This book is categorized as Mystery / Thriller, which puzzles me. I did not find the book to be thrilling at all, with only a little mystery. It was really a story about sisters getting to know each other while on a road trip. They do come across some distractions along the way, and their family history is quite sketchy, but I did not feel that was the story.
The sisters are complete opposites, but from the same father. His death brings them together and opens old wounds. It was an emotional journey watching them connect and hash out old fueds.
I couldn’t get into the other branches of the story, which should have been what hooked me. The gangster father, murder of Layla’s mom, and who the Wolf really was didn’t interest me like the sisters reconnecting. I felt like so much of the book went into them, that everything else was an after thought.
I’m not sure I would have finished the book if it hadn’t been an audiobook. The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life where it got dull at times.

Ugh. Just ugh. How tired is the idea that every single person in one’s life is a mess – well, all but the one. Criminals, dying, dead, lying, cheating, stealing, all but one, and that one is better than everyone else. This book was an awful read, slogging through all the dreary, horribleness of every character. No way would I ever read another book by Ms. Castrodale, and I cannot recommend it to anyone.

Layla and Bette are half-sisters who get to know each other on a road trip after their father passes. Layla grew up sheltered from their father's shady dealings until she finds out the true purpose of the road trip and gets sucked into the illicit business herself.

I listened to the audiobook recording and it took me a while to get into it, but once I did I ended up really enjoying how we learn a little bit at a time. The author moves through different points of view to reveal a little bit more of the story until the truth finally comes out at the end.

A review copy of this audiobook was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Beth Castrodale's 'I Mean You No Harm' is a smart, creative and engrossing novel. The plot centers around lead character Layla Shawn (32-years-old) who finds herself at her father's (Vic Doloro) funeral after not having any meaningful contact with him for a good portion of her life. The main reason for this is that she holds him responsible for her mother's unexplained death which occurred when she was a young girl.

Vic has left Layla a significant amount of money in his will and she is hesitant to accept due to her ill and unresolved feelings towards him. Her half sister Bette (Vic's other daughter from a different mother) encourages her to take the money. Layla also has unresolved issues with her but agrees to join her on a trip across the country. This proves to be therapeutic for both as they talk about their lives, gaining understanding and appreciation for how the other developed and for who they are as individuals now.

Layla learned more about her father than she ever thought possible and even begins to perceive him with some compassion and sensitivity. Through hearing Bette's explanation for why he appeared to be callous, unloving and self-serving she comes to realize that there is more than one side to every story - and person.

While Layla is coming to terms with accepting a whole new reality of what happened within her family and having to face her own unresolved inner-turmoils she also discovers she is suddenly confronting a murderer. This unfolds with bullet speed and is exceptionally suspenseful and thrilling. I wish this part was more extensive because it was definitely the most action-packed and fun for me as a listener.

Narrator Christine Williams does a fabulous job as the solo voice for all of the characters throughout. Each is autonomous - both male and female - and easily distinguishable.

With much thanks to NetGalley, Imbrifex Audio, and Beth Castrodale for the free audio download in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own. #IMeanYouNoHarm, #NetGalley, #ImbrifexAudio

First off there is career criminal Vic Doloro. Not a nice guy as you may guess. But, he is a father and his daughter’s name is Layla Shawn. And not surprisingly, she has spent most of her thirty-two years estranged from her father and haunted by the mysterious death of her mother.

Well, one day Vic dies. His death leaves Layla who is a currently unemployed artist, a wad of ill-gotten money in inheritance. Big dilemma… Vic’s other daughter, Bette, is telling her sister with whom Layla shares a troubled past that she should just take the money. The two embark on a cross-country road trip. Along the way, two women decide to let bygones be just that. That is good but then, Layla finds herself caught in the middle of an unsettled and lethal score between her father and a man who knows more than he should about her mother’s death.

Enjoy the enjoyable narration as Layla digs for truth, all the while, wrestling with her own demons as she finds herself face to face with a killer.

This is a pretty solid mystery with a few loose ends towards the end.

A spell binding book that takes you into the life of a career criminal and the agony of decisions you make when you stand to gain from it. Is being able to help a special needs newly orphaned child worth the risks? How far do you go to help a sister you have never gotten along with? Suspenseful and enlightening this story keeps you on alert and makes you question your own value system.

I really wanted to like this one more than what I did, but I really just could not get into it. I just felt this was a little slower paced than what I wanted, but just because it's not for me doesn't mean that is not for anyone else.

I Mean You No Harm was the first book I have read by Beth Castrodale. It was fast paced, well written, engaging and suspenseful. The characters were both strong and believable but some were more likable than others. The audiobook was narrated by Christine Williams. She did a good job distinguishing between the various characters and kept my attention throughout her performance.

Half sisters, Bette and Layla, saw little of each other while they grew up. Their lives would have remained that way if not for the death of Vic Doloro. Layla was brought up by her grandparents. Her mother had died when Layla was three years old. Layla’s mother, Sara, was found hanging from a tree. It was determined that Sara had committed suicide. Layla’s grandparents never believed that theory. Until the day they died they never gave up hope of finding their daughter’s killer. Layla was not sure what to believe and was offered little information growing up about what had happened to her mother. Bette, on the other hand, had lived with Vic. Her father and Layla’s father. Vic Doloro, was a criminal and even served time in prison for his masterminding planned burglaries all over the country. His friends and business associates were questionable, to say the least. Bette was subjected to more of Vic’s world than she should have probably been allowed to witness.

With Vic’s death, unemployed Layla, decided to attend his funeral. It had been thirty-two years since she had last seen her estranged father and step sister. The lure of an inheritance and mere curiosity led Layla to the funeral. Layla had recently discovered a portrait her mother had drawn long ago of a man she called “the wolf”. She hoped that Bette might recognize the man her mother had drawn. Layla believed that the man in the portrait was her mother’s killer. She was determined to unravel and solve the mystery of her mother’s death. She was hoping Bette might be able to help her.

Bette focused on making a road trip after the funeral. She needed to get to Phoenix to sell some of Vic’s expensive golf equipment and garden tools in exchange for high tech art supplies for her young special needs son. Layla decided to join Bette on this excursion. It gave the half sisters ample time to reveal lots of things about their separate lives to each other. They really started to bond and acquire real sisterly feelings by the end of the trip. However, Layla discovered soon enough, though, that Bette’s initial intentions for the road trip were not what Bette had led Layla to believe. As Bette and Layla made their way toward Phoenix, Bette had an eye out for a mysterious white car. Were they being followed and if so by who? Why was Bette so nervous and scared of seeing that white car? With Bette’s disclosures about her father’s business associates and dealings, would Layla begin to fit the pieces together and discover the truth about her mother’s death?

I Mean You No Harm by Beth Castrodale was about murder, revenge, sisterly bonding and complicated family dynamics. It was character driven with a suspenseful and very engaging plot. I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and recommend it.

Thank you to Imbrifex Books for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a riveting story. The way the author was able to reel through past and present created a concrete plot that seemed to weave with each other. The narration was perfect. The use of variations in speaking when others were talking helped me to keep track of who was talk. I could have done without all the swearing but otherwise it was brilliantly done!

I mean you no harm - Beth Castrodale

DNF - just my opinion but It didn’t hold my attention. Some may love it but it just wasn’t for me. Sorry and thanks for giving me the opportunity to read it

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This seemed to be a typical thriller, There weren't any surprising turns in the story, and it seemed like it needed to be a little longer.

Brief Synopsis: Layla’s father Vic is a career criminal. She’s been estranged from him for over thirty years. Her mother committed suicide years earlier, but circumstances around the death were odd. When Vic dies and leaves a generous inheritance to Layla, she finds herself in the middle of an unsettled score that her dad was apart of. With the help of her sister, she quickly starts to unravel the truths of her family’s past.

Thoughts: This was somewhat of a slow build, but a suspenseful/thrilling read none the less. The characters are realistic, which help bring the narrative alive. Though the cover is simple, I really love it especially after reading the story.

Thank you to Beth Castrodale, Imbrifex Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book. The narrator (and author) did a fantastic job with this one.

It was fun listening to this audiobook.. I'm always in the mood for a bit of a mystery and this novel delivered more than one!

When the two estranged sisters Layla and Bette meet again at their father's funeral many feelings.. memories and confessions were uncovered and along the way the were critical decesions had to be made by the two sisters.

Though i like the plot itself unfortunately, I felt the novel was very fast paced, some parts were rushed from the beginning in how Layla promptly decided to go with Bette.. like hmmm HOW.. and how the author revealed a character identity way too early in the book.

Thank you Imbrifex Audio and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I mean you no harm by Beth castrodale. This book is a great book if you enjoy a story of dealing with family. As in mobsters and the fallout of being one’s daughter. Come a long on a journey to find out the secrets and to see if there is any good guys

I Mean You No Harm
By Beth Castrodale

Layla & Bette are two sisters who have only met a handful of times, until their father, a criminal, dies and Layla comes for the funeral. The two sisters venture on a trip to Arizona to pick up something for Bette. This story tells of a life neither of them knew and opened their eyes to each other’s struggles & life experiences. What they find in Az is not entirely what Layla was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the advanced copy of this audiobook for my honest review.

#IMeanYouNoHarm #NetGalley

I didn't find this book particularly enticing, the only reason I finished being the bond between Layla (the main character) and Bette (her half-sister), which was tensed, and exciting due to their past. I think if the story had focused more on the relationships rather than the plot, (which to me, had no importance, and led nowhere), it would have been a better piece of work. What I mean by this is that I didn't understand why Layla's mom's death meant so much to her and haunted her so much, considering she was only two when her mom died. There was no thread between the backstory that connected her to the person she is today. I liked Bette, though, as a victim of a broken family with secrets, yet her general strong attitude towards life, living as a determined, confident, single mother. I loved that she had a troubled childhood, but was mostly at peace with it, working towards a better future. I didn't like the narration of the book either, and found myself disinterested in them book multiple times. It was hard to differentiate between different character voices, too. For some reason, the ending seemed better to me than the whole of the book, the way the future was depicted, full of light, and hope, in the last chapter. Unfortunately, with the lack of a developed plot and cast, I don't think I will reread this book or recommend it to anyone.

I received this book in an Audio form from Net Galley, I said I would give my honest opinion in a review. The story is well written with good characters, It starts out with Layla, the main character, going to her estranged fathers funeral, She doesn't care much for the man at all, he led a life a crime, was never in her life, her mother died when she was 3, that left her to be raised by her Grandmother. After the funeral she stays with her half sister, Bette, who has a son with Downs Syndrome, who loves Art, Layla has a drawing that she found that her mother had drawn, something about the Man just didn't set well with her. Layla finally agrees to go on a road trip with Bette, to pick up Art supplies, for Bette's son, What the encounter on this road trip will keep you turning pages. I don't want to give any spoilers to the story so I'll end there. I liked the story a lot, I didn't really care for the person reading the story, It didn't give enough variety with tones for me, but I still loved the story

This book was an interesting tale of families, crime, and right and wrong. Found it engrossing to listen to and enjoyed the narration. Would read/listen to another book by the author for sure.

The book has a slow pace and at times, it didn't feel like the story was moving along much. The plot felt like it was missing something and any real action only started up in the last quarter of the book.

I didn't get much of a thriller vibe, maybe a little suspense to uncover the truths behind some of the twists and turns presented.

The book focuses on family, grief and revenge, even though there isn't much of that, as well as struggling with unresolved family issues.

The ending of the book felt a little unrealistic and too perfectly rounded up.

Overall, it's an easy read and not something I'd bet on an emotional connection to the characters or the plot line.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the book, full review will be published on my blog soon.
Sincerely Yours, Annie

This book was just Meh.....
Layla, a struggling artist, goes on a road trip with her half sister, Bette, after their career criminal father dies.
There is just way too much drama, quirks, problems going on in this book to really dig deep into any one of the problems that these characters face. Because of that, I couldn't get attached or really care about what happened to any of them. I really think that author tried to make these characters deeply flawed and quirky, but not very much effort was put into those flaws or quirks or explaining why they acted the way they did. With delving more into the characters, I think this book could've been so much better, but it just wasn't.
Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narrator barely changed her voice between the characters, which made it hard to discern between who was talking/whose mind we were in.