J.T. Ellison’s newest thriller A Very Bad Thing is a richly complicated, fast-paced story about Columbia Jones, a beloved author who is murdered during her highly anticipated book tour. The suspect list grows longer by the day…. was it her daughter Darian, looking for an easy payday after a heated argument with her mom? Was it Riley, the dedicated journalist writing an article/ possible biography about Columbia until she’s found standing near her dead body covered in blood? Was it the mysterious man who stood up during Columbia’s last public appearance and made the usually unflappable writer so alarmed by his presence that she fainted on stage? Or was it someone else who has a vendetta against the celebrity author?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this unputdownable thriller that will keep you enthralled until the very last page.

I normally love anything JT Ellison writes, especially the Taylor Jackson series, but this one didn’t do it for me.

Columbia Jones is a world famous author embarking on her latest book tour. During the last scheduled appearance on her tour, she sees someone in the audience who spooks her and she passes out. The next day she’s found dead by Riley, a reporter who was supposed to write her memoir.

I had several issues with this book. One: it was just too long. At almost 500 pages, I found it to drag on longer than it needed to. Two: there were too many characters. Maybe I just had a hard time following who everyone was, besides the three main characters, but I thought it got confusing at times. There were a lot of connections and back stories that made me feel like it didn’t flow as well as it should have. Also, the epilogue… what WAS that?!

I will read anything by JT Ellison, but hopefully the next one is better focused.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Columbia Jone, a best selling author, is on tour promoting her her latest book which has been adapted into a
high budget movie. When she is found in a pool of blood in her hotel room, the search is on to uncover her
killer. Columbia's hidden past is slowly revealed with surprising revelations. Fast paced read willl have one
turning the pages and twists that keeps one guessing.
#AVeryBadThing #Thomas&Mercer #NetGalley

#AVeryBadThing #NetGalley
A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder. With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood. Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and J. T. Ellison for an ARC of A Very Bad Thing! I have a couple of J. T.’s books and haven’t had a chance to read them and they are being moved right on up to the top now. This book was fantastic. From the very first page I was hooked and held that breath until the last page. The ending is absolutely shocking - did not see that coming from a mile away and honestly every corner turned I was going no way! I loved the characters and their development and also a sucker for “heiress” books. There were a few times I was confused/couldn’t remember who knew what as the characters change and information is found out at different times for characters I had to go back and double check. Gripping - thrilling - a must suspenseful 2024 read!

Author Columbia Jones, a well known and loved author, takes a new drastic turn and dies on her last night of her new book tour that is going to be made into a movie. Columbia has a scare on stage during the tour when an assumed stranger stands up during her talk, catches her eye, and makes her faint. Who is that stranger and why did she faint? And then die?! Darian, her daughter and publicist, is also on the tour and is completely torn apart. They had been on a month tour and the last night her mother is just gone. The police are trying to piece together what happened without success at first. New details emerge - there are a couple people that could have motive and there are more secrets than anyone could expect. The reporter, cop, daughter - they will do what it takes to find out what happened to this author. Who will get in the path to find out what’s the truth?

We've all read the trope before - a mother with secrets, a suspicious daughter, a probing journalist. Ellison takes the familiar and makes it fascinating and suspenseful. This is a very smart psychological thriller with twists and turns, lots of questions, all coming to a satisfying ending.

I normally really like this authors books, this one fell a little short for me. Partly I think it was too long, It told the story of a famous author who died under suspicious circumstances, her daughter, the detective, the reporter and a fan. There would have been more tension, more impact for me, if there was less about their individual lives and that the story came together sooner.

Interesting, somewhat complicated story of an author who is not who she seems and how her death affects all these people, that don't appear to be connected but are. It is a little long so that might be a problem holding my students attention, but for the ones that push through, I think they will be glad they read it

Ellison’s latest is a complex, original psychological thriller about the sudden death of a famous author and the many secrets uncovered upon her death. The author expertly peels back layers of after layer, making the outcome of this impossible to anticipate and highly entertaining. For fans of Alafair Burke and Kimberly McCreight.

A VERY BAD THING had a great setup and backstory, jumping right into the story from the first page. There were multiple POVs and a slew of characters but they were mostly kept distinct and not too difficult to follow. The only downside to this book was the pacing - the last half really dragged on and had numerous scenes that could have been shortened or cut. Would have loved this one with about 100 fewer pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review A VERY BAD THING.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Columbia is a writer that has achieved success. When she is murdered, the police have little to go on. This book grabbed my attention from the start.

This started off solid, with Columbia Jones, world renowned author fainting at an event, worrying not just her fans but her daughter as well. The next morning, she is found dead in her hotel room, in a pool of her own blood. This mystery takes off at a quick pace and keeps the reader guessing at every turn.

I always love stories involving the eccentric lives of fictionalized authors and the tumultuous relationships of their loved ones. This was no exception and was full of whodunnit as well as all the drama in their past and present. We explore not only the author's life but also that of her daughter and the journalist who was in the process of writing a piece about her life as well. As this story progresses, Columbia Jones' past, or lack thereof, comes into question. This was written with a meticulous hand giving the reader the answers right at the exact time needed to leave us satisfied. However, the ending threw me, but not in a good way. It wasn't that it didn't make sense or was out of left field. It just didn't seem enough if that makes sense. Enough for a reason, enough to top off this otherwise great read, enough to leave me satisfied. I won't go as far as to say it broke it, but it left me at a loss. Three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

A Very Bad Thing feels like if Evelyn Hugo was a Montressor who finally found a conscience. The pacing is on point for this thriller. I found the characters mostly endearing. Everyone I was suspicious of deserved it because everyone has secrets. I do wish the Epilogue had an Epilogue, but that's the worst thing about this book. I very much enjoyed reading this twisty murder mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison is a mystery/thriller about a famous author who ends up dead. There are plenty of suspects: and as it turns out, many have a motive. This author had quite a hidden history. This was a quick read, but I found it to be pretty unbelievable. There were too many extraneous characters; all with their own extra storylines. It just got to be too much. But I have liked this author's previous books, so I'll probably continue seeking out Ellison's books. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

JT Ellison continues her streak as a superb thriller author with a story about a young journalist who has been chosen to “imbed” herself into the monthlong nationwide book tour of a superstar women’s fiction author, Columbia Jones, as Jones promotes her latest bestseller (about to be a movie directed by Spielberg). Riley Carrington, a writer for a magazine akin to Vanity Fair, isn’t sure why she’s been hand chosen, but the author has hinted this article might be an audition to ghostwrite her memoir. But as the tour is nearly over, Riley still doesn’t know much of her subject’s early life. And her chance to get Jones to finally reveal herself gets squashed when Riley discovers Columbia dead in her hotel room.

Shortly after, Riley is being terrorized by an unknown person as she gets notified that Columbia has left her something in her will. Darian, Columbia’s daughter, has presumed she was the sole beneficiary, but along with Riley, two others are summoned to the reading of the will.

Riley is our main protagonist, but we also get to meet Denver Detective Sutcliffe, who finds a connection to case he worked two decades ago in Nashville, and Kira Hutchinson, a young mom and baker from Colorado, whose husband buys her a VIP ticket to Jones’ book tour. How everyone is entwined, what Columbia’s secrets are, and who murdered Columbia and why, are the questions that are cleverly answered in this twisty tension filled thriller. I love Ellison’s writing style (I had discovered her when she co-wrote with a real female superstar author, Catherine Coulter) and I know that whenever I pick up one of her books, I’ll be totally engrossed until the very end. “A Very Bad Thing” lived up to my high expectations! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Both Riley Carrington and Knox Shepherd have green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The author does mark the season with early rhododendrons and Azaleas in Maine.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer/Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

"A Very Bad Thing" by J.T. Ellison is a thoroughly enthralled psychological thriller. The story follows the murder of bestselling author Columbia Jones, whose death shocks the world and leaves her daughter and publicist, Darian, reeling. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that Columbia had many secrets and enemies, making it difficult to determine who could have committed the crime.
The author does an excellent job of creating complex characters with relatable motives, making it difficult to guess whodunnit. I found myself drawn into their world and felt a genuine sense of connection to their emotions and actions. The story is expertly paced, with a perfect balance of suspense and revelation.
What sets this book apart is its ability to keep you guessing until the very end. The twists and turns are expertly crafted, and I found myself staying up late into the night to finish the book. While the ending may be a bit far-fetched, it's an entertaining ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
My only criticism is that the book is a bit lengthy, clocking in at nearly 500 pages. However, I didn't feel like it was too long or overwhelming, as the story is engaging and well-written.
Overall "A Very Bad Thing" is for fans of psychological thrillers. J.T. Ellison has a knack for crafting addictive stories that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

This is a page turner you won’t put down! The characters are complex, and you can understand every choice they make, even if you don’t agree with it.

This was an entertaining, twisty whodunnit story that has a satisfying ending!

There are very bad people who do very bad things.......very well.

J.T. Ellison has boxed this one up in a crate of monumental proportions. It's packed with characters who carry pointy sticks behind their backs wrapped in a storyline that zigs and zags in a multitude of directions. It'll make your teeth rattle.

Columbia Jones has made her mark in the literary world over and over again. Her book tours are sold out and there are long lines for the meet-and-greet. Darian, her daughter, almost guzzles Pepto Bismol on the sidelines keeping everything in flow.

Riley Carrington, a journalist for East Fifth Magazine, was particularly chosen by Columbia herself to write her biography. It hasn't been an easy task. Columbia only avails herself at her own selected time frustrating Riley who longs to be back in her apartment with her boyfriend Oliver.

"Author Dead" would have been a snappy title for Columbia's next novel. The only thing is that Columbia is the author and she is definitely dead. Darian accuses Riley as Riley was the last one in Columbia's bedroom before she was found in an unbelievable amount of blood. A very sticky wicket.

And here's where Ellison scrambles the eggs on high flame. We pivot backwards into the cracks and crevices of Columbia's previous life. It ain't pretty, folks. Columbia has managed to keep the trail well hidden and flowing in a different direction. We'll meet new characters with muddy footprints and shifty grins. All is not what it seems.

A Very Bad Thing is injected with high intensity throughout. As readers, we're caught in a whirlwind of confusion and eye fluttering. But it does hold us down to the page. My only concern was the run-up to the ending where the wheels came flying off and leaving deep rivets in the sand. Prepare for a bit of WooWoo Land in the conclusion. But hey, it's been crazy from the get-go and crazy grows legs and runs a marathon. Bravo, J.T. Ellison, just bravo.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented J.T. Ellison for the opportunity.

A who done it with so many twists and turns it will make your head spin. That ending was a total shocker that I can’t stop thinking about. Good grief I never saw that coming. This author certainly knows how to keep you on your toes. Go grab this one right now. You won’t be disappointed.

I've already started recommending as a book to look out for in the fall - loved the darkness, fast-paced suspense. J.T. Ellison has become an auto-read author for me!