I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This author does a wonderful job of writing about the most awful girls in New York. You cheer when the victim is murdered. You kind of get where the murderer was coming from. I enjoyed the book, but I hated the characters. 3.5 Marxist-Feminist stars.

I am really enjoying this new wave of feminist literature that addresses the pros and cons of social media and influencers! This one was a fascinating look at a "women only" company, founded by elite star Eleanor that encourages women to work collectively at The Herd where fashion and beauty intersect and collective workspaces and Mocktail Mondays are all the rage. Told in alternating chapters by sisters Hana and Katie, the novel focuses on several issues relevant to today: the trolls that undermine influencers (in this case the "Anti-herd," a group of men who are angry with the "no boys allowed" restriction), the catty, often-backstabbing nature of women who pretend to like each other but are often more jealous than they let on, the secrets of mistakes made in the past, and rivalries that aren't apparent on the surface. There's also a murder mystery as Eleanor goes missing soon after she plans to reveal the takeover of her company. Many suspects, many red herrings, many backstories. And I also loved the analogy of the "herd" concept as we know that predators will often try to separate members of a herd to threaten and provoke weakness before an attack. And yes, almost all the characters are flawed; I just never let that get in the way of a great story!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Told through the eyes of two sisters, Hana & Katie, we get a glimpse into the world of elite feminists in New York City, those trying to change the landscape for working women, offering them safe places to collaborate away from the gaze of men, while simultaneously dealing with men who feel as though women-only spaces are violating their rights.

Though Hana & Katie are our narrators, the story centers on their friend, Eleanor, CEO of The Herd, and founder of natural makeup company, Gleam. When Eleanor suddenly goes missing on the eve of a big announcement for her company, the investigation reveals that Hana & Katie knew very little about their friend.

Simply put, I loved this book. Ms Bartz has a unique way of making every word feel like a ripe, juicy peach in the middle of summer. She is a young author who has a talent for creating snapshots of her experiences and her surroundings, and turning them into fast-paced thrillers. Having really enjoyed her first book, The Lost Night, I was particularly excited to read her newest novel, and I was not at all disappointed.

Though normally I don't love books with multiple perspectives, I actually really enjoyed that aspect of this book. It never got confusing because the two narrators were so different. Hana: the cool, calm, PR pro, handling everything with grace; and Katie: the impulsive younger sister, flying by the seat of her pants, and often saying the first thing that pops into her head, with little regard for consequences. I felt very much that Ms Bartz had likely added elements of her own personality into both girls, just given how comfortable the writing from each perspective felt.

Just as a side note: I follow Ms Bartz on Instagram, and I definitely feel as though Cosmo, Hana's beloved feline friend, was inspired by her own cat. I pictured her sitting writing this book, and suddenly her cat walking across the keyboard, prompting a Cosmo appearance in the scene she was working on. As a cat lover, Cosmo was a particularly endearing addition.

If you like modern thrillers with a badass feminist vibe, The Herd is perfect for you.

I think the feminism angle overshadowed the true mystery/thriller theme of this book. It took until about halfway through to get to the real meat of the murder mystery, and by that point I was kind of bored of the over emphasis on women and exclusivity of the fictional companies. The parts that actually did focus on the murder mystery were great however, I really enjoyed them and I was surprised at the ending. The author did a great job of shifting blame and making you think it was a different person a few times over. I think I would have enjoyed some other perspectives besides just Katie and Hana, because they were so similar that I oftentimes forgot who's perspective I was reading. I think seeing things from Mikki's angle or even Cameron's would've added depth to the story.

I would say this book leaned 70/30 towards a feminist fiction and thriller where I wish it was more of a 50/50 split. I'm still confused about the Eve Jobs write up? Not sure how that was relevant and seemed unnecessary IMO. The main characters were somewhat unlikeable, specifically Eleanor.

This review may be a little splotchy, because I stayed up way too late inhaling this book until the very end. I’m too tired to try and string appropriate words together to accurately describe the way it made me feel, but I’ll try.
The HERD was my first read of 2020 and I’m so thrilled it exceeded my expectations. I don’t remember where I saw it to add it to my tbr, but I was intrigued enough to apply for an ARC and so excited when I received a copy! I know I put it on my tbr recently, but I never reread the synopsis and couldn’t fully remember the details, so I went in somewhat blindly. I love not knowing just what to expect in a book, especially a mystery thriller. This one was full of mystery, secrets, and drama between friends.
We’re told the story through both Katie and Hana’s pov and the girl power angle was awesome, unique to me, and set up this picture of togetherness, strong bonds between women in a man’s world, the history this group of powerful women share in particular. I loved being in their heads learning the dynamics of everything within their group , their own feelings of self worth, love, etc. I was fully immersed and didn’t want to put it down every time I picked it back up, which is exactly what I want in a good book. The secrets, the mystery was a bonus and kept me flipping and guessing until the very end. And I was not disappointed with the outcome. Yes, the characters are unlikeable at times, but they’re human.
Andrea Bartz is a new to me author that I’m so happy I found and look forward to checking out her previous book, The Lost Night, along with any future works.
The one thing I wish were different, was the synopsis. I went back to reread it before writing this review, lest I spill any spoilers, and was disappointed how much was revealed. There was so much I guessed at from the beginning throughout, having forgotten who was even being investigated into dying and I feel like it heightened my reading experience.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy to review.

Ok, I started this book today and I finished it today. I'm not a fast reader so it was all I accomplished.😃 it is a story of three successful young women, Harvard graduates, and their relationships, careers and secrets. Set in NYC, at their business similar to WE work. The merger announcement is scheduled and the CEO is missing. It's a wild ride with lots of subplots, complex relationships and twists, just the way I like them! Highly recommended. Thanks to @ballantinebooks @netgalley @randomhouse for the Advanced copy for an honest review.

This book was really hard to put down. I found myself taking any opportunity to read this book and I gobbled it up in a few short days. There were a lot of twisty little moments that kept you guessing throughout. But even better than a little mystery and thriller elements of who was sabotaging the Herd with the graffiti and what happened to Elenor??? was the connection of these women. The sisters relationship with Mikki and Elenor just felt so real and was the real draw of this story.

I also really liked getting to read from both Hana and Katie’s perspectives- which I don’t always like. But this time it added more depth to each character and to all the relationships, kept me on edge as well by just the little hints they would drop before jumping to the other sister. Very well done and they were very distinct as well.

thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review. My review is my own and not influenced in anyway

4 stars

Lately, I've found myself really disappointed in the predictability of the mysteries and thrillers I've been reading. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the twists and turns this one took. Not everything is shocking, but there is some great red herring action and an interesting premise, and there are so many questionable characters.

I really enjoyed the way privilege impacts every part of this narrative. Bartz highlights this without making it the explicit central focus. Also, an offshoot of this privilege issue can be found in the relationship between the sisters, who alternate perspectives. It's super interesting to evaluate their connections through bits and pieces and through their respective identities. I also really like how some characters seem willing to take risks or even falls, but the impact of those choices is consistently mitigated by their identities. It's a thriller of the times, IMO.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and am already looking forward to more from this author.

In this age of Influencers dictating our everyday lives along comes a story with parallel tales of discovery. The first offer redemption for a character starting over after caring for an ailing parent. One daughter goes home after failing in a world she tried to take by storm through her writing. The other mystery concerns the leader of a cult like startup determined to make her place a safe harbor or incubator for raw feminine talent. It is the disappearance of the woman just as a big announcement was to take place that drives this book. The subsequent discovery of her body gives this story a welcome change in plot and several suspects with tenuous alibis. The death uncovers a marriage constantly changing the rules and a young woman torn between loyalty to their shared early college days and the need to reestablish her life. Happy reading

The Herd is an exclusive women-only, Instagram-worthy workspace located in New York City. The Herd's founder is Eleanor Walsh -- smart, beautiful, and charismatic. On the eve of a big announcement, Eleanor disappears. Was she taken? Did she leave on her own accord?

Told from the point of view of two sisters/close confidants of Eleanor, The Herd shows that all that glitters is not gold. Even the most successful of people have skeletons in their closets. This book absolutely surpassed all of my expectations -- Andrea Bartz is a master at storytelling. Drop whatever you are reading and start this book NOW!

I read this book in one sitting, I loved it so much! It was a perfect female powered thriller, so many twists and turns! I loved how the author dropped little eggs of info throughout the story, and kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Cannot wait to recommend this one to friends!

I was all down for the female empowerment at the center of THE HERD, but I ended up having some issues that kept me from really enjoying this one. I loved the concept of a murder mystery at an all woman's social club, but found myself having issues connecting with any of the characters...I'm all for flawed females, but these women are unlikable and difficult to root for and spend most of the book backstabbing each other. I found myself bored by the murder mystery and ultimately don't think I can recommend this one. However, I know many people are enjoying this one, so pick it up at your own peril.

An amazing feminist thriller. The authors writing is fantastic, and she drops all these little clues throughout the story and it's just incredible. I'm obsessed.

Katie is a young, aspiring author. She’s working on her first novel and is back in NYC after spending some time in Michigan, writing, researching and also helping take care of her ill mother. Now that she’s back in the big city, she’s excited to learn more about, and hopefully join, The Herd. What is The Herd, you ask? It’s a women-only collective workspace. For a monthly fee you can belong to this exclusive group, use the common areas to conduct work, write, just get away from all the noise, take yoga classes, order drinks from the bar, use the free products in the Gleam Room to beautify yourself for a job interview or a date. It sounds amazing! The brains, beauty and style behind The Herd belong to Eleanor, with support from Hana (Katie’s older sister) and Mikki. These three women attended Harvard together, and they are tight knit, but Katie is an honorary member of their squad. Eleanor’s business concept has struck a real chord and she’s in the process of opening other Herd locations. Things are going great for everyone!! Until Eleanor goes missing and they all learn that things are not going quite as great as they thought.

This book touches a lot of topical issues while also being a great whodunnit with lots of twists. I really recommend this book!!

I was so glad to get an advanced copy of this book! I had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep! It was a very memorable book and I will be recommending it to my friends.

I really did like all the stuff about The Herd, that was a unique and interesting concept. The mystery itself was a little blah and the characters were irritating and interchangeable so I didn’t love it but I think there’s a category of readers who will. It was kind of a combo of chick lit/domestic thriller so I think people who like those will enjoy it.

Part multi-mystery, part social commentary, I enjoyed this novel enough to already want it as my March pick for the Golden Bee Book Club at my shop.
I really loved hearing from both Katie and Hana's points of view, especially as they had a shared background and the bond of sisterhood, while moving through the world in very different ways thanks to the different colors of their skin and what kind of privileges and judgements come with being a white woman or a woman of color. The world of HERD is one I would be curious about if it existed in the real world, but also one that raises less questions about safe spaces for women, and more about true intersectional support.

Every character in the book has something to hide, and most of those secrets are truly shocking, though some are simply more heartbreaking than anything. But every secret really seems to beg the question- is this worth killing someone over?

I don't want to say much else, less I risk spoiling the many twists and turns of this fun book.
My only little nit-picky comment is how often the word "chin" is used in this book. It's a normal enough word, so for it stand it, it was really used very often.

Another nasty, dark, bloody, twisty, mind bending, nail biter, soul crushing, riveting page-turner! Oh boy this author is villanelle. She is the evil queen of ultra-talents kingdom, pushing our buttons and playing mind games with us and you’re voluntarily letting her do that because you’re having so much fun.

Welcome to the power drunk, vicious, ambitious, competitive business women’s world. When you google “perfect” you may see their faces on the screen. They’re impeccable, flawless, extra ordinary: Too perfect to be true. They eat their colleagues’ heads or any other vital organs at their lunch breaks and they spit some parts, cleaning their mouths, turning back to their great schemes of stabbing other people behind their back. They’re the workers of HERD. But what a minute, where the hell is the founder? Her name was Eleanor, right? Where is she? Oh, no. She’s gone! No, not dead. At least nobody found a body but she is missing.

And let me to introduce you to two sisters buried some many ugly secrets and kept so many skeletons in their closets reunite in NYC: Katie and Hana. Why were we introduced with them? Oh, I see, they’re good friends with Eleanor. They involved separately to her investigation. They wanted to find her but: as they keep digging about Eleanor’s past to find where she’s hiding or what happened to her, they start to face with their own dirty big secrets. See, sometimes it’s better not to know too much!
I’m not gonna give spoilers not to ruin your enjoyable reading. I canceled my appointment with Henry Cavill for reading this book. ( Okay, not real appointment, I’m not delusional, just a happy drunk. I just skipped to binge watch “Witcher” but as far as I can see I made the right choice, this book is more delicious than ex-Superman’s and Tom Cruise movie villain’s looks. I hate his Legolas wig anyways)

There are lots of twists make you forget your name and repeat to yourself: “Don’t call me Shirley!” several times! You feel flabbergasted, dump, numb because of too much “I didn’t see it coming” moments. The ending is also fantastic. I’m so happy to announce that I found a real five starred, entertaining read.

I already added “Lost Night” novel of the author to my tbr list as high as Mount Kilimanjaro. So happy to read a brilliant writer’s work.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books to share this thrilling ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. Special thanks to Andrea Bartz for her talented writing and this unputdownable journey.

A riveting thriller about four ambitious young women. Bartz has crafted a memorable group of characters: Katie, a tech reporter with a looming book deadline; Hana, Katie's older sister, who runs her own PR business; Mikki, an artist and graphic designer; and the luminous Eleanor, the founder of two successful start-ups, private and always in control of her own image. Hana, Mikki, and Eleanor met during their first year at Harvard, and eventually accepted Katie (4 years younger than her sister) into their crew. Eleanor runs The Herd, an exclusive coworking space for women, and employs both Hana and Mikki part-time. When Katie returns to New York after a failed research trip, she's desperate to find a new subject for the book she has under contract with a major publisher. Eleanor, this bright and magnetic (but evasive) semi-celebrity, is a natural choice—as a longtime friend and presumptive future member of The Herd, Katie has insight and access. But she knows she'll have to approach quietly, secretly, to avoid having her project shut down by Eleanor, Hana, and The Herd. All four women are protecting secrets, and when Eleanor goes missing on the eve of a major Herd event, everyone is at risk of exposure. I stayed up late reading this, increasingly jumpy as the book neared its end. Chapters alternate between Katie and Hana's perspectives, which helps to maintain the quick, thrilling pace of the plot. Definitely a thriller to look out for in 2020!

The Herd by Andrea Bartz is a suspense filled novel about an elite all-female professional group called The Herd. The founder of this group is Eleanor who is quite charismatic and demanding. Two of her Harvard educated friends are a part of this community. All of them have secrets. But what happens when the author cleverly unveils their secrets? You will be kept on the edge of your seat until the last page. I could not put this book down and read it in one day. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fast paced book with many twists and turns.