of what happened to Zoe and what, if any, role Anna had in it, is truly about as muddled as it gets and I was hooked on wanting to get to the bottom of it. I also really liked Anna and that she was trying to get her life under control, so I wanted her account to be wrong. I didn’t want her to be a killer. Sometimes unreliable narrators don’t work well for me, but I loved its use here.

I was also a big fan of the author’s use of a dual timeline. One timeline follows the events that lead up to the discovery of Zoe’s body, while the other timeline deals with the fallout after the body is discovered. I always love watching the pieces of a puzzle come together this way, as it allows me lots of opportunities to try to fit those pieces together and come up with my own theories about what has happened, as I did with this story. In this case, the chapters alternate between the two timelines so that the reader is fed a few crumbs at a time from each end of the mystery, both from Anna’s perspective and from the perspective of Martina Jenkins, who is conducting her own investigation into what happened to Zoe, and broadcasting her findings on a podcast called Missing Zoe.

I don’t want to give away any details about what actually happened to Zoe, but I will say that it’s a wild ride to the final reveal. I came up with lots of theories along the way and was wrong every time. In addition to the mystery about Zoe, there are also plenty of little side plots filled with secrets and drama that add extra layers of intrigue and suspense to the overall story. I devoured I Killed Zoe Spanos in just a couple of sittings and definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a good mystery.

The book is about:
I Killed Zoe Spanos tells the story of Anna and her confession that she killed Zoe Spanos. The story began with her trip to the Hamptons one summer, to serve as a nanny there. Surprisingly, many people thought of her as Zoe because they are said to resemble each other. But Zoe is missing… Fast forward to two months after, Anna believes she is the reason why Zoe is dead.

What drew me in:
If you have been here a while, you probably know that I am a huge fan of YA thrillers. So when an invite to join the blog tour came, I grabbed the opportunity right away. A mysterious disappearance and an unreliable narrator is more than enough for me to go crazy about the chance to read this!

Characters & connections:

I have to admit, I was very confused about the beginning. I go back and forth about the characters and I kept going back to the earlier pages just to make sure that I’m at the right spot. However, as the story progressed, its cast of characters offers an amazing and thrilling experience, perfect for people who love whodunnits.

Everything I liked:
When you pick up a mystery book, you would want the author to keep you guessing and at your toes. I Killed Zoe Spanos will give you just that. It gave my brain a chance to exercise its detective skills – and I have to admit I had a slight guess about the ending but I didn’t know that the author will go that way. It was truly a fun experience.

Overall thoughts:
Kit Frick was a new-to-me author and this book was a great one to sample her prowess. I Killed Zoe Spanos is the perfect read for fans of Sadie (missing girls & podcasts) and now that I know that this book will have a full cast audio, I will surely make it a point to listen to it as soon as it is out! If you are looking for a good time with a YA thriller, this read will not disappoint.

Anna is a 17-year-old girl who is deciding that her life needs a little change before she heads off to college. Her high school life has not been a very tame one and she has decided that she needs a break from all the parties. She gets a job in the Hamptons in the town of Herron Mills being an Au pair for a wealthy family. Anna soon realizes that she looks suspiciously like a girl who has gone missing. A girl who she has memories and visions of. Soon the body of Zoe Spanos is discovered. Anna starts to put pieces together and cannot help but wonder. Did she kill Zoe?

I killed Zoe Spanos was a book that I did not expect to fall in love with. I do not usually read a lot of mystery or contemporary books. The story moving between two different time periods really gives you a sense of knowing whats going to happen and then flips on its head. Many things did not make sense and that feeling of needing everything to fall into place kept my attention. I finished this book in one day not being able to put it down. I needed to know what happened to Zoe and if Anna was a part of it.

The influence on Anna’s drinking and slightly hinting in that she is an alcoholic is an important part of the story that I think should have been resolved a little better in the end. I believe that people need to see that not only can you stop drinking on your own, but you can get help for it too. Her being an Alcoholic is what has her so confused and believing in the possibility that she could have killed Zoe.

The book did a particularly good job of showing the difference between different class structures and what is possible when you have money. The fact that Anna is placed in juvey after she confesses to something without a lawyer present and without a parent. Along with the fact that her story does not hold water and she is still charged. While after a different individual confesses, they are given very lenient treatment because the family has money. This also comes up when you think about women going missing. Zoe is of high importance because of her status and family but some other women might not even be reported missing.

This book is a remarkably interesting book that I think is coming out at the perfect time. Would be amazing to sit on the beach or alongside a pool in the sun reading this book. The scene that is set in the book makes me want to go to the beach and soak up the sun.