Columbia Jones is at the height of her career. She is a bestselling author with her daughter as her assistant. Life couldn't be any better, but then she is murdered Or is she?

JT Ellison's newest novel, A Very Bad Thing, takes us through the aftermath of the bestselling author's death and the secrets she hides over the course of her life. The plot is one big rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It is clear from the beginning that you can't trust things to be how they seem, and you cannot be too sure of who the characters truly are.

Put on your seatbelts for this wild ride. If you like a good thriller, I highly recommend A Very Bad Thing.. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this wonderful thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

J.T. Ellison has become an author I read when I want a GOOD page turning thriller. I’ve enjoyed the majority of what I’ve read by the author. While this story was original and interesting I struggled to get through some of the non essential parts. I think the book could have been shorter , more concise, and still given us what we’ve come to know and love about the authors story telling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

Riley is hired by author Columbia to follow her on a book tour and write a tell-all. However, Columbia dies on the last night of tour and Riley, amongst others is a suspect in her death.

It took me about 30% to get into the book, when I did I really enjoyed it, then the ending came and- ugh. Thank goodness for the epilogue- it really gave a twist I wasn’t expecting!

A Very Bad Thing is a great concept with a mostly solid execution. There are a ton of red herrings and twists, plus enough seemingly unsolvable clues to keep the reader guessing. I'm giving it five stars because, despite its faults, it's still much better written than the vast majority of thrillers on the markets.

However, the climactic reveals left me thinking "... that's it?" The reader has to work for that ending; the book clocks in at almost 500 pages that encompass roughly a bajillion different perspectives. The whiplash from jumping between different characters and plots and timelines is bananas. Did we need all of them? No. Not even close. Not only did they slow down the pace, they gave away too much too early. Had there only been a few perspectives — maybe Riley and Darian uncovering the mystery — it could have allowed the reader to be solving it alongside them. Instead, the audience is handed a lot of the plot and watches as the characters try to piece it together. And, yeah, streamlining the perspectives probably would have cut the book down a much-needed 100 pages.

I'm still a fan of J.T. Ellison and I still enjoyed much of A Very Bad Thing — it just left me wondering if perhaps a solid edit could have made it a knockout.

This is a very good book as all of J.T.'s are! Full of twists and turns which are in some cases quite surprising. I especially loved the unexpected ending :)

Amazing book. I expected nothing less from this Author, having read everything she has written. The murder of a best-selling Author on her book tour was very shocking. Keep reading! The ending and getting there is fabulous. Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the Author for allowing me to read and review.

This book felt less J.T. Ellison to me and more like a typical thriller – usually with Ellison's books, there's a big, shocking twist right at the end and I never figure it out or see it coming. There are also so many POVs in this book that at time I felt were unnecessary. They didn't seem to add a ton to the story – it was additional context, but context I felt we could've got from the characters we spent the majority of time with.

That said, this was a fast read and I was left guessing where everything would end up, so I'd recommend it to someone who enjoys their previous works or thrillers in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC copy of A Very Bad Thing.

Somewhere inside this entirely toooo lonnggg book is a mildly interesting story. Unfortunately she added so much superfluous, irrelevant detail that it really broke up the suspense of a compelling mystery. I didn't hate it, but it could have easily been 100 pages shorter.

I gave "It's One of Us" 4 stars, so I will give this author another chance in the future!

2.5 stars rounded up.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. JT Ellison is a master story teller and can expertly weave all the pieces of the story together. I didn’t want this story to end! What a fantastic book! I highly recommend it!

Love, Love, Love! Thriller from the very beginning. Twist, turns, and shocks at every chapter! J.T. Ellison has knocked it out of the park again!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and JT Ellison for the ARC.

I'm a big fan of JT Ellison's books. I have to say that A Very Bad Thing is probably my favorite to date!

World famous author Columbia Jones hires Riley Carrington to write a story about her prior to thd releaseof her new blockbuster. Little does anyone know that Columbia will soon be murdered. As the story unfolds, more deaths ensue. We learn about Columbia's sordid past and how all the characters in the book are interconnected . The book kept me guessing pretty much until the end.
4 out if 5 ⭐️

Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!

Can we as a society stop writing massively long and super predictable thrillers? i was deeply intrigued by this until i got to the 50% mark and immediately figured out the ending. stop writing super long thrillers for. 0 reason. the rest of the story was just filler and i grew bored immediately.

WOW , just WOW!! 4.5 Mysterious Stars !

"I'm starting with the lie. My name is not my name. My life is not my life. It is time for you- for the world - to know the truth."

A Very Bad Thing is an explosive mystery, that eludes the reader to keep following the bread crumbs laid before you .With multiple red herrings, lots of secrets and so many twists & turns it will keep your head spinning !

With out giving too much away as you need to read this little gem for your self. A Very Bad Thing is a captivating psychological thriller that keeps you guessing to the very end, although there is the off little exaggerated scenarios it totally works for this story.

Told from multiple POV's we start off meeting Columbia Jones a world renowned author who is on a book tour . As she is presenting a speech to her fans on stage, when a gentleman in the audience stands and gives Columbia the death stare and she faints in front of everyone. After being treated in the hospital Columbia resides back at their hotel with her daughter Darian. The next morning when Riley a hired journalist goes to meet Columbia for their final interview she is met with a cold stare and a LOT of blood!! Has Columbia been murdered or did she take her own life ??

Through out the story with the persuasive writing style and great pacing we are introduced to a novel called The Legacy which we are shared bits and pieces of here and there which only heightens adds to the mystery in this intense gripping novel and leaves you questing everything and every character . Do you really know anyone ?? So may lies !

"Love makes people do awful things"

This was my first read by J.T. Ellison and she just gained a new fan, I truly loved her writing style and appreciate a mystery that keeps me guessing and is full of surprises!

I really think fans of Verity , Yellowface and The Housemaid will devour this mystery very quickly !!

Thank you Netglalley , Thomas & Mercer and J.T Ellison for this digital ARC!!

𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒚, 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐, 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕. 𝑶𝒉, 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕.

A book within a book is one of my very favorite plot devices, and it was beautifully executed in A VERY BAD THING. Columbia Jones is a bestselling author who is universally loved and adored. She has penned over twenty best-selling novels, her book tours are packed, and the VIP tickets sell out in seconds. She truly cares about her readers and gives them the experience of a lifetime when they meet her.

But a plot twist Columbia was not expecting was for a lone man to stand up in the crowd while she's on stage, commanding her audience. At the sight of him, she grows pale, faints, and is rushed to the hospital. Chalking it up to overworking and jet lag, no one could have anticipated finding her dead in her hotel room. Who would want her dead?

Lots of people, it turns out. Because when your whole life has been a lie, you're going to make some enemies.

This book has a dizzying array of characters, but I had no problem keeping up with them as each one was perfectly described. Every character had a reason for existing, and you will realize as more of Columbia's life comes out that just about all of them had motive.

Two characters who command attention are Riley, the journalist who was hand-picked and paid a ridiculous sum of money to go on to tour with her and document Columbia's rise to fame, and Darian, Columbia's daughter, who handles everything connected to her mother's brand. Upon her death, some notices start arriving to people, summoning them to the reading of the will. But it's when Riley discovers an old story penned by Columbia that the narrative is completely flipped. Trust me when I say things get wild! The ending turned into a locked room thriller, and I was 100% there for it as it worked perfectly for the plot.

I inhaled this in just a few hours, and it was a fun, twisty read, but with all of this author's books, there are some heavy themes present. Highly recommended to thriller fans! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for the early copy. This book will publish September 3, 2024.

A Very Bad Thing is a very good thing to read if you like a book you can sink into and one that keeps you guessing. This was so great, and I found myself saying "no way" so many times! The twists and turns just kept coming right until the end. A very satisfying read.

As usual, JT Ellison knocks this suspense thriller out of the park! Great and complex characters, unpredictable and creative twists, skating on the edge of what could be possible. This is another un-putdownable page turner. Highly recommend!

Columbia Jones is a famous author who has been harboring a secret for years. During her month long tour she invited Riley to write her memoir. On the last day of the tour Columbia faints while speaking on stage. Riley was getting ready to conclude her questioning and write her article when Columbia was found murdered in her hotel room. The clues Columbia left behind put Riley in danger as well as a few other people close to her.
…
Columbia was a beloved mother and author who wrote fictional romance stories. She was a private person who told many stories to her daughter, but she always kept one story a secret.
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Darian is Columbia Jones daughter and publicist. She’s helped promote her books and supported her mother every step of the way.
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Riley traveled with Columbia during her month long book tour. Riley was writing Columbia’s memoirs. The morning of her death she was about to reveal a secret. Riley unknowingly uncovered something in Columbia’s past and is now a target.
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Kira is a super fan whose husband treated her to a VIP meet and greet with her favorite author Columbia Jones. Kira and Luke stayed at the same hotel as Columbia Jones that was part of the package deal.
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The concept is interesting, yet I’m finding it difficult to stay connected with the story. This is my first time reading JT Ellison and this was a test to see if her writing voice lines up with my reading style. The stories told from multiple points of view which allows readers to explore all the various characters and how they relate to Columbia Jones.
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Storyline’s about secrets seems to be trending lately. Building a compelling concept takes effort. Building a story off the theme of secrets is tricky because the entire story is based off these secrets. Readers will have to wait until the end to learn the secrets which means your time and patience is of essence. The story is driven by numerous character introductions creating suspicion in each and every one of them. A snippet of backstory will follow to give readers a sense for how the relationship between the characters relate to each other.
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Open one door and find a secret clue. Open another and the same thing happens until you have a collection of secret clues and the one person with the key to unlock the code is dead.

Columbia Jones is everyone’s favorite writer. Talented, charming, and warm, it is no wonder her book tour sells out. It is also no wonder how shocked everyone is when Riley, the writer covering the tour, discovers Columbia, murdered in her hotel room. Who could have wanted her dead?

As Riley and Columbia’s daughter (and publicist) Darian reel from her untimely demise, they start to uncover the many secrets she was harboring before her death. The mysterious life of the writer was far more complicated than anything they could have imagined.

The story is told from different perspectives, mainly focusing on Riley and Darian, and each chapter helps to unravel the many secrets Columbia was concealing. It is a shame Columbia is murdered so early on in the book, as it would have been interesting if the author had chosen to explore the dynamic between Columbia and Darian more. The reader is given a glimpse into a tumultuous relationship, but it is not explored as fully as it could have been. Columbia’s past is what drives the plot, but it would have been interesting to have more of her leading up to the murder.

This is a fun read overall, with plenty of drama and several twists, though some are a little convoluted and Columbia’s connection to Riley is a bit predictable. This would be a solid choice for a beach read.

A Very Bad Thing by JT Ellison. Pub Date: September 2024. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you’re into murder mysteries with lots of suspense and multiple POVs then this book is for you. Columbia Jones is a famous author who turns up dead while on book tour. Who killed her and why? This book goes into multiple POVs from family to detectives to a reporter who was hired by Columbia to follow her on her book tour. All the characters have a stake in figuring out who murdered Columbia, but as details emerge the stakes get higher and the risk is more. I really enjoyed this novel and was shocked at how fast I read it considering its length. I highly recommend this novel! Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #bookstagram #bibliophile #averybadthing #jtellison #igreads #bookworm

A famous, best-selling author collapses at a book signing event. A brutal tour schedule?

When the next morning finds her dead in her bed, everyone is a suspect.

Is it the daughter? The reporter? The mysterious man who showed up last night at her signing?

How does such a beloved writer have so many people wanting her dead? Or at least seem to want her dead. Secrets, threats, murder, it’s all here.

Because Columbia Jones isn’t really Columbia Jones. But who is she? And how did she come to be Columbia?

This was such a twisty story! In the best of ways. And it all came together deliciously!

Always a great story from Ellison.

NetGalley/ Thomas and Mercer September 03, 2024