Member Reviews
I absolutely loved this book! It was a quick read and kept me guessing up until the end! It captivated me from the start and I found myself wanting to read it at any spare time that I got. Highly recommend if you are into psychological thrillers and endings leaving you thinking so what really happened…like in Colleen Hoover’s Verity and Lisa Jewell’s None Of This Is True. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review.
Nice story, but kind of a slow start. It got more interesting as I got further into it. Fun concept, I kind of pictured it as a movie.
Good book. I liked this book. It was a slow start for me but it did pick up and I enjoyed it in the end. I would recommend it to my friends.
This book surprised me. It’s a journey through lifelong friendships and what happens when you really don’t know each other as well as you thought you did.
Abby and Gia were the typical “opposites attract” friendship. Gia was from a wealthy family and given every opportunity in life, and Abby was raised by a single mother who barely scraped by. But they were inseparable as teens, even being tangled up in a tragic accident and then scrutiny by the police. After spending that fateful summer in Greece with Gia, Abby returns home to the states, but she and Gia have a minor falling out when Gia becomes engaged to a man she barely knows. After not speaking for ages, Abby decides to meet Gia in Switzerland, but Gia never shows up. This is where the story really takes hold. Is Abby right about this new husband? Why would Gia disappear?
There is plenty of angst and suspense, especially later in the book. The descriptions of Greece are so lovely, and the characters are exactly how you imagine a wealthy family to be. If you love a great mystery/thriller, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC.
A twisty book, where it was impossible to know who to trust. Well, even more so - it was really impossible to trust anyone. The influencer, rich life-style was pretty interesting, and I'd love to see the Greek island this is set on (although I'd just be a poor tourist). I hate to say much about the plot, because I'm sure I'd spoil something. It was difficult to like any of the characters, but it sure did keep me wondering.
Ladykiller by Katherine Wood is a definite page turner. Great character and plot development. Two high school friends plan to meet for a birthday reunion weekend, but one disappears. Her story is told through the book manuscript she was writing. But what is true and what are lies. Amazing ending! . The descriptions of the Greek countryside is like a beautiful travel guide.
The aspect I loved most about this book was that every character was suspicious, right from the start. It kept me on my toes and made me want to keep reading to see how it would unfold. However, the pace overall was slower than I would have liked and it discouraged me from rating this higher. I expected a bit more from Abby's point of view, especially since I enjoyed that side of the story more than Gia's manuscript.
50-70% of the book definitely picked up the pace and redeemed itself for me. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but it wasn't as much of a thriller as I would have expected based off of the description.
This thriller had me at the edge of my seat with some cold sweats. I just had to know what happened and kept flipping the page. I was so invested and flew through this book.
Katherine Wood killed it with this book!! I could not put it down!! I love all the second guessing of what was going on, the characters, the story lines, just everything!!
This thriller had a good, slow buildup of tension. I liked the back and forth between Gia's fiction/memoir that was unreliable and Abby's pov as she discovered her friend missing and attempted to figure out what was going on. Much of this book is set on a beautiful Greek island, making it a good beach read. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
This was not my favorite book. There were too many twist til the end when it did not quite read as a good ending.
I almost made it to Greece during the beginning of the pandemic. But it was not in the cards for me at the time. Borders shut down a day after we arrived in our layover city and we had to high-tail it back to the states. 𝙇𝙖𝙙𝙮𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 by 𝙆𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙 really gave me serious FOMO.
Gia, an heiress and her long time best friend Abby were inseparable in their teens. But now, as adults, they've become estranged, living completely different lives. Gia is a party girl with too much money, and too little time. While Abby, who is from a much less fortunate upbringing, went to law school with the aid of Gia's family, is just starting her career as an attorney. With an invite from Gia to celebrate her birthday in Sweden, Abby is eager to reconnect. But once Abby and Gia's brother (Benny) get to the uniquely beautiful resort in Sweden and find Gia is not there, nor is she answering her phone, they become suspicious. Gia, would never miss a party, especially one that celebrates her. Worried about Gia, Abby and Benny fly to Greece to find that Gia's estate is eerily deserted. The only clue they have to finding Gia is through an unfinished manuscript of Gia's describing the events leading up to her disappearance. Ladykiller is written from both Abby's current perspective and Gia's manuscript. In Gia's manuscript we find out the truth about Gia's marriage to Garrett, a man she's only known a few months, and their mysterious house guests whom they'd just met.
I enjoyed most of the book, particularly Abby's POV. She is much more relatable and her chapters more straight to the point, as she and Benny try to find Gia. Gia's manuscript takes up most of the middle of the book giving us a deeper look into the lifestyle she lives. It's extravagant, indulgent and carefree. There are sharp twists and turns as the mystery unravels, but I was left feeling more tangled up with the loose ending. Although I was left feeling unsatisfied, I did still enjoy the book. It was very well written and transported me to places and a lifestyle I had not yet (or ever will) experience.
Where is Gia? What has happened to her? And who are these new people she's invited into her life?
Thank you @NetGalley @penguinrandomhouse and @bantambooksuk for the ARC pre-approval. Ladykiller out July 9, 2024.
#NetGalley #PenguinRandomHouse #BantamBooks
Thank you to Netgalley, the Publishes Random House Publishing and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-ARC early.
I was exited to read this novel and really enjoyed the first 1/3 of the story. Gia, a wealthy heiress invites her brother and her best friend Abby to view the Northern Lights in Sweden for her birthday. When she doesn't show up, the two set out for Greece where she is staying at her father's house, which she has inherited. As Gia recently married after a whirlwind courtship, the two are concerned for Gia's safety. Can they find her in time?
I started off really enjoying the novel as I felt the first chapter really set the scene with it's acidic wit, but unfortunately after a few hundred pages my interest started to wane. The last part of the book bored and confused me at the same time. The ending was confusing but not in a cliff hanger type of way.
This book was a fantastic thriller that had so many twists and turns it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Gia is a wealthy heiress who wants to celebrate her birthday with her best friends from childhood (Abby) and her brother (Benny) at a remote hotel to watch the northern lights. Only Gia doesn’t turn up for the trip and Abby and Benny learn Gia’s new marriage wasn’t all roses and sunshine played out on a Greek island. The books goes between Abby’s current accounts of what is happening the Gia’s unpublished memoirs of her life leading up to her disappearance. I loved how the author seamless blended together the current and past events along with all the characters in the story. I could not wait to see how she wrapped up the book and I was not disappointed with the ending!
Ladykiller by Katherine Wood started out a little slow for me but once it picked up, I was hooked.
Ladykiller is about two friends - Gia and Abby - who have been best friends since they were kids. Gia comes from a wealthy family and she and Abby met when Abby's mother began working for the family as their cook. Gia's family has helped put Abby through college and has financially supported other endeavors. When Abby and Gia are both 18, they go through something really traumatic together at Gia's family's home in Greece. Gia goes on to write a powerful memoir about the ordeal, while Abby stays away from the family estate for 12 years. Gia is getting ready to sell the family estate after her father dies, but when Abby and Gia's brother Benny receive weird messages from her, they return to the estate to look for Gia. The estate is deserted and Gia is missing. Can they find her and figure out what happened? This is really where the twists and turns hit you hard!
I thought the book was a little drawn out in the early chapters, and in a few spots later on, but the twists and turns made up for that. I am often pretty quick to guess a twist or even an outcome of a book like this...but it's safe to say author Katherine Wood had me beat on most of this, which is great news!
Wood's descriptions of the landscape - in Greece and Switzerland - were mesmerizing and really made me feel like I was right there with Gia, Abby and Benny.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is the sort of story I longed for for the longest time. It had everything in it. The characters were the best part. I could tell the author put a lot of effort in to the characters.
Book Title: Ladykiller
Author: Katherine Woods
Publisher: Random House Pushing Group –Ballantine Bantam
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
My Rating: 2.5 Stars
Pages 368
Anyone who views this cover surely is thinking – take me with you to Greece’
Oops – unfortunately turned out not be 'my' type of paradise- some nasty things going on.
Story starts - Abby and Gia are close friends but from two completely difference backgrounds,-Gia, a wealthy heiress, and Abby, the daughter of the chef for Gia’s family.
Gia’s father recognizes how close they are and actually pays for Gia’s education.
Twelve years later Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in Greece come September beneath the Northern Lights,
Only, when Abby and Benny – Gia’s brother arrive, they find the beachfront estate empty and only Gia’s Manuscript aka memoir. Gia writes detailed descriptions of the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth and dirty secrets of the guests they entertained. Yes! Rich people behaving badly.
It’s also a story filled with sensuality, seduction, and of course sex!
The vivid descriptions of some of the sexual encounters had me checking if the genre was listed as ‘Erotica’
No one listed it as such!
I was curious as to what happened to Gia. I am sure there was a story beneath it all – perhaps it was made clear in the parts I skipped
. I did laugh out loud when Gia’s book was released and one critic described
‘Gia’s a sexy, sailor-mouthed heroine for modern times and unashamed to put herself first’.
Yes!! The cover had me but unfortunately this didn’t work for me.
Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Bantam for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 9, 2024.
Thanks @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC of LadyKiller by @thekatwritesbooks in exchange for an honest review!
📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 The allure of Greece runs deep. Gia and Abby, friends since childhood, encountered an unthinkable tragedy at the age of eighteen in this Mediterranean paradise. As their lives move past this, the trauma resonates and leaves a lasting imprint. As Gia, the heiress, approaches her thirtieth birthday, hope abounds for the new decade ahead until she mysteriously disappears and Abby and her new husband search desperately for the clues to find her. Ladykiller is a stunning and masterfully written thriller that will leave you holding on until the very end! A reminder that under the allure of amazing destinations, wealth, and seeming to have it all, vulnerability and trauma affects all of us…and nothing in life is certain! What really happened?!?
Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram soon!
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.