Source: DRC via NetGalley (Penguin Group: Putnam)
Pub. Date: Jan 4, 2022
Synopsis: Goodreads

Why did I choose to read this book?

I’m beginning to accept that I’m into mystery/thrillers. I was reading through “most anticipated” lists for 2022, and the description for this one sounded up my alley. I read a lot of family thrillers in 2021, so it was nice to see a friend-type thriller to try instead. A girl’s weekend to die for? Sign me up.

What is notable about the story?

For a mystery story to keep me interested, it has to keep me guessing. The three characters: Diana, Sam, and Margaret, sound pretty clear cut but as the story moves forward all three are not what they seem. As I discovered the secrets of each, the mystery only deepened, keeping me hooked to find out what was going to happen next.

I like that this was a book about female friendships. You see familial bonds in these kinds of stories a lot, but it was refreshing to follow friends through *gestures vaguely* whatever this was. Family and blood relations often add a reason to go on, to persevere; with friends it’s all too easy to say “fuck this, I’m out.” I was honestly surprised to see these women stick with it like they did.

Was anything not so great?

As I was reading the story, excited by Leah Konen’s ability to keep me from figuring things out, I began to worry that the eventual reveal would either be mind blowing or a huge let down. I won’t spoil anything here, but I will say that the first reveal was interesting (not mind-blowing, but good enough) but the final reveal made me groan and wish I hadn’t even started.

Konen asks us to be invested in her characters quickly, and I would argue that this attachment is never fully formed between the characters and the reader. Sam’s backstory with Harry and how they got married is weird and full of red flags. Margaret’s backstory is also weird but with deeper emotions attached. And Diana should have just put up a billboard that read YOU CAN’T TRUST ME YOU DUMB ASS BITCHES! in bright, neon lights. While I didn’t know what was going on, it was plain as day to me that these ladies were in big danger from the jump.

Infidelity abounds in this story, and with Margaret’s resolution in particular I was disappointed. Her repetitive mewling about “I lost the baby, can I ever try again? My husband isn’t who I loved when we first got together, can I ever be with anyone again?” does not register with her instant trust and bonding with Alex. This is especially true given what happened during the big reveal – girl, you need to love yourself before you throw yourself into the arms of anyone else, I don’t care how cute his dog is.

Overall my biggest issue was with the complexity of the deception. The women decide to go on their girl’s weekend and they rent a car, but when the key to the rental is “lost” they completely lose their cool and give up. They all have cell phones, they are in a town, can’t they just call the car rental company and have them send roadside assistance immediately? They have car insurance, yes? Couldn’t they call for roadside assistance from them? I don’t have a lot of patience for stupidity in my characters and the speed with which they get an AirBnB and go crazy at the local bar was all too neat and tidy for me. In the year 2021 you have to be a VERY sheltered person to be in this situation as a woman and not be immediately skeptical of these circumstances.

What’s the verdict?

The in ability of the story to develop meaningful investment in the characters and their well-being, combined with the unbelievable circumstances and the last minute “gotcha!” reveal that has nothing to support it, overwhelmed my excitement at a novel concept and constant guessing and made this one not so great for me. Two stars on Goodreads and I recommend you skip this one in favor of something else already on your TBR list, although if you’d like to try it anyway I’d love to hear if you felt the same way about the book.

The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen is a psychological thriller about three friends, Margaret, Sam and Diana, traveling upstate and away from NYC, for a girl’s weekend. On their way up to the trip, they lose their car keys and get stranded in a town on the way up to their destination. While stranded, Diana goes missing which launches them into an investigation. What happened to Diana? Is she alive or murdered? And why did they stop in this random town? There is way more to this trip than just a girl’s weekend.

This was a quick read with multiple perspectives. It follows the two main characters, Margaret and Sam on their girls' weekend getaway. I always enjoy when books have multiple perspectives because it allows for you to get different parts of the story you wouldn’t otherwise. I went back and forth throughout this story on who to believe. There were many different secrets and layers to unpack with all the characters. All of the characters were complex and I enjoyed reading about their backstories.

I did not see the ending coming– this book had twists right up until the final pages. There were several twists and turns throughout. Just when I thought that I knew what was going on, another little twist would keep you on your toes. I was especially unsure about the character, Alex.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, had short chapters, and multiple perspectives. It kept you guessing throughout and had twists and turns throughout. I also really enjoyed the twist at the end of the book.

I also really enjoyed the setting of this story. Being local to the Hudson Valley, it was a fun aspect to the book when reading. It was fun for me to picture the different settings in areas that I have been.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC.

This was my first novel by Leah Konen. I was immediately intrigued to request it due to the cover art and description. However, after just finishing it, I am walking away disappointed. This book had some promise, but boy, did it DRAAAGGG. Nothing interesting happened until about the 65% mark into the story. We follow 3 friends, Diana, Margaret and Sam, all set out to take a trip together to share their "woes" over each of their marriages ending. While stopped at a gas station in their rental car, something happens to halt the rest of their trip, and they get "stuck" in up state NY, having to retreat to a cabin, but then one night out at the local bar changes the course of everyone's plans. I did like the perspective that the author gave the reader looking back at each character's marital relationships. The twists did come, as the reader finds out that the women each have their own secrets that they are deliberately withholding from the other. I really didn't think this was much of a "thriller" per say, but maybe more of a domestic drama. By the last 15% of the book, I was just ready for it to be over. The ending, however, did have a nice final twist that I could have never predicted. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First reaction 🥱
Final reaction 😱

If you read The Perfect Escape by Leah Kone and feel like it starts off a little slow, keep reading! It’s so twisty. I guessed some of what would happen, but there was so much more I didn’t see coming! I loved how everything came together, but there was one small thing about the ending that bothers me.

The ending (and really, the whole book) would make for a great discussion in a book club, though. These characters are pretty flawed and don’t always make the best decisions, but I think that adds to the mystery and suspense of the story.

3.75 out of 5 ⭐️

Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Riley Sager. It also reminded me *a little* of Pretty Little Liars (the show- I haven’t read the books.)

A fun, who dunnit thriller full of discretion, misunderstandings, and twists. Quick and easy read. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Wow! What a great way to kick off my reading for 2022. This book contains a lot of secrets, twists, and turns as it tells the story of three friends and their girls' weekend that goes horribly wrong. Nothing is as it seems and you'll find yourself flipping pages eager to get to the bottom of things. It's an addicting thriller and one I just couldn't put down. Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc!

Shocking, Boring Secrets


Three professional women in their 30’s embark on getaway from New York. They are experiencing men problems which have broken their hearts, self-esteem and common sense.

The women are Sam (Harry), Margaret (Lars) and Diana (Brandon). The heart-breakers are in parentheses. They rent a car for the weekend jaunt but when they stop for gas, their car key miraculously disappears. They are relegated to stay in Catskill, New York and rent a house while their car is towed, and a new key is made. Sam is heartbroken her love, Harry, has told her that he is returning to his other woman. Margaret’s ex became an alcoholic when they had tragic pregnancy. Diana’s past was under wraps, but she told the other two women, Brandon could show up and stalk her at any time.

There is mayhem, misinformation, and lies in this novel. It is difficult to discover who is dealing with reality and who is lying or worse yet, a possible murderer. There is twist after twist and I stayed with the novel to the very last page. Evident in this book, as in many novels, the main characters console themselves with drinking to alleviate their sorrow and get a little happy, maybe. The plot was endless; just when the reader may think there is finally a solution or a revelation, something else happens to keep the plot going. The storyline became convoluted and just when I thought the author was tying up loose ends, there was another highly emotional scene that added to the confusion.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Perfect Escape is an exciting new thriller with many wild twists and turns! It hooked me from the very beginning. The story follows three friends who are going on a relaxing girls trip to escape the reality of their divorces. They face one situation after another until one of them goes missing after a night of margaritas at the bar. I thought it was suspenseful and well written. There were many characters (but not too many) involved so I couldn’t figure out all the twists. I was surprised every time. It was full of emotion, tension, lust, anger. It leaves you to question, how well do you know your friends?

This is the first book that I have read from this author and I throughly enjoyed it. Im looking forward to reading more from her. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, it is a must read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for a much appreciated ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel. I loved the Perfect Escape. i read It in one sitting. It is a crazy ride of a friend going missing on a girls weekend away. Many plot twists and excellent character development.

This was your typical who done it thriller. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, though I had some parts figured out before the end. I expected more of a twist at the end, that never came although the author tried with the ending. Overall, a quick, easy read.

Read this if…you are a fan of Shari Lapena and enjoy unreliable narrators.

Three friends are all dealing with the dissolution of their relationships and decide to get away for a girls’ weekend in upstate New York. Margaret and her partner are separating after their plans to start a family ended in tragedy. Sam’s husband has left her out of the blue to return to his ex-wife while Diana is trying to avoid discovery by her obsessive ex.

Unfortunately for the trio, things start going wrong before they even reach their destination, leaving them stranded in the same town where Sam’s husband is now living with his ex-wife. An innocent trip to a local bar for some margaritas leads to a drunken night of bad decisions. Margaret and Sam wake up the next morning to find that Diana has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. The two ladies must work together to solve the mystery of their missing friend before the police pin a murder on them.

This was a suspenseful, quick read. I didn’t love all the characters or some of the choices they made, but the mystery kept me guessing and wanting to know more. I liked the surprise twist at the very end. (Readers who are grieving any kind of pregnancy loss will want to avoid this one though because that is a major plot point for one of the characters.)

A big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Putnam Books for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading anything by this author and now I’m seeking out more books by Leah Konen. This was a perfect thriller. It was page turning, gripping and had the perfect ending plot twist. I love when I don’t see something coming. I absolutely recommend to any thriller lovers.

Fun and thrilling mystery with a plot twist that left me gasping! Very well written, with the perfect amount of suspense and intrigue. I enjoyed how the surprises kept popping up when you least expected it, and I thought the complexity of the friendship between Diana, Margaret, and Sam was really well described. Super fun! *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book wasn't very good or memorable. It started out okay, and then became quite convoluted. I am not sure I'd be able to recommend it to others.

Ok, so this kept me up much too late! But it was completely worth it! Three friends – acquaintances really – go on a weekend trip to get away from their man problems. When car trouble leaves them stranded in the town where one of the exes lives, what better thing to do than hang at the local bar and get a bit pished while adding in a little casual sex on the side <Shrugs>

When one of the ladies goes missing, all hell breaks loose and it turns out that all is not always what it seems to be. Flawed characters, some as unlikeable as the day is long and an unlikely group of friends makes for a compelling read. Well-plotted and quickly paced, I had a hard time putting this down and a hard time figuring out how all the pieces would come together but they did – beautifully.

My thanks to Penguin – Putnam and Netgalley for this gifted DRC.

The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen is an interesting mystery. I was immediately drawn into the story and got through about 35% really quickly. Unfortunately, it slowed down after that and moved a little slower. I liked the story overall and it kept me guessing as to what was going on, but I sort of struggled to stay engaged. There just seemed to be some unnecessary details that dragged out the story and made it easy for me to put it down and stop reading.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There were several times where I thought I knew what was happening, but I was wrong about the final twists. It kept me on my toes and I read it in a day. It was honest and truly... a *perfect escape*.

Sam, Margaret, and Diana are new friends - bonding over their impending divorces, they've found comfort in one another. The three decide to get out of the city for a long weekend, but their plans are derailed when car trouble strands them in a mountain town halfway to their destination and Diana disappears.

I am not someone who _tries_ to figure out the ending to the books I read. I like to be surprised - that's why I read thrillers. Unfortunately, I was not surprised by the ending to this book. (Well, the first ending anyway. I'm really not a fan of the epilogues that suddenly change the ending to the book.)

Still a decent read though, with plenty of twists and turns to keep my attention.

This was one of the twistiest thrillers i've read in a while! thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for an early copy of this, this was such a fun read! 
*
Synopsis: Sam, Margaret, and Diana are off to upstate NY for a girls' weekend, when they lose the keys to their rental car at a rest stop in Catskill. That night, Diana disappears after a drunk night at a bar, and when Sam and Margaret involve the police, they learn that there's no record of Diana existing. They worry that Diana's obsessive ex found her, but Sam and Margaret both have unexpected exes turning up as well, making everyone seem suspicious. 
*
Every time I thought I knew where this was going, I was quickly proven wrong. This did such a great job of subtly inserting red herrings and making me question absolutely everyone. I certainly did not expect the major twists, and it never felt like it was trying too hard to force in twists. 
*
I also really liked how the pacing picked up as the book neared its climax. It was always unsettling - it was clear from the beginning something was off - but you have no choice but to fly through it as it got into the meat of the mystery. 
*
I read a ton of thrillers, so to find one that keeps me so invested is pretty rare, I'd definitely recommend this!

Three friends go on a weekend trip to get a break from dissolving relationships. When they end up stranded in the hometown of one of the ex's and and then one of the women goes missing, the weekend plans are supremely interrupted. Then a body is found.

This was an engaging suspense set between the POV of two of the women. I enjoyed the tension of the story and how it built with the well-timed revelations, of which there were many!

I have to say there were so many decisions made that I cannot fathom making, but as fiction goes, how else would murders occur! There were also some possible triggers of pregnancy loss and terminations that I felt were dealt with compassion, but could be hard for some readers.

For fans of suspenseful mysteries and thrillers, I think this will be a quick and enjoyable psychological thriller that you may think you have pinned down, but that last chapter will surprise you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the E-ARC! Pub date is January 4th!