This story quickly grabbed my attention. It was a
fun read with some excellent twists. The two main characters were fleshed out very well, each interesting. The conclusion was pretty silly (unrealistic) but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

Freida McFadden has quickly become one of my go-to authors. She always tells a good story and The Coworker has lots of twists and turns! Natalie and Dawn work together at a wellness company; Natalie is a successful salesperson, and Dawn is an accountant. No spoilers. Recommended!

This book was SO good, I devoured it within a day.

Natalie and Dawn are co-workers at Vixed; Natalie is well-liked, beautiful, and the top salesperson. Dawn is a bit eccentric, reserved, and desperate for a friendship with Natalie.

Dawn has only been with Vixed for a short time, but is well known, and not for the best reasons. Despite not being close friends, when Dawn suddenly goes missing, Natalie is concerned. Even more so when she takes a highly disturbing call from Dawn's desk. This launches Natalie into a panic and she is desperate to find out what happened to Dawn...but in doing so, Natalie finds herself caught in a game of cat and mouse.

This book is wildly fast paced and full of twists, right up to the end. I was convinced that I had things figured out, until I didn't. This was a book that left me wanting more and I am already looking forward to her next book release.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC.

Another fast paced well written thriller by the queen, Freida! This was probably my favorite book of hers so far.

3.5 stars

Frieda McFadden books have a way to grab your attention instantly, and keep it hooked. My problem with the stories she writes is that they always seem extreme in a laughable way. That being said, this was another one of her books that I HAD to finish and HAD to know how it ended.

I like unreliable narrators and we definitely got that with this book. I liked the email format that was provided in between the "Now" chapters, although there was always something that felt contrived.

I do think this is another fun thriller from Freida, that if you don't analyze too closely, provides entertainment with a unique take on common thriller tropes.

I am never disappointed with a book by Freida McFadden! Just when you think you may have it all figured out, you realize you do not! This well-written, quick read is definitely a must-read for all Freida fans. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Another brilliant book from this fantastic author. It was so good I read it in two sittings. It was very cleverly written and kept my attention from start to finish. It was so twisted, intense and shocking. I loved it and would 100% recommend this book.

The Coworker

by Freida McFadden

Reviewed by Valerie Palmer

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I wanted to read it as soon as possible since it is a new release (August 29, 2023) by Queen Freida. I have loved every book I have read by this author. She is a phenomenal author and on release day for this one, she let us know that she has another book coming out called, The Teacher, February 6, 2024.

If you like turtles, you may relate to Dawn in this book. 😂 Stay tuned as we will be recording a podcast to discuss The Coworker on September 9, 2023 and will be available to stream soon.

Summary

Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can't be taken back.

Dawn Schiff is strange.

At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.

So when Dawn doesn't show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell―beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running―is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…

It turns out Dawn wasn't just an awkward outsider―she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who's the real victim?

But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.

What I Liked
Whatever I read by Freida, it grabs my attention immediately. That is one of the things I love about her books. This book is a well-written one because of the emotions I felt throughout it. In the beginning, I liked Natalie as she seemed confident and passionate about her career. Dawn seemed a bit off and very much an introvert. I felt that she may have been on the autism spectrum or perhaps suffered from OCD based on her behavior. There were moments where I liked Natalie and Dawn but felt bad for them considering the circumstances. There were other points where I found them extremely annoying and felt they deserved what was coming to them. All of the books I've read by this author seem to do that to me.

I loved the portrayal of working in an office environment and the drama that comes with it because that is something a lot of people can relate to in society. There always seems to be one person that is a bit different and does not fit in with the rest of the staff. In this case, which was Dawn who is completely obsessed with turtles. It also makes you think do you really know who you work with and spend so many hours with each day?

What I Didn't Like
I thought that some of Natalie's behavior was childish, and she was a bully. I know that is the point of her character as it relates to the story, but I still had issues with some of her behavior. The ending of this book was a bit lackluster for me because I guessed part of it.

Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. The reason it did not receive five stars is because I guessed part of the twist. Normally, I think I know what will happen and am completely blindsided in the end. I was fully entranced by this book and highly recommend it.

I have to admit, this book had its ups and downs. On the positive side, it kept me engaged with its fast-paced narrative, making it a book I couldn't put down until I reached the end in one sitting. But as much as I wanted to love it, there were some aspects that left me feeling a bit disconnected.

The plot, for instance, felt somewhat out of touch with reality (fine, it is fiction - but still). I found myself struggling to fully immerse myself in the story because certain events and twists seemed too far-fetched and, unfortunately, quite predictable. However, my most significant disappointment stemmed from the characters. They just didn't come to life for me. Instead of feeling like real, three-dimensional individuals, they often felt like they were plucked from a mold of stereotypes. Their lack of depth made it challenging to form any genuine attachment to them.

When it came to the ending, I couldn't quite buy into the happiness that was served up. It felt like an attempt to tie up loose ends neatly, but it left me wanting a more authentic and satisfying conclusion.

In the end, this book had moments of excitement and intrigue, but it also left me longing for more authenticit. It's one of those reads that had its moments but did not fully do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and PoisonedPenPress for the Advanced Copy!

This was my first Freida McFadden book and it did not disappoint! This was such a fast-paced thriller that had me constantly questioning every character and had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I thought I would be able to predict the twists but I was so far from it. This book had me hooked from beginning to end. Such a binge-worthy book!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book honestly.

I’ve read everything from this author and greatly enjoyed most to varying degrees. This book is quick paced and the characters were consistent throughout. Overall I enjoyed the book but was a little peeved by all the short staccato like sentences. I still enjoyed and can’t wait to read her next book!

“The Coworker” ARC review:

Freida McFadden does it again! I was so excited when I got the email saying I got approved to read the ARC for one of my favorite authors! I’ve read every single one of her books and she never ceases to surprise me!

The main characters of this book are Dawn, awkward and most likely on the spectrum and has quite the obsession with turtles, and Natalie, the blonde bombshell that everyone loves in the office. They work together for a Vitamin supplement. Dawn is strange and super awkward and everyone in the office notices. She’s very punctual so when she doesn’t show up at 8:45 one morning, Natalie gets worried. Dawn is never late, for anything! Then Dawns phone in her cubicle rings and Natalie answer and she hears something that makes her skin crawl and we are off!
This enjoyable cat/mouse game throughout the book made me never want to put the book down! I read it in a day!
I did have a feeling about what was going to happen at the end of Part I, but I didn’t expect the twists at the end of the book! Frieda always seems to get me with those last pages twists and I love her for it!
Thank you so much for letting me read the ARC, I can’t wait to see the next book that you have in store!

I got an ARC for this book through NetGalley and was SO EXCITED that I stopped reading the TOG series to dive into this book. I started right away and read the first 100 pages before I felt it was too predictable and set it down.

However, if you know Freida books.. that’s exactly what she wants you to think before - BAM! - plot twist…

So, I went back to reading TOG series until I went on vacation and couldn’t feasibly carry two HUGE TOG series books with me. I was backpacking. So, I took my Kindle and Freida along..

I finished the coworker in a tent around 4-7AM one morning on an island, because my back hurt from sleeping on the ground. It kept me entertained enough to not focus on my back hurting. So, thanks for that distraction Freida. It was otherwise not Freida’s best work. I liked it, but again, she has better books out there already. I felt this book was probably one of her earlier writings that was just getting published later on.

Reading The Coworker was ultimately a task. I LOVED the turtle references, as I’m a fellow turtle collector - so screw the rest of you who felt that was over the top. I, in fact, hung on to keep learning cool turtle facts! I also couldn’t help but feel for Dawn’s ASD traits. Suspecting she was ASD and still making connections through relationships was touching to me. I loved that part the most.

Overall, if someone asked me to recommend a Freida book, this wouldn’t be the top 3, or even top 5. Hence, 3 stars.

Frieda has done it again!!!! I was able to read this book from ARC and it did not disappoint!!! Lots of suspense which I love! All I can say is that Dawn fooled us all! Really enjoyed this book!

This was good one.I guessed some of the twists but not enough to spoil the story.The latter half was a little less interesting than the beginning but still a good read.

While this wasn’t my favorite by Freida McFadden, she still knows how to pull you in. The book kept me guessing and I enjoyed it!

Well Freida McFadden has done it again! The Coworker is another great popcorn thriller from her. The toxic work environment was kind of a guilty pleasure to read about. The only thing that got me was all the talk about turtles! At times it felt a bit much. The beginning starts a little slower paced but by the end you better hold on tight cause when the story picks up it picks up fast. The twists in this one seriously got me! If your a fan of McFaddens work then I highly recommend this one, you will not be disappointed.

I was definitely not impressed with this one. I enjoyed both Housemaid books, but this one severely missed the mark. I contemplated DNFing around 40% and honestly should have. The twists at the end between Natalie and Dawn were not worth sticking through until the end. Another thing that bothered me was how many times the word turtle showed up in this book…

This was my first book by Freida McFadden. I was definitely caught up in the story and didn't see one of the biggest twists coming. None of the characters are particularly likeable, but that doesn't really matter for this type of story. I will recommend to readers who like twists and turns throughout the story. I will be watching for more from Freida McFadden (and I will probably look up her previous works).

Dawn is peculiar. She collects turtles and talks about turtles constantly. You would think they were in high school because Natalie made it her job to bully her. This workplace has little rules. Bullying, affairs, and much more go on. You'll never see the truth coming.

This kept my attention from start to finish. 4 stars.