When Gwen's husband Todd dies quite suddenly, leaving her the single mother of 8-year-old Whitney, she is devastated to discover it is not only her husband she has lost, but her entire way of life. Because what Todd was careful to keep from his wife is that their finances are in a bad way.


Now Gwen must unwillingly move back to live in Ohio with her mother while she plans what to do next. (Re)enter her one-time friend - more of an acquaintance, really - Nicola, who is now known as Nikki, and is heading the company where she and Gwen initially met as interns.


Gwen is surprised at the warmth of Nikki's welcome, since they had not been particularly close before. But it seems that Nikki wants to remedy that now.


So, she helps Gwen find a job (something Nikki is well-positioned to do as the head of the company at which the aforementioned job is provided), gets her a place of her own close to where Nikki herself lives, and gradually grows close to Gwen's young daughter, Whitney.


But you know what they say: if it seems too good to be true, then it may well not be. Flanagan deftly manages the telling of this story, using a somewhat unique structure based on Nikki's Rules to Live By. This trope of toxic friends is not an unfamiliar one, but it is done very well here.


Flanagan's understanding of toxic friendships shines through, and her characters come to life on the page. I really enjoyed this, and for anyone who's ever been on the receiving end of this kind of possessive, controlling 'friendship', Nikki's behaviour will seem familiar. An absorbing thriller.

How to categorize this book from from Erin Flanagan? Psychological thriller? More suspense than thriller? This is the first one of her books that I've read. It's a solid entry in the domestic suspense category, but didn't blow me away. Thirtysomething Gwen Maner and is starting over with her young daughter back in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio, after the sudden death of her husband. She quickly reconnects with an old friend from college, Nicola - perhaps too quickly. Nicola's previous co-worker and BFF disappeared under mysterious circumstances and Nicola focuses her time and attention on Gwen as a replacement. Some of the characters' actions are questionable (no one ever calls the police for anything!) and Gwen's internal dialogue can be annoying at times.

I’m always interested in books written my Edgar award winners so I decided to try a new author.

This story reads very quickly but I found the main characters unlikeable and the “big twist” was super predictable.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this e-ARC in return for my honest feedback.

Love love love! I absolutely couldn’t put this down and read it every chance I got— even while on vacation. Will definitely read this author again!!

We meet Gwen and her husband dies suddenly, living her with a young child and a mountain of debt she didn't know existed. She hasn't worked in years but is suddenly job hunting.

She sees a former colleague at an internship from college is still working at that company, and has worked her way up. She reaches out to Nicola, who seems more than happy to assist her.

Nicola not only helps her get the job, but secure a place to live, and is soon an integral part of their lives.

Then things start taking a freaky turn and bad things start to happen. Then Gwen FINALLY (Lord she was frustruating) starts to put the pieces together and tries to take back her life.

Could not stop reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m sorry this took so long but I couldn’t read it quickly. I finally decided at 50% I had to stop. I read reviews with spoilers to see if it would improve but Gwen is the most insufferable character I’ve ever read. I was hoping she was the manipulative evil one and would be killed but no. She just cried constantly and has no identity beyond Todd’s fiancé, wife, widow.

I’m appalled a woman wrote this and that anyone finds this character interesting. She acts like she’s nine or from 1952.

When Gwen’s husband suddenly passes away and leaves her nothing, she returns to her hometown in Ohio with her daughter. Thanks to an old friend, she manages to get a nice job working together. Nicola not only helped secure Gwen’s job, but she also gets her a house on the same street as her, and gets a dog since she can’t handle one right now but her daughter wants one. Nicola is so take charge, it’s a nice and welcome change of pace for Gwen. But when things start going a bit over the top, Gwen wants to step back from the friendship. Unfortunately for her, Nicola isn’t the type to just let go. Will Gwen be able to get free of Nicola?

This was a fantastic suspense novel. I was on the edge of my seat just pulled into the story, waiting for all the pieces to come together. I really enjoyed all the characters. Yes, they were all flawed and annoying at times, and well Nicola was just a pill, but that was the point, they were just real. I also appreciated how Gwen’s daughter wasn’t a perfect child. For crying out loud her dad just died, of course she’s going to struggle. I also loved the pacing of this book. I often find that suspense books are slower and more drawn out, this one was quicker and nicely laid out the pieces of the puzzle. I have not read any of the author’s previous works, but I can’t wait to pick one up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

When Gwen's husband passes away, leaving her with huge debts to pay off, Gwen contacts Nicola, a former work colleague who she interned with so many years ago. Nicola lines her up with a fantastic job, even going so far as to rent her a new house and assist with Gwen's daughter when needed. But it slowly becomes weird how much Nicola gets involved in Gwen's life. Can Gwen trust her? This book was sensational! Short chapters, a fast paced storyline and multiple POVs are just the way I like my thrillers with this one receiving a tick for all three. Highly recommend reading if you're a big thriller fan!

We’ve all had one. You know you have. *That* friend. The one who love bombs you, and is always there for you (creepily) yet needles at your insecurities and is quick to remind you that if it weren’t for her you’d be lost. She’ll share the spotlight with you, sure. But only when it benefits her! And if you call her behavior out for what it is, she’ll gaslight you, point the finger at you and tell you that you’re projecting. Sigh. This is why we can’t have nice things.

As a recovering codependent I have attracted my fair share of narcissists and woohoo, if you see yourself in anything I just wrote, this thriller is for you!

Erin Flanagan knows toxic friendships. Brash, bold, impressive Nicola meets meek, insecure, widowed mother Gwen and it all seems too good to be true—at first. This novel has so many nail-biting, page-turning moments and I was just like—please, please don’t let anything bad happen to the dog (dog was safe). There are lots of moments of dark humor and you can’t help but have empathy for Nicola (empathy gets our sort into trouble every time!) But yeah. This one felt personal to me. Real personal. Effing five bright stars, as high as they can go.

This was my first Erin Flanagan read so I didn’t know what to expect. It took a few chapters to develop the main characters, however I was able to guess the plot fairly quickly which felt a little far-fetched. It did pick up the last few chapters, with a few twists and turns. Overall I enjoyed and would read another book by this author.

A story about a woman who loses everything when her husband, the breadwinner, suddenly dies, and what happens when she returns to the only job she's ever had - a short internship after college. Except that the one of the other two girls she interned with back then is now the company's COO, and the third... Has mysteriously disappeared.

This was explosive. It had been a while since I read a book that I wanted to cancel all plans for, and this was it. Think of all the good parts of watching a tense and suspenseful 20/20 true crime special with some Mean Girls thrown into it. Just wonderful!

Lets just get to the good part...

5 stars

Now, we can begin.

This book right here is TWISTED!!! Wherever you think this book is headed, forget about it, I promise you, you're wrong.

I felt my legs wobble after concluding. I can only describe it as the feeling you get when you first put your feet on the ground when you get off a roller coaster.

Come with Me, is a wild ride.

Check out this teaser :

Two women. An old friendship rekindled. A growing fear. Not everything is as it seems in a dark and twisty novel of suspense by the Edgar Award–winning author of Deer Season.

Gwen Maner is a widowed single mom, returning to her Ohio hometown with her daughter. And thanks to former acquaintance Nicola Kimmel, this is the start of Gwen’s new and promising life.

Nicola’s secured Gwen a lucrative job, rented Gwen a house on her same street, and won the heart of Gwen’s daughter, but she almost seems too good to be true. She’s so selfless. So charismatic. And so take-charge. Gwen is sure Nicola is yearning only for someone to get close to. After all, according to Nicola, her marriage is falling apart, and her best friend just up and left one day.

But how well does Gwen really know Nicola? What does Nicola ultimately want? As their lives become more entwined, and Nicola’s grip tightens, Gwen begins to think that Nicola isn’t helping Gwen and her daughter but vying for control of every aspect of her life. And the consequences may be deadly.

I really enjoyed this! It had good twists and kept me on my toes as I was reading. I enjoyed how well written the characters are and how unique the story is. I would recommend this book! Special Thank You to Erin Flanagan, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

Come with Me by Erin Flanagan is a highly recommended thriller.

Gwen Maner, thirty-two, is a widowed single mom of Whitney, eight. She is broke and needs a job ASAP, so she decides to apply to the media agency she was an intern at ten years earlier, before she married and was in college. Two other young women were interns with her and one of them, Nicola Kimmel, is one of the leaders at the company. Gwen calls her hoping for some advice but Nicola does much more than that and Gwen is offered a high paying job at the company. She'll have to quickly move from Colorado back to Ohio, where her mother still lives. This job will mean she can take care of her daughter comfortably.

As they settle in, Nicola inserts herself into their lives more and more, taking control of her and her daughter. At first all her help and support is welcome, but then Gwen begins to become increasingly uncomfortable. What does Nicola really want? What is the end game?

Come with Me is well-written and will hold your attention with a steady pace. Chapters alternate between the point-of-view of Gwen and flashbacks to Nicola's difficult childhood. This literary device allows suspense to build and foreshadows future events. Gwen is able to share her thoughts while Nicola's background allows insight into her character. Following the increasing creepy behavior of Nicola, a woman who wants to be in charge of everything, is entertaining.

The entertainment factor is very high because what reader of thrillers doesn't enjoy a novel where a character becomes increasingly menacing. Alternately, several of the twists are predictable and even the big twist at the end will be figured out by some readers. Also, some strong suspension of disbelief needs to be employed and it was a stumbling block for me. Gwen even thinking about applying for a job in another state somewhere she was an intern ten years ago is not credible especially after not working for ten years. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be on X, published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller was a fast read, but the plot overall was very predictable. I found both main characters very annoying, each in their own way - which does not make a book bad per se - and there were so many points where I found myself questioning why anyone could believe the developments that occured in the course of this story.

Come With Me by Erin Flanagan is a narrative of reconnected friendship of two women, hidden motives, and growing fear. What seemed to be the perfect opportunity, turned out to be the biggest nightmare.

Gwen Maner, recently lost her husband. Trying to pick up the pieces along with now being a single mother, she decided to move in with her mother until things become more stable. In moving forward, she decided to reconnect with an old acquaintance, Nicola Kimmel, who more than generously gave her the opportunity needed to start her next chapter.

As they get to know each other more, Gwen finds herself in a situation where Nicola seems to take control over every decision involving her life. At first, Nicola’s altruism was welcomed because it made her life easier but doubts crept in as her friend's behavior became increasingly controlling. Beneath Nicola's charming exterior, an uneasy growing suspicion that not everything is as it seems began to surface.

As strange things started to happen, Gwen began to feel uneasy and unsettled. When a tragedy close to home happened, it opened her mind to the possibility that all with Nicola wasn’t what she seemed. When Gwen starts to put the missing pieces together, she finds herself in a situation that literally becomes life or death.

Come With Me was an unexpected thriller that delivered a satisfying blend of suspense, engaging characters and a plot that grabs your attention. The slow build of tension with the unexpected plot twists keeps you anticipating what’s going to happen next.

I loved the contrast of the psychological depth of the characters. Gwen was likable and relatable but Nicola, you couldn’t figure her out. I had a love-hate relationship with her. As much as I hated her, I found her really fascinating. With the alternating povs spanning over time, you learn so much about her past. As manipulative and cunning as she was, you want to feel sorry for her because of her childhood but then it contrasts with the actions she chose to do which she absolutely deserves to be hated. Not to give anything away but there are a couple lines in the end that reveal something major about her that is so shocking. You might have to reread it to be sure you read it correctly. She ends up not being who we think she is. The psychological grip to the plot she brings was definitely a rollercoaster.

Overall, this was an interesting psychological thriller. This was a subtle, slow build that you will appreciate the more you read. That plot simmered until it boiled with a surprising end. This was my first read from this author and I will definitely be looking out to read her other books.

Come With Me was about the kind of relationship that is overbearing and hard to read about. It was fast paced but predictable. There was never a time you believed that Nicola had Gwen’s best interest at heart.

Nothing annoys me more than a pushy friend, so the set up here wasn’t great. I found it hard to connect with and think it would have been so much better had Nicola turned sinister without the “connection”
With Gwen.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasAndMercer for the ARC of #ComeWithMe by #ErinFlanagan. All I can think is always watch your back. This book was full of suspense, lies and manipulation and makes you question people in your own life. Highly recommend.

This latest book by Erin Flanagan, Come With Me (2023) has an increasingly tension-building narrative. Gwen Maner and Nicola Kimmel were interns together after college and ten years later, Gwen returns to her former hometown. Now a newly widowed mother, with a six-year-old daughter, Gwen reconnects with Nicola who quickly becomes her new best friend. Nicola gets Gwen a lucrative job and pays for an apartment for her to live in. Nicola quickly becomes an aunty to Gwen’s daughter and is always there to save the day for Gwen. The indecisive Gwen is only too happy to rely on Nicola, despite her mother’s dislike of Nicola. An enjoyable psychological thriller, with its easily flowing narrative and believable manipulative friendship, makes this a three and a half stars read rating – even if the major twist was all too predictable. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.