Falls to Pieces was a fast-paced mystery that kept me on my toes. Kati was a complex protagonist with lots of secrets and she was hard for me to trust. She clearly had a traumatic past between her abusive mother and husband. She was on the lam, but it wasn't always entirely clear if it was from her husband, or from the law - maybe both? But for someone so secretive and in hiding, I was often frustrated by her choices and felt like her behavior was erratic and inconsistent. She definitely kept me guessing and wondering what on earth was really going on.

The book was quite the page turner and what at first felt like your standard 'someone is missing, is the narrator our culprit' storyline quickly devolved into a complex and layered mystery. With the past and present converging, gambling debts, environmental conspiracies, and "mob-esque" players, there was a lot going on and I had trouble pinpointing where the story went. Indeed, it definitely did surprise me and the final twist was fun and unexpected.

Falls to Pieces is getting rave reviews over here at The Pulse. It's a quick read, intellectually stimulating, and overall surprising. If you like a mystery with substance that will keep you guessing, this one is for you!

Totally a twisted one!! I couldn’t get enough it!! You need this one next on your TBR!!! It will definitely have you flipping pages as fast as you can..

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

For two years, Kati Dawes and her teenage daughter, Zoe, have lived off the grid in Hawai‘i, hiding from a past Kati must forget as if her life depends on it. New names. Anonymous online presence. So far, safe. Until Kati’s fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, disappears along a popular hiking trail in a Maui national park. Now all eyes are on Kati. Exposure can make a woman with so many secrets very paranoid.

Eddie’s law partner, Noah Walker, is doing everything he can to protect his new client from the press that’s hovering like a vulture and the authorities whose suspicions about Kati—and the disappearance—are rising. Then suddenly, Zoe goes missing as well. Kati will risk anything to find her. But the worst is still to come. Because Kati’s not the only one with secrets. And buried among them is a twist she never saw coming.


Loved it. Will recommend to others.

Kati and Zoe, mother and daughter, are living off the grid in Hawaii. They have run away from their lives, changed their names and make sure no one knows who they are or how to find them. Despite not wanting to bring anyone else into their lives, Kati gets engaged to Eddie. When Eddie goes missing, all fingers are pointing at Kati, but when Zoe disappears soon after, Kati is sure someone from their old life has found them. But how can she find and protect her daughter without anyone finding out their secrets?

I struggled a little with this one. I felt like the first half of the book was a little slow, and it took me forever to really get into it. Part two, however, really had me hooked, and I was racing through it. Part three started off great. There were plenty of twists, but the ending just lost me. I understand the reasoning for the person involved to do everything they did. But the outcome just felt a bit underwhelming.

From the evocative Hawaiian setting to the well-developed characters scattered throughout this quick, easy read, Falls to Pieces certainly kept me entertained from beginning to end. After all, the unreliable narrator kept me guessing as the complex plot built to one doozy of a conclusion. And while the bulk of the book was much more of a long, slow burn, the fast-paced last third utterly won me over hook, line, and sinker. And that was before the jaw-dropping shock of a twist took center stage. You see, there wasn’t a chance in h*** of me working it out before the final timely reveal.

The only piece to this psychological thriller that somewhat missed the mark for this avid reader was within the slow-moving start. Chronicled versus shown, the many flashbacks and descriptions of what occurred years ago made the story drag just a bit. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. I was over the moon, though, when the pace finally picked up and the events took on a much more propulsive feel in the last third of the book.

All in all, from the morally gray characters to thought-provoking topics, I will most definitely be hung up on this one for quite a while. And I don’t care how good you are at armchair sleuthing, I would be utterly shocked if you work this one out before the truth is laid at your feet. Filled with deftly obscured clues and plenty of red herrings, I was happily blind all the way through. So if you’re looking for an original premise that will require you to pick your jaw up off of the floor, definitely check this book out. Despite the slower speed, it was a page-turner for sure. Rating of 3.5 stars (upgraded).

Thank you to Douglas Corleone, Thomas & Mercer, Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book. I enjoyed the legal aspect of it and the twist at the end....I was so SHOCKED!!! Great ending.

A riveting novel which will keep you guessing until the last few pages. This was a first for me by this author and I will be looking for more. Mystery and fast past. Hawaii is not only beautiful but deadly secrets come out. Trigger warning: abuse

Yess!!! I so completely enjoyed this
What an amazing thriller
This is definitely going to be a must read of 2025
The way this book was described was just brilliant
It had me so engaged I couldn’t put it down
It was interesting with incredible characters
A right page turner
A brilliant plot which blew my mind

The setting of FALLS TO PIECES made for a very atmospheric story. I loved the premise of a mother and daughter in hiding and the threat of exposure. This wasn't a straight line story though as nothing was as it seemed and I was in for quite a few surprises as this story unfolded. It was mesmerizing and I flew right through it!

I had a real hard time with this book. I struggled through it and didn’t like any of the characters or the story. Maybe it was just me I hope some others like it better than I did.

4.5 stars! I wish we could do half stars!

This took me on a journey I did not expect and had so many twists and turns I had no idea what was coming.
The writing is incredible, the characters so engrossing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and had no idea of the twist that was waiting for me.
This had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails waiting for the end!

Arc provided by net galley. All opinions are my own.

I really wish NetGalley had partial stars bc this would easily be a 4.25/4.5.

Wow… just wow. I have no words to describe the journey that was and the twists and turns during the last third of the book.

If I had to find some words though, the imagery and descriptions used to describe Maui were so well written. It brought me back to my trip to the island a few years ago.

I thought I knew where the story was taking me and really only guessed one of the twists correctly. Just when I thought there couldn’t be anymore more shocking, something else happened or was revealed even more so. It wasn’t the type of thriller that necessarily kept me on the edge of my seat per se, at least until more towards the end, but it’s definitely a page turner all the way through.

The only reason I marked down a partial star is bc I was not entirely satisfied with the ending. I completely understand why what happened happened, the moral part of me just thinks this cycle may just get repeated bc of it. Can’t say I wouldn’t consider it myself, so really, how immoral is it then haha.

I also loved how deeper social issues that were woven into the storyline without feeling like it was just thrown in there to check a box.

If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, this story is for you. I enjoyed the opportunity to read this ARC for free via NetGalley and leave my honest review 🤍

This was a really good book. I liked all the twists and I really wanted to keep reading. The characters were fully developed and the scenes were nicely described and it did not hurt that it took place in Hawaii. I am looking forward to more books by the author. This is a 4 star for sure!

A mother and daughter in hiding are threatened by more than secrets and lies in a twisting novel of paranoia, revenge, and psychological suspense! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a sort of who done it and a few twists and turns. The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was amazing from start to finish. The plot was thick and juicy. A true page turner! I loved getting little bits of information as you read only to get the true full story at the end. This by far is one of the best mystery/ thriller books I have ever read.

A moving and riveting page-turner story full of adventure and infused with deeper meaning, which is rare and extremely difficult to pull off. This is a true gem: a thriller with heart and depth that still flies through the fingers. The Maui setting is authentic and original. Douglas Corleone has pulled off a masterpiece with Falls to Pieces. A must-read for 2025.

I can not even begin to explain how good this was!! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This story was just so good. It was gripping!