The Coworker was my first Freida McFadden book, and I was excited to read it because I hadn't gotten around to reading any of her other books. It was simultaneously fast-paced and a slow-burn, which for my personal reading style, worked out well. As for nearly everything else, though....

I didn't feel invested in any of the main or side characters in the novel, which made it difficult to care about what happens to them. I was more interested in finding out the twist of what actually happened to Dawn rather than caring whether or not Natalie has her name cleared. Both Natalie and Dawn end up being these morally grey, unreliable narrators. While I typically love that trope - especially when the reader isn't aware that trope is in play - I feel that it wasn't executed well in terms of Natalie's characterization. The epilogue came out of left field for me, and it felt like the author changed essentially everything we knew about Natalie's character; and not in a "wow, what a good twist!" kind of way. Another thing I wanted to note was my own interpretation of Dawn's character. As a neurotypical reader, I acknowledge that I do not have the right or personal experience to claim with certainty that Dawn's character is on the spectrum. But... her character just appeared to be very coded in 'stereotypical' traits of Autism often found in media. In addition to that, it seemed to me that essentially, these traits were what made Dawn, well, Dawn. There wasn't much else to her character other than her hyperfixation with turtles, awkwardness, and trouble socializing/connecting with others. Again, this is just my own personal interpretation, but I would have loved to see more to Dawn's character than these traits, regardless of the author's intent.

The twist was good, but the fact that it occurred with 100+ pages left in the book left much to be desired. I was able to predict smaller twists, but overall, it was a thriller with a good plot.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of The Coworker by Freida McFadden to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party. #TheCoworker #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

This book was... not for me. There's not much I can say without spoilers, but I was NOT a fan of the way that one of the POV characters was written and the other POV character was just the most insufferable person to sit inside their head. I really had to force myself to read this one through. It sure was twisty, and some were telegraphed, and some were quite left field. It was a pretty quick read, though, but overall not very satisfying.
Might try another by this author later, but certainly not immediately.

The book started out with lots of potential, but the twists and turns felt so implausible that I was disappointed in the book in the end. sometimes too many twists blunt the impact of the story. I feel like the author wanted a story so over the top that she lost her way. The characters' actions were not believable.

I read part and listened to part of this one. The narrator was great, but the pace was a little slow for me. Speeding it up to about 1.25 was perfect. This is classic Freida McFadden. Perhaps not entirely believable, but so many great twists if you can allow yourself to stop questioning it. She perfectly captured the "sea of cubicles" office situation. Every office has the perfect rule follower, the just enough to get by worker, the gossip, and the break room/kitchen police... The relatable setting had me feeling very invested. I enjoyed this one.

I love Frieda McFadden writing, and I love the twists. I thought I had this one figured out, but I didn’t, and I love being surprised

I have heard so many good things about this author. She certainly didnt disappoint . Filled with unlikeable characters , who you wont know who to trust.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. As with all of Frieda McFadden's books, this was a quick, fun read! If you have enjoyed Frieda's other books, then you will like this one as well!

This book had me questioning everything!!!! It was a super fun psychological thriller/mystery and a good first impression to Freida McFadden. I definitely recommend!

Another quick and well-written thriller from Freida McFadden! I couldn’t put this book down.

Secrets. Lies. Bullying. And… turtles? 🐢 IYKYK

If you’re looking for a binge read, give this thriller author a try!

I've heard a lot of hype about Freida McFadden, so I was excited to see The Coworker pop up on NetGalley. This ultimately fell flat for me. I found both main characters to be insufferable and the plot to be a bit of a chore to get through. I'm still looking forward to giving the author another chance because so many people I follow adore her, but this was a two-star read for me.

This may be my favorite Freida McFadden book yet! It is the story of two coworkers, Natalie and Dawn. Natalie is beautiful and liked by everyone while Dawn is odd and obsessed with turtles. Dawn goes missing and Natalie becomes a prime suspect. This story is told from multiple perspectives and has some emails and other written exchanges included.
Dawn's obsession with turtles had me chuckling. The multiple perspectives kept me guessing as to what was real. There were a few twists at the end that I was surprised by. This was a quick, fun read that I definitely recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

The CoWorker was as captivating as Freida McFadden’s other books. She had you guessing throughout the book who was the murderer and why did they do it. The twists and turns throughout the book kept you reading into late at night!

Frieda McFadden is on a roll - we can't keep her books on our shelves. Deciding to see how her books are and what the intrigue is, I picked up The Coworker. It kept me engaged, even though at times the writing felt a little overly simplistic but the storyline kept moving and it kept me guessing as to who was responsible for the bad thing. I will say, the ending stinks. It left me wanting more confrontation and less playing nice.

If Freida McFaddenn writes it, I will read it. And this is no exception. This is the first book I read by her outside of the housemaid series and I was obsessed. I love an unreliable narrator and she did it so well.

This was my first McFadden story and I’m looking forward to more. I really didn’t like Dawn nor Natalie as the writer wrote them so convincingly you had to decide who was really telling the truth. I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this because I was disturbed by them both. What an ending, I’m still pondering what happened.

The Co Worker by Freida McFadden is one of those thrillers that hooks you from the first page and refuses to let go until the very end. I'm a sucker for a good thriller, and this one had me glued to the pages. I devoured the whole thing in one day.

The story revolves around Dawn Schiff, the odd one out at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. When Dawn mysteriously goes missing, her coworker Natalie, who's your typical popular and successful type, gets a disturbing anonymous phone call that throws her world into chaos. The plot is a rollercoaster of suspense, and just when you think you've got it figured out, McFadden throws another curveball. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, trying to piece together the puzzle of who hated Dawn enough to commit this crime. If you love a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, The Co Worker is a five-star winner in my book. McFadden knows how to deliver a punch, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like this book is a comeback for McFadden after a few lackluster books. This was a fast-paced thriller with dynamic characters. I felt there was some character growth and we are left knowing more about who each character fundamentally is at the end than we were with the characters in Ward D.

I did somewhat know where the story was going but the storyline kept up my curiosity. I found myself invested in each character and wanting to know how it all would play out.

In typical McFadden style, reading was a breeze. The story didn’t waste my time with a lot of complicated jargon. It was straightforward and told the story it meant to tell. There was a lovely moment in the end where I found myself deeply touched.

Overall a lovely story done in a style I’ve come to love!

I really enjoyed the book. The book really had me guessing everytime i thought i figured it out nope! It was very easy to read! Had great plot twist.

Freida McFadden weaves an intriguing tale about the devastating results of school bullying and the lengths some people will go to to wreak havoc on others who have been bullies. The situation feels a little contrived with a plot twist that, for me, lessens the impact of the point being made.

Must admit this was not my favorite McFadden. Usually her books great for some light and pacy reading fun, but this one just felt like a very b-list thriller. I'm not even going to talk about one of the main characters and their near constant turtle references, The characters just didn't grab me and I, unfortunately, didn't much care what happened to any of them.