A nail-biting, mystery thriller by an excellent author!! The suspense had me turning the pages quickly. I’ve always enjoyed her storytelling and this novel included strong female characters and their relationships. Highly recommend!!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Note had a lot of twists and turns and took a little bit of a windy path to get to the climax, but I absolutely enjoyed the ride and am already looking forward to Burke's next thriller!

Burke delivers another excellent psychological thriller in which 3 friends reunite in the Hamptons only to have chaos ensue after a night spent out drinking.

Fun, fast read about 3 friends who reunite in the Hamptons for a ladies trip. When a man goes missing, all 3 ladies are under the microscope by law enforcement and the friends begin to question each other's possible motives. I enjoyed the story line and characters but I did guess the killer pretty early on. Still a worthwhile, fun read!

Well reading The Note made me second guess my road rage ;) This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm excited to check out more. Quick thriller to read that I really enjoyed!

I don't know. I read the book, I was interested in the book for the most part but then the ending made me feel, meh. I feel like the author wasn't sure how to wrap the story up in a way that felt satisfying. I will still continue to read Burke's future publications but I have to say that I read them bc they are quick and brainless mind candy. My expectations continue to stay relatively low.

3.5 stars. This was my first Alafair Burke novel, and the writing didn't impress me-- but I enjoyed the plot and it was just the "popcorn thriller" I needed to keep me turning the pages. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This was my first time reading a book by this author and, honestly? I'm not impressed.
I did enjoy the plot, the execution as a whole, the characters were...decent enough, the twists were (in my opinion) a little predictable - but still fun, and the atmosphere suited the mystery.
Yet, I have this feeling that it won't be memorable to me.
I guess I can recommend this book to readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers, kind of popcorn thrillers as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Alafair’s latest book. I loved it! From the first chapter I was caught up with the 3 good friends and I knew their adventure to the Hamptons was not going to be a routine weekend of friends getting together. I don’t want to give any part of the story away, But the writing is crisp, fast moving and it is not very long before you are vested in May, Kelsey and Lauren. The story will have you guessing as more than one murder is involved, I read this over a long transatlantic flight and even though I wanted to rest, this book was not put down until I finished the last page. Excellent and Fun.

I have loved other books by this author, but this one wasn't my favorite. It's well written and researched, as usual. But the book felt very slow. There was a great deal of dense backstory, and I actually checked to see if it was perhaps a sequel, because the action in the present took such a back seat to what had happened in the past. I'll for sure check out Burke's future books, and some people might feel differently, but this wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

This a very typical Alafair Burke novel, and if you're a fan of her work you won't be disappointed. The writing was well-paced and there were enough twists and turns to keep your attention. I figured out whoudnit about halfway through the book but that didn't take away my enjoyment of the read. As usually happens in these contemporary thrillers, the ending was a bit quick and forced, but it was entertaining getting there.

3 1/2 stars

"The Note" by Alafair Burke is a murder mystery that takes place partially during a vacation at the beach. May (the attorney and college professor) and Lauren (the symphony directory) committed no murders but Kelsey (the widowed attorney who works at her father's business)-- well, it's hard to be sure.

The young women are long-time friends, having attended the same arts camp while in school. They've kept up their relationship largely by text message but now want the real thing. Wouldn't you know, their very first night out, a guy steals the parking spot they'd been waiting for. Cooler heads seem to have prevailed, but then it turns out that one of the women had gone back and put a provocative note on the man's windshield.

The next day May, Lauren, and Kelsey begin to see "Have you seen this man?" posters. Yes, it's parking spot man. Each has an idea about what to do and come up with different stories. Consequently, when the police start coming around, the friends look guilty even to themselves. But who really did it? The murderer of Kelsey's husband was never identified; could the two cases be related? Can the friendships even survive the hurt feelings?

"The Note" has the most delicious red herrings. Just when you think you've made a little progress, I imagine you'll find you haven't.

Alafair Burke has written an unusual, intriguing book with more attention paid to character and relationship details than in many mysteries. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Note. The writing was excellent. Kept me turning the pages. I did figure out a big part of the plot pretty early on, but it didn’t ruin the book for me. I’m anxious to read more of Burke’s books. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Solid thriller with twists and turns galore.
When life long friends May, Kelsey and Lauren decide to share a getaway in the Hamptons that
Kelsey books for them, murder and man and mayhem are not far behind.
Playing a prank on a person who cut them off in a restaurant parking lot and stole their parking spot, seems like a funny little minute of revenge as they drink their afternoon away. The note they leave on the car's windshield ends up being anything but funny as the driver goes missing that evening.
Very good mystery with strong, complicated but intriguing characters and a riveting plot.
Bravo.

I would like to thank the publishers and Alafair Burke for an ARC copy of The Note. May, Kelsey and Lauren was best friends since summer camp. Although May and Kelsey didn’t keep In touch with Kelsey, Lauren was the go between. They all decided to meet in the Hamptons and have a girls weekend. Well it turned out to be a very interesting one. Someone is missing and fingers start getting pointed. This nook kept me guessing and on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t wait to get to the end. Enjoy!
I was given a free copy of this book to give an honest opinion.

Despite being somewhat predictable, this was a solidly written and highly entertaining contemporary crime novel.

We have all had moments we aren’t exactly proud of, unfortunately . . . May, Lauren, and Kelsey have had their flawed moments hashed out in the public eye. Each of these women has since dealt with their own toxic fifteen minutes of internet shame and find themselves far removed from the carefree childhood friends they once were.

In the messy aftermath of public scandal, their innocence has faded along with the fierce closeness they each shared. In a coordinated effort to reconnect, a fun getaway is planned to the Hamptons. During the trip, a petty inebriated decision is made by one of the ladies to leave a provocative note on the windshield of a car that brazenly stole a parking spot. The incident was quickly forgotten, but that prank note has darker repercussions than anyone intended or could have possibly imagined. It wasn’t considered a serious matter until a police investigator arrived at their rented house. Each question exposes deep insecurities and trust issues. Rising suspicions pit them against one another, someone here is a deceiver. A rush to judgment, an affair, and an unsolved murder…all that and more comes along to unravel these three women and test the loyal bonds of their friendship . . . will it survive the truth?

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Note for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

This book had me stressed! Bad decisions and secrets between friends. The book kept me guessing until close to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Book review 📖

📜The Note
✍️Alafair Burke
📠Knopf
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: January 7, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @aaknopf for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Three friends, May, Lauren, and Kelsey, take a trip to the Hamptons for a weekend of what was supposed to be fun. What they end up with are police knocking on their doors after a man goes missing.

✨May, a former Assistant District Attorney and self-proclaimed rule follower, decides to let loose on her weekend trip. What happens when a chance encounter with another couple and a handwritten note unravels a string of negative events in succession?

✨When May finds herself at the center of a police investigation, she wonders if she really knows her friends at all and what secrets they’re harboring.

✨I thought I’d like this one a lot more than I did. I felt like the action was a little slow and there was a dump of backstory at first, which I prefer to learn over time. I do, however, like Alafair Burke’s books and will continue to read more.

#netgalley #thenote #alafairburke #knopf #thrillerfiction #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #winterreleases

I am a huge fan of Alafair Burke but this book just fell short for me. Very predictable and just nothing that held my attention. I didn’t particularly like the 3 main characters either. Overall this was just a miss for me.

Kelsey, May, and Lauren meet in the Hamptons for a girls weekend. Once close friends, they have been somewhat estranged as each one has something scandalous in their backgrounds. When a prank goes awry and someone is murdered, their friendship is tested as suspicion falls on them. Secrets are revealed, relationships questioned as the hunt is on for the killer.

Like peeling away the layers of an onion, the histories of the three women slowly unfold with twists, turns, and surprises. I didn’t particularly like the main characters, but I loved the story….I couldn’t put it down. Another book read deep into the night.

Even though I wasn’t trying, I did guess the perpetrator fairly early. That did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. A great escapist read; perfect for the beach, a rainy day, or a cold and stormy one.

Twists, lies, secrets, betrayals, and one note that sets everything in motion and once started, just keeps throwing red herrings in all directions. You might think you've guessed it, but likely not. Tense and addictive, and nothing is really as it seems. A joy for all mystery fans!