Ladykiller by Katherine Wood is a mystery thriller is set against the backdrop of a Greek beach estate and a Swedish getaway. The novel follows the intertwined fates of heiress Gia and her friend Abby. The narrative unfolds through a dual perspective, alternating between Gia's compelling manuscript chronicling her tumultuous summer in Greece and Abby's perspective as she embarks on a journey to reunite with her friend in Sweden one month later. As the story progresses, tensions escalate with Gia's enigmatic guests, Abby's unsettling encounters with threatening emails, and the unexplained absence of the heiress herself at their Swedish vacation.
Overall, Ladykiller offers a richly atmospheric experience, immersing readers in a world of glamour and danger. While the narrative initially unfolds at a leisurely pace and there were quite a few spicy scenes (I personally am not a fan of these but if you like spice then this should be a plus), I powered through and once we got to the more thrilling aspects of the story, I was hooked. This was a fun read that I read in a few sittings, an easy book that was personally a good escape for me.
Thanks so much Netgalley, Bantam, and Random House for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

LadyKiller by Kathleen Wood

Was Gia’s story fantasy or truth?
Was Abby truthful or not?
Was Garrett a lover or a con man?
And what about Emelia, Timeo and Dimitrois?
Kathleen Wood leaves the reader to decide what is fact and fiction.

inside the covers of LADYKILLER is a story of love, secrets and unanswered questions. And the setting was perfect..Greece in all it’s glory. Breathtaking descriptions! I definitely could feel the splash of water against my feet; my toes sinking into the beach sand and the wind blowing through my hair. Kudos to Kathleen Wood for that!

The writing was smooth, the chapters flowed from one to the other in the their different voices. There was no doubt from the beginning of the story that Gia may not be all we think she is. A little to self-serving. The Abby chapters seemed to be better constructed. Maybe the author was trying to portray a chaotic Gia. If so, she certainly accomplished that.

i did enjoy the book. Sometimes it drove me crazy with unanswered questions. Definitely full of twists and turns. I think the ending is a perfect set up for a sequel. Not everyone is going to like this story but I found it refreshing because unlike other mysteries it was difficult to find answers.

i would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Group-Ballantine for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book.

Still don’t know if I like this book. Enjoyed the location descriptions. Felt the whole story was over the top and didn’t give sufficient explanations of the outcomes.

Wow - this book was a doozy - my mind is still reeling from all of the twists, turns, and subterfuge. What a fun story! Ladykiller takes us into the world of the global elite, as Gia, a privileged young woman with a complicated past gives us insight into her life through her memoir - at the same time, we see things through the perspective of her best friend, Abby, the family chef's daughter who was gifted similar privileges. Between the two of them, the story takes several surprising twists, leaving the reader unsure of who to trust. SUCH a great, intriguing story - I can't wait to read whatever comes next for Katherine Wood!

Twisty goodness with an ending that'll keep you thinking.

This is an author to follow! ⭐️✨🌟✨⭐️

5 stars

I really wish I could give 1/2 stars because this book was better than a 4 but not quite a 5 for me. It was a little slow to get into because I didn't find the main character to be particularly likable, but past the first few chapters, I was intrigued.

Ladykiller is about Gia and her best friend Abby. Gia is the spoiled little rich girl, now an adult, and Abby, the poor best friend. Because Abby was a good influence on Gia, Gia's family paid for Abby to go to school with Gia and basically grow up together. Benny is Gia's younger brother who also factors in. As young adults, a violent crime occurred, and Gia wrote a book about it. Gia and Abby share many life experiences, but their approaches to life are different.

The book starts when Gia's dad dies. Gia has impetuously married and is documenting her life, including her relationship with her husband and newfound friends. She and Abby aren't as close as they once were, and Gia invites Abby and Benny to meet with her to experience the Northern Lights in Sweden. Abby sees this as an olive branch and agrees to meet, interested in spending time with Benny as well. As Abby leaves town, however, she receives an ominous email that she thinks is tied to the past and to the version of events around the violent incident in their past. Abby has been in conflict about how Gia portrayed the incident, what she owes Gia's family for her upbringing, and her own memories and understanding of events.

Most of the book is building to the conflict, telling the story of Gia's life. When Benny and Abby arrive at the planned destination, Gia doesn't show up and there are several questionable things happening. With Gia's impulsive life and unreliable actions, they question whether something has happened to her or if this is just Gia being Gia. When they go looking for her at the Greece home, they find the manuscript where she's been documenting her life and it adds more questions. Is she in danger? Is she dead? Is it all fiction?

Ladykiller was interesting, and while I couldn't identify with the wealthy and jet setting life, Katherine Wood does an excellent job with the details and motivation. Once Abby's version of past and current events are evident, you're left wondering whether Gia's version of events can be trusted. Is she the manipulator or is she being manipulated? The best part of the book was in revealing the strands of truth and fiction at the end, and how the different characters fit in.

Be aware that it is not a clear-cut ending and there are provocative and sexual situations.

My thanks to NetGalley, Katherine Wood, and Bantam for the ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Picture this: Greece in the summer, intense romance, skinny-dipping and G&Ts. What more can you need? Mix in a mischievous past and some murder mystery and you've got Ladykiller!

This book was a trip! I typically don't enjoy unreliable narrators, but I think it worked so well in this book! I'm also a sucker for characters that are willing to go a little crazy in order to achieve what they want (think Verity, The Housemaid, Every Last Secret). From the very beginning I was entranced by the multiple POVs, dark past, hidden secrets and of course the setting! This was the perfect spring break read and I think will be a hit for readers this summer!

If you're into page-turning thrillers full of non-stop drama, then this will be right up your alley!

“Ladykiller” takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level in this psychological thriller about two best friends traumatized by an incident that happened when they were 18, while spending the summer on a Greek estate. Gia and Abby have been best friends since childhood. Gia comes from an extremely wealthy family whose father paid for Abby’s college and law school education. Abby, Gia and Gia’s brother Benny spent idyllic summers on a Greek estate owned by Gia’s family, until the summer when Gia and Abby were 18 and Gia killed Gia’s stalker while he was in the process of sexually assaulting Abby. Gia processed the trauma by writing a famous memoir detailing the events of that fateful night. Despite years of therapy, Abby is still haunted by that night and a secret that she carries.

Abby and Gia stayed friends throughout their twenties until they had a falling out when Abby warned Gia not to go through with her last minute wedding to Garrett, a man she only knew for a few months. Abby begs off attending the wedding, citing work obligations, which adds to Gia’s resentment.

All appears to be forgiven when Gia invites Abby to join her and Benny at a luxurious hotel in Sweden to celebrate Gia’s 30th birthday. However, when Benny and Abby arrive in Sweden, Gia does not appear and doesn’t immediately respond to texts or calls. Benny and Abby begin to worry that something has happened to Gia, particularly when Benny recounts the days he spent with Abby at the Greek estate the previous month, where he sensed tension between her and Garrett and had suspicions of a strange couple who took up residence at the estate with Gia and Garrett.

Interspersed with Abby’s narrative are sections of a manuscript written by Gia, recounting her time at the Greek estate where she is renovating it in preparation for sale to her stepmother. Gia’s father had died, leaving the bulk of his estate to charity, with the exception of select properties, which he left to each of his children. Gia inherited the Greek estate, which she needs to sell to finance the lifestyle she has become accustomed to all her life. As she stresses over completing the renovations and getting the much needed money from the sale of the estate, she begins to suspect Garrett’s true motives for marrying her, as he starts to pressure her to lend him money to stave off the bankruptcy of his shipping company. In the meantime, Gia impulsively invites a couple she and Garrett met at a restaurant to live with them, after the couple indicated their yacht had broken down and was in the shop for repairs. However, as the days progress, Gia becomes suspicious of her husband and the couple, as no one seems to be who they claim.

As Abby and Benny try to find Gia, their fears for her safety growing, Abby begins to wonder if Gia is who she seems to be and if she really is in danger. The tension ratchets up as Abby and Benny search for Gia and the truth of both that long ago summer and the current events surrounding Gia, Garrett and the mysterious couple are called into question. Readers will find it hard to put down this twisty thriller with its complex characters and intricate plot where none of the narrators can be trusted to tell the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a page turner, and kept me wanting to know more. I wish we could do half stars, as I'm not a huge fan of cliffhanger endings...I need closure! Otherwise, a great book! I loved to hate all the characters, and just when I thought I knew what was going on, a twist comes along and blows up my thoughts!

Thank you to Katherine Wood, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Netgalley for this e-ARC.

DNF @ 33%. I tried to get into this slow burning thriller, but ultimately, it just wasn't for me. I was waiting for that twist and major thrills to draw me in, and it just never came. I also was just having a hard time with the vibe of Gia and Garrett's relationship, and I really wanted more Abby in the narrative. I will say that it was very well-written, and I know there are readers out there who are going to dig this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to give this one a try.

A bonafide page-turner! Fascinating characters, wealth, beautiful people in beautiful places. Intrigue for sure as well as romance, raw sex, liars and cheaters. Lots of secrets…. It is a great ride, enjoy!

This book sounded so good I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Unfortunately for me I felt myself a bit underwhelmed by it. I think the descriptions of the locations and scenery were beautifully done. I think the fact that none of the characters are likeable can be a good thing in books but I was a bit turned off in this one. I also don't hate the open ending. I'll end with saying this isn't a bad book but I found it to be kind of forgettable. Of course other readers will really like this one and if that is you, I'm glad for that.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and Katherine Wood for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic. It kept me on my toes, and not only was it unpredictable, even after finishing it, I’m not sure what to believe. It is full of suspense and romance, love and hate, sex and murder. I couldn’t put it down!

I simply hated the cliffhanger ending. This one didn’t have a consistent pace for me. Starts out great. Then boring for a while. Picks back up. Boring again. I like fast paced and an actual ending.

I really wanted to save this read for vacation, but the more it sat there, the more it begged to be read, and I am SO glad that I didn’t wait any longer. I loved this book so much, and I cannot wait to own a physical copy.

The setting alone is what pulled me in, the Greek Islands. How dreamy! The plot of the story was so strong. There were secrets, lies, and betrayal. Along with a dual POV, that led to a suspenseful build up. A slow burn of a thriller that was able to keep me captivated from page one.

A special thank you to Katherine Wood, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very clever, thrilling debut novel. I enjoyed all of the characters and the plot constantly kept me on my toes. Without spoiling anything, I do think that the overall ending of the story was a bit too open ended for my liking and felt a little rushed. With that being said, I still had a great time reading this and I think anyone looking for a book that will keep you second-guessing yourself to the very end should check this out!

Review Copy

LADYKILLER appeared to have it all - money, sex, promises of mystery and murder, but 26% ito the book all I got was the money and the teensiest bit of sex. And a whole lotta boredom. At that point there was no mystery, no murder, just a bunch of unrealistic activities amongst the players.

Now, I'm all about suspension of belief when reading fiction, I love horror after all, but this book really pushed me far beyond even my very loose limits.

If you have time to waste, and like to pretend to live large, maybe this is for you. As for me, I dnf at 26%

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Greece, “Ladykiller” takes the reader on an incredible journey where secrets, lies, and betrayal are the norm and a beautiful heiress suddenly goes missing. Left behind are the pages of her manuscript, which gives voice to the unfolding events leading up to her disappearance. Alternating between the pages of this manuscript with the POV of her best friend, the reader gains much insight into the present while a back story is slowly revealed. Then, just as the story pushes forward and a search begins in earnest, everything you thought you knew suddenly begins to unravel.

Boasting an intriguing premise and a strong start, I was drawn into this story right from the get-go. The further I delved, the more engaged I became, enjoying the slow, suspenseful buildup. That is, until I reached the 75% mark. That’s where the story started to fizzle out for me and continued to dim right up until its very ambiguous, open-ended conclusion. Still, it was an enjoyable read for the most part, but disappointingly, the final 25% of this book just fell a bit flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read the ARC!

First off, this cover is EVERYTHING. I would love to own a copy of this just for the cover alone. I also loved the setting, Greek islands, vacation vibes. This will be a fabulous summer read.

It did take me a little bit to get into it, but once I was invested, I flew through the story. I loved the alternating POVs between Abby and Gia. I don't mind a book that doesn't tie up all the strings in a perfect bow. I thought this was great.

I absolutely adore the cover and the title of this book. The grecian setting was amazing. The plot started out really strong but fell off about half way through. The ending felt open and I wanted it to end wrapped up in a nice package, bow included. That tends to be my preference for thrillers and others may enjoy the sudden twists and turns and open ended ending.