I received a free copy of, The Note, by Alafair Burke, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book may start off a bit slow but the pace did pick up. Once it picked up, I found it hard to put down! There were twists that I wasn't expecting.

A vacation in the Hamptons goes horribly wrong for 3 friends. What started as a harmless prank, ties them together in a crime. These 3 started out as childhood friends, but their friendship turned very toxic as they became adults. Story felt a little rushed at the end, after a slow burn, but brought it together in a satisfying way.

Thank You NetGalley and Knopf for the free e-galley.
Publication Date: Jan 7, 2025

First, thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I've never read anything by this author, and I usually don't go for thrillers, but the premise sounded interesting. And it was, until it wasn't.

I had most of the twist figured out by about 42% in, which is why I don't go for thrillers. There were a couple of twisty details, but overall it was fairly predictable.

The idea that all of these women had some sort of high profile news presence was just too much for me to believe.

Overall, this was a twisty super fast (in two sittings over the course of a day off) read and one I'd tell friends to read, but it was just OK for me.

The Note by Alafair Burke
Release Date: 1/7/25
Format: audio/ebook hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️✨

I love a thriller that is based on past mysteries and current day deception. With a girls trip thrown in for good measure?! Hell yeah! So this book had a lot of ingredients I usually dig, but for some reason it just didn’t connect for me at all.

There was a lot of nothing in this book. I really didn’t feel invested to the plot or the characters at any point. There was a lot of things going on, but most of it didn’t feel like it carried much weight. Throw in a mess of one dimensional characters and one too many plot lines, and I just don’t think this book was entertaining or engaging unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, I’m sorry it’s a somewhat salty one!

The Note by Alafair Burke is about three old friends who schedule a girls' trip to The Hamptons. Kelsey, Lauren, and May have a history fraught with parental issues, high expectations for success, and a few mysterious deaths. While out to dinner a couple in a small car steals the parking space the ladies are waiting for. At dinner, after many drinks, Kelsey suggests they write a note to the parking space stealers - just for fun. Unbeknownst to the other two she puts the note on the car. This starts a series of events they never would have expected. Their hurts from the past come out in an ugly way. I appreciate NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Ancho for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.


Everyone is a suspect. Every single person in this book seems to have secrets that could make them the murder suspect. It will leave you guessing until the very end.

May is the good girl. As the first born child of a Chinese immigrant and an American father, she is expected to always succeed and do the right thing. When her father disappears, her mother raises her alone. An accomplished pianist and lawyer, May has always been somewhat judgmental and uptight.

Lauren and Kelsey are May’s best friends. Well, at one time they were. Kelsey and May had a falling out years ago. Lauren has mostly been the glue that kept the threesome together. So when Kelsey invites May and Lauren to spend a weekend with her at a private home in the Hamptons, it’s an opportunity for the women to renew their friendship.

Until a man goes missing and the women realize they saw him the night before, stealing their parking space. A harmless prank turns the women into suspects and tests their friendship.

I will say this one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. While May is clearly the lead protagonist, Lauren and Kelsey are well thought out characters. It’s an odd threesome, but their friendship does make sense. Sometimes you’ll get a notion of who is the culprit, but this one really had me stumped. I couldn’t wait to finish it to find out who was the guilty one.

Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.

But even good girls have secrets. And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.

Oh boy. I was pulled into this story from the beginning. I don't like ANY of the main characters, but that didn't make me put the book down. In fact, I think it kept me more engaged. The plotline kept me turning pages, though, and I couldn't look away. There are a lot of things in this book that make you think about stereotypes and social media, but those thoughts come after you've finished this gripping thriller. 3.5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

3 1/2 stars rounded up
Friends since childhood, three women get together for a weekend in the Hamptons. After a few too many drinks, one of the women puts “The Note” on a car that stole their parking spot. They think it’s a hilarious drunken prank but one of the car’s occupants goes missing and they soon find themselves in the middle of an investigation.
This ARC was provided by the Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"It was meant to be a harmless prank."
"What had they gone and done?"
Three friends decide to take a vacation in the Hamptons....but talk about keeping your enemies closer...Some toxic traits and scandalous secrets between them, could not possibly be a vacation. This trip was more of a consolation game with no winners. As children, they made bad decisions that ended in heartbreak, so you learn from them. As adults, they played a prank by leaving a note on a couple's car after they took their parking space. It becomes a police investigation after the couple ends up missing.
I'm not sure any of them should have been friends. When they're together, they can do some damage. They all live with secrets and regrets. May was once top of their class and raised by a single parent with morals. She always tried to make the best decisions until she met Lauren and Kelsey. She begins to see through the friendship and loyalty. It becomes a police investigation testing their ties to each other.
This was an enjoyable book if you like mysteries because it keeps you guessing and throws some twists in it to keep it interesting. It was aggravating to watch their lack of wisdom together.
Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

In the beginning, it is hinted at that each woman in the story has a secret or something big that happened to them that "ruined" their lives. As we get further into the book we find out these events and how they play a factor in the story.

I think the storyline is a little confusing and hops around so much that you don't know if you are in the past or present. I wish the chapters were labeled by character because we get a lot of everyone's point of view in this one along with a little past and present in the timeline. It really felt slow at times which made it hard to get through. I feel one character and storyline could have been taken out completely.

The ending has a good twist but just happens too late.

This is not my first read by the legendary Burke, and it won't be my last. All of her books have been solid 4 or 5 stars, but I do think that this one is a solid 3.5, though I'm rounding to 4.


3 friends are on a vacation and decide to play a "harmless" prank, which impacts them beyond anyone's wildest imagination. What was supposed to be a fun trip has turned into a missing person's case, cops showing up at everyones' doors, and long-held secrets coming to light in some twists and turns that will leave you dizzy.

Overall, I LOVED the premise, and the eventual conclusion. There were also multiple narrators and time jumps. I really enjoy these aspects in books.

However, I couldn't bring myself to like ANY of the characters. MCs will always do dumb things, or there's no story, and I understand that. But I couldn't relate to or care about any of the three friends or their life choices. I felt the same way about all of the side characters as well. So, while I felt the need to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it, I also hoped in a small way that no one had a happy ending, because I wasn't rooting for anyone that was in the book. I would have been perfectly happy to see everyone end up in jail or dead.

It WILL keep you captivated, you WILL gasp, you SHOULD read this book, just be prepared to not like anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was fantastic. It really kept me on my toes and guessing throughout. This was my first book that book I've read by this author and I would definitely read again.

This was a fun page-turner with a fabulous Hamptons location. I don't really remember how it ended but the journey was enjoyable! Read this in a couple of days.

I enjoyed this book. There were a few times when it felt a little slow, but overall it held my interest. I thought it was pretty much on par with other books of its genre.

One thing that's become common in the last three years of literature is books that make reference to and/or take place in a COVID-19 world. I don't have a problem with this when it's done in moderation and the whole plot of the book isn't centered on it. That's why I actually really enjoyed this book, which seamlessly weaves the pandemic into the story in ways that move the plot along. It really helped provide background for the main characters here and what their motivations were.

I really enjoyed The Note, particularly the pacing, which was fast and kept the story going. I also liked the cast of characters and how the twists turned out. The setting-The Hamptons- was very atmospheric and lent itself well to the plot.

Overall, this was a solid thriller!

Oh, man... this one had so much potential but it fell completely flat for me. I particularly disliked the transition from slow burn to a story told at 150 miles an hour. We go from a carefully-told story to being slammed into the ending with zero warning. The extremely brief epilogue left me with several unanswered questions and frankly feeling like I'd endured whiplash. Also, this story's name sake of this novel "the note" played such little role in the story development and I kept waiting for that aspect to become a stronger point in the story. On a different note, the political commentary and soapboxing almost made me DNF. I understand trying to tell a story that feels relevant within the current cultural climate, but I really disliked how preachy it felt. And, honestly, if they had edited all of that out, the story would not have been harmed at all. Okay, last point... because I know I've kind of ripped this one apart, but I found the whole spelling game app situation really distracting. Again, it felt like a very intentionally designed plot tool (yay for the intentionality, at least) but it lacked creativity and ultimately just became distracting and irritating. Overall, I found the ending to be really depressing, upsetting, and horribly rushed. I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review this ARC, but unfortunately this thriller was just not for me.

Please note: this review is now posted on my GoodReads account
Thank you for letting me read!

Uniquely executed. I found it interesting how many events that that were mentioned earlier in the story, are later revisited with new information. Meaning, I didn’t think to question those events or that those would be part of the mystery.

That made for a twisty thriller and I was here for it. The multiple narrators are always fun when it comes to murder mysteries, but I’m not sure the segues were as smooth as they could be. The time jumps were also at times confusing. I do feel like the lead up to May’s story could have been revealed a lot earlier, all the teasers were a bit much. Overall, strong and entertaining book.

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

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Note, by Alafair Burke, from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Boy am I an idiot, or what?

Many, many years ago, I read something about Alafair Burke having her first mystery published, and I got all sniffy and was, like, “I’m not going to read anything by somebody who’s just trading off her father’s good name.” (I’ll do a little spoiler here and say, cutting off your nose to spite your face, much, Kristi?)

Because I was, at the time, the kind of James Lee Burke fan who was one step away from getting in the car and driving to where he lived to force him to drink with me (coffee, beer, I didn’t care what) and explain how he ever came to write In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead. I mean, y’all, I actually planned an entire Louisiana vacation around locations mentioned in the Dave Robicheaux series. I’ve settled down since then. But it was an intense relationship for a long time, albeit one-sided.

I think I sort of dimly realized that Ms Burke had a few more mysteries come out, but didn’t actively pay attention. Then, recently, I got the chance to read The Note, a standalone mystery by her. I thought huh, good for her, she’s trying a different approach, so maybe I’ll give this one a try.

Not realizing exactly how many books, both in series and as standalones, she’s had published since 2003. Not realizing exactly how accomplished she is in terms of both academia and the legal profession. Not realizing there’s a very good reason why her books are WILDLY popular and eagerly awaited.

Well. At least now I have all the rest of her oeuvre in front of me to enjoy, right? Smart, sometimes witty, socially relevant, plausible storyline/s—I’m expecting that all of her books will have all of that going for them, based on my enjoyment of The Note. Yay!

DESCRIPTION
A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history.

“I absolutely loved The Note. Trust no one in this irresistible page-turner.” —Ashley Elston, #1 New York Times best-selling author of First Lie Wins

It was meant to be a harmless prank.

Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.

But even good girls have secrets. And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.

When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.

What had they gone and done?

The Note is a page-turner of the highest order from one of our greatest contemporary suspense writers.

It was such a thrilling read that I couldn’t put it down! It follows May Hanover, a seemingly perfect "good girl" who reunites with her childhood friends, Lauren and Kelsey, for a weekend in the Hamptons. What starts as a carefree escape quickly spirals into a tense situation when a prank goes horribly wrong, and May finds herself caught up in a police investigation that forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her friends.

What really grabbed me was how fast-paced and suspenseful the story was. The tension between the three friends—each with their own buried secrets—kept me turning pages, and I found myself constantly second-guessing who I could trust. The friendship dynamic felt so real, and I loved how the author built on their history together, which really made the stakes feel high. Even though the characters fit into familiar archetypes—the rich girl, the mysterious one, and the more grounded one—the story still felt fresh and unpredictable.

One thing I would have liked more of was getting to know the characters better on an individual level. Each of them has such an interesting backstory, but the plot moves so quickly that there's not a lot of time to dive deep into their personal histories. Still, the author does a great job of teasing out small details and foreshadowing, so by the time everything is revealed, it all feels earned.

I really enjoyed the writing style—it kept me engaged without slowing down, and I never felt like the story dragged. If you love mysteries or thrillers with a focus on friendship, secrets, and twists, 'The Note' is definitely a book you should check out. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alafair Burke’s The Note is a gripping psychological thriller that deftly explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the dangerous consequences of hidden secrets. Through its intricately woven plot and emotionally charged character dynamics, the novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

At the heart of the story is May Hanover, a woman who seems like the quintessential “good girl”—well-behaved, responsible, and steadfast in her commitment to doing the right thing. Raised by a strict single mother, May’s life has been a careful balance of discipline and ambition. But beneath this seemingly perfect surface lies a much darker, more complex side. Burke effectively uses May’s perspective to reveal the tension between personal morality and the weight of past mistakes, particularly within the framework of her close-knit yet fractured friendship with Lauren and Kelsey.

The plot unfolds after a seemingly harmless prank among these three childhood friends goes disastrously wrong during a weekend trip to the Hamptons. What begins as a lighthearted moment turns into a nightmare when the prank catches the attention of the police and spirals into a full-blown investigation. As May finds herself at the center of a police inquiry, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her friends—and about herself. This central mystery forms the backbone of the narrative, but it is Burke’s deft exploration of the emotional and psychological toll of betrayal that truly drives the story forward.

The tension in The Note is palpable, with each new revelation about the prank’s fallout intensifying the reader’s sense of unease. Burke masterfully builds suspense, drawing out small, seemingly insignificant details that slowly unravel into bigger, more disturbing truths. The structure of the novel, alternating between present-day events and flashbacks to May’s childhood, creates an ever-tightening sense of claustrophobia as the stakes rise and May’s past collides with her present.

Character development is one of the novel’s standout elements. May’s transformation throughout the book is compelling and heartbreaking, as she grapples with the limits of her loyalty and the moral compromises she must make. Lauren and Kelsey, too, are not mere side characters but integral to the story’s thematic richness. Their complex relationships with May, marked by years of shared history and unspoken tensions, add layers of intrigue and emotional depth to the narrative. As May begins to uncover the truth about their involvement in the prank, she must also reckon with the emotional fallout of realizing that the friends she thought she knew may have been hiding far more than she could have imagined.

What makes The Note especially appealing to fans of the thriller genre is its keen psychological insight and its ability to blur the lines between right and wrong. The book taps into the universal fear of being betrayed by those closest to us and the haunting realization that some secrets, once exposed, can never be undone. The steady escalation of tension, combined with the unpredictable twists and turns of the plot, ensures that readers will be hooked until the very last page.

Ultimately, The Note is a well-crafted thriller that explores not only the intrigue of a central mystery but also the emotional complexities of friendships tested by time, secrets, and regret. Fans of authors like Gillian Flynn and Lisa Jewell will find much to appreciate in Burke’s darkly atmospheric tale, which offers both a pulse-pounding plot and a deep dive into the human psyche.