The beginning of this book was suspenseful and intriguing. I found myself drawn into this world and invested in what would happen next. The way the story is divided between Abby’s narration and Gia’s manuscript is interesting especially as we find later that Gia’s manuscript may have some fictional elements to it.

But then the end. I was really disappointed by it. The whole story felt like it fizzled out. I don’t necessarily need my ending tied up with a little bow, but I needed more than what we got.

Overall, I liked the writing and the atmosphere, but found the plot to be a bit lacking.

Note: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so glued to this. It was hard to put down.
I don’t know that it was necessarily the best thriller ever but it kept me guessing and invested the whole time.

Abby and Gia have been besties for a long time they have secrets from each other and secrets that tie them together. When Gia marries a man she just met Abby wasn’t supportive and they fell out until Gia sends her a ticket to Sweden to see the northern lights and so they can mend their friendship. But Gia never shows up and Abby gets worried and needs to find her. Throughout the story we get what is happening presently with Abby and chapters of Gias manuscript telling the details of her marriage and the events that led to her disappearance.

The characters were not all that like able but intriguing nonetheless. I enjoyed the writing and the plot and will probably think about this book for a while.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

Very dull and slow paced. Found the switch in narration disconcerting and neither character was likable, but arguably Gia was worse

This book had a great premise and I was honestly so excited to read it, but I was left unsatisfied with the ending. I am the type of person that always has a million questions, so not really having the answer to anything in the end really frustrated me. Overall, I think this was a fun read, I just wish the ending wasn’t so open ended.

This is the perfect twisty-turny summer beach read that will have you questioning what is really true. The story centers on BFFs Abby and Gia. Gia is a trust fund baby who has always made sure that her best friend, and daughter of the help, has been afforded the life that would otherwise be unattainable. From private boarding schools to summers in Greece, wherever Gia went, Abby went too. A tragedy that occurred in Greece bonded the girls for life, but it also set them off on different paths. Gia and Abby haven’t spoken in a year because Gia got married to someone she barely knew, and Abby told her to think it though. When Abby receives an invitation to watch the Northern Lights in an Exclusive Swedish hotel with just Gia and her brother Benny it seems like the perfect way to reconnect. When Gia fails to show up in Sweden leaving only cryptic text messages, Benny and Abby decided to fly to Greece find out what’s going on. When they arrive the beach house is empty, and they only have a manuscript to offer them clues as to what may have happened to Gia. This book jumps between present day Abby chapters and chapters of Gia’s manuscript until the two stories align. The tension is built up slowly and it has you constantly questioning the truth. The setting is rich, and you feel like you can feel the seductive heat of coastal Greece. I think that Katherine Wood wrote a perfect beach read that will have readers on the edge of their seat and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

This was a WILD ride! I had a great time reading Ladykiller. It was so easy to get lost in the story and atmosphere. It did feel like two different books for a good while because of the dual POVs and timelines, but once they match up, WHOA. The buildup and rising tension though was fantastic. I had a very hard time putting this down. There’s a lot of focus on privilege and rich people problems, which I happen to love, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea so just be prepared. I also thought it was such an interesting character study while also being a bit salacious in parts which added to the intrigue. It gave me A Simple Favor vibes in the absolute best way. The ending is probably going to infuriate some readers. It definitely made me yell “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” at first, but after some thought, I kind of love how it ended (you’ll see). If you’re looking for a twisty, luxurious summer thriller, I’d recommend this one.
CW: toxic friendship, mentions of stalking, mentions of sexual assault, domestic violence, death of a parent, infidelity, gun violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Random House Publishing-Ballantine was kind enough to send me a widget for this book, and after reading the blurb, I couldn’t resist. It turned out to be such a fantastic read!

Ladykiller is told from the POV of a main character in present day, and a manuscript set a couple months in the past, with a few bits sprinkled in from 12 years ago, and I thought it was a fun way to get the different perspectives.
The author did such an amazing job really making you believe one narrative then entirely flipping everything upside down and proving the opposite to be true. Right up until the very end is a “did they/didn’t they?” battle to learn the truth and I absolutely loved the uncertainty and ambiguity.
Also, the setting is primarily in Greece which is always a yes for me.

After finishing this I learned that the author, Katherine Wood also writes under the pen name Katherine St. John, which is what most of her books are written under, and I actually have all of those on my TBR, so that was very exciting and after Ladykiller I’m definitely eager to get to them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 7/9/24

Definitely a perfect beach read.

I loved the back and forth of the manuscript and real time. I thought it seemed obvious what was going on and Gia must be so stupid and oblivious but man! There was a twist I didn’t see coming or even think about at all. Definitely enjoyed that.

I also liked that the end is left open. You’ll never have the full answer, just suspicions.

Good, fast paced thriller that kept my interest! I was a bit disappointing in the ending and didn’t love the characters personality wise. But I would definitely recommend as a good beach read thriller! This is my first Katherine Wood book, I will definitely be checking out her others!

This was a book that had so many twists that I thought I was on a never ending mountain road. Abby and Gia have been best friends since childhood. Gia disappears from her Greek island home after a lot of questionable things seem to happen. What is the truth? What is a lie? You have to read to see how this all unfolds. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review..

My first Katherine Wood novel but definitely not my last. And for starters this cover is stunning! What could go wrong with a girlfriend trip to beautiful Greece? Action packed and oh so many lies! It was impossible to know who to trust. All round very entertaining read.
Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Wood and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a pretty good thriller that kept me reading to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed the Greek island setting. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, which seemed too ambiguous to be truly satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a fun, enthralling thriller, this is a good one to pick up. If you don’t come in with a lot of expectations, it’s a good read. We switch between 2 main POVs, Abby and then Gia’s manuscript, which is set earlier in the timeline. Abby is the practical lawyer while Gia is a prototypical rich girl. But there is some shady happenings in their past that really drive the story. The ending surprised me a bit, but after sitting on it a bit longer, it made more sense. Like I said, an enjoyable thriller.

Many times, when I don't like a main character, I can't always finish the story. This book is different. Gia and Abby have been friends forever but are very different. The story is told from Abby's point of view and from a manuscript written by Gia on her current life. This manuscript is Abby's only way to try to figure out what happened to her missing friend Gia. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I found the story very absorbing and felt compelled to find out what happened to Gia - even though I didn't like her. Gia lives a very indulgent lifestyle and I didn't like the sex games that she was involved in (though they are mentioned fairly briefly). Abby has a pretty good head on her shoulder and works hard to find out the truth. I would have preferred the story told more by Abby's point of view, but I think that the author handled it the best way for us to truly understand what happens. Unlike some, I like how the story ended, and I feel comfortable on what really happened. I also like the relationship that Abby has with Gia's brother Benny.

Gia kind of annoyed me with how unaware she was that her husband was swindling her for money. I really pushed through because I wanted to know how it ended & the truth about the whole thing. Some of the reveals were predictable. Overall, not terrible.

An enticing "who-dunnit" that keeps the reader guessing throughout the story and beyond. The story gets told through the perspectives of two lifelong friends - Gia and Abby. A twist is that Gia's tells her story through the manuscript that she is writing. Gia comes from a very rich family who has " sponsored" Abby for many years through the generosity of Gia's father Hugo. Their friendship has endured - but changed when a tragic "something" happened to the girls on Gia's island home.... which adds to the mysteries unfolding in the story in finding out just what happened? Gia has now married a man that Abby does not approve of and the friction between them has grown. Gia plans a short trip to Sweden to include her brother Benny and Abby to rekindle their friendship, leaving husband Garrett home with two rather questionable houseguests. However, Abby doesn't show up and cannot be contacted. To find Gia, Benny and Abby read her manuscript to try to unravel the story she is telling ....what is true and what isn't? The truth seems to start with the past.....but again ..... what is the truth and what are lies? The twists keep piling up as the storylines unfold, which can sometimes be very complex and unreliable. Gia is found - but where are her husband and the houseguests that were at the home....were they involved in a scam to get Gia's money....and what happened to them? This is a pretty quick read as the reader keeps the pages turning to discover what is really going on in this story?? And will the ending be what everyone expects? hank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #LadyKiller

This is exactly what I've come to expect from Katherine Wood's books! Her other thrillers are high on my list for some of my favorite books, and this was no different. She does SUCH a good job of describing the location in her books that it makes you feel like you're really there with the characters. This one instantly made me want to book a trip to Greece! I also loved the way this story was set up- getting Gia's side of the story through her manuscript was so unique and really makes you question what's real and what's not. This just solidified the fact that she will be an auto buy author for a long time for me!

Title: A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson
Publication Date- 06/11/24
Publisher- William Morrow
Overall Rating- DNF at 65 percent

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ugh. I don’t think I have a lot to say in this review. This isn’t a bad book. The writing is good, especially for a thriller. The voices and characters are strong, the plot is engaging…. at the start. Then at about 40 percent in, it starts to feel repetitive and lose track of where I thought it was going. Now, this may be a me problem but I just felt like we were going round in circles about the same thing and the tensions died down.

This would be good for you if you don’t need a fast paced thriller. Which typically I don’t. Again maybe this was a me problem but even the character development didn’t feel meaningful. I will say, this is a good book for the summer, it has a solid vacation vibe. Ladykiller also has aspects of greek mythology intertwined. Lastly, if you don’t like sexually explicit content, skip this one. I thought it added to the story and was more interesting than some of the other elements but if you are a closed door person, you may not enjoy those aspects.

- 3 star rating as nothing is wrong with the book.

This one was a little slow to start. I put it down several times but once I was about a third in I was completely immersed in the story. The characters are interesting. The mystery full of twists. And I admit, my jaw literally dropped at the reveal. This was my first time reading this author and it won't be my last.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this upcoming new release.

Katherine Wood spun quite the story here. Gia and Abby have been friends since they were teenagers. Abby's mom worked for Gia's dad, but supported Abby in her raising After a traumatic event when they are 18, Gia and Abby's friendship changes. Years later, Gia wants Abby to fly to Sweden for her birthday. However, when she gets there Gia is not.

Told in alternating perspectives- Abby's and Gia's through a manuscript she is writing-- we slowly find out what happened to Gia during recent events. I found Gia's manuscript to be a tad more interesting than Abby's perspective. I enjoyed the plot overall, and liked the ending for the most part.

Definitely recommend this fast paced suspense novel.