I won’t say it was bad but it wasn’t great either. I felt like the story moved slower than necessary with not enough drama, action and twists to grab me. Wanting to know how it ended is what kept me turning the pages, I just didn’t want to give up on her book. The end was satisfying enough and I was rewarded with a little twist I wasn’t expecting.

I recently finished El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott, and it was quite the ride! I absolutely loved Abbott’s earlier book, Give Me Your Hand, so I was excited to dive into this one.

The story follows three sisters—each grappling with their own personal challenges—who get drawn into a mysterious women's group that essentially turns into something resembling a pyramid scheme. One of its members is murdered. I have to admit, some of the antics of this group were a little over the top for me, but that’s part of what made the book so intriguing.

At first, the pacing felt a bit slow, but once the story picked up, I was hooked. The last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat. I loved how Abbott’s signature writing style—full of suspense and unexpected twists—shines through, keeping you guessing. I honestly had no idea who the real culprit was until the very end.

I’d definitely recommend El Dorado Drive to anyone who enjoys a dark, twisty mystery with a psychological edge. And a huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Summary: Harper, Debra, and Pam are sisters who live wildly different lives. One sister is in debt over her husband's cancer treatment. One sister is in a bitter dispute over child support and trust funds, and Harper overextended herself in the name of love. After running off for the summer, she comes back to find her sisters doing much better financially. They want her to join in the club, "The Wheel." What is the Wheel? It's a secret until you pay your way in, then eventually it will pay off. Soon all three sisters are playing a never ending game and the consequences may be deadly.

Review: I really liked "Dare Me" by Abbott as well as the short-lived TV series. I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I think this book absolutely had the potential to be better, but suffered from too much family drama bogging down the story. Abbott does focus a lot on relationships, while I would have appreciated a bit more action as well as more likable characters. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't guess "whodunnit" and fell for the red herrings placed by Abbott.

Rating: 3 stars

A big thank you to NetGalley and PenguinGroup Putnam for providing this ARC for review.

I am pretty much burnt out on the over the top domestic thriller genre, but Megan Abbott's books always sound so intriguing and they go out very often in my local library, so I decided to give this one a chance. With all due respect to our patrons, I did not find this one to be for me or to be an enjoyable read. I think I have read too many of these, such that the formula they follow no longer engages me. I found there to be too many unlikeable characters who were very similar and who did not engender any empathy. Without a connection to the characters. I struggled from the early pages of the book and ultimately wasn't able to finish. It just wasn't for me...

I enjoyed this story about the three Bishop sisters and how money impacted them. This was a mix of family drama and mystery and I was here for it. I enjoyed how much character development there was and liked the slow burn of the book. There was a MLM scheme and things take a turn with some twists at the end that were good. I would read another book by the author for sure.

Harper, having some financial difficulties, has moved in with her sister Pam, who after going through a contentious and costly divorce, seems to be doing well now. Pam, explaining her new found fortune, invites Harper to join her woman’s group, “The Wheel”, where twice a month the woman meet and initiation fees from new members are pooled together, then disbursed to another member. But Harper soon discovers there are dangers lurking within the club. El Dorado Drive has an interesting premise, and the prologue certainly hooks you, hinting at a suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, that promising start fizzles under a too-lengthy discourse on the sisters’ financial and marital woes, as well as the introduction of numerous characters, none of which have any redeeming qualities. It’s not until the last quarter of the book does the tempo and action pick up, and from that point on does the story finally deliver the bang you were hoping for, and that last quarter really saves the book. While I understand the need to set the scene, this one just takes too long to get there, but if you can stay with it, the story really does flourish at the end. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I can always count on Abbott for something amazing. This book was a bit slow at the beginning, but the last 100 pages sped past. It was like a slow burn mystery that suddenly caught on fire and I was so here for it. If you’re a fan of Abbott, you won’t be disappointed, and if this is your first book by her, you’re in for a treat. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This was a tense and wild ride. Truly a suspenseful book that had me on the edge of my seat - especially for the second half of the book!

Debra, Harper, and Pam grew up in the heyday of the auto industry in Michigan, living lavishly in an affluent suburb until mass layoffs impacted their family. Fast forward to nearly two decades later and each of the Bishop sisters has their own set of money problems. Debra’s husband’s cancer treatments are racking up massive amounts of medical debt; Pam’s acrimonious divorce left her penniless and scrounging to cover the costs of supporting her teenage kids through high school and college alone; and Harper hit rock bottom after a relationship went awry, leaving her cash-strapped, working a low wage job, and living with her sister. That is when the sisters find out about the Wheel, a sisterhood of middle-aged women who lift each other up - and a way to make lots of money quickly. What started out as a way out of their money problems quickly turns into their worst nightmare.

It was a bit slow for about the first part of the book, while they build out the suburban world and characters, but then it quickly picks up. It was fairly interesting read, especially since it wasn’t your average suspenseful mystery. Instead, it mixes in family drama while also being a deep character study on the three sisters, especially focused on Harper. I also loved how realistic the rotating cast of characters felt, all tied by their desperation and turmoil caused by financial burdens. I felt really satisfied by the end twist and the surprise bonus twist. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

Classic Meg Abbot—a story centering women and their relationships with each other. This time it’s the Bishop sisters, who struggle with money and relationships. They see a bit of reprieve with a club called “the wheel,” but obviously getting out of their debt won’t be that easy. My favorite thing about Abbott is the voice she uses for her characters, and how the thriller is secondary to the women’s’ relationships.

Three sisters with money problems become part of a club that is a glorified pyramid scheme, hoping for an easy answer to their problems. But instead it turns deadly, with various suspects. this was a fast read, sometimes overtrivalizing issues and wasn't sure what it wanted to be, a mystery, an expose or a story of childhood dynamics spilling into the present. This made it harder for me to care, so it was ok for me, i did skim parts of it to get to the ending 3.5

Megan Abbott's El Dorado Drive, due for release in July 2025, is a thrilling, deeply human dive into the complex lives of the Bishop sisters as they navigate the unraveling of their privileged past. This book is a tightrope walk of power, vulnerability, and the tight bonds between sisters—along with the darker secrets that lurk just beneath the surface.

The Bishop sisters, Harper, Pam, and Debra, are a fascinating trio. They grew up in the cushioned comfort of Detroit’s wealthy suburbs, but as the auto industry falters, so does their family fortune. Harper, struggling to make ends meet, is reluctantly pulled into a dangerous new venture when her sisters bring her into "The Wheel", an exclusive club promising women like them a way to regain financial independence. The club’s allure is powerful, but its intoxicating grip soon leads them down a dangerous path. As the story unfolds, so do the complex secrets these women hold—not only from the world around them but from each other.

Exploring all the characters, each with their own troubles, slowly reveals how the secrets sisters share with one another are often the same ones they desperately hide. The emotional tension is palpable. At times, you feel the pull between their love and betrayal, with each sister’s actions shaped by desperation and the desire to reclaim what was lost. The novel is layered, providing a deep look at how external pressures—like money, success, family, and societal expectations—can drive women to the edge, making them question their morality, their bonds, and their very sense of identity.

While I absolutely loved the way Abbott intertwines power dynamics and the raw emotions of these women, El Dorado Drive isn't without its darker moments. The book is suspenseful and at times heavy, particularly as the sisters’ participation in "The Wheel" escalates into something far more dangerous than they could have anticipated.

This book was absolutely a slow burn, but never boring. Abbott knew what she was doing and set this one up perfectly. I found myself hooked from the first chapter, but what truly kept me turning the pages was Abbott's ability to capture the complicated dance of sisterhood—love, rivalry, guilt, and betrayal all rolled into one. You’ll be rooting for these women, even as they teeter on the edge of their own undoing.

With its masterful portrayal of ambition, loss, and the lengths we go to for survival, El Dorado Drive is an intense, gripping read. Megan Abbott once again proves that she knows how to explore the dark, twisted undercurrents of human relationships. I give it 4 out of 5 stars—a thrilling, thought-provoking ride that will keep readers questioning how far they would go for another chance at a life they once knew, one that can't be taken away.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review. My review is based off an uncorrected copy, but this did not sway my opinions in any way.

This was the third book I picked up by this author and now I'm very sure that Megan Abbott's books are not for me.
I do tend to love domestic thrillers involving family drama, especially. But something about Abbott's writing or choice of character's development that just don't clique with me.
I cannot pinpoint exactly what I didn't like about this book. I just got a little bored. I couldn't relate or connect with the characters, so I ended up not caring for what was going on with their lives and struggles and dramas.
I'd say that if you have ever read a book by this author and enjoyed, pick this one up. I'm sure this book will please many other readers. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars. .

Debra, Pam and Harper Bishop grew up in the moneyed suburb of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, but as the auto industry declined does did the fortunes of their family. Their dad lost his high paying job when the girls were in college and there went grad school, the fancy clubs and any inheritance they might have expected. Now Debra has a disabled husband and a ne’er do well college age son, Pam is the victim of a contentious divorce and has a son in college, a daughter in high school and not a dime to spare and Harper has a low paying job at the local hunt club and is living with Pam.

But then along comes The Wheel, a way for middle-aged women to make their own money. It seems like the answer to the sisters’ prayers…right before it becomes a nightmare.

I almost always like Abbott’s books and this was no exception, except for one kinda big problem. These are not stupid women. How is it that they do not understand how insane this is? However, if you can set that aside, the economic depression we are in is a great topic…there are too many books out there about moneyed women and not enough about the Debras, Pams and Harpers, who aren’t starving to death, but who are not thriving, either, but are trying to keep up appearances. Really enjoyed this aspect.

I loved this one so much! Abbott is so skilled in her writing and I could not put this down. If you love domestic thrillers this is the one for you

Not my favorite book by MEGAN abbott, but she is a favorite among our patrons at the library Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This book was slow to start. I honestly had a hard time keeping track of who was who and how they knew each other. It did pick up when they started playing the airplane game and we slowly learned more details about everyone’s back story. I still don’t know how all these women had so much cash or hand or couldn’t guess that it would collapse. People do fall for it in real life though!

I felt like to ended a little abruptly and honestly, fewer people got in trouble than I would have guess but I guess that’s true to how law enforcement works.

This is the second book I have read by Megan Abbott. I read the first years ago. I really ended up enjoying this thriller. I so enjoyed the author's writing style. I always love a book with family drama. I loved reading about the Bishop sisters. 3.5 stars.

First off thank you in advance for the advanced readers copy all opinions are my own.

This book did not work for me. I didn’t enjoy the way it was written, and I didn’t really care for the plot.

At about 30% I started to get bored and I DNF it at 47%

It might work for some people, but the writing just wasn’t for me

Unsettling in the best of ways, EL DORADO DRIVE delivers on its fantastic premise. This is a smart, clever novel, as we have grown to expect from Megan Abbott. While not super fast paced, the story does move along nicely. I especially enjoyed how Abbott explores the private desires and motivations of the women involved in the scheme. There is also a nice twist toward the end. Highly recommended for fans of literary thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.