It took me a bit to get into this but once I did I couldn't put it down! It's a really interesting plot with a pyram8d scheme and murder.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Love everything by this author. Always suspenseful, fast paced and sorry to fet to the final page. GReat story great intrigue and great entertainment.

This was not my favorite Megan Abbott title but I did enjoy the characters, and the many twists and turns of the plots. The dynamics among the sisters were interesting, especially seeing how each one reacted to feeling desperate and backed into a corner. I did not see the ending coming. Overall, I enjoyed it and it is easy to get into.

Megan Abbott’s latest novel had so much potential with its MLM-inspired thriller premise, but it didn’t quite deliver. The story unfolds too slowly, lacking the drama and tension needed to make it truly gripping. While the sisterly dynamics felt authentic and the ending had a satisfying twist, the overall execution fell flat. I kept reading out of curiosity, but I wished for more suspense and excitement along the way.

Yet again, Megan Abbott makes me supremely uncomfortable.

In El Dorado Drive, Abbot brings us a trio of sisters who get deeper and deeper into some very troubling waters.

I liked each of our sisters (though one more than the others). But even as I liked reading them, I didn't really want to know any of them.

As you read, you're tense. It becomes clear that things are going to spiral tragically out of control - you just don't know who might survive.

I couldn't decide whether some of the women it the book were stupidly blind or purposely blind. I mean the pyramid scheme (or triangle as they lie to themselves lol) was super obvious. But the author does give us a sense of the desperation that would lead people to chance something they know is going to end up bad.

I liked the book. As uncomfortable as the characters made me, and oh I despaired for some of them, I did enjoy this.

Megan Abbott is a master of subtle unease. The discomfort she is able to cultivate contributes to an overall sense of dread that pulls the reader through the story, like a crooked finger. I cannot wait for the release so I can buy a trophy copy for my shelf.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing an advance copy of El Dorado Drive. This novel, like Abbott's previous work, explores the lives of complex women and their journeys towards self-determination. Abbott skillfully crafts a compelling narrative, effectively showcasing the power of female agency. The effectiveness of the MLM sales model and the associated ethical grey areas surrounding it will be debated for decades to come and it is interesting to see a thriller born out of the moral dilemma - who could get hurt from our getting rich quickly?

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The Bishop sisters, raised in affluent Detroit suburbs, saw their privileged lives dwindle along with the auto industry. Youngest sister Harper struggles financially when her charming sister Pam, embroiled in a bitter divorce, and their older sister Debra propose she join "The Wheel," a new club. This organization promises women facing financial hardship a chance to earn money independently. However, their growing success and addiction to The Wheel lead them down a dangerous path of escalating risks, culminating in a shocking crime that jeopardizes everything. In El Dorado Drive, Megan Abbott explores the complex relationship between women and money, crafting a compelling narrative about power, vulnerability, and the destructive choices born of desperation.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview El Dorado Drive.
Abbot is an author who has written several novels that center on strong and not so strong women. This book is another example of how women can become the center of their own destiny.
Three sisters lives are told by one of them
Harper has had a Rough life and she’s trying to get back on track. She’s broke. She has lots of bills and a history of failed relationships. Pam and Debra have their own problems but they are surviving somehow.
Pam is the sister who has the charm and appeal. Always the one who has the power to make the best of her situation.
Debra has a sick husband and has her own family to support.
But Pam has a solution and she shares it with Harper. A way to make money, a way to change her lifestyle, it’s legal, and she’s going to make it happen for Harper.
All Harper has to do is come up with $5000. It’s a buy in to a women’s club called the wheel.
And the Wheel will be a way for Harper to get money and power.
The group of women in this club seem to be flourishing. Dressed richly with new cars and jewelry. Harper is slowly sold on the club. But this club has rules. This is a private club and only those invited can attend and is it legal? Well that’s a question they defend but with money comes consequences like jealousy and envy. And murder? Money can do that!
This is a solid drama with lots of characters and sub plots.
Abbott has a great way of explaining the story and hits it right with this novel
4 stars

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three sisters in varying stages of dissatisfied lives join a women's financial club. The goings on in the club are somewhat suspicious, and drama unfolds.

El Dorado drive is the story of three sisters living and struggling financially in the suburbs of Detroit. Set in the early 2000s, the story begins with introducing the reader to the three main characters, sisters Pam, Harper and Debora. The sisters went from a wealthy upbringing in Detroit as children, to a decline in comfortable living as they continued into adulthood. Pam recently divorced with a conniving husband who is hiding assets and stealing money from their children, Deborah who’s husband’s health is declining, resulting in massive medical bills, and Harper, the wayward sister who struggles in both love and prosperity with her occupation. The women are quirky, but have a deep love for each other. This part of the story was confusing to me, and it took a while to connect to the general topic of the book: the MLM pyramid scheme the women were to become involved with. A slow start to the book.

As the book progresses, the three sisters become involved in a pyramid scheme called The Wheel. They invest a cool $5k, which was not easy for Harper to come up with. The scheme involves attending and eventually hosting elaborate parties where the host receives “the gift” of $25k. The money cannot be legally claimed and the guidebook is very specific on how to spend snd final the gift once received. Discretion is a must to keep the club on the DL. Pam and Deborah quickly recruit new members and are on the receiving end of the gift quite often, and then it is finally Harper’s turn. Unfortunately for Harper, her big night leads to a life changing morning when she discovers Pam had been murdered. The background of the club was also a little slow and difficult to engage with as a reader,

The story really picks up once Pam is murdered, about 60% through the book. It becomes a real who done it: her deadbeat ex, angry daughter, disgruntled club member. So many possibilities. The twists and turns of uncovering Pam’s murderer was the redeeming point of the story and keeps the reader on their toes.

Once the murderer is revealed, the story ends leaving the reader handing. What happened to the women involved in the scheme? Was their any legal implications of their money laundering and MLM profiting. Overall a good read that I enjoyed.

Rounding up from 3.5

You can always count on Meg Abbot to deliver a tense, twisty thriller. The relationships in the book were really well fleshed out, and rounded out the thriller aspects of the book. A compelling, worthwhile read that starts slow but delivers.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

El Dorado Drive was a gripping, darkly atmospheric novel featuring the complexities of suburban life. With Abbott’s signature style, she skillfully weaves a story about the secrets, desires, and tensions simmering beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. The narrative's suspense builds with precision, pulling readers into a world where nothing is quite as it seems. It's a compelling read for fans of contemporary noir and character-driven thrillers. I do wonder where Harper and Vivian from the end of the novel.... I wanted a flash forward to the future for a little resolution.

This totally took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The premise had me hooked immediately—sisters, financial struggles, and a secretive women’s group promising to solve it all? What could go wrong? As the story unfolds, things get real intense, and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out how it all went down. The whole "Wheel" concept was, like, super intriguing and had me thinking about those too-good-to-be-true opportunities you sometimes come across.

But here's the thing—I loved the idea, I just felt like the pacing was a little slow at times, especially at the start. It took a while to really pick up, and honestly, I was kind of hoping for a bit more suspense earlier on. The twists at the end were definitely satisfying, though, and I didn’t see some of them coming, which was a fun surprise.

Overall, it was a solid read with plenty of suspense and complex relationships between the sisters, but I do think the execution could’ve been a bit tighter. Still, I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to anyone who loves a good, twisty thriller with a dark look at desperation and power.

Big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a suburb thriller! It’s so rare I am surprised by the ending so that was wonderful. The characters in this book were all fascinating. And I love a book about sisters.

I liked the pyramid scheme part of the book and I feel like the book had the potential to be good but there was too much was going on and the characters weren’t very likable

I thought this book was slightly above mediocre. I didn’t like any of the characters, and I didn’t feel invested in the story. It held my interest enough to keep me reading, but I didn’t think there was anything special about it.

I had such high hopes for this book! A suburban thriller based on an MLM? Sign me up! Unfortunately, it was just ok. The writing, especially the dialogue, did not have the same feeling of intrigue and suspense I have come to expect from this author. The story progressed rather slowly with too much disjointed jumping around that took me out of the story. It was fine, but I was expecting great.

It was a little slow but got better towards the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good thriller that packed a lot of different topics into one. From sexuality to sisterhood to substance abuse, this was a deep read that had a nice twist at the end. It was a bit of a slow burn for me but the ending came together nicely.