If you’re in the mood for a wild, twisty mystery packed with family drama, and plenty of dark humor, Buzz Kill is the book for you. Lennon delivers a fast-paced, multi-layered story that follows the Pool sisters—Jane and Lila—as they unravel the suspicious circumstances of their aunt’s supposed suicide. What starts as a personal investigation quickly spirals into something much bigger, dragging them into the underbelly of a drug operation with connections to a rising fascist movement. Yep, it’s as intense as it sounds.

Jane, a writer struggling with the consequences of her own brutally honest storytelling, and Lila, a PI with a strong-willed determination, make for an entertaining duo. Their journey to uncover the truth takes them through a tangled web of crime, corruption, and cult-like billionaires. Meanwhile, Jane’s daughter, Chloe, gets caught up in a modern-day nightmare—a deepfake scandal that threatens her reputation, and she’s not about to let it slide. Even Jane's aging father, Harry, finds himself entangled in a surprising historical revelation.

Lennon masterfully juggles these intertwining storylines, keeping the tension high while weaving in biting social commentary. The book is sharp, witty, and full of unexpected turns, but it also carries a deeper message about power, truth, and the way technology shapes our lives.

If you like your thrillers with a side of satire and an ensemble cast of strong-willed, flawed, and fiercely intelligent characters, Buzz Kill won’t disappoint. It’s an exhilarating ride that’ll keep you hooked until the very last page.

The characters are colorful and individualized but the amount of storylines in this book just couldn’t keep my interest. I’m not sure if it was because there were about 4 plots to follow so I couldn’t give my attention properly to each and it all kind of dragged for me or what it was. I really wanted to like this but about halfway through I just didn’t see where any of the timelines were going or how they were connected. It was just too fragmented for me but I’m sure there are other readers who would enjoy this time of story flow.

"Buzz Kill" is a sequel to "Hard Girls," but you needn't have read the book in the series to appreciate this one. Once again, J. Robert Lennon brings his fictional characters to life in all their messy, imperfect glory. I especially loved the thorny, evolving relationship between Jane and her adolescent daughter, Chloe; it brought an emotional resonance to the story that I found a bit lacking in "Hard Girls." Conversely, the plot of "Buzz Kills" seemed more far-fetched than that of the first book, though the brisk pace, tight writing, and beautifully limned relationships among the characters made up for that.

Thank you, Mulholland Books and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great book! So many twists and turns, and so much going on at once. It was hard to keep track of at times, but at the end, it all tied together really nicely I really like the writing style of this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

J. Robert Lennon wrote a strong novel in this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the plot of this book. The characters were written well and enjoyed the overall feel of this, I was invested in what was happening with them in the plot. It was suspenseful and worked with the tension.