I only finished about a quarter of this book, but that is more a reflection of my current mood, than of the book, as this is very much right up my alley. This book wasn’t for me at this particular moment, but I appreciate the premise and think it will be a great pick for a lot of people. I think this is something I’ll pick back up in the future when I can better appreciate the feelings of horror and dread it evoked. It’s very twisty and suspenseful and will appeal to fans of dark thrillers. It’s pervasively dark and atmospheric with some deliciously unlikeable characters. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is difficult for me to get into a book where I don't like any of the characters. This is one of those books - snotty rich people playing with other people's lives as a game. Husband/wife power couple along with her horrible mother-in-law rent out their Hollywood Hills carriage house to unsuspecting young women so they can torment them. The tables do get turned however when a woman off the streets and her drug dealing boyfriend show up and she pretends to be the intended mark. The story is very intense and moves at a rapid pace and it would be a terrific choice for those people who are fascinated and sickened by Succession. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This book had such an amazing premise - it hooks you from the start. I love the characterization and the setting, you can tell it's a brilliant idea for a psychological thriller and it is one of those books that would make a great movie.

Unfortunately it ended up not being the right book for me. I love thrillers and suspense, and understand that this book was more satirical and had a lot of dry humor in it. On me, I should have checked TW before reading but it's hard to do with an ARC, and I just never like reading about abuse of animals. I think a lot of those plot lines with the animals were extremely unnecessary in getting the point across.

Overall I loved the concept, and I would definitely read more from this author but this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC of Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier in exchange for an honest review. I....am not sure what I just read... Wealth and power corrupt absolutely; tale as old as time. Brazier takes this trope to a whole new level. Graham Herschel and his mother Margo are rich beyond belief and they are bored with their lives. The only way they find excitement is by playing the game of life (read: ruining other peoples' lives). Graham and Margo live for the bloodlust and play the game by bringing tenants into their home to hunt. Graham's wife Lyla has always been on the outside. She wasn't born into money and doesn't match the Herschel family ruthlessness. In order to prove her place in the family, the next tenant is her responsibility. Lyla has to play the game; it's her or the tenant and she's willing to fight for her own life and status. What Lyla doesn't know is that the new tenant, Demi, is hiding secrets of her own, and she's also willing to kill to protect herself.

This book was a lot. It's very cinematic. From the very first page, the setting plays a strong role in the storytelling. The glass castles and the gardens clearly convey the unattainable opulence of the Herschel family. The ominous pressure that Lyla experiences on a daily basis looms throughout the entire book. I was wrapped up in this world. Conversely, Brazier paints a clear image of "the other side of the tracks". Demi's desperation and motivations for playing this sick, hidden game are strong and believable, despite outrageous circumstances. This book discusses the age old question of what it means to be a 'good' or 'moral' person, and what lengths people will go to survive.

I feel that my thoughts on this book are a little scattered, because that's a bit how I felt reading the final 10% of the book. Throughout the book, we are leading up to the grand event of Graham's 30th birthday party where the final showdown between Lyla, Graham, and Demi happens. That was expected, we were building to that. What I didn't expect was all that happened in the aftermath. Part of me was not expecting any more twists because we as readers are aware of the major twist from early on in the book while Graham, Lyla, and Margo remain in the dark about the true identity of their tenant. I should have known better than to not expect another twist. The final scenes of this book are a twist of the knife into an already bleeding wound of confusion and disgust with these main characters. I'm not sure exactly how to feel about the plot, but these characters definitely did their job in making me feel things.

I'm not quite sure what to say in conclusion. This is a 3-star read for me. There's nothing wrong with this book, but there's not necessarily anything that will keep me thinking about this book for much longer than it takes me to write this review. If a cold-hearted psychological thriller is your thing, definitely pick this up! But if you're not into reading the woes of the obnoxiously rich, this may not be the vibe for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry to say this novel just wasn't for me. I was very intrigued by the concept of this story, but the execution didn't live up to my expectations. I wasn't invested in either of the character perspectives, and I found myself skimming pages as the story just didn't hold my interest. Further, I felt there were aspects of the plot that felt very loose, open-ended, and at times even redundant.

Although this thriller wasn't my cup of tea, I would encourage readers to seek out other reviewer's thoughts and opinions!

This book felt like an episode of Black Mirror. It was dark, witty, insightful, and undeniably disturbing. It made me both cringe and think, I was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t stop reading.

Brazier has a unique way of writing. She describes settings and characters in a very sharp manner. Her writing is purposeful and poetic while at the same time gruesome. The way she describes settings in the book is atmospheric, and extremely cinematic. This is the type of book that would make a great phycological thriller movie.

The plot (and the characters) are completely insane. Even the way the book is written is strange. We have two points of view within the novel, and the timeline often backtracks. For example, we’d see a scene for character one’s point of view, hit an important point, then jump back and see the scene from character two’s point of view. This was both annoying and intriguing. I wanted to know what was happening in the original timeline, but I also wanted to read the scenes from both character’s point of view. Everything that happens throughout the book is completely ridiculous and not at all believable. But hey, I wasn’t looking for a contemporary. The entirety of the plot felt like a fever dream or a really bad trip.

While I did enjoy it, the book definitely could have been shorter. Certain scenes could have been cut out as they didn’t add much to the plot. There was definitely some filler. The author’s writing style, while enjoyable, was overly descriptive in some instances. That being said, I still really enjoyed the book.

The themes within the novel held an almost satirical tone; rich people who don’t deserve it, an overbearing mother-in-law who doesn’t think her daughter-in-law is good enough, obscene violence from the hands of people in power. All of these factors send a message to the audience. The book also sheds a light on poverty in America. One of the main characters is homeless, this factor and the view of poverty-stricken people by the wealthy is talked about often. The book shows how truly devastating poverty and homelessness can be, and how one of the main characters will do anything to survive. The wealth disparity of the characters in the book sends the message that no one is truly deserving of the wealth they do or do not have.

The characters were entirely unlikable, yet I kept on reading. But to be fair, I’m a sucker for unhinged characters. While the characters were unhinged, they were still well developed and fully fledged people. They were insane, but also strangely human. In an odd way, I understood why they made the choices they did.

Overall, this book was dark, suspenseful, and at times horrifying but I couldn’t put it down. It was written expertly and held a deeper meaning than what appeared on the surface.

I would recommend this to: Anyone looking for a good psychological thriller.

I found this book incredibly unpleasant to read, and yet I still wanted to finish it. The characters were all horrible and I wasn't rooting for anyone, just for the book to be over already.

It is a story of an absurdly rich couple and mother-in-law who like to play games with their tenants by trying to ruin their lives. Their new tenant is actually a woman without housing who takes over the identity of the true tenant after she does following her death from an overdose. Who will win this terrible game?

Good Rich People focuses on Lyla and her husband Graham who live with Graham’s mother, Margo, on a property in the hills of Los Angeles. They are extremely wealthy with the money mostly coming from Margo. Graham is a sociopath, his mother a controlling narcissist, and Lyla emotionally unstable but willing to please, to fit it. Margo rents out their guesthouse and together with Grahan plays them until they completely destroy their own lives. Their last “game” ended with a dead body in the fountain, which they blame on Lyla who befriended the dead tenant. Now, it’s Lyla’s turn to destroy the next tenant and prove she is a part of the family.

I read this book in one afternoon. It’s a page turner. Good Rich People is a perfect mix of soapy and thrilling with an addictive element that won’t let you put the book down. To be entirely frank, I hated each and every character. They are all horrible, unlikeable people and everything each of them does is twisted in absolutely unrealistic ways. However, the POV characters are written brilliantly in a way that almost makes you root for them. Almost.

I also felt like there was some satire to the whole story. The characters’ wealth and their lifestyles are portrayed in a way that simultaneously feels real and entirely made up. And their desires are portrayed in almost a mocking way that makes them realistic with a hint of satire. I mean, these people play “games” with other people’s lives. That’s their definition of fun. The book is ridiculous, engaging, and twisted in all the best ways.

This book had all the qualities of those classic domestic thrillers that get turned into limited series starring Nicole Kidman. I don’t say this often because I’m not a huge fan of screen adaptations but I would love to see this story played out on screen. Highly recommend this book!

Eliza Jane Brazier really knows how to craft a page-turner! I flew through this book, desperate to find out what was going to happen next and learn the fate of some awful people - people (the POV characters anyway) who she somehow made me care about despite what they got up to. I loved how she used the timeline jumps to show how Lyla and Demi each viewed the same situations. Fabulous writing with plenty of dark humor and painfully real observations about human nature. Pick up if you like clever thrillers and commentary on class.

I found the premise quite fascinating and was immediately intrigued but unfortunately did not connect with the characters as they seemed to be caricatures of what very wealthy bad people who are bored are supposed to be. I did like the tension as it was building to a climatic end but overall it wasn’t my favorite type of noir.

Good Rich People has a plot just as intriguing as the title is eye-catching. I was immediately swept up into the fascinating world of Lyla and her husband, Graham, as he challenges Lyla to take part in his favorite game. The game is simple, the goal: the ruination of an unsuspecting individual for the amusement of those who have everything. No intervening if you’re not the main player, which is a rule Lyla is learning the hard way to never break again.

The writing was witty, and the perspective of Lyla was so captivating, seeing her life and day-to-day interactions that are so different from what “normal” people experience. I was caught off guard multiple times by the twists and turns of the plot. While I overall thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, I did find the ending to be a bit underwhelming. Having seen such great writing exemplified throughout the novel, I had high expectations for a crazy ending that wound up falling a bit flat. But, I absolutely will be recommending this to my fellow readers and friends!

This book started out being rather dry, but I'm glad I didn't give up on it. A bored rich family preys upon less fortunate targets for entertainment, but things aren't always as they seem. The story develops into a crescendo of suspenseful events and hidden motives with plenty of intriguing plot twists. The conclusion contained an interesting turn of events in a world where money is power, and everyone has a price.

Eliza Jane Brazier does it again. Another creepy, dark thriller, delving into the minds of people that will have you glued to the book and turning pages. A glimpse into the life of one wealthy couple and the sick games the husband and his mother plays, I was horrifyingly fascinated by what happens and how their tenant reacts to their "games.". I'm afraid of Brazier's amazing mind; how does she come up with these creepy, mind-blowing scenarios?! But that's what makes this such a wonderful thriller. I highly recommend if you want to get out of your own life and into the twisted lives of Lyla, Graham and Demi.

This one is very hard to review, as it’s quite quirky, but in a good way! Captivating and engrossing! Phenomenally written, in a way that really grabs you and keeps you there! Character development flawless, well what I would think is flawless for those with tons of money! Look forward to more by this author, as she definitely knows how to spin a twisty tale! Highly recommend!

Will buzz around and use Top Amazon reviewer number on release!

THIS BOOK!!!! I could not put it down!! Brazier definitely masters world-building; this book transported me to the dark, twisty hills of CA. The characters are BAD RICH PEOPLE, but the book is so richly-layered that I still couldn't figure any of them out.

SUCH a great read - I'm sad it's over!!

strange book, but I also found it a bit fun. The rich are very different, in many, many ways. Easily bored and having to find something to do can lead to the dark side

Welcome to the land of the ultra rich, where boredom rules and the only cure is a game to ruin those less fortunate.

Good Rich People is a dark and twisty read with a heavy emphasis on DARK. There was not a single likeable character in this story, no redeeming qualities, and don't even think about a happy ending (how gauche). Reading this felt like like a literary version of Real Housewives, but make it drug fueled, murder-y, and amp up the moral bankruptcy to the highest volume. I can't say I enjoyed the read, though I could not turn away.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was really compelling at first but, when I kept reading on, all I felt was hate, jealousy, greed, and anger towards Lyla and Graham which starts off as congratulatory to some of others success stories but, reading their initial intention, If I was one of the successes I would properly decline their invite. Then enters Demi. I loved how she is not blind to their plan and sees right through them. She is motivated by her pain and struggle to fight back and take down Graham and Lyla once and for all. Reading this book made it clear of the proverbs "money is the root of all evil and "ignorance is bliss." The story was so exciting that I had to continue reading and then at the blink of an eye, I was finished. I know our readers love books like this and when they hear about this book, they'll definitely jump at the chance to read it.

We will consider adding this title to our Mystery collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

What a sick, disturbing and yet fun book! It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. It’s also a sharp commentary on homelessness and poverty vs. wealth. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read half of this book and I just could not finish it. I was so confused at times I had to back and reread previous chapters.