Charlie Colbert has it all, or so it would seem from the outside. She is an incredibly successful magazine editor, engaged to an extremely eligible bachelor, and the world is her oyster. It's a far cry from her low-key British background and a particular far cry from the night 9 years ago known as "Scarlet Christmas", when she survived a horrific event at her grad school. There are cracks in the perfect picture, though, and a possible film about the event, made by someone who was there, is threatening to tear those cracks wide open.

This is a banger of a book. Jenny Hollander grabs you, pulls you right in to the cutting board where she's chopping literary onions, and then ever so slowly peels another layer of that onion back. My shoulders were up around my ears every time I read a section of the book (they're there right now while I'm typing). Nothing at all is really what it seems here, and I was completely unprepared for a couple of the lovely twists that Hollander serves up while she's flaying your expectations.

My only quibble, which knocks this down to a 4 star for me, is that I still haven't figured out exactly how the key events play out. There's still a piece missing for me logically. (which probably means I need to re-read the book!).

Looking for a heart-racing thriller? This one will do!
Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for the e-arc

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Already Dead, a suspense/psychological thriller was a challenging read for me. The storyline felt disjointed and it was hard for me to connect with the characters. The concept of living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the protagonists work with her therapist to recover lost memories was very realistic and engaging. So, the book had its ups and downs and I rated it at 3.5. Thanks Netgalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

9 years ago, Charlie fled. Was she a witness, or was she more involved in the grisly crime on her college campus?

It was a fun read but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. The pacing was a little off and I had trouble getting invested in the story, which really surprised me considering the subject matter. Overall, it was a bit of a let down.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was hyped to dive into this book, but it fell short of my expectations. It dragged on for what felt like ages, taking forever to get to the good stuff. Despite the slow burn, the plot twists kept me hooked and pushing through the sluggish parts.The author nails the gritty reality of suppressed memories and trauma. The main character's protective instincts and tendency to push away loved ones felt all too real. The lengthy conversations, while sometimes dull, mirrored the therapeutic process of digging up buried memories. Trauma hits hard, and the author skillfully guides readers through the gritty depths.Overall, it was a decent read, but it left me wanting more punch and less drag.

Christmas Eve 9 years ago, The Cornell School of Journalism was the scene of a nightmare. Dubbed "Scarlet Christmas" for the bloody scene that unfolded. Charlie was witness to the events that took place. She's worked hard to move past the events and heal however, when a classmate makes moves that could shatter everything she worked hard for.

Everyone Who Can Forgive is Dead started off strong for me, I enjoyed how it alternated from past to present. However, around half way I started to lose interest, there was just too many moving parts that I didn't care for.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Debut Thriller Alert!

I love debut thrillers because it's all of the author's hopes and dreams spilled out on the page for us to read her work for the first time. Exciting stuff!

But have we seen this plot before? We have Charlie Colbert, the sole witness to the "Scarlet Christmas" a massacre that occurred at her private school nine years before that left three people dead. The problem: She doesn't remember any of it. And...... she may be responsible for all of it. Now fast forward and she has made a successful life for herself but it looks like someone else not only knows what happened that night but is making a movie about it. Charlie may be flushing her whole life down the drain if she is responsible for those killings. If she could just remember!

Hello, old reliable plotline I would have said I missed you but one of the books I read last month had almost the same plot. Which is really not a bad thing if the book is "thrilling"

The book is not bad for the most part and I really enjoyed most of it. It just ran out of steam at the end. It has two timelines and the one in the past leading up to the massacre is more YA while the present timeline is YA + one year. She is in the weirdest relationship with her boyfriend and only remembers pieces of what happened on the "Scarlet Christmas" when she speaks with her psychiatrist.

On the whole it's 3.5 stars and good for a beach read. I would be a solid 4 if not for running out of steam and not sticking the landing.

I really appreciate St. Martins Press / Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read the book for free for a honest review and it's out now.

I really wanted to love love this book, but something about it just don’t hit the mark for me, I think it was just a bit too long/took too long to get to the point, and I’m a little bummed by that. I did love all the twists and turns, it made it an enjoyable read that kept me going. It just felt like it dragged too often and too long. It was just one of those books where I didn’t feel satisfied once finished, but overall not bad.

Who’s in the mood for a good thriller? I went into Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead blind when @stmartinspress and @netgalley offered me the eARC. Thank you so much!

Charlie is a successful editor at a magazine and is engaged to a darling of society. So, she has it all, right? Right? Right?

Except, Charlie has some majorly deep trauma from being part of a fatal event dubbed “Scarlet Christmas” back in her college days. And now there’s going to be a new movie about it??? No, no, no, no…Charlie is not ready to dredge up those old feelings or emotions. Or has she ever been able to get past them?

I enjoyed this one a lot, though there were a couple areas that dragged for me a bit. There was a twist in the end I didn’t see coming. I liked it, so bravo for that! I recommend this one for thriller lovers.

So I feel like there was a lot going on in this book! Wow! I don’t really know what to say about it. It was moving at an ok pace for me. Maybe a little bit on the slower side but I didn’t hate it. But when it got to the last 20% I was SO LOST. I was like… WHO? Where? What? I mean I like a good plot twist but there was too much going on. Otherwise I say it was a really engaging book!

I started this book at least four times; I'd listen to about 30% and realize I had no idea what was happening and have to start again. I did finish, but it wasn't worth it.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

i really enjoyed this one! I absolutely took way too long with it as I do with all my Netgalley books, but once I got into it around the 20% mark I flew through to the end! I sat between a 3.75 and 4 star rating with it because I felt like there were almost too many twists toward the end, but a few days later I’m still thinking about it so I definitely think she deserves 4 stars!

The story follows this girl who survived an infamous college killing quite some years in the past. She is navigating life since and gets suddenly sucked back into her past and her trauma as the story is being targeted for a movie production. The book follows a back and forth timeline, primarily through the main character’s therapy sessions, and I really enjoyed that POV! I also enjoyed the unreliability aspect to the story and the main character; I think it really aided to the shock factor of what actually happens.

Read this if you like:

- suspense
- unreliable narrator
- split timeline
- psychological suspense

What a title!! Beyond that I've honestly got nothing more positive to say....this story just didn't captivate me. I was a tad let down. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

an edge of my seat thriller! a really solid debut novel. she makes use of the "unreliable narrator" trope and I thought it was done well!

This story will keep you hooked to the very end, sometimes things are not at what they seem. A new take on a thriller that had me holding my breath. What we would not do to reinvent ourselves and try to put the past behind us. I had all my theories, but I was so off base by the ending. I can't wait to read what is next for Jenny, I will be adding it to my list.

Charlie, a survivor and the last girl standing from the incident known as the "Scarlet Christmas" has reinvented herself, she is not that girl anymore. But when the past comes back to haunt her, she will do everything in her power to stop it. She has worked to put the past in the past because if she doesn't it will destroy her and everyone she cares for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for copy of this book for my honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found the sections where Charlie spoke with Dr. Noor, the most interesting parts of this novel. How Charlie dealt with the trauma and her feelings from that night came together well. However, I found the rest of the story very hard to follow, the constant switching between “Then” and “Now” just became confusing the faster it happened. By the time the last twist was revealed, I found myself having to go back and read it over and over to make sure I understood what happened.

I do think the premise was interesting, and the parts with Dr. Noor very respectful. I wish those parts were longer and more in depth. It also seemed weird that once everything was revealed everyone was just best friends.

This book had so much potential and was so hyped I fully expected to enjoy it. Instead what I got was a solid plot line ruined by a muddied set of plot points that didnt jive together and just made a big mess of a good story. I wasnt a fan unfortunately

This is a solid debut. The pacing is slow and it did lag some but overall I enjoyed it for what it is. I would read other books by Jenny Hollander because I think she has lots of potential. If the premise interests you, I would recommend giving it a shot. Special Thank You to Jenny Hollander, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a solid debut thriller than held my attention and was a quick and easy read. The book is told in present day and nine years prior while the MC, Charlie, was in an elite journalism graduate school. She was a witness to a terrible incident at her school dubbed "Scarlet Christmas", and has spent the intervening years rebuilding her life and reputation. Now one of her former schoolmates plans to release a buzzy film about the events and she's determined to stop it so it doesn't derail her life again.

This was a fun book, especially if you don't read a lot of thrillers. I had a hard time warming up to Charlie, but I don't think you're supposed to like her much. She's the epitome of an unreliable narrator and lies to herself to protect her sanity. I know that it's a common tactic to draw the suspense out, but I would have liked to have known what "Scarlet Christmas" was way before it was finally revealed. I mean, if I don't know what happened, how can I fall for all of the red herrings the author throws in to throw us off?

I did have fun trying to figure out who did what. The storyline itself was fun and kept me interested. The twists aren't bad and I even fell for a couple of them. The ending was a bit rushed and a bit underwhelming, but there were a few pleasant surprises I enjoyed. If you want to have fun with a bit of intrigue for the afternoon, definitely pick this one up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, MacMillan Audio, Jenny Hollander, and NetGalley for my advanced copies of this book. All opinions are my own!

I'm not really sure how to rate this. I was having a really great time throughout the beginning but I started getting noticeably lost during the last quarter of the book. We follow Charlie (Charlotte) Colbert as she is living her high life after experiencing the traumatic and awful night referred to as "Scarlet Christmas" while in the United States for college.

I think the mystery in this book was really captivating, and I think it had a really great start. Things started getting muddled a little when Charlie was forcing (?) her therapist to see her through the events leading up to and on Scarlet Christmas, which I'm still not sure I really understand the dynamics of, but I'm not a psychologist so maybe it's something that could be done in real life.

As far as the audio goes, while it was well produced, I just don't think this book works very well for an audio. There are so many interviews, emails, time jumps, etc that it's hard to follow without seeing, but I did still ultimately enjoy the story.

The romance between Charlie and Tripp was hard to digest or believe because Charlie was never present with him and they did not know a single significant thing about each other other than their names, titles, and social statuses. I wasn't really sure how it fit in to the story other than the connection with the friend, and I'm glad it resolved the way it did with them. I loved that Charlie ended up getting a dog, and I enjoyed how everything wrapped.

This book is not bad but for me, it read more along the lines of a YA book. The way the story unfolds is slightly predictable with not much suspense. I know that's a tricky line to play with (given school violence) but something about this book just did not pull me in as much as I'd hope. Maybe because I have read other books with similar plot lines. This book was good! However, it was not my favorite in this genre/theme.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.