In a world littered with murder mysteries, For the Best was such a fresh take on the whodunnit genre. Meet Jules Worthington-Smith -- party animal and potential murderer. When Jules' wallet is found next to a dead man, she jumps to suspect #1. Certain that there has been a mistake, Jules attempts to clear her name. The problem? She was blacked out at the time the murder took place.

In attempt to clear her name, Jules starts a true crime vlog -- becoming an overnight viral sensation. Can Jules clear her name before she loses everything?

With a creative plot and great characters, this was a great read for 2020!

The blurb of this book had me intrigued and I'm happy to say the book lived up to that completely.

When Jules Worthington-Smith’s wallet is found next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. After struggling for years to build the perfect family and career, she’s dangerously close to losing everything.

Sure of her innocence, Jules is desperate to clear her name. But there’s one big problem: she was blackout drunk when the murder took place and can’t remember what happened.

Unsatisfied with the police’s handling of the case, Jules embarks on her own gin-fueled murder investigation. As she uncovers fresh clues, she starts a true-crime vlog that becomes a viral sensation, pushing her into the public eye. It’s not long before the ordeal forces Jules to confront her demons, including her turbulent childhood and excessive drinking.

What's not to like in the above synopsis? Short term memory loss and finding yourself at the murder scene, and then not sure whether you're being framed or you are somehow involved in it - how absolutely intriguing.

I loved how the protagonist, Jules, isn't one to sit back and whine and bemoan her fate. She is in control and goes out there to take charge and prove what actually happened that night amidst all the drinking she does.

Loved the author's style of writing. The characters might not be likeable but they sure are memorable.

Do pick up this book for a good thrilling read.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What happened then and what happened the night before.

Mixed feelings. First, I find Ms Lillie being a very good writer - and in my opinion she would be even better if she listened to her writer’s instinct. Because this novel effortlessly paints some very interesting facets of American life, thinking and guilt; just a sentence can depict a range of culture and emotions. The better part the novel portrays a very interesting story of a woman bearing accuses of a crime - and as she was drunk that night, she can not remember a thing, so she starts her own sleuthing on her vlog. While I do not like Juliet, I can see where she is coming from.
If only the novel moved in this direction the whole journey! But there is the ending, which honestly killed all my appreciation of the story build-up with the doses of morale and worse - the absolutely selfish behaviour. Without any spoilers - this character needs a serious psychiatrical evaluation and therapy to get out of its deep ego and the worst case of a victim mentality I hace seen in years.

Still, I will read more of Ms Lillie. Her talent is real.

For the Best is a thriller that’s based in Providence, Rhode Island, therefore I can connect by knowing the streets I live and work by. Reading the book was made me think of all the cute areas and how they all have their “trends”, like Wayland Square versus the Hope Street area.

The story surrounds Jules Worthington-Smith waking up to the cops questioning her about the death of a famous Rhode Island philanthropist, Dr. Castle. She is being questioned for his murder, as her wallet was found next to his body and she was the last one to be seen with him. Being the CEO of a company that was launching a huge grant project with Dr. Castle, Jules career and personal reputation were turned upside down.

The story unravels the journey to prove her innocence. BUT there’s one major problem with everything, she doesn’t remember how the murder happened. She was blackout drunk.

This thriller takes today’s concepts of modern day technology and how it can truly help those that need a voice. Jules uses an online vlog to help her get the voice out there and prove her innocence. Liliie’s writing is so descriptive that I felt like I was actually watching a small series on Netflix or Hulu, slowly unraveling the mystery till the very end. Even in the end, you are left with… can this happen to anyone?

This is definitely a boo worth picking up. The author kept me intrigued right from the start up until the very end. Great read!

I thought this was an okay read. The protagonist seems pretty immature and self centered, which made it difficult to relate to her.

I think For the Best is an okay book. I found the plot to be very interesting, but I don't think it was well executed. My biggest complaint about this book is the characters. Specifically, Juliet is awful. While I can be sympathetic towards her alcoholism, she is just terrible: she is terrible to the people she "loves", is incredibly self-absorbed, has very concerning body dysmorphia, has a major White savior complex, and, overall, lacks any real depth. Moreover, the whole collaboration with her ex (who she almost got killed??) was weird and seemed like an unnecessary antidote to give the story more drama - especially since the author played up this big falling out between Terrance and Phillip yet never said what caused it. I also was not a fan of the true crime blog itself alongside Juliet's father's blog because it just didn't add to the story in a meaningful way for me. However, I really enjoyed the book's last fourth/ending - I wish we could've seen Juliet in therapy more because I feel like that would've been more interesting and thrill-inducing. I also loved the twist at the end and the inclusion of restorative justice - I felt like it was a nice way to tie the entire book together. Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this book, but I am glad I read it for the ending.

This is a great little read by Vanessa Lillie. There is not a lot of ‘in your face’ action. It is more subtle than that. There are twists and turns and the struggle that Jules Worthington-Smith has, not only with herself, but also with those around her and their perception of her. Jules works hard to clear her name in the murder of someone that she was close, but in doing so, she discovers so much more than what she expected to uncover. Lies. Deceit. Personal struggle. Murder. This book has it all, and more. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to review this book.

This book started out strong and ended strong. But the rest just didn't do it for me. I think this could have worked as a YA or for someone in their early 20s but it just seemed silly for someone pushing 40.

But she was an immature narcissistic drunk so...

I do think some people will enjoy this book. So if you were planning on reading it please do.  This just wasn't for me but my opinion doesn't speak to the work. And as always I commend anyone for being able to put a story on paper. That takes more talent than I will ever have.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, a stunning follow up to Little Voices, which received rave reviews but didn’t really appeal to me. Well this one did, big time. Jules wakes up from another of her regular blackouts after a corporate party to find that the man she was honoring at the event was found dead later in the night, with her wallet next to the body. I love strong willed, desperately flawed protagonists and Jukes is one of the best. Deep secrets in her family, dysfunction at is worst, regrets, redemption and resolutions. For the Best stayed with me long after I read it, always the sign of a great novel. And a great mystery. And a great drama.

For the Best has an intriguing premise, and it certainly showed promise - it just never quite got there for me. The story moves a bit slow for my tastes, but I think a big part of that was due to my opinion of Jules. I just could not make myself like her. She has her share of problems, including drinking until she's blackout drunk, and in a lot of cases, a flawed character can make things more interesting. Not so with Jules. She's entitled and her 'it's all about me' attitude grated on my nerves, making the book feel even longer than it was. I get that feeling like she's been wrongly accused would bring some of that on, but this woman didn't seem to have a single redeeming quality. That said, the ending did pull the story out of the hole it was in and pretty much saved this one for me. To sum it up, I'd have to say that For the Best had a strong conclusion, but the getting there felt much too long with a character I couldn't stand.

Just when you think you know how this is going to end you then find out you really don't and isn't that just what you want from a thriller? It certainly is for me.

Read, enjoy and be prepared to be surprised.

I struggled to like any of the characters in this book.

I found the storyline very engaging. There was defiantly a surprise at the end I did not see coming. However, the ending ruined the book for me. I keep rethinking what I read and I do not like it from the new perspective.

This was just an average read for me.

I received this book from NetGalley.

Gripping, fast-paced, and gorgeously written. For the Best is a must-read for anyone that loves twisty suspense novels.

This is a smart thriller about a woman who becomes the prime suspect in a murder, and comes close to losing her perfect family and career. The story thrusts the reader right into this nightmare of being accused, has you guessing due to the main characters drinking and suffering short term memory loss. Great themes of guilt and justice, it's intelligently written, with a dark undercurrent, and filled with complex twists and turns.

This book is everything a thriller lover and true crime podcast obsessed reader could ever dream of. The best of both worlds and a un-put-downable story equals perfection. Vanessa Lillie does an OUTSTANDING job of keeping readers engaged and in the loop of this unbelievably relatable story. I was shocked at each and every twist in this story and cannot wait to read more of her work!!!

After reading Lillie's debut novel Little Voices, I couldn't wait to get my hands on For the Best. I am always a bit nervous with an author's second book after loving the first, but that was completely unwarranted here. Lillie delivers yet another spine tingling thriller that left me guessing til the very end. This author is quickly become a household favorite for me because she constantly knows how to keep me guessing and her stories don't fall prey to the typical exhaustive themes that thrillers usually have. Can't wait for her next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Vanessa Lillie and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorites for this year I think! You start out with a bang and it just keeps going! I really enjoyed the vlog content and how unlikable the main character is with all her flaws. I also really enjoyed how different this was from other thrillers and the dream diary slowly leading us to where the author wants us to go - which is totally in the wrong direction. I really enjoyed how the main character was not scared to get her hands dirty and dig right into to everyone's lives to save her own. Definitely a thrilling read!

This story is provocative, exploring complex topics such as childhood trauma and how it relates to us as adults, white privilege, flaws in our system and restorative justice.

I love Vanessa Lillie! I love how she can weave in a big murder mystery that her main character is somehow involved in. Her strong protagonists get involved to find out the answers. In For the Best, Juliette, the mead, is at the center of a murder as the mead suspect. She works to get to the answer of who killed her friend. As usual, Lillie has so many angles the story could go into, but surprising the reader with the truth at the end. I love a good mystery/suspense that I can’t guess and that surprises me. Lillie does just that.