Set in the US, this is the story of Layla . She was raised by her grandparents after the death of her mother when she was a child. The book begins when her father dies and she travels to her half-sister's home to attend the funeral . Their father , Vic , was inolved in some shady business and when Bette gives Layla a box from her father with $50,000 she is reluctant to accept it because of her feeling that it came from ill gotton gains.
Layla and Bette undertake a cross country journey, to pick up some art materials for Bette's son , Jake , who has Down's syndrome. Their relationship has never been a good one, but as the journey progresses, they come to understand each other better and Layla gets to understand the family. On the whole, Layla is the narrator, but there are chapters set at different times from the viewpoints of others, which add depth and understanding to the story.
Most of the book is concerned with the journey of the two sisters and the descriptions of this journey are well done, not overdone but enough to give you an impression . On the whole, I liked the conversations between the sister, though a few times it felt somewhat contrived. The most action is towards the end, it becomes a real page-turner .
I liked this book and the characters a lot . It is short , which I appreciated, no endless pages of irrelevant information so it kept my interest throughout. I will look out for more from this author .
Thank you to Net Galley for a great read in exchange for an honest review .

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an advanced electronic copy of this book to read and review.

First off, I am a character reader. In real life I’m a total people watcher, so characterization in novels is critical for more. So, lucky for me, this book focuses primarily on characters; the plot line is secondary and at points almost nonessential.

With that said, I was interested in Layla, her estranged half sister, Bette, and the line of characters associated with their shared, career criminal father, Vic. I still felt a little disconnected from them though, even with so much insight into their lives and their past. But out of all the characters, I found Jake, Layla’s nephew, to be the one I cared the most about.

While the bulk of the novel takes place during a road trip from Ohio to Arizona, the substance comes in the stories and flashbacks that occur along the way.

I have seen this book categorized as a suspense/thriller/mystery, but I didn’t find it thrilling or suspenseful at all; instead,, I found that it made me curious. I was curious about how their lives all connected and how the backstories made the characters act and react the way they did. I would agree that it fits more into the general fiction category.

Now, there was a small mystery that I felt was downplayed until the end of the book where there was about 20 pages when said mystery came to its conclusion. In the end, it was my curiosity that kept me hooked.

This book is about family and grief and with a dash of revenge. It’s about choices. The ending was bittersweet,

This is an easy read, but if characters drive your decision to put books on your TBR list, this is a good option. It’s not set to be released until August 3, so take note.

Overall, I’d give this a 3.5/5 because while it peaked my curiosity, I didn’t find it possessed that hard-to-put-down quality.

I Mean you no Harm is a story about two half sisters whose father has just passed away. The relationship between the three is very rocky and Layla believes he knows more about the death of her mother than he led on. The ill gotten inheritance is to go to Layla and her half sister Bette wants her to have it. At first it seems that the story drags on pretty slow but once the two sisters take a road trip it begins to pick up speed. The story is told in two point of views and is very easy to follow along with. Bette and Layla make amends while traveling to get art equipment for her son Jake. There is a picture of a man that Layla can vaguely remember seeing. The flashbacks help in telling the story and bringing you closer to the characters. Can Layla find the man who murdered her mother? Or will there be a surprise at the end? You will need to read this one to find out.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I Mean You No Harm was a fun mystery novel that kept me very engaged throughout; I read it in less than 2 days and I really enjoyed the plot. Where the book left me feeling like I needed more was the character development. I just didn’t feel as connected to Layla and Bette as I wanted to. I liked reading about them bonding after having a rough history together, but besides that, I did not feel too emotionally attached to either of them, which is a big thing I look for in books. I was slightly more interested in the plot of the mysterious possible murder of Layla’s mother, but it was more of a back-burner part of the story that did not involve much of a plot twist; once she started questioning the motives of a certain someone, I figured out what was going to happen. I enjoyed reading Chapter 14 from the killer’s perspective; I thought that was a really intriguing route to take and I wish there had been more of that because it was a really fun point of view to read from. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to someone wanting a quick, easy mystery read, although there were just a few things that didn’t work for me. 3.75 stars is my rating.

Thank you NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader’s copy!

Mystery mafia isn’t normally a topic I would read but I found it very interesting and I enjoyed the difference it brought when it came to a mystery book. I didn’t find myself too invested in the book, but I was curious on the ending. But once I figured out who killed who it’s wasn’t a big revel more of a “ohhh okay” moment. Nothing really too crazy about this book for me personally, but if you like mafia books I would recommend this one

Overall, I did enjoy this book quite a bit but I felt that there were some aspects that were holding it back from being a solid 4 star.

At first, the story is set up so that you think the death of Layla’s mother is going to be the most important part of the book but I felt myself much more invested in Vic’s sketchy life and Bette and Layla reconnecting. Bette is actually hands-down my favorite character and I wish this book had really just been their road trip and conversations throughout.

I liked the flashbacks of the past but they felt a little bit clunky and random- I think it would’ve made more sense for the chapters to be titled based on the narrator, although it was so creative to name the chapters based on the location of the character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.

Lastly, I enjoyed the ending and I was super surprised as to who was involved and who wasn’t involved BUT I wish the last 2-3 chapters were cut out. It was too explain-y. Ending the book at the news article or right when Layla decides to drive back to Ohio would’ve been perfect and given me just enough to think about.

This book wasn’t bad at all, it just needs a little polishing in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At the 50% mark, I simply gave up. In retrospect, I should have quit earlier but I take pride in doing my best with NetGalley Arcs. This one is just plain dull. I kept thinking it might take off, but how long do you wait for that? As far as the two sisters in a car, well, duh. Who cares?
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I was gifted a copy of this book through netgalley.

I don't know what to say about this book, it wasn't a thriller, there weren't any twists to the story. It was an easy read, but it wasn't exceptional. 2 half sisters go on a trip to collect something and things come up along the way.

This mystery thriller follows Layla and her half-sister Bette after the death of their father. Layla lost her mother when she was a baby and was raised by her late grandparents. She and Bette were never close after a failed family camping trip a few decades earlier. The sisters reconnect after the death of Vic, their father, and his work in criminal ventures. Bette is ill, but after the funeral she planned a cross country road trip to pick up adaptive art equipment for her son Jake, who has Down’s Syndrome. Because of Bette’s illness, Layla offers to drive with her, to keep her company and keep an eye on her.
Layla and Bette make amends after the failed camping trip, and bond more as sisters, but the secrecy around their father Vic and his associates creates some conflict for these sisters. Layla is sure that her mother was murdered, and she knows the man in the drawing is the culprit. The novel is laced with flashbacks to her mother working at the diner, her father meeting with his associates, the creepy man who killed her mother, and Layla searching for answers at the high school library about the details of her mother’s death.
The author utilizes art to set the scene for the setting of Layla’s mother’s death. Art connects Layla to her nephew Jake and the stalker that will not leave her alone. I enjoyed the pace of the story, it was very steady; however, there were some moments at the beginning where I wanted the author to speed up the story a bit. Another aspect of the novel I appreciated was the fact that the story did not span around romance, but family connection. I feel like so many novels these days, especially in the mystery genre are all around love lost or unrequited love or something romantic. I liked how there were aspects around lost love or not accepting the advances of scary men, but that was not the main point to the novel.

Layla, an artist that recently lost her job, is troubled by her mother's death. Although her father, Vic, just passed away, she is unsure of how to feel about his death, especially since he's known to be a criminal. She embarks on a journey with her half sister, Bette, and ends up learning a lot about her sister and her father, who was practically non-existent during her childhood. She also tries to figure out the truth behind her mother's death. I was ready to give this book 4/5 as I enjoyed the beginning. I enjoyed the relationship between Layla and Bette. I started losing interest towards the end. It felt a bit dragged and pieces didn't fall into place.

I was not able to feel drawn to the story of LAYLA and BETTE reunited at the funeral of their father. Of course, secrets and memories are revealed as Layla establishes a strong relationship with Bette’s son.

As this was unfolding, there was also a search for a stalker and for the man whose picture was drawn by Layla’s mother. So much going on, but I did not find it exciting.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I found that this book was good. It is definitely a mystery with some thriller moments thrown in there, but overall I believe it's about Layla finding out more about her father and life she never really knew as well as coming together with her half-sister Bette, I did feel this book was more of a slow burn, it does have it's slow moments but towards the end, it's hard to put it down. I think for mystery lovers this would be a good read for them but if you are more into thrillers and being on the edge of your seat I think you'll find it slow and a hard read.

I was able to read an advance copy thanks to NetGalley.

Unfortunately, I was unable to download this title. I'm not sure what the issue is as up until a few months ago, I was able to download all other titles that you offered. I am hoping that this does not count against my review numbers as I fully intend to review anything I am able to read. Is there a way to fix this issue? Thank you.

I could not finish reading this book. I literally kept falling asleep while reading it. The main character's dad who she didn't really have a relationship with has passed away. He may or may not have been a mobster. She doesn't have much money and is a struggling artist. At the funeral she connects with her half sister and goes on a road trip with her. They start talking about the past. This is where I stopped. while I was a little curious to find out what happened to there possibly murdered mother; I just couldn't keep reading. I just didn't care about the people I was reading about.

This was a bit of a drag for me. Hard to get through but in the end it was worth the read. Not necesarily a page turner but captivating about half way through and made a strong finish. Three star overall.

Thanks netgalley for the arc

this book seemed to me like a thriller before i started but its definitely more of a mystery.

theres nothing wrong with the story, it is a tale of two sisters, Layla and Betty, attempting to learn the truth about their father after his passing but I could not get into it. idk if im not the target audience for this book but it seemed to drag until the 70% mark.

3 stars for the plot.

Amazing story. Well developed characters that are in a twisted engrossing thriller. Highly recommended. Super suspense that comes to a satisfying end! Highly recommended . A true roller coaster thrill ride

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and really enjoyed it. It is a great storyline and is, for the most part, well-written and engaging.

The book has two storylines running concurrent with each other - the story of two estranged sisters (Layla and Bette) taking a road trip for mysterious reasons as well as the story of the death of Layla’s mother and the continuing impact her death has on Layla. While both storylines are interesting, I don’t think both were required. The story of Layla and Bette’s relationship following the death of their father is more than enough to carry the entirety of the book. The addition of the storyline of Layla’s mother’s death felt superfluous and, in my opinion, didn’t add anything substantial to the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely read more by this author!

This story follows Layla as she attends her estranged father’s funeral. While she is there, she visits with her stepsister, Bette, heading to Pheonix to pick up art materials for her son. Layla decides to join Bette, and while they are traveling, their father’s dark history begins to unfold.

This book did not captivate me. I had a hard time reading it that I had to start over because I felt like I misunderstood what was happening. Considering it’s a thriller, it didn’t feel like a page-turner for me until the altercation at the end. I thought that the overall premise was a bit bizarre and uninspired. Layla and Bette do not have a close relationship, and it seemed so unlikely that they would spontaneously have a family road trip. They reminisced on their first road trip when they were much younger, and it just seemed out of the realm of possibilities to have another.

The ending, which left Layla to fend for herself, felt very contrived. There could have been a much more natural way for this to happen, but it felt forced, and it made me lose any small connection that I had with Layla. We are left with so many unanswered questions about her father, Vic, and his past that I feel like this was a stereotypical mob boss, making the whole thing seem dull. There was nothing new and exciting about this character trope, so much so that he could have been literally anything else and been more enjoyable.

I did appreciate the inclusivity of a character with Down’s Syndrome, I would have loved to see Vic interact with him because it may have humanized him in a way that we never saw from Layla’s point of view.

Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex for the advanced copy. I will post my review on Goodreads immediately and my review on Amazon upon publication.

* I received this book on net galley in exchange for an honest review. *

I Mean You No Harm is Beth Castrodale's latest novel, also being the first novel of hers I've ever picked up. I've been diving more into crime/suspense books, with this book being a decent introduction to the genre.

This story started slow, with two storylines running concurrently with each other, one with Layla and her sister on a mysterious road trip and the other the story of their mothers' death. Although in theory, this seems interesting, I found the second storyline redundant and not needed. I was more engaged with the dynamic of the two sisters, the mystery behind the road trip and journey they went on following their fathers' death. Layla's character did lack the depth I had hoped for in this story, making me wish I had been able to dive deeper into her head. Overall this story was a good read but it didn't resonate with me the way I had hoped it would.