Thrillers are always such a hit or miss with me. Whenever I’m reading one, I always ask myself, “why don’t I read thrillers more?” because I always have a wild experience. But even though I fly through them super quickly, it usually tends to be more frustrating than enjoyable.

“I don’t need sleep, I need answers” is my thriller motto. I zoomed through this in one sitting but after having finished, I’m just annoyed. All that buildup just felt so unsatisfying. Every character pissed me off at some point, and so many plot points were just resolved in unthinkable ways. I just question so many different choices made throughout this book, I can hardly articulate them.

Overall, I WAS invested in the plot, if only to get answers. So I’ll give this a 2.5!

This gave me BIG Luckiest Girl Alive vibes- but better since I didn’t love that one. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend. It kept me on my toes, and eagerly flipping the pages to find out what happened. I do think it all wrapped up a littttle too nicely but I enjoyed nonetheless.
Thanks so much for sending me this galley!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this novel!

Flashbacks of graduate school and current day journalism rockstars? Sign me up! With an on slot of characters, a mystery is afoot. Trying to shed a her old image, Charlie is a well established editor that is not looking for her career to crash due to a lie told in her post-bachelor academic journey. Due to her past blackouts and fuzzy remembrance of a school massacre, Charlie believes her involvement was not truly investigated and an upcoming movie is to expose her. For those looking for a novel similar to “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife”, only this one is better!

I found a lot to like about this story, from the mystery to the chapters, to the self exploration it was an easy and fun read. As a debut novel there is a lot of strength and I will be looking for more of this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead.

Charlie Colbert is living the life; she's got a super rich fiance who loves her, and a high powered job at a major magazine, But, almost 10 years ago, she was a very different person.

One of the sole survivors of a murder spree that occurred on the campus of her hoity-toity journalism school, Charlie has spent years on therapy, meds, and booze to change her life and forget her past.

But, when the a former classmate is intent on channeling the events of that nightmarish night into a hot new film, Charlie will do anything to protect her life and her family, even commit murder.

For a decent, though not original premise, the narrative lacked suspense and urgency, and very little drama.

This is more about Charlie, her POV as an unreliable narrator, how a person processes grief and sorrow, and how it shapes, twists, and changes your life, mind, and perception.

There are some twists, if you can call it that. I don't.

Since Charlie is an unreliable narrator, we can't trust her memories from that fateful night so we're led to assume Event A happened, when EVENT B or C might be possible.

As the main character, I found Charlie unlikable; perhaps it was her constant ruminating, the repetitive thoughts and worries tumbling over in her head, her anxiety and worry.

I understand she's suffering from PTSD and certain signs and objects are triggers for her, but her neurosis and panic attacks made it difficult for me to take her seriously as a high powered magazine editor, much less how she attracted Tripp, who has his own issues, by the way.

Or maybe it's just the way she's written that made me not like her. I didn't dislike her. I just found her irritating.

Her privileged friends were no walk in the park, either; I did like her supportive parents, and sweet sister, Felicity, and her loyal BFF, Liv.

The writing was good, but the narrative not thrilling. Nothing really happens.

This is about Charlie spending time with her therapist, coming to terms to what really happened that night, and making amends with the choices she made and moving on with her life.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was such a twisty, chilling thriller that kept me turning the page as fast as possible!

read this if you like:
- unreliable narrators
- academic settings
- FMCs that don't have you banging your head against the wall
- dual timelines

the writing of this book was FLAWLESS. the way Jenny Hollander wrote her flashbacks was the most seamless i've ever read & had you flowing right into the memories of the characters! just so captivating!

this is out Feb 6, 2024 and it is a MUST read for next year

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!

thank you to @stmartinspress @netgalley & @jennyhollander for the e-ARC!

Wow! This book is incredibly thrilling and kept me on my toes. I was able to finish it all in one night! With a dual timeline that kept me guessing and an unreliable main character, this psychological thriller is a standout. It follows Charlotte "Charlie" dealing with her worst moment in her life becoming a movie and the effects that has in the present day. I don't want to spoil too much, but the ending was extremely shocking and I would recommend this book to any thriller fan.

Let’s see, suspense, dark academia, creepy foreboding atmosphere? Sign me up. Hollander nailed it with this one. Charlie and Tripp are to be married. But Charlie needs to come to terms with her horrible past. This book is her journey back to her past in order to live her future. It kept ne engaged from start to finish. Hollander is an amazing author. 5 stars from me.
Thank you to netgally and the publisher for this e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“𝙳𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚝𝚘𝚘?“

So far, this has definitely been a summer of great reads! I have discovered some wonderful new-to-me authors in the last couple of months and 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘦 𝘐𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 by Jenny Hollander is a perfect example!

“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎.“

Hollander’s book is reminiscent of that final girl trope we love so much but with a delightful twist. The writing is clear, concise, and immersive. I was hooked right away and found myself diving deep into this dark, gut-wrenching narrative. There’s nothing like an unreliable narrator to keep you on your toes!

“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚗‘𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍.“

Mark your calendars because this book releases February 6, 2024 and you are definitely going to want to read it!

If a thriller can surprise me and make me never want to put it down, Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is that type of thriller novel. I swear I didn't think about or want to do anything else until I knew the end of Charlotte Colbert's story and what happened at "Scarlet Christmas."

The book even made my anxiety spike at times with how much Charlotte was going through. She has no memory of the event and is trying to use therapy, slowly, to get it back. Then a movie is announced about it, so she speeds it up, and that's when the wild ride starts and doesn't stop until the end. Giving away no spoilers, I liked the end, as I like being surprised.

Jenny Hollander has written an interesting thriller with characters I became invested in. I liked the back-and-forth between now and then. The pacing perfectly kept the reader on edge, giving just enough to know what happens next. Excellent debut novel. I'm a fan and can't wait to read whatever come next.

Content Warnings: grief, trauma, blood, murder, alcohol/drug abuse

What a letdown. This "thriller" builds you up to let you down.

9 years after the events of "Scarlet Christmas", that left 3 students dead and others injured, Charlie has turned her life around but she cannot remember the full events of that night.
She begins intense therapy to remember the events but what she finds out was kind of blah.
The twist was okay and I liked how the author discussed grief, therapy and how Charlie used work as a means to escape that night.

I enjoyed the book but I wish there was more to it than what it was.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Really well written mystery/thriller that delves a bit deeper than most books in this genre. Very entertaining.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126919062

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
What a nail bitter! Engrossing read with a narrator
who has had a painful experience and hasn't gotten over it nearly 10 years later. She has a super successful job, is engaged to the son of one of NYC's wealthiest families and yet she struggles with debilitating panic attacks and eats tranquilizers like candy.
Taking place 9 years prior and today, you don't know what to believe, there are some harrowing scenes, but the ending is great and the journey to it well worth it.

A twisty thriller that kept me guessing with twists throughout! Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. My heart was in my throat as we navigated through the mystery, with a great payoff as all the details finally fell into place. 4.5 stars!

It's been nine years since Charlotte Colbert witnessed the horrific events the tabloids dubbed 'Scarlet Christmas'.
And a Scarlet Christmas it was!
Told from a singular, first person POV, we journey with our MC, Charlie, through alternating timelines of 'now' and 'then', witnessing her battle with a dark, traumatic past while simultaneously and desperately trying to clutch on to the façade she outwardly exudes in the now.
Charlie's current grip on reality feels tenuous, so you just don't know how trustworthy she is. And this is what had me flipping pages like a nutcase. I just had to know what was true and what was imagined!

Hollander weaves us through past and present with ease and meticulous articulation and I was hooked from page one. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD is full of twists and clever reveals that leave a reader wanting more. Charlie Colbert seems like an ice berg at first, but at the same time, it also feels easy to warm up to her as a main character. Hollander did really well at making it feel like you were her best friend who received unfiltered thoughts and even completely in her brain with nothing hidden from you unless it was hidden from her as well.

There were some (mostly happy) surprising reveals toward the end, but also some moments where you just had to face palm at some of "young" Charlie's decisions. Especially ones relating to Jordan. Each of these secrets/plot twists were absolutely worth waiting for though.

This book reminded me a bit of LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE by Jessica Knoll but with a character who was older when tragedy struck but I found it incredibly easy to care/root for Charlie, though, which was very different from Knoll's book for me.

The title is fabulous and the book is beautically written and definitely a five star read. Charlie was a survivor of a college massacre named Scarlet Christmas by the press. In fact, Charlie was completely physically unharmed but suffers from survivors guilt and a nagging feeling she either did more, or knew more than she told investigators. Years later, she is a successful editor in chief, engaged to an affable young man and has seemingly made peace with the past. Until Stephanie, the sister of Cate her bff and victim announces a movie to ‘set the record straight. Reeling, Charlie falls apart, to stop the movie while going through super fast therapy to get to the truth. Charlie is multidimensional, really interesting and often very funny and you are rooting for her (although you don’t have any idea of really happened until the very end of the novel) it’s told in then and now which sets the scene nicely for the next chapter. A distinctly different telling of what could be a well covered plot is fresh, entertaining and throughly twisty and nervy.

From the provocative title through the twists and turns of the storyline, this taut, psychological thriller had me turning pages in anticipation of its conclusion.

Charlie (Charlotte) Colbert has invested an enormous amount of psychic energy to suppress the horrific event known as the “Scarlet Christmas” massacre. She has succeeded for the most part by building a high-powered career, becoming the fiancée of a wealthy, respected man, and leaving her friends from that time in the dust. However, secrets and their associated emotions rarely stay buried and when a colleague decides to produce a film about the tragedy, “to set the record straight,” Charlie’s carefully crafted persona begins to unravel.

In chapters that alternate between the past and the present, the author skillfully unfolds the facts leading up to and including the fateful Christmas Eve. I found the character of Charlie to be well-developed and appropriately complex given her faulty memories and her guilt. One of the striking aspects of the novel is the revelation that Charlie is not the only one keeping secrets. I found the resolution of the mystery both believable and satisfying. Overall, this is an entertaining and enticing read.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

A truly interesting and different sort of psychological thriller, Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead is the kind of twists and turns that I love. Charlotte "Charlie" is successful and engaged to be married into an incredibly wealthy family. But when she hears that the worst event of her life is being made into a movie she begins to crumble.

This book has it all - bad friends, psychiatrists, confusing male partners and of course the heart of it took place at a prestigious graduate school. The best part is that Charlie, while struggling, is not the "whoa is me" woman that is so often casts in these kind of tales. I am not screaming at her to get a backbone and that made it 100 percent more enjoyable. I would say that the title tends to lead you to think this is dark horror or depressing atmospheric style book - I would cast it more as darkly comic and beachy yet thrilling.

It's a puzzle and you aren't going to figure out the twist until the very end! I love how so much of it made sense as I read through the flashbacks! If you like a likable heroine, a dark beachy thriller or are just ready for a new Thriller superstar, Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is for you!
#StMartins #Everyonewhocanforgivemeisdead #jennyhollander

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this suspenseful first novel from Jenny Hollander as an ARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Workaholic Charlie Colbert has put the horrific "Scarlet Christmas" massacre she witnessed in grad school behind her. She's at the top of her game as Editor-in-Chief of a glossy New York magazine. She's about to marry into a powerful and elite family. But when one of her former classmates plans a tell-all documentary, she is forced to confront what she saw, what she can't remember –– and what she didn't tell the police.

Hollander explores guilt, therapy, and self-medication with a confident and sure hand, weaving Charlie's present-day narrative with flashbacks to the events leading up to the Scarlet Christmas. Fans of twisty psychological thrillers like Gone Girl will gobble up this fast-paced tale of memory repression, PTSD, and the glitterati of elite Manhattan.

In "Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead" by Jenny Hollander, readers are taken on a thrilling journey where the truth is a fragile construct. Charlie Colbert, a woman haunted by the events of a fateful night at her prestigious graduate school, has spent the past nine years in hiding. While the world sees her as a mere witness to the nightmarish events known as "Scarlet Christmas," Charlie knows she played a much deeper role.

Now, Charlie has meticulously reconstructed her life. As the editor-in-chief of a prominent magazine and engaged to a publishing industry prodigy, she has erected an impenetrable fortress around her emotions. But when a provocative film made by one of her former classmates threatens to unravel her carefully constructed existence, Charlie realizes that her resolve may not be as unyielding as she once believed.

Jenny Hollander masterfully explores the intricacies of Charlie's character, revealing a complex woman driven by ambition and an unwavering determination to protect herself. As the narrative unfolds, readers are drawn into Charlie's world, grappling with the uncertainties of her past and the consequences of her choices. The author weaves a web of suspense and psychological tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

"Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead" is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the lengths one will go to protect themselves and the consequences of buried secrets. It delves into the complexities of human nature and the transformative power of truth. Hollander deftly navigates the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, and the emotional toll that guilt and fear can exact.