I think the premise was kinda interesting but it fell flat for me. It felt too current if that makes sense, almost as if it was cramming a bunch of current events into one book. Also, May was infuriatingly annoying. The ending was a surprise twist, but not enough to keep me engaged with the slow pace.

The Note-Three friends with a complicated past meet up for a vacation in the Hamptons. They run into a pair of strangers that lead to a prank that goes horribly wrong. There were lots of surprises and twists in this intriguing thriller!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

In the Note, May meets up with two of her childhood friends in the Hamptons. There is a bit more to the story of course - all three have had social media shamings and are still lying low and rebuilding their lives. May isn't sure what to expect but she immediately feels at home with Lauren and Kelsey again.

When the three go out to a boozy lunch, May thinks nothing of the jokes they make. Little does she know, one of the friends follows through with one of the jokes they suggested and things quickly spin out of control. Suddenly someone is missing and the funny jokes that were abstract at lunch are shockingly clear and not funny at all.

When May is questioned by the police, she realizes that she might be back in the social media spotlight. May has to make some choices quickly and that includes deciding who to trust. A unique thriller that is perfect for anyone who has been burned by social media, loves a thriller in the Hamptons, or just wonders what would happened if what they joked about behind closed doors came true.
thank you netgalley!
#Knopf #pantheon #vintage #thenote #alafairbuke

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am a fan of Alafair Burke so when this one was listed, I jumped. As per usual, it was a great read with mystery and well developed characters. Recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I haven’t read an Alafair Burke book in a few years, but The Note reminded me how much I like her! What happens when you leave a harmless little note that you think will be a funny little joke? And what about all the secrets behind it? Read this book and find out!

Another great legal thriller! I would love to see more from these characters, a series, perhaps? Three buddies since high school, play one little prank, so how could that end in murder?

A little prank goes deadly wrong.
The cover caught my attention and the story didn't disappoint. It was entertaining and kept the suspense going. Josh irked me throughout the book. The three friends were more forgiving than I would have been. But the story kept my interest and was worth the time spent reading it.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The unnecessary amount the pandemic played in this really got to me. The author easily could’ve played up the hate crime element and left out all the quips about March 2020 and lock down. I found May’s fiancé (Josh? I’ve already forgotten his name 5 mins later) infantilizing. This is a highly educated grown adult and he treated her over and over like a child. Her friends also did to a certain degree but he was truly the worst. Everything he did was annoying. I liked the premise here but the cast was just so unlikable and a lot of this felt fantastical. Meh.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the opportunity to read The Note by Alafair Burke. Loved it!! There has yet to be a book by Ms. Burke that has been.a disappointment - i can't even imagine it. A beezillion gold stars

Another addictive Alafair Burke thriller is guaranteed to keep eyes glued to the pages, promising enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, and squirming impatiently until all the pieces come together.

What I enjoyed most about this book was its quick pacing, increasing tension, and the exploration of the friendships between three women who all harbor secrets that could destroy everything they've built over the years. The concept of three "canceled" women gathering to heal their wounds, with a prank that spirals out of control, is also refreshing.

However, there were aspects I didn't enjoy as much, particularly the three main characters. May was the most relatable with her good heart and desire to do the right thing, but her goody-two-shoes attitude and self-righteousness sometimes made me roll my eyes. Her "Asian Karen" moment made me reconsider the viral destructive effects of social media on lives when a person makes a sudden, judgmental mistake that ruins everything they've worked for. Is it fair? That's obviously subjective and open to debate.

From the beginning, I never liked Kelsey and her exaggerated party girl attitude. Perhaps her privileged, daddy’s girl behavior rubbed me the wrong way. And Lauren, the musical prodigy still in a relationship with her long-time older billionaire lover, is self-oriented and impulsive, only prioritizing her own needs. I didn’t understand her friendship with Kelsey and May. She's older and leads a free-spirited life without caring about what others think, so her canceled status after her illicit relationship was exposed by the billionaire’s wife didn't affect her life as much as it did the others.

Despite the unlikable characters and their web of lies, the murder mystery plot is compelling. The well-built mystery, the execution of pacing, and the realistic conclusion are the novel's strengths, which make you overlook the negativity of the characters. You'll still stay glued to the pages to discover the twists and revelations.

The plot revolves around May Hanover, a rule follower, and the Chinese single mother’s aspiring daughter who graduated from both Harvard and Columbia. Nicknamed "Little Sheriff" by her friends, May loses her rising law career when a subway video of her breakdown goes viral. This incident rekindles her friendship with old school friends Lauren, involved in a scandal for adultery, and Kelsey, whose husband has been shot and whose case remains unsolved. The media attention forces her to lay low, which reunites them.

Their girl trip to the Hamptons, where Kelsey rents a luxurious Airbnb villa, turns tragic when a drunk prank goes awry, resulting in a missing person case. As things escalate and new truths are revealed, the three women learn new facts about each other that test their friendship and loyalties. Can they trust each other not to throw the others under the bus?

Overall, this is a riveting mystery that I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a page-turner, especially fans of women’s fiction, legal thrillers, and mysteries, to enjoy with some nice refreshments and a huge can of popcorn!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sharing this riveting thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Three women come together for a reunion in the Hamptons. It soon turns into a murder investigation with them in the middle. The book starts off slowly, but soon layers of coincidences and years of lies make it more interesting. The 3 friends all have issues that they want kept out of the public eye. Kelsey was blamed for the murder of her ex-husband, May has been vilified as DA Karen, and Lauren’s long-term romance has been outed.

This novel becomes more and more compelling as more lies are unearthed. May leads the investigation, as both a friend and as a lawyer. Ultimately, she pulls the threads together. Although there are some things that do strain credulity, the book kept me interested.

I did think the author gave us some significant hints that foreshadowed the denouement. I liked the characters and the writing style is fast moving without dragging.

I at appreciate an epilogue since I was happy to learn about their future.
Thank you Netgalley for this great read that I found hard to put down.

The Note was the first book I read by Alafair Burke. The Note kept me on the edge of my seat and I finished within 2 days.

May and her friends Lauren,and Kelsey go for a girls getaway. While out to dinner Kelsey slips a joke note on the windshield of a car who stole their parking space. And then the trouble ensues. The man whose car they left it on David comes up missing. Eventually one of the girls comes under suspicion and arrested for multiple offenses (to not give any spoilers ). I found the book and how it was laid out very smooth. It flowed and at first I almost wished I was on the trip with them… until I didn’t. The ending and who it was and why the did it was an interesting twist I didn’t see coming. Will the girls end up coming out unscathed? Who is responsible? All good questions and worth the wait until the end!

There's nothing I love more than a well constructed mystery novel that surprises me. And while The Note was well constructed and rife with twists, I unfortunately predicted the end well in advance. I enjoyed the truthful depictions of the ups and downs of longterm female friendships. I also enjoyed every scene that allowed May to flex her legal expertise, as Burke seamlessly makes complicated ideas easily understandable and interesting to the reader. This was a fun read.