Well, what can one say? The publisher sets up a <i>Sabrina</i> retelling with added <i>Gone Girl</i> tropes. I'm no more than lukewarm to either story. I'm lukewarm about this one.

I think the author's gift is for pacing. Once launched, it's easier to keep going than quit...no matter that it's a well-trodden path.

Come for the concept, stay for the execution. If the author can make my cynical, seen-it-all self read the whole book, she can do even more for you.

Against the backdrop of the sunny Greek isles and the beautiful sandy beaches Katherine Wood offers a story of wealth and deception that questions just who can be trusted. Gia and Abby became friends when Abby’s mother was hired by Gia’s family as their chef. Living on the estate, the girls were inseparable, often accompanied by Gia’s brother Benny. In their teens, Gia saved Abby from an attack by Noah, a young man they had both been seeing, killing him in the process. Shortly after the attack Abby left for college while Gia continued in a string of relationships. When Gia meets Garrett they have a whirlwind romance and three months later she invites Abby to her wedding. Abby’s advice to not rush into marriage caused a rift in the friendship. Now she has received an invitation to Gia’s birthday celebration in Sweden and she hopes that this will mend their relationship. Benny and Abby arrive, but when Gia never shows they set off for her villa in Greece to find her. The locks at the villa have been changed. When they gain access they find a manuscript that Gia has been working on based on her life since meeting Garrett. Their loving relationship changed to one of jealousy, deceit and abuse, leaving Abby and Benny afraid for Gia’s safety.

Benny has loved Abby since they were kids. As they search for Gia they re-kindle their feelings for each other. Abby, however, is living with secrets that could destroy that. The assault was based on a lie and she is now receiving e-mails that threaten to expose her. When she is confronted by her accuser it raises questions about what really happened. Did Gia accidentally kill Noah or was it a deliberate murder. Abby is now a lawyer who is grateful to Gia’s family for their support as she grew up. When Gia disappeared she did not hesitate to offer assistance. Gia, on the other hand, has been manipulative and dependent on the family’s money. Alternating between Gia’s manuscript and Abby’s story, Wood fills her story with secrets and introduces characters whose friendship with Gia mask ulterior motives. While she reveals both Gia’s story and Abby’s questions regarding the actual events, Wood leaves you to decide who to believe rather than giving a solid solution. I would like to thank Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Ladykiller by Katherine Wood in exchange for an honest review. Wow, this book was full of twists, it was so good. With different viewpoints and unreliable narrators, you never know what's real, who's the killer, and is anyone what they seem. I really enjoyed the book and had fun reading it.

This was a fast-paced read that was full of suspense and had me questioning everything. I liked the multiple POVs and the setting descriptions were incredible. I was a little letdown by the ending since there really wasn't a concrete conclusion, but I do like how it was written.

There were so many elements I enjoyed about this book! A book within a book, friends to lovers, rich people getting into trouble in paradise, and unreliable female narrators. Even though it’s technically suspense, it really felt like there was a love story at the heart of this novel. It was a fun take on the genre and definitely had Gone Girl vibes. Entertaining, addictive, with sexual tension sprinkled throughout. The perfect beach read this summer! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Ladykiller checks all the boxes for a masterful exciting mystery, suspense story with well-developed characters, so well developed you can't seem to trust any of them, all with flawed personalities and unsightly behavior. You will gasp as you begin to discover the truth which was hidden right in front of your eyes!

When Gia invites her best friend Abby to Sweden to meet her new husband Garrett, someone Gia met and married weeks after the death of her father and someone Abby feels perhaps is not right for her friend, she decides not to go. Although she adores Gia, she just isn't ready for this next chapter in Gia's life. But, when Abby discovers Gia's brother, Benny has been invited and is going as well, that changes her mind. You see Abby and Benny have had crushes on each other since childhood.

Gia, who is a writer, is in Greece at the moment with her new husband trying to get the family estate in order and fixed up. Thier father when he died left nothing to his children and Gia although she thinks she married well, has never been one to not spend and is comfortable living the life of the rich and famous. Her plan is to fix up the estate sell it and bank the cash to live on for herself.

While in Greece, Gia begins a second manuscript. This is a memoir about her life in Greece fixing up the place, being with her new husband as well as other tidbits of the goings on in her life with a bit of flirty embellishment (those type of books sell better) including Gia and Garrett meeting a couple while dining and discovering their boat broke down and are awaiting for it to be fixed but there is nowhere for them to stay. Gia immediately invites them to stay at the estate, hoping for some excitement for her book. But unfortunately, what actually happens as the reader discovers through chapters of the manuscript is how the cracks begin to show in not only her marriage, but with this young couple staying there.

Meanwhile, Abby is getting ready to leave for Sweden when she receives an ominous email. Someone has sent her a prompt or threat, she's not sure about a past situation. They say they know Abby lied. Abby thought that secret had been long buried, and she and Gia were safe.

But when Abby and Benny land in Sweden, there is no Gia. They receive a text allegedly from Gia which says she fell ill. But something is off and the two decide to go to Greece and see Gia. But what they find is a mystery. Nothing. No Gia, no husband, only her manuscript.

Abby starts to read the story, which of course the reader already knows, or think they do, and the mystery of what happened at the house only deepens. But not everything is as it seems and with the discovery of hidden secrets, unmistakable clues and lies, so many lies, it all begins falling into place which makes for a shocking ending.

Ladykiller was quite the killer of a book!

Thank you #Bantam #NetGalley #KatherineWood #Ladykiller for the advanced copy.

I did not like this book at all. I understand it was the author's debut if I'm seeing that correctly on Amazon but it's not that good to me. It was to much about naked bodies and sex. Not that I have anything against either but I didn't want to read about it in every other page. I found it to be slow and just a bit confusing in parts. I guessed what was going on fairly early on. I just didn't enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This book was....weird. I didn't expect the manuscript to be such a huge piece of the book right from the jump, and because of it I feel like we lost a lot of what was happening in the current time. At the 50% mark it finally picked up!...and then around 70% it just lost its momentum. Not a book I would read again, or recommend.

Such a gripping mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story is filled with twists and turns, making it a thrilling read.
Wood’s writing is engaging, and she does a fantastic job of building suspense. The characters are well-developed, adding depth to the narrative. The setting in Greece is vividly described, transporting readers to the sun-soaked Mediterranean.
However, the ending felt a bit abrupt, leaving some questions unanswered. Despite this, the journey to uncover the truth was thoroughly enjoyable. If you love mysteries with a touch of glamour and intrigue, this is definitely worth a read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting and compelling story that started out strong and sort of hit a wall. Gia has been raised with incredible wealth. it is all she knows. When her father dies and she is left a lot less than she anticipated, she must sell the main thing of value he left her. She hasn’t seen her BFF, Abby who was the daughter of an employee of her family in years after they experienced a tragedy that forever bonded them. Year later Gia, to celebrate her birthday she invites Abby and her brother to celebrate her birthday. When she seemingly disappears, they head to her home only to wind up with so many more questions than answers. What really happened years ago and what is happening now.? A good twisted story that had me until a somewhat disappointing ending.

This book was hit and miss for me. The hits were:
1. easy to read, strong narrators -- both Abby and Gia's POVs made for pleasant reading. Gia's was a little more pretentious (which was the point) while Abby's was more down to earth. It made reading this very easy and immersive the entire time.
2. juicy, scandalous relationships that kept the pacing from feeling slow (even when it was slow) -- A lot of Gia's chapters are just set up; but even when they were, they were still diving deep into the relationship with her and her husband or the other characters they were interacting with.
3. the setting and the set up -- the rich heiress on a Greek island, the fancy hotel at the top of the world in Norway, the beaches and boats and food and booze; there was a lot of great and sensual setting details that made the story feel very real.

The misses:
1. the ending was ambiguous -- generally ambiguous endings aren't my fave, but this one felt more jarring because the set up led me to believe the secrets would be revealed much more clearly. It felt like a let down after the bunch of reveals packed into the later half of the book.
2. the secrets and reveals -- some were pretty obvious, some fell flat because the story felt like it was building to something bigger. To that end, I actually think the title set up my expectations incorrectly. I thought there was going to be a man at the center who was "killing" women, but that...was not the case.

This was a great summer read for me - great for travel. I love plots about rich people plus there's a little mystery and romance/spice. It has some good twists and definitely kept me reading. This was just the book I needed right now.

Gia and Abby are best friends since childhood, further connected by a tragedy they experienced at eighteen they are forever bonded.
Years later, Gia invites Abby and her brother to celebrate her birthday at a Swedish Resort but when they arrive at the resort, Gia isn’t there. Worried, the two head to Greece to find her, but Gia is nowhere to be found. Finding a manuscript written by Gia, things in her new marriage are brought to light and Gia is no longer comfortable in her own home, but where is she now? Will Abby and Benny find her before it’s too late? Told in two view points, this one was a bit ambiguous leaving more questions than answers in the end. Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book had me hooked! I definitely recommend going in blind. If you like a twisty thriller/mystery with a mix of rich people acting salaciously and with deception, some spice, all the lies and drama, and twists that keep guessing what actually happened then this is the book for you! Thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to more from this author.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood weaves a gripping tale of friendship, secrets, and suspense. The story follows two best friends, Gia and Abby, whose lives diverge dramatically after a traumatic event in Greece during their youth. When Abby receives an ominous email on the day of a planned trip to celebrate Gia’s birthday, she discovers Gia has mysteriously disappeared, leaving only her provocative manuscript behind. The narrative shifts between the opulent present and Gia's scandalous past, creating a captivating blend of intrigue and tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, though some may find the conclusion leaves lingering questions about the resolution.

Oh man, this was a WILD ride. Once I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this one. And once I got going...I was absolutely sucked in. This is the story of Gia and Abby, with alternating chapters going back and forth between their point of view. What's real and what we believe to be real are huge themes in this book. and the reader is kept on their toes the entire time.

My one complaint was the ending and how much was left open. But otherwise, A+ FANTASTIC book!

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

I was engaged right away in Ladykiller. Setting the scene with two friends, Gia and Abby, already on opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum adds the base of suspense when they are forever bonded by a tragic accident.

When Gia goes missing, the search is on, and pages are turning fast! The description of Greece is worthy of an armchair vacation. I was swallowed up in distant locales and the mystery of Gia's whereabouts.

The ending is interpretated by the reader, which is why I recommend this as a book group read!

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for early access.

A good thriller/mystery. I had no clue who to believe or trust. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. Was hard to put down towards the end when the story was unraveling.

An absolutely STUNNING beach read from Katherine Wood! Stayed up late into the night finishing this gem - the pages to the finish are something straight out of a Hollywood movie!

What would you do if your best friend went missing halfway around the world? What if it happened after you had a falling-out & she was last seen in Greece?

They questions & more will be answered for you in “Ladykiller.” Run, don’t walk, to get your copy!

I am so angry with this book. It really should have been a DNF on my end, but I kept holding out because I loved her other books. To the best of my knowledge, she writes under a different name and has amazing novels. The plot was THERE, the characters were a bit under-developed, and the pacing was off. It became really muddy and the end and many loose ends. Did not love.