She shouldn't have written the note. It seemed like such a small thing when she did it. That wasn't the case. Suspenseful thriller not to be missed by one heck of an author. Thank. you to Alfred A Knopf Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

THE NOTE by Alafair Burke
⭐️ rating: 7.5/10

read if you like:
📍 the Hamptons
😱 missing people
👯‍♂️ girl group drama
🤫 past deaths coming back to haunt people

summary:
This book is about a group of three friends, May, Lauren and Kelsey, who reunite for a girls weekend in the Hamptons. While each of them have dealt with traumatic experiences over the last few years, they’re excited to reunite for fun and drinking. After someone beats them out for a parking space, one of the girls drunkenly leaves a note on the spot stealer’s car. The next day, they find not only is he missing, but he has a tie to their past. Are they connected to his death? Is one of the girls lying?

I’ll start by saying these are my favorite type of books - a group of girls coming together for a weekend together when something happens, and their weekend turns into a thriller. This one also has a diversity element, a nice change from your standard group of white girls. The characters all tie back to a trope - the rich girl, the poor girl and the mysterious girl, but the book still feels fresh and different. I would have loved to get to know them better independently, since each of them has an interesting backstory, but the story moves too quickly to share a lot of detailed background. I love the plot of this (naturally) — my only complaint is that the POV is a little hard to follow. While it’s all written in third person, we get in the heads of different characters at different times, which can be a little confusing. The ending is satisfying though and wraps everything up well!

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor and Net Galley for this advanced copy! Check out THE NOTE when it releases on January 14, 2025!

Unfortunately this book was too pandemic heavy for me, 4 years later. 40% into the book and still nothing happening other than a childish note put on someone’s vehicle over parking. The premise was good, the plot was promising but it just did not deliver for me. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in advance.

Alafair Burke, you are the only one who will ever speak my language.

It’s no secret, Burke, is, and will always be my favorite author on the planet. I don’t get anything from promoting these books. I feel like it is my duty to make sure the world knows and loves this twisted soul as much as I do.

Burke, makes my skin crawl, vibrates my body and makes my spine tingle… in all the best ways .

Imagine your best orgasm…That’s what these books will give you, just better.

The Note

Synopsis :

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?

This book is what I would call a light, easy to read mystery. It held my interest and I finished it quickly. I like the characters, three women from very different lives and backgrounds whose friendships ebb and flow over the years for various reasons. One of them is accused of murder and the there two are there to help her in her time of need, meanwhile uncovering some unsolved crimes of the past.

I had a hard time with this one. I found the story engaging and interesting.....but I had a hard time with the pandemic in it. I didn't realize when requesting this, it would be so heavily mentioned. I tend to steer clear of books mentioning 2020 and any type of pandemic as an ICU nurse that wants nothing but to forget thoes years.
It wasn't a bad book, it was a strictly me preference.

A somewhat pedestrian mystery/drama set in the Hamptons. The author brings some wit to the telling. The characters seemed too cliched for my liking. This was a DNF for me and I skipped to the last chapter to find out the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knoph, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Note by Alafair Burke due to be published January 14, 2025.
May, Lauren, and Kelsey share a history dating back to when May was only twelve years old. They have reunited for the first time in years for fun in the Hamptons. A chance encounter with a couple of strangers leads to a harmless prank that goes terribly wrong. Will lifelong friends keep each other’s secrets or divulge them if it fits their needs?
The Note was everything I expected a thriller to have – secrets, lies, and more. It kept me hooked as the secrets of the three girls and Kelsey’s brother, Nate, were all revealed. I loved how it all came together in the end. I am a big fan of Alafair Burke and will continue to be after this book!
#NetGalley #AlafairBurke #KnophPantheonVintageAndAnchor #TheNote

Lauren, Kelsey and May plan a get together weekend at the Hamptons after years of not keeping in touch, but a long time ago tragedy tore them apart and now it’s about to tear them apart once more after a man is found murdered. Witness report that May was overheard in town saying she had seen the murdered man having an argument with a woman the day he was murdered. May never felt part of Lauren and Kelsey’s little group and is willing to spill secrets to keep herself safe from harm

I generally enjoy Burke's work but I didn't feel like this one pulled together as well as her other books. The Covid references seemed timely (although Covid is not over) and the setting was fun enough but it felt kind of rough draft-y to me. There were some parts about the Hamptons changing that are true but didn't add much to the story. I couldn't figure out how the two women became such good friends with someone who was so much older than them and their boss at the camp they both worked at as college students. I don't know what an accomplished 30 something would be so friendly past the job with some women who were about 21.

I also found May's boyfriend Josh to be horrible and it was disappointing that she never seemed to realize how awful he was even before the events of the book. She really seemed to have no sense when it came to people at all which made it hard to believe she had been a successful lawyer.

I liked how this book kept me hooked with its fast pace and the secrets shared between three women who face a crisis. Their plan to heal old wounds through a prank that goes wrong adds an interesting twist.

While the murder mystery plot is exciting, the main characters had flaws. May was relatable but sometimes too preachy, Kelsey seemed spoiled, and Lauren came off as self-centered.

The story follows May, a law school graduate, and her friends Lauren and Kelsey as they navigate scandals and a tragic event during a trip to the Hamptons. Despite their issues, the mystery keeps you engaged.

Even with the imperfect characters, the book is a solid thriller worth reading, especially for fans of women's fiction, legal dramas, and mysteries. I give it four stars and recommend it for a gripping read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to review this book honestly.

I'm a big fan of Alafair Burke and have read all of her other books. This one was good and I didn't have it figured out until the end. It was a classic thriller/suspense/mystery of a man who goes missing after 3 friends leave a note on the stranger's car. It unfolds well and the story kept me interested. Not my favorite of hers but I would definitely recommend others to read it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I loved this! I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I'm a fan of Alafair Burke's books, but this was a big miss for me. Right off the bat, it didn't hold my attention. I found myself rereading paragraphs over and over again because I kept tuning out. Something about the writing — maybe because it leaned so heavily into telling and the characters recounting past events — forced me to constantly reorient myself. It didn't help that the way Josh spoke to May was condescending and off-putting.

Needless to say, The Note wasn't for me. But I remain a fan of Burke and I'll definitely watch out for her next book in the hopes that it's a better fit.

Secrets, regrets and friendship what a great read. Burke never disband keeps you reading into the night!

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!