Reading Between the Wines book review #46/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Destroy Me
Author: Karen Cole
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: Have you ever done something that you are ashamed of and would be in so much trouble if revealed? Would you cover it up or deal with the consequences? Cat is dealing with the ramifications of the former. Someone has found out what she did years ago and is committed to making her pay. I enjoyed finding out who was trying to destroy Cat and what lengths they went to do it.

Cheers and thank you to @QuercusBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @DestroyMe.

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Wow............ this is an edge of your seat fast passed thriller that will keep you up all night you will not be able too put it down

An enjoyable suspenseful read. It has lots of twists and turns. The ending was a surprise. It is fast paced and well written.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

"Destroy Me" by Karen Cole is an explosive and adrenaline-fueled read that immerses you in a high-stakes world of action and intrigue, keeping you hooked till the very end.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

A very good read that keeps you turning the pages..although I didn't connect with all the characters I am glad I stuck with the book as it was very enjoyable. Would recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Karen Cole’s writing is good, but I think her books aren’t for me. I can see why other people enjoy these books, but I just wished I loved them more. Good writing, and always interesting storylines.

This book is a quick read and absolutely worth the time. The main character, Cat, is identified as the murderer of her old friend from school that she hadn't seen in a couple of decades. There's the police involvement, an ex husband, young son, mysterious emails, and a past that might be catching up to her. Oh, yeah, there's that picture of the murder suspect that looks amazingly like Cat. There are some pretty dark secrets between Cat and the dead woman, secrets that ruined their friendship but are they dark enough to be killed over? I was hooked from the beginning. I wasn't sure the intensity and interest could be sustained until the end and, surprise, they both held on. There wasn't any down time in this book as the good pacing kept this story on track and coming in on time.
This book gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me. I look forward to the next book by this author.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for this review..

Absolutely love the cover. Who says dont judge a book by its cover?? Unfortunately thats the first thing that grabs me . This book was full of suspense and had me from start to finish.

I really enjoyed this title. I liked the twists and turns and the writing style is nice and smooth. The story flows well and kept my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. I will be recommending this one to friends.

Destroy Me by Karen Cole is a good thriller that will have you guessing till the very last minute! At the very core this is a domestic thriller with a twist. I did not like the main character Catherine but I loved the plot a lot. The story flew easily & although there were times i felt I knew where this was headed, I didn't really. The moment that set the events of this book into motion was very tragic. But nothing more tragic than the untimely death that came about in Cat's own house member. I really hated that part. I did not feel that Cat grieved enough for this loss. As a character she felt very clinical & distant with minimal feelings for everyone except her son. So it was refreshing to have a central character who is not a mopey damsel in distress. The very last twist in the last chapter was a little underwhelming. I liked the plot of the book & would recommend this as a one time read!

Thank you, NetGalley, Quercus books & Karen Cole for an arc!

*4 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a good read and I liked the characters. There were a few twists and turns. Would recommend.

My least favorite Karen Cole story so far but in fairness it reminded me of another story I read, such a similar plot, which was a bummer.

Catherine isn’t a highly likable character, plagued with with insecurities about her weight (that is littered throughout the story way too much). When the reveal comes to light she is even more unlikable. It’s a tough act to swallow. In the end there is no closure or penance paid which worked for the story but not for my conscience 🙄.

Please take this review with a grain of salt, many people have loved this. I generally love this author’s stories and will always look forward to the next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Quercus Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

Destroy Me by Karen Cole is a great twisty and addictive psychological thriller from the bestselling author of "Deliver me" that was an excellent book. With Karen's new book I was hooked within the first few pages and was full of great twists and turns throughout. I highly recommend this book.

Big thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Publicity UK for this e-arc, all the opinions here are my own

Cat is amazed to see her picture in the newspaper. A woman was murdered and this woman was seen in close proximity. It looks just like her .. even down to a mole on her face. And then she's really concerned when the victim is identified ... and it turns out to be her childhood best friend, Charlie.

She thinks she's being targeted .. she has an alibi for the night Charlie was murdered. She spent the night with a guy she had picked up in a bar. She only knows his first name ... surely he will corroborate her story.

But the police are doubtful. They've questioned her .. he almost ex-husband and his girlfriend.. her mother.. and her friend. She knows she is innocent and since the police seem to be looking at only one person ... her ... she's going to do her own investigation.

She can't help but remember how she and Charlie were best friends.. always getting in trouble together. There were also secrets ... secrets that only the two of them knew.. now down to one. Cat starts receiving letters and messages that refer to this deep,dark secret.. now she worries that her secret will be exposed.

Suspenseful from start to finish, this is hard book to put down once the reading starts. There's plenty of other suspects.. all with varied motives ... all deftly drawn. There are twists and turns that lead to a surprising conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Quercus Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I couldn’t get into Destroy Me, picked it up a few times but didn’t make it past first five chapters.not my cup of tea but that doesn’t mean it can’t be ours!
3/5 for fairness since dnf.

A great read.The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me and great author. I really enjoyed the book.

4 Stars!

***Thanks Netgalley and Quercus Publicity UK for this e-arc, all the opinions here are my own ***

Catherine Bayntun is a soon-to-be divorced mother of 5 years old Dylan. Separated from his husband when he cheated on her with another woman, she is just getting past her anxiety and body issues. Suddenly, one day she gets the news that her childhood best friend has been murdered, and she is the prime suspect. Looks like someone is out there to frame her... Is her past finally coming to catch on with her? Or is this something else?

This was a very engaging and quick read for me. I liked Karen Cole's writing and the way past chapters interwove with the present. I like how she builds up the tension and make you crave for more. It was my first book by her but definitely will not be the last.

Now to the plot — it was your average suspense novel with few of your typical mystery thriller tropes like Every Man is a cheater, MC (main character), Cat, dealing other woman in the marriage trope. But apart from that it was quite a unique experience for me, as I have not read that many similar books.

Unlikable MC...she was relatable in few instances, but as we got to know more about her and some of her actions, it was difficult to feel bad for her.

There were so many instances where our MC acted rashly, and her actions did not make much sense...but I can get past that given her mental state at that time. Few instances felt quite convenient ...like Cat trying to reach Charlie's husband knowing that her face is plastered all over the media, and she is a big suspect for murder. And he did not recognise her as the main suspect from the media. Cat's mom and her views on her daughter's marriage really infuriated me... I know this is somewhat a reality in many places, still it was tough to read about. And Poor Delilah!(her dog)...was that really necessary😰!

There were many characters introduced who had the potential to be the culprit...and it was neither super obvious nor out of the blue. I had great time solving the puzzle and getting to that ending.

Overall, an engaging and easy to read suspense thriller by Karen Cole... I would not mind reading more from her collections. It was fun!