Member Reviews
Wow I DEVOURED this book. I picked it up last night and couldn’t put it down all day today. This is one of my favorite books so far this year and definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. I loved how the book incorporated the story telling through emails. I also loved having two different points of view with unreliable narrators. I did anticipate one of the major twists but the other twists and turns kept me guessing until the last page! I can’t wait to go back and read Freida McFadden’s other books!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!
Frieda did it again! I’ve read almost all of her books so I was over the moon to receive the ARC of Tje Coworker! Frieda has this ability to hook readers from the very beginning, and just why you think you know the plot..nope! I’ve yet to guess correctly in any of her books and I cannot get enough!
Another great book written by Frieda! I honestly believed I figured out "whodunit" but I was way wrong.
I am unbelievably excited to have received an ARC for Freida McFadden’s newest book, considering I read essentially her entire back catalog this year. This book starts off really strong and I particularly enjoyed the use of Dawn’s emails as a narrative device and for exposition.
The key to reading a Freida McFadden book (and a lot of other psychological thrillers) is to suspend your disbelief and not dwell too much on the details or else the whole plot falls apart. For example, you just have to accept the way that the police investigation is conducted even if it’s completely unrealistic or nonsensical (eg: they never look into Natalie’s finances despite that being the primary motive).
However, there is a limit to that suspension of disbelief and it’s especially tested when main characters start behaving completely contrary to how they’ve been portrayed for 80% of the book. I have to say that I’m pretty let down by the ending. While the characterization had been relatively consistent for Part 1 of the book, it suddenly goes off the rails for the sake of a few last-minute plot twists. In particular, Dawn’s behavior in the last few chapters didn’t make sense to me, and way too many decisions are hand-waved away by playing the “love fixes all” card.
I also felt like the book spent way too much time on, what I can only assume is, a red herring subplot about Vixen’s products. Random people basically pop up to yell at Natalie and then are never mentioned again. It doesn’t add anything to the story since there it’s never even implied to be related to Dawn’s disappearance. Natalie certainly doesn’t dwell on it for more than half a second.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I can’t get over it. Freida keeps you on your toes front front to back. Super easy read. Highly recommend!
Freida McFadden has done it again! I was not able to put this down. The entire book was nothing like I expected and the ending was better than I could have hoped for. If your into psychological thrillers I highly recommend this!
When Natalie's coworker, Dawn, does not show up for work one day, Natalie knows something is wrong. After meeting a client near where Dawn lives, Natalie decides to check up on Dawn. However, there is no answer. Natalie tries the door, which happen to be unlocked, and inside finds a terrible scene - there is a huge pool of blood on the floor. Natalie phones the police in what starts a crazy, twisted series of events. What happened to Dawn?
Freida did it again! I am a huge Freida fan and this book did not disappoint. There are twists and turns galore that make this a great read. It was a quick read but did not disappoint. I did figure out half of the twist very early on but that did not change the outcome of how good this book was. There was still a second twist that made my jaw drop. The characters were great. I absolutely loved that it shows how bullying is not just for children but adults can bully too. It really shed a light on bullying and that's definitely something we need to be aware of.
Thank you NetGalley, Freida McFadden and the publisher for the chance to read this advanced copy for free. This was my honest review.
This was a well paced psychological thriller with fully developed characters and a well paced plot. It kept me guessing with several unexpected twists and I read it straight through in one day. Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader copy
Being an independent bookstore owner, I hear lots of people loving Freida McFadden. This is the first title of hers that I have read.
One of our main characters is Natalie who is a salesperson for a vitamin company.. Her cubicle is next to Dawn's who is the company's accountant. Dawn is very punctual and seems to be on the spectrum. One day, Dawn doesn't come in to work. Natalie checks with everyone in the company if they've heard from her and they have not so Natalie decides to drive to her home to check on her. She is surprised to find a puddle of blood on the floor and calls the police.
One thing after the other happens and Natalie is arrested for Dawn's murder. There are so many twists and turns throughout the book and I can see why people enjoy reading her. It wasn't exactly up my alley, but it did surprise me. I am more of a character driven reader and there were zero connections made for me with any of them.
I half loved this book and half really, really struggled with it.
Things I loved: The way Freida McFadden plays with perception, the fast-paced narrative, the conflicting information, the unusual ending.
Things I didn't love as much: Dawn's lengthy emails, the repetitive mention of turtles (sorry!), the unresolved plot lines, the unusual ending.
In short, there were too many ambiguous elements to make the ending satisfying. The readers went on a rollercoaster, only to be left to make a lot of assumptions about the characters. While I love an inconclusive ending, I think the audience deserves more answers than we got.
Another fun and twisty psych thriller by Freida McFadden! It was the perfect book to read on a lazy, rainy Sunday.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Freida & Netgalley for the ARC!
Honestly, I think this is my favorite Freida book so far (I think I said that about Ward D when I read it a few months ago) but Freida just keeps doing it! Every single chapter I was accusing someone else of being the bad egg & when I got to Part II I was not expecting it at all! Maybe one day I'll be able to predict her books, but today is not that day!
This is such a fun, edge of your seat thriller, and a wonderful addition to Frieda’s other books. This one was a little different than her others, but still really enjoyable. I loved it. I have loved everything that she has written and anxiously await her release. I think that my favorite part of her books is the pacing is amazing and I don’t ever want to put them down. So, I always wait until I can block off a few hours before starting so I can finish in one setting.
If you want a really fun thriller, then check this one out.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Poised Pen Press, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Just finished reading The Co Worker!! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Freida has the ability to make me question my self and every single character introduced in the story! One minute I love them, next I hate them, and I’m suspicious of EVERYONE. The whole story had me hooked from start to finish and I felt like a detective the entire time trying to get to the truth! And the epilogue blew my mind! Jaw dropping for sure, but in the end it all came together perfectly.
Very entertaining read. The author does a great job of character development which allows the reader to truly understand the social ineptness of Dawn and the "seemingly perfect" Natalie. Maybe too much focus on turtles but this may be the novels only flaw. I truly enjoyed reading this book and will definitely recommend it to those that share a love for thrillers. Looking forward to reading more from Frieda McFadden!
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Freida does it again! I loved this one! It was fast paced and exciting and kept me guessing. I loved the back and forth POVs, the cryptic clues throughout each chapter, and the interesting characters.
WOW that did not go how I thought it would. Another great read from Freida with a crazy twist ending; I ended up finishing it in less then 24 hours. I had already pre-ordered The Co-Worker when NetGalley approved an early copy for me to read. I’m still glad I bought it so I can add it to my shelf and re-read it later.
When Freida McFadden releases a new book, I drop everything, and this book was no exception! Especially as I was lucky enough to get an ARC! (Huge thank you to Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press!)
Diagnosed or not, I ALWAYS look for books that have characters with autistic-like personality traits, and I was delightfully surprised when I realized Dawn was very likely on the spectrum (though it's not explicitly said, and the author did that on purpose because she didn't want the book to be about people with ASD.) And I say "surprised" because I always go into Freida's books blind - without reading the description or anything.
Despite predicting the bigger twist, I just loved the characters, story, turtle obsession... Everything! And as usual, the story ties up beautifully at the end with even more twists and surprises (which I didn't expect!)
In true Freida fashion, there was a twist I didn't see coming. I loved this book! The character development was amazing and I love how Freida can always keep me guessing.
I never know who is the true victim and who is the faker.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to review The Coworker by Freida McFadden! This story follows a character named Natalie who becomes the center of an investigation after her coworker mysteriously disappears. Is Natalie responsible or are there other unsavory characters at play? The Coworker includes the classic Freida McFadden twists and turns for a quick, fast-paced read. If you're a Freida fan, this is one you don't want to miss!