Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jody Gehrman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for The Protégé. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Dr. Hannah Bryers is an anthropology professor and forensics expert at the prestigious Mad River University. She enjoys examining the bodies of murder victims, but would rather not make small talk with the living.

Winter Jones is Hannah’s most promising graduate student. She’s smart, sophisticated and driven, but she has another agenda for going to Mad River: to take revenge on Hannah Bryers. She’ll do anything to ruin her life and career. In alternating narratives, Winter steals from Hannah the things she values most: her reputation, her job and her wellbeing. 

When mistakes are made in her lab, Hannah has no idea who would try to sabotage her and would be willing to risk students’ lives. As the incidents become deadly, many suspects come about. She has to figure out who is trying to ruin her career and killing people.

The description made it feel like it was a dark and fun revenge story on someone who probably deserved it. I usually love books set in the school setting. This one didn’t work for me. There were a lot of cringe moments with the dialogue. I’m not sure how Winter got away with it for so long. Since it was revealed early that she was the killer, there wasn’t really much of a place to go from there. I also didn’t really enjoy Hannah’s character. She didn’t seem to have much of a personality. I guess she was supposed to be meticulous and focused on her work, but something felt off and it was hard to get a sense of her character. There was only one man in the story. I can’t remember his name, but some of the dialogue between him and Hannah seemed odd. The ending felt obvious. I just wasn’t feeling it.

I wanted to like this one so badly because it's such a cool plot but I just really struggled with it. Neither main character is likeable and it the pretentiousness made it even more difficult.

This was weird. The narration was spot on. I somewhat hated all the characters but I don't think we were supposed to like them. It was a good listen. I was surprised there in the end.

A fun campus thriller centered on a forensics professor whose job seems to link her to a number of professionally embarrassing accidents. Or are they really accidents?

I’m fairly picky about thrillers, but this one is pretty good. I love a campus setting, and while this one isn’t wonderful for academic atmosphere, it still boasts a decent sense of place.

I’m not sure the comparisons to Samantha Downing are apt. There are some similarities in style and tone, but this doesn’t have much sense of humor or wink-wink stuff, which is Downing’s hallmark. This isn’t a criticism, but fair warning if that’s the reason you’re after this book.

It’s tough to keep suspense going on a novel where you know who the killer is from the jump, but Gehrman did a great job of keeping the reader tensely intrigued anyway.

The characters are better than average for a standalone thriller, and it’s a fun story. Highly
recommend the audiobook version if you’re able to read that way. It’s a good fit for that format.

Great plot and fast paced. I really enjoy a story that makes me worry about the main character’s wellbeing.

I would love to see a sequel soon that follows Dr Byers’ career/friendships.

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Protégé
Jody Gehrman
Dr. Hannah Bryers is an expert forensics expert. She takes decomposing corpses and allows them to speak to her to guide her in solving their mysteries. She isn’t a people person or at least not live people. People make her nervous; she dreads spending time socializing and making small talk. She is a professor of anthropology at the esteemed Mad River University.
Winter Jones is intelligent, shrewd and devoted to destroying Dr. Hannah Bryers. She is a graduate student and Hannah’s teaching assistant. She has spent most of her life planning the downfall of Hannah. She will stop at nothing to destroy Hannah’s character, her career, and her life.
A corpse sent to Hannah by the local police is destroyed, a mislabeled chemical causes a near fatal accident and a glass of wine brings out a confession.
Hannah has no idea who would want to destroy her however the readers have access to the villain’s thoughts and actions. Throughout this tale the reader witnesses the antics of Winter. Author Jody Gehrman slowly brings out the reasoning behind Winter’s desire for revenge. Hannah has a quirky personality. I believe she may be on the Autism Spectrum. Winter has a deep seated hatred for Hannah; she doesn’t care who is hurt as long as she achieves her goal of destroying Hannah.
I am truly surprised this book did not receive more positive reviews. They mostly fall in the range of 2 and 3 stars; for me it is definitely a 5 star winner.

Following a forensic anthropology professor and her darkly intriguing TA, The Protégé was a solid mystery thriller.
I think the characters were so strong in their own right- I want to hang out with Dr. Bryers!
One qualm I did have with the novel was that I thought it was a bit convoluted in the beginning with all of the extra characters who played very little part in the true plot of the book. Her best friend Amy and tenant Joe were a bit redundant. The love interest was interesting but, again, served no purpose in the thriller plot of the story in my opinion.
The portions of the novel in which Dr. Bryers’ career is being sabotaged were the most intriguing to me, as I loved the academia setting.
I would like to see some reviews from the neurodivergent community to look into some thoughts for own-voices rep, as I personally felt Dr. Bryers was heavily coded as such. Not necessarily saying that is a bad thing, but I would like to look into that more.
Overall, I feel like some chapters could have been edited and certain redundant plot points that served no greater purpose to the plot could’ve been removed, but it was a fun time.
2/5 stars.

You know, this was a fascinating suspense novel with some interesting characters. While there is some pretty intense use of medical language especially considering that both of the main characters are part of a forensic educational department, but it wasn't so overwhelming that I felt the need to look up every single work, there was enough in context to allow everything to flow.

It's always kind of interesting to process through the different "reasons" that we come up to justify sociopathic behaviors/tendencies and this one's kind of a doozy. The action was a bit choppy, but the conceit was plum for the taking. The characters were interesting, and certainly focused, but perhaps it was a little too neatly composed in the end for our heroine.

If you like a fun little cat and mouse game of very intelligent people, then this might be the right read for you!

I enjoyed the narrators, Cindy kay and Jess Nahikian, who provided the voices for the two main characters, two distinct and powerful voices to help differentiate between the two. This helped the story flow well, so that there was really no confusion between whose perspective we were observing.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media via Netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy to review!

What first drove me into this story was the university- setting.
This was the first time ever I read a book by Jody Gehrman and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed getting to know Dr. Hannah Bryers, anthropology professor and forensics expert. She describes herself as a person without social filters- this made her even more likeable for me! She enjoys teaching and takes great care of her students. One of them is Winter Jones who is over- dedicated, but she’s got an agenda of her own.
So when everythins goes down in Hannah's life from her reputation, her job, and—ultimately—her safety things start getting interesting! She is not willing to let all of these things go without fighting.
Thanks #NetGalley for this advanced audio book

This audio book was addicting -- all I wanted to do was continue listening at the determent of sleeping and responsibilities! It was nice to be able to forget all my cares and go farther on my walks because I wanted to find out what would happen next. The characters were believable. The suspense was well-paced and the narrators were excellent! Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the review copy!

Overall this book was just an enjoyable story. We love smart women in science, in universities, making a way for themselves in a world. The fact that Winter got herself into a specific Master's program to exact her revenge - is extremely impressive. I liked Hannah, although I did think her "social awkwardness" wore off by the end of the story. She was picking up on hints, hiding her true feelings, etc., which she seemingly was not capable of doing at the beginning.
Winter was a good character, although we weren't given anything more than subtle crumbs of her backstory until the last 20 pages of the book. There weren’t any real twists or antyhing that I was surprised about - although I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out.

Jody Gehrman makes some interesting narrative choices in The Protégé:

1. She reveals the antagonist, and most of the antagonist's motive, at the very beginning of the book. Right away, the novel pits forensic anthropology professor Dr. Hannah Bryers against her star student and TA, Winter Jones. Winter has come to Mad River University for one reason: to get revenge on Hannah for a past wrong. Over the course of the novel, Winter systematically works towards this goal by sabotaging Hannah's relationships and tarnishing her reputation, all while pretending to be her confidante.

2. She makes her protagonist incredibly difficult to relate to and/or sympathize with. I love quirky, socially awkward characters, but Hannah's complete lack of social finesse and naïveté comes across as forced and inauthentic. Imagine Dr. Temperance Brennan -- the version from the television show Bones, not Kathy Reichs's novels -- and that's pretty much the basis for the character of Hannah. Her characterization felt derivative and too emotionally immature to be believed.

These factors, coupled with an instalove plotline and unnatural dialogue, made The Protégé a less than enjoyable read for me. Because the reader knows up front who is behind the attacks on Hannah, there is no real tension in the narrative. Winter's scheme wasn't clever enough to hold my attention and make me want to keep reading to see how it all unfolded. Additionally, it made Hannah's sections of the book -- which are largely made up of Hannah trying to figure out who's out to get her -- pointless and boring.

Unfortunately, the most interesting parts of The Protégé (Hannah's career as a forensic anthropologist, Winter's troubled childhood) are not the parts that Gehrman chooses to focus on. I toggled back and forth between listening to the audiobook and reading an electronic copy, and I preferred reading the text because I didn't care for either of the narrators. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the complimentary reading opportunity.

My rating is a 4.5. At first I thought I wouldn’t like it because the main character, Hannah, has a very pretentious medical vocabulary and I thought I would zone out while listening to it. It didn’t take long at all for the author to provide explanation for the reasons Hannah is the way she is and I then found it endearing and somewhat relatable at times.

In stark contrast to Hannah not understanding sarcasm at all, Winter was full of it and I found her full of hilarious one liners.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lynch as a person, the role he played in Hannah’s life, and what he brought out in her.

I also like that this wasn’t a whodunnit. The bad guy is made evident very early and it’s a mystery of if she will be able to pull off her vendetta or not.

I would also like to state that the narrators were excellent! Probably the best I’ve heard yet.

As an anthropology professor at Man River University, Dr.Hannah Bryers uses her forensic skills to examine corpses, trying to gain insights police can use in their homicide investigations. She has a very promising grad student in Winter, she doesn’t know that Winter has a hidden agenda – she wants to destroy Hannah. As everything that Hannah values is systematically taken from her, the last person she suspects is Winter. But with her reputation and even her students lives at stake, Hannah has to figure out who’s behind the campaign to ruin her life – and why. As usual, Gehrman doesn’t disappoint in this fast paced thriller that has a few surprises

Dr. Hannah Byers is a well known anthropologist and is socially awkward. Hannah reminds me of Dr. Temperance Brennan with the intelligence and no social skills. However, it is harder to feel a connection with Hannah. Insert Winter her TA that seems to be doting and wants to learn from Hannah. Winter has different plans to unravel Hannah’s life.

There were times in the book that I was a bit bored because I couldn’t connect with either character. I didn’t feel pulled to one or the other, which was disappointing. In the end I did enjoy the book, but in spots it fell flat.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for gifting me an audio ARC of the new thriller by Jody Gehrman and wonderfully narrated by Cindy Kay andJess Nahikian - 4 stars!

Dr. Hannah Bryers, anthropology professor and forensics expert at the prestigious Mad River University, While she's at the top of her field and is comfortable around the dead bodies she works with, she struggles socially and has only two friends she can count on. Winter Jones is Hannah's teaching assistant and her top student. But Winter has an ulterior motive - to destroy Hannah's life.

This is a book where you know the villain from the beginning, but the thrill comes from watching it play out. Told in alternating POV of both Hannah and Winter, you can see the toll that Winter's actions are taking as she becomes distrustful of those around her. We slowly learn Winter's reason behind er hatred of Hannah and her desire for revenge. This was a twisty one and the narration was great as well.

I loved the drastically different characters throughout this story. They all had different quirks that made them interesting which helped keep the story intriguing!

I really enjoyed The Protege! As the story played out, it got more and more intense, to the point where I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I could feel the desperation bleeding through Winter's point of view. The way Hannah was written also led us to believe the narrative that she was cold and had done something to warrant the attacks. I was on the edge of my seat and didn't stop listening until I was finished.

I received an advance copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

The Protege By Jody Gehrman Summary

Jody Gehrman pits the drive for revenge against the equally vital will to survive, in this chilling psychological suspense novel in the vein of Samantha Downing and Layne Fargo.

Dr. Hannah Bryers, anthropology professor and forensics expert at the prestigious Mad River University, takes pleasure in examining corpses, but small talk and living people fill her with dread. When she's not teaching, she analyzes the decomposing flesh of murder victims around the globe.

Winter Jones is Hannah's most promising graduate student. She's intelligent, cunning, and dedicated, but she's got her agenda for coming to Mad River: to bring Hannah Bryers down. She'll stop at nothing to make her life implode. In alternating narratives, Winter systematically robs Hannah of the things she values most: her reputation, her job, and—ultimately—her safety.

When dangerous mistakes are made in her lab, Hannah has no idea who would have it out for her and would be willing to risk students' lives. As the incidents become deadly, many suspects come to light. Hannah won't go down without a fight. She has to figure out who is sabotaging her career and killing people; her life depends on finding answers.

The Protege By Jody Gehrman Review

Do you like well-written, evil characters? Then buckle up because Jody Gehrman has a new novel you won't put down. The Protege is Gehrman's latest, released March 7th, propelled by Winter and Hannah. Winter is a devious college student after revenge on the unsuspecting Hannah. This wickedly intelligent thriller finds Hannah studying and implementing The Art of War by Sun Tzu to manipulate her way into becoming Hannah's Teaching Assitant. Once she accomplishes her goal, Winter works on Hannah's life. One by one, she set's up Hannah with brilliantly planned decimating events that begin to unravel Hannah and her life.

Gehrman's writing is spot-on. The writing nails an atmospheric college campus, anatomically correct linguistics, and dark humor. She integrates Hannah's teaching with her love for examing corpses with precision. And Winter's character is unrelenting. She will put lives in danger for revenge. And why? I won't say, but the slow reveal- piece by piece is well pieced together.

Thank you to Dreamscape and Crooked Lane Books For An Arc.

The Protege By Jody Gehrman Setting

First, let's talk about the name of the university where this all takes place- Mad River University. Jody Gehrman utilizes The Protege's university name as a foundation to build a living, breathing setting. This campus setting is at once a learned, advanced university and yet sinister, begging for misfortune. The surrounding town has that feel of local life, where everyone knows everyone, and word travels mighty fast.

The Protege By Jody Gehrman Characters

Yes. Back to characters, because they deserve the time. Winter's character is written as one of the most realistic, cunning characters I've read in a long time. The bounce from Winter to Hannah's point of view works well. Both characters maintain their core qualities throughout the plot and drive toward two different goals. Throughout Winter's point of view, she quotes directly from The Art of War, going as far as to explain why she chose it. This grounds Winter's character and her actions to be as realistic as her character is ruthless.

On the other hand, Hannah's character is steadfast in her dedication to teaching and working with the local police. Unfortunately, her introverted ways isolate her from sharing what is happening, having a life, and finding true friends. One of her friends, Amy, is brilliantly written as a no-holds-bar tinder hopping woman. Her character's placement often brings comic and emotional relief to the story.

The Protege By Jody Gehrman Final Thoughts

If I'm going to nitpick anything about The Protege, it is that it takes a little while to get off the ground. But, conversely, I love when you know who the antagonist is from the beginning and the execution is solid. It is easy for that structure to go awry, but Gehrman pulled it off flawlessly.

The audiobook was well done with Hannah and Winter's points of view.

I was hooked from the start. the story had some of my favorite elements; dark academia, forensic pathology, a slowly unfolding story, and a sociopathic killer. I mean what else can you ask for?? I did feel the ending was a bit too perfect but that's just me being picky. overall really enjoyed the audiobook!