In a somewhat predictable tale of lies and money, and the lengths people will go to protect themselves, Abby and Gia are childhood best friends from different backgrounds who are forever tied together by a fateful night 12 years earlier. So when Gia insists that Abby join her for a birthday getaway, along with Gias brother Benny, Abby can’t think of a reason good enough to not go. But what unfolds is a series of events, told through Abby’s perspective and Gias manuscript, that one finds hard to know who is telling the truth. As the story unfolds and the truth becomes muddled, it’s easy to figure out where the book is headed, but a fun read that has the reader dying to explore Greece while solving the mystery put forth by Gia and Abby.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This book sounded and looked so interesting. I was excited to finally get to the arc. However, it fell flat for me. I didn't like any of the characters. They were all people that I would never want to spend time with so I didn't particularly care about what happened to them.

The story did not flow well. The plot was interrupted constantly by Gia's manuscript. It felt like this was trying to be the next Verity, and while I appreciate the attempt, it didn't work. I did not enjoy the manuscript chapters much so the book felt so disjointed. I just wanted to get back to Abby's POV to see what was really going on.

This is one of those books that doesn't really resolve things. It left things pretty open to interpretation and I personally hate when books do that. I don't want to have to guess how things turned out, I want things to be figured out and tied up nicely.

I'm giving this 3 stars solely because I thought the premise was intriguing and the attempt to execute it wasn't terrible.

This was a new to me author and was not disappointed. The cover caught my eye and just said “beach read thriller” to me. This was a very fast paced read perfect to read in a weekend

What a beautiful cover! That and the synopsis totally grabbed me. A mystery set within the Greek islands? What's not to love?! The story was overall an easy read with good character development. I truly felt transported within the story, but towards the end of the book the plot started to feel flat for me. The ending wasn't my favorite. Overall, definitely worth reading.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

I've been sitting on this review for awhile. Quite awhile. Probably too long.

I enjoy unrelatable narrator stories a lot. I enjoy wicked women. I enjoy endings that are left open, to where your brain keeps spinning and spinning like it's running Internet Explorer and has all the tabs open trying to play music.

But this is desperately unpleasant. We're dealing with two women, one of whom is far more unpleasant than the other. Gia is stupid rich, the kind of rich that can burn cash at the weekend bonfires and use Cristal as the accelerant.

Her bestie Abby is the daughter of the hired help. Her father took such a liking to her he paid for her to attend the same hoity toity private school, her safety from cruel peers guaranteed by the above mentioned stupid rich girl everyone loves.

Gia gets married to the lOvE of HEr LiFe after a month of knowing him, but he's definitely on the up and up. 20 something years of being stupid rich has absolutely taught her better than trusting that people like her for her personality and not her infinite bag of holding, definitely. She has to sell her beautiful home in Greece because Daddy Dear left all of his bajillions to charity instead of his children and she's rapidly running out of money.

But hey, let's have a summer together, bestie! Me and my brother and you, seeing Aurora Borealis together. I'll pay for your plane ticket! Let's doooooo it.

Gia never shows up, though. And things are super suspish. The only evidence of her is the manuscript she left behind of her second novel. The first detailed what happened when she and Abby were teenagers, and a man ended up dead.

You see what's happening, right? Half the story is told via manuscript. And the story is not typed on the Typewriter of Absolute Truth.

I can't even get any umph to write this review because I just found this entire story unpleasant. Neither Gia nor Abby are particularly interesting. Despite checking so many of my Plot boxes, this feels very flat. Gia's writing is the gross flowery prose of someone whose hands have never done a day's work unless it was for a photo op, and Abby is a cardboard character bestie.

There's an audience for this, but I'm not the one to recommend it.

OMG this was so good. I could not stop reading it. The twists were amazing, the storyline was fresh and unlike anything I had read previously. The story follows Abby, who as a young woman, became friends with a rich girl for whom her mother worked. From then on, they were inseparable. But the story did not end happily - she is attacked by her best friend's stalker. The story switches between present day, Gia's manuscript, and Abby's memories from the time when she was attacked. The story was so well thought out - so interesting and engaging. The characters were so amazingly crafted, the story was so fun, and I honestly could not stop reading this. It was reminiscent of Saltburn, and the Talented Mr. Ripley - and I honestly would rank this right up there with those [though Saltburn is not a book]. I would HIGHLY recommend this for a fun, enticing, engaging, and steamy THRILLING summer read.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Abby and Gia have been friends since childhood. Abby's mom worked for Gia's family and she became one of them...somewhat. Gia and Abby's shared history makes it difficult to know who is telling the truth in this book.

Some of the chapters are from Abby's POV; some are from Gia's manuscript for her next book. Are any of them true? This one will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the review copy of this book.

How well do you know your bestie? This story goes from present to past quite a bit to unveil what you aren’t expecting. So many twists and turns that I truly didn’t see the end coming. A very good book, but I feel as though some women will be looking at their new husbands with a side eye hahaha

A psychological thriller set in Greece?! Yes please! I love books about intricate family problems and this one was fantastic!! I loved it!!

Absolutely fantastic book! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. Kept me turning the pages.

This is a great thriller. Lots of suspense and I didn’t want to put it down. 4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine / Bantam for the arc for my fair review.

"Ladykiller" by Katherine Wood promises a gripping tale of friendship, betrayal, and mystery. The dynamic between Gia and Abby, forged through shared trauma and divergent paths in life, sets the stage for a compelling narrative. Wood expertly weaves together past and present, drawing readers into a web of intrigue as Abby grapples with ominous emails and the sudden disappearance of her friend. The exotic locales of Greece and Sweden provide an atmospheric backdrop for the unfolding drama, adding layers of suspense to the story. As Abby delves deeper into Gia's manuscript, the shocking revelations about her marriage and the secrets of their glamorous circle of friends keep readers guessing until the final page. With its blend of suspense and psychological depth, "Ladykiller" promises to be a thrilling read that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind Gia's disappearance.

I need someone to discuss this book! Told in dual timelines, unreliable narrator and massive guilty pleasure read.
The obvious progression - with a lovely twist. I have my own ideas of the truth - and need to discuss!
Gia is the ultra rich girl - her father left hundreds of millions to his charities, property to his children. Desperate for money, Gia sells her beloved Greece villa to her stepmother. Committed to repairs, Gia and her new husband oversee construction.
A couple stranded - their boat requires repairs, Gia gives them a room.
Her husband, clearly chasing the young woman cooking and cleaning the house, draining Gia's bank account of hundreds of thousands. And who are these people just hanging around?
Abby, Gia's best friend, agrees to meet up with Gia and her brother to see the Northern Lights. But Gia doesn't show.
Lush with shady characters, a broken friendship and a brother's teenage crush. This book was fun!

Abby has moved on from her childhood and taken on adult responsibilities. Gone are the days of lounging by the pool without a care in the world. One day she receives an invitation to see the Northern Ligthts with her estranged best friend, Gia. Gia is currently living it up in Greece with her gorgeous new husband and a stream of intoxicating individuals. Abby has moved on from Gia's lifestyle, she was once engulfed in the rich and elite, and now devotes her life to bettering the world. Abby is granted the time off and travels to Switzerland, but when only Gia's brother, Benny, is there they both start to wonder where Gia is. Has she pulled a stunt again or had something gone wrong in Greece. The two head to find Gia and uncover the mysteries surrounding her vanishing act. The truth will come out, even if you don't want it to.

I loved this book. I could not put it down. The beautiful setting immediately pulled me in. Then add in the cast of characters, who all seem to be hiding something. This was a fast read, flew through it in a day. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. This will be a perfect summer read.

This book was right in the middle at 3 stars for me. I liked the narrators of this book and enjoyed the events occurring at the same time as it related to the narrator. I found the story to be a slow start for me and then I got into it during the middle then the end fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. This book was slow to get going, but had a good story once the reader makes it to mid book or so. The mystery turns to a page turner when Abby and Benny travel to find Gia and her partially written book. The story is zooming along and then it ends. I am still not clear on the ending. 3 stars, but only for the middle of the book.

Gia and Abby are best friends from childhood, but Gia is the heiress and Abby's mother was the hired help. As the girls grow older they have a falling out over Gia marrying a man she just met and Abby thinks she is moving too fast with a man she hardly knows. Gia convinces Abby to meet her and her brother Benny on a vacation to see the Northern Lights but Gia never shows. Benny and Gia start the hunt to find Gia and pray they will find her alive.

This book was a fast read as it keeps your attention and you want to see what is happening next. Most of the book goes back and forth from present day to Gia's Manuscript; which is detailing the events that happened to her until she disappears. Throughout the entire book I feel sorry for Gia as she just wants to have someone to love her and be happy. What happens between Gia and her husband is twisted and crazy. Most of the book I felt I was predicting what would happen but the ending did surprise me. It definitely took a different turn and I was a little jaw dropped. The only issue I had with the end of this book is that a lot of questions were left open ended. I know authors don't always wrap things up with a neat bow, but I felt some things could have been answered and still had a bit of a cliffhanger.

I will be on the look out for more books from Katherine Wood as she is a talented writer that knows how to keep a readers attention.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I tried to read Ladykiller a few times and I feel like the writing just isn’t for me. I loved the synopsis but I couldn’t get into it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Though the author gives plenty away with multiple references to Patricia Highsmith, from the epigraph to character names to mentions of Talented Mr. Ripley (and multiple plot points lifted straight from TMR), the novel is loads of fun. It works both as an homage, and as a standalone for someone who hasn't read Highsmith. And I kept wondering who was going to ultimately be the stand-in for Ripley--Emilia and Timeo, Abby herself? A very fun page-turner.

⭐3/5
Not a romance, but some explicit content
➡ Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were young girls, when Abby's mother became the personal chef for Gia's wealthy family. Bound together by a complicated history that includes a horrible crime that took place when they were eighteen, the girls have slowly drifted apart throughout their twenties, with Abby attending law school and Gia publishing a memoir about the scandalous crime of their past.

Now, as Gia's thirtieth birthday approaches, she yearns to reconnect with her best friend without the presence of her commanding new husband and plans an all-expense paid trip for them to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing the Northern Lights. But when Abby arrives in Sweden with Gia's brother Benny in tow, Gia is nowhere to be found. To find Gia, they'll have to embark on a journey back to Greece, where the secrets of their past lay dormant. Can she and Benny look beyond Gia's sinister romance and twisty secrets to find her before it's too late or will the secrets of their past come back to haunt them?
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🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, Bantam Books and Katherine Wood for the advanced copy of Ladykiller. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: The web of relationships in this book was fascinating and racy. The story was told in dual POV with one perspective being a memoir manuscript (so you're not actually sure what's true and what's been exaggerated) and the other being relayed in real-time by Abby, Gia's long-time best friend. There are several exotic settings that are described in detail and an entangling of romantic connections between several characters that builds a huge anticipatory motive for revenge. Despite feeling immense frustration towards the end of the book, I was curious enough to finish it. I just wish there could have been more of a resolution.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I was initially hooked by the complicated character relationships and Greek island setting of this book up and was compelled by the storyline until about 80% of the way through when I started feeling like I was being left with more questions than I was getting answers to. By 90% of the way in, I realized it was unlikely I was going to get any questions answered and by the end, I was just left completely frustrated that there was no true revelations or resolutions. The best part of a thriller is the way the plot slowly unwinds until you're left reeling from the knowledge of what actually happened. In Ladykiller, everything is speculation. While there are some reveals, readers never get firm answers as to what crimes were actually committed and who committed them- it was all just a winding story with creative narrators. There were multiple storylines that led nowhere (I'm still not sure what the point of the Sweden trip was) and and I was left feeling like I just went on an epic journey just to end up back at my starting point in terms of knowledge.
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Read if you love:
* thrillers set on remote Greek islands
* Greek mythology & classic literature references
* mysteries from different time periods that are tied together
*complicated romantic entanglings with multiple couples
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See also: The Fury, The Girls, The Heiress