Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski follows a variety dancers at the Lovely Lady and the people in their lives after several dancers turn up dead.

I think this was a really enjoyable adult debut from Marie Rutkoski. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, mystery, and characters and felt myself constantly connected to the plot. I think getting to read from a wide variety of the characters in the story helped further connect me to each of the side characters and helped offer multiple options for who the villain was. Overall, a very emotional yet fun read for mystery lovers.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the different POVs provided but it did get altitude difficult to keep all the characters and their storylines straight. Really loved reading about the dancers and their backstories really helped me feel more connected!

DNF

Unfortunately I went into this book with the wrong expectations. It's not a bad story, far from it, I just simply think I'm the wrong reader for this tale after trying it a few times and failing to make progress. I was under the impression that the procedural aspect of this book would be a stronger portion, but if you're looking for an informative, well written and unique story surrounding strip clubs in the 90's, please give this one a try for yourself.

This was definitely an adult book! Marie made a name for herself for sure.
I was a huge fan of her ya books years ago so I was definitely curious to see how she'd do as an adult mystery thriller writer and was not disappointed.

The best thing about this story is the setting. It takes place majorly in a strip club in the 90's. I read that Marie took inspiration from her own days dancing at club. Kudos.

So atmospheric, I never forgot that we were in the 90s, it was detailed and descriptive of so much.

The characters were also a great addition to the story. We follow so many povs to get a good picture of all sides. Strippers, cops, children and even the killer.

The mystery was the only weak point for me. I felt like it was very easy to guess who it was. There were so many clues and give aways early on that anyone who reads just as many mystery as me can guess where it's headed.
Def will look forward to more from her in this genre!

**Received a copy for review.**

I am not sure what this book was trying to do but whatever it was, it didn’t work.

4.5 stars

Real Easy follows the investigation of the murder of a strip club dancer and the disappearance of another in this character-driven thriller brimming with suspense. Told in beautiful prose and multiple POVs (including dancers, club patrons, police, children, and the killer), Rutkoski masterfully immerses the reader into the complicated lives of the characters as they struggle to protect themselves and those they love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading chapters from so many perspectives and each time I thought I had things figured out, the narrative continued to prove me wrong. ⁣
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I also love how the novel is unflinchingly feminist. The dancers are each distinct and well-developed, making up the heart of Real Easy. The author takes great care in writing a diverse cast of characters, including an intersex MC, queer main and side characters, multiple POC characters, as well as disabled characters. As the title suggests, the novel is never a comfortable read, depicting the ways in which women are treated as easily dispensable. However, there is hope found within the ways the women empower themselves. ⁣
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry & Holt for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for review. I absolutely loved Real Easy and would highly recommend it to readers looking for a literary and thought-provoking suspense novel.

This fast-paced thriller had an interesting structure. The crime and investigation played out through multiple viewpoints and timelines. It was easy to follow and the unique structure kept me riveted. I wouldn’t say I was overly surprised by the ending but it did have some unexpected twists and turns. The writing is solid and the characters were interesting. Apparently Rutkokski is a former dancer and she did a great job bringing that environment to life. Overall a very entertaining read!

I'm a huge fan of Marie Rutkoski and I'll read anything that she writes, so I knew immediately upon announcement that I had to pick up Real Easy. While my previous experience with Rutkoski is based in sapphic fantasy and Real Easy is a gritty adult thriller, the prose has the same musical and heartbreaking quality as The Midnight Lie and managed to pull me in just as quickly. Rutkoski is the master of writing those little details about characters that make them so dynamic and compelling, and I highlighted so many sections to go back to. She's also the master of enthralling sapphic relationships and managed to make me fall for two characters (though I won't spoil who) in a matter of about three sentences.

I only have a few complaints with this book--while I enjoyed the wide array of POVs we got to read from, there were many where I knew the characters were just a one-time addition to push the plot forward and I found myself skimming because I didn't care to hear their internal thoughts. I would have rather had more time in Georgia's POV, seeing the world and her relationships as they develop in her eyes. my other complaint is that about 50% of this book is from the perspective of the police, and while I understand why it had to be that way I found it so hard to connect and sympathize with many chunks of those POVs because...they were the police, and I didn't feel like reading about cops. That's rooted in my personal preference and might not be an issue for other readers.

If you're looking for a poignant exploration of crime based around the lives of dancers at a club, this book was fast-paced and perfectly gritty. And Bella has my heart <3

I start reading this book thinking that Samantha is the main character and that her being intersex will play a big part of the plot. Well, Samantha is a main character but not the main character. I'm not really sure who would be given that title. And, as for her being intersex, it didn't really play a big role in the course of the book. Part of me was disappointed because I wanted to learn more about that but part of me was excited thinking that perhaps this indicates the growing ability to have non hetero cisgender characters without making a big deal about them. Follow? End result was that this was not the book I expected to read but that it was still a really good book! I liked that the strippers were not cast in a disapproving light. Their characters were valued. I liked that I wasn't able to easily figure out who was the kidnapper/murderer, though I did discard a few characters before the police were done with them. And, finally, I liked that even perhaps more minor characters were given backgrounds and filled in for the reader. This wasn't a speedy paced thriller, instead it provided a nice balance between a suspense mystery and the story of women doing what they need to do to survive.

Samantha (Ruby) is a dancer at the Lovely Lady strip club. One night she volunteers to drive her drug-addled coworker, Lady Jade, home, and the next day her car is found in a ditch, Lady Jade has been murdered, and Samantha is missing.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a beautifully written, character-driven thriller told in back and forth timelines from a zillion perspectives -- the detectives, the other dancers, the kidnapper/killer, Samantha, customers at the club, bouncers, various suspects, the dancers' kids -- it was a lot to keep track of, but it all worked together perfectly. I especially enjoyed the perspectives of Georgia (Gigi) and Holly (the lead detective). They were both flawed and broken and kind of a hot mess, but they still got shit done.

There are some shocking bits and disgusting bits (strip club patrons/jelly jars/men in general) -- the author worked in a strip club, so I'm guessing at least some of these are real stories? YIKES. Anyway, definitely read this if you like Tana French, Gillian Flynn, and/or Chevy Stevens. This is going on my fave books of the year list for sure.

TL;DR - Strip club, murder(s?), gross men, interesting women. Five stars.

Enter the world of the Lovely Lady, a strip club. Here are the dancers, tired, ambitious and money hungry. Here are the men in the audience, lonely, trying to live out their fantasies. What happens when a dangerous fantasy collides with reality? It’s Real Easy.

First rule: all strippers use false names. Samantha is Ruby, Jolene is Lady Jade, Georgia is Gigi. They dance for the money and to support their families. Samantha and her boyfriend Nick share daughter Rosie. Jolene is insecure. Georgia dreams of college and a different life. Second rule: no touching the clients. Third rule: watch out for each other like sisters do. Then a good deed by Samantha leads to tragedy and horror. The police investigate and find many suspects but each one has an alibi. The detectives and the dancers try desperately to discover a killer before he can find them.

Real Easy pulls you into the fascinating behind-the-scenes club life. Its’s a well written and carefully plotted mystery with flawed, captivating characters, especially Samantha, Rosie and Holly. Holly’s grief is touching, sad and real. This is a must read! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Company and Marie Rutkoski for this ARC.

I had high hopes for this thriller that takes place in the 90's. It's possible this is a me problem and not the book, but I didn't really connect with it. The mystery aspect was very well done and what kept me reading. Although I hated that there was really no explanation why the murderer did it.

I also just had a really difficult time keeping up with all the different characters and view points. Between the strippers going by their stage names and being referred to by real names, just so many other characters, I couldn't keep up or it took me a minute to remember who this person was.

Lastly, I found the writing to be strange. We'd be in the middle of an event or scene then all of the sudden the story's going back to their childhood or past events without any real clarification. And most of the time that clip of the past I found to be irrelevant or no clear connection to what it had to do with the current scene.

Maybe my brain is still on Christmas break or it was just over my head but other than the mystery part, I didn't care for this one.

Wow! This thriller is a whole theme park of roller coasters. So often I finish a thriller that I enjoyed, but immediately forgot everything I've read. Real Easy will be sticking with me for quite some time.
I loved the multiple viewpoints, the red herrings, and the amazing characterization. And I appreciated the way the queer characters' experiences seemed accurate to the time period while also feeling whole. Kudos!

This book is exactly like if Jodi Picoult and Joe Hill collaborated on an episode of Law and Order: SVU. It's refreshingly character-driven and I found myself racing through the pages to solve the mystery.

It's truly one of the best books I've read in my life. Marie Rutkoksi debuted in adult fiction with a fantastic story. I recommend Real Easy with my heart.

Bow chicka bow wowwwwww! I loved this spicy piece of literature. Get you a glass of wine, a comfortable seat, and a quiet night.

This was fantastic! I became obsessed with Marie Rutkoski’s writing style after reading The Midnight Lie. Real Easy was a totally different vibe however. A quick paced who-done-it with The Lovely Lady strip club as the main setting. I’m not well versed with strip clubs, let alone behind the scenes of one. I felt like the author did some serious homework, because it jumped off the page. The pacing was steady, and each chapter jumped perspectives from detectives, to strippers, to “Him” 👀 I was kept on my toes til the end & so glad I made this one of my first reads of the year! Thanks to Marie Rutkoski, NetGalley & Henry Holt & Co for the advanced reader copy! 4 ⭐️’s

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Marie Rutkoski's adult debut, Real Easy, delves into the backstage of a strip club. The story is told in multiple perspectives and discusses the day to day happenings of the club as well as an ongoing double homicide investigation.

This novel has been advertised as a psychological thriller, which is concerning to me. I feel like this book is quite possibly being mismarketed and I hope that this book finds its audience. Typically, in a thriller genre, you expect to have an overarching sense of tension and dread concerning a possibility of something bad. This book had very brief moments of tension, but they did not thread throughout the book. I would argue that this book is a literary crime novel.

The police procedure in this book is shockingly well done and well researched. Likewise, the backstage intricacies of dancer life was handled with delicacy and deliberate care. After learning of Marie Rutkoski's background as a dancer and her family on the police force, it seems evident that she really put in the work in ensuring she got these details right.

What seemed paramount in this book, which is set in the 90's but whose message carries to today, is the impact of being somehow other in the world. Whether that impact is by being a Person of Color, queer, intersex, female, or some different variety of other, those things impact life drastically and establishes a certain expectation of violence or of opposition. These themes are strong in this novel and the exploration really is reminiscent of literary fiction. The book also happens to surround the murder investigation, which is why I stand firm in my classification of this book as a literary crime novel.

Unfortunately, I do not tend to enjoy literary fiction. I may not have picked this book up had I known what I would be getting, or I would have entered the book with appropriate expectations for what it was. I recognize fully that Rutkoski did a great job with this book, but people who are expecting or seeking a thriller may find themselves disappointed as I did.

I have enjoyed my previous reads of Rutkoski's works and will continue to read her works in the future. While not to my taste, it is my hope that this book finds its audience.

This was a fantastic book! I loved it. Interesting setting, fascinating characters, and a twisty thriller! What's not to love!

This book goes well beyond the “stripper with a heart of gold” cliche to deliver a suspenseful, beautifully written story with interesting and well-drawn characters.

The story takes place primarily at the Lovely Lady strip club, home to an assortment of very interesting and multi-layered women who happen to take their clothes off for a living. I was so drawn to the very interesting, kind, and complicated character of Samantha, a beautiful stripper who is revealed to have a chromosomal abnormality. She deals with her “syndrome” (as she tells us it is called), her boyfriend’s jealousy around her job, and her deep love for her boyfriend’s child Rosie - a dream come true for her as her syndrome made it impossible to have children of her own. It has been awhile since I have been as invested in a main character as I was by Samantha, who was uniquely voiced in the book and also ably voiced and acted by the audiobook narrator.

Not a happy tale here - because someone is murdering women, and death comes to the Lovely Lady in a tragic way that really affected me. Much as I want to talk about the pivotal murder, I won’t spoil it because it was truly shocking and upsetting to me to read. With the main location of the book being a strip club with a number of unsavory patrons, there is no shortage of suspects for the murderer, who we learn has been perfecting his exceptionally creepy serial killing for awhile now.

Though we also meet Holly, the detective investigating the case, the women of the Lovely Lady are the stars of this book and I was extremely impressed by the complexity and care with which they were drawn as characters by the author, completely avoiding stripper stereotypes in favor of a cast of compelling, varied, and interesting women.

I really enjoyed being immersed in this plot and getting to know all the characters, and found Rutkoski’s writing to be more literary and thoughtful than one usually finds in this genre. Really glad to have had the chance to read this book and will definitely be reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this interesting and well-narrated read. 4.5 stars.