I love stories about grifters and I love exotic locations, so I couldn't wait to read this one. I've enjoyed a lot of Katherine Wood's books under her pen name Kat St. John, and Ladykiller hit the same vacationy rich-people-behaving-badly tone that I love. This was a fun read where you can't trust anyone, and I was eager to figure out exactly who was lying about what. It's the perfect book to squeeze into your end-of-summer TBR if you haven't read it already!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut book by Katherine Wood. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were young. Gia was a heiress, and her family basically saved Abby by financially supporting her through school. Years later, the two friends had an argument over Gia's sudden marriage. Then Gia goes missing and Abby and Benny, Gia's brother try to find her. Arriving at her Greece home, they find a manuscript Gia wrote that seems to mirror real life. Will they find her in time? And will their shared past secret come to light?

I really liked this atmospheric thriller that kept me guessing. Both Gia and Abby share a secret from their past and Abby starts to receive threatening messages. You'll question a lot of people's motives and be suspicious of everyone. I liked the way the story progressed from Abby's viewpoints and Gia's manuscript. The ending was a bit too open ended for me, leaving much for the reader to figure out themselves. Great debut and will be looking for more from this author!

*Ladykiller* started off strong and kept me hooked, but the ending was a huge letdown. It didn’t provide any closure or tie the story together, leaving me with so many unanswered questions. This was disappointing because I loved the setting, and the author did a fantastic job making it feel immersive. The pacing and storyline were great, and I was fully invested—until the ending. If it had come full circle, it would have easily been a 4-star read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine, for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, the setting! I loved being able to visit Greece this way: beautiful resort-style homes, quaint village, nonstop sunshine and good times. The pacing for this story was great and I did enjoy the flashbacks via manuscript. I would have rated higher had it not been for the ending that left me less than satisfied and some loose threads that will leave me wondering for a while.

Thank you NetGalley,
I feel like this book was missed categorized as a thriller. It read more as fiction. I didn't love the characters and it felt like they were one dimension. I also didn't love the love plots.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I would give this book a solid 4.5 stars! I really enjoyed the plot and the setting of Greece, past and present, it made me feel like I really need a vacation! I always love stories with unreliable narrators and complex characters. This one definitely made my head spin at moments and I love not knowing what’s coming next! I would totally recommend if you like psychological thrillers and mysteries!

The news of the disappearance of a rich heiress in Greece sparks her best friend to start an all out hunt. Several twists and turns keep the reader engaged as the search goes forward. The notes keep everyone guessing. I just hope they find her in time.

This one has something for everyone. Gorgeous settings, rich people behaving badly, dual POV, unreliable narrators, questionable characters, long buried secrets, mystery and murder. What's not to like?
A fast paced psychological thriller that I couldn't put down. This was a new author for me, and I'll be looking for more books from her. 4.5 stars rounded down.

I have to admit that this gorgeous cover drew me in. But sadly the story and characters didnt live up to the cover. I was a little disappointed and it took a while to finish.

Ladykiller started off solid and I was fully invested in the story. The setting was vividly described, and the author did a wonderful job of making me feel like I was right there in the story. The pacing and storyline were great, and I enjoyed the journey of the characters. However, the ending was a total letdown. It didn't provide the closure I was hoping for and left me with so many unanswered questions. It felt like the story didn't come together, which was disappointing considering how much I had enjoyed the rest of the book. If the ending had been more satisfying, I would have rated it higher.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Trust me on this, go into this book blind! It’s soooo good! I feel like I’ll give too much away with a detailed synopsis, so all I will say is that Gia and Abby are best friends. Gia goes missing and Abby uses clues in Gia’s latest manuscript to try and help find her.

This was the perfect thriller for me. Not too scary and kept me on my toes the whole time. I really enjoyed the characters and loved where this book went. I’m looking forward to reading what’s next from Katherine Wood.

📘: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood
🗓️: July 9, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Wood, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley, Amazon, and Goodreads.

I feel like this is a great beach read. It was okay for me, not to memorable and I was not really drawn to the characters. If you like rick people drama and con artists give this book a try. There were a bunch of twists and turns, but they were mostly predictable. Thanks to Bantam and Netgalley for the ARC.
3/5 Star

I've been a big fan of this author since I first read The Lion's Den. However, this one was probably my least favorite. The characters just were not people who I could connect with or root for.

Set on a Greek Island, this fiction book told through a memoir entry from one character and the current events on another. I found Ladykiller to be similar to Gone Girl, but more predictable. Although this book wasn't always for me, I wanted to keep reading to see if I did figure out the ending, which I did.

Thank you to Ballantine and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I was on the edge of my seat with Ladykiller. I had absolutely no idea in what direction it was going or where it was going to end up. There were a lot of characters, yes. This became slightly confusing at times (I ended up listening to the audiobook version), but I stayed mostly on track. What I enjoyed most about Ladykiller was how I expected one thing going into it, of kind of a cookie-cutter thriller, and was completely wrong!

This is one of those books that I knew I wasn’t loving as I was reading it, but something in me still couldn’t put it down. I have to admit these characters were intriguing and the setting was beautiful and that was enough to keep me going. Ultimately the mystery was nothing special and after a bit of time has passed I definitely don’t remember any specific details about the plot, but sometimes all you’re looking for in a thriller is a fun ride that you don’t have to take too seriously. That’s what this was for me, and while it’s not a new favorite, I don’t regret having read it.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the overall plot of this book. It kept me engaged while jumping between the two perspectives and there were some details throughout the book that surprised me. The only thing that I didn’t like was the lack of concrete resolution, which is really just personal preference!

Best friends, Abby and the wealthy heiress Gia, have been estranged ever since Abby didn’t approve or attend Gia’s whirlwind wedding. An invitation to getaway to celebrate Gia’s birthday, is just the thing needed to break the ice for a reconciliation. However, Gia never makes it. Abby and Benny, Gia’s brother, suspect Gia is in trouble and begin to uncover secrets leading up to her disappearance that reveal much more than they expected. Multiple POV, alternating timelines, twists and turns and unreliable narrators amidst the beautiful backdrop of the Greek isles. Told through multiple POV, including Gia’s sensational manuscript, which was a very clever technique! So many secrets, innuendos and double meanings. The ultimate story of bad rich people!
While I usually prefer a more clear-cut resolution, I did enjoy how this one ended-it worked for me! This was a spectacular debut!

Couldn't get past the 17% mark. The main character is so unlikable. She is a narcissistic snob. According to the synopsis, she's supposed to go missing and I'm glad that she does. Can't feel sympathy for such an unlikable character. If the writer wants us to root for her, she should've been more grounded and likeable. Two stars because I liked the writing style.

This story starts off really strong, but then fell flat at the end for me. It left me asking more questions than having many answered and I was quickly able to put this story down for a bit before picking it back up. It didn't keep my attention like a thriller does, but the writing was pretty good.