Ladykiller is a suspense / psychological thriller that reminds me of a cross between Talented Mr. Ripley and Gone Girl. Like other reviewers before me, it took until I was about halfway through before I was completely invested in the outcome. This book had copious (largely unnecessary) amounts of graphic sexual content including disturbing and violent encounters.

Told from two perspectives and two timelines, the story does move slowly in the beginning. Best friends Abby and Gia haven’t seen a lot of each other in quite some time. It’s clear some kind of tragedy occurred some 13 years prior and things hadn’t been the same since. In a bid to rekindle a strained friendship, the two (plus Gia’s brother, Benny) make plans to go to Sweden to view the Aurora Borealis for Gia’s 30th birthday. When the birthday girl is a no show, Abby and Benny become concerned and find themselves returning to Greece where it all began and hoping it isn’t too late to save Gia’s life.

Outside of the explicit content, which I didn’t care for nor did it add anything of value to the plot line, this book was a fun thriller to read on a cold weekend in winter when you’re dreaming of a Mediterranean island getaway… that being said, fair warning, this book does leave the reader with a fair amount of questions. It does not resolve the dissonance, but then again, it is a psychological thriller.

I’d like to thank Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wild ride this book was! This one is going down as one of my favorite thrillers as well as her first book, The Lion’s Den.

She can quickly captivate you with her characters. The storylines are rich and intriguing. They are also so unique!

This one was a crazy ride and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. The ending was perfection!

Huge thanks to Netgalley!

Wow this was one of those great stories when you had to read the next page to see what was going to happen next. Had me on the edge of my seat quite a few times.

Ladykiller is a compelling read, written with complex characters and luxurious settings. The Greek Isles and its culture drew me into the story centered around Gia, the central character. Gia is young and consistently impulsive, a trait that shapes her life, and rarely for the better. She's self-absorbed, promiscuous, and yet vulnerable. Her friend, Abby, is the more stable character who tries to tame Gia's impulsiveness, but rarely succeeds. This imbalance remains at the heart of the story. The alternating POV between the women deepens our understanding of both and this reviewer found them almost equally empathetic. The pacing of this novel is terrific, and the story never lags. It's often exciting, sometimes heart wrenching, but always interesting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Gia and Abby have been childhood friends, although they come from totally different backgrounds. Gia is spoiled, rich and entitled. Abby is from a poor, single parent family whose mother works as Gia's maid. It is an unusual friendship and it is complicated by a incident that happened in their youth.
Ladykiller by Katherine Wood has a beautiful, opulent Greek setting with fabulous wealthy characters. Unfortunately I hated all of them. The story was slow and at times tedious, with massive amounts of gratuitous sexual activities thrown in, in an attempt to keep you interested. However, it just bored and annoyed me as I am not interested in the sex life of the rich and famous. The friendship between Gia and Abby never made sense to me either. The plot device of switching between Abby's point of view and Gia's manuscript also made it hard to keep interested as neither character felt real, yet both characters seemed entirely too naive. I kept reading the story to see what the big mystery was and ultimately it was disappointing to me.
You may like the beautiful scenic landscapes. You may like the sexual exploits of the characters. You may also like the duplicitous behavior of the characters and the twist of the story. It just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine and Bantam for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Abby and Gia have been best friends since they were teenagers. Abby's mom worked for Gia's rich family. Gia's family loved Abby and took her under their wing. Gia's brother, Benny, is also a main character and love interest for Abby. The story takes place in the present day when Benny, Gia and Abby are all going to see the Northern Lights for Gia's birthday. The 3 of them haven't been together in many years. Gia has just had a whirlwind romance which ended in marriage to Garrett. The book goes back and forth between 2 main storylines: Gia's manuscript which is a timeline of "real" recent events and Abby's storyline in which she and Benny have arrived at the meet up but Gia is no where to be found. As we read we find out that Gia and Abby have had a traumatic event in the past that wasn't all that it seemed. Abby and Gia have secrets that are unraveled as the stories unfold. Has Gia been kidnapped by her new husband or is there more to this story? I enjoyed the book and the characters pulled me in. The middle of it got a little slow but the end had many twists and turns that were good. I wasn't thrilled with how it ended because there were too many loose ends that weren't tied up for my taste. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I really don’t know how to rate this one. There were elements of the book I throughly enjoyed and others I felt were just “meh” for me.

I’ll start with the good: the book is so hard to put down; I finished it in a day and I didn’t even pick the book up until the afternoon. Woods writing is pretty straightforward but pay attention to her word choices because she clues you in on the plot early on. If you like looking for clues in your thrillers you’ll love this one. And lastly, she really didn’t throw in a lot of “red herrings”. Honestly, she was pretty straightforward with who the antagonists are if you pay attention but it’s not overly noticeable so you still get a decent twist at the end of the book.

Now for the bad: Sex is a pretty strong theme in this book. I am not opposed to sex in books at all but with the amount in this book it’s hard to believe anyone accomplished a crime at all. And sometimes it felt like the sex was used as a ploy rather than a natural part of the plot. Second, the shift between present POV and manuscript was a little confusing at times because one happened months ago and the other was present but they didn’t fully relate to each other so I felt like I was constantly having to remember where in the timeline I was.

I would say a solid 3.5 star book. It comes out in July so a great choice for a day at the beach.

What a twisty intense mess! I was intrigued the whole way through.

Although a few more predictable plot points, I didn’t see the ending coming!

I flew through this book - I was rooting for the protagonist and the brother the whole way through. The con artists were a nice touch as well, and the setting was perfect.

I’ve read this authors other books and didn’t realize she changed her pen name! Loved the setting and the characters, a little windy in building suspense but overall enjoyed it.

Now, any book that begins with a cheetah eating a warthog has my undivided attention! This was a fast-paced story full of drama and suspense in a gorgeous setting. I say that last part because it may have been my favorite part of the story. Excellent descriptions of the surroundings! Abby travels to Greece to visit her friend Gia and Gia's brother Benny. When she arrives, Gia is gone. Gia was also newly married to a shady guy who Abby and Benny were both against Gia marrying. The story is told from both Abby's and Gia's POV and I didn't really like either one of them, but the story still held my attention. It was a bit predictable, but that wasn't an issue. The ending did leave me with a few questions, but overall, a fun read. It's like a vacation without leaving the house! I look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Katherine Wood and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. This is my second NetGalley book in a row to which I have given 5 stars and also felt that the title does not really match the book! I loved the vivid descriptions of the Greek island - the food, the house, the hot men speaking broken English. And I tend to be a fan of books about friends through the years, so I enjoyed reading about the evolution of Gia & Abby's friendship. Toward the end, I started to suspect one of the characters whom I really did not want to suspect. I assume the author wanted us to suspect this person to increase the suspens,e but I am glad ultimately it didn't go in that direction. As others have said, the ending is ambiguous. I usually hate that but for some reason it did not bother me as much with this book. How about a sequel???

Meh.

The story is split with 1) Gia's manuscript, 2) Abby in the present, and 3) Abby in the past. There wasn't enough of a voice difference between Gia and Abby, and I sometimes had to go back to see who was narrating this chapter.

11 (?) years ago, Gia saved Abby from a rapist and murdered him. Gia then published a book that went through what happened. Abby said that her memory was substantially different than Gia's book, but Abby kept quiet. Fast forward to the present, Gia is supposed to meet Abby and Gia's brother Benny in Norway, but she Gia never shows. Abby and Benny go to Greece, where Gia last was, and find another manuscript (though we've been reading it throughout the book). I kept waiting for some big twist with the manuscript but it never really came. Some parts may not have been true, I guess, but it wasn't anything that made me go "WOW!"

The ending was ambiguous which did not work for me. We're left to wonder what really happened and I wanted a reveal. I have so many questions and I dislike when a book leaves me with this many questions.

The setting was beautiful and made me want to go to Norway and Greece. The author did a great job of describing that.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the advanced copy!

This was a fun summer thriller. I loved the setting in Greece and found it to be a fast and twisty read - while there are a few parts that are ultimately unresolved (some intentionally, others seemingly not), I still found it to be entertaining and it was a great plane read on my most recent trip!

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

Great mystery! Wonderfully written characters and intriguing plot twists.

This was a book about two friends Abby and Gia. When they were 18 years old a terrible thing happened to them. This book had a lot of potential, and I was looking forward to reading it. Thankfully the plot and story kept me so engrossed in what was happening that I lost track of time.
The author did a magnificent job of keeping me on the edge of my seat.
Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Wood for the ARC of Ladykiller. This is my personal review.

A perfect mystery for fans of Gone Girl and Silent Patient. Can you ever really trust the narrator? The story unfolds in two timelines from two different narrators and as people disappear and bodies start dropping, you never quite know who to trust.

📜Ladykiller
✍️Katherine Wood
📠Penguin Random House/ Ballantine
📚Mystery/Thriller, Fiction
🗓️Pub date: July 9, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @penguinrandomhouse for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨As long-term friends, Abby and Gia, struggle to put differences between them aside, they decide to try and mend their friendship by enjoying a trip to Sweden together.

✨Abby is to meet Gia and her brother, Benny, in Sweden, and when only Benny arrives, they have a sinking feeling something isn’t right. Hoping there’s been some miscommunication, they board a flight to a small island in Greece where Gia has been living a posh lifestyle with her new husband.

✨As Abby starts receiving threatening messages, exposing a disturbing past, she quickly realizes all is not as it seems to be.

✨Gia, a writer and the heiress of a small fortune, was working on a manuscript at the time of her disappearance. Once Abby starts to read it, she sees a darkness that unfolds and promises danger.

✨A provocative marriage, money problems, anger issues, and a mysterious couple staying with Gia and her husband hint to a recipe for a perfect disaster.

✨Sun-soaked sand and crystal clear waters brought me back to my time in the Greek Islands and I couldn’t get enough. Darting back and forth between Abby’s POV and Gia’s manuscript, Ladykiller is beautifully written and everything I could hope for in a vacation-themed thriller. It was a little long at times, but overall I loved this book!!

✨QOTD: Have you ever been to the Greek Islands? 🛥️🗺️🌴🌞🧿

#netgalley #ladykiller #katherinewood #ballantine #penguinrandomhouse #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ivegotbooks #killmewithwords #idratherbereading #qotd #thrillersandkillersofig #thiscovertho #greekislands #readthisnow #amazingbook #thrillersofgreece

This was a pretty fast and engaging read once I got into the meat of it.

The writing really made you feel like you were in Greece, and I had to go make hummus in the middle of reading the book because the characters were eating some. The story had good pacing, fun and distinct characters, and was an overall enjoyable read.

Several things peeved me enough to take me out of it though. First, the hedgehogs are always mentioned as out and about in the heat of the day, but hedgehogs are nocturnal? Second, the “twist” wasn’t all that twisty - you can see what’s happening pretty early on. I also wish there had been more to Abby’s story. Third, the ending fell especially flat for me. I was having a good time up until the last chapter or two.

Even with the above peeves, this was a breezy, summery read. Definitely worth it if you’re along for the ride more than the destination.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

My favorite part of Ladykiller by Katherine Wood is the opening. I love the omniscient, slightly wry writing of the first chapter. I mean how can you go wrong beginning a novel of friendship and secrets and betrayal with a cheetah devouring a warthog? Plus, the opening of Ladykiller really reminded me of the opening of The Group by Mary McCarthy that I loved in my youth–both novels presenting gatherings (a funeral and a wedding, respectively) to launch the dramatic events that follow.

Following the funeral in Ladykiller, the novel shifts to back-to-back chapters from Gia, an impetuous heiress, and Abby, her childhood friend. (Abby is supposed to meet Gia in Greece to celebrate Gia's birthday, but Gia mysteriously disappears.) Gia's chapters are in the form of a salacious manuscript that offers clues to her whereabouts. Abby's chapters focus on Abby's search for her missing friend. The author does a good job of juxtaposing the viewpoints, ratcheting up the tension in both Gia's manuscript and Abby's attempts to find and rescue her friend, accompanied by Gia's brother-cum-Abby's secret crush.

Another strength of this book is the depiction of setting. Ladykiller is filled with lush descriptions of the sand, sky, and water of Greece as well as the interior of the opulent family home. It's not too big a leap to insert yourself into this idyllic locale: hors d'oeuvres and afternoon cocktails on the veranda overlooking the ocean outfitted in your favorite stylin' sundress. Where do I sign up?

However, I eventually grew weary of Gia's decadent lifestyle. She does little besides sunbathing nude; swilling alcohol; and engaging in provocative, sexualized behavior. She is, in essence, a caricature of pampered, self-absorbed rich girl. I found Abby a much more sympathetic character, as I'm sure I was meant to–classic poor but worthy housekeeper's child (okay, another stereotype) given a leg up by wealthy tycoon.

But to counteract predictability, Abby has her dark side, Gia has her enigmatic persona, and Ladykiller ultimately ends on an ambiguous note.

Ladykiller is an engaging read set amongst the backdrop of a Greek Island. Gia is an heiress who is used to the finer things in life, but since her father died and left his money to the family foundation, she is now fixing up their family Villa on a Greek isle in order to sell so she can keep up her lavish lifestyle. She is newly married to the charming Garrett even though she has only known him for a short while. Her brother Benny and best friend Abby were not happy about this and discouraged her from marrying him too soon.

To keep the peace, Gia arranges to meet Benny and Abby in Sweden to see the Northern Lights. But when they arrive, she isn't there. They are suspicious of her communication and immediately travel to Greece. Once there, they find the villa abandoned. Abby stumbles upon a remnant of a past summer when tragedy struck as well as a manuscript written by Gia. Once they read the manuscript they begin to panic as they realize that Garrett may not be who they think he is and Gia may be in trouble.

The story is told in the alternating viewpoints of Abby in the present and Gia's voice via her manuscript. We find out what happened in their teen years and how it is connected to now. Overall, a solid, but predictable read. Gia is insufferable and naive. Very slow burn with an ambiguous ending for me since I wasn't really sure what was true or not, so that took away from the story,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.