This book was just okay for me! I enjoyed it once it got going, but I felt it took a really long time to get there.

Some possible minor spoilers ahead…

I found the main character May, a little annoying. She has a known history of acting and accusing someone without being 100% sure and it changes her life in a negative way but she clearly doesn’t learn from the experience (even though she’s a whole lawyer?). She calls the police to give clues, then to accuse her friend, then almost immediately calls back to say that friend is innocent. 🙄 Have you learned nothing??

Overall it was a good story with a good conclusion and kept me guessing.

What happens when a single joke has consequences? When someone steals a parking space, it sets off events that lead to murder. Recommended.

Alafair Burke’s "The Note" is an expertly crafted psychological thriller that pulls you in from the very first page. The story is filled with suspense, sharp twists, and complex characters, making it impossible to put down. Burke masterfully weaves a plot full of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations that keep you guessing until the very end.

The pacing is perfect, and the tension builds steadily, making each chapter more intense than the last. Burke’s writing is gripping and intelligent, with a well-executed narrative that leaves no loose ends.

The Note is a must-read for fans of clever, twisty thrillers, and it firmly secures Alafair Burke’s place as a master of the genre. A five-star, unputdownable read!

Three friends get together for a weekend. A seemingly innocent prank goes wrong and the girls get tied up in a missing person’s case. This was a fun thriller that kept you guessing. The pacing was great throughout and consistently built tension until the end. I didn’t see the ending coming. These characters weren’t likeable and sometimes I enjoy reading characters depicted this way. I also like how it depicts adult female friendship and how many of the insecurities and other dynamics don’t go away. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery suspense. Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon Vintage, and Anchor for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Not a heart pounding thriller, but a good mystery. The characters and setting and premise were all well thought out and enjoyable.

Thank you netgalley for the prerelease read.

The Note by Alafair Burke is, overall, an easy, entertaining read. Most of the story is told in protagonist May Hanover's POV, with perspectives by other characters included so seamlessly the story flows without interruption. Many books today include numerous POV and timeline changes that tire the reader.

In The Note, central characters May, Laura, and Kelsey are longtime friends with an uneven connection, who reunite during a weekend trip to the Hamptons. All three women are deeply flawed, notorious in their own way, and emotionally damaged by the Cancel Culture and online trolls. When one of the women places a note on the windshield of a couple that steals their parking spot in front of a busy restaurant, the plot heats up. Murder follows, and attorney May is on the case.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

This book id difficult for me to review-I loved to concept, I loved the flashback/current voices of the characters, and I loved the multiple character POV. I think my biggest issue with this book was the characters. They are all awful.

Again, I love the whole "locked room" type concept-everyone is back in their neighborhood "summer shacks" for a wedding. Two of the kids of these residents are getting married, and everyone has come back for the wedding. However, one of the other children, who the bride used to date, was killed in "an accident." However, his mom doesn't believe it was an accident. The book takes place between 3 days before the wedding until right after the wedding, as well as a summer years ago when the boy died.

I don't remember one character's name, except Sophie, who was the least offensive. I would still like to read books by this author, however this one missed the mark.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Note by Alafair Burke.

This is the first book I have read of this author and will be looking for more. Very fast paced page turner following 3 friends on a vacation in the Hamptons and the bad things that have happened in the past.

May, Lauren and Kelsey have been friends for years, drawn together by school, employment and also tragedy, the death of a young co-worker, Marnie. Each woman has incredible accomplishments and each woman also has experienced their own internet sensational scandal making them out to be a detestable person. May was videotaped screaming at a man for racist remarks when he didn’t make the comments, Lauren was caught in an affair with a married man, whose wife is the founder of Wildwood, where Lauren was working and Kelsey, who husband Luke was killed, whispers still swirl about Kelsey hiring a professional hitman. The ill-famed internet events caused the three friends to drift apart and the friends have slowly been rebuilding their friendship. When Kelsey invites Lauren and May for a reunion, the chance to reconnect is a wonderful opportunity. But, when a man is killed and the three are once again caught up in the investigation, the bonds of friendship are strained again. Lies, previous resentments and the past will all come to surface, will their friendship survive? Will their lives ever be the same? Will they survive this latest internet scandal?

I’ve read Alastair Burke when she co-authored a book with James Patterson. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The twists and turns keeps the pace of the book at a steady build. The reader is pointed in one direction for the killer, then another, like a winding road never knowing where you will end up. This is a good mystery, the characters are both unlikeable and vulnerable, which for me is great writing. Don’t miss out on this well written mystery!

I know that Alafair Burke is a much loved author amongst my Goodreads friends, therefore I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book. This is my first read by Alafair Burke, and I hate to say that I wasn’t that impressed with this book. I’m sure there are other books of hers that I would like more, but this one just didn’t work for me. It was a short read, and it took me nearly a week to read this (not a good sign). I did not like one character (which usually isn’t a dealbreaker for me), but unlikable characters and a slow moving storyline just made it worse.

In this story we have three friends- May, Lauren, and Kelsey. Their friendship is a bit toxic, and they have decided to spend a weekend together in the Hampton’s after several years apart. The three women go out to dinner and while waiting for a parking spot, a young couple steals their spot that they were waiting for. A note is then left which is supposed to be a harmless prank. How will this innocent note tie all these women together into a crime they were not involved in? And why do all three girls have things from their pasts that have ruined their reputations?

This book deals with instances from the pandemic, race, gender, rich white men having power, and even some courtroom drama. I just felt like I’ve read too many of these books within the past few years, and I’ve definitely had my fill. However, I’m sure many Alafair Burke fans will still love this book.
2.5 stars- rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, & Anchor, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: January 7, 2025

The Note is a fast-paced thriller about three girlfriends who plan a weekend away after being estranged for years. When their parking spot gets stolen, an innocent prank involves them in a missing person’s case and turns their world upside down. Each of the girls had thought they put their individual scandals behind them, but are now afraid of what will resurface. I enjoyed this as a quick, weekend read! Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!

Three friends go on holiday in the Hamptons. They are cut off by another car taking their intended parking spot, so two of them decide to leave a note for the couple in the car. A stupid drunken prank but with ramifications they did not expect.

Alafair Burke’s "The Note" is an expertly crafted psychological thriller that pulls you in from the very first page. The story is filled with suspense, sharp twists, and complex characters, making it impossible to put down. Burke masterfully weaves a plot full of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations that keep you guessing until the very end.

The pacing is perfect, and the tension builds steadily, making each chapter more intense than the last. Burke’s writing is gripping and intelligent, with a well-executed narrative that leaves no loose ends.

The Note is a must-read for fans of clever, twisty thrillers, and it firmly secures Alafair Burke’s place as a master of the genre. A five-star, unputdownable read!

Toxic friendships, deep dark secrets, and a seemingly harmless prank - what could go wrong when you bring that altogether on a long girls' weekend? The answer is a lot - a lot could go wrong, and it does. Friendships are tested and secrets are revealed and lives are changed. A very topical look at cancel culture, the harm it does, and the lasting impact.

You’re out with friends and someone steals your parking spot…you could cuss them out or leave a nasty note. Except the recipient turns up dead.

The story was fun but a slow start. It really ramped up the final 1/3 making the ending so satisfying.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advance copy of this thriller about three media shamed characters who find themselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing.

There are times in all our lives that we have acted in ways that, well don't reflect on who we are as people. Though many might say that our actions, no matter how embarrassing reflect what we feel deep inside, where we keep secrets. Humans are humans and well act like humans. Hopefully the most ugly day of our life happens in front of loved ones or family, who while shocked will laugh it off. Worst a moment of being human is broadcast without comment or commentary around the Internet becoming a meme that is repeated for all time. These moments taint everything that comes after. It's hard to say one is innocent when a Google search can point to something otherwise. Especially once the police become involved. The Note a novel by the newest queen of suspense Alafair Burke is a story of social media, friends, lies, and how maybe taking a few deep breaths and letting things go, can spare a person a whole lot of problems.

May grew up being the person who did everything right, well except for one time. Two if you include a social media breakdown on a subway that has made life difficult for her. As Covid restrictions are lifted May and her two best friends Lauren and Kelsey decide to go to the Hamptons for a girls trip, to relax and try to get back to normal. Lauren and Kelsey are also dealing with things and things start out great. Until a petty act gets May all riled up again. May leaves a note on a car, nasty in nature and tries to put things again behind her. Until the police show up. The owner of the car has vanished and the note is now evidence, evidence that might lead to dark things. May starts to doubt everything, including her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey. As more secrets come to life, May fears she might be canceled for good.

Unlike other books by Alafair Burke this book has a bit of a slow start, but once it starts moving it does not hold back. The characters also start off as a bit unlikable also, but again this part of the plotting for the book. As the story starts to grow, and the plot becomes apparant what was once unlikable becomes understandable, and really fit with the story. There is a lot going on. The book deals with post-Covid trauma, social media, the resort towns that have their own rules and own social hierarchys, and entitlement. There are plenty of red herrings, and a bit of an untrustworthy narrator, and a lot of twists, as Burke is known for. The writing is good, and again once the plot starts moving the book is very hard to put down.

Another well-crafted story from a writer that is really climbing up the ranks of thrillers. Fans will enjoy this, and this would be a good place for new readers to hop on. They will find a lot of good reading ahead.

Well - didn’t see that ending coming! This is my first Alafair Burke thriller and I’m hooked! Will definitely checkout other titles.
I wasn’t in love with every character - May was relatable, I found Lauren to be lackluster, and Kelsey was insufferable - HOWEVER, together they made for a diverse group of friends, each with their own traumas that led them to where they ended up - in the Hamptons, leaving a note on a car, a note that unfolded an even greater mystery.
Definitely recommend this to anyone that loves a good murder mystery!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc!

Three friends get together for a girls weekend at the beach. What could go wrong? The first thing to go wrong is that all three protagonists are unlikable. The story would have been so much better had we cared about the girls. As it was, I found this book easy to put down and walk away from, but “The Note” gets three stars because I did care enough to finish it, albeit I. A week instead of a single afternoon. I really enjoyed previous novels from Ms. Burke, so I was quite disappointed with this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Note by Alafair Burke. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. I discovered this author a few years ago and quickly read several of her novels. This newest one didn’t disappoint. May, Lauren and Kelsey go to the Hamptons for a long overdue girls trip. They’ve all had a rough go of things since Covid. A video of May on a subway platform went viral & now she rarely ventures away from her fiancé. The other two have gone through some struggles too, so they are thrilled to be together. Then there’s an incident over a parking space in Sag Harbor, and suddenly the three women find themselves smack in the middle of a police investigation. A man is missing! What other secrets are they keeping? I raced through this easy read. Thumbs up! January release! bookstagram #whatiread #alafairburke #bookgram #reading #bookworm #thehamptons #books #goodreads #netgalley #libbyapp #thumbsup

After 3 old friends reunite for a vacation in the Hamptons two murder investigation start unfolding. Did one of the girls do it or do they have to work together to figure out who was behind the death around Kelsey?
This was a good easy read that kept me guessing!