"Ladykiller" by Katherine Wood is a gripping read with a stunning Greek backdrop that completely draws you in. The setting adds so much to the atmosphere, making the whole story feel rich and immersive.

One of the things I really loved about this book was the ending—it doesn’t wrap everything up neatly with a bow, which makes it feel more realistic and leaves room for interpretation. It lingers in your mind even after you’ve finished.

At its core, this is a story about privilege and the problems that come with it—think "rich people problems" but with a dark, intriguing twist. The characters are complex, their struggles compelling, and the whole book keeps you hooked from start to finish.

If you like mysteries with a bit of glamour, an exotic setting, and an ending that makes you think, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

I was so looking forward to this novel and it absolutely did not do it for me. Mixing the past, the present, unknown timelines, a manuscript (good grief), and multiple narrators, it's no wonder I had a hard time getting invested and staying interested. As soon as I was getting into a storyline, the entire novel shifted and I had to start back at square one. When it finally got back around to a place I was interested in, I had already moved on.

I listened to this novel on audio and the narrators were good but maybe the audio didn't help me follow as well. I felt myself tuning out a lot, particularly at the start of new segments. The novel is long, felt drawn out, and there were so many extraneous characters and unnecessary plotlines. The entire history was completely unnecessary and felt like it was thrown in to "explain" some things away.

I also struggled with the manuscript. You can never trust them and they're just so over the top. I have a very hard time getting on board with believing that anyone would truly create one, especially in the current circumstances.

Overall, this one was a miss. I sure do love that cover though!

It took me a long time to get to this book, and I'm sad to say it wasn't really the book for me. This was all rich people behaving badly, and unfortunately nothing about it really resonated with me. The mystery was slightly interesting, but unfortunately this one didn't work for me.

Loved the setting and this cover omg! What a fun ride! It had a great mystery but I was sadly hoping for more. The ending also left a lot to be desired. Thanks netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review!

This story is divided into two narrators: Gia and Abby. Gia’s is an exciting, twisty story, but Abby's is the opposite. She’s very passive about events in her life. In the third act, when we follow more of Abby, I’m disappointed at how dull the story has become.
The prose itself lacks a storytelling feel and makes the book flat.

I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one. Split views between present day with Abby, who is searching for her friend Gia, and a month earlier when Gia is missing and they find her manuscript of what happened. This all happens in the beautiful scenery of a small Greek island where Gia’s family owns an estate. As she begins to think that her husband is not only cheating on her, but stealing from her, secrets from the past and present start to come out. I loved this book so much. It was so captivating and reminded me a lot of the Amanda Knox trials, just fictionalized and embellished. The end was left a little open, but I still enjoyed immensely.

Very great read, I enjoyed the characters a lot. This is a good one and I recommend. Five stars. I will recommend this.

The premise of this book is really good, but the delivery is only so-so. There could have been so much more. It felt like Gia was awfully naïve at times, which didn't make sense. She was also not very likable. Abby was a likable character, but that isn't enough. The rest of the characters were not multi-dimensional. This is a thriller, though, and I wasn't expecting a lot of character development.

So that leaves us with the story and the place. The setting in Greece was wonderful. I'm a sucker for a book taking place somewhere gorgeous and romantic. The story's pacing was up and down, so I felt that affected the "thrill" part of thriller.

I don't mind an ambiguous ending, but if you do, consider yourself warned. I'd prefer that to a neatly tied up ending that was rushed.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one, but it was hard to stay interested for me. The beginning had me hooked and then it kind of just died down and I was left underwhelmed. I did love the alternating timelines and POVs and think the characters were good. Either way, I think this story is worth a chance if you enjoy murder, mystery, and betrayal! Thank you netgalley for the book to read and review!

Thank you for the opportunty to read this advance copy,

Ladykiller is an engrossing psychological thriller, full of clever twists and subtle clues that kept me hooked from start to finish. The vivid descriptions transported me to the stunning Greek Isles, but it was the intricately layered plot that had me constantly guessing. The suspense builds steadily, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out the final twist.

Told through dual timelines—Abby in the present and Gia’s manuscript from the past—the story unfolds with intensity, and the characters feel realistic and complex. However, the open-ended conclusion left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. While some may appreciate the ambiguity, I found myself wishing for more closure.

I found the plot of this one to be so slow. a thriller should make me wanna keep turning the page....this did not do that. the characters were a little too complex for me. and the ending was horrendous. i unfortunately am in the minority and did not care for this one.

You know, I really need to visit Greece someday. I keep reading books set there and they make it seem so gorgeous and lovely. But then again, the books I read set in Greece are often murder mysteries… so maybe I should just stay at home!

I enjoyed this book, but I did have some peeves. Plus, and I’ve said this a few times before in recent reviews, I feel like I’ve read this book before.

While reading Ladykiller, I kept comparing it to other “set in Greece murder mysteries” I’ve read recently, including The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas, The Fury by Alex Michaelides, and The Girls of Summer by Kate Bishop. Ladykiller felt particularly derivative of The Fury, considering both were murder mysteries with unreliable narrators.

I do love a good unreliable narrator, and this one executed that trope well. However, with books featuring unreliable narrators, there is usually some kind of resolution, and this book left the ending a bit too vague IMO. I needed that straightforward and concise Aha! moment where everything finally clicks, and I didn’t quite get it… or at least not to the extent I would have preferred.

Overall, a decent book, but nothing new or shocking for me personally. If you haven’t already read the books I mentioned above and if you love unreliable narrators and murder mysteries, you will probably enjoy Ladykiller.

Thank you @netgalley and Random House Publishing Group/Bantam for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This one was such a great surprise! The author chose a very unique way of storytelling by using Abby as present time and Gia’s timeline through her manuscript. Loved the thriller/who-dun-it vibes. This one will keep you guessing long after you read the last page. I am looking forward to more books from this author. I highly recommend the audiobook if you have the chance.

This was a thriller that was a little bit too predictable for me. I don’t mind predictable books but I love good twists and this one didn’t have the best ones.

Set on the coast of Greece, the descriptive parts of this book were amazing.

But the story is messy! Rich folks drama. Lots of mess. Two friends - one grew up rich, the other not. Adults now and haven't seen each other in a while. They are about to meet up. Throw in a brother of the rich girl who has carried a torch for the friend for years, and a husband of the rich girl who married in a whirlwind. Things are confusing and layered and it was twisty and amazing!

Thank to Ballantine and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I recently finished Ladykiller by Katherine Wood, and while I can appreciate its unique premise and sharp writing, I found the story’s intensity a bit too much at times. The book’s spicy elements—both in terms of its provocative themes and the complex relationships between characters—were undeniably engaging, but at some points, it felt like the story was overwhelming in its heat. The tension and drama were amped up to a level that kept me hooked, yet I struggled to keep up with the constant emotional intensity. The central character’s journey is compelling, but I found myself wanting a breather from the constant chaos and conflict. While some readers may thrive on this level of intrigue and tension, I personally found it a bit too “spicy” for my taste. Ladykiller is well-written, but a little more balance would’ve made it a more enjoyable experience for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Ladykiller is told in 2 perspectives, Abby's and Gia's. The women are longtime friends who are bound by a tragic event in their youth. Honestly, the book didn't feel that cohesive and it felt very long for a thriller/mystery. I kept waiting for the book to get to the point. Instead, about halfway in it just went off the rails and stopped making much sense. Between that and the ambiguous ending, I just wasn't a fan.

Gia and Abby, childhood best friends, have grown estranged slowly over the past 12-years, since the tragedy that occurred in Greece when they were both 18-years old. After the tragic events of that summer, Abby threw herself into her studies, while Gia, a wealthy heiress without Abby's common-woman concerns, writes a salacious memoir chronicling what had happened.

All these years later, Gia is back in Greece with her new husband. She's at their family property prepping it for sale after her father's death. She and her brother, Benny, have been forced to downsize their lifestyles a bit and the Greek property needs to go. In spite of how heartbreaking losing the property will be, life must go on. With Gia's birthday approaching in September, she reaches out to Abby and Benny and asks them to join her at a luxury Swedish resort to see the Northern Lights.

It's something they had discussed when they were younger and always wanted to do. Now is the time. Even though she's a little hesitant at first, Abby accepts Gia's invitation. The day of her flight though, Abby receives a cryptic email that gets her hackles up. It's not exactly the vibe she was looking for heading into her first vacation in a while. Nevertheless, she proceeds and she's looking forward to being reunited with her friends.

Once she meets Benny, and gets to the resort though, Gia isn't there. After days of odd messages from her and placed calls that go unanswered, Benny and Abby get worried enough to travel to Greece and check on her. Arriving at the family estate, they find it deserted. Gia has disappeared. The only clue, a manuscript she's left behind detailing the events leading up to her disappearance.

Through shifting perspectives between Abby's present and Gia's manuscript, Katherine Wood creates a fast-paced and engaging story of domestic suspense. I love messy rich people drama, so this definitely scratched that itch, and it did successfully keep me guessing throughout. I found all the details and character interactions just so intriguing.

Additionally, I loved the setting on the beautiful coast of Greece and how the author used Gia's manuscript as a way of piecing together the story. I thought that was very fun, because what is truth and what is fiction? The lines are often blurry, aren't they?

Overall, I was impressed with how Wood pulled this all together. I thought it was very clever and well-plotted. I would recommend this to anyone who loves rich people drama, a luxury setting, or popcorn thrillers. Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am really looking forward to picking up more from this author!

This is a perfect summer thriller. You don’t know who to believe and there is lots of drama. Not the best thriller I’ve read but loved the atmosphere of the book. Would recommend!

This book had a lot of thrilling moments and was def suspenseful however it did drag a little bit in parts and I honestly was not thrilled with the ending. I kept turning the page thinking there was more of a conclusion. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.