A great summer thriller! This one had me guessing until the end. I didn’t love the ending but that’s a personal issue and it didn’t ruin the book at all, just not my favorite way of ending when it comes to thrillers. Highly recommend for reading by the pool or beach this summer!

This book immediately grabbed me with the young, rich jetsetting friends, the beautiful location (Greece) and the premise of friends who have fallen out but are holding on to what was. The end of the book felt a bit rushed to me and I wish it was fleshed out a bit more. 3.5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited about Ladykiller and the premise of this psychological thriller. The first part of the book was good. I was disappointed with the ending because everything was resolved quickly. I was not in love with these characters. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ladykiller is a smart psychological thriller — a book based on a book based on a book. Specifically, Patricia Highsmith and “The Talented Mr. Ripley “ run through the novel like a plumb line.

The book is written by Katherine Wood, a/k/a Katherine St. John (author of “The Lion’s Den,” “The Siren,” and “The Vicious Circle). The plotting and pacing are superb, as is the character development. The book moves between Abby and Gia, the past and the present, in search of the truth. But as the novel’s epigraph warns (with a quote from “The Talented Mr. Ripley”) this is no easy task: “His stories were good because he imagined them intensely, so intensely that he came to believe them.”

In terms of a brief overview, the novel opens on the death of Hugo Torres, a patriarch who left all of his money to his foundation, while leaving his properties throughout the world to each of his children. The book focuses on the children of his second marriage, Gia Highsmith Torres (yes, I know), and her brother Benny. Gia’s best fried Abby also attends the funeral. She is a lawyer who is Gia’s best friend and Benny’s secret crush. She is also the daughter of the family’s chef and a beneficiary of Hugo’s largesse during her childhood.

Gia inherits property in Greece, and Wood does justice to the beautiful location. There is a rift between Gia and Abby as Abby did not believe Gia should marry Garrett, a slick guy with no internet presence who she had only known for one month. Nevertheless, Abby agrees to meet Gia and Benny at an upscale resort in Sweden to see the northern lights for Gia’s 30th birthday. But Gia never shows up, claiming illness.

Benny and Abby go to Greece in order to find her, but she’s not there. Instead, she has left a manuscript for a book later to become “Ladykiller” as a clue. However, what actually happened to Gia, and is her manuscript true? 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5.0 stars). Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary advance copy of this book.

I devoured this book! It was everything you want in a perfect summer read – secrets, exotic location (Greek islands) and the spoiled rich young people. It started kind of slow, but it was interesting enough that I kept reading to find out where this was all going. I can’t tell that I liked any of the characters but that didn’t bother me, it was the reason this story was so good. The ending was a little disappointing, but I hope it means there’s a second book in the works already…

This is a great beach/pool summer read. I highly recommend it!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine – Bantam for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This started out slow and it was half way through the book that it started to get more interesting. Too many characters, and confusing plot. I had a hard time keeping track of who said what, and did what. There were lots of twists and turns, and it got harder and harder to stop reading it, but ended up enjoyable.

The beginning of this book was suspenseful and intriguing. I found myself drawn into this world and invested in what would happen next. The way the story is divided between Abby’s narration and Gia’s manuscript is interesting especially as we find later that Gia’s manuscript may have some fictional elements to it.

But then the end. I was really disappointed by it. The whole story felt like it fizzled out. I don’t necessarily need my ending tied up with a little bow, but I needed more than what we got.

Overall, I liked the writing and the atmosphere, but found the plot to be a bit lacking.

Note: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so glued to this. It was hard to put down.
I don’t know that it was necessarily the best thriller ever but it kept me guessing and invested the whole time.

Abby and Gia have been besties for a long time they have secrets from each other and secrets that tie them together. When Gia marries a man she just met Abby wasn’t supportive and they fell out until Gia sends her a ticket to Sweden to see the northern lights and so they can mend their friendship. But Gia never shows up and Abby gets worried and needs to find her. Throughout the story we get what is happening presently with Abby and chapters of Gias manuscript telling the details of her marriage and the events that led to her disappearance.

The characters were not all that like able but intriguing nonetheless. I enjoyed the writing and the plot and will probably think about this book for a while.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

Very dull and slow paced. Found the switch in narration disconcerting and neither character was likable, but arguably Gia was worse

This book had a great premise and I was honestly so excited to read it, but I was left unsatisfied with the ending. I am the type of person that always has a million questions, so not really having the answer to anything in the end really frustrated me. Overall, I think this was a fun read, I just wish the ending wasn’t so open ended.

This is the perfect twisty-turny summer beach read that will have you questioning what is really true. The story centers on BFFs Abby and Gia. Gia is a trust fund baby who has always made sure that her best friend, and daughter of the help, has been afforded the life that would otherwise be unattainable. From private boarding schools to summers in Greece, wherever Gia went, Abby went too. A tragedy that occurred in Greece bonded the girls for life, but it also set them off on different paths. Gia and Abby haven’t spoken in a year because Gia got married to someone she barely knew, and Abby told her to think it though. When Abby receives an invitation to watch the Northern Lights in an Exclusive Swedish hotel with just Gia and her brother Benny it seems like the perfect way to reconnect. When Gia fails to show up in Sweden leaving only cryptic text messages, Benny and Abby decided to fly to Greece find out what’s going on. When they arrive the beach house is empty, and they only have a manuscript to offer them clues as to what may have happened to Gia. This book jumps between present day Abby chapters and chapters of Gia’s manuscript until the two stories align. The tension is built up slowly and it has you constantly questioning the truth. The setting is rich, and you feel like you can feel the seductive heat of coastal Greece. I think that Katherine Wood wrote a perfect beach read that will have readers on the edge of their seat and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

This was a WILD ride! I had a great time reading Ladykiller. It was so easy to get lost in the story and atmosphere. It did feel like two different books for a good while because of the dual POVs and timelines, but once they match up, WHOA. The buildup and rising tension though was fantastic. I had a very hard time putting this down. There’s a lot of focus on privilege and rich people problems, which I happen to love, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea so just be prepared. I also thought it was such an interesting character study while also being a bit salacious in parts which added to the intrigue. It gave me A Simple Favor vibes in the absolute best way. The ending is probably going to infuriate some readers. It definitely made me yell “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” at first, but after some thought, I kind of love how it ended (you’ll see). If you’re looking for a twisty, luxurious summer thriller, I’d recommend this one.
CW: toxic friendship, mentions of stalking, mentions of sexual assault, domestic violence, death of a parent, infidelity, gun violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Random House Publishing-Ballantine was kind enough to send me a widget for this book, and after reading the blurb, I couldn’t resist. It turned out to be such a fantastic read!

Ladykiller is told from the POV of a main character in present day, and a manuscript set a couple months in the past, with a few bits sprinkled in from 12 years ago, and I thought it was a fun way to get the different perspectives.
The author did such an amazing job really making you believe one narrative then entirely flipping everything upside down and proving the opposite to be true. Right up until the very end is a “did they/didn’t they?” battle to learn the truth and I absolutely loved the uncertainty and ambiguity.
Also, the setting is primarily in Greece which is always a yes for me.

After finishing this I learned that the author, Katherine Wood also writes under the pen name Katherine St. John, which is what most of her books are written under, and I actually have all of those on my TBR, so that was very exciting and after Ladykiller I’m definitely eager to get to them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 7/9/24

Definitely a perfect beach read.

I loved the back and forth of the manuscript and real time. I thought it seemed obvious what was going on and Gia must be so stupid and oblivious but man! There was a twist I didn’t see coming or even think about at all. Definitely enjoyed that.

I also liked that the end is left open. You’ll never have the full answer, just suspicions.

Good, fast paced thriller that kept my interest! I was a bit disappointing in the ending and didn’t love the characters personality wise. But I would definitely recommend as a good beach read thriller! This is my first Katherine Wood book, I will definitely be checking out her others!

This was a book that had so many twists that I thought I was on a never ending mountain road. Abby and Gia have been best friends since childhood. Gia disappears from her Greek island home after a lot of questionable things seem to happen. What is the truth? What is a lie? You have to read to see how this all unfolds. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review..

My first Katherine Wood novel but definitely not my last. And for starters this cover is stunning! What could go wrong with a girlfriend trip to beautiful Greece? Action packed and oh so many lies! It was impossible to know who to trust. All round very entertaining read.
Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Wood and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a pretty good thriller that kept me reading to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed the Greek island setting. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, which seemed too ambiguous to be truly satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a fun, enthralling thriller, this is a good one to pick up. If you don’t come in with a lot of expectations, it’s a good read. We switch between 2 main POVs, Abby and then Gia’s manuscript, which is set earlier in the timeline. Abby is the practical lawyer while Gia is a prototypical rich girl. But there is some shady happenings in their past that really drive the story. The ending surprised me a bit, but after sitting on it a bit longer, it made more sense. Like I said, an enjoyable thriller.

Many times, when I don't like a main character, I can't always finish the story. This book is different. Gia and Abby have been friends forever but are very different. The story is told from Abby's point of view and from a manuscript written by Gia on her current life. This manuscript is Abby's only way to try to figure out what happened to her missing friend Gia. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I found the story very absorbing and felt compelled to find out what happened to Gia - even though I didn't like her. Gia lives a very indulgent lifestyle and I didn't like the sex games that she was involved in (though they are mentioned fairly briefly). Abby has a pretty good head on her shoulder and works hard to find out the truth. I would have preferred the story told more by Abby's point of view, but I think that the author handled it the best way for us to truly understand what happens. Unlike some, I like how the story ended, and I feel comfortable on what really happened. I also like the relationship that Abby has with Gia's brother Benny.