Thank you so much @knopf, and @netgalley for the copy of this eARC!

Three longtime friends head to the Hamptons for a vacation, and what starts as a harmless prank involving a note quickly spirals out of control. As lies and secrets from their past resurface, the tension between the three women escalates. The dynamic between them was engaging and kept me hooked.

The drama in this book was intense! It was nearly impossible to put it down. The backstory, the characters, and the twists were all expertly crafted and completely absorbed me. Making this a twisty, thrilling mystery! This was my first Alafair Burke novel, and it certainly won’t be my last.

The Note had everything a great thriller should—secrets, lies, and unexpected revelations. I loved how the story unfolded, with the hidden truths of the three friends and Kelsey’s brother, Nate, coming to light. The way it all came together at the end was fantastic.

I was surprised to learn that the author is a former prosecutor and current criminal law professor, which makes the story flow even more seamlessly. Highly recommend this one!

While the setup may make it sound like a light whodunit about the complicated friendships of a group of women on a posh vacation in the Hamptons, there’s nothing light or easy-going about The Note. It’s a constantly twisting tale of friendship, secrets, and lies—the kind that’s guaranteed to keep you up reading past your bedtime.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

I've read or listened to a few books by Alafair Burke and they've always been enjoyable, The Note was no exception. May's character was a struggle for me to like; she was a busy body, creating drama unnecessarily but with good intention (maybe?!) she felt like a young teen adapting who she was based on the people she was around. The first part of this book was a little slow, and the ending was a little bit of a stretch for me, but the second half of the book was faster paced and had me much more interested. Fans of Burke's might enjoy this a little more than I did, those new to Burke should keep an open mind and will likely enjoy this quick read as I did.
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Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest read.

This book has been called the thriller of the summer even with its winter publication date. With three fun heroines, a twisty plot that relies a little too much on coincidence, and a sultry Hamptons setting, it's great for the beach or at home in front of the fireplace on a snow day.

I love a good thriller, but it *is* hard to root for unlikeable characters, and there are quite a few in this book. Three friends reunite, and chaos ensues. I appreciated all the twists and turns, and Burke does a good job of disguising the truth.

If you love to read about toxic people, this would be a great read for you. I myself have a bit of a hard time rooting for jerks. 😊

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for a complimentary copy. All opinions are mine alone.

Tension between characters made it interesting… I enjoyed the story. Thank you for the opportunity to read early.

A weekend in the Hamptons, three long-time friends getting together in-person for the first time in years: May, the rule-follower law professor who had a public meltdown during COVID, Lauren, the musician in a (possibly) inappropriate long-term relationship with an older man, and Kelsey, an heiress suspected of her husband’s murder. Will their friendship survive after they inadvertently become involved in a missing persons case and their closest-held secrets are revealed? This is a twisty, slow-burn but quick-read mystery, I enjoyed the characters but didn’t really connect with any of them.

Three old friends go on vacation together to the Hamptoms and few days later, they find a flyer for a missing person. Over the course of the novel, secrets are unraveled and we learn what happened to the man.

This was a delightfully twisty thriller that kept me engaged and interested. Every time I thought I understood what was happening, a new puzzle piece was revealed. All the character were pretty unlikable, which made this a more enjoyable read. I loved the cattiness of the female friendship, the decades of secrets and animosity. This was my first Alafair Burke, but it definitely won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley, Alafair Burke, and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

This book was more of a slow burn for me. In some parts it was difficult to understand if the characters were having flashbacks or it was present time. It was also predictable to me but still a decent read.

Thank you NetGalley, Alafair Burke, and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

I haven't read a lot of Alafair Burke before but this one has been getting decent buzz and a vacation friend trip where a drunken mistake leads to accusations of murder had me intrigued. Full disclosure this type of story isn't my go to and while I was pulled in initially, this multi-POV, multi-timeline story quickly got way too complicated for me and I struggled to keep track of all the characters and just what was going on.

For me, there was way too much going on and I would have rather the story focused on just one of the plot points (preferably the one in the present) but things do eventually tie together. Just an okay read overall for me and not one I would go out of my way to recommend.

I did like that there was an emphasis on post-covid rise in anti-Asian sentiments/violence, a second chance romance, older female MCs, complicated female friendships, secrets and a BRCA1 gene diagnosis that leads to preventative surgeries and early onset menopause and infertility.

The audiobook narration was well done but it didn't make up for everything else. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC and NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Note:⁣
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Thank you @aaknopf and @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner for my gifted copies.⁣
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Rule #1: Get better effing friends. ⁣
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Honestly, this gave me the most “Sam, the first night at BED when you left, Ron made out with two girls” x Murdaugh murders. It’s the mashup we never knew we needed. 😂 There are zero likable characters, so if you have to like them, this one isn’t for you. I love a horrible character and to hate read so this was a treat. ⁣
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Alafair Burke has always been one of my favorites thanks to my intro from MHC. Her twists are always shocking, but satisfying and push the envelope just enough. I was off on this one but it made total sense. ⁣
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I really liked the audio read by Catherine Ho. She kept it entertaining and really got the weird dynamic between the trio down. ⁣
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Overall, they put the fun in dysfunction. A slow burn for sure. Not my favorite Alafair Burke, but also not the worst. The characters are all the worst in the worst way. (Also, if I could slap a fictional character, Josh, you’re up first) ⁣
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Out 1/6!

good/fine. I enjoyed the setting and the dynamic yet unlikeable cast. I felt it was a little dragged out and nothing groundbreaking. very run of the mill mystery/thriller, but I would recommend if thats what youre looking for! would be a great vacation read...maybe not in The Hamptons tho ;)

"A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history."
The Note is a mystery thriller that drew me in by the plot, but I did not enjoy it like I thought I would. This was one had me confused at times and the characters in this were unlikeable. I did like the ending and I kept guessing who did it. Overall, this book just had a lot going on and I did not like this read. I would still try to read other books from this author though. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Note by Alafair Burke.

I received an ARC copy of The Note by Alafair Burke from Netgalley!

This book was a fun read. What could go wrong on a fun girls trip to the Hamptons? .. UMMM seems like EVERYTHING! This book had some great plot twists and was a fun read that kept me guessing until the end. The way that the characters' past tied into present events also brought another layer to the overall story.

I've always found Alafair Burke's books enthralling and The Note is no exception! When a simple prank during a girls trip goes wrong, secrets of the past and present slowly emerge. This was one of those books and I was glued to during every spare second. At no point did I see the ending coming but in retrospect it was perfectly laid out. Bravo!

This book follows three friends who haven’t seen each other in a while. They plan to have a long weekend together. Each friend has been “canceled” at one point in their lives. After playing a prank leads to something more serious, they have to figure out what they are hiding from one another.

When I first started this book, I did feel like it started off a little slow. Then, there were parts that felt like it dragged on a bit. When all three friends finally reunite, I could feel the tension among them and I was just waiting for all their secrets to spill. Towards the second half of the book, I was completely sucked into what was happening. There were twists that I wasn’t expecting and some that I did see coming.

There were parts where bits of social media were included when it pertained to the canceling of each friend. I found this to be a pretty interesting way to give the reader more background information on each character. This was a quick, easy read if you love mystery thrillers.

Thank you Alafair Burke, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Ancho for the ARC for an honest review!

Three friends go to the Hamptons for vacation and find themselves in the middle of a police investigation after a little prank.

Pros: the last third of the book flew by. so many possibilities, I didn’t know who really was responsible, but looking back, it all fit

Cons: the beginning dragged a bit. I personally don’t love reading books about the pandemic, race and political issues. I read to escape the issues of the world today.

None of the characters were likable. May, Lauren & Kelsey have a truly toxic friendship and are kind of terrible people?

This was kind of a dud for me. the ending made me bump it up, but i’m giving it 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Where has Alafair Burke been all my life, and how was this the first time I've read one of her books?! From the very first chapter, I was hooked on this fast-paced, exciting thriller. I was utterly addicted and could not put it down. I loved the compelling mystery, the unlikeable but intriguing characters, and allll the drama. I was disappointed with the big reveal. It was definitely a twist I didn't see coming, but I just wish it had gone a different way. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from the author. Just make sure you clear your schedule so you can read this page-turner in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always been a massive fan of Alafair Burke’s novels, so, as soon as I read the synopsis for The Note, I was 100% game. I mean, who could pass up a vacation prank-gone-wrong, long-buried secrets, and a group of bestie gal pals? After finishing the book in one single sitting, I’m happy to report that it was everything I love in a suspense/thriller. From the cleverly crafted multiple POVs to the well-developed backstories that made me fall for the characters despite their rather unlikeable ways, I was easily won over by this fast-paced plot from the very first page.

The storyline itself was propulsive and alluring. With multiple mysterious deaths and a whole host of socially “cancelled” individuals, there was plenty of dirt to be aired. What made it all even better, however, was how utterly realistic it all felt. I mean, despite the obviously fictionalized histories and plot lines, I could still see this on a shock-and-awe <i>Dateline</i> episode for the masses. And I’m happy to say that it all finished up with an equally genuine climax and conclusion that left me both flying through the pages and believing every word.

The only issue I had came back to how I didn’t quite love the characters in this novel. From a black-and-white fact-finder who was always convinced in her own opinion to a rash, foolhardy rich girl who grated just a bit, they weren’t exactly my favorites. Despite this, however, the multiple reveals—which all shocked me but good—and the tangled web of secrets and lies made up for any irritation that I might’ve had and I raced through the book in no time at all.

All said and done, Ms. Burke has clearly done it yet again with her newest novel. At just over 300 pages, it was not only a quick, easy read, but I also had a blast putting on my armchair sleuthing hat as I tried to work it all out. And while it was a rather straightforward albeit mostly unguessable murder mystery premise, it was one—I have to point out—with a conclusion that totally evaded any and all of my well-honed suspicions. So while the reviews might be mixed, I recommend giving this one a try as I had a thoroughly good time. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Alafair Burke, Alfred A. Knopf, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of all opinions are my own.

Another great psychological thriller. I would like to read more books by this author. This book kept me guessing. Some of the characters were annoying but they were well written.