Thank you NetGalley and author Kyle Rutkin for an e-copy of She Died Famous in exchange for my honest review.

Kelly Trozzo is living her life like a fairytale. She's the current "it girl" everyone wants to know and be friends with. But Kelly's persona of a fabulous life of luxury is hiding the demons that control her. Behind the alcohol, drugs and partying Kelly Trozzo has a story to tell and she knows exactly who she wants to tell it; Kaleb Reed, author of Save Me Alice, the book that changed Kelly's life.
Kaleb Reed, a struggling author, has been hiding out trying to fight his bad habits. He's an alcoholic and drug addict, but he refuses to be abusive like his father. So he gets help, but his demons are still there just under the surface. After writing Save Me Alice, Kaleb doesn't have much desire to write anymore, until he meets Kelly Trozzo. Then after months of writing Kelly Trozzo, along with her manager Barry Monroe, are found murdered at her Hollywood mansion. The prime suspect: Kaleb Reed. Did he do it? Or is this just the ending Kelly wanted?

She Died Famous was written in blog posts, tabloids and interviews. It was a different layout than what I normally read and I really enjoyed it. This book was a little all over the place for me. With all the partying, alcohol and drugs, I just couldn't connect with that Hollywood lifestyle. Something about Kelly bugged me, yet intrigued me enough to want to know more. Kaleb had his dark moments and fighting his demons made me feel for him. I wanted him to write again, get help, but like Kelly he was too far gone with his issues and I think his fate was inevitable.
This book left me feeling...indifferent. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

RATED: 3.5 ⭐
TW: DRUGS, ALCOHOL, PARTY LIFESTYLE, OD, DEATH

Rutkin’s new novel is hard to really review due to the many parts that make this work on so many levels without even scratching the surface about the plot. I can say that with all its moving parts, this is one hell of a murder mystery set in the world of celebrity and will not let you down.

This page turner starts out with the death of a celebrity superstar who seems to be a cross between Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears but is greater and achieved more through her records, films and television show. Kelly is a megastar using social media to rally her countless fans; as they play follow the leader and would probably jump off a cliff if Kelly asked them to. When her shocking death occurs, there is one suspect, the author of a novel that Kelly loves and endears and one she has been having an affair with. This is the basic premise.

We have a story that is told through interviews, blogs, books excerpts and interviews in an interrogation room. This is what brings the book alive and drives the reader forward to complex conclusion. This is an extremely readable book that I could not stop reading and as the pieces come together, it leads you down a road that you do not see coming at you. Personally whilst I was reading it, I assumed that I had it worked out due to most mystery, I tend to work out due to reading so many. This is not the case of She Died Famous.

The characters are all very strong and there is no a weak point amongst them. There are no extra characters for the sake of driving the plot forward and they all play a part in each of the character’s past and present. The characters are all seen through someone else’s eyes or through their interviews which leads an interesting aspect to them. This tends to lead the reader to reach their own conclusion with fantastic results.

The plot as stated is told in flashbacks or part of a blog which brings it together in an exciting way. The ending will surprise the reader and there is a deep heart felt conclusion that will not be what one would expect and is very welcomed.

Overall, this is an excellent page turner that scores so many points along the way and keeps moving to his exciting ending. This will hopefully get discovered because it is a book that doesn’t disappointment and works on so many levels that when it finds it audience, people will want to discuss in further details. As I don’t like to discuss or give away plot points in my reviews because I do think when surprises like this, the reader really needs to discover these for themselves to keep it exciting. The novel gives a look at celebrity, a complex murder case and the power of love and is a must for people who like their murder mysteries deeply thought provoking.

This book was really good in a lot of ways: interesting layout, story, and characters. However, the ending kind of fell flat. I feel like there should have been more to it.

I was HOOKED from the very beginning. Creepy and dysfunctional characters, a murder, and an interesting mystery. But somewhere along the line I was sadly lost. There is something missing for me. A connection to the characters. It was an OK read, but not the slam dunk I was hoping for.

The format of this book was unique, including newspaper headlines and clippings, blog posts, interviews and so forth. The way it was entwined within the book was perfect and added so much to the book experience.

Kelly a Hollywood star was murdered, and we are taken back to the days leading up to it when she befriends Kaleb, an author to write her memoir. She reeled him in by helping make his first book famous, so he is stuck. As he delves more and more into her twisted life, it leads to his arrest. How it came to that and what Kelly was really about will leave you shocked.

This dark and twisty novel is one to add to your bookshelf for the coming year.

This story is written in a super unique style- kind of like Daisy Jones & the Six- but oh man is this darker and more twisted- which I LOVE! The author has put this together as a combination of blogs, news headlines, and t.v. interviews. I wasn't sure that I would like it as first, but it really worked. I enjoyed this book mainly because it is so different from anything I've read before. Warning: This book does touch on heavy subjects like addiction, physical abuse, and suicide scenes so this should be understood before diving in if these things trigger you. I found the characters to be well developed and realistic while also disturbed. Kelly is a singer/actress (much like Lady Gaga's character in A Star is Born) and Kaleb is an addict and possibly insane author, Jez Kelly's assistant and Kelly's best friend Lizzy - who had very important roles in telling this story. I enjoyed getting to know them all.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted more though. I’m not sure if I didn’t want it to end or if I wanted a different ending for Kaleb. This was definitely a dark and twisted story of obsession, addiction and the real-life demons that live deep within the characters. I can't give more away without spoiling, but if you wanna know who killed Kelly, you must read this book. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you, Net Galley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It has a great example of how multiple people can view the same set of events through very different lenses depending on the information they have and their biases. The author plays with fame, social media, and fan culture to create a captivating thriller. It kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the different formats used to tell the story: interviews, blog posts, news stories, etc. I can see how there might be people who would not enjoy this book. But it was a hit for me.

She Died Famous – Kyle Rutkin

Synopsis: Superstar Kelly Trozzo and her agent are found murdered, and all the signs are pointing in one direction… Author Kaleb Reed. Trozzo sought Reed out after reading his book, and overnight made him an internet sensation and a best-selling author. The story is told through Reed’s blog, police interviews, magazine and newspaper articles. Reed is the main narrator, although Trozzo’s best friend Lizzy, and her obsessed assistant Jez, reveal their stance on certain situations, including Trozzo’s budding relationship with Reed. It dives deep into the dark side of fame, drugs, addiction, and obsession. Throughout the whole book, you’ll have the same question… who killed Trozzo?

Review: I absolutely loved this book! The format worked so well for the story being told, I’m a huge fan of celebrity gossip rags, so this was right up my alley. The book is so entertaining, it’s definitely one you won’t be able to put down! Rutkin did an amazing job capturing multiple sides of the story, while providing all the details a reader requires. Easily, one of my favourite thrillers of 2019! Can’t wait to read more by Rutkin!

When superstar, Kelly Trozzo, hires Kaleb Reed to write her memoir, he has no idea what to expect. What she asks of him, ends up being more then your typical biography. When Kelly is found dead, the police turn to Kaleb as a suspect. Kaleb and Kelly’s relationship was full of drugs, alcohol, and followed by the world. Kaleb has a violent past and they know it. In his blog, Kaleb recalls the moment he met Kelly to the moment she died. This is a story the world is going to want to read.
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What can I say other then I thought this story was beyond compelling. Right from the beginning I wanted to know what happened. I like that you get mini points of views from certain characters and they conflict each other. It puts your mind to work on who’s telling the truth. Kelly and Kaleb are two majorly flawed characters and do a great job at showing the true darkness one can feel. The dependency we can feel on drugs and alcohol. Kaleb has a sort of superhero complex in which he feels the need to protect those he loves, but at the same time, he can take these to extreme levels. I really enjoyed this story.

This book takes you on a wild Hollywood ride. It is different in the way the story is told, a mix of blog posts, interviews and news articles from different perspectives. I enjoyed the thriller aspect of finding out who killed the main focus of the book, famed singer/actress Kelly Trozzo. Kyle's writing really draws you in and makes you feel like your right there in the book. Drug use is very prevalent in this book, some in my book club found this troubling, I did not. At the beginning of the book I felt very strongly for Kelly, but towards the end my feelings were more for another focus in the book, Kaleb. Kaleb, is an author that Kelly loves and hires to write her book but also may or may not have fallen in love with. This book will not disappoint!

wow..wow..wow.. this book was super good!! It's dark, twisty and captivating. I was impressed with Kyles style of writing and need more!!I absolutely love it. It's a story about not only betrayal and vengeance but of obsession and what it comes with, darkness and the price for fame and fortune. It's also about dealing with your inner demons and dealing with wounds that never leave us. I would like to thank Netgalley for the digital copy of this book as an exchange for a review. I'm gonna have to recommend this book to my psychological thriller loving friends.

I absolutely loved She Died Famous.

It's dark, obsessive and oh so readable. It was the perfect combination of thriller, social commentary and just a great read. Well-written, this book will appeal to a wide audience of thriller lovers, fans of books about celebrity and lovers of true crime inspired fiction. I was worried the use of blog posts would feel gimmicky, but they were so well done and added to the story and relevancy in today's media obsessed world.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kyle Rutkin and Greater Path LLC for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars, but could’ve been a 5 star, if not so slow in certain areas and a bit confusing in others. Overall, I thought it was a solid thriller, with some disturbing themes, and fun twists. Well written for the most part, which made it easy to read and enjoy! Recommend to both my fellow thriller lovers and true crime lovers, as I do think both genre lovers will enjoy this read!
Will make sure I buzz it up!

The two things that immediately drew me to this book was the cover and the description. This was one of the most exciting books I have read this year. I like to be kept in my toes when reading and the author didn’t disappoint. It was a nice touch to have the narrator tell the story through blog posts with the occasional transcript of interviews with other characters, which reminded me a little of how Daisy Jones & The Six was written. Very captivating, well written, and didn’t have a dull moment in it.

She Died Famous is a great thriller that has drugs,suspense,stalking,and, murder. It had a few slow spots,but it has some twists and turns.

REVIEW TIME

This novel is completely captivating. It’s dark and obsessive story line kept me wanting more the whole way through.

The author does such a fantastic job of telling the story from diverse angles and giving just enough information to the readers in order for them to need to continue on to find out the truth of what happened to Kelly Trozzo. The story is told through interviews, blogs, and chapters from a novel Kaleb Reed wrote. Kaleb also is the number one suspect for the death of Kelly.

Kelly and Kaleb’s relationship was intoxicating. I found myself rooting for them even through the darkest parts of their story. I had to put the book down for a couple of day so that I could savor the ending. It did not disappoint. As I read the last few sentences of the book I gasped because it wasn’t the ending I expected.

Definitely not a bad read. Interesting format. Good storyline, but for some reason took me a bit to get through. Maybe wasn't the best book for me to choose but I know of others that would enjoy it more.

In the end it was just a little too convoluted for me. Could have been a bit more clear. I enjoyed it quite a bit anyway. Liked the format. Characters were interesting. Just a bit too out there at parts. That’s just my personal taste tho. Still a solid 4 star read.

Thank you NetGalley, Kyle Rutkin and Greater Path LLC for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I started this novel, I was taken back to Daisy Jones with the similar writing and the many different people telling one story that we may never get the full truth of. I was shocked by how crazy this novel is and I was totally sucked in right from the beginning! I wanted nothing more than to finish this one in one sitting and find out what is actually going on. There are a lot of really screwed up scenes in this novel that definitely made me think about how much drugs destroy lives, especially those we see are plagued by the media. I was shocked by how dark the ending was, but it was definitely fitting! I loved all the different formats and I would definitely recommend giving this one a try if you like dark thrillers!

I'm not going to lie. I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. I LOVE a good murder mystery and thought this one would be right up my alley with the whodunnit and Hollywood aspects.

That being said, this book was very hard for me to get through. There was A LOT of drug use/addiction mentioned in the book, which is a little triggering for me, personally. The characters were written to be generally unlikeable, but I felt it was more than that that turned me off of the book. Kelly and Kaleb are extremely volatile and are absolutely in a toxic relationship.

The ending did surprise me, so at least there was that. If you love a whodunnit/murder mystery and don't mind horrible, unlikeable characters throughout mixed with substance abuse, this is the book for you. It's just not for me.

I do want to call out Kyle Rutkin, though. He is very clearly a skilled writer, and having to put the content of this book together absolutely requires great skill. The book and its content just weren't for me. He, along with Netgalley, provided me a free copy of the book for an honest review and I do appreciate the gesture.