This was my first book by Leah Konen and I really enjoyed it. I love Mary as the main character. I like that we get to know who she is in the way she treats Willa and Alex. I loved reading from the perspective of Mary and Willa. I definitely didn’t guess the ending. Overall, I really liked this book and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you publisher and net galley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book and didn’t see many of the twists that came. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy this genre.

Mary is going through a contentious divorce with her wealthy husband George. She's trying to relocate to Woodstock NY with her son Alex when she runs into a former friend, Willa. Willa and Mary's complicated relationship is examined in this book along with many treacherous twists & turns, including murder! This book was entertaining and a quick read. I really enjoyed it and the red herrings. A fun book--great for thriller/mystery lovers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM /G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Twisty and fun read
It’s always fun to read a book that is set in an area I’m familiar with. I enjoyed the main character Mary finding her backbone and overcoming things and getting stronger

Keep Your Friends Close is the first book I’ve read by the author. The beginning was a slow burn for me. I wasn’t a fan of Mary at first she was a bit of a pushover. Over time I grew to like her character as well as Willa. This was a great mix of murder, mystery, and female friendship. Once I got over the initial hump I needed to know the who, what, and why! The ending was perfect!

This was fun! I love a good thriller and this one definitely kept me on my toes. Definitely recommend!

Publication Date: 2/20/2024

This was a very entertaining thriller and I was second guessing it from the very beginning! As a mom of a toddler this totally hit home for me!

This book was very fast paced and had you wondering whodunit the whole way through. It had lots of plot twists, and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

This book follows Mary, a soon to be single mom who has a two year old son Alex and needs a friend more than ever as she is going through a divorce, she becomes fast friends with Willa but then gets randomly ghosted. Mary moves on with her life, and tries to move a few hours away and runs into nobody else than Willa. But Willa, isn't Willa she's going by Annie and has a whole new look & is acting like she doesn't know Mary. Then suddenly Mary's husband turns up dead and secrets come out.

What I Liked:
- Fast Paced
- Multiple POV's
- Likable POV's
- Murder Mystery & Con Artistry

If you love a fast paced domestic thriller with a little bit of con artistry then this is the book for you!

Thank you Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an Advanced Reader Copy!

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of elements of intrigue and kept me guessing until the very end. I love when the ending completely surprises me!

Keep Your Friends Close is the first book I’ve read by Leah Konen and I was not disappointed! I loved that more than just a thriller there was a deeper dive into the struggles and expectations of mothers.

The character building was great and I really enjoyed that it was written in a dual timeline with multiple perspectives. Willa was so interesting, I spent the majority of the book trying to decide if she was trustworthy or not. There were a couple of really good twists and I liked the way the book was wrapped up! I’d definitely recommend this one and look forward to reading more by Leah Konen.

This was such a great read. Very hard to put down! I really loved the story line and the main character! I love domestic thriller books and this one did not disappoint. The chapters were short and the author kept it moving at a quick pace! So if you’re looking for a hard to put down domestic thriller this book is for you! The ending was fantastic and I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Putnam for allowing me to read this ARC!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Putnam for this ARC!
I truly enjoyed this read. The title is what drew me in initially and I am so glad I let my curiosity run away with me. Domestic thrillers and friend betrayals are my jam, and this book had all of that and then some! I found myself not wanting to put the book down until I finished, which is super rare for me. The final reveal was done so well, and honestly, the only thing I hated about this book was that it had to end. I would recommend it for sure.

I liked this alot more than I thought I would going into it. This had that perfect mix of murder, mystery, friendship and betrayal. Every aspect of this had me devouring the pages until the very last one. It was cleverly written with each part inserted at the perfect point. The two women were highly likeable although some may not agree on that one with Willa. There was something about her though that I really liked even though I have had plenty of friends to stab me in the back as well. I just really liked her and loved reading her view on things. The men in this were despicable to say the least. The reveal was done well and I didn't have the slightest hint of it until it was almost there. Overall, this was a nice surprise and I'll give it four and a half stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC.

Mary is a newly divorced and finds herself a new mom friend at the park. Willa seems to be the perfect friend, until she ghosts Mary after Mary spills some secrets. This was a fast paced, fun read that had me guessing the entire time. A twist at the end I didn’t see coming!

I really enjoyed this frenemies thriller! This book left me second guessing everything, even after the end of it!

There is nothing more I enjoy than a thriller that is a quick read and hooks me in from the start! Leah Konen’s Keep Your Friends Close did just that! I was invested in what was going to happen with Mary and Willa. Is Willia and innocent by-stander who got roped into this families drama and crime? Or is she hiding a secret and is more involved than you think? So many twist and turns that’ll keep you guessing. I also enjoyed and appreciate how the author dives into the struggles that we women and mothers encounter on a daily basis and how that affects our lives. I couldn’t be more happy to have read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for allowing me to review this ARC.

4 stars 🫶🏼

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for my Netgalley copy of KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE by Leah Konen, out January 30th, 2024!

I read this entire book in one sitting on a plane ride and whizzed through it. It’s definitely a page-turning thriller once the action starts to finally happen. With a slow build-up, the ending was major wow factor and I loved the ride Konen took us on.

Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle with her asshole soon-to-be ex-husband, Mary is in need of friend. One day, she coincidentally… meets the extremely charming and extrovertedly intoxicating Willa at a playground. When they’re drunk one night, Mary reveals a huge secret about her ex. The next day, Willa compeltely ghosts her.

Two months later, as she’s exploring her new hometown up north in New York nearing the finalization of her divorce, she runs into Willa. Or, should I say Annie? That’s her new identity and Willa is acting like she doesn’t know her. Then, Mary’s husband George ends up dead as a doornail and Mary is the prime suspect.

Who is Willa? Who killed George?There is twist after twist in this novel and it’s extremely fun uncovering who is who in this wild ride. Definitely a mini-feminist thriller about the emotional and mental load that women take on in marriage and motherhood, and class differences when families combine. The dual timelines of this book take a minute to follow, but it really keeps you guessing as you flip the page. Short chapters + constant cliffhangs = an unputdownable book! To no one’s surprise, men are not shit! Add this one to your TBR for a fun, feminist and freaktastic read my book-lovin’ pals.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book....
Wow, full of twists. Thought i had figures it out early, but totally took a turn.
Great story, great read

Mary is battling her extremely wealthy husband in a messy divorce. She wants to ensure that she has shared time with her young son Alex. She moves to New York State to get away from her soon to be ex's family in NYC and runs into an ex-friend. Willa, however, pretends to not know her and claims to be named Annie, Mary is sure it is Willa and hopes that her old friend can support her in her custody fight. When her husband turns up dead, she is the only one Mary can turn to! Shades of Patricia Highsmith paint this thriller!
#penguin #LeahKonen

This is the first book I've read by the author and I look forward to more! I would characterize this as a feminist thriller about the mental load of marriage and motherhood. The story focuses on two affluent women (Mary & Willa) living in Brooklyn who meet while at the playground with their young boys. They quickly becomes bffs, until a few months later when Willa suddenly disappears and ghosts Mary.

The novel vacillates between dual timelines, as Mary subsequently divorces her controlling husband and moves upstate to start over in a small town. There, Mary spots Willa, who is now with a new family, goes by a different name (Annie), and denies knowing Mary. Mary is shocked, understandably questions her sanity, and begins to follow her former bff to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I definitely stayed up late reading this book as the fast pace, short chapters, and cliffhangers kept me engaged. It was one of the few plots that I was not able to guess in advance! Though there were a couple of parts that were redundant and a bit unbelievable, I still enjoyed how the author delved into topics that many women experience when they become wives and mothers and managed to tie these themes into a domestic thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Leah Koen for this ARC!

Yes! Yes and Yes!

This book was thrilling with interesting main characters. I was invested from the first few pages. I think it will do very well with people that love a domestic style thriller book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.