This book is about three longtime friends who go away for a weekend in the Hamptons and end up involved in the case of a missing man. It took me a long time to get engrossed in the book and I found it rather predictable.

Denise Satin
316 reviews
4 followers

November 19, 2024
This is not my first book by Alafair Burke so I was pleasantly surprised when I received this ARC from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. I truly love this author but I found this book tedious to read. It is about three friends who meet up in the Hamptons and then something like a prank goes wrong. It picked up towards the end. I gave it three stars because of the author who is a well written author and it does get better but not one of her best for me. This book took me over a week to complete. When I love a book I can’t stop reading it and it does not take me over a week to finish. I hate not giving great reviews but I have to be honest. That does not mean you should not read it.

3.5⭐️
Three “cancelled” friends who were all involved in different public scandals get back together for a girls trip.
When one harmless prank involving a note goes very wrong. Secrets, lies and murder.
The characters are unlikeable and they have a toxic friendship. It made me wonder why they still talk to each other.
I did predict the twist but it was still a fast read that I enjoyed.

Shocking. Stunning. I absolutely could not put this book down!! The blurb on the front by Elston got me, and I'm so glad I took a chance on this one.

4.75/5.0

This is a well written mystery that does not reveal the killer until the end. There are several suspects in the disappearance and then murder of David Smith. I rate it 4 stars . The blurb:
"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. "
May is a lawyer and former DA. She is the one who suspects several different people before she finally puts it all together. The reader follows along with her as secrets are revealed, and how past actions have affected their friendships. May is the narrator. All of the deaths are described after they have taken place, so no graphic violence. There is only a limited amount of sex, and not graphic.
While it has been described as a page turner, it took me 5 days to read it. I became involved in figuring out how the secrets that were revealed affected their relationships, and who had motive for murder.
Thank you Knopf Publishing for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#TheNote #NetGalley

Pub Date Jan 07 2025

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Note by Alafair Burke
Three long time friends, who have all faced the wrath of the internet, take a trip to reconnect in the Hamptons. What starts as a prank, turns into a full blown investigation. Wow, this was a fun and twisty mystery/thriller! My first Alafair Burke book, and it will definitely not be my last. I found that Burke’s writing kept me hooked from the start. The characters were wonderfully flawed and it has you guessing who did it until the end. I can see this becoming a movie/show, I loved the drama of it all. Not a thriller to miss.
Thank you #netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this arc.
The Note by Alafair Burke releases January 7th, 2025

Much of my affection for Alafair Burke comes from her continuation of Mary Higgins Clark's stories, the comfort food of somewhat cozy mysteries. The Note, a standalone Burke, did not hit all the right...notes for me, unfortunately. I love an imperfect character, but most of The Note's 'heroines' were wholly unlikable, including May Hanover.

We open and close on May, whose self righteousness takes center stage throughout the entire novel. A former prosecutor and current law professor, May vacillates between investigating a murder in the Hamptons, to lying to police to protect her friends, to pointing fingers at several of those same friends.

The last chapters of the book are rushed and improbable, and some characters get a 'happy' ending that they hardly deserve. It's disappointing when one conversation reveals the whole plot to any reader who is paying attention.

2.5 stars rounded up for an easy writing style and, admittedly, some nostalgia.

This is my first Alafair Burke book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pacing was immaculate and reminded me of a Jenga puzzle. Twist after twist dropped into the plot as I waited for the crash.

The main characters were awful. Three previously “Canceled Crew” friends who each had scandals attached to their names, obviously haven’t learned the lesson of staying out of the spotlight, place a note on a windshield and set into motion all the drama.

The big reveal wasn’t hard to guess but I did enjoy watching it play out.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three friends take a weekend trip to the Hamptons. Their friendship is formed on the base of their love for NYT's Spelling Bee game and their famous traumatic incidents. On their first night out on vacation the three ladies decide to get dinner and drinks. What could possibly go wrong? Add alcohol, jealousy, secrets, and a handwritten note to the night and you've concocted the perfect recipe for murder.

This is the second book I've read from Alafair Burke, having previously read The Wife. I was thrilled to receive this ARC because I did thoroughly enjoy The Wife. Sadly, The Note did not hit all the same notes as the previous thriller. Burke was able to make every single character unlikable, which is a difficult task for writers, and an important part for this specific plot because readers don't know who to trust. The plot itself is also unique for thriller readers who complain that they want a new twist. I personally did not figure out "who did it" until about 70% through. As a reader I struggled with the time changes from present to past, as I did not think they were clearly written. I also thought the last half of the book could have used more suspense. For this reason I would rate this book a 3.5/5.

the more I think about this one, the angrier I get at the time I wasted on this one 😩 alafair burke is usually an auto buy author for me, so I was very upset when their latest missed the mark for me!

surrounding three women, whose personalities seem like they’re still in high school let’s be honest, and a prank they pulled during their weekend getaway, the mystery seemed a bit immature from the start. and there’s nothing that bothers me than when people keep stupid secrets, especially from the authorities, and it blows up into something larger than it should have been 🫠

the flashbacks also seemed a bit disjointed, and it wasn’t very clear in what time period events were taking place… and as much as I enjoy a dual timeline mystery, this one didn’t seem to work as well for me…

each of the main three women were unlikable and straight up idiotic - from straight shooter may who literally doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut, to secret keeping queen bee kelsey who is incapable of doing something morally correct, to lauren who is simultaneously trying to keep her friends together and looking out for her best interests only…

and while I appreciated the main plot twist at the end, it was a little too late to make me care about the characters 🫢 a big thank you still to netgalley and knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast rosé

May was friends with Lauren and Kelsey since they were teenagers and thought they have drifted apart in recent years, they all come together for a weekend to reconnect in the Hamptons. While going out to dinner their parking spot is stolen by another couple, which sets off a chain of events none of them could have anticipated. When the police get involved, the secrets that the three friends have been keeping from each other for years start to reveal themselves, testing the trust they have in each other.

This was a fun, twisty novel that wove a lot of disparate elements together really well. It also did a great job keeping me guessing of who the real culprit was until the very end!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I've read a couple of Alafair Burke's novels and was looking forward to The Note. I was a little disappointed in The Note. It's the story of three long-time on again, off again friends, and the mystery surrounding the murder of one of the women's husband. The story is a potboiler for sure but it was a bit over the top for me, even going in knowing it was of the suspense/thriller genre.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. May has always made the right decisions in her life. She always chose the right path. When a man is dead on her friends getaway, the police are asking questions. I enjoyed this book.

The Note is twisted, standalone suspense novel and my first read by this author. I’ve seen the rave reviews for other books by this author but I found this book just okay. The main characters aren’t really likable and definitely not very good friends. They get together after years to spend time but it goes sideways when a murder links back to a note that one of them left on the victim’s car. All three of them have scandals attached to their names and fear being back in the limelight for any bad publicity. Not a one of them is trustworthy or someone you would want as a friend. May may possibly be the worst amateur sleuth ever as she jumps from one scenario to another to uncover a murderer. The ending was twisted and not expected but not really a saving grace in the overall story, more of a lip curling shock than anything. I’m sure the author long time fans will love this book but it’s just okay for me. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

A trio of friends embark on a long-awaited girls' trip, but their vacation quickly spirals into a dangerous game. A cryptic note, a stolen parking spot, and a tragic death set the stage for a thrilling mystery. Burke's characters, while flawed, are undeniably authentic and compelling. Though the plot twist was somewhat predictable, it still managed to surprise and delight. I'm eager to read more from this talented author.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this new Alafair Burke book.
Friends come together in the Hamptons for a few days of relaxation and fun. Some how they become part of a murder investigation and can't figure out why. As the investigation rolls on there are shocking revelations and some things from the past make more sense. I found some of the characters very hard to like and was glad they got what was coming to them. I did not see the shocking ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow. This book was not at all what I expected. I have previously read some of Alafair’s books and they’re great domestic thrillers, so I was very excited for this one. However, this was all over the place! It’s not at all what I expected from her. The chapters honestly felt like they were written then jumbled up and put out in random order. There were parts of the story that seemed very unnecessary to the central plot, that were continuously harped on. I was wanting and expecting so much more.

This was quite the page turner, I enjoyed it from start to finish and was never bored. It wasn't overly twisty, but it was well written and the story moved quickly.

Former child musical prodigies Kelsey, May, and Lauren reunite for a weekend in the Hamptons. The three friends each hide secrets from everyone and from each other. On their first night together, after a plethora of cocktails, a simple, thoughtless prank turns into something greater that then moves to a police investigation.
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Each of these women was annoying in their own way, but I also had a hard time keeping up with who was who. There weren't enough distinguishable characteristics to make one stand out - aside from race and social issues.....of which there seemed to be a strong emphasis.

I think I needed something more exciting or more scandalous to happen. I thought it was boring and these women needed to....grow up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this thriller. The characters were complex and well fleshed out. The plot and build were good. Interesting and not obvious. It was a quick read - I wanted to know what was going to happen!