Did not receive/read in time due to technical error on kindle/tablet. Not having left feedback has due to error has impacted my shelves. Leaving 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for the e-arc I received.

I got about 7% into Girls Night Out and found that I just did not care about the characters. I tried to speed read my way thru it and could not. I think I have read too many mediocre mysteries in a row filled with bad people, I just wasn’t interested. But as the authors have written several books I’m sure the problem is me.

Hold on to your knickers, folks, you’re in for one wild ride with Girls’ Night Out by new to me author team Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Who is better to write a story about friendships, the good, bad and the ugly, than two friends? This book drew me in right from the start and I was almost frantic to find out what happened. The book begins after Ashley has disappeared while on holiday in Tulum, Mexico with Natalie and Lauren, her alienated best friends. Ashley asked them to come to Mexico to repair and rebuild their friendship and the story is told in both the present and the past with the chapters broken up by different perspectives and time periods.

Natalie wakes up on the beach with no memory of what happened, but knows she is one of the last people to see Ashley before she disappears. She and Ashley own a beauty product business together that is being approached by Revlon to buy. Natalie wants to sell, Ashley does not.

Lauren has barely spoken to Ashley over the last year since her husband, Geoff, died and she and Ashley had a blowup at the funeral, with Lauren blaming Ashley for his death.

Adding to the above conflicts and resentments is Ashley spending a large quantity of time with a local man, Marco. Natalie and Lauren resent his presence and perceived interference. If Ashley asked them to come to Mexico to repair their friendship, why is she forcing Marco’s presence on them? I had a huge problem with that, myself. I thought Ashley was very selfish in that regard.

Another curious feature of this trio is the underlying competition between Natalie and Lauren to be Ashley’s favorite. I found it interesting that they both allow Ashley to manipulate and control their lives, but instead of drawing them closer to one another, it pulls them closer to Ashley.

Ashley’s disappearance is also an interesting dynamic. Did she run away with Marco, to escape her life, her unhappy marriage? Did Marco kidnap her? Is she being held against her will or likely murdered?

I felt a lot of empathy for all three women and the pressure they are all under with the friendship that is unraveling faster than they can tie off the loose ends. I kept thinking that Ashley would eventually show up, days later, tanned and glorious, claiming she needed some Ashley time and didn’t think it would be a problem. Marco was a complex character that also added to the mix. Is he a threat or is he really a simple man who is just at one with the universe?

This story is much darker than that as more secrets are revealed, more lies are covered up and when the truth finally comes out, I was left in shock. Major kudos go to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for their expert ability to weave a tale so twisted and convoluted that draws the reader in, not realizing the danger that awaits these characters. The setting they create in and around the resort, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and the El Castillo pyramid is amazing in its detail, I felt I was there too. For anyone considering a trip to Mexico, this is definitely something to add to your bucket list.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story to fans of thrillers, mysteries and suspense who enjoy a twisted and bumpy ride to the end. Fans of women’s fiction will enjoy this story too as this story is also very relationship driven and shows how fragile these relationships can be if they are not nurtured. I will be on the lookout for more of this writing team’s work and if they have written anything as good as this one, I am definitely in for a treat.

Unfortunately, I got a new kindle device and no longer have the download to this novel. I will not be reviewing this title.

Girls' Night Out was a great thriller n Girls' Night Out, Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke guide readers on a suspenseful international tour of friendship at its best and worst. As enviable fun takes a turn through suspicion toward pure fear, you'll find out just how wrong a trip to paradise can go. (Many thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review early.)

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I am a sucker for someone disappearing. This seemed like trouble and drama from the onset. Trouble in paradise. Too perfect. Three's a crowd. Those friendships that just seem... Yeah, this book is exactly why I avoid Girls' Night Out.

Girls' Night Out was a solid mystery, although somewhat predictable at times. The storyline reminded me of a few books and movies I watched lately about female friendships imploding on vacation. The characters were relatable, although not always particularly likable. I appreciated seeing the story told through each of their points of view. The book also jumps between before and after the disappearance, but I didn't feel it hurt the narrative. Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! I have loved Liz and Lisa’s previous books so much and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into it and did not finish! Will try this author again in the future.

I am finding it hard-pressed to write about this book. I was not a fan. I think I'm realizing how much I am not a fan of so-called psychological thrillers. This book was no exception. I had the entire plot figured out halfway through the book.

These ladies get better with each book they put out. It's safe to say I devoured this book in a day. Perfect mix of slow, moody, and mystery.

Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren are longtime friends that go on an out of country girls' trip to repair strains in their relationship in hopes to repair their friendships. As their old wounds and secrets are coming to the surface, Ashley goes missing on their night out. During the search for Ashley's whereabouts many questions arise and are explored. This novel keeps you engrossed and guessing. This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to other readers.

I loved this book! It gave such an insightful, in-depth look at the relationships that exist between women. Female relationships are complex, often fraught, rarely simple, especially where there is a group dynamic involved like the one in this story.
Ashley, Natalie and Lauren have been friends since college, but their friendship has become fractured and they've drifted. Although Ashley and Natalie are business partners, they haven't seen Lauren for the past year and Ashley decides that a girly getaway is just the thing that will fix things between them all. She organizes a trip for, the three of them to Mexico. But as is often the case, a friendship of three comes with its own challenges. There's always someone who feels like they're on the outside!
In this case, we learn, as the story unfolds through the POV's of each of these friends, that at different stages of their friendship, and of their holiday, they each feel like the one who's being left out! As secrets come to light and some rather uncomfortable truths are spoken, readers begin to wonder what type of friendship this could be?
And then, after a particularly difficult evening of drinking and arguing, ... Natalie and Lauren wake up to discover that Ashley has disappeared!
What actually happened the previous night? Neither of them can remember it clearly. And where is Ashley?
I loved the twists and turns this plot took, and I thoroughly appreciated the interaction between these friends and the way their friendship played out and evolved over the years. Women grow, we change, we add to who we are and we discard what no longer works for us. We learn from painful experiences and from being hurt, and each of these experiences contributes to the person we become. We can never be the same as that girl we were in high school, or in college. Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke completely understand this, and this understanding underlies the writing of all of their female characters.

Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren are in Tulum, Mexico, to (maybe) set a new tone within their estranged relationships. There is a lot both bottled up and openly-in-the-air tension to solve, and also lots of secrets. Ideal opportunity - but everything only seems to go downward. And then Ashey went missing.

If you are a fan of well-written female-oriented mysteries, you are in the right place here! (But if you prefer lots of action, you probably will be not as excited as I am about the novel). This is right up to my alley and I have devoured the whole thing! There is a deep knowledge of what moves women and all the pettiness, drama both necessary and unnecessary, feelings, betrayals, sharp words and egoism - and yet, love. This deeply going love that is wider than all said above, that can take off all the edges and love your friends still. Maybe this is the good effect of the tragedies, that they can bring up into the light the real, the important things?
As I female, I can attest that I could have same screeching matches about the small things that seem enormous at the moment, that I can laugh and cry and hug and (I hope!) forgive. This novel resonate with my girls' girl soul, as I am happy to have several strong female friendships. And the hurt and the forgiveness are "the real deal" part of any true relationship.

As for the mystery - then tension is well build-up and the unreliable narration helps in this. There are several red herrings thrown into our way, and yet the ending is a surprise (even if I personally would love stronger twist).

And I love the Mexican setting! Even if I would like more "natural" Mexico, because Mexico has much, much more to offer than hot guys, good food and its history and mythology! Yet, the novel at least is doing justice to that :)

All in all, this is a true female-oriented literature and a quite good mystery novel.

A perfect psychological thriller for anyone who loves an untrustworthy narrator, starring a tense best friend relationship. I simply devoured this book from start to finish, and will be on the lookout for more books by these authors in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a much appreciated digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Really good read! You could really feel the characters pain and the want to repair it. I couldnt wait to find out what happened to Ashley, really good read.

It had the formula of a thriller without any of the development. The characters were to one dimensional to feel sympathy for and the story took way too long to actually get started

A great book centred on female friendships. A real page turner. The story has some elements of a suspenseful thriller but the focus is more on female relationships. Written from different characters perspectives, this keeps it fresh. The back and forth of the timeline really kept my interest and kept me reading long into the night.

A great, quick read - worth the time.

This book is about three middle aged women, formerly best friends, who spend a long weekend at a beautiful resort near Cancun, Mexico, in an effort to repair their relationship. So if that isn’t set for there to be drama, I don’t know what else is! This book kept me intrigued and entertained.

I have always loved the tag team writing of Fenton and Steinke. The Status of All Things was one of my favorites.
Girls Night Out is quite different. Mystery, secrets, a friendship put to the test and a gorgeous escapist setting of Tulum, Mexico. What could possibly go wrong? A lot, in fact. The story was a fast paced chit-lit thriller hybrid. My only critique was that I didn't particularly find any of the girls likeable. Great beach read.