The plot was intriguing but I had trouble keeping up with the book as it switched formats. The book would have been better had it not included the script parts. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ARC.

Emily is at a dead end job going nowhere writing a script for a mind-numbing show. She needs to come up with a blockbuster hit and break out of her doldrums. Once she feels like she recognizes a ghost from her past, she realizes she has the perfect story; she just needs to figure out the ending. In order to do that she has to go back to where it all started with the original cast of characters to see if she can finally find the perfect ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found this story to have a pretty slow buildup, I struggled until about halfway through. But, once there, the story really takes off and I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised for the second half. It was somewhat confusing, especially in the beginning, that the author put the screenwriting excerpts in. However, at the end, I think they really added to the storyline. I think most people can identify with the kind of toxic friend relationships we see here and overall would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

I read about half of it so that’s why I only gave it a four stars. But from what I read it was absolutely amazing.

Women tend to be in competition with each other, these women however take it to a new level. One even dies because of it! This story is about five college-age friends gathered at a family winery when one mysteriously disappears. What happened to Vanessa that fateful weekend and what does each of the women know about the disappearance. Emily, is a LA based screen writer, writing for a sitcom but deep down, she has a screenplay idea about that fateful weekend. Brittany, is an entitled, self-centered person but wants to make sure she keeps up appearances at any cost. Paige, is blunt and a bit of a follower as she desperately wants to fit-in and be accepted by the in-crowd. Lydia, is the odd girl of the group, nerdy, smart and not in the same social standing as the others. When Emily decides to bring these women together to enhance her screenplay, she doesn’t realize the multitude of hidden secrets. Each one of these women have knowledge of the event but what will they do to keep their secret hidden? So, when a woman who looks exactly like Vanessa appears at the coffee shop where Emily is working, this sets off a chain of events ending in a stunning revelation.

I’ve read Jilly Gagnon before, I enjoyed All Dressed Up and thoroughly enjoyed it. This read was just as pleasurable. The characters are absolutely bitchy at times and yet you want to know what happened. The ending I did not see coming at all which is always a delight. I love a good mystery where you think you have it figured it but wham, not even close. If you enjoy a good mystery, some drama, good writing and delish read, then this book is for you.

This was just plain boring, I hated every single character.
The mystery was so predictable and I just don't want to talk about it.

Thanks to netgalley and the author for an eARC in exchange of a honest review.

Look, I don't find myself reading screenplays altogether often, so it's possible I have the wrong idea about this, but I'm not entirely unfamiliar. So, that said, I have a huge pet peeve about writers as characters who share their work (specifically as a plot device) when the work in question is just...not good. And here we are.

Review of Advance Reader eBook

Screenwriter Emily Fischer sees a woman at a local café. Only, as far as Emily knows, the woman, named Vanessa, is dead. She decides to tell Vanessa’s story.

But what really happened to Vanessa all those years ago? Emily decides on a girls’ weekend with Vanessa’s cousin, Brittany, and their friends, Paige and Lydia. Will one of them know the truth?

Will Emily discover Vanessa’s secret? And what will happen when she does?

=========

The unfolding story here alternates between Emily’s narration and her screenplay, giving readers a unique and interesting twist on the telling of the tale. As readers compare Emily’s narration and her screenplay, they’ll discover they are similar, but with interesting differences. Literary license? Or a truth and a lie? It’s up to the reader to decide the reality of the evolving story.

Strong characters populate this tale of a group of women who may or may not be friends. Although none of the characters are particularly likable, their relationships play a vital role in the telling of this tale.

It is the mystery surrounding the death of one of the women back in their college days that pulls the reader into the narrative. An undercurrent of uneasiness running throughout the story helps build the suspense; the plot offers readers a few unexpected twists, leading to a denouement that may be an unexpected surprise for the reader.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley
#ScenesoftheCrime #NetGalley

This was fresh and unique. The screenplay aspect was so fun ANF really added to the story. This was a good thriller with a deep mystery.

A mystery within a mystery and a sharp portrait of the complexities of female friendships. Atmospheric and moody, this tale of envy, love and betrayal is full of plot twists.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam, Jilly Gagnon, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This was a good book. I just could not really get the screenplay versus the real story. It was still good and a solid read though.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam, Jilly Gagnon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I love reading Mystery Thrillers and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the storyline, location and premise of this book.

Including chapters that read as a screen play rather than just the typical narration of our MC was something I haven't encountered in a Thriller but I thought it made the story very unique and different.

I look forward to checking out more of this authors work!

A girls weekend gone wrong except there is so much more to this thriller. Vanessa, a beautiful and charismatic friend died in college. Now Emily a struggling screen writer wants to turn her story into a screen play but also wants answers. She gets their friend group together at the winery where Vanessa disappeared to hopefully find out more about what really happened when Vanessa died. The friend group includes, Brittany, the wealthy one, who is set to inherit the winery and is also Vanessa's cousin. Paige, the former athlete but she always goes along with what Brittany wants. Finally, Lydia, the one friend Emily is closest to but she does not get along with Brittany. There is so much drama between them all. Emily tells the group that they can get some closure however there is evidence showing up in each of their rooms that each one of them might have had something to do with Vanessa's death. To top it off they all seem to hate each other. This is one you have to read to the end because it will shock you.

Overall, a good thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Plus part of the novel is written as a screenplay that Emily is writing. It adds suspense to the book and gives an interesting twist. Filled with lots of drama and mystery. This book will leave you wondering what will happen until the very end.

Thank you to Bantam Books/Random House for this advanced copy.

The scenery was so deliciously written that I enjoyed that more than the storyline. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is a three star book in my opinion.

Scenes of the Crime is a brilliant murder mystery about four friends who revisit the night their friend disappeared fifteen years ago. Two unique versions of the novel are portrayed in script format and real-time as the story unfolds.

Four college friends get together at Cliff’s Edge Winery on the Oregon coast for a reunion. Emily, an LA screenwriter, is determined to find out how Vanessa died and is also desperate for new material after writing for a show for several years. The weekend doesn’t turn out like Emily wanted. The women have nothing in common anymore, and some still hold grudges. Paige and Lydia were admirers but didn’t want to dig up the past. Brittany, Vanessa’s cousin, has her own secrets now that she is the sole inheritor of the winery.
Strange figures appear in the dark shadows, and clues hint that Vanessa may still be alive. Lots of backstory is revealed, and finally, the shocking truth.

Scenes of the Crime will delight the reader with vivid descriptions of the old winery’s caves and history. The characters are unlikable, which adds to the novel’s dark tone and suspense. I loved the twisty plot, setting, and striking cover. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley #Scenes of the Crime #thriller

The screenplay scenes interspersed within this story elevated what could have been a typical friends-reunited-after-tragedy narrative into something that felt fresh and interesting. I enjoyed that all of the characters are kind of awful and had fun comparing their screenplay selves to their "real world" selves. I was impressed with this author's first outing and am glad to have picked up her next one. She is becoming a must-read for me. Recommended for fans of Catherine Steadman.

This book is just full of surprises! The premise is simple, four friends who went to school together are meeting up to reenact a trip that they went on years ago where the fifth girl in their group disappeared. They had traveled on spring break to a beautiful winery owned by one of the girl's families - enjoying a week of endless wine and escapades. They never imagined only four of them would return from the fateful trip. It's now decades later and Emily is a sitcom writer who deserves more credit than she's given for the work she does. Now more than ever, she's dying to tell the story of what happened to her - her close friend, Vanessa, going missing while away on a girl's trip? It would be exciting and award-winning, Emily just knows it. But convincing the others to take part won't be so easy.

She's able to, of course, and the story takes off. It's told in an unusual way - there's the typical narration by Emily, but every few scenes it unfolds in movie script form. It's a bit tough to get used to at first because you read the script chapter thinking that's what's happening in the past, and then you get Emily's narration which tells a similar story, but with clear differences. So then as the reader you're thinking "What's really the truth?" And I'll tell you, by the end, I still wasn't really sure! I mean, you think you have a handle on the story, and it has great twists that you may not see coming which is awesome, but then..is that the reality or the movie script? Or are they both the same?!

So whether you understand afterward or not is almost irrelevant because the way the story unfolds is just so good. I kept racing through the pages needing to know who was responsible for what and if they would ever discover what happened to Vanessa. You'll have to read this intriguing and captivating book to find out!

This is a solid 3 star read. Parts of the relationship dynamics felt a little unrealistic, but the dynamic descriptions of the location(s) were great. While the pacing and tension build-up are well done, the resolution felt slightly rushed and left me wanting more. Overall, a solid read for anyone who loves a good mystery novel."

Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon is a locked-door adjacent mystery in that there is a group of 5 women, college friends, who were present when one disappeared, but the mystery of her presumed death is unsolved. That is until 15-years later when one of the five, Emily, requests the group reunite for closure around the death. The setting is a winery along the ocean, and the story is told from Emily’s perspective. Emily has had success as a Hollywood writer, but her career is stagnating, and she wants to pursue her dream of writing a screenplay to give it a jump start. The style of the book is chronological with memories of 15-years ago included in dialog, but the chapters alternate with a screenplay, written by Emily. The reader doesn’t initially know if the screenplay is what actually happened, or Emily’s crafting of a new story to sell in Hollywood.

This book has some reasonably clever twists and turns, but like many “thrillers,” I felt it relied on a lot of tricks vs great characters and storyline. For one, I found it overly dependent on the physical characteristics of the winery and its location by the ocean to stay with the nuances of the tension-causing scenes. I wish the author simplified the physical descriptions so there were not so many unique and special doors, tunnels, access points, staircases and landings. I could not get the full impact of what the author was trying to convey of the physical space the way it was written. Maybe an image of the winery included in the book would be helpful?!

I also found the screenplay sections to be a little distracting. I would have preferred no major reveals in the screenplay until already disclosed in the real life action. There was some inside-school lingo like “O.C.” which it took me about 5 chapters to realize meant off-camera (I think, lol). Seems unnecessary and confusing for most readers.

Lastly, these ladies, and the related family members (Grandmother, for example) did not seem like any college friend groups I know or had. They were very dissimilar, catty and kind of unlikable across the board. I think the story could have been much more nuanced with more likable and relatable characters, with a single primary reveal that no one ever saw coming to make it a really smoking story. I always find the best mysteries are those that the reader can almost imagine themselves in, or falling prey to, because you never saw it coming. With the group in this book, one can image all kinds of not great things lol. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book to read and review.

I’m a sucker for any book about a girls getaway gone wrong! This time four friends get together to find closure in the disappearance of one of their friends from college. And then weird stuff starts happening! One friend is writing a screenplay and we get to read the book and also the fictional screenplay she is writing. This was a fun read!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

Emily Fischer is a Hollywood screenwriter, with a lucrative but unfulfilling gig on a network sitcom. She's struggling to come up with an idea that will break her out of the rut she's fallen into when she sees a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Vanessa, a college friend who disappeared decades before. Emily organizes a reunion with thee other friends who were all there when Vanessa disappeared.

One feature of this book that I enjoyed was the author's use of a script format for parts of the story--it provided a different perspective that really worked. She also did a great job of setting the scene--a remote winery on the Oregon coast. I also liked how she teased out the secrets each woman held, The characters weren't particularly likeable, which is usually a big negative for me, but the pace of the story moved along so quickly, that it was easy to overlook. Even though I didn't necessarily care what happened to the characters, I really wanted to find out what happened next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!