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.

Gia is an heiress whose fortune was given away to charity when her father passed away. Abby is her best friend who went to college on Gia’s family’s dime. When the past comes back to haunt them will they find out who the other really is?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t want to say too much about this book and ruin anything for anyone. I’m honestly not sure whether this is supposed to be a thriller, a mystery, or just a fiction book. The fact that I gave this book four stars speaks to its writing and content because I detested over half of the characters (which was the point but still, ugh.)

This was written in a dual point of view as well as different timeframes which reveals more info about what’s going on as you read through the book. As much as I didn’t like most of the characters, I was driven to keep reading due to the plot and wanting to see how it all played out.

At the end, I don’t know that we got closure. I left feeling more confused then when I entered the story and normally that would be annoying to me. I like when all the loose ends are tied up typically. But it was intentional by the author and it fit the vibe of the book so well that I didn’t mind.

So basically, it was a great story just don’t expect everything to be fleshed out in the end and be prepared to be annoyed with most of the characters most of the time. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood is a deliciously dark psychological thriller that takes you deep into the twisted mind of its charismatic and ruthless protagonist. The book introduces a serial killer who is not only capable of murder but also of weaving a perfect facade of normalcy—until the cracks start to show. It's like watching a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, only the cat is disturbingly likable, and the mouse probably never stood a chance.

Wood's writing is sharp, with just the right amount of tension to keep you flipping pages, even when you know you're probably rooting for the wrong person. The narrative does a fantastic job of making you question your own moral compass. You’ll find yourself oddly sympathetic to the killer's charm, even as you're horrified by her actions. It’s a fine line between captivating and terrifying, and Wood walks it with finesse.

While the book is thrilling and gripping, the pacing can feel a bit uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others race ahead. Still, Ladykiller is a standout in the psychological thriller genre. If you enjoy a complex, morally ambiguous character study wrapped in a suspenseful package, this one is a must-read. Just don’t expect to sleep easily afterward!

Left with a lot of questions at the end but if that’s your jam, this won’t disappoint! Quick pace, easy read. Twisty! Perfect poolside read!

Ladykiller follows friends Abby and Gia. Gia is an heiress who has recently gone through a hasty marriage. Abby is a lawyer in an unfulfilling role. Gia didn’t show up to their planned tripped to Sweden. Realizing that Gia isn’t answering calls or texts Abby and, Gia’s brother, Benny go to Greece to pick through the pieces of her manuscript to find her.

This story started out pretty solid. I liked the introduction of characters and the backstory set up. About the halfway mark, I kept thinking “oh I have to know how this ends!” I think the author was going for a “fill in the blank” kind of ending that just left me a little disappointed. I would have liked a few more answers.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A little late to the game on this arc, but Ladykiller by Katherine Wood was such a gripping and exciting read! From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way to the end. Character development was fabulous. It’s one of those books you don’t want to put down because you just have to know what happens next. Katherine Wood did an amazing job, and I’m excited to read more from her in the future!

Overall clunky writing and an unsatisfying conclusion. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was just okay. I was really looking forward to reading it but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

I've tried multiple times to get into this book throughout the time I've had it, and I just keep forgetting to come back to it. On the surface the book should interest me, but I've been in a bit of a slump with thrillers. Of what I have read, this is something I would be interested in trying again when I'm more in the right mind space for it.

thanks to the publisher for the copy.

I tried to get into this story and while the concept was unique, the execution was a miss. I figured out what was going on before the 20% mark. The ending also left me unsatisified.

This was a perfect summer read and enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend and honestly perfect for a vacation if you’re reading on a beach

Stunning cover and the description of the Greek island really put me in the place, which I loved. But the story fell a bit flat for me. I couldn't get any real sense of the two main characters truly being friends, and Gia was quite irritating and clueless. The pacing felt off, so it didn't always hold my interest. Wish I could've liked this more because the premise was strong, but it just didn't deliver for me.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed previous books by Katherine St. John (now writing as Katherine Wood), as they’ve been fun, escapist thrillers set in posh beach locations. Her newest is no exception—it’s soapy and breezy, set on a private estate on a Greek island owned by an heiress named Gia. Told from dual perspectives—Gia’s manuscript and her childhood best friend Abby—the story unfolds as Gia goes missing and secrets from their past begin to surface. It’s twisty, steamy, and super fast-paced.

That said, it has an open ending, which I wasn’t a huge fan of, as I prefer a bit more closure. But this would make a great book club read, as there’s plenty of room for speculation about how it all wraps up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was excited about this read when I first picked it up, but unfortunately the execution fell a little flat for me. Although the pacing was good, I was left very disappointed by the ambiguous nature of the ending. All that being said, I do think I would've enjoyed the experience more if I'd gone in blind, and therefore would still recommend this to thriller lovers looking for stories centered around toxic friendships.

I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but I was hoping for…more.

This story takes place in beautiful Greece and I was all about the location and scenery. But I found the cast of characters to be quite unsavory, all of them were unreliable (both characteristics are fine if they make a good story!), and frankly I didn’t feel a connection to any of them. And the ending was ambiguous and at the very least I was hoping for some type of resolve but I was only left with more questions.

The book was fine. I liked the writing style and there were parts of the story where I felt really invested, like when I thought we were going to spill some tea… but then the spill turned out to be more of a dribble and the tea was more like lukewarm water. I thought there was a lot of potential for a really twisty, sinister plot, and it felt more like the author couldn’t fully commit to any of her characters committing a felony.

I didn’t mind this book, but I don’t think it was enough for me to be thinking about it for days or give that “omg you have to read this now!” recommendation.

3 stars.