This one was fun! I love anything relating to rich snooty people, especially in thrillers. The ending was a bit underwhelming, but I enjoyed it overall. Just kind of average!

The premise is intriguing: a wealthy couple invites self-made individuals to stay in their guesthouse, only to manipulate and destroy their lives as a twisted form of entertainment. This dark satire on the ultra-rich had the potential to be a compelling read.

The writing is sharp, and the concept is original, which kept me engaged initially. However, as the story progressed, I found the characters increasingly difficult to relate to. Their actions often felt exaggerated, and the plot became more implausible, which took me out of the experience. Some twists were predictable, and the pacing felt uneven at times. Just felt a bit of a drag to get through and just didn't make the mark for me.

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier

I am still not sure what happened in this psychological thriller. It follows an extremely wealthy couple who "play games"; the twisted game involves selecting a "poor person" to antagonize, which essentially means attempting to ruin the person's life. The prize for winning is that they get to keep playing the game. Needless to say, the protagonists are far from good rich people!

The entire book was bizarre. I'm not sure I can really recommend, but I don’t not recommend it either. I was left befuddled and would love to hear from someone else that read this one. I will say the author is very creative as the plot was definitely unique. And I really liked the cover.

I like this author’s writing and enjoyed her previous book, but this one didn’t work for me.

The characters in this book were completely unlikable, with no redeeming qualities. Their behavior was so over-the-top that the story felt unbelievable and absurd. That said, the ending was decent and wrapped things up in a satisfying way.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I’ll continue to read more from this author in the future because I do enjoy her writing style. This story just wasn’t for me.

2.5⭐️

This one was a struggle. None of the characters were likeable. The only reason I kept reading was to figure out the twist. But it was like pulling teeth to get through it.

Wealthy Couple’s Twisted Game

Good Rich People is a compelling read for those interested in psychological thrillers that offer a critical look at wealth and morality. Its dark humour and sharp social commentary make it a memorable addition to the genre.

DNF

2021 me thought everything was fascinating, and wanted to read every book she came across. She wanted to be the kind of person who read dark, satircal books about rich people. But she wasn't, and I'm not. I want to read books about likable people falling in love. That is very obviously not this book, and it's probably unfair of me to rate this book because it could have been the best written book in the world and I still would have disliked it.

Within the first 15 pages, the main character had at least 4 quips that made me actually hate her. I believe the line, "Rich people don't walk. Their shoes aren't designed for it," is supposed to be funny? Make us hate her? I'm not sure, but I don't find it interesting.

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier is a thrilling page-turner that will captivate readers who delight in dark, twisted mysteries and are drawn to stories that explore the cutthroat world of the wealthy, where greed, power, and manipulation reign supreme.

I read If I Disappear and Brazier's writing is definitely not for everyone. She is different and a little bit weird, and it's horror, but also satirical like Mona Awad, but not yet quite like Mona Awad.

Brazier is definitely trying to do something though and I really dig her work!

Good Rich People takes on the darker side of wealth and power dynamics and it was quite a ride, but I really enjoyed it and very much enjoy Brazier's writing.

A twisted story of deceit that will have you questioning if it is possible for good, rich people to exist?

At first, you’ll read this and likely strongly dislike the main character Lila. She’s vapid, out of touch, and entitled. But for me, as the story went on I began to like parts of Lila. Initially I just found her entertaining (her commentary on her life and other people can be humorous and absurd). But eventually I realized that as a character she goes through a subtle growth arc. The Lila the book ends with is not exactly the same person who began it. Is money the root of evil afterall?

Lyla is so beautiful that sometimes she even gazes at herself in awe. Some of it is natural, and some of it is the sort of beauty that money can help with. Her husband Graham has the two things that make a man impossible to resist: money and looks. And Graham is extremely wealthy and extremely handsome.

But Graham also has a coldness to him. He’s obsessed with games. Lyla thinks she is too, but most of her personality is actually her trying to like the same things as Graham or be the person she thinks he wants her to be. Graham and his mother Margot like to play a game. They invite someone to live in the guest house on their property, befriend them, and then ruin their life. They particularly love to do this to someone poor or vulnerable.

Trust me when I say you will hate them! Graham and Margot the most, but you’ll hate Lyla too for letting it happen. It’s clear that she doesn’t really want to play along with them, but she also doesn’t stop them—this is in my opinion Lyla’s biggest character flaw at the beginning of the novel.

Things really get complicated when Graham and Margot insist that it is Lyla’s turn to play (they say she needs to prove herself). Lyla doesn’t want to, but she doesn’t see a way to get out of it when they find someone to move in. The new tenant is a wealthy tech professional named Demi, and she’s about to change everything for them.

Because it turns out, Demi isn’t actually the person they intended to move in. The Demi they know is actually a homeless women who followed the real Demi home one night after she bought heroin from a man named Michael in the homeless camp. Upon arriving home, Demi falls asleep and when she wakes up, the woman has overdosed. She goes to leave the scene in terror, but runs into Lyla and realizes Lyla doesn’t know she isn’t the real Demi.

So she decides maybe she can slip into Demi’s life—just for a little bit! No one will know and no one will be hurt by it, right? But when Michael arrives and helps her dispose of the body, Demi becomes trapped in the life. She enjoys it’s privileges but what will happen when she becomes ensnared in the cruel games Graham, Margot, and Lyla play?

This book is entertaining and witty. The central couple are so over the top that often the book veers towards comical. Lyla is particularly entertaining and funny—she can be so out of touch but she’s not as bad as Graham and Margot. Lyla wants friends badly. She wants Graham to love her and actually be intimate with her. Even their marriage is a game to him.

So many things in the book are extravagant and jump off the page. Margot’s gardens, for instance, are modeled on different levels and represent the nine circles of Hell. Lyla is planning a birthday party for Graham and knowing his love of games, buys real guns that use “simmunition”—fake ammunition that police officers use for gun training. The one that Lyla procured will splatter the person shot in gold glitter. The game will be played in the grand mansion including a hall of mirrors to distract everyone. I could just picture it!

Demi is another fascinating character. Before she becomes Demi (I don’t think we ever learn her real name—she drifts alone without identity until she becomes Demi), she describes her back story. Many of the things Demi says about being poor or homeless are profound—she made me think about her life in a very real way. This is in sharp contrast to Lyla’s life, which is ridiculous, over the top, and impossible to relate to.

By the end of the book, I was left with a strong message about the worth of a human life and what really differentiates rich and poor people. The title is also referenced in the book, as Demi muses if it is possible for there to be good people who are incredibly rich? Demi reflects on her status—and over the book she muses on how she always felt she wasn’t good enough to be rich, or have a secure life, or even a home. But what will she discover by the end of this twisted story?

Entertaining, sharp, and a mix of shallow characters with deep messages!

Good Rich People was WILD. What an absolute ride. Another one of those reads you simply have to devour in one or two sittings because you need to know how it turns out. I enjoyed the pacing of this one so much I ended up picking up a copy for mom as well. 3.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own,

This book is SUCH a wild ride, and I LOVED it. Give me a book about rich people behaving badly any day of the week, honestly. And considering this took that genre plot point and upped the ante by about a million percent, threw in a twist on a con and topped it all off with absolute debauchery, and you could not have cooked up a more perfect, escapist read for me.

The pacing in this book is excellent - just slow enough to simmer the what's-going-to-happen vibe, but just fast enough to keep the storyline timing believable. I really enjoyed the moving POV's from character to character and the way it revealed a new secret at a time that totally turned what I thought I knew on its head.

Overall I don't want to give any spoilers, because this one is best enjoyed without any suspicion of what is to come. but I cannot recommend this book enough. Delightfully diabolical, it is a must for anyone who loves a good character drama with a little side of mystery.

I love a quick, juicy thriller! Good Rich People includes two points of view, Lyla and Demi. Lyla's husband is soooooo bored. To combat his boredom he loves to play a game where he destroys the lives of unsuspecting affluent individuals. After all, the wealthy aren't paying attention to anyone but themselves. In this round of the game, Lyla becomes the cat and Demi is the mouse. I really liked reading the same events through each woman's eyes, although this made the timeline disorienting at times. While I couldn't put this book down, the ending was weak AF. There weren't very many twists, but overall I enjoyed reading about rich people I loved to hate.

This book was so strange…it made me think a lot about my perception of rich people. It’s very twisty and will have you thinking about people of different classes.

This was such an intriguing thriller. I normally read romance but this synopsis pulled me in - and this book did not disappoint! I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down!

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier has an interesting premise, and satire and social commentary couched in this premise could make for a powerful book. At times, it is entertaining. However, in these games, none of the characters are likable. There is no one to root for to win this game, and the book is dark and at times disturbing. The story does not carry the power that the premise holds.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/02/good-rich-people.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

What a wild romp! This book was nuts! And so entertaining! I really didn't know what to expect going into it and had heard kind of mixed things about it, but I ended up being so entertained by it! A fun, quick, murdery read!

Dark, twisty and messed up in the best possible way! Eliza has crafted an impressive and unique storyline paired with a compelling cast of characters that made this a binge-worthy read.

Good Rich People has a twist, and it ends with an explosive conclusion. It has dark themes, of manipulation, power and a commentary on class, privilege, and the cost of success.

Eliza Jane Brazier immediately became an autobuy author for me after her debut If I Disappear, and book 2 for her didn’t disappoint either. Thank you to Berkley for my gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. 🤍

ummmm. what did I just read. This is certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I am just not sure if this author is for me!

I have a good friend who always says she loves books about "silly rich people," so I was inclined to like this one, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. The satirical aspect didn't really land for me, plus I felt troubled about the depiction of homelessness.