This was an interesting story that was very strange with lots of twists. It was easy to relate to the characters but some were hard to believe.. I enjoyed the book and was very surprised at the ending

In this sexy debut novel, Woods delivers a tale of lies, greed, lust, infidelity, and misplaced trust. Young heiress Gia Highsmith Torres marries Garrett, a handsome crook she barely knows. She’s too naïve and infatuated to see that he’s really after her money. It’s nearly midway through the story when Gia finally faces the truth and sees her sham marriage crumbling and wealth dwindling. But suspicions grow that something far worse has happened to Gia when her brother Benny and her best friend Abby are unable to contact her. The story alternates between Abby’s side of the story and “Gia’s Manuscript,” revealing a growing web of deceit along the way.

I really enjoyed this book, it had good suspense and I liked the characters. The author had me guessing up until about 75%!

Loved it! Twisty, a great setting, unreliable characters and lots of secrets. I read this in one sitting and immediately raved about it to my book friends! Freaking Fantastic!

Love this book. I read it over the course of a few days. Great mystery thriller. Fantastic descriptions of Greece and character development. I was in the edge of my seat from the beginning. Wish I was in Greece!

Ladykiller comes out July 9th and this setting had me wishing I was at a pool sooooo bad. It's definitely a great beach read. Katherine Wood (previously known as Katherine St. John) does vacation vibes so well in her books and I absolutely loved the Greek Isles location in her latest.

I read two of her other books, The Siren and The Lion's Den, and felt like this one fit in perfectly with the style of those two. I enjoyed all three of her books, but each has been lacking a little something. This one for me was a little too long and I was disappointed in the ambiguous ending. But I did love the celeb drama and all of the backstabbing. It was delightfully dark and salacious (much like her other books). The Siren is my favorite by her, but Ladykiller follows closely behind. And this cover... 🔥 omg so good.
⭐⭐⭐💫

You know a good thriller when it keeps you interested after the first few pages.

It’s well written with Gia who is bold, bossy and boastful; and Abby who is ethical, works all the time and tends to please people. Everything revolves around the emotions of Gia – the girl with the money. Her father, Hugo Torres, recently passed leaving her with a $14 million estate and a good chunk of comfort funds.

Shortly after that, Gia was enchanted with Garrett, who of course was charming and handsome. Within a month, they were engaged and three months later married against her friend’s judgement. Abby didn’t go to the wedding. And now Gia was pleading with Abby to join her in Sweden to see the northern lights and added that her attractive, single brother would also be there. How could Abby say no to this trip complete with first-class airline tickets? She was a hard-working lawyer and needed a vacation.

We know something was going to happen. And with a few clues, it wasn’t too hard to make basic predictions half way through. It’s a perfect beach read and easy plot to get caught up in the passionate romance and dreamy images of life on a beautiful Greek island. This would be the type of book that would be fun to watch as a movie.

My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 9, 2024.

After reading many reviews of this book, I had received an ARC from Netgalley and I finally cracked open the book. The reviews were mixed but I received an ARC of this book so I dove in. It was slow going at first but then picked up. It is told from, two narratives, Gia's manuscript and Abby's perspective. Gia and her brother Benny come from a very wealthy family who basically when Abby and her mother who went to work for their father generously provided for Abby and her exclusive schooling with Gia and Abby and Gia were the best of friends. Later on in life Abby and Ben famously father died leaving most of his money to charity except for his beautiful; retreat in Greece. But Gia being so spoiled was going through whatever Inheritance she had and had to sell the house in Greece to survive. Then she meets this man Garrett and after a quick whirlwind romance of a few weeks plans to marry him. Ben and Abbie are totally against such a drastic move but she proceeds which of course he is nothing but a scam artist out to take her for every cent. There are aspects to this book and I did enjoy it but as the other reviews stated it is left for the readers to decide what really happed to all these dubious players. Overall I did enjoy the book and some of the ending I was pleased with but no spoilers here. I want to thank net galley and the published for this ARC for an honest review. So just going in there are some aspects in the ending that are left for the reader to decide but overall I enjoyed this book and all the twists and turns.

My Thoughts
First of all the locations described are totally awe inspiring.

The dual POV between Gia's manuscript chapters and Abby in real time worked for the most part by allowing this reader to develop their own opinion as to what was happening before the story ended.

However that being said even though I enjoyed what I read am still waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak because there was no clear and concise resolution by books end.

Also most of what was finally revealed I had already figured out for myself, and was glad to have been right in my assumptions.

The real kicker for this story is the fact it did not clear things up in my mind, and after reading other reviews there were others who feel exactly the same.

An interesting read nonetheless.
[ EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Good mystery! I loved the setting in Greece and the descriptions of the water and house. Also, the isolation of the island from the rest of the world gave a bit of an eerie feeling at times. Gia's character was good - the reader is never sure if you should be rooting for or against her, never sure if she's telling the truth. When Gia and Garrett make friends with Emilia and Timeo out of nowhere, you start to wonder if anyone is shady but you're never 100% sure. I also liked that Abby and Gia were friends from childhood so it added another element into questioning your best friend's honesty and motivations.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is actually a pretty good story. It is actually a four-star story, but the language was bad enough that I dropped it a full star.

Gia Torres is the daughter of a very rich man who left all of his estate to charity. Her best friend Abby is the daughter of the family chef. They become best friends and the family pays for her to attend all the same fine boarding schools and colleges as Gia.

The novel follows what happens as Gia suddenly marries a man she has known a month and all the machinations that follow as things don't work out so well. Most of it takes place on a small Greek island in one of the family homes.

Lots of twists and turns, mostly unforseen. If the language had not been so vulgar, this would have been a really good suspense tale.

Gia and Abby are best friends and come from the opposite side of the tracks. Abby feels indebted to Gia’s family for making her one of their own, paying for her schooling. When a stalker attacks Abby, Gia has her back. Now as adults, Gia is married and soaking up the sun in Greece, struggling to deal with the new responsibilities life has handed her. Abby is working hard to become a successful lawyer so when Gia calls to invite her on a trip to see the Northern lights, she’s hesitant at first.
When Abby and Gia’s brother Benny arrive and Gia is nowhere to be found they begin to worry. They fly to Greece to find her.
This is the perfect summer read in my opinion! I loved it so much! It has it all, beautiful people, sandy beaches, sex and intrigue and ….. murder?
This book is told from multiple points of view. I found myself more engaged with the sections from Gia’s book. Great read that keeps you guessing right up past the end!
Thank you to Bantam Books, Katherine Wood and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Ladykiller is a gripping, can't-put-down psychological thriller that takes place on a sunny, sexy Greek island and that follows a set of intriguing (and quite selfish) characters. Gia and Abby have been close friends since childhood. After a traumatic event during the summer when they turned 18, their friendship grew apart. However, they have remained in each other's lives and kept contact. After Gia marries Garret, having only known him five months, Abby can't keep her feelings quiet. Words are said and the two go their separate ways. Now, months later, Gia wants to rekindle their friendship over a trip to see the Northern Lights. Abby agrees to go (particularly excited to see Gia's brother Benny). However, when they arrive in Norway, it's without Gia. Gia has essentially disappeared. Benny then mentions that a month ago, a strange and suspect couple had been staying with Gia and Garrett in Greece. What happened to Gia? Who was this couple? And why is Abby receiving threatening emails? Abby and Benny travel to Greece where they find Gia's manuscript detailing the last days before she went missing.

Ladykiller is a gorgeously written thriller filled with twists, secrets, and betrayals. The author does an amazing job with writing unreliable narrators. I had no idea who to believe. The story alternates between Abby in the present and Gia in the past (via her manuscript). The characters are all well-developed with many layers. As much as some of the characters (don't want to give away anything) are unlikable, they're still very interesting. I appreciated the open ending. I'll definitely be reading more by Katherine Wood. Ladykiller is a definite five star read!

I'm new to the psychological thriller world so maybe I am easily fooled but good grief! So may twists and turns!! I loved this book. Great read!

An excellent thriller with multiple twists that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout! Great ending too…This book was excellent!!! Highly recommend to all psychological thriller lovers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood was great! The novel follows two childhood best friends as they come together a decade later. They have aa secret in common and also secrets from each other.
The story was fast moving and twisty. I inhaled it! Very good!

I really enjoyed reading this book outdoors on my roofdeck. The fragrant scents of spring added to the setting. I was getting strong White Lotus vibes which is a major compliment. I immediately was distrustful of Garrett & even more so Time and Emelia. There's a lot of thought-provoking food for thought. Gia announces "female octopuses self-destruct after they lay eggs " she also informs the crowd. "Zeus affairs made Hera unhappy" as she fixes her eyes on her hubby Garrett. "So she slaughtered her mistress Then he was unhappy too." There's conversation about the survival of the fittest and how Darwin suggested that organisms best adapted to their environment are the most successful " "Everyone is out for themselves" & "humans are supposed to be more evolved than the g-d." Gia is the ultimate "poor little rich girl" who is overly generous because she feels bad for growing up rich. She reminds me of Tanya from White Lotus. Garrett reminds her bestie, "Gia is going to do what Gia wants to do. We've never been able to influence her. You can't change people." Other telling lines include: "Gia wasn't a person who lived in black & white; she thrived in full color & I knew from experience the truth was hidden between the lines of her book."

The prose is detailed & beautifully written. The plot keeps the reader on its toes, guessing & then reevaluating & second guessing.. The drawback is it could be a bit shorter. I'll definitely read more books by K

While Ladykiller promises intrigue and mystery, it falls short of delivering the pulse-pounding thrills one might expect. The pace of the narrative crawls along, weighed down by excessive detail and slow-building tension that never quite reaches a satisfying climax.

Despite its billing as a thriller, the story reads more like a leisurely-paced mystery, with the focus on unraveling the secrets behind the heiress's disappearance rather than heart-pounding action. The premise of uncovering clues from a manuscript left behind by the missing heiress holds promise, but the execution lacks urgency, leaving the reader feeling detached from the unfolding events.

The characters, while initially intriguing, fail to fully captivate, and their relationships feel underdeveloped. The dynamic between best friends Gia and Abby, central to the plot, lacks depth, and their motivations often feel unclear.

Overall, Ladykiller may appeal to readers seeking a slow-burning mystery with a focus on unraveling secrets, but those expecting a gripping thriller may find themselves disappointed by its lackluster pacing and failure to deliver on its promises of suspense.

This was my first book by Katherine Wood and it did not disappoint. I had no real idea what I was getting into when I started this book but it was a wonderful depiction of the differences in class and viewpoints, friendship and love, all set in a bucket-list place for me! Katherine Wood highlighted secrets, deception and murder in a way that still made me want to be on the Greek island with them! This was a quick, but well done domestic thriller that I would highly recommend.

Childhood friends, Gia, her brother, Benny and Abby, in Sweden to check off a bucket-list item of seeing the Northern Lights and make amends for the way they parted last time. However, things take a harrowing turn when Gia never shows up. Abby and Benny take matters into their own hands and head to the Greek island estate where Gia had been living with her handsome new husband Garrett to get some answers, but they find more than they bargained for with an empty estate.

This one as full of so many twists and turns, and the best part is I didn't guess the whole ending because Katherine Wood kept throwing them in. I feel the story built pretty slowly but I really enjoyed the multiple POV and different timeline aspect of the book. Katherine Wood keeps you enthralled until the end, I finished this one in a day, I didn't want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and Katherine Wood for the eARC of Ladykiller, publication date 09 July 2024.

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.