3.5 stars

The moment I read this book’s description, I knew I had to pick it up. <i>Mafia meets Gossip Girl? </i>Say less. It had all the makings of an addictive YA thriller, but while it delivered in some areas, it fell a little short of my expectations in others.

The story follows 17-year-old Tasha Nicastro, who suddenly inherits her father’s secret mafia empire after witnessing the brutal murder of both her father and sister. Overnight, she goes from a teenager draped in designer clothes and sharp comebacks to the heir of the most feared mafia in New York's underworld while needing to get revenge. But she can’t do it alone. Enter Leo Danesi: the boy who broke her heart four years ago and heir to the second most powerful mafia.

While the premise had so much potential, the execution felt a bit predictable. Every major plot twist—especially <i>the</i> big one—was something I saw coming, which made some moments fall flat. However, what really saved this book for me was the romance. As a die-hard fan of childhood friends-to-rivals-to-lovers (and forbidden romance), I was obsessed. Leo’s devotion to Tasha? Chef’s kiss. I need someone to be that obsessed with me, honestly. And don’t even get me started on the ending—it left me feeling extremely mad . . .

Would I recommend it? If you’re looking for a YA thriller with power struggles, betrayal, and a fierce heroine stepping into a dark legacy, along with a sprinkle of romance this one is worth a read. Just don’t go in expecting mind-blowing plot twists.

thank you netgalley for this e-arc

In YA thriller, IN THE COMPANY OF KILLERS, seventeen-year-old Tasha inherits a mafia after the murder of her family. To solve the crime, she partners with Leo, her childhood crush from a warring mafia, who will either help her navigate the criminal underworld, or put her in a matching grave.

Gorgeous line level writing kept me INVESTED through twist after twist. The romance is sizzling, with the dual-POVs delivering all of the yearning, and Tasha's grief fuelled revenge had me literally sobbing three (3) separate times. The vibes are captured in amazing lines like "The girl I once knew had morphed into a lioness, ready and eager to tear me apart" and "[she] gave him one of her signature foxglove smiles. Of beauty and allure, ready to poison with the slightest taste."

If you love Gossip Girl, you will feast on the glamourous violence and drama.

After having read these violent delights by chloe gong, I was really missing a mafia/mob type story, so this book was right up my alley. The vibe I got from the premise was that it’d be a fun and somewhat mysterious story about two teenagers raised in rival Italian-descent mafia families, and the crazy adventures they get up to living in New York. The storyline was exactly as promised, and it was an enjoyable read. tasha and leo were well-written characters and the plot was fun. Some of the twists were predictable, but this didn’t make it less enjoyable for me. Overall, a really solid mafia teenage romance story.

I was first intrigued by the fan art of this book. I think my teenage or early twenties self would have devoured this story. For me now, in my thirties, it was not my typical style. I gave it a decent rating though because it was nothing against the plot or the writing. The action and adventure was all there, and I hope the author has many more books coming our way!

fun synopsis and strong ideas. i like the romance, although at points the characters feel a hair flat, but in general it's good. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

"You shouldn’t question the determination of a teenage girl with a grudge.”

I've been wanting to read a ya mafia book ever since I heard the the genre existed, and I can confirm, we need more of these.

40/100 or 2.0 stars

Despite all the storylines that have been done before leading up to the predictable last twists, I could have forgiven some of it, but that ending was really not good. The writing style itself flowed well, but the overall plot was done before and relies on clueless main characters. I would give the author another try, but I am not interested in continuing in this world, unfortunately. The premise was good, but the execution was not it.

Glamour and betrayal! I love that this book doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s unlikeable characters but in a way you’re rooting for them like you’re watching pretty little liars or sopranos.

In the Company of Killers is a YA mafia drama pitched as Gossip Girl Meets The Sopranos. It follows a teenage mafia heiress named Tasha who lives this life of glitz and glamour who finds out during a tragic, violent incident that her family runs the most powerful mafia branch in New York. Tasha vows vengeance on the mysterious new mob behind the hit, but she needs the help of someone who already knows the underground world to help track them down. And that person is none other than Leo, her former childhood friend now turned enemy, as well the youngest son of her family’s rivals.

I have never read a YA mafia book before, so it was really interesting to read about the mafia world from the perspective of a teenager. I enjoyed a lot of the plot points and the family dynamics. It’s definitely more serious and grounded than a typical mafia romance book. I feel like a lot of mafia romance books can feel very unserious and rely more on the romance tropes, but this felt more like realistic fiction or a family drama than a romance. The cliffhanger left a lot of anticipation for me, and I'm really hoping there is a sequel to this book to tie everything together!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and the author, Elora Cook. Great premise with an easy flow in the writing. I did however find some points with the banter to be childish. The author deals with grief in a respectful manner, which can be very hard to do. All in all, this is a solid book that will appeal to middle schoolers more than upper young adults.

I was hooked the moment I first heard In the Company of Killers would be Gossip Girl meets The Sopranos!

Glamour, secrets, and vengeance… ITCOK is an upper-YA romantic thriller drama about a teen mafia heiress who must team up with her enemy to avenge her family. Tasha Nicastro’s world is turned upside down after her father and sister are murdered, and Tasha is determined on tracking down the ones behind the hit — with help from her childhood friend turned enemy, Leo Danesi. As the two get closer to unveiling the mysterious new mob, they are forced to face dangerous threats, betrayals, and their growing attraction to one another (the one that never seemed to have left all those years ago).

Along with serving us all the tension and angst that comes with an enemies-to-lovers romance, both Tasha and Leo are also layered, complex characters that must deal with the pressures and consequences of being named their family heirs. Anyone who knows me knows I love diving into the minds of the morally gray, so I really enjoyed analyzing these two. I also loved that this book wasn’t afraid to explore the grief and rollercoaster of emotions that comes from losing a loved one. Tasha is the queen bee who never lets any slight against her go unpunished, but she is also a vulnerable girl trying to find her place in this new reality. As Tasha faces the violent loss of her family, Leo also grapples with his own demons despite all his efforts to avoid confronting them.

And still none of it could prepare me for all the twists! But, don’t just take my word for it! In the Company of Killers pubs March 18 and is currently available for preorder ❤️

Hmmm, this one is interesting. It’s marketed as YA but I wanna say it reads more towards 13-16. Except for some graphic and sexual points, the FMC reads like a 14 yo… I can’t imagine a 16/17 yo not knowing her dad runs a mafia but then lays out every reason why she should’ve known. You think every crazy rich person learns combat training… wtf do you mean. Plus hers and leo’s relationship would have been cuter if they weren’t acting like middle schoolers.They want to be adults so bad but never act like it…

ITCOK is a unique take on the general premise of characters in young adult novels being thrown into a new world and learning to navigate said world.

The pacing and writing was good, and from the 60% onward mark it was go, go, go. I didn’t find the plot twists revealed past the midpoint to be predictable, which is good, especially the reveal at the end. I was expecting a completely different person to be revealed as a true villain!

I liked the banter and dynamics between all the characters, but I do wish we explored a bit more of the why behind some of the character relationships. I do liked that the two main characters owned up to their mistakes and put on their big boy pants and hashed out the issues instead of letting miscommunication keep destroying them.

I will say though that I was a bit disappointed by the ending. I want to keep this review spoiler free, but I was hoping that Elora would explore more about the issue of sexism towards women in a male dominated profession. However, the ending is left open, so we might see more of an exploration towards this in a potential sequel.

Overall, it was a fun read with great pacing and dynamics and a unique premise. I hope there’s a sequel to explore the futures of our main characters!

A tremendous debut filled with glitz, glamour, and intrigue! Elora Cook had me hooked from the very first page. The pacing is fantastic, and I couldn't get enough of the richly drawn, complicated characters. Twisty and tense, I can't wait to see what this talented author does next. Bravo!

"In the Company of Killers" is a wild ride that I flew through in only a few days. I couldn't get enough of Tasha and Leo's dynamic with each other and the situation they faced together and individually. AND THAT ENDING!!! Totally obsessed with this one and can't wait to see where the author takes their story from here!

In the Company of Killers Review:

First of all I’d like to thank Elora Cook and Little Brown Book Group for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Killer squad, and to have the honour of reading In the Company of Killers that has occupied my mind and soul.

ITCOK is a YA mafia based book where Gossip Girl meets The Sopranos, and I couldn’t have asked for a better combo than this. When I tell you that this book is not to be taken light heartedly; but that Elora Cook will have you running to her dm’s and having you begging for answers! This book had me go through multiple rollercoasters of emotions that I can’t comprehend and put into words. From the plot to the characters that I am deeply invested in, this book has officially been tattooed into my heart and bares a special place at the top of my favourite books of 2024. First of all, the first few chapters are complete chaos, I swear I blinked, and everything happened all at once. The pacing of this book was incredibly done. It was tense throughout, and I loved that the author didn’t rush quickly with relationships. There was a priority set in place. From the get-go, we are thrown into the riches and glam, and brawl of madness that is ITCOK.

Our main stars of the show Tasha and Leo would be the black cat and the golden retriever combo, however, I wouldn’t take the golden retriever Leo so lightly, if the black cat gets hurt, the golden retriever will kill! The characters are flawed in their own way, and they honestly feel so real. There's so much tension between our two main characters that will have you ripping your hair out of your scalp. You would just want to shove both of them in a room until they sort their problems out. I love how both Tasha and Leo perceive the mafia world, especially our Tasha, who is newly forced into the world.

Now don’t even get me started on those last few pages because that was FOUL! I swear I suffered from whiplash on the train and stared dramatically out the window of my train wondering “Why do I do this to myself? Why do I trust authors with my heart so easily?”. I later went home after work and proceeded to scream at my wall and punch my pillow and initiated my plan to be insufferable and pester Elora Cook until she gave me answers.

All in all, this book was absolutely incredible and needs to be read by all! If you love tension filled books with a splash of riches and high risks, then this book was curated for you. This gem will be released on 18th & 20th March 2025. Add this masterpiece onto your tbr list and pre-order now.

Did I like this book? No…I loved this book!
Did this book cause me insufferable pain and agony by the end? Yes, yes, it did!
Would I recommend this book so that you can suffer with me? Ofcourse!
Will I continue to pester Elora Cook and the publishers in 2025? Hell, yes!
Should you pre-order this book? * Hold reader at gunpoint* Do it! Now!

This book was so good! It had so many plot twists that kept me on my toes the whole time. And the romance was so good! I could not put this book down.

... ... ... I will need at least five business days to recover from this.

This was unbelievably and wildly good. It is an emotional rollercoaster of insane twists, clever machinations, nail-biting action, and grade-A teenage angst. I made a mistake reading this a year out from publication because I desperately need the sequel and have no idea how I will wait two years for it. Thank you to the author for letting me read this but please don't forget me once you do finish that sequel. I am in pain.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the eARC!

I’ll start with the good. This book had a unique premise that you don’t normally see in YA. It’s the kind of book I gravitate towards: an original idea! We also had some really good writing - I think Cook’s writing itself is very impressive for a debut author.

The beginning of this book was also excellent! I loved that it dove right into the action and gave us two very powerful scenes right off the bat.

And please, if you liked this book, stop here. 🙏 I’m going to mention minor spoilers below.

Then… it lost me a bit… from maybe 25ish? To 50%… I was a tiny bit bored. It was a lot of exposition and talking and honestly I felt like things were reiterated multiple times. I kept being like “I know this already. Why are we saying it again?”

There is a section from maybe 50-70% where it picked up again. We got to see more development and plot movement.

Then the ending sequences and twists started happening. And I’m sorry… but I predicted EVERYTHING. From the first mini twist to the big reveal to the epilogue. It was SO predictable - I can point to plot moments where it felt like the author handed me her entire plot summary with one or two lines. I get this is YA but teens aren’t dumb…. Come on.

Okay…. Actually? Tasha is dumb. I’m sorry…. She didn’t make any smart choices and the fact that everything surprised her just made me roll my eyes. No inklings?? There was a time when the MMC specifically tells her XX was at a scene and she just went “nahhhh impossible” - with no suspicion at all. Yet when she is told something about the MMC that is OBVIOUSLY not true, she’s like “omg how dare you.” 😶🙄

Leo? Ugh. 😑 He’s just… nothing? I hated that he didn’t feel real to me. One time, he’s flirting and getting with this other girl and next minute, he’s in love with the FMC? These two had such non-chemistry. Because what this book does is rely on their PAST relationship to make them perfect for one another, a past we never get to see. Their present interactions are barely tolerable? I’m so confused why I need to root for them?

Oh wait, it’s because Ravi is just a simp with no actual personality outside of loving Tasha. Ugh. 😑 So we can’t like him. The author gives us no choice to even possibly like him because he’s just a wealthy man with an attachment to her and a need to protect her. That’s it. That’s his personality.

I think that’s where this novel fell short for me: obvious foreshadowing and poor characterization. Tasha should have been a character I LOVED. I love bitchy protagonists - they’re my fav. But Tasha was not that? The beginning, yes. But throughout the book, we only had very small moments of her being like that while the rest of the time, she just didn’t use her brain.

And the ending…. Was the worst of it. No. Just NO. (Major spoiler below!) This is what moved me from 3 to 2 stars.)

After spouting that she didn’t want to be under her sister, she let herself get tied to a MAN in order to keep what? A mafia that doesn’t matter at all because everyone she loved in it is either DEAD or against her?????? What even is the POINT anymore????????? If she had gone with her sister, who btw was actually trying to make something but got twisted along the way - she could have convinced her sister to keep Leo alive and they could have potentially been a POWERHOUSE of female superiority. But instead she lets Ravj give her a ring??? Promises to marry him?? Again, so she can protect a mafia she doesn’t even KNOW???? Her dad is dead, Victor is dead. All she has is Matteo and tbh, just bring him to the dark side too? Hahaha. 😂 I just can’t believe that I trust HER SISTER more because she actually had a plan and a reason and SUPPORT. She was a female in power! With NO man above her. Tasha has nothing but a man giving her power. 🤷‍♀️

I do know this has a sequel but I can’t deal with this anymore. I’m super disappointed. 😢

This was such a fun quick read and I mean that truly in the best possible way. It was just what I needed. Also I somehow missed in the summary the two major deaths that it alluded to because I was rightly shocked. But my own stupidity aside I had such a good time with this book. I had a bit of a mafia podcast obsession last year so being able to read a story along those lines was such a treat.
And can I just say this is finally actually a slow burn and I appreciated that so much.
If you're looking for a fast paced book with plenty of twists and family dynamic this is the book for you. Elora Cook did such an amazing job.
Want to thank Netgalley and Little Brown Books for allowing me to read this eArc!