Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I was interested in this one because of the MLM aspect. The dialog of the characters was pretty spot on in my experience with MLMs. The book was a fun read. I could recommend it to someone who likes the cozy murder mystery genre. Nothing too shocking and it was a pretty clean read.

Slow to start but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. This book doesn’t do anything necessarily ground breaking— no new musings on the terrible system of MLMs and how they prey on women. That being said, it is definitely unique and I haven’t seen this done before, it worked as a tense murder mystery but I wish it had been a bit crazier for how much shit was going down. But it was a satisfying story about friendship, predation, and small towns.

When Drew returns to her small hometown after being laid off from her journalism job at Reddit, she hopes to lay low, avoid her old friends, and figure out her next move. But those plans quickly unravel when her former best friend pulls her back into the fold—along with a growing obsession sweeping the town: LuminUS, a “doctor-recommended” skincare MLM promising empowerment, success, and transformation.

Abrams delivers a razor-sharp exploration of the world of multi-level marketing, blending suspense with emotional depth. Through LuminUS, she gives us an intimate look at the women caught in its web—not just their polished Instagram lives, but their quiet vulnerabilities, relentless hustle, and the dreams that keep them tethered to an impossible promise. Their stories are raw, relatable, and painfully real, adding a deeply human layer to the book’s fast-paced plot.

The glittering illusion of LuminUS shatters when one of its distributors is found dead, and Drew begins to suspect the company is hiding something far darker than overpriced serums and shady sales tactics. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that could destroy not just the women she’s come to care about but the entire LuminUS community.

Death in the Downline is a gripping, thought-provoking thriller that combines sharp social commentary with a richly layered portrayal of community, ambition, and exploitation. With every twist, Abrams pulls you further into the sinister world of LuminUS, making this a must-read for fans of contemporary thrillers and of course anyone wary of MLM pyramid schemes.

#QuirkBooks #DeathInTheDownline #MariaAbrams

This is a fastpaced, straightforward story. At first I was very curious to dive into the world of MLM but it felt like the author could have done so much more with this story. I would have loved a more in depth, undercover type of story. Now it feels a bit like anybody who's even a tiny bit suspicious about LuminUS could have solved this. Which makes for the outcome not to be a surprise.
The fact that the author doesn't hide her critique on the whole MLM / cult world is very interesting. The characters were ok. I was rooting for Drew to succeed and hoping for Steph to find her way out of LuminUS. The rest of the characters were either small roles or a bit insufferable (mostly the girls trying to sell LuminUS).
All in all, it's a quick and fun mystery to read in between.

Death in the Downline is a fast-paced, modern cozy mystery that blends humor and intrigue, enhanced by clever extras like Instagram posts and fake news articles. Its lighthearted tone, creative format, and surprising twists make it a fun, engaging read for fans of dark-edged mysteries.

Death in the Downline was a formulaic mystery that tried to blend social commentary about the real-world predatory effects of MLMs with a whodunit murder, and it missed on both counts. I got more behind-the-scenes information on MLMs from both LuLaRich and Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans, so Abrams's info-dumping on how shady and underhanded downlines can be ended up taking up space that should have been devoted to better backstory and character development. I also kept waiting (hoping) for the murder element to go somewhere besides a rather boring Scooby Doo-esque reveal that had little to do with MLMs. Abrams had a chance to make the "I think this product is poisoning people!" plotline to go somewhere conspiracy-adjacent like Megan Giddings in Lakewood or Ira Levin in The Stepford Wives, and I really wish she would have taken it.

Death in the Downline is a cozy mystery with a modern twist that dives into the world of cults—blending humor and intrigue in an engaging way. It’s a fast-paced, short read made even quicker by the inclusion of clever “extras” like Instagram posts and fake news articles, which add both realism and a touch of lighthearted fun. The Instagram posts, in particular, had me laughing and felt like something I’d actually scroll through online.

The story is straightforward but intriguing, keeping you curious about the unfolding mystery. My first guess at the killer was way off (I was sure it was the ambitious blonde character—oops!), which made the final reveal a pleasant surprise.

The humor, creative format, and pacing make it a fun read, even if some parts don’t entirely hold up to scrutiny. Perfect for readers who love a lighthearted, modern mystery with a bit of a dark edge!

If you, like me, love the drama and pettiness associated with MLM culture, than this book is for you.

I personally have a huge interest in MLMs. The ways that the companies prey on women who are down on their luck, the casual alcoholism associated with membership, and the absolutely insane rules they have for every member draws me in like a car crash - don't want to look, can't look away. Last year, I read Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson (which, if you haven't read that yet, you definitely should) and immediately began grabbing as many MLM/influencer books as I could.

This book takes a different approach than the others. It's much more straightforward with its critique if MLM culture in general, and anyone even passingly familiar with the Hun Handbook will recognize the predatory techniques used to create and keep members. It's definitely true-to-life, and it's clear that a lot of research (or first-hand experience) went into the creation of this book.

The characters in this were also pretty vivid, which I appreciated a lot about this. I wanted Drew to succeed, and I really felt like I could relate to her struggles. I also thought that a lot of her friends and fellow Huns felt like real people - I've met a Steph and a Jenny. I've felt those mean-girl barbs that come out when women are forced to compete with each other. It all felt familiar that I think women will relate to, even if you've never been a part of an MLM.

My one point of critique has to do with the ending. Drew does a lot of sleuthing throughout the book to find out what's going on with LuminUS, which feels authentic. She does a lot of work and her tenacity really starts to pay off as she closes the noose around the killer. So, at the end, I was a little confused when her investigations kind of came to nothing and the killer is only discovered because they openly admit it after the tiniest bit of prodding. The climax is quick and painless, and then the story wraps up. Pretty typical cozy mystery, but it felt like a weak ending compared to how meticulously crafted the mystery is up until that point.

Even though the ending was a touch rushed for me, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to those that enjoy a good mystery with a real-world problem thrown in. If you, like me, live for the next update in the Olive Tree People's nonsense, this book is absolutely for you.

Death in the Downline, by Maria Abrams, is a great choice for readers who enjoy witty, fast-paced mysteries that awaken the darker side of ambition and the pursuit of the American dream, with a dash of humor and a strong, relatable protagonist. I loved the experience of a thriller built within the universe of pyramid scheme companies. Mainly because he explores very well the way in which these people use the vulnerability and desperation of others to get them into the business.

I would say that 90% of the book was a delightful read apart from the ending which was honestly too long. I would without regret remove about 50 pages from the end of the book, which only served as filler after the plot twist was revealed. It seemed to me that either the author was determined to give a happily ever after conclusion for each character or that she had a minimum number of pages to be delivered.

Regardless, it was still an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend and which I believe will be a huge success upon release. It's a fun book with a very interesting and current agenda, written in a very fluid way.

Recently fired, broken up with, and homeless, Drew has come home to New Jersey to stay with her father in her childhood home. She finds the town is dying, all of the work shut down, but somehow all of the women are blond, healthy, and rich. It's all thanks to LuminUS, a Multi-Level Marketing company. It's a pyramid scheme, obviously, with Drew's best childhood friend near the top of the pyramid. The numbers don't add up, and when LuminUs sellers start turning up sick or dead, Drew decides to use her journalism degree for something other than writing articles about what's selling best on Amazon this week.

Death in the Downline is a fun, modern cozy mystery; a straight-forward and empathetic take on a modern cult that has destroyed many lives and mildly inconvenienced so many others .This was a quick read, both because it's quite short and padded with "found footage" from instagram and fake newspaper articles, and because the story just speeds along. Also the instagram posts throughout are funny and absolutely believable.

I'm not sure I believe that a person like Drew could join LuminUS at all. I mean, plenty of smart people do, just this particular character is cynical and immediately recognizes LuminUS for what it is, so for her to turn around and drink the Flavor Aid that she'd just tossed in her friend's face just didn't make much sense. I guess that's cults for you. I was so wrong about who I thought the killer was. I thought it was the super ambitious blond (lol).

I'm giving this a 3.5, rounded up.

"Death in the Downline" was so good! It's almost like a cozy mystery but darker. The MLM content is so spot on. It was humorous at times, but I caught how sordid it all is at the same time. I changed my mind about the murderer so many times because the author kept adding layers. I enjoyed this so much, and I can wait to read more from Maria Abrams.

Thank you Quirk Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The actual mystery was uninteresting and I didn't care about any of the characters. I wanted to like it - I liked the conceit/setting but there were just too many plot holes for me.

This was a fun, quick read. Thank you to NetGalley and to Quirk Books for granting my wish.

I really loved the skewering of mlms. While I don't have any personal experience working in them, I've definitely been approached. I thought it was great that Abrams didn't make fun of the actual consultants. She saved her wrath for the upper echelon and showed how they target women just trying to make ends meet and take care of their families.

The death part of the book happens around the halfway point and I don't know if that worked that well. The thriller aspect was fun and, all in all, I enjoyed Death in the Downline by Marie Abrams.

Down on her luck, Drew moves back to her hometown and reconnects with old friends. Those old friends have an "excellent business opportunity" to help Drew get back on her feet. But when one of the girls in the downline ends up dead, Drew knows she has to get to the bottom of it.

This book was so slow. It took almost half of the book to get to the real plot. I love anti-MLM content, but this just felt like the author took all of the talking points from an anti-MLM video and regurgitated it into the book. I think the audience for this book was cozy mystery readers, which I am not.

I feel like I’ve been waiting years for someone to write this book. The moment I got wind of it, I added it to by TBR and wished for it on NetGalley. I was beyond excited to get an advance proof last night and devoured this novel in mere hours. For me, this was like if someone novelized r/antimlm and I loved it. From the beginning, I was instantly hooked and read the first 80% in one sitting!

What worked for me:
🔺No victim-blaming here: throughout the story, there’s interwoven delineation between the women who get sucked into MLMs (victims) and the true predators (top of the pyramid) while underscoring that the women who get manipulated into these scams are, empathically, not stupid.
🔺 Our cast: Drew, Steph, and Jenny were especially compelling characters for me. I particularly liked Drew and Steph’s backstory, relationship, and how determined they are to heal/rekindle their childhood friendship.
🔺 The writing was excellent: superb commentary on MLMs, inventive use of mixed media, and some actual laugh-out-loud moments (honestly, that death script with the GOODBUY coupon code made me howl - it’s totally tone deaf and utterly believable for these companies!)
🔺 The sense of place: a dying small town in the NE, was expertly done and even though my small town experiences are north of the border, I could vividly imagine Clearfield and its inhabitants
🔺 While a little predictable and straightforward, I had heaps of fun with the overall mystery, story, and found the ending satisfying
🔺 This book is an exciting new channel for the antimlm message and I sincerely hope it reaches people who need to hear it. I think the structure of the book will help immensely with this: it paints a convincingly realistic portrayal the insidious recruitment and manipulation process, especially in the first 40%
🔺The chapter headings have little pyramids 😂

What I wasn’t so keen on:
🔻Second book I’ve read this week that expressly names Penguin Publishing for a character’s book deal. I really hate advertising in fiction. Even more so when I found out Penguin is a distributor for this imprint.

I highly recommend this book!

This was a fun, gripping mystery! I loved how the author managed to capture the essence of MLMs and those who "run their own businesses" under one. It felt so real and really accurately painted a picture of the dark side of MLMs and the negative repercussions they can have for sellers and their families. Drew was an engaging character and I liked getting to see her evolve over the story, from down on her luck journalist, to LuminUS consultant, to solving the mystery of the mysterious LuminUS deaths. I also really enjoyed Steph's character and how the author slowly revealed how and why she had changed. Overall, a really great read and one I will definitely recommend to mystery lovers and MLM haters alike.

The story is about an MLM that sells products that aren't what they seem. The distributors are forced to make their quotas each month. The main character, Drew, has just been laid off and needs a job. Her best friend from childhood tells her that LuminUS will make her more money than she could ever wish for. By the looks of her friends life she's right. This is only the beginning of the nightmare Drew is about to enter.

This was a fun and twisty mystery that did a great job of satirzing the MLM industry.

It's 2018 and Drew is a down on her luck journalist who has had to move back ot her hometown. While there, she has a run in with her old high school best friend Steph, who tells her she has an amazing opportunity for her to earn money. Soon, she has moved into Steph's house and has started selling LuminUs, which is skincare MLM company. After a crazy weekend at the annual conference, one of her team members ends up dead. Drew's journalistic sense starts to wonder if LuminUS is all that they seem and if she and Steph are in danger.

This was a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved how the chapters were intercut with texts, blog posts, and emails to build out the world even more. I really liked Drew as a character and loved how crazy everything got so quickly. It had a lot of twists that I wasn't expecting and very satisfying conclusion. This was a great read and I hope to read more of this author in the future.

This darkly humours comedy is irreverent and smart. Well written and smartly crafted. You’ll struggle to put this down.

This was just plain fun! I find MLMs absolutely fascinating and then to combine it with a little murder mystery?? It was everything I wanted it to be and more!

This is 100% for all the #bossbabes who #hustle and wanna #retireyourhusband! (I have no husband)