Member Reviews

This novel is your typical “whodunnit” plot about a group of friends going on a retreat to figure out which one of them holds the secret to their friend's disappearance.

Emily is writing a screenplay that is true to life in hopes that it will help her dredge up some locked-away memories of her friend Vanessa’s possible demise. So in true mystery fashion, she gathers her troops, returns to the scene of the crime, and tries to reenact their last weekend together.

What will she find out, and will her memories prove that she can’t even trust herself?

Just an ok read for me. I’m not a huge fan of mystery or suspense. I believe someone that religiously reads this genre would have fun with it. The screenplay interspersed within the plot was a unique addition and a welcome break from what could have been a tedious and long-winded novel.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

While I didnt guess the twist at the end, this book was hard to follow. I found Myself skipping to get to the end. The winery setting was creepy but I found the back and fourth hard to keep up with. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

This one was not for me. I found the scene descriptions far too descriptive and frequently found myself skimming over the descriptions. I found the characters hard to connect to and also found the plot fairly predictable.

Was this review helpful?

Emily is a screenwriter who sets out to solve the disappearance of her college friend. Fifteen years after Vanessa went missing, Emily gathers the same group of friend’s to see what she can uncover. Told through real time/past time and a film script, the story unfolds with a building intensity.

Really enjoyed this fast-paced mystery that will keep you guessing about what REALLY happened. Add this one to your to be read pile!

Was this review helpful?

I love a good so called locked room mystery. This one was so good I read it in one sitting. So good.
I just reviewed Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon. #ScenesoftheCrime #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Was this review helpful?

I received this book as an ARC in return for a fully honest review.
What can I say, I loved this book. Not sure exactly what I was expecting, but I’m so glad I was able to read it. First off, I LOVE the play on words in the title. Didn’t get that till later, but it made me laugh out loud when I did notice it. This book does a lot of going back in forth between the present and the past and that can make it hard to follow; not the case with “Scenes of the Crime”. I loved that I knew exactly what point of time I was at. The story is fantastic, full of twists that you don’t see coming nor can you figure out. Jilly Gagnon never dumbs it down for you as the reader, and it’s clear she fully trusts us to use common sense when going through some of the twists. There is nothing i love more than an author who trusts my brain. Jilly Gagnon also has an amazing talent when it comes to writing from the point of view of a 20 something and 30 something year old women. Her writing style and the story kept me hooked and constantly picking up my device to keep reading. If you enjoy fun, twisty mysteries, then this book is definitely for you!!! I want to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Jilly Gagnon for the ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

This book had so much potential - four friends reunite at a remote winery to figure out what happened to their friend Vanessa, who disappeared 15 years ago. At the ends of most chapters, there are scenes from a screenplay that the narrator, Emily, is working on. Some of them take place in the past before Vanessa disappears, some of the scenes are in the present. The whole time, I wasn't sure if these were scenes that actually happened, or if they were just in Emily's head. She's trying to write a movie script to escape her job at a stupid sitcom and that's partly why she asks her three "friends" to join her at the winery - so she can figure out the story behind Vanessa's disappearance.

I found myself convincing myself to pick up and resume this book. The first half could be shaved down maybe 20% - all we learn is how terrible these women are and how their relationship with Vanessa was maybe not as good as they thought. We get a long tour of the winery but I still had trouble picturing this tunnel and set of caverns that's supposed to be inside a cliffside.

There is lots of speculation on Emily's part about what happened as she pieces some things together, but not much actually happens until about 60% and then things pick up. I don't want to give anything away but things do pick up. I'm not sure the payoff was worth the set-up, though, and I had a few thoughts about where a twist might take us, but it didn't play out that way.

Was this review helpful?

Scenes of the Crime had all the makings of a book I knew I wouldn’t be able to put down. Unfortunately, the novel fell a little flat for me. I thought the premise was great, a group of friends from college meeting together in the location where their friend went missing to pay respects was going to be interesting. But then we find out that none of the “friends” had really talked in multiple years. Why would they even get back together for a girls trip? During the first part of the book, when they are all together, they are mean to each other and making snide comments that are pretty rude. I got a little lost when the book flips between the screenplay the main character, Emily, is writing. They felt disjointed and would confuse me later on which part of the book I was reading, if this the screenplay or really happening? The book flips from the present and past as well, so as the book moves forward you get more details on the dynamics of the friend group. Finally in the last third of the novel, we get to a lot of action which made the book go by faster. Even though the ending was good, I didn’t feel it was enough to save the rest of the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Dell for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Scenes of the Crime, by Jilly Gagnon is a thriller novel, that will leave you with several questions right up until the very end. Fifteen years before, Emily's friend Vanessa disappeared without a trace while they were on a girls trip. Emily still has many questions surrounding Vanessa's disappearance so she decided to go back to the place where it all started. Soon, Emily and her three other friends are back at the winery where Vanessa disappeared. Emily says it is so they can all get closure, but she really wants answers. Did Vanessa die? If so, who killed her?

This book is an interesting thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. In the beginning, the book was slow a little slow. It is mostly descriptions to set the scene but once the action started rolling, it did not stop. I do wish that some of the plot twists and action scenes were more drawn out. What I truly enjoyed about the book was how part of it was written as a screenplay, that Emily was writing. Having this additional element, adds a new layer to the novel. It makes you question whether you are reading the real events of that night or just what Emily had written. I have never seen that in a novel before, so it was exciting to see. The ending was a great way to tie everything up in the story.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for grating my wish for an ARC of this book.

Girls reunion weekend gone wrong. Reconnecting at the same location on the anniversary of a friend’s mysterious disappearance with twists and turns through the entire weekend.

The format through me off initially, with the script as the second narrative, but I got used to it and it was definitely a creative approach. I got through the book pretty quickly, but it was ultimately just okay. The characters and storyline fell a bit flat for me overall, but it had some interesting spots and I would definitely read another book from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon tells the story of Emily, Vanessa, Paige, Lydia and Brittany. College friends who were at a remote winery when one of the disappeared. Now 15 years later, they are meeting at the winery for closure and things happen. This was an interesting story line and the characters were believable. The writing was very descriptive. So the scenes seem very real. Emily is a screenwriter so some of the scenes were written in that format. It made it interesting. I will recommend reading this mystery. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emily is surprised to see a woman who looks like her friend who went missing many years ago. She decides to do a get together with her friends to try and figure out what happened that night. This book grabbed my attention from the start.

Was this review helpful?

Years ago, Vanessa Morales vanished during a spring break trio with her girlfriends to a remote winery on the Oregon coast. Emily may have been the last to see her, and thoughts of what happened have lingered in her mind for years. Emily wants to tell the story in her job as a screenwriter, and she manages to gather the other friends for a reunion trip to the same winery so she can dig into the past and try to come up with the right ending for the story.

The format of this had my head spinning a bit. Parts are told in a normal first person POV, then suddenly we switch to a script in every chapter as we see inside Emily's head and the story she is writing. This method made for a very unreliable narrator, as I couldn't tell if the things in the script format actually happened or if she was making them up. Soon, Emily's edits were appearing in the script as well, and I realized I had no idea what was true in this story. The climax of the book was even written two different ways, which was such an interesting way to write it.

The characters were all extremely unlikable. Queen bee Brittany, her hanger on Paige, mouthy Lydia, and Emily who appears to have no spine. I wasn't rooting for anyone in this morally gray tale, but I was still supremely entertained.

This story was unique, the setting was so atmospheric, and it was very twisty.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Was this review helpful?

Loved the idea but poor execution didn't really work for me. Seemed very disorganized and rambling. Better editing, cutting out the rambling would definitely improve this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting and could picture myself there. I had a difficult time connecting to/getting in the mind of the characters because they were definitely not likable lol.

Was this review helpful?

I was promised an unforgettable mystery that was suspenseful and propulsive, but I don’t really feel I got it.
The girlfriends who lost one of their number on spring break 15 years ago and who now come together for a reunion weekend are all terrible people. Their relationships with each other are terrible. My biggest issue with the plot is that I didn’t buy that these former friends would have been willing to come to a reunion, especially to deal with a shared trauma. They don’t like each other.

In addition, they are not distinct personalities; I had a hard time remembering who was who, even with this relatively small cast. There is a big reveal early on that I thought must be some kind of red herring, or fantasy reveal, or something, so I kept expecting that but – nope, it was what it was. The mystery part seems mainly to come from what’s real and what main character Emily is crafting for her screenplay. There is a lot of wine drinking in this book. That may appeal to some readers.

It was easy to read, and I definitely see a movie in this book’s future, but it just didn’t work for me. Maybe it will work better as a movie.

I read an advance reader copy from Penguin Random House and Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

Loved the setting descriptions, and the twists along the way, overall I found it hard to connect with the characters, there are a lot of back and forth> got a little confused > I didn't like the reading format, the scripting chapter was hard to follow > the character's relationships were toxic and frustrating at the same time.

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Scenes of the Crime is a must read for anyone who enjoys the mystery/thriller genre!

I loved the addition of the scenes written as script - their inclusion made sense given the background of our main character. The scenes also helped keep me guessing - Was Emily actually interested in finding out what happened to Vanessa or just interested in furthering her stagnant career? Did that specific event happen or was it Emily’s added dramatization? Who is lying and who can you trust?

I really related to the present-day group dynamic between the four college friends. You simultaneously know so many intimate details about each other’s lives while also being a complete stranger to who they are now. I thought the author did a great job conveying those bonds and distances, while also highlighting the destructive nature of their relationships to one another.

I loved the winery as the choice for the setting! So atmospheric and claustrophobic - I could perfectly envision the caves, the chill in the air, and the damp from the water. It was the perfect stage for someone to hide in or go missing forever.

The ending was reminiscent of the one in The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. It’s the perfect conclusion for a book featuring toxic friendships. Overall, an interesting and well-written thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A group of college friends reunite at the place where one of their friends disappeared fifteen years ago. The gathering was much like this one. Nobody knows (or admits to knowing) what became of Vanessa, but strange things begin happening, perhaps clues to whom, or what, is behind Van’s disappearance. The members of this dysfunctional group of used-to-be friends make the best of their reunion by suspecting, blaming and squabbling their way through the plot. The story alternates between a combination of script notes and prose, written from the perspective of the event organizer, a television scriptwriter. As such, each setting at the old lodge and winery is intricately described in colorful detail, and in-depth conversations convey the many moods and inner monologues of the speakers. A complex and engaging read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an arc of Scenes of the Crime in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

The synopsis was intriguing. Five friends take a spring break trip to a winery where one of them goes missing. It is now 15 years later and Emily can’t let the past go and just has to know what happened to Vanessa, so she concocts a plan to get the remaining friends together to recreate their time at the winery to try and figure out what really happened to Vanessa. But we all know that it’s just not going to be that simple.

I loved the cover and the potential, but this one fell a little flat for me. I also just read a 5 Star thriller prior to this one so my expectations may have been set a little too high. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it either. It was just ok, so as you can imagine, it’s getting 3 stars from me.

It just took a bit too long to get interesting and then when it did start to get interesting, the twist was a bit of a letdown. I almost DNF’d it just because it took WAY too long to get going. You just can’t do that with any type of book. The reader needs to be hooked very close to the beginning, not past the halfway mark. I hated every single one of the characters & some of them, you’re supposed to. It was not really much different than any other thriller with a group a toxic friends where one of them disappears.

I might have rated it a half star more if the pacing had been faster. I was just bored through most of it and it took me way longer to finish that normal because I had to force myself to continue on.

To the author, I’m sorry, I hate giving bad or semi-bad reviews. I respect your talent and the time & effort you put into this novel. It just was not for me.

3/5 Stars

Was this review helpful?