Another great twisty thriller from Downing.
This one had a few slow spots but the last about 3 hours was edge of my seat guessing game!
I feel like I can’t say much without spoilers but I will say everyone remembers things differently and until some truths come out you don’t know just how different you remember events from other people who lived them. This family is quite…well…I…I am just not sure how to explain this family!
Karissa Vacker‘s narration was really well done both her male and female voices were well done!

The twisty last 25% makes this a 4 star book

4 stars

Road trip! Those two words have differing connotations to many people but, to most of us, road trips from our past bring good memories, memories we like to savor. For me, they represent family vacations and occasional outings with college friends. There were also a few day trips with my best friend, sort of a high school Thelma and Louise kind of a thing…but without the cliff 😂

Such pleasant meanings don’t hold true for Beth, Portia and Eddie, though, as they’ve been coerced to take this particular road trip by greed and a demand from their deceased grandfather that they recreate a trek from years before. Trouble is, that long-ago journey wasn’t the nicest thing that ever happened to those kids and dear old Grandpa was the guy behind some very creepy pit stops. Now, if they want his millions, they have to recreate it and scatter his ashes but there are rules that have to be followed.

And then the REAL creepiness begins.

There are stories full of dark family secrets but Ms. Downing takes He Started It to a new level and I couldn’t help feeling truly sorry for the two spouses who had no idea what they were about to find out about the siblings and, of course, none of them could have expected the new craziness that was coming. I found myself enthralled with characters that I didn’t even like and had to keep reading to see what levels of awfulness they’d reach next. “Entertaining” is almost too mild a word to be used for this and, yet, it kind of fits if you’re entertained, as I am, by weirdly harrowing tales. If I have any quibbles at all, it’s because there’s more telling than showing here and that lessens the effect a bit, but I still recommend He Started It.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2021.

This book was a good story if you enjoy a romance novel more than a hardcore thriller. Character development was solid, overall a good beach read.

Samantha Downing is now an auto-buy author for me.

What even did I just read?? That ending??

He Started It is about three siblings (and two spouses) who go on a road trip after their grandfather passes away. Only it's not *a* road trip, it's *the* road trip - the one they took with their grandfather 15+ years ago. The goal: to make it to the end of the road trip and scatter his ashes at the final destination. If they accomplish that, they will all receive their inheritance - of at least $1 million each.

This book was twisty, and I loved the road trip narrative. I didn't love this one as much as I enjoyed this author's My Lovely Wife, but it was still a good thriller nonetheless. I thought the pacing was good, with just enough surprises sprinkled throughout to keep you on the edge of your seat. I docked it because tbh I hated the ending - if you've read this book and you know how I feel about those kinds of endings, you know what I'm talking about. Overall, I thought this was a good book, and I can't wait to read more!

The story definitely has a different twist to it. Can you imagine a road trip with three siblings and two spouses at this point in your life? I know I would have a difficult time with it.

That is what we head into with this popular book written by Downing, focusing on true crime family drama. As for unique stories, this author has crafted one that will leave you shaking your head at the end.

The story starts off a bit slow only because it’s difficult to know the authors writing style and where the story is going. But soon it picks up as you feel underlying threads of tension and disturbance start to creep into the situation. Each person has weird quirks and personality traits that start to unfold.

As the story develops, the author keeps us on our toes with multiple turns and developments that were surprising and uncomfortable in some instances. She threw in a number of shocking acts that are definitely unexpected and amped up the interest fast.

The ending was completely out of the blue and there were a number of curveballs that completely changed the overall feeling of the story. Plus, Downing offers us no true conclusion on this one, which tends to leave the door open for your imagination… Or maybe a sequel somewhere down the road.

Overall, He Started It is interesting, odd, definitely captivating, if even a bit screwed up! You may never look at family the same way again!

There was not one character I could rally behind on this one. I would advise a pass on this one. The whole premise was bizarre.

Enjoyable read but the narrative seemed off and because of it, the story dragged a bit in parts. Plot twists were almost all easily guessed. The premise was fun and light...who doesn't love a good road trip,

Crazy! Mind Blown! Incredible! Y'all pick up This book as well as My Lovely Wife! I will read everything Samantha writes!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FEATURED ON FRESH FICTION
Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Samantha! Please tell us about yourself and your new book, HE STARTED IT.

Thank you so much! My new book, HE STARTED IT, is about three siblings (and two spouses) who have to go on a road trip in order to get an inheritance from their grandfather. Along the way, they have to deal with old grudges, family secrets, and a lot of scores to settle.

This is a family road trip novel gone wrong--three siblings with strained relationships have to travel across the country per their grandfather’s will in order to receive a hefty inheritance. The route they are taking is the same road trip they took years ago with their grandfather, and they each have their own reasons for despising that trip. What is it about familial relationships, particularly sibling relationships, that you find fascinating?

Sibling relationships are really complicated. If they grow up in the same house, they have a shared history during their formative years--something that can’t be repeated later in life. Siblings know your past, and you know theirs. And typically, they know exactly how to push each other’s buttons. Better than anyone else, in my experience.

That makes siblings a fascinating topic for a book, especially a thriller!

Beth, Portia, and Eddie are all hiding secrets from one another, and this forced proximity brings the tension between them to a head. Without revealing too much, what do you think keeping secrets from each other does to their overall psyches and the tone of the book?

My hope is that it adds to the tension in the book. The Morgan siblings are going on a road trip they went on as kids, with their grandfather, and the story alternates between the first road trip and the current one. As more of the story is revealed, more of their secrets come to light.

I am such a huge fan of this authors writing. I loved everything about this. The pacing. The building tension. The familial dynamics. Perfection.

This author’s My Lovely Wife was unlike any thriller I’d read before, so I eagerly requested a copy of this one when it became available.

It’s the strangest road trip between three siblings (and two of their significant others), mimicking one taken many years before with their grandpa. Nobody is enthusiastic about it, but if they want to inherit their late grandpa’s fortune, they have to follow his instructions to the letter. And boy, do they want that inheritance. Eddie, Beth and Portia all have their own agendas, their own recollections of what happened on the first road trip 20 years ago, and they all feel very differently from each other about it. So what’s the truth?

This story used the unreliable narrator tool to the max - the characters were all so unlikeable. The format was fast paced and I needed to know what the heck was actually going on. However, by the end I felt like I’d been thrown so many curveballs I didn’t really understand what had actually happened. Rather than intriguing me, it felt like the scene in The Office where they’re having a fake standoff with finger guns and they’re all pointing them at each other and the reason why is completely muddled and unclear.

Road trip has gone awry & I love every second of this dysfunctional family! So much thrilling fun! Can't wait for more from Sam Downing

WHY DID I LISTEN TO HE STARTED IT BY SAMANTHA DOWNING?
There was a lot of hype around Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife – which to be quite fair I haven’t read. However, I figured that because there was hype around the debut, then the follow up must be good. Thus, I decided I really needed to give He Started It a shot – particularly as I’ve been trying the thriller genre quite a bit lately. Also, the fact that there’s a road trip which is basically what this book pivots around was appealing to me.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
There’s definitely a road trip. He Started It is about three siblings – Beth, Portia and Eddie Morgan who haven’t really spent time together in years, at least not until now. You see, their wealthy grandfather left them a ton of money. However, in order to get their hands on the money, they are required to take a road trip with each other. The siblings don’t really get along all that great. And there’s definitely some secrets from the past that come up too. Plus, there’s a dead body in the trunk. Oh and there happens to be a black vehicle that has been following them.

HOW DID I LIKE HE STARTED IT?
Honestly, I did not find Samantha Downing’s He Started It to be all that memorable or remarkable. Granted, I listened to this audiobook while super sick and fatigued – during my first trimester. So, my personal absolutely did impact my perspective on this book. I did like that there were different twists and unexpected events. However, I won’t lie, the main characters were all terrible people I felt. So, it was hard to really root for anyone. And sometimes for myself, I just need a character to root for. On the other hand, the plot and story does move quite quickly. And there are parts were I genuinely felt nervous or a thrill, as you will.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of He Started It is narrated by Karissa Vacker. It is 9 hours and 49 minutes long. Of course, I listened to it slightly sped up, which is normal. At the time and the state I was in while reading this book, audio was the perfect option to go with. It is a good listen for when you are driving. Vacker’s narration style is not at all annoying and well, smooth and easy to listen to.

The Morgan siblings aren't exactly what you would call close, but Eddie, Beth, and Portia have one common goal. They need to honor their late grandfather's wishes in order to inherit his multi-million dollar estate. So they meet up, along with Beth's husband and Eddie's new wife, and set off to recreate the road trip their father took them on twenty years ago. They start off from Georgia and zig-zag through the states stopping at some of the most obscure roadside attractions. Just like they did twenty years ago. But then some weird things start to happen along the way. Like a black pickup truck tried to run them off the road. Then somebody punctured a tire. And why does that black pickup keep showing up at every stop? Will the Morgan siblings be able to finish their journey and inherit the money?

I think that Samantha Downing is an absolute genius. The book is primarily told from Beth's viewpoint. Both in the past and in the present, so there is some bias from the narrator. She doesn't necessarily like her siblings. Or her husband, Felix, for that matter. But it doesn't matter, because the reader doesn't really like Beth all that much. Or her siblings, either. They aren't exactly good people. The genius of Samantha Downing proves itself because even though these characters are pretty awful, you still hang onto every word as if it were going to reveal the location of the fountain of youth. I could not put this book down. There are so many twists that are revealed along the way, you may not be able to keep up. And the very end will blow your mind. -CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - If I have said it once, I have said it a million times. I love it when an author can sneak one past me. Samantha Downing was able to sneak a whole lot more than "one" past me in He Started It. One of the best books of the summer.

Details:
He Started It by Samantha Downing
On Instagram
Pages:400
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 7/21/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great thriller! Super fast paced, loved the inheritance story and the roadtrips. Definitely am a fan of Samantha Downing now and can't wait to read more by her!

I did not know what to expect going into this one, but it was not this magnificent dumpster fire that hailed from the ashes of extreme fuckedupness. There were so
many twists and such an intricately webbed story, the layers just kept getting peeled back and the end result was not an onion, but more like a rotten, vengeful potato. My kind of book.

What the actual f*** did I just read? Samantha Downing what a wild ride, or should I say road trip, you just took me on. Three siblings – the asshole, the liar, and the thief are forced to take a road trip together in order to receive the inheritance from their grandfather. And not any road trip they have to perfectly replicate the road trip they took over 20 years ago with grandpa. A road trip the siblings would prefer forget. The story is narrated by middle sibling Beth who has an interesting relationship with the truth. there are also journal entries from an unknown narrator sprinkled throughout the story.

This sure was one twisted screwed up story. This family was beyond dysfunctional. None and I mean none of the characters were likable. The places they visited on this road trip were disturbing and arranged. On top of it all there was some creepy black truck following them the majority of the trip. I had NO idea where this story was going and I was shocked by the ending. but I have to say I was even more surprised by some of the things that happen along this trip, I had to have gasped out loud at least five times while reading this. This story was crazy done right!💥

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This book was SUCH a wild ride. You can’t trust anyone, including the narrator. I love the way this story unraveled, learning about what happened on the original roadtrip while the second roadtrip is happening. My mind was fully blown in the last few pages, and I’m not sure what to think! I will now be reading everything Samantha Downing writes.

Well well well, Downing, what have you done to me?! I USED to like road trips. 🤣 Beth, Portia and Eddie... and ALL THE SECRETS. Now, I don't have siblings but I have been on many a long trip and siblings or not, your companions will, at some point, get on your last nerve. People are just not meant to be in confined places for numerous hours. Especially if they know how to push all your buttons.

What's interesting is how this book is entirely told via Beth's POV. I think some readers will get frustrated with how this all seems like it's told, rather than shown. I didn't really have much of an issue with it though as I felt like my claustrophobia within her complex mind really made me feel like I was sitting with them on their way. You better believe I was thankful for some reprieve once in a while ... but I didn't get it - because I kept wondering WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON! I will admit that I did think some things dragged on a bit too long. HOWEVER, I think it was well done as it really gives you that road trip feel.

Now listen, you might think you know what you know but you don't really know, you know? I couldn't have foreseen that ending coming if my life depended on it. 😉 I turned that last page and the word "WHAT" came out of my mouth. I kept turning thinking maybe they missed a couple pages? No? HELL YES!! Absolutely loved that ending. Seriously. Well done, Downing. 👏

Thank you for the opportunity to read He Started It. Unfortunately, this book did not draw me in and I was not able to finish it so I won't be leaving a full review.