Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum!

While this book had lots of drama and interpersonal conflicts, it lacked the tension of a real mystery/thriller. In reality, the book fell flat and was a disappointment in how it ended. I did think that some characters were more enjoyable and relatable than others but the majority of them were hard to root for.

After reading Rosenblum's Bad Summer People, I knew I had to read Very Bad Company. This novel follows the employees of a trendy tech startup company, Aurora, as they attend a company retreat. Things may look good from the outside, but the company is full of secrets and indiscretions. When one employee vanishes, secrets are exposed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

TLDR: I read this one a couple months ago, and already I can’t really tell you what happened. Rosenblum is also the author of last summer’s Fire Island scoundrel soap BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, so she seems to have the "terrible people doing terrible things” genre on lock. Her latest -about a murder investigation at a corporate retreat- starts out fun, but ultimately gets bogged down in corporate mumbo jumbo word salad and the character motivations are a bit weak. I think readers will struggle to connect with any of the characters or storylines here, and while the ending is ultimately satisfying, it takes a LOT to get there.

Very Bad Company is such a fun, chaotic read. Everyone is a little terrible in the best way. This hit the spot for a gossipy, interpersonal mess that I couldn't look away from.

Every year, Aurora, the famous tech company, treats its staff to a luxurious retreat. This story takes place during one of the retreats, and among the glitz, glamor, and backstabbing, there is a murder. One of the execs is found dead, and it is up to the company's newest hire to find out what happened. A great story that pokes lots of humorous fun at the tech industry and corporate America in general.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because I (mostly) enjoyed <I>Bad Summer People</i>, and this had similar “rich people behaving badly” vibes. It’s about a tech company named Aurora, that, like most tech startups, doesn’t appear to *do* much of anything. There’s lots of talk of executives and algorithms, but I was never quite clear on what the company actually did. Anyway, it doesn’t matter because the bulk of the story takes place during Aurora’s executive retreat, where they're celebrating the sale of the company to some *other* company called Minimus. The rotating perspective follows all of the members of the executive team (plus founder John’s assistant Madison), particularly new hire Caitlin Levy, who was brought aboard to be in charge of events…something Aurora doesn’t actually do. But she’s about to make a boatload of money planning (no joke) virtual events in the metaverse. There’s a lot of sneaking around, and trying to cover up Long Held Dark Secrets (which are about to be revealed thanks to the impending sale), and then one of the execs goes missing.

So none of these people are likable, but they’re all sort of entertaining trainwrecks. It’s like the later seasons of <I>Silicon Valley</I>, when they were finally starting to taste some success. Except everyone here is less bumbling and more terrible (kinda like that Russ guy?). It kept my interest, but I did have a hard time holding some of the plot in my head - I think it’s because I don’t *really* care about tech-bro stuff?

I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Rosenblum's Bad Summer People, and usually enjoy a good office thriller. My issue with Very Bad Company was how very bad the main characters behaved in this tech start up gone wrong mystery. My favourite character in the book was Miami which Rosenblum nailed - the restaurants, the fashion, the vibe, the traffic, the nonsense, the beauty - all of which she encapsulated perfectly. I was less enthralled with the story of corporate greed run amok and the lengths to which folks will go to debase themselves for money or power. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the e-Arc,

This was really fun! Lacking a bit on specific details about each character, so they all blended together a bit. But it was a good summer read, especially if you want to hate rich people.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Emma Rosenblum's new book "Very Bad Company" is a mystery/thriller. What could go wrong at a company retreat? A bunch can go wrong with this group of quirky coworkers and a wild boss.

Caitlin Levy was wooed away from her current job by tech startup Aurora. Invited to an Events Coordinator spot in the company's executive lineup, she was hired just in time to attend the company's annual retreat. Feeling a bit awkward since this will be her first official interaction with her coworkers, and that she really doesn't know what she is supposed to be actually doing for this job, she begins to wonder what she got herself into when one of their party dies and foul play begins to be suspected.

Twisting down the winding path of corporate greed, subterfuge, and backstabbing, this thriller is very much in line with Rosenblum's previous bestselling title "Bad Summer People." Highly recommend as a priority for this summer's beach reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I found Very Bad Company to be a thoroughly engaging read. The plot twists and turns kept me hooked, and the richly drawn characters.

The author dedicates this book to anyone who has ever had a crazy boss or felt out of the loop at work or wanted to kill or mary a coworker… I don’t know why but I love a good workplace dramedy!! (Loot is currently my favorite show)!

Rosenblum excels in creating multi-dimensional characters that are both relatable and deeply flawed. The protagonist, whose journey forms the heart of the narrative, is particularly compelling. Her interactions with the other characters, each with their own secrets and motivations, drive the story forward and keep the reader engaged. The antagonist’s machinations add a layer of menace and complexity.

Very Bad Company is an enthralling novel that combines elements of suspense, intrigue, and social commentary. With a sharp eye for detail and a knack for creating complex characters, Rosenblum crafts a narrative that is both gripping and thought-provoking.

This was a fine book! It wasn’t a favorite but I don’t really have anything negative to say, either. It was entertaining but for me personally, there was way too much chatter about work, office culture, and the corporate world! I read to escape my day job, not to hear about other peoples’!

"Very Bad Company" by Emma Rosenblum is a riveting dark comedy that plunges readers into the cutthroat world of corporate retreats and the high-stakes drama that unfolds when one of the executives goes missing.

Set against the backdrop of an exclusive retreat in Miami hosted by the trendy tech startup Aurora, the story follows Caitlin Levy, the company's newest hire tasked with overseeing the event. However, when a high-level executive disappears, the future of Aurora hangs in the balance, threatening the financial stability of everyone involved.

Rosenblum skillfully navigates the complexities of corporate culture, blending a lot of humor with a little suspense as Caitlin and her colleagues grapple with the fallout of the disappearance. From over the top team-building exercises to tense group brainstorms, the characters must maintain the facade of normalcy amidst mounting mistrust.

What makes "Very Bad Company" stand out is its compulsively readable narrative and satire of corporate dynamics. Rosenblum deftly explores themes of ambition, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to protect their interests, making for a gripping and thought-provoking read. Loved it!

After reading “Bad Summer People” last year, I said Emma Rosenblum reminded me of Liane Moriarty—a big compliment!—and “Very Bad Company” cemented that comparison in my mind. This is a perfect beach read: a rich-people-behaving-badly book that includes an intriguing mystery. I liked that we got narratives from most of the key players as they tried to out-maneuver one another. The mystery about what happened to the dead executive kept me hooked, but honestly I think I would have enjoyed this book even without the mystery. The dynamics between all of the characters were so interesting on their own. I loved the ending - this was an instance of the epilogue being done so well. My one gripe was that the only Black executive was painted as having an attitude problem when actually, almost all of them had attitudes - I was unclear on whether this was done satirically or not. Otherwise, a great summer read that I would recommend to a friend in an instant!

𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 is a fun and decadent mystery that takes place during an executive retreat in Miami. The story takes a dark turn when one of the high-paid executives mysteriously dies, unraveling a web of secrets among the group.

The audiobook was perfectly narrated by January LaVoy who did a wonderful job with the large cast of characters. The author’s attention to detail shines through as she vividly describes the luxurious Miami setting, making it a delight to read about the luxurious restaurants and clubs that the characters frequent. And I can report that she got all details right! 😉

I found the book to be a decadently fun page-turner. The characters are well-developed and each one has their own secrets and motives, adding depth to the story. As someone who has worked at a publicly-traded company for over 20 years, I found the “Corp-speak” hilarious and the CEO’s obsession with Winston Churchill to be very funny.

If you enjoy mysteries with a corporate twist, 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 is the perfect choice. Emma Rosenblum’s writing style is engaging and the story is filled with suspense and unexpected twists. It's a fun and thrilling read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Many thanks to @macmillanaudio for the gifted advance listening copy.

WOW Emma Rosenblum brings the drama!

In Very Bad Company we have a tech startup leadership retreat that goes wrong fairly quickly. Rosenblum introduces us to the narcissistic CEO as well as all of the other high level executives and their quirky ways. What has been planned to be a fun-filled retreat in beautiful Miami turns into a murder mystery. The multiple POV's provide plenty of candidates for the murderer and there are plenty of juicy details of the envious and backstabbing variety.

Rosenblum does a great job of pulling back the curtain and revealing that the emperor's truly have no clothes. If you love a he said/she said or
a fun and quirky murder mystery, this is a book for you!
I read this story and then listened to January Lavoy read it to me again, that's how much I loved it!

#flatironbooks #emmaroseblum #verybadcompany

Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum is a fun, engaging read, with a character driven plot and phenomenal story.
I binged this one in under a day and had a lot of fun doing so!
It was wonderfully executed, had so much detail, well developed characters and plot lines, and really held my interest.
Absolutely loved this book. The writing was fabulous and easy to follow.
With an amazing cast of characters and surprises round each corner, I was hooked from the very beginning.
Emma Rosenblum does an excellent job of creating plenty of intrigue and excitement.
I was addicted to the drama and loved every second of it.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐩-𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚! 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 (𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲) 𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢. (𝐎𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐝𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩.) 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝓥𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓑𝓪𝓭 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥.

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

𝐀 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕𝐬, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐕𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭!

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝐸𝓂𝓂𝒶 𝑅𝑜𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒷𝓁𝓊𝓂, 𝒥𝒶𝓃𝓊𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝐿𝒶𝒱𝑜𝓎, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I’d say Very Bad Company is more of a general fiction book than a mystery and thriller. While it did have a mystery at its core there weren’t a lot of thriller elements around this mystery. It was more focused on character stories around the employees in the company, the (often deemed by said employees) gross CEO, Caitlin, the bored in her life new hire, and what the company was really up to, both in its conception and with its hiring of Caitlin. This was very much a company behaving badly and a well written book about that. The death(s) that occurred were more to further that company mystery and I enjoyed that quite a bit.

If you like some intrigue in the corporate world and diving deeper into questionable characters then I’d recommend this, but this won’t have the suspense of a true thriller.