Yikes. I get what the author was trying to do here, but it did not work for me at all. I usually love locked room mysteries and was very intrigued by a winery setting but between the dual timelines and the interspersed movie scripts the whole thing needed a lot more editing to be considered cohesive. I also understand the whole point of the book was about toxic friendships but all of these women were truly the worst --- not like an "ooh this is some good reality TV show drama" way but in a "I cannot tolerate another singular minute of any of these characters" way.

Wish I had more positive things to say about this one but it wasn't for me.

I received a copy of Scenes of the Crime via NetGalley to read and review.

To be completely honest I struggled to finish Scenes of the Crime. The story at it’s bones reminds me of Pretty Little Liars. A group of friends go on spring break to winery owned by two of the girls’ grandparents. On this trip the girls seem to have a lot of issues and at the end Vanessa goes missing.

The very beginning where Emily runs into Vanessa in town and Vanessa pulls the “you never saw me here” to texting Emily that she can no longer keep her secret and to meet on a beach hours later was too big of a swing in character change. This is explained towards the end but it already set a bad tone for me.

To make matters worse, Emily is the ringleader to bring everyone back to the winery 15 years later- not because she wants to solve how Vanessa went missing but because she wants the details sorted to use in her screenwriting. We get these cut scenes throughout and it takes way too long to have it confirmed that Emily switches up details to suit the story for TV. THAT frustrated me so much in the beginning. I couldn’t tell if the cut scenes were truly from one of the group’s point of view or Emily acting like it was their point of view for the screen. This caused me to almost put the book down multiple times. The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know what happened to Vanessa.

The ending left me absolutely frustrated. Not because it was bad but because small details were constantly being switched. One minute someone was holding a gun then the next a knife. I didn’t think this was a cut scene or Emily trying to decide what fit better but apparently that’s exactly what was happening. Even then it wasn’t super clear. I was having to reread so much throughout this book because I was convinced I misread something and who knows maybe I did but with the cut scenes being so similar to what was happening in the story (usually people change names when they write something like this so that would have really helped distinguish between Emily’s reality to what is playing out in her head) it made it really hard to follow what was really happening to the characters vs what Emily was dreaming up.

The story was interesting but this book went slow for me. The back and forth of the timelines was confusing and caused the flow of the book to stagnate. If you can hang in there, the author does pull it together in the last half of the book and ends with a good finale.

The premise of this novel sounded really interesting but I wasn't impressed with the execution. I almost DNF'ed it because for the first 1/3 I was bored and couldn't get myself invested in the novel. Ended up pushing through, but still was never impressed with the outcome. I guessed the major twist, but there was some smaller ones along the way that I didn't see coming. None of the characters are likeable, and none of them redeem themselves.

2.5 stars from me.

Well darn, I wanted to loved this. But it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I am a huge thriller fan and this one was just okay for me. I struggled to get through the book and keep attention. Not terrible but not excellent, somewhere in the middle. I will say I feel like a lot of other may enjoy this more than me. I might just be the oddity of readers. The premise does sound very interesting. I think it just needed better pacing!

I will say what I did enjoy:
- the creepy and eerie setting
- the last third picked up and made it more interesting for me
- the ending was great! This may be what saved the book to be in the okay range

Overall, this was a slower paced thriller. There were elements I enjoyed. But there were other elements I didn’t like (the characters, pacing issues). I think it is best to go into this read blindly. 3 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fifteen years ago five coeds went to a family winery for the weekend. Only four returned from the weekend. Emmy, the protagonist, is an experienced scriptwriter and has talked the other three into another weekend at the winery to discuss what happened fifteen years earlier. The novel is, I thought, slow starting. I spent a week reading the first third and an afternoon finishing it. Each chapter tells more than one story. Initially it is the present and the interaction with the women. Then it goes into the script Emmy is putting together about her version of what might have happened. These women, both young and middle aged, are not nice and likable. It is an interesting tale. Thanks to Net Galley and Bantam Books for an ARC for an honest review.

ARC review: Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon
⭐️⭐️💫

Sometimes it’s really hard to write reviews because the honest answer is “I hated it until about 60% through when something finally started to happen, and then I found it pretty good, but the writing style is bad the entire time, so, like, maybe I recommend it? 🤷🏻‍♀️”

I REALLY struggled through the first half of the book. The structure and the pacing are confusing, and NOTHING happens. NOTHING. Just a group of grown women acting like teenagers for 150 pages. I almost DNF’d, which I rarely do, but my gut told me to stick around. And I…kind of liked it? I guess?

Things I like:
👍🏻 The setting of a creepy isolated winery in the Pacific Northwest gave excellent vibes for a locked-door thriller.
👍🏻 The ultimate plot twist maybe made slogging through the first half worth it.
👍🏻 Once the plot finally picked up, I could actually feel the tension and it was quite a ride.

Things I didn’t like:
👎🏻 The last third or so of each chapter is written in the style of one of Emily’s scripts. Scripts are meant to be acted and seen, not read, and I found myself skimming through these so they would be over faster.
👎🏻 Any of the characters. They act like teenagers who enjoy causing drama, not like the women in their mid-30s that they’re supposed to be. Why are they so mean to each other?
👎🏻 Too many italicized words to emphasize the point—seems nit-picky, but it happens at least 5 times per page and is very distracting.
👎🏻 LOOOOOONG chapters that kept losing my attention.

If you’re a thriller aficionado, you might enjoy this one, but if you’re more of a casual thriller reader, I think you’ll be so bored in the first half that you’ll give up.

Scenes of the Crime publishes on September 5. Thanks @netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was really difficult for me to get into. My mind wandered, and I just wasn’t invested. I did enjoy the last bit more than the rest, and the ending was satisfying. I wish I could give a better review, but I still suggest you give it a go for yourself. You may love it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fifteen years ago 5 college friends spent the weekend at an Oregon winery. Vanessa disappeared during the weekend and was never found. Emily encourages everyone to return to the winery to try to figure out what happened to Vanessa.

This story is told in two formats. One is fiction as we know it and the other are the pages from a screenplay. It will take the reader some time to adjust to the format. This also confuses the story as the screenplay does not always line up with the fiction. Which is the truth? It seems the point that whoever tells the most interesting story is believed. In my opinion not the best story I have read.

Thank you to #netgalley, #Ballantine, and #JillyGagnon for a copy of this book.

I had a hard time with the style of this….the way it kept jumping timelines and styles made it hard to sustain momentum. Not my favorite from this author.

I'm always a fan of books about writers. I like how the chapters start with scenes from the screenplay then switch to real life, having the author set the scene in movie-style detail is super helpful to the reader. Although, towards the end it did get a little confusing trying to separate the movie details from what actually happened, but I guess that was the point. I liked that each character was different, but I would have liked a little more back story from them. I also would have liked to see more about what happened during the first trip, not just with what happened to Vanessa, but a little more about their friendship dynamic. Overall, this was a great story- the final scenes in the caves had me on the edge of my seat trying to guess what was going to happen (all my guesses were wrong). 4/5 stars, I'll be on the lookout for more Jilly Gagnon books in the future!

Thank you Random House for granting me access to this title. Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon I thought would be such a homerun for me. I was certain it would be a top read for me. Did it live up to my expectations? Not entirely, but honestly, it's because I felt the book could have been a bit shorter. The plot was too convoluted at times. Let's start with a bit of a plot summary.

Back in college, five girlfriends take off for spring break to a remote winery owned by their friend's family. What was supposed to be an amazing trip turns into disaster when one of them never leaves. Vanessa Morales vanished without a trace. Emily Fischer believes she was the last person to see her alive and all these years later she can't seem to let it go. Tired of her dead-end job for a sitcom, Emily decides it's time to tell this story. When she suggests a reunion to the other three girls, everyone seems a bit hesitant, but Emily convinces them they have to do this for Vanessa. They owe her a weekend to honor her life and their friendships.

Emily knew the reunion would be awkward, especially returning to the winery, but she didn't anticipate just how awkward it would be. Things quickly fall off the rails as weird things start to happen. Who can Emily trust? What happened that night? Can Emily turn her script into a smashing success?

I liked the flipping between the script and what was currently transpiring. What I struggled with was understanding whether the script portions were fiction or real. That didn't become clear to me for awhile and I hesitate to state either way, because I think that's part of Gagnon's story's allure. I really enjoyed the ending, but I felt like we could've gotten there much sooner.

Five friends spending enjoying spring break until one of them disappear. Fifteen years later there are still unanswered questions and no one knows what really happened to Vanessa. Emily Fischer is a screen writer for a television series. She is unhappy with her life and bored with her career. She still thinks about the night Vanessa disappeared. Then one day in a local café, she looks up and sees a woman that looks exactly like Vanessa. This puts her on the track to find out what really happened that night. She starts contacting the others and they meet to spend a reunion week and hopefully Emily will find the answers.
Jilly Gagnon Did a wonderful job setting the scene and developing the characters. My main drawback was the bouncing around and the addition of screenplay writing. It felt like it interrupted the flow of the story and I did not get the point. I would get to a part then wonder is this part of the disappearance story or is the a screen play that she is creating.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC.

I swear the glittering electricity that pulsated my body when I was asked to read Scenes of the Crime, as an early reader was real...

Jilly Gagnon, has taken the internet by storm since her debut novel, #famous. Having read and loved #famous, I was eager to get my hands on All Dressed Up, that left me equally as impressed! All Dressed Up had captivated my soul and had been in the number one spot since 2022, That is, until Scenes of the Crime, fell into my lap.

Gagnon, is a natural born story teller. Her writing style will grab your attention early on and suck you in without release until the very last word in the book.

Every time a twist reveals itself you will feel as though you were gut punched! Catch your breath quickly, the next twist will be in your face within seconds.

As always, a Jilly Gagnon delivers. Scenes of the Crime, is sure to be a hit amongst readers.

Teaser :

It should have been the perfect spring break: Five girlfriends. A remote winery on the Oregon coast. An infinite supply of delicious wine at their manicured fingertips. But then their center—beautiful, magnetic Vanessa Morales—vanished without a trace.

Emily Fischer was perhaps the last person to see her alive. But now, years later, Emily spots Vanessa’s doppelganger at a local café. At the end of her rope working a lucrative yet mind-numbing gig on a network sitcom, Emily is inspired to finally tell the story that’s been percolating inside her for so long: Vanessa’s story. But first, she needs to know what really happened on that fateful night. So she puts a brilliant scheme into motion.

She gets the girls together for a reunion weekend at the scene of the crime under the guise of reconnecting. There’s Brittany, Vanessa’s cousin and the inheritor of the winery; Paige, a former athlete, bullish yet easily manipulated; and Lydia, the wallflower of the group.

One of them knows the truth. But what have they each been hiding? And how much can Emily trust anything she learns from them . . . or even her own memories of Vanessa’s last days?

Suspenseful, propulsive, and interspersed with scenes from Emily’s blockbuster screenplay, Scenes of the Crime is an unforgettable mystery that examines culpability, the shiny rearview mirror of Hollywood storytelling, and the pitfalls of female friendship.

I found this to be a not exactly interesting book. It toggles between times in the life of four friends (one is deceased or missing) and the screenplay about the disappearance by one of the friends.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of toxic friendship and soapy drama. I loved how the author wove in the screenplay excerpts, bouncing between timelines. I couldn’t stop turning the pages to figure out what was going on. Gripping and twisty!

I read the author's previous novel All Dressed Up and fell flat for me. This novel was SO good and i'm so glad I gave this author another try. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Jilly Gagnon is back with a locked room mystery about a group of friends who get together at the same winery 15 years after one of them went missing. I love stories that have this kind of premise. One of the friends, Emily is using this mystery with her friends to write a screenplay to boost her career but at the same time working to get answers to what really happened to Vanessa all those years ago. The story is told between two different time frames as well as some of the screenplay Emily is writing. As the secrets begin to be revealed it makes you wonder if these girls were ever really friends to begin with. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC!!

Holy smokes. This story and these characters put the "ick" in toxic, narcissistic and psychotic!!! Not only are there twists and turns, but there are dips and pivots and landmines and sinkholes. Just when you are sure you know the whole story, something comes along and proves otherwise. Female relationships are so complex and can be so darn ugly!!!

This was reminding me of “the only survivors” - but more toxic?

The characters were terrible- but in a way a train wreck you wanted to keep watching.

I think this will be a top contender for thriller fans!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review!