This was my first read by S.C. Lalli and I can say that I will now be on the look out for more from our author. This was such a great murder mystery and I am beginning to realize just how much I love murder mysteries—trying to guess who did it, what happened and see if I can figure it out before the books end. *spoiler—I didn’t figure it out by the end of our book 🤣.

We have a bride and groom shot dead and now the investigation in on to figure out WHO DID IT. So many twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and invested through to the end. This will be perfect for the summer vacation…perhaps a vacation to Cabo, Mexico….Put this one on your TBR!

I was soooo enthralled with this book. I loved the way that S.C. Lalli tied the Indian culture and wedding traditions into the story line. I really liked how the narrative flowed, even if the main character had some unsavory attributes.

Overall a quick and easy read, with a twist that I was not expecting!

Come join a super exclusive wedding at a luxury resort in Los Cabos. This week long affair will unite two influential and wealthy Indian-American families. Before they can marry the couple is found murdered and “the plus one” outsider with her own secrets is trying to solve the crime.

This was a fun murder mystery taking place at a luxury resort in Mexico. The evidence kept you guessing who was guilty. The twists were well played! I didn’t see the ending coming.

I liked how the author did flashbacks in time to round out the characters and their interpersonal relationships. I also enjoyed the wedding itinerary to break up the days!

This was the perfect book to read on a recent vacation - murder meets a tropical resort in Mexico! Fast-paced and wasn’t quite sure who the culprit was until the end.

Loved this! This is my first book from this author and it was awesome! Starts off exciting then keeps my interest throughout with lots of twists and turns. You think you know who did it but then everything changes. I will definitely be following this author!

This was a pretty quick and easy read, but it never had me completely hooked or on the edge of my seat. It was just kind of a basic mystery with a basic narrator; I wanted to keep reading to find out the ending, but I wasn't super excited to pick it up and keep reading.

I think this book would have benefitted from Shay having a little bit more of a backstory in the beginning. The story starts off with the engaged couple getting murdered, so you're kind of thrown into that without really getting to learn much about who is telling the story. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I knew/liked Shay more.

This was a great read from start to finish! The pacing of the story was perfect, and I loved the interstitials spread throughout. It was hard for me to put down, as evidenced by my finishing it at 3:30 in the morning!

You’re invited to a beautiful destination wedding with all the glitz, glam and luxury money can buy....

We follow Shay the somewhat reluctant plus one to the best man of a wedding happening at a luxury resort in Los Cabos Mexico. Arriving a couple days after the wedding party and their families her reunion with her boyfriend is cut short.... by the murder of the bride and groom. They are found murdered in their bed and the investigation quickly identifies 3 persons of interest. The best friend, the cousin and the sister aka Caleb, Sean and Zara. Only they had the ability to access the villa where the murders took place. Shay, feeling guilty for a few secrets she’s keeping from Caleb feels like she can’t just abandon him in his time of need. Despite everybody telling her that she should probably go home she sticks around. One of these three people are a killer but how could the people who loved them most be at fault for their deaths?

Driven to find the truth and knowing that everybody is keeping secrets and even lying Shay does some investigating. She needs to know if she’s been sleeping with a killer? Could this be something to do with one of the two families prominent businesses? Is it personal? Who could possibly want to kill the happy couple on the eve of their big day?

The investigation takes some twists and turns but Shay is determined to get to the truth. And the truth is that everybody is hiding something and the secrets revealed are only adding up to half the truth...

I really like this book I spent my whole day reading it because I really wanted to know what happened. I didn’t guess who the killer was though I wasn’t surprised by how their murder plot went awry. The last reveal at the end I guessed early on so I wasn’t surprised. Glad Shay decided to get her life together in the end and that she wasn’t as too stupid to live as I thought she might be when she didn’t go home the million times that people told her to go home. This was definitely a good read.

Y’all know I’m a thriller girlie who is turning into a romance girlie, but my love for the “whodunnit” will always be at the top. I received this arc from NetGalley and hopped right into it. Woman author? Thriller? Indian wedding? Billionaires? Influencers? Cabo? Count me in!

The extravagant Cabo wedding of Raj Joshi and Radhika Singh was going to scream luxury and love. Radhika is an influencer from a family of boss women and Raj is the son and heir to one of India’s wealthiest and powerful men.

Shaylee Kapoor doesn’t fit in but she’s involved only because she’s dating the best man Caleb Prescott III. When Shay makes it to Cabo the day the festivities, the bride and groom are discovered murdered!

Was it a cartel hit? Was it someone in the company that wanted that top spot? Was it someone close to the couple? While guests are scrambling trying to figure out “whodunnit”, everyone is suspicious of everyone. Who is hiding a secret? Shay has secrets of her own but will she be able to unravel the truth and catch a killer?

The book had me guessing throughout who did it plus the Bollywood glamour, high life, influencing and boss women in charge made this a book I enjoyed. The tie in with political and global issues was the only thing that didn’t make me love it but the twists, turns and lies made it worth it!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, William Morrow, and S.C Lalli for the early ready!

I was super impressed with this book. It was a little slow at first but once the story started to progress a bit it was so hard to put down. I was on the edge of my seat and so stressed out. Murder mystery? At a wedding? Fantastic writing and ideas.

Alright folks, buckle up because I just finished diving into the world of the uber-rich and influential nfamilies in "The Plus One."

First off, let me tell you, this book is like a rollercoaster ride through a maze of secrets, lies, and scandal. Imagine being whisked away to a luxurious resort in Cabo for the wedding of the century, only to wake up to the shocking news that the bride and groom are dead. Yep, you read that right. Dead.

Our protagonist, Shay, may seem like your average outsider, but let me tell you, she's got more layers than an onion. Dating the best friend of the groom, she's thrust into this whirlwind of wealth and chaos, and boy does she handle it like a champ.

As the investigation kicks off, Shay's right there in the thick of it, trying to make sense of it all. And let me tell you, it's not just the police pointing fingers. The guests start pointing them too, and suddenly everyone's a suspect.

But here's where it gets juicy: the murders seem like they could be some cartel hit, but hold on a sec, the plot thickens. The hotel room doors are locked up tighter than Fort Knox, and only a handful of people have the keys. So how the heck did the killer get in?

With twists and turns at every corner, "R&R" keeps you guessing until the very end. Who done it? Why? And most importantly, will Shay crack the case wide open?

Overall, if you're into gripping murder mysteries with a side of opulence, this book's for you. Just be prepared to stay up way past your bedtime, because once you start, you won't be able to put it down. Trust me on that one. Five stars from me!

"The Plus One" by S.C. Lalli is a twisty thriller set at a luxury resort in Cabo, Mexico. Told from the first-person perspective, it follows Shaylee “Shay” Kapoor, a South Asian woman with her own agenda.

The wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi unfolds at this opulent resort. As the offspring of two business moguls, no expenses were spared for this extravagant event. Caleb Prescott III, the groom's best man, is dating Shay, thus earning her an invitation to this lavish weeklong affair. The plot thickens when the bride and groom are found shot in their bed in a locked room at the beginning of the wedding festivities.

While the police suspect a drug cartel hit, the hotel's stringent security measures suggest the possibility of an inside job. With access to the room in question limited to the bride's sister Zara, the best men Caleb and Sean, and the wedding coordinator Daniela, suspicion falls heavily upon them. Shay launches into an investigation, quickly realizing she's in over her head with a murderer on the loose and everyone's safety at risk.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale, although I found Shay's character unlikable. Her hypocrisy and occasional condescension, along with her radical tendencies, didn't resonate with me. In fact, I found most of the characters unlikable; while the author adeptly fleshes them out, they lack the charm to make them endearing. They possess a believable depth but lack the qualities that would make me genuinely care about them. Their moral compasses are skewed, exacerbated by their indulgence in alcohol and drugs. I didn't like their entitled approach and their treatment of less fortunate people. Wealthy they might be, but they're not the sort of people I'd want to associate with. However, I appreciated the interactions between the characters, the exploration of cultural nuances, and the vivid setting.

The narrative flows smoothly, transitioning between present scenes and past flashbacks. While these flashbacks provide valuable backstories for the main characters, I found them somewhat dry. The pacing is sometimes quite fast but at times, it dragged. Overall, the story maintains a swift momentum, carrying the reader along effortlessly. I was pleasantly surprised by the twists, which kept me engaged until the final pages. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy smart thrillers featuring a strong female lead and flawed characters, this book is worth your time.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I had so much fun reading this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This thriller has so many twists and turns that I was left guessing who the murderer was right up to it’s surprising ending. This story was fast paced and had a good flow. I’d be very interested to read more books from S.C. Lalli. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to read this exciting story.

Shay flies to Cabo to join her boyfriend, Caleb, at the wedding of the year. Radhi and Raj are getting married at a very exclusive resort. But shortly after Shay arrives, the couple are found shot to death in their bed. Who is the culprit? Is it Caleb who was in a drugged out condition? Is it someone in the Joshi family that is rumored to be involved in shady dealings? Is is Zara, Radhi's sister, who is worried she will change their family company, Lustre? And just what exactly is Shay's part in all of this? this was a great book! So many characters and so many secrets! Loved it!

This book piqued my interest when I first read the blurb and then once I started reading I was in a full ride. Even the characters who I didn't like or trust made me want to keep reading about them. It was so good.

I liked the Los Cabos, Mexico setting for this lavish wedding and the plot was riveting. The wedding couple are found dead the day of the wedding and plus-one guest Shaylee must find out if her boyfriend, the best man Caleb is involved.

She singles out other suspects and decides to investigate on her own, reluctant to fly back home and leave Caleb with the horribly messy situation. The murderer was a surprise at the end. An entertaining and suspenseful read.