Wow, there was a lot going on here. The plot will keep you guessing until the end, and then still wondering what will happen next! Lots of suspicious and unlikeable characters as well as a handful you will be rooting for. A worthy addition to JT Ellison’s works.

Twisty, turny, and delicious, this is the type of book that will keep you up late turning pages. Columbia Jones is the kind of dead body to propel a story like this along, mysterious, full of secrets, and possessed of a glamour that brings everyone around her into its web. Part of the pleasure of a book like this is knowing where things are headed but also being surprised a bit along the way.

Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this ebook. This was my first J.T. Ellison novel, but based on what I read, it won’t be my last.

This was a joyride of a thriller that included some clever twists that I didn’t anticipate. I felt the story started off very strongly, and then decreased in intensity for a while, but it did pick back up for the later portion of the story. There were so many revelations surrounding the mysterious death of novelist Columbia Jones, and as more and more layers were revealed, the ending shocked me in more than one way! A must read for thriller fans!

Loved this book!

An famous author faints at the sight of a man in her book tour audience. The next morning she is found dead. Accident? Murder? Suicide? Natural causes? At first we dont know how she died, although her daughter is quick to assume its murder.

We hear the story from the daughter, the journalist who is writing a special piece on her and a random fan. (we later find out why this fan is important of course). The timeline has multiple POV which I love. It has multiple timelines - Bonus!

I spent half the book assuming I knew what was going on and what happened. Wrong!

The writing style and the story just sucked me right in. I read this in a day.

There were a few things that I was like "oh come on" and were not realistic, but who cares? This was a fun ride and I was bummed when it was over..

A solid 4.5 stars! I am only rounding down because of the unrealistic things that might have bothered me a tiny bit. I can't tell what they are, and spoil anything for you. But this is one that I would say you should absolutely read!

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher #ThiomasandMercer for the ARC which did not impact my review at all.

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Columbia Jones is a famous author. On the final night of her latest book tour, a face in the crowd makes her collapse. The next morning she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.
There are a lot of suspects: her daughter Darian, a young journalist Riley, a young bakery owner and fan Kira, an IT man Liam, Columbias security Mason, a man who’s been in jail Knox

The story dragged. The pacing was slow. There were repetitive parts. There were a lot of characters introduced to create suspicion. There were many POVs. Secrets were revealed at the end where the twist was revealed. The relationship between the characters is unveiled but it took a lot of time to get there. The story did come together in the end and the twist at the end was pretty good

Thank you #netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC

A Very Bad Thing is a great thriller with multiple twists and turns that will keep you guessing, but it is very lenghty and I do believe it could have been shorter and still have had the same impact in the end.

Young journalist Riley landed the job of a lifetime when she is asked to follow a famous author on a month long book tour. She is supposed to write an article based on interviews with the beloved writer. During the trip, she gets very close to Columbia and is offered to write her biography. On the last event of the tour, however, Columbia is murdered and none other than Riley gets accused of killing her by Columbia’s daughter. All of a sudden, Riley’s own life seems to be in danger while Columbia’s daughter, Darian, is seeking the truth about her mother.
I have to say I loved this book! It was definitely a 5* read for me. The book started out with a BANG, and it kept going. We are digging deep into each of the characters present and past lives, and the story is being told from multiple POV’s. This book had me guessing, and about halfway in, I thought I’d figured it out. But then the author just added more layers to the story and had me captivated until the end. A beautiful and easy to read writing style. And let me say: the epilogue is quite a shocker!
This was my first read of JT Ellison but will not be my last. The author’s note at the end is just so sweet and touching. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC. I sincerely enjoyed it and truly recommend it. This is my honest opinion and mine only.

This was a snooze for me. I feel like JT’s books are sliding downward. I used to enjoy her books and felt on the edge of my seat. But the last few I’ve read have me losing interest quickly. Hopefully the next one grabs me from page one.

A message from the @thrillerchick Stan account president: READ THIS!


I loved this book! The web of lies that unfolded was baffling, the twists were twisting, I loved the Tear Me Apart call back that was mentioned briefly. I also loved all of these characters and enjoyed finding out how they all connected.

Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Her newest book tour is in full swing. She loves meeting her fans. But on the final night of her tour, she ends up dead. How did this happen? And who is to blame? When a group of people is invited to Columbia's will reading unbeknownst to her daughter, so many questions arise. As her daughter begins looking into Columbia's life, she realizes she never really knew her mom at all. Who are all these other people in her mom's life? Why is someone trying to kill her and others connected to her mom's life?
J.T. Ellison knows how to write a good suspenseful mystery. Ellison kept me guessing until the end and the twists and turns just kept going through the whole book. I found the book very enjoyable and easy to follow. The chapters were short enough to make for an easy break between chapters.
I would recommend A Very Bad Thing to my mystery loving friends and would love to read other work by J.T Ellison. Special thanks to NetGalley, J.T. Ellison, and Thomas & Mercer books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4 stars for me.
#AVeryBadThing #NetGalley

Good book, all J.T. Ellison's books are enjoyable, but some more than others. I loved It's One of Us, so wasn't sure this would live up to that, but it certainly was a close 2nd! It's about an author who isn't an "open book". She's got a past that nobody suspects, but maybe somebody does? Not her daughter, anyway. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend this and all her other books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a sneak peek of this book. I typically love this author but I struggled to get through this book. I feel like it could have been shorter and been a better story. I never made any strong connections to the characters and I could never get invested into the story because of it.

With apology, this was a DNF at 20%. I just didn't care for the characters and the plot was moving along at a glacial pace. I didn't really care why or how our victim died. May try the author again in the future.

Loved this book. As always, such a great plot, well written story and so captivating I didn't want to stop. The only bad thing about. JT book for me is that they end. I loves the twists and the way those who once felt hate toward each other were eventually drawn to friendship/sisterhood. I am hoping that ending means there could be a sequel??

I loved everything about this book. It was so well written, and really carved out an intricate story, both mysterious and thrilling. I loved the way the story was told and unfolded. The different voices narrating the chapters really laid out the story. I don’t think it was very twisty, at least not the whole way through, but I love a big reveal. (Even when I’ve guessed it) the characters were mostly likable, but I’ve never had to like one to like the book. Another great book by J.T. Ellison.

An author on a book tour is murdered. As usual, the questions to be answered are who killed Columbia Jones and why. Is it the reporter who is interviewing her for a possible memoir? Is it her daughter Darien, who is also her publicist and the last person known to have seen her — when they argued in the hotel hall! Or…? Because as the reader will soon see, this famous, prolific, very loved author has not exactly led the life her publicity tells. There are secrets to be told, secrets that Columbia intended to tell her daughter in her own way, but now they will be brutally exposed as the case is investigated.

Ellison is a master of twisting, turning plots and this book is one of her very best. I love books that I could not guess the ending but was not tempted to check out the back pages before I get a third of the way through. This one held my attention all the way through, no checking the back.

I think I need to be more selective when it comes to reading JT Ellison’s books. I really liked her book Good Girls Lie, it got me back into reading but every book I’ve read from her since has been too long. The premise is always completely original but the execution doesn’t follow the main plot line enough for me so I find myself skimming a lot of the non essential parts.

Columbia Jones who is a bestselling author is murdered. Why??? This is a great thriller with many twists. I had to find out who killed Columbia Jones. I also just wanted to know more about her. This is my first book by J.T. Ellison and I can not wait to read more.

"A Very Bad Thing" by J.T. Ellison is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! With its skillful blend of suspense, twists, and character dynamics, it is a book you will not be able to put down. The chapters quickly melt together and become page turners. The story begins with a mic drop prologue!

Famous author Columbia Jones is thriving with an impressive amount of best selling books and a movie deal in the works. Columbia can write a mean plot yet she is surprised when the plot of her own life takes a deadly turn. Enter Riley, the journalist she hand picks to write her memoir. Riley can't quite understand why she was chosen for this prestigious task, but totally embraces it as it will help her make her mark in the world of journalism. When Darian, Columbia's daughter walks into her moms hotel room and finds Riley standing over her, the accusations fly, thus setting off a tangled web of lies, deceit and mystery.

I flew through this book and found Ellison's writing to be razor-sharp!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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Boasting quite the intriguing premise, I was very excited to dive right into J.T. Ellison’s newest suspense thriller, “A Very Bad Thing.” During the first quarter of this book, however, I struggled to remain engaged, but as I continued to move forward—delving deeper—the story ultimately drew me in until I was fully invested all the way through to the final outcome of this mystery/thriller. I think my struggle was due, in part, to the unlikability factor toward all of the major players. Yet, over time, I came to understand these players better by virtue of their individual POV’s, making them a bit more relatable and much more sympathetic. Hence, I was then able to immerse myself into this story to enjoy the entirety of it as a whole. And the final twist? I actually did see that one coming and delighted in being proven right!