Three friends find themselves in a debacle when they’re in the Hampton’s and a girl’s trip goes wrong! I love the relationship these girls have…very real and so like girls! 😂 such a fun exciting read with a great whodunit aspect. Love!!! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Alafair Burke's newest thriller. She always has good female characters, not always the strongest characters, but always with some good depth and secrets. May was my favorite, probably because she has the legal background (always the best part of AB novels) and she had a meltdown a few years ago where she got the nickname "Asian Karen", and the video went viral. The other 2 women - Lauren and Kelsey - also had their infamous moments, so they've bonded over the last few years over their downfalls.

The book really starts after a note is left on the windshield of a man that snagged their parking space and then ends up missing. That's when things get interesting and secrets are revealed, and they all find out that none of them have been 100% honest about their lives. A popcorn thriller that keeps you entertained.

I haven't read anything from this author in a while and am so glad that I snagged this one to read. It tells a great story that takes you through a complicated friendship and makes you learn why staying so connected is important. What seemed like a harmless prank turns into interviews with the police and a full blown investigation. Definitely worth the read.

Absolute page turner!!! May, Kelsey and Lauren meet at a music camp one summer. They've attempted to stay in touch over the years but their relationships didn't seem as strong as before.

They take a trip to the Hamptons to reconnect and find themselves in the middle of a missing persons investigation.

I can't tell you more without giving too much away but I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

When three friends with love/hate relationships vacation together in the Hamptons, a seemingly minor incident has repercussions that threaten their current and past lives. There’s a lot going on in this book: the aftermath of the pandemic, socioeconomic differences and racial inequality, MeToo references, a major “Karen” incident, family trauma, courtroom drama, flashbacks to summer camp - I appreciated what the author was trying to do, but it didn’t have the suspense and tension I wanted. It was a solid theee stars.

Overall I like the premise of the story and it high potential but to me it felt disjointed and I felt the plot lacked cohesion and the characters were not likeable
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

The plot of this novel had potential, and the premise was interesting; however, the characters were unlikeable and, in my opinion, the story lacked cohesiveness. I felt like the author tried to throw too much into the mix resulting in loose plot connections. Additionally, the end seemed rushed and somewhat anticlimactic. That being said, the book was entertaining enough to keep my interest, and is sufficiently good for a light read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alafair Burke, and Knopf Publishing for sharing this free ARC digital copy.

Three toxic friends that each have their own scandal meet for a vacation weekend in the Hamptons. While going out for drinks, one of them leaves a note on the car of the person who took their parking space, that same person turns up dead in a few days. As the police investigation ensues, secrets and scandals from each of the friends past is exposed. It turns out one of the friends used to date the victim. Could the killer be one of the friends? This was my first time reading a book by this author. I think she did a great job in developing the characters. In the beginning, there’s a lot of dialogue but it revs up in the second half. I just wish there was more action, towards the end, I just wanted to find out who the killer was. It didn’t turn out to be who I thought. All in all, this was a good read. Thanks Net Galley for the ARC.

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.