I couldn’t read Lady Killer quickly enough!

I loved how the story was told through the dual perspectives of Abby in present time and Gia through her manuscript pages.

It definitely gave me some Hawkins vibes - like The Villa. The story was well-told, and the characters were all very well-developed with secrets of their own! It made reading very fun.

The ending was a little chaotic, as the author tried to tie up a lot of loose strings, but also left a little wiggle room for the reader to form their own conclusion. I would love to read a sequel (kind of like The Next Mrs Parrish/The Last Mrs Parrish!)

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review*

Out now!

I liked this story a lot. Some of the characters are entirely unlikable but it pushed the story forward. I thought Gia's manuscript was a great way to add a second voice to the storytelling. There were some twists I didn't see coming. And some characters I truly didn't expect what they'd turn out to do.

The setting is what really sealed this story for me. The descriptions of this Greek island are fantastic.

I did NOT love the ending, however, but not enough to lose a star over it :-D

I had to reread the first chapter a few times to fully get how everyone was connected and it still felt complicated to me. After that, I pushed through and did like this book with a good build up. The ending wasn’t my favorite and felt like it wasn’t fully developed.

A super fun thriller that I absolutely flew through. I think the plot was great, but there was something about the writing that really worked for me too. I picked this up for the cover, and now I can't wait to read more from the author!

Great character building. Excellent buildup. Ultimately it just fell flat at the end. I felt like there were 30ish pages that had just been cut from the book that just left me feeling……that’s it???

Fun, summer thriller with rich people problems and a beautiful Greek island, yeah for sure. I'll take it. Did I want a more twisty ending? Yeah I did but I'd still recommend for the thriller lover in your life.

Abby and Gia have been friends forever. Gia, an heiress spending the summer in Greece, agrees to meet up with Abby for her birthday at the end of summer but never shows. You get chapters from Abby's POV and Gia's manuscript of what happened all summer long. You don't really know who to believe but it's a fun and salacious ride!

Thank you to Negalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gia and Abby have been friends since childhood, and bonded over the tragedy that occurred in Greece when they were eighteen. Now thirty, heiress Gia is back in Greece with her new husband, and Abby is working fourteen-hour days as an attorney. Gia invites Abby to Sweden to celebrate her birthday, and Abby’s thrilled to reconnect. Abby receives an odd email, and both she and Gia's brother Ben discover that Gia isn't in Sweden. They fly to Greece and find her estate deserted. The only thing there is a manuscript full of dirty secrets leading up to her disappearance. How much of it is true?

The story dovetails between Gia's manuscript and Abby's life, both starting with Gia's father's funeral. Gia had been the poor little rich girl, with wild behavior and escapades but no direct parental supervision. Abby was their family cook's daughter and Gia's best friend, going to the same schools due to Gia's father's largesse. Their lives diverged when Abby went to college and then law school, and Gia continued to party and spend like no tomorrow. Abby continued to work hard with little time off, and Gia got married; the manuscript outlined the way her quick marriage deteriorated and how the money started running out.

Once Abby and Benny arrive in Greece, the tension ratchets up. They try to find Gia and discover the truth; the manuscript has different names and details, and no one can identify what happened. It's especially engaging because no one is a reliable narrator,so even when we have an answer, we don't know if it's true. The question lingers, and is definitely open to interpretation, making this thriller stick in your mind long after you finish it.

Thank you @PRHAudio @thekatwritesbooks @randomhouse for the #gifted #ARC & #audiobook of #Ladykiller

This was my first #read by #KatherineWood & I really enjoyed it.

Gia & Abby are best friends since childhood when they bonded over a shared tragedy in #Greece when they were eighteen. Abby, the laidback bookish one, moved on by focusing on college, while Gia, the one who loves the spotlight, decided to put all of the details of the tragedy in a #memoir.

Twelve years later, Abby is invited to visit Gia back in at a Swedish resort for Gia’s birthday. However, when Abby & Benny (Gia’s brother who was also invited) arrive, Gia is nowhere to be found. Gia is sending them messages, though. But Abby & Benny aren’t buying Gia’s messages & excuses. They feel like something isn’t right, so they catch a flight to Greece to check on Gia in person.

Upon arriving at Gia’s #beachfront estate, it’s completely deserted. The only thing they’re able to find that it helpful in figuring out what happened to Gia is the #manuscript of the memoir she has been writing, which also details her relationship with her new husband, the frequent entertaining of guests & the events leading up to her #disappearance. Will Abby & Benny piece everything together before it’s too late?

There were many great things about this #book – quick & steady pacing, well-developed characters, an intriguing plot, just the right amount of suspense & twists, and most of all, the beautiful settings & Wood’s superb talent of painting vivid pictures of each location - - I felt like I was there with how well she executed the imagery.

My only tiff with this story was the ending. I am very much a person who needs everything tied up & answered by the end and I didn’t get that with Ladykiller. I know leaving an ending open to interpretation is something many authors & readers enjoy. So, it’s just a personal preference for me.

Overall 4 Stars & I recommend giving it a read as it was rather enjoyable!

#2024 #July #NewRelease #TBR #MustRead #Review #Audio #Bookstagram #Reading #Bibliophile #Bookdragon #Fiction #Adult #Mystery #Thriller #Suspense #Island #Killer #Lady

Gia and Abby have been best friends since their teenage years, but recently they have grown apart as Abby has settled down into her life as a lawyer and Gia continues to travel the world with her new husband. Gia asks Abby to meet her in Sweden for her birthday, but when Abby arrives Gia is nowhere to be found. As the events of Gia's last few months at her home in Greece come to light, Abby is worried that something tragic may have happened to her. After all, Gia's home in Greece is the site of another tragic night from their teenage years.

This is a great twisty summer thriller. It's the right amount of suspense and drama with a whole lot of untrustworthy characters. Without giving too much away, this is usually the type of ending I wouldn't like in a book like this, but somehow Katherine Wood made it work. Definitely worth a read on the beach (maybe in Greece).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of Ladykiller.

This book had great potential and I liked a lot of the storylines in theory. The first half was slow, then it picked up midway and I was dying to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, I found the ambiguous ending to be a letdown because I like neater endings. Those who like the open ended endings will likely enjoy this much more!

Ladykiller is told from two perspectives/timelines. Gia, the main character and wealthy friend of Abby, the daughter of the help who both grew up with Gia and is like a sister to her. The book wavers back and forth between present time and a few months earlier, gradually getting to the point where both Gia and Abby are together in the present.

After finishing this book, I think I’m more confused than anything. Nothing is clearly wrapped up as far as what happened with Gia’s husband Garrett or Emelia and the reader is just left hanging with no real resolution. Overall, the book was ok, but I’m definitely disappointed in the ending and lack of clarity on what transpired.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine -- Bantam for accepting my request to read and review Ladykiller by Katherine Wood.

Published: 07/09/24

Stars: 3

Trope overdone. This had the bare bones to carry on the trope. However, the author chose to follow the beaten down muddy path. The hired helps daughter is rewarded by her mother's employment an all expenses paid college education, nice vacations, and nice things. The son of the employer falls in love while his sister befriends the classless one. (Stand, stretch and yawn.)

There are sentences and even paragraphs that are impressive. What could go wrong? Actually, the tie-in went wrong. Point of views from two women in different classes, socioeconomics plays a role, as well as career choices; an attorney versus socialite with a high school grudge.

Overall,I liked how the author chose to layout the book. I didn't like any of the characters and found each of them cringeworthy in their own rights. I liked the scent of perfume in the bookstore (hehe), but I didn't like the ending.

There is an abundance of profanity; proof money can't buy the socialite class.

At a book store or library if shown Ladykiller I would comment I read that. Why -- sounded good on NetGalley (I didn't pay for it.) How was it? Let me see it, I don't remember. This is a you decide what's in it for you book.

I love the dual POV. There was so much happening in the book but in a good way
I was not able to out this down as it kept me sucked in the while time.

“Everyone has a story. But not everyone’s story is true.”

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were young girls and a shared traumatic experience brought them even closer. Gia is an heiress and invites her brother, Benny, and Abby, now a lawyer, to a Swedish resort for her birthday. However, when they get there she doesn’t show. They go to her mansion in Greece and discover she’s not there and neither is her new husband. They do find a manuscript detailing what has happened recently in her life and they rush to find her.

This one alternates from Gias manuscript and Abby’s POV and you can’t quite be sure what’s real. I loved the setting of a house by the ocean in Greece and the bad antics of rich people. It was sexy and entertaining with a murder mystery. The ending however, was not it. It was ambiguous and I’m not a fan.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an arc for an honest review.

This worked so well for me. From an absolutely killer opening line, followed by the most attention grabbing prologue I’ve read in a while, that turns into a dual pov with unreliable narrators and not completely linear storytelling. And using a manuscript as part of the story was a great touch!

Really everything worked for me. I loved the author’s writing style. The pacing was perfect. The characters were not like able, and that added to my enjoyment while reading.

I love books within books. I also really loved the ending, but I know it’s not something everything likes.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Gia and Abby are forever friends, brought even closer by a terrifying tragedy, but now physically distant due to job and location. Abby jumps on the chance to meet up in Sweden with Gia and her brother, but upon arriving, finds Gia hasn’t made it there. This takes them to Greece, where they find Gia’s mysterious manuscript, but no Gia.

This is a really twisty book, with a lot of surprises. I found myself constantly questioning everything, which I really enjoy in a thriller. The characters were each a unique entity in their own right, and the settings were beautifully described. I would recommend this book.

This dual POV, dual timeline psychological thriller set in the escapist Greek island setting was a quick page-turner for me. I love rich people behaving badly and also enjoy thrillers that explore toxic friendships, so this was right up my alley. However, I found the final twist and ending to be overly out of left field and not as wrapped up as I was hoping leaving me disappointed. Still a fun summer thriller, but not my favorite amongst similar types of stories.

A story set on a Greek island, a toxic friendship, and a murderous heiress [maybe], how do you go wrong? The story unfolds with dual POVs - Abby provides a perspective in present day while you get Gia’s perspective through her manuscript detailing events leading up to her disappearance.

Abby receives an invitation to her estranged rich best friend’s, Gia, 30th birthday in Sweden. They haven’t been on the best terms since Gia decided to marry a man she had known for a couple months. After some persuasion from Gia and learning Benny, Gia’s younger brother, is also going, Abby decides to take time off from the law firm she works at in Atlanta to go. But Gia never arrives. After some investigation and a run in with a known scammer, Benny and Abby decide to go to Greece to figure out where Gia is and what happened. Secrets and lies come to light, and everyone is left wondering what really happened.

This was an immersive read with good pacing, I was hooked from the start but things fizzled out for me. While the characters were interesting, I didn’t find them likable - like at all. And the ending? What a disappointment. While I loved the twists, there were no answers offered and I’m not one who favors coming up with my own conclusions.

3.5 stars

This was a suspenseful tale of friendship, betrayal, secrets. The dual perspectives and unreliable narrators kept me guessing. I loved the setting and the plot. I couldn’t put it down! But then the ending…it left me disappointed. It was open ended and I need closure. It left me with so many unanswered questions. The ending ruined it for me, and I feel bad because I LOVED the rest of the book!

The realness of how one decision made when Gia and Abby are 18 catches up to them at 30 is palpable. As true best friends are, they stick together through the good and the bad. But one has to wonder if Abby really was a true best friend from the start. Did she go along with Gia's antics because of their friendship or because having her on her side was more beneficial than having her as an enemy? This is what we find out years later.
I thought I had this book pegged from the start. I thought I knew who was the bad guy and that this person was really a master of deceit. Especially because no bodies were ever found, just people going missing. I'm still not sure if we know what the real story is and if Abby is trusting the right person. This book wasn't left on a cliffhanger but it was intentionally left with questions unanswered... I think.