**Thank you so much Random House Publishing and Kathleen Quinlan for reaching out with an earc! All words and thoughts in this review are my own honest opinion!**
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The Storygraph
Posted on: 8 June 2024

3 out of 5 stars.

I tried to like this. I really did. I got to 20% then 25%, then told myself I’ll go to 35% to see how it’ll go and I still just had that love-hate relationship. When I start to feel this way with books, I’m wary to keep continuing because I start to get too critical over the smallest things and it further ruins the read.
So ultimately, I did decide to just DNF. I just don’t think this book is for me. It’s slightly out my range from the usual genres I pick. It’s also just a little slow and the characters a tad unlikeable in a bad way (because I love me a good unlikable or unreliable mc, don’t get me wrong)

I had this issue that a few others had in feeling that Gia’s manuscript POV was just… long. And it took too long to get to the point. I get that we’re peering into the buildup of what happened, but I don’t know… it just didn’t interest me yet there are a *lot* of chapters featuring Gia’s POV compared to Abby’s and that’s considering the fact that I didn’t even finish the book. I feel like I just wanted to see more of Abby, or more movement *anywhere*.

The premise was interesting, the whole idea, the cover, and the title- it was *interesting*, but the actual inside of the book just left me wanting. Maybe I’ll try again to finish this, but genuinely I don’t think it lined up with what I was expecting based off the summary and the cover? I think others will definitely enjoy this more than I have, but just for me personally, it really didn’t strike the right cord from the get-go.

This cover 🤩🤩 I loved the small island in Greece setting. The story flips back and forth between Abby, both in the present and flashbacks, and Gia’s unfinished manuscript. Gia is a good unlikeable character, very wealthy and out of touch. Abby is much more down to earth and I enjoyed her chapters more. Some parts got a little slow and I would have liked for the ending to be wrapped up a little better, but overall this was an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm left with more questions than answers after finishing this book. There was no clear conclusion to this story and I feel a bit let down that I have no idea whose story was the correct one. Not one character was reliable, especially at the end when varying stories were presented to the reader. I think I'm also a bit confused with the title of this story as it does not tie into the overall premise outside of a throwaway line in the epilogue.

The backdrop of this story was the one redeeming quality for me. I've never been to Greece, but the author's description of it makes me want to book a plane ticket immediately.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a fun one and there was a lot I enjoyed, but ultimately a thriller comes down to how it all ties together and this left me wanting in the end. The Greek island setting is 💯, the manuscript vs. MC chapters was a fun format, the plot was strong and had my head spinning with guesses as to what was going on, and then it just…ended? Womp.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Random House and Kathleen Quinlan for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. Lady Killer is very interesting book. It is told in 2 POV's- Gia and Abby. Abby tells hers in 2 timelines-past and present, while Gia's is written in a form of a manuscript of a book she is writing. It is a bit tricky to follow at first, but after a while it started to flow. It begins with a funeral. Hugo Torres is dead and his family and friends are at his funeral. Well,not all of his family- his first wife and grown children remain in England, and his second wife is in a mental health clinic in Switzerland.His children by his second wife- Gia and Benny are there, as is his third wife and youngest child. Also there is Abby.Abby is Gia's best friend. Her mother cooked for the family and Hugo paid for Abby's education. But something else binds Abby and Gia- an 18 year old scandal. Abby is trying to forget, but Gia wrote a book about the events. When the main part of the book begins, five months later,Gia is married to a man she met shortly after her father died. They are living in Greece, in the Torres family house. Gia and Abby are estranged, because Abby warned Gia from marrying someone she did not know well. However, Gia has now reached out to both Benny and Abby, inviting them to meet her in Sweden for her 30th birthday. As we read Gia's manuscript chapters, we read about a couple who meets Gia and her husband Garrett, seemingly by accident. The manuscript details the friendship ,as well as growing concerns in Gia's marriage. Abby and Benny go to Sweden, but Gia is not there. When they go to Greece to find her, they find the manuscript instead.Then the mystery continues to spiral. I really enjoyed this book. It is a well written thriller ,with interesting characters. Everyone is multilayered.It also has fabulous descriptions of Greece and Greek food:). The ending was a bit unfinished for my taste, I like everything to be spelled out, but thats just me.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood. Pub Date: July 9, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. Set in Greece, this psychological mystery centers around two best friends, one a heiress and the other her friend from childhood. The heiress appears to go missing and it's up to the other to find her and find out what happened. There is mystery, intrigue and a manuscript to get through that leads the reader through the turn of events. Honestly, the premise of this story was good but the execution was not. I had a hard time getting through this novel and felt it dragged on. There were a lot of unnecessary sexual features to the story. Not my favorite read of the year, but the cover is definitely eye catching. Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishinggroup for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #ladykiller

In my opinion, the last hour of the book was the best part. The storyline felt familiar and bogged down with details, I think I would have enjoyed Ladykiller more if it was shorter, faster paced (like the last hour). It felt like every character was unreliable which added an element of "you can't trust anyone" and it certainly made you think about each character and what their end game was. I had some suspicions about certain characters but the twists at the end were great, they brought everything together while still leaving room for the reader to make their own assumptions about some things. This was a quick read, that's interesting and engaging, a good palate cleanser.
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Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book completely drew me in. It’s a story about friendship, marriage and conmen and somehow all the themes work together. The book is written in two parallel voices, one by Abby through the first person voice of what is happening and the other by her friend Gia through her manuscript of what has happened. I was questioning what was real the entire time. I’m not usually one for ambiguous endings but this one completely worked. I think it was because you had to decide whether Gia was an unreliable narrator or not in the end. Would absolutely recommend this book to anyone!

This book was pretty good! I can’t say I was absolutely blown away - this wasn’t necessarily anything special when it comes to the mystery/thriller genre - but I had a decent time and liked the flow of the story.

Eh not my favorite. I didn’t really like any of the characters and the story itself felt kind of tired. Not my cup of tea I guess.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Katherine Wood for an ARC of Ladykiller. 2024 has been a year of good books already! I was honestly hooked to this book to the very last page. Katherine’s writing is fantastic and keeps you wanting more. I was worried I was going into a reading slump with some previous books that didn’t hook me, but this brought me right back. I loved the multiple POV’s from Gia’s manuscript and Abby’s perspective. I don’t think this will happen, but I would love a sequel to this!

A heiress, Gia, goes missing and Abby is on the move to find out what happened to her best friend. Gia answers Abby had been best friends for ages and their friendship bonded more after a terrible tragedy happened in Greece. Abby moved on to study law and Gia made a salacious memoir to process what had happened. Twelve years later, Gia is back at their family house in Greece with her new husband to sell the family estate after her father’s passing. Gia and her husband, Garrett, entertain a few guests while they are there. Gia decides to invite Abby and Benny, her brother, to see the northern lights for her 30th birthday. Abby is hesitant at first because she wants to make partner, but decides she needs to see her best friend. Abby starts receiving threatening emails and she’s worried her secret might come out. What an odd time to receive these emails right before she meets up with Gia again. Abby meets up with Benny at the airport, but once they get to the resort, Gia still isn’t there. They call and text and email Gia, but there are only these odd mysterious responses. They decide enough is enough and head to Greece to see what’s actually going on with Gia. They arrive at the family estate to find it completely deserted. The only clue they can find is a new manuscript detailing the last couple months. What’s included is some pretty salacious secrets. The manuscript ends abruptly and Abby and Benny are worried about what’s happened to Gia and her new husband - is he a good man? Is what she said true about everything that’s happened since they arrived? With Abby and Benny left with even more questions than when they arrived, what’s the most concerning is - are they too late?

LadyKillIer – Katherine Wood

Katherine Wood presents a well-written and intriguing story of Gia and Abby. Gia grows up surrounded by luxury with a full house staff. Abby is the daughter of one of the staff. Regardless of their differences, the girls become fast friends and remain so until one horrible night rips their friendship apart.

Years later, Gia reaches out to Abby with an invitation for an all-expenses paid trip to Sweden to celebrate Gia’s Birthday. Reluctantly, Abby accepts the invitation, but when she arrives for the reunion, Gia is a no-show. It does not take long for Abby to determine Gia is missing. Find out if Abby can find Gia before it’s too late. You will not be disappointed. The characters are well developed and the story is easy to follow. Once you start, you won’t be able to put Ladykiller down.

Gia and Abby are best friends who are bonded by tragedy. Years after the tragedy, Abby receives an invitation from Gia to join her in Sweden to see the Northern Lights. Except Gia doesn't show up. Abby and Gia's brother head to Greece to try to find Gia.

This story started out strong. The middle got a little messy and turned into a dysfunctional romance novel at times. The ending is open ended and doesn't tie things nicely into a little bow. While I still enjoyed reading this, I prefer endings that don't leave me guessing or leave things open to my imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley @bantambooksuk #partner for the gifted copy of this ebook!

Two girls. One tragic event. Forever tied together by their misfortune. Both girls, Gia and Abby changed from that point on, one threw herself into studies and one vigorously wrote a memoir. Fast forward 12 years later and Gia has moved on. She meets and marries a new man after a short whirlwind romance living quite the glamorous life in Greece. Having recently lost her father she is in charge of selling his estate but first she plans to celebrate her birthday with her best friend. When Abby boards the plane she receives a confusing and threatening message. Not sure what it means she lands and heads to meet Gia, with Gia’s brother Benny. When they arrive, Gia is MIA and they find a manuscript which unravels the details leading up to her disappearance. 👀

Ladykiller is the perfect summertime popcorn thriller. It’s easy to become invested in these characters and the loose ends and questionable details that left me flipping pages find out what happened to Gia! I loved Abby and Benny getting about Gia’s life through the manuscript. I can only imagine in real life how mysterious this would be! This book felt very devious making it hard to put down. I did have an inkling as to what was happening but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of this one! If you love thrillers that include deceitful, deceptive characters that you cannot trust make sure to give this one a try!

A wonderful mystery thriller set mostly in on a fictional Greek island.
Story is told from the POV of Abby and Gia, two best friends since childhood, but with very different background. Gia Torres is a wealthy heiress, who inherited an estate on a Greek island from her recently deceased father. Abby, a daughter of Torres family's housekeeper, who grew up with the Torreses, and frequently spent the summers on the island. Abby has a lot to be thankful to the Torres family, they treated his mom right, they paid for her private education and law school, and Gia has been a loyal friend to her for many years. The women however have not spoken to each other for a while, after an argument over Gia's new husband. Abby warned her not to marry a man she knew for only a month, but Gia thinks she is in love and this man is everything she ever wanted.
The friends decide to reconcile and meet in Sweden for Gia's birthday: just them and Gia's brother Benny (who also had feelings for Abby since childhood). When Gia does not show up in Sweden, they become worried and go to Greece to look for her.
Through Gia's story - a manuscript she's been working on - we get a story of what has been happening on the island during the weeks prior to her birthday getaway. We learn about secrets that the friends kept together and from each other.

I loved the setting, which Katherine Wood beautifully set up; I felt transported to the island and I could feel the Greek summer breeze as I read it. The middle is a bit muddy and dragged a bit for me, but it was sandwiched between a great beginning and end. The end will not be for everyone, but I loved the ambiguous ending. It will depend on the reader to decide whose story to believe.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine | Bantam for an early access to the book.

Gia and Benny are born into a wealthy family. The family takes Abby in and pays for her education. When their father dies, Gia is forced to sell the villa in Greece with her new husband. She plans to visit the Northern Lights in Sweden with both Abby and Benny to celebrate her birthday and the sale of the house. When Gia fails to show in Sweden, Abby and Benny go to Greece to try and find her. The first part of the book alternates between Abby's past and Gia's manuscript (which she writes in the villa in Greece). The second part is solely Abby's POV with her trying to find Gia.
Interesting plot but a little convoluted, Read it while visiting Greece, so that part was enjoyable. Fast read.

Gia and Abby have been best friends forever. They were bonded by a tragedy that happened to them in Greece when they were eighteen. Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece with her new husband for the summer, getting ready to sell the family estate after her father’s passing. Abby receives an invitation from Gia inviting Abby to celebrate her birthday with her in September beneath the Northern Lights. Abby is thrilled to get time off from her stressful job to go to Sweden. However, on the day of Abby’s flight, she receives a mysterious threatening email. Then, when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive in Sweden, Gia is not there. After receiving several cryptic messages from Gia, their phone calls go unanswered. Abby and Benny decide to head to Greece to see what is going on with Gia. When they arrive in Greece, the only clue to Gia’s whereabouts is a manuscript Gia wrote about the events of the summer. Will Abby and Benny be able to find Gia before it’s too late?

This was my first book by Katherine Wood. I enjoyed the atmospheric read. The details of the Greek estate made you feel like you were right there on the beach with the characters. The book alternates between Abby’s point of view and Gia’s manuscript. I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book there was a lot of intrigue, suspense, and salacious details. Then, a twist happened that left things pretty ambiguous at the end. For this reason, I give it 3.5/5 stars. I recommend it to people that like atmospheric reads!

The tragic secrets kept between friends, whose bond has been forged tightly as a result, resurface when one goes missing and the other races to find her in Katherine Wood’s Ladykiller.
Becoming friends when they were young girls, Gia and Abby became close despite the differences in their backgrounds and they became even more closely bonded by a tragedy they experienced and kept secret together in Greece when they were eighteen. Twelve years later, Abby has worked hard in her studies while it seemed that Gia, as an heiress, focused more on having a good time but with the death of Gia’s father, she’s now preparing to sell the family’s estate in Greece with the help of her new husband. To celebrate Gia’s thirtieth birthday, she’s invited Abby to Stockholm for the Northern Lights but when Abby departs she receives an anonymous, threatening email about her lying and past so when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the resort and Gia’s not, with cryptic messages that don’t sound like her, they become concerned enough to go to Greece to check on her. They find an eerily deserted estate upon arrival and the sole clue left behind is a manuscript that Gia wrote of events leading up to her disappearance; however, are the details of her new marriage and the guests they entertained true or had she embellished for dramatic effect, and just where is Gia and can they find her before anything drastic happens?
Moving between Abby’s perspective in the present and Gia’s perspective of the past through the manuscript of a memoir she’s writing, the tension builds as the narratives develops, with the slow surfacing of lies that have lurked and been obscured through various means, relationships that form and fracture, and fictions that blend with versions of the truth to forge the reality that’s presented into a murky and unreliable thing. The power of the wealthy’s ability to manipulate and influence to protect and maintain their status is thoroughly demonstrated throughout the stories told with Gia’s family’s influence to cast eyes toward a different truth about the tragic events that bonded her and Abby as teens and the antics of Gia’s new husband and friends during their time in Greece, which showcases the attitudes and priorities that some may have in relationships. The pacing of the narrative is generally slow and then whiplash fast as events come toward their conclusion, in an end which leaves several questions unaddressed and open to the reader’s imagination.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ladykiller is a messy, sexy, destination thriller that will grab your attention from the beginning and refuse to let go.

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were kids, when Abby's mom became Gia's wealthy family's chef, and they moved into their home. When they were 18, a traumatic end to the summer left the girls going in different directions: Gia wrote a salacious novel about the ordeal, and Abby got to studying to become a lawyer. Twelve years later, Gia asks Abby to come on a trip with her to see the Northern Lights, which have been on their bucket list forever. Abby reluctantly agrees and makes the journey with Gia's brother Benny, who she had confusing feelings about that last summer they all spent together.

When they arrive, Gia doesn't show up, and they start to become concerned about what happened to her, until they find a manuscript in her Greek summer house that starts to clear up some of their questions, but not all of them.

This book screams summer beach read, and its beautiful, broken and lethal characters will mesmerize you just as much as the white hot Grecian setting.

I'm a sucker for books set in Greece especially ones with a missing heiress! I absolutely had to read this book when I had the opportunity. Unpopular opinion, however, I was not a fan of this cover as much as everyone else seems to be! But that's a minimal issue!

I was very intrigued with this book and it sure started off good. Unfortunately, I felt like it fizzled out fast...which was a little disappointing for me. I didn't think this ended as strong as it began. I felt like so much buildup happened throughout the story, but it wasn't leading to anything big. I had many questions about things that never got answered. With a different ending, this book would have been an easy five star read!