I wish I had been interested in this but I just couldn't get into it. I thought Marie Rutkoski would be a hit no matter what, but this thriller didn't do it for me.

Real Easy is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows Victor Amador, a police detective in an unnamed state, as he investigates a series of murders. The victims are all young women who work as strippers, and the killer is leaving behind a single clue: a crown carved into the sole of each victim's foot.
Amador is determined to find the killer, but he soon realizes that this is no ordinary case. The killer is someone who is very familiar with the world of strippers, and he is someone who is very good at hiding. Amador must use all of his skills as a detective to track down the killer before he strikes again.
Real Easy is a well-written thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and the plot is suspenseful. If you are looking for a good thriller to read, I highly recommend Real Easy.
Overall, I highly recommend Real Easy to anyone looking for a good thriller to read. It is a well-written and suspenseful book that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy of this audiobook. It was fine. Solid. I give it 3 of 5 stars

I’d waited so long to read this, and it was definitely worth the wait. This was a good old-fashioned suspense/thriller that I liked a lot … when I first read the synopsis, I knew I would!

The dancers at the Lovely Lady strip club come and go, so when a fresh new face starts, nobody bothers to help her out except Samantha (stage name, Ruby). One night when the owner finds out that the new girl (stage name, Jade) is on drugs, he fires her, and Samantha offers to take the incapacitated girl home. On the way, things take a deadly turn, and the rest of the story is a murder mystery.

The story is told from multiple POVs: Our main character of course, but also several of the women she worked with at the club, and some of the detectives working the case. To me, the best part of the book wasn’t the story itself (though it was a really good one), but the characters. They were all written very well, with a look into lives of all of these people who have quite unconventional professions.

This book was quickly-paced, investing and had an exciting ending. I can’t really think of any complaints - okay, one minor complaint: I don’t see the need for the main character’s medical condition to be in the story. I understand the inclusion factor, but it didn’t really add much to the plot. This one wasn’t anything that blew my mind, but I really enjoyed it. A solid four stars for a book that was “Real Easy” to like (sorry, I couldn’t help myself).

This is a gritty look at the underbelly of the world of strip clubs. A dancer is murdered and one is missing. This character driven story captivated me instantly. It’s atmospheric and kept me compulsively listening as the story unfolded. Then near Raider doesn’t excellent job for adding an extra layer of suspense and intrigue. The story is told from multiple perspectives. I was drawn into each of their worlds, anxiously listening. Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for my audiobook

Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski is a thriller about a strip club in the 90s where two dancers have gone missing. One is quickly found dead and the other’s whereabouts are unknown. I don’t read many thrillers so I’m not super familiar with the genre but this didn’t really grip me, though I stuck with it to reach the resolution. Interestingly, Rutkoski gives just about every character, no matter how briefly mentioned, their own chapter to add many perspectives to the narrative. I also think the depiction of a strip club was probably pretty accurate since Rutkoski has said her book is based on her own experiences as a dancer. If you love thrillers you might want to give Real Easy a go but it was a little bit of a letdown for me personally. 3 out of 5 implants. (Thanks @netgalley for advance access to the audiobook)

The characters and setting felt lived in and believable; the author does a great job making the strip club feel like just another workplace populated with characters trying to get by. I did ultimately enjoy the book, but the shifting perspectives occasionally felt like they weren't justified by the story. In one case, the narrative shifts to two characters who find a body, and the author spends a lot of time filling in their backstories even though they never appear in the book again. It was always skillfully written, but it sometimes felt unnecessary. The middle parts were a bit bumpy, but I was completely caught up in the mystery and the danger by the end of the book, and it won me over.

Marie Rutkoski knows the world of exotic dancers because she used to be one. Working as a stripper in her 20s to help pay for higher education, Rutkoski garnered plenty of fodder for her later adult novel debut Real Easy, a book about a series of murders revolving around a strip club in the late 90s. Real Easy is an “own voices” novel of a different sort, not detailing a marginalized author’s personal experiences based on their race, disability, or sexual orientation, but rather on their career. Rutkoski lends her experience to this story to create a dark, gritty, and authentic tale of power, lust, and fear.

The year is 1999 and someone is killing strippers. Samantha and her fellow dancers at the Lovely Lady have been hearing rumors that a recently murdered sex worker was only able to be identified by the serial number on her implants. Needless to say they are all spooked. Much to her horror, Samantha finds herself coming up against the killer when she gives the new girl at work a ride home, launching an investigation that strives to uncover the murderer’s sinister plot.

Real Easy is a book that I have strong feeling about because it is such a mixed bag. The novel starts off incredibly strong, following Samantha through her nights working at the Lovely Lady, and details what life is like as a sex worker. Samantha, a wholly intriguing character in her own right, was written with such voice and spirit, and I was excited to follow her throughout this novel. Until I realized that I wasn’t. Following her, that is, because the book soon switches perspective to another character, and another, and continues to follow this pattern throughout the rest of the novel. We receive the POV of every person who has an iron in the fire, and what results is a confusing amalgamation of narratives that is often difficult to follow. Because I was listening to an audiobook production of this novel, I found myself lost several times, not fully realizing that the story had switched perspective. This isn’t at the fault of narrator Eva Kaminsky, who does a fine job of telling this story, but rather because there wasn’t much distinction written into the voices of the various characters.

Rutkoski showcases her talent in Real Easy, and she obviously has the skills to write a compelling story; I just wish that she had focused her novel on fewer characters, providing a more intimate tale of lust and murder. As it stands, Real Easy is still a good book, albeit one that isn’t the easiest to follow.

Recommended to fans of Ivy Pochoda’s These Women.

I was very curious about this book upon reading about the premise. The idea of a thriller/murder mystery involving a serial killer and a strip club was something I have never read about and I was excited to dive In. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time connecting with the story and the many different point of views threw me off. It was still thought provoking and a great adult debut.

Also, if you are lucky enough to listen to the audiobook, there was an interesting interview at the end between the narrator and the author. I loved that the book was inspired by the author’s experiences working as a dancer at a strip club. She took the encounters she faced and built the premise around them.

I received a review copy from NetGallery and Macmillan Audio and I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.

REAL EASY by Marie Rutkoski is real-easy-listening.

The narrator's voice is smooth-she sets the EASY tone for the audiobook.

The characters are constructed in a magical way. A little like a rainbow, they are unique and almost uncatchable. They are as REAL as they come.

It’s written with the swagger of a smoky men's lounge. Gripping and colorful, it’s both atmospheric and gritty- a pleasing combination.

The only thing that didn’t make this five stars is the slow nature of how the story proceeds. I don’t recommend it to readers who need a quick pace to keep their attention.

It's a slow unwind rather than a wind-up.

If that doesn’t scare you away then you should check out REAL EASY.

Real Easy…easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out Now.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy!

TW: sex workers, gaslighting, toxic relationship, drugs, abuse, drugged, child sexual abuse, cheating, sexual abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:It’s 1999 and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to mixing work and friendship―after all, between her jealous boyfriend and his young daughter, she has enough on her plate. But the newest dancer is so clueless that Samantha feels compelled to help her learn the hustle and drama of the club: how to sweet-talk the boss, fit in with the other women, and make good money. One night, when the new girl needs a ride home, Samantha agrees to drive: a simple decision that turns deadly.Georgia, another dancer drawn into the ensuing murder and missing person investigation, gathers information for Holly, a grieving detective determined to solve the case. Georgia just wants to help, but her involvement makes her a target. As Holly and Georgia round up their suspects, the story’s point of view shifts between dancers, detectives, children, club patrons―and the killer.
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
• The club setting

What I Didn't Like:
• Calling it Aldis... It's Aldi
• 12 pov's

Overall Thoughts:
This seriously started out as a interesting story of strippers being targeted by a killer but ended so disappointing.

There are too many pov's for me to follow.

How the hell did they get an arrest warrant for Ron's property just because they got his name at the club? These cops in this book just make up their own rules. Like they detain the people who find a body and then accuse them of the murder.

Well the ending of Samantha being dead was odd and an interesting choice.

Final Thoughts: What made this book interesting was the stripper pov and what killed it is just another basic thriller. Skip this book and just watch Players Club.

I couldn’t really get into this one. The pacing was slow, there were a lot of POVs, I just couldn’t get into it and enough to figure out what was happening.

This dark, atmopspheric, emotional tale was a consuming audio experience. The safety issues for the women in this story and working out what was happening had me on the edge of my seat. So well crafted!

In the interview at the end of the audiobook, Rutkoski herself mentions that some of her favorite thrillers are those British/Irish detective novels (like Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad, which she references by name), and I think that's an important thing to know going into this. Real Easy is very much written like a Tana French book, the mystery itself takes a bit of a backseat to the characters and the setting which is, in this case, a strip club and all the parties who have stake in it: dancers, patrons, bouncers, boyfriends, the owner, etc. Of course there are cops, too, and they bring their own depth and presence, but the stars of the show are the dancers.

And we get a glimpse of the reality of a strip club - from the different kinds of people who work there to the way it really is just a job to the ways they all protect themselves and each other to the ways their families and friends view their work (if they even know about it). And this book capitalizes on certain fears that people in that situation have - which is another thing Rutkoski mentions in the interview at the end. (The interview and the care with which Rutkoski talks about these subjects was really the turning point for me to round this up from 3 to 4, by the way)

The murder itself is nothing novel. The killer isn't much of a secret (though it's not one of those books where the killer is explicitly revealed early). But the characters are the stars of the show. Also - Rutkoski uses the word intersex in the book and describes the reality that some intersex people face when it comes to hormone treatment and how different people who know may use their condition as an insult, etc. The book also has sapphic rep.

CW: rape (mention), themes of sexual violence, drug use, kidnapping, death of a parent

Character driven crime fiction is one of my faves. My husband credits my love of the genre with ruining his Netflix recommendations. Real Easy is a dark and twisted serial killer thriller that’s unputdownable, and I know so many of you who are going to love this one as well.
Fantastic audio.

I loved the protagonist of the novel & I was routing for her. I thought the setting was really cool & I liked the behind the scenes action at the club. Great story telling.

This was dark and gritty and totally gripping! The interview with the author at the end brought it all full circle and was so fascinating.

I thought this book was fine. It had an interesting premise and the narrator did a great job with sharing the story.

However, it took me awhile to actually connect with the story. It was a bit off with the pacing and difficult to follow along at times.

Overall, it was a solid read.

Set in a strip club Real Easy takes us into the lives of strippers and their contemporaries in the late 90s. The setting is perfect for this mystery and though it is dark, it's a gripping story. If you feel uncomfortable with the fact that the setting is a strip club and one of the main characters is a stripper, I'd say definitely skip this one. If you can handle a raw and gritty mystery, then I'd highly recommend Real Easy!

This audiobook surprised me. It took me a few chapters to get invested in this audiobook and I kept putting it to the side for other books. But once the storyline picked up and I got used to all of the POVs, I could not put this down. It was very good and surprised me by the end. I think the narrator did a fantastic job but if you’re someone who has a hard time of keeping (verbally) track of multiple POVs, then grab the book. Either way this was a great book and I recommend it.