Masterful writing! Real Easy was raw, difficult, heartbreaking, and unerringly genuine. In this thrilling murder mystery of disappearing strippers at a Midwest club, every character had a personality, an identity, a story beyond the obvious. Marie Rutkoski writes with authority and empathy about every character involved in the unfolding plot, whether in major or minor episodes. And she connects the numerous character profiles seamlessly, all the while advancing the tension and suspense. One might quibble at the number of points of view and backstories, but I read it as the highest quality of literary fiction woven into a crime thriller.

I was provided with a digital Advance Reading Copy of this title by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Real Easy is a gripping thriller set in a 90s strip club. I really enjoyed the way the author gave each of the characters unique and totally different backgrounds. The way these details were shared seemlessly throughtout the story caused me to care about what happened to multiple characters. The women in this story have some tragic pasts, the author showed how these effect their every day decissons. I page turner that will keep you wondering ,until "him" is revealed.

Real Easy is gritty, atmospheric, dark, maybe even depressing. It’s almost a character study of various dancers, Dale, and the police officers they eventually interact with. I couldn’t put this book down; it had a dark pull. I’ve never read any of Ms. Rutkoski’s work but I will be picking up her other books as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To simplify this book, it's like Hustlers meets Gone Girl meets SVU.

It's much more than that, though. A thriller set in the '90s about a missing stripper is intriguing enough, but Rutkoski expertly explores issues of race, sex, grief, class, and gender. Many characters get to share their point of view throughout the book, which could be chaos in another author's hands, but here it adds to the complex world of the story. The story's pace is languid yet electric, a slow boil that keeps you turning the pages. A definite must-read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski.

Samantha is working at a strip club and feeling frustrated with her life. Acting out of character, she decides to take on of the new dancers under her wing. Lady Jade, as she refers to herself, is struggling to fit in and needs a bit of sisterly help.

But the relationship doesn't last after Samantha gives her new protégé a ride home. Both of them have gone missing. Could this be a part of a string of murders happening in the area? And are the dancers being targeted. Georgia, another dancer at the club has been tasked by the police to help find out. But her help may lead to her own demise...

I very much enjoyed this. The premise and atmosphere was gritty and original. The characters were fleshed out very well and I could really envision where I was. There were a few parts of the story that I had to put the book down because I got so scared for the characters! I count that as a win for the author. A very spooky and worthwhile read for October.

CW: mentions of sexual abuse and harrassment

In general I do not think this was a bad book, or badly written at all, it just was not for me, I was taking a chance when I requested it, and now I know I probably shouldn’t request adult thrillers anymore.

Some good things I can say about this book that I think the intended audience will enjoy: It is genuinely frightening, especially reading it as a woman. The dancers all have their own personalities and are fully fleshed out people, not just defined by their job. The multiple povs all give interesting perspective to the story.

I was just not that invested in what was happening, though I think others will be.

I really enjoyed this unique and fast paced read, and finished the entire book over the course of a few hours. The book centers on a group of strippers who work together at a club. Samantha, who is the most popular of the group, goes missing, and the chapters alternate between her POV as well as those of her colleagues and the police trying to find her.

There are a lot of different voices in this book but the author does a fantastic job of connecting the reader with each character, which is often hard to do. I enjoyed learning about each one of them and could relate to whatever it was they were dealing with. Special attention was paid to the dancers themselves, who were just trying to make a living by working there.

I couldn’t figure out who the villain was, as the author gave me so many plausible choices. I figured it out about the same time the characters did and felt that the reveal, and the clues leading up to it, was really well done. The book is heartbreakingly sad at times, and does not provide a happily-ever-after ending for all characters, but loose ends were tied up and I was left thinking about what these characters would do next, after the book was over.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and provided something that was new and unique to me. I would recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries and police procedurals. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars for this gritty, feminist thriller!

The best part of Real Easy is the beautifully crafted characters, especially the strippers. Their interactions backstage with each other, the house mother, and the manager are so well written and give a glimpse into a slice of stripper's lives that's rarely seen. The murder mystery aspect was also well crafted and filled with twists. My only complaint is that I wish there had been less chapters from the detectives' points of view and more from the strippers, as I found them to be much more interesting.

I'm impressed that this is the author's first adult novel and am already eagerly awaiting her next!

I have so many feelings about this book - most importantly- how well the story is told through multi POV centered around Samantha; an intersex stripper who finds herself in the path of unwanted attention. Forming a friendship with a fellow dancer, caring for her fiancees daughter while juggling a career were some of the few things she struggled with.
This story was definitely a page turner full of twists and surprises and layered characters and a fresh new narrative with some very intriguing characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wowza, what a captivating, intriguing, and unique story! Fantastically written, with amazing character development! Loved the setting, which I think is definitely a first. Found out this was the authors first book and was astonished, as it’s just very well done! Highly, highly recommend!

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

Easy Duz It.

This was not easy as detective Holly Meylin begins investigating the murder of one strip club dancer and the disappearance of another. Facing blowback from her own co-workers, she’s racing time to find the missing woman and discover who’s at fault.

This had unexpected cadence as one dancer’s beautiful relationship with her fiance’s young daughter caught me off guard while reading this.

Unable to have children of her own, Samantha’s devotion to connecting with Rosie and being the mom she never had was both melancholy and surprisingly emotional. I reached for the Kleenex box a few times thinking that I’d underestimated the book and its depth.

Contrasting the empathetic characterisation of the dancers is the rawness depicted by police and club patrons. Realistic language and exposure to some perverse thought patterns and actions aren’t sugar coated here. Just saying so you’ll be prepared for a couple of “ewww” and “yuk” mentions. However, they’re brief and there’s no descriptive violence.

I just don’t understand the title.

The only thing I could think of was that Easy E was still playing in clubs in 1999 even though he’d passed several years earlier. I’ll watch for future reviews and see what others have to say...

In the meantime, I’d like to thank the publisher Henry Colt & Co, Marie Rutkoski, and NetGalley for my advanced electronic copy. Publishes January 18, 2022

A thought provoking adult debut from Marie Rutkoski.

You don't see many books set in a strip club. Least I haven't read any. Until now, that is. I'm glad this is my first one. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a straight up thriller and got so much more. It has a literary feel with a more character driven plot.

The dancers are all unique individuals and I appreciate the love and care the author put into creating them. They are the stars of the show, as they should be. When I was reading the points of view of the detectives and the killer, I just wanted to get back to the dancers.

As the synopsis states, Real Easy does explore how women can live their lives knowing men can hurt them. I thought it was brilliant to use the world of exotic dancing for this since women who do any kind of sex work are especially vulnerable to assault, it's seen as a hazard of the trade. And they are also seen as asking for it and not worthy of respect.

Overall, I was impressed with this. And dare I say, I'd like the author to return to this world. With Samantha's little girl all grown up as the main character? Also, this is the second book in a row I've read that's set in the nineties and I must say I'm here for it.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Marie Rutkoski & Henry Holt and Co. for the e-ARC

Expected Release Date - January 18th, 2022

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

90s strip clubs and womens with feelings , we’ll sit me down and call me happy. You’re speaking my era.
We follow the detectives trying to find two missing strippers from the Midwest.
How women bond together to help each other
A thriller , crime , mystery , drama all in one.
Loved

A midwestern strip club where every woman works in their own best interest and wants to support their own. And then a new girl comes in and breaks through some of the toughest characters to the point where they offer some help. Then she goes missing. And is found dead. And the girl who helped her? Is missing. What happened to her and who took her and why? Does it have to do with the new girl? This book is a roller coaster and had me guessing until the very end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a gripping story, taking place in a setting that, while unfamiliar to me, feels authentic. I enjoyed getting to know the backstories of several of the characters as well. My one issue was that it was hard to keep the characters straight for about the first half of the book, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruby is one of a number of girls who dance at the Lovely Lady, selling fantasies and lapdances to the lonely and the horny during the day.  It’s 1999, the women stand on the brink of a new millennia, and they are weary and jaded, but do not lack humor about their lives.

One of the many who works at the club is woman named Ruby, and she dances under the name Samantha.  She’s a veteran in the field at this point.  The money she makes at the Lady helps support her live-in lover’s daughter Rosie – who is as close to her as her own flesh and blood – and Nick, her lover, as well.  Samantha makes friends with a new girl called Jolene, and one night she drives the girl home.  But along the way Samantha and Jolene are run off the highway, resulting in a wreck which kills Jolene and sees Samantha being kidnapped.

Victor Amador and Holly Meylin are the two detectives assigned to the case, but find only one body at the scene.  Georgia, who works with Ruby and Jolene, becomes determined to find out what happened to her friends and finds herself allied with Holly.  As Holly and Victor battle corruption and problems of their own, Ruby struggles to stay alive and the club tries to get along with business as usual.

Real Easy is a blunt, heartbreaking and realistic mystery, a little like being whacked over the head with a tire iron.  It’s a hard read with a few victories thrown in for the good guys, all operating under the thin veneer of nightmarish tension.  We come to understand the world of midnight buffets and champagne rooms – and the workaday dullness of maintaining both – as the novel goes on.

The tension is what’s most notable about the book, and we genuinely root for Samantha to be found safely.

But even though Real Easy is a hammer blow – shocking and horrifying, intense in every way -  I can’t fully recommend it because there are an insanely high amount of PoVs at play.  I understand giving one to Samantha, to Georgia, to Victor and Holly and even the perp, but we get ripped out their headspaces to the other dancers and even one of the red herring suspects far too frequently. In fact, there are a whopping fourteen different voices at play here, including one-and-done chapters from Nick and Rosie.  It’s all too much, and the book begs for order and rationale.

And yet Real Easy is worthwhile for its genuinely gripping mystery.  Just beware: if you don’t like head hopping, this is probably not the book for you.

Note: This book contains scenes of abuse, violence and attempted sexual assault.

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Gritty, graphic, and riveting, Real Easy is a fast paced thriller following the investigation of the disappearance of two dancers from the Lovely Lady strip club.

The story is told through multiple points of view including detectives, dancers, possible suspects, the dancers’ children, and the mysterious “him”. What really stood out to me were Rutkoski’s in depth characterizations and descriptions of the investigation. I was drawn to the POVs of the female detective and the dancers, particularly their interactions, friendships, rivalries, and family histories.

Many themes are at play such as feminism, racism, male dominance, grief and loss, and corruption, among others. It’s interesting to me that this novel takes place in the year 1999, yet the social issues remain the same as they are today.

This was a solid 4 star book for me. I knocked off one star because the ending was a bit underwhelming and I was left with some unanswered questions. I hope Rutkoski continues to write thrillers because this was a definite page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha stays to herself at her job as a dancer at the Lovely Lady. Until she offers a new girl a ride home. After they are run off the road and their car crashes, one is dead and one is missing.

I knew I was going to love this one and it did not disappoint. A murder mystery/ serial killer story that takes place in a stripe club? Need I say more? The environment really made the story and I loved getting to know the women. I am getting tired of serial killer books but the club made this one unique.

“Some people seem to have so many chances, only for them to be eaten, all of them, as though by a whip-bodied weasel, a link with its dense shine of fur and barbed mouth, an animal you never noticed because it slunk long in your shadow, waiting for its moment.”

Real Easy comes out 1/18/22.

Real Easy is a breath of fresh air in the suspense/thriller genre. A book about dancers in a club in the midwest that begin to disappear and features the point of view of many dancers and a couple detectives. All the characters are beautifulled weaved into a fast-paced book that covers so much more than suspense; racial issues, LGBTQ+ issues, drugs, sexual assault, and so much more. Every character has a backstory that is easy to follow and weaves effortlessly together. I anticipate this will be a bestseller come February 18th, 2022.

As described above it has many elements and language some may find offensive.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marie Rutkoski, and Henry Holt and Co. for the advanced ready copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.