A weekend away in the Hamptons turns deadly for three women in this twisty thriller.
May, Lauren and Kelsey have had a rough couple years calling themselves the cancel crew since each of them have been through the wringer. Kelsey’s husband was killed and his unsolved murder makes internet sleuths believe she did it. Lauren was called out for having an affair with a married older man who people accused of giving her a lead position on the symphony because of his power. Then there is May, who after being called a racial slur on a subway platform, freaked out while someone recorded her with their phone and is now called #DAKaren because of her law background.
But the idea of the three women laying low for a girls week is destroyed when a man who stole a parking spot from them is not only a victim of their prank, leaving a note on his car, but then turns up dead.
Now the three are pulled into a murder investigation and realize that this random guy wasn’t so random after all, and these three friends don’t know each other as well as they think they do.

Three friends head out to the Hamptons for a getaway. Each had been plagued with scandal and hopes to escape their past selves. May has always been the good girl, rule follower. When a prank gone wrong ties the three women to a missing person investigation, they must decide what is more important to them. Everyone has secrets, how far are you willing to go to protect yours? Kelsey and Lauren love May but who's hiding what from the others?

This book was just okay for me. The three women all have their own problems and are connected to each other from their pasts. It felt predictable in the plot and I felt it dragged. I enjoyed the characters but the plot just didn't do it for me. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This book started off very slow and was definitely looking at a max of a 3 star rating. However, you need to stick with it, it gets a whole lot better as you get into it. I didn't like the character of May very much, but she does redeem herself more in the end. The dynamic between the 3 friends was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Alafair Burke, but this novel was too entrenched in the pandemic times for me to truly enjoy it. It’s been three years since coming out of that terrible period, and I don’t need the books I read to remind me of that time.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters, either. For being presented as a Type A, go getter, May was written as riddled with delf-doubt. Her boyfriend, Josh, treated her like she was a toddler who shouldn’t be left alone for a single minute. Drove me nuts!

Although this wasn’t my cup of tea, I am appreciative to Netgalley and Knopf Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to get an ARC of Alafair Burke's latest book. Three friends spend a weekend away to catch up and find out a lot more about each other. I enjoyed the 5 different parts set-up. I think May might be the most annoying friend out of all of them and her work with the police was a little over the top. Overall, fun fast read with some twists.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

There was so much potential with this story line but it was slow and predictable. I figured it out pretty early on.

The characters were hard to like and obnoxious at times. I’ve loved some of this authors previous work but this book lacked depth. The story dragged on with a lot of word vomit that made it hard to sit still and focus on reading.

I found all of the characters very immature. I think this story would have been more believable if the characters were college students.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for this Advance Readers Copy ebook in exchange for my honest review.

First book I’ve read by author Alafair Burke and it won’t be my last! This book was addicting and kept me on my toes. This was a fast paced book that grabbed my attention rather quickly! Thank you for the E-ARC NetGalley, the publisher and Alafair Burke.. love when I find new authors!!

2025 is shaping up to be an amazing reading year, and 'The Note' needs to be on the tip on everyone tounges when it comes to a great thrill rides. I don't think I've ever given a thriller five stars in my life.

"The Note" by Alafair Burke is a tightly woven psychological thriller that expertly explores themes of trust, lifelong friendships and deception. Known for her complex characters and unpredictable plots, Burke delivers a fast-paced read that will keep readers on edge from beginning to end. "The Note" packs an emotional punch with its twists and revelations, offering a quick but satisfying thriller experience. The story revolves around long-time best friends and the years that have bound them but also created tension between them. In the center of the story, a person revealed later to be from the girls past, turns up missing after an awkward encounter with him during a girls trip. Such a great read, I clocked the killer towards the end when things really started to add for me - this is one of my favorite types of books - i love a good whodunit.

I usually love anything by Alafair Burke, but this one fell short for me. The premise was great, a practical joke gone wrong, but the book just didn’t live up to my expectations. It felt like it drug on forever, with so much unnecessary filler. I couldn’t find a single character that I actually liked, other than maybe the dog. The ending was predictable and I had it figured out by the first half of the book. Maybe the next one will be better.

May Hanover is a rule follower. Formerly a successful lawyer, she’s now a professor. She’s been estranged from her friend Kelsey, but now Kelsey, May, and their friend Lauren are back together for a weekend in the Hamptons when a prank leads to unexpected consequences. All three friends have secrets, but the weekend has May reexamining other events and wondering just who she can trust.

I thought this had fun twists and turns.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 7, 2025.

I wasn't sure about this book for the first third of it, but then it picked up and got very interesting. So hang in there if you aren't really involved in the beginning. A prank, a note to get back at some rude people takes the three main characters on a twisty ride from their teenage years to present. There is also a lot of commentary about being cancelled and what it does to people's lives
'

This book was okay. I cannot stand toxic female friendships plus pranks gone wrong. It had a lot of potential and didn't hold attention.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Note: A Novel by Alafair Burke is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and the dark secrets that can bind people together.

May Hanover, a former district attorney turned law professor, is the central figure in this gripping tale. Raised by a strict, first-generation Chinese single mother, May has always been the epitome of discipline and success. 

The plot kicks into high gear when a drunken prank involving two strangers goes horribly wrong, leading to a police investigation that puts May at the center of a web of deception and betrayal. 

Burke’s narrative is both fast-paced and intricately plotted, with each chapter revealing new layers of tension and intrigue. The characters are well-developed, each with their own flaws and motivations that make them feel real and relatable.

The setting of the Hamptons adds an additional layer of allure and menace to the story. 

For fans of psychological thrillers, The Note is a must-read. Alafair Burke has delivered a taut, engaging story that keeps readers guessing until the very end, and this is a great read from one of my favorite authors!

The Note is the first novel I have read by Alfair Burke. This story is addictive. The book tells the story of 3 female friends-May Hanover, Lauren Berry, and Kelsey Ellis who have known each other since childhood. They spent summer’s at Wildwood a music summer camp. The three have been busy with their adults lives and have grown distant. Each have experienced different obstacles in their personal lives. The three decide to get the group together and reconnect in The Hamptons. Unfortunately there first night in town a childish act over a stolen parking spot turns dark when the male driver of said car turns up missing. Questions arise over what happened to driver which introduces a connection from their past at summer camp when they were counselors. I couldn’t put this book down. The twist and turns kept my nose in the book. I promise readers won’t guess the ending. I look forward to reading another of her books. Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for this advance copy!

My only suggestion for the author is the stories about Lauren, May, and Kelsey’s early years could have been more developed, so reader feels more invested in the story and outcome. I feel their backgrounds were more a brief timeline and not a development of each character.

(NetGalley ARC)
I had the privilege of reading the advanced copy of this incredible thriller and absolutely loved it!
Young girls at camp befriend each other, and unthinkable teenage trouble ensues. Although the friends live far apart from each other, they do stay in touch… and years later decide to vacation together. Each of them, individually, has been under questionable scrutiny over the years and their friendships are challenged. While on vacation, the past collides with the present …and a seemingly innocent prank turns ugly as they realize how stupid it was…but the characters reveal their true selves with every twist and turn, bringing the past lies and secret back to life. Who is lying…who is hiding secrets, who has the most to lose???  Trust in each other is fractured as they work to suppress the trouble they find themselves in. An excellent edge-of-your-seat tale of how young girls find themselves in serious trouble and think that the ‘innocent’ lies they told years ago will stay hidden and forgotten…until they resurface years later!  WOW! Could not have predicted this ending! It is so well written and had me wanting for more!!!! Don’t miss this wild ride!!! 😳😱😧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a book!!! Wow! I have not read a book like this for a long while. It was fantastic! Loved the storyline

Here is my confession…

I barely finished this novel. Barely.

“The Note,” is the story of three friends who were at camp together many years ago when tragedy struck.

Fast forward to 2023, Set in the Hamptons, the friends, May, Jessica, and Kelsey, are out drinking and partying and find someone parked their parking spot, so they leave a ‘note’ in their drunken stupor. It turns out the car they chose to leave the note on belongs to the brother of the girl who was killed at camp. That’s the gist.

Well, sounds promising right? It’s not. The three women are so unlikable, who acts like that? Now, as I’ve stated in other reviews, I don’t mind unlikable, but here they are whiny and childish. They are toxic.

It was just a struggle to find anything redeeming here, the story fell flat, the pacing off, and the ending disappointing.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Well told story about a group of old friends reuniting on a girls trip and one note opens up so many secrets. There were so many twists and turns, I just couldn't put it down.

This is a story about three friends (let's use this term loosely) who have a history together that spans years. The general gist of this story involves some deaths surrounding these three under suspicious circumstances. I can't say that the writing is bad but I wasn't a fan of any of the characters or the way that the author seemed reluctant to describe the POC characters. It felt like they were trying to remain neutral about the fact that one character is black and one character is Asian American until well into the story. This bugged me because the other character of the three in this group is a white girl who the main character heaped loads of praise upon how she looked.
That aside, the story weaved in and out of their past and present but each time we were taken to a flashback scene, it felt like it was reinforcing the notion that these girls are barely friends. One scene in particular where one of the characters husband is murdered and the main character never reaches out to her to express her support. This group is a bit "sad" as far as labeling them as friends. It's a contrived plot. I gave it 3 stars because it moved quickly and is a short read. Other than that, didn't really see a lot of redeeming "thriller" aspects to it.