Mary has finally separated from her wealthy and controlling husband George. All she wants is to live peacefully with her young son although, without George’s money and facing a custody fight, she is isolated and lonely. One afternoon at the park, she meets the gorgeous, sophisticated Willa, also at the beck and call of a two year old. They become fast friends and Willa’s eagerness to treat Mary allows her to have real fun for the first time since her separation. Then, without warning, Willa stops taking her calls and ignores her texts. Fast forward two months. Mary is spending a week in upstate New York searching for a home close enough to George for shared custody and there is Willa. Only she’s different. Her hair is dyed, her clothes are not designer… and she doesn’t recognize Mary. Also in town are George and his brother Henry. George is hoping to reconcile and Harry is desperately seeking something. Mary may know what that something is. Within days, there will be a murder, confessed theft and deception, all possibly involving Willa. Is Willa responsible or is she a victim? And, Mary wonders, who is she?

Keep Your Friends Close is a fast paced mystery with complicated plotting. Some developments don’t quite make sense but by then you are so invested in what happens to Mary and Willa that you won’t care. 4 stars.

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

Such a quick paced thriller that had me interested the entire time! I loved that it gave different perspectives and went back and forth between two different periods of time. I honestly didn’t see the end coming because there was so many twists and turns.

First time reading a book by this author and I absolutely loved it! It kept my attention from start to finish and all of the twists kept me on my toes.

Thank you for the ARC! This book grabbed my attention from the beginning !
Loved the story being told by different characters and point of views. I definitely did not see the twists at the end coming. 5 stars!

As a huge fan of everything Alfred Hitchcock, I was intrigued by the mention of Strangers on a Train in the description. What a story! It pulled me in and kept me guessing. Fast paced story that is well-written yet easy to read. I think I’ve found another favorite author!

A riveting murder mystery that kept me guessing and on my toes from start to finish. A must read for those who love domestic thrillers with shocking twists.

Leah Kohen has once again delivered a masterful thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. With an eccentric puzzle-vibed screenplay, powerful direction, and impactful composing, "Oppenheimer" proves to be Christopher Nolan's finest work to date. Not only is it the best movie of his career, but it's also a strong contender for the best movie of the year, poised to sweep numerous awards.

From the very beginning, the movie captivates its audience with its intricate plot and expertly crafted storytelling. The screenplay is filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. As the narrative unfolds, you find yourself immersed in a world of mystery, suspense, and intrigue.
The short, captivating chapters are narrated by two characters, Mary and Willa. Mary is a woman fighting to divorce her powerful husband and retain custody of her two-year-old son, while Wilma is happily married with a little boy and quickly becomes Mary's confidante. The plotline, resembling "Strangers on a Train," progresses as Mary shares her secrets with her new friend, whom she barely knows. Suddenly, Mary finds herself as the prime suspect in her husband's murder case, with suspicions arising about her enigmatic new friend, who recently ghosted her and may lead a double life.

Both women's points of view are intriguing, keeping your attention locked in as you invest in their stories, turning the pages faster to uncover the truth behind the possessive husband George's demise.

Be prepared not to be fooled by unexpected twists that will leave you screaming in surprise, as they are nearly impossible to foresee.

As I read, I found myself taking notes on the facts, motives, and suspects, as if I were working on a case study. I'm delighted that there are no loose ends or unexplained aspects. While some explanations may seem a little far-fetched, and coincidental connections made my eyes roll, the heart-throbbing resolution and exciting execution kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this book as much as the author's other works. It's undoubtedly a perfect popcorn read! I highly recommend it to fans of domestic meets psychological thrillers and those who admire the author's writing.

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

I've read all of Leah Konen's other books and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. So I was beyond thrilled to receive an early ARC of this and it did not disappoint!! Konen does an excellent job of setting up the story. It is told from both Mary and Willa's POVs. Mary is instantly easy to relate to and I physically felt her pain and confusion at being ghosted by Willa. Willa's story is multi layered and she's written clearly with both an edge and a sweetness to her that I found as irresistible as Mary. A moth drawn to the flame. I loved her even as I realized you couldn't believe anything she said. When Mary's soon to be Ex husband, George, is found murdered the cat and mouse games begin. Because you'll tell your friends anything over a bottle of wine....... The scenes were brilliant. The writing is sharp and clever . The twists perfectly paced and the ending Was. Perfection. !!!!! Rounding up to 4.5 ⭐ s put this one at the top of your wishlist!!!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

★ ★ ★ ★//5
𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄
by Leah Konen

Pub Date: February 20, 2024

THOUGHTS:
I could not set this fast paced thriller down. Every page I turned was something new that made me think about who did it. This book has you thinking and guess to the very last page. The characters are well developed and their dialogue is perfect. The plot and setting is fabulous as well. I will continue to read books by Leah, I love her writing style and can’t wait to see what is next for her!

If you love :
- enjoy murder mysteries
- fast paced domestic thrillers

Thank you to netgalley, penguin group putnam, and leah konen for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Keep Your Friends Close is a domestic thriller that includes friendship and betrayal. The story is fast paced and suspenseful. There were a good amount of twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed trying to figure out if I should trust Willa or not. The ending ties things up nicely. A great thriller read!

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC.

This was a twisty and fun read. It centers on Mary, who is going through a divorce from super rich and powerful George, who is not letting her go so easily. During this time, she makes a good friend named Willa but it turns out Willa also has secrets to hide. Poor Mary has been screwed over by basically everyone she let in and she is just trying to make a better life for herself and her toddler son.

While it seemed like Mary might be a pushover initially, I really didn’t think she was as the book continued. Sure, she made some bad decisions but she seemed like a genuine person who wanted to see the best in people, and she had the moxie to pull herself out of a bad situation when she got into one. There are a ton of twists in the 2nd half of the book that left me constantly changing my mind about who did what and how it all fit together. The loose ends were all tied up nicely when all was said and done, and I felt the ending was satisfying. If I had one complaint it’s that there were simply too many coincidences to be fully believable; this didn’t take away from my enjoyment, though.

Overall, this is a good book that is hard to put down. It has good twists and I’d recommend it for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★½ // 5
𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄
by Leah Konen

✿ Pub Date: February 20, 2024

💭 THOUGHTS:
This was such a good cat-and-mouse chase! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, a new detail would pop up and my whole thought process changed. I didn’t know who killed George until the very end and even then I was waiting to make sure there was not another twist! I loved all the characters — they seemed like real people I could know and were very relatable. This book felt familiar but different in all the right ways for a domestic thriller. I loved the little dash of con artist thrown in! I’ve never read a Leah Konen book before, but this girl can WRITE. I’ll definitely be picking up another book of hers. Highly recommend!

💕 READ THIS IF YOU…
• loved Strangers on a Train
• enjoy solving murder mysteries
• have a frenemy in your life
• always win Clue during game nights

Thank you to @netgalley, @penguingroupputnam, and @leahkonen for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this quick read by Leah Konen and couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know who was involved in George’s death. I thought I knew who many times. As another reader said, this book is filled with red herrings and kept me guessing until the very end. Solid four stars and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Leah Konen for the advanced copy of Keep Your Friends Close.

This was a bit different premise that most domestic suspense. Had a bit of a con to it as well, to keep you thrown off. A twisty, red herring filled, enjoyable read!!

I read this as an ARC, and I loved every minute of it! It kept me guessing, had twists, and was very entertaining. This was my first book by this author, and I will read more of her books now!

I devour all of Leah Konen’s books… but as an NYC mom I connected with this book on another level.
It captures perfectly the frantic and sometimes desperate friendships women make on the playground.
We are all one shitty ex away from being Mary, and we all know the Willas out there too well!!
Fun fun fun!

Great book! Wow! So many who done it that had me guessing right till the end!! This book also had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, revenge, gas lighting, a great who done it and some really crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle till the very end! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! I highly recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Let's be clear- an avid reader of this genre will most likely figure out a big part of the plot early on.... that said, I want to emphasize that it does not take away any of the excitement in reading. Told in a alternating past and present timelines, the tensions of society run deep in this novel. Class and wealth disparity; female friendships; loyalty and disloyalty; failing marriages and new beginnings are all themes explored, all wrapped up in a well-written, fun to read thriller. I don't think I've read anything by this particular author in the past, but do plan to look for her future novels. Definitely worth reading!