I love me some Samantha Downing books! I feel like most people would have complained that this story sound like a lot of other domestic thrillers, but it was so well written and the ending was so twisted that it made this all worth it! Highly recommended!

Beth and her two siblings, Eddie and Portia, have been tasked to reenact a road trip that they took with their grandfather when they were teenagers and to spread his ashes at the end of it. As the road trip progresses, you learn just how twisted their family is, as secret after secret is revealed.

There were a lot of twists in this one. Like A LOT. Too many, I think. A couple of the things that happened didn't really seem to make sense. I am still giving this one three stars because I really wanted to find out what was going to happen and the writing kept me reading.

Ohhhh, the things people will do for money! Never ceases to amaze me.... this was a highly entertaining, enjoyable novel. . . . but to be perfectly honest, it took me a couple cycles of pick-it-up-put-it-back-down to REALLY get into it. However, once I did, I couldn't wait to see where things would lead. I love thrillers, and because I read so many books in the mystery/thriller genre, I tend to be a little harsh on the books I read. He Started It, however, left me very little room to be harsh or overly critical. Sure, none of the characters were particularly likeable, but they played their part with in the book gloriously, and the characters didn't cause me to enjoy reading this book any less. I will absolutely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading titles by Samantha Downing in the future. Thank you to the publisher, to the author, and to NetGalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book!

This thriller always kept me on my toes. I never fully knew what was about to happen and was constantly shocked at the plot twists.

I read My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing when it first came out, and truly enjoyed it. He Started It was even better. I will be a fan of Samantha Downing's for a long time, especially since each book I read continues to get better and more intense.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a thriller that will keep them guessing!

Samantha Dowling follows her breakout debut novel, My Lovely Wife, with another wildly original and addictive thriller about three estranged siblings who must reunite after their grandfather’s death and travel across the country to fulfill his last wish and secure their inheritance. What ensues is a dark and dementedly fun family road trip that will keep you hooked through the last page.

It should come as no surprise that He Started It became a bestseller this summer; I STILL see gushing praise for Downing's 2019 debut, My Lovely Wife. Her sophomore novel follows a group of four siblings (and their partners) as they're brought back together for the first time in years for the reading of their grandfather's will. There is a sizeable inheritance to be had - but only if they follow the rules left in the will and reach their final destination on a cross-country road trip.

What follows was a gripping, highly entertaining ride (ha) full of secrets, forgotten memories, and a truck that isn't subtle when it comes to tailing their car.

The ending did fall flat for me, but overall this was a great read and is sure to continue finding fans!

Unfortunately this book hooks the reader to keep going one more chapter to fix but where the story is going - only to come to an ending that could be great but leaves you totally hanging. I should’ve stopped reading before I go in too deep.

I loved this author’s prior book and the idea behind this book is good as we can all related road trips and especially road trips as kids years ago. While this book was an average read, it was not as good as I expected based on her last novel. It could be that the lost novel set me up to expect more.

Great spooky fall read filled with suspense and the unexpected. Can’t wait for more from Samantha Downing.

He Started It got my attention due to its author, Samantha Downing, whose debut novel was quite enjoyable. Most of you know, the thriller genre is not among my favorites and I’m very selective about which I’ll read. I was excited to get this one hoping for the same kind of gratification that My Lovely Wife gave me. Alas, it did not.

Money and greed were the incentives that made this book move forward. There were no likeable characters and the plot moved far too slow for me. Lots of subplots left hanging and an ending that seemed out of whack. I wish I’d been blown away. I will still pick up her 2021 release because I know she has it in her to create an awesome thriller.

3.5-4 stars. Thank you to Berkley Pub for providing me with a copy of this book.

This is a story about three siblings (and two spouses) going on a road trip together after their grandfather dies in order to claim their multi-million dollar inheritance per the terms of their grandfather’s will. This isn’t your average road trip, however. It follows an earlier road trip that the siblings took with their grandfather about twenty years earlier. There are some twists and turns along the way that keep you guessing and a final reveal at the end.

This book started out very suspenseful, but as it went on parts of the story felt a bit too drown out. I kept wondering when this road trip was going to end and I found myself caring less about it with every new state they crossed into. A lot happened in this book— it’s packed with new discoveries and things aren’t ever what they seem, and yet, I didn’t love it. I liked it, sure, and I would still recommend reading it, but I didn’t have the same experience as I did when I read her first published novel, My Lovely Wife, which I constantly still recommend to everyone.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had finished it quicker, but given how tired I’ve been with chemo treatments it’s harder for me to focus if a book doesn’t grab my attention and hold onto it in the middle.

Parts of the story I really enjoyed, but I wasn’t a fan of the ending. Overall, it was suspenseful and parts were exciting and I’m definitely glad I read it, but it wasn’t my favorite. That isn’t to say it might not be yours. I still love Downing’s writing, and I look forward to reading her next book.

Author Samantha Downing's debut novel, My Lovely Wife, was not a fluke. Full of diabolical, unimaginable plot twists and turns, My Lovely Wife left many readers shocked, amazed, and amused by Downing's deliciously pernicious imagination. But that was just the beginning.

Downing's sophomore effort, He Started It, ramps up the madness. It is a twisted tale not about a married couple locked in a compellingly dysfunctional relationship. Rather, three siblings who went their separate ways many years ago are forced to reunite if they want to claim their respective shares of their grandfather's estate. There are fourteen days of a hellish road trip remaining when the story opens with a first-person narration from Beth, the middle child. She and her husband, Felix, sit, appropriately enough, in the middle seat of the rented SUV. Her brother, Eddie, two years her senior, drives with his wife, Krista, in the front passenger seat. And Portia, six years younger than Beth, sits alone in the back. She is not married and, according to Beth works as a dancer in Las Vegas. They are transporting their grandfather's ashes in the trunk. They started the trip in Georgia and are en route to the California coast, stopping along the way at the same places they stopped twenty years ago when they made the same trip with their grandfather, sharing expenses and two hotel rooms per night -- relegating Portia to sharing a room with each couple on a rotating basis to save money.

About their first road trip twenty years ago, Beth relates at the outset that their grandfather "wanted to show us the world, starting with as many states as possible. Instead, it turned into one of those things we don't mention, don't talk about. It stays in our heads, swimming around in denial, in disbelief, even in delusion." She anticipates that the trip upon which they have just embarked will "be the trip of a lifetime. And when it's over, everything is going to be different. Just like the first time."

Beth's narrative is broken up by journal entries from the summer of 1999. They consist of responses to writing prompts set forth in a diary entitled Your Feelings: A Guide -- Thoughtful Questions for Thoughtful Girls.

As the days count down, Beth describes the group's journey through several states and the places they stop. For instance, they zigzag their way through Mississippi and into Louisiana where they visit a museum dedicated to Bonnie and Clyde that features black-and-white photos of the bank robbers' bullet-riddled bodies, as well as the men who shot them. The actual car in which they died is on display. Beth's descriptions of their pilgrimage back to the places their grandfather insisted upon showing them are often darkly hilarious, and she compares the siblings' current reactions with the way their responded all those years ago.

The siblings deal with being followed and having their vehicle sabotaged, the grandfather's ashes going missing, being terrorized when they stop in seedy motels, and trying to figure out each other's secrets. Beth reveals what transpired during their first trip -- the telephone calls home to their parents, the way their grandfather treated them, and the discoveries the siblings made along the way about the real nature of the trip and their grandfather's motives. The grudge at least one of them held. What they did when they found out the truth -- which explains a great deal about what kind of adults the siblings have become. Not to mention what Eddie, Beth, and Portia never brought home from that trip, and how that omission impacted their parents.

For the most part, Beth is a reliable narrator, but Downing makes the most of the points in the story when she is not. She deftly times those moments for maximum impact and, after the first major shocking development, keeps the surprises coming fast. She skillfully makes Beth empathetic . . . to a point. The story's initial solid pace quickly accelerates with successive grisly plot twists and revelations, each more surprising than the last. Readers learn each character's real agenda at the same time as Beth, who plots and schemes to outsmart her siblings when she uncovers the truth.

Alliances are formed and splinter, the siblings betray each other, secrets are revealed. And it all concludes with a pulse-pounding finale that will separate readers into two camps. Some will find it brilliant, while others will be completely frustrated by its ambiguity.

Despite the controversial ending, He Started It is witty, gripping, and will keep readers guessing until -- literally -- the very end of the story. Downing is quickly establishing herself as a master at creating twisted, fiendish characters and compulsively readable stories filled with wickedly disquieting, but delectable surprises. He Started It is one of the best thrillers of 2020.

I loved the first book I read by Downing, so requesting this one was a no-brainer for me. The idea of siblings reliving a road trip to survive and get money at the end is so intriguing to me. I just couldn't wait for the dark pasts to unfold for each character, and they certainly didn't disappoint. The ending itself blew me away. It was dark and twisted, and exactly what I'm come to expect from this author. It definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait for her next book.

I heard so much hype about this book so I decided to take my chances with it. I’m kind of at a loss at how to review it and rate it though. While it definitely had interesting and twisty aspects, that ending really threw me for a loop and it ended so abruptly! I loved the idea of the road trip and all of the secrets but some of the buildup was a little lackluster. I thought there were going to be a ton of super dark secrets, but they ended up being less than I expected. All in all it was an entertaining read but it was missing something for me. Thank you to Netgalley for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hated the ending. It leaves the reader guessing. A family trip is a kidnapping. Not sure why but grandpa takes the kids on a trip across the country. The parents don’t know he has kidnapped the kids. While on the trip the oldest granddaughter, Nikki drugs grandpa and commandeers the van they are in. The other granddaughter, helps her sister take over. The grandson, Eddie helps grandpa regain control. They are so mean toNikki that she ran away.

Years later the kids must take this same trip again to get grandpa’s inheritance. They have rules and a timetable they must meet. And they must get along. The last stipulation will be the most difficult. The inheritance is upwards of 8 million dollars. A surprise to all. They all need or want the money. Will they be able to split it three ways or will somebody or somebodies not make it to the end? Must read to find out.

Wild!!!! Absolutely brilliant!!! The road trip from you-know-where will keep your glued to the book, while the tension ramps up to an utterly insane and delightful conclusion that will have your jaw on the floor!!!

I need a cold glass of water after finishing this… Maybe a glass of bourbon or something to really jolt me back to reality…

This is a WILD ride! I wasn’t sure how on earth Samantha Downing could possibly match her previous book, which was one of the best books I read in 2019 without question. But then she came out with this book and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. Greed, betrayal, secrets, and a road trip that honestly sounds like my absolute greatest nightmare! The tension lies in part with what goes unsaid—the allusion to deeper unrest among the siblings and what truly happened on that road trip long ago.

Narrated by middle-sibling Beth, He Started It begins with a road trip. Three adult siblings and two of their spouses are recreating a road trip they took with their grandfather as children. They’ve lost touch as adults, only seeing each other on rare occasions. There is a reason for that, which they’ll explain more about in time.

When their grandfather died, he left quite a large inheritance behind to be split among the three kids, if only they follow his dying wish: to recreate the same road trip step by step that they took so long ago. Which road trip, you might wonder? There was only one…

Beth, Portia, and Eddie each have reasons they need the money to improve their lives. How bad can one road trip be? I’ll tell you. Bad. This road trip seems like a nightmare. Long stretches of being trapped in the car together, nightly stops at seedy motels, greasy fast food with barely a vegetable in sight, bizarre outings that they are forced to take and remember their grandfather telling them the stories. And on top of it all, someone seems to be following them.

They have to make it to the end of the trip to scatter the ashes, but it seems like someone will not rest until they have to abandon the trip. A stranger? Or could it be someone a bit closer?

Honestly I can’t say much about this book other than that I highly recommend it. This book is absolutely WILD! The tension slowly builds until you hit the last third and it moves at breakneck speed towards the end. I am still reeling! I had to reread a few parts because Downing has this brilliant way she weaves a jaw-dropping twist in so subtly that you won’t believe what you think you read. Well I’ll tell you now, believe it! And trust me, it will only get crazier as you go!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Um. Whoa. I mean...whoa. I just finished this latest release from Samantha Downing and I absolutely loved it! This book was such a compelling ride, and created such a immersive atmosphere throughout the story that left me completely shocked at the end.

I truly felt like I was on this road trip, and at times lulled into a sense of complacency between the motels, sibling squabbles, and fast food, only to be complete taken off guard by an unexpected twist. These characters were so well drawn, but at the same time evasive, and this story was full of humor, wit, insights into the human condition, and the wonderful dark secrets that Samantha Downing does best.

I loved this twisted, unpredictable story with characters that you can fully relate to, and a plot that keeps you guessing long after it’s finished. I highly enjoyed this story and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

This novel took me a few chapters to get into it. It had a slower start than My Lovely Wife and I was nervous I was going to be disappointed after living that book so much, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The premise is simple enough: three siblings are recreating a childhood road trip which their grandfather’s will requires them to complete in order to receive their inheritance. But what begins as an uncomfortable family car ride quickly becomes a gripping psychological thriller where the three siblings become increasingly sinister and fascinating. Go into this one blind but know it will be as thrilling as Downing’s first novel.

Thank you so much to @netgalley @berkleypub @penguinrandomhouse @smariedowning for sending me a #gifted copy of this amazing book. Holy moly you guys this one was amazing. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already! 4.5⭐️

All starts out with siblings Beth, Portia & Eddie going on a road trip planned by their deceased grandfather in order to inherit millions of dollars. The only catch is they have to do it exactly like last time and everyone must follow the rules. If they don’t there will be no pay out at the end. So they head out from Alabama to California.

Staying in shitty back woods motels, eating crap food and dealing with family drama tensions are high between everyone. Especially after some odd things start happening to them along the way. Has the truck really followed them all this way?

What really happened on that dreaded first road trip with grandpa all those years ago? Are Beths siblings plotting against her? Or is it really every man for themselves when it comes to getting that check that could change all of their lives?

I thought I had this one figured out but I was definitely wrong. The twists and turns kept coming and the end completely took me by surprise. Once I picked this one up I couldn’t put it down! Fast paced, twisty turny and will leave you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend picking this one up!

Beth, Portia, and Eddie are definitely not close
It’s sometimes our family who hurts us the most
When their wealthy grandfather leaves a a bequest
It’ll put more than sibling rivalry to the test
A cross-country road trip the three must take
Identical to the one they took back in the day
This was not a regular vacation
There was betrayal and rebellion on the way to the destination
Their grandfather was not the quintessential old man
Ruin their lives? They all still think he can

The most accurate description I’ve seen of this book is that it’s an absolute train wreck. In the best way. That’s exactly how I felt. Like WHAT. IS. GOING. ON.
I trusted no one. Cheered for no one. Guessed nothing. I stopped trying to figure out what was going on because so much happened I was not prepared for. So many twists and turns! Every few pages, my eyes would fly open and I would (mentally) yell WTF.
My knock against this book was that the ending wasn’t really an ending at all. I like everything tied up in a neat little package, ribbon and all. I felt like this ending didn’t even both to tape the box up, much less wrap it.