Abby spent many summers at the Greek island home of her bestie, Gia. As adults, though, they have grown apart, especially after Gia’s marriage to a man she barely knew. Abby is a hard working lawyer making her way up the ladder, while Gia seems to be as reckless as ever. Excited to reunite during a trip with Gia’s brother, Abby arrives but Gia is a no-show.

Gia’s “manuscript,” a copy of a book she is writing that is based on her life, tells the story of her summer with her new husband, the workers fixing up her family home in Greece, and some unexpected houseguests. Did their summer in paradise as newlyweds take a sinister turn?

Ladykiller was an easy book to dive right into. I was immediately hooked on the characters and their story. The mystery of what happened to Gia was multifaceted and opaque–I thought some of the character’s intentions were well alluded to, while others were not easily given away. In the middle, I was convinced Gia’s manuscript was actually the author’s diary of sexual fantasies and worried that I was reading something a bit more trashy than I typically read, but it ended up fitting so well with the character of Gia, who supposedly wrote it. Ladykiller came through in the end, leaving me pretty satisfied with the story while still wanting a little more.

As an avid reader always on the lookout for captivating mysteries, I was immediately drawn to the premise of this book. The blurb promised a thrilling journey as a best friend embarks on a desperate search for her missing friend. However, upon delving into the pages of this novel, I quickly realized that the description was somewhat misleading.

The narrative does indeed revolve around the search for a missing friend, but it constitutes only a fraction of the story. Instead of the gripping tale I anticipated, I found myself trudging through a plot that failed to maintain a consistent pace. The storyline felt disjointed, and I struggled to maintain my interest as I progressed.

One of the most glaring issues I encountered was the lack of character development. The protagonists felt shallow and underdeveloped, making it difficult to invest emotionally in their plight. Despite being physically connected, their relationships lacked depth and authenticity, leaving me disconnected from their experiences. The ending fell short of expectations; instead of a thrilling conclusion, I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.

I would like to express my gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What I truly love most about a debut novel is that I have zero expectations. I haven't read anything by the author, so I have nothing to compare it to. And more often than not, I wind up finding a new favorite author. Case in point -- Katherine Wood.

There were a few things I knew I would like based off of the description alone: exotic location, glamorous characters, teenage tragedy, and the promise of an unreliable narrator. Needless to say, I dove right in and didn't come up for air until I was done. I loved Wood's development of Gia and Abby over the course of their friendship, including the subtle fissures and cracks after the initial Greece tragedy. In fact, Wood creates the most unlikable character in Gia as time goes on, which was the perfect ending to her story. 10/10 recommend!

Real page-turner

This was an excellent read, one that had me avoiding needed projects so I could keep reading.

It is told in two viewpoints. The first is Abby's. She is an attorney raised by a single mother who worked as a personal chef for a wealthy family. The other's is Gia's. But Gia's is actually a manuscript that Gia writes that is supposedly autobiographical, but Gia lies. Gia is the daughter in the wealthy family. Abby and Gia were best friends for years, but their friendship ebbed and flowed once they hit college age. Now 12 years after a seminal event, Gia is newly married and wants a reunion with Abby and Gia's brother Benny.

There is lots of intrigue. You pretty much know that Gia's new husband and the wealthy couple that they befriend are bad news. But are they? Could Gia be the problem? Benny? Abby?

The book didn't have any weird twist at the end that made it unbelievable. It was a solid read that I really enjoyed.

When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were girls, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. In the aftermath, bookish Abby threw herself into her studies while heiress Gia chronicled the events of that fateful summer in a salacious memoir.

Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece for the summer with her shiny new husband and a motley crew of glamorous guests, preparing to sell the family estate in the wake of her father’s death. When Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in September beneath the Northern Lights, she’s thrilled to be granted the time off from her high-pressure job. But the day of her flight, she receives a mysterious, threatening email in her inbox, and when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the Swedish resort, Gia isn’t there. After days of cryptic messages and unanswered calls, Abby and Benny are worried enough to fly to Greece to check on her.

Only, when they arrive, they find Gia’s beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts a manuscript she wrote detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth about Gia’s provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of the guests they entertained with fizzy champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun. As tensions rise, Gia feels less and less safe in her own home. But the pages end abruptly, leaving Abby and Benny with more questions than answers.

Where is Gia now? And, more importantly, will they find her before it’s too late?

3.5 stars!

I have mixed feelings. This book wasn't my favorite but it also wasn't bad. I loved the cover and that it was in the Greek Islands. The beginning was a little slow for me but still enjoyable. This was twisty and left me with the question I think everyone who has read this is asking; IS SHE A KILLER???

i received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, I found this novel a bit predictable and I wasn't urged to read it nonstop, but overall still an enjoyable read. This very much had me wanting to lie on a beach in beautiful Greece though!

Amid the beautiful background of Greece and Sweden, author Katherine Wood gives us a real mystery in Ladykiller..
Right from the beginning it grabbed my interest and kept it as the story unfolded. Wood has created interesting characters and a smooth plot to keep me guessing.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Abby, takes her first vacation in some time from her busy work life as an attorney, to meet up with her best friend and heiress Gia, and Gia’s brother, Benny. However, Gia never shows for the vacation across the Atlantic and Abby and Benny cannot seem to get ahold of her, and thus the search is on.

Told in two dual perspectives, from Abby and Gia (but from a manuscript she is writing). A fun, thrilling read with lots of twists and turns.

I was sent an advance e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, so I thought I'd give it a try, hoping for something with some fun twists and excited about the Greek island setting - it's billed as a story about two best friends bonded by a tragedy when they were 18, and now 12 years later there's some funny business going on with one of them. She seems to be missing, and secrets will out... I usually like this kind of twisty read, and I like a con artist read too, which was definitely an element of this one, but the overall experience was feeling like I was reading something that I had read before (similar but better rich young people behaving badly con artist book: Janelle Brown's Pretty Things). Nothing struck me as fresh and new, the characters were rather shallow, and I was not a fan of the book-within-a-book construct that was used to tell one of the character's stories through a "memoir" that was predictably manipulative in content. I think a reader could get beyond some of the implausibility and loose ends, but the clear drive of this one character to be salacious and provocative REALLY was not for me. The talk of threesomes and skinny dipping and more ranged from uninteresting to off-putting for me.

Gosh I loved this one as much as THE LION'S DEN and that is SAYING SOMETHING!!! I absolutely adore books set in Greece and this one did not let me down. I wanted a bottle of mythos and a greek salad while reading this unputdownable, twisty thriller. And WOW did the ending get me all riled up!!

Starting with the good, this book has atmosphere for days. The Greek islands and mountains of Sweden will make you want to book a plane ticket asap. Beyond that this book was a slow build to nowhere, ending with more questions than answers. If you like your thrillers to come full circle and all loose ends to be wrapped up in a pretty bow, this isn’t it.

Loved loved loved this book!!!! This was a great read and I could not put it down! I think the story also being told from Gias manuscript definitely added another dimension to the story. Beautiful setting-I actually could visualize being there. I enjoyed all the characters and think the storyline was really well developed and beautifully written. Definitely one of my favorite books. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Katherine Wood for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book! Hoping there is a sequel……….⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Bantam Dell for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

PHEW what a read!!! I was invested in this one from the moment it started. A mystery/thriller that is PERFECT for a beach or hanging out by the water read. I mean the main setting is in Greece so while you're outside you can just imagine that you're living your best life there. You'll meet Abby, Benny, and Gia as the main characters in this book but more so Abby and Gia since they are long time best friends.

The story starts off with an introduction to Abby's lifestyle and how her relationship with Gia has started to become ehhh due to adulting. Abby and Gia have a history, not only are they childhood best friends but both were involved in a tragedy. So fast forward about 12 years and Gia invites her brother (Benny) and Abby to celebrate her birthday only she's nowhere to be found. So of course both of them start to become suspicious and there goes the hunt for Gia.

HOWEVER there's so much more to the story than just Gia going missing. Gia married her husband after a short time (3 months) and there's more than what meets the eye to her new husband. The book is separated into Gia's manuscript (her perspective from the book she's writing), Gia, and Abby. I highly recommend if you're looking for a twisty, fast-paced thriller that leaves you perplexed and wondering what the heck is going on (in a good way). What was holding me back from the full 5 stars was the lack of explanation so in a way you're left with a cliffhanger but not really more so your on interpretation of what happened. I like to know exact facts!!

Overall, WHAT a captivating setting, well-crafted characters, and fast-paced plot. I will be recommending this book to my friends as soon as it's out and I'm so excited to hear about their reactions.

Lifelong best friends Gia and Abby have been adrift lately after Gia married Garrett a month into their relationship shortly after Gia's wealthy father passed away. Abby was gifted education and opportunity by Gia's family as the daughter of their beloved cook, but now a lawyer she couldn't just jet off to Denmark for the impromptu wedding and wouldn't have even if she could. Set mostly on a gorgeous island in Greece where Gia and Garrett are preparing to sell the estate she inherited, their honeymoon phase takes dark and twisty turn when a young wealthy couple arrives in the local cafe, stranded due to yacht issues, and Gia invites them to crash at the estate. Later, when a getaway to Sweden for a Northern Lights viewing trip for Gia's birthday with her brother Benny and Abby goes awry, the past comes racing back. When I hit about the halfway point I was thinking it was wrapping up until I checked the page count, but wow the second half really takes you on a wild ride and makes you question everything. The conclusion was ambiguous enough that while it wasn't necessarily a cliff hanger, it could definitely be setting up a sequel. Which I would read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher,
Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for this book.

Enjoyed the plot, characters and beautiful setting. I felt they were all suburply done. The story moved along sluggishly in the beginning, but I soon found myself immersed in the story. I was continuously looking for clus and eager to find out what was going to be revealed next.

The finale will forever having me questioning???

Highly recommend.

I loved this book! It was the perfect escape for the cold January I read it in. The descriptions of the Greek isles were so on point. Throw in twists and turns that you don’t necessarily see coming and it’s the perfect beach read. Or fireplace read in my case.

Both Gia and Abby were characters I cared about. Gia married Garrett very quickly, much to Abby’s consternation. The fact that Gia is an heiress plays into her worry as well. Add in a suspicious death years ago when both girls were teenagers, and a couple who just appear out of no where and stay w Gia and Garrett at their home. Are they who they say they are?

Recommended for all public libraries.

Read this book with my bookclub and we all really enjoyed it! I personally loved the first half of this book, rich people behaving badly, however towards the end it just got repetitive and I just didn't love the ending. I do love this author and will continue reading everything she writes.

Not the best, but not the worst book I have read. This is definitely a slow-burn thriller/mystery. The beginning was good, but as the story went on I cared less and less. I'm also not a big fan or open endings so that also is skewing y rating I think.

I have always loved books that have your mind set, thinking one way and one way only, and then before you know it, you are thrown so far off course. This story was delivered with perfection. The setting was in beautiful, exotic locations thoroughly detailed, allowing the reader to fully see everything in their head as they're going. Each character, whether they were likable or so highly despised, were so well written and developed, making the reader care that much more about the outcome of the story. Then, there is the story within a story in the form of a manuscript to top off this meticulously written novel. This was a great, well-paced, brilliantly executed story that I absolutely recommend to my fellow readers. Four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC.

From the beginning I was hooked! It's hard to put down a book when you truly don't trust anyone. I loved all the placed they visited and their long friendship. It was a combination of a thriller and a mystery.