Many, many years ago, I did a very bad thing. These are words that Riley Carrington, and the daughter of Columbia Jones, Darian, hear more than once. The reader of this book will also read these very words more than once in J. T. Ellison’s latest thriller.

As the story begins, we learn that Columbia Jones has been murdered and reporter Riley Carrington has apparently been chosen to tell her story, hopefully in the form of a memoir. Columbia’s past, her successes and her eventual death are all things that Riley has but no choice to find answers for. Chosen to complete this utterly impossible task, Riley begins to dig for answers, but is met with brick wall after brick wall.

Discovering and reading Columbia’s final manuscript somehow presents all the clues that would lead to why Columbia has died. Making heads or tails of what Riley is reading is a different story altogether. Riley reads on and digs deep. Meanwhile, Darian is quite naturally heartbroken due to her mother’s death. Anxious for Columbia’s will to be read, Darian is desperate for answers. While it might become clear that Columbia’s death was no accident, there are far more questions than answers in this compelling read.

How in the world can someone like me read 495 pages in just two sittings? When the story is intriguing, exciting, twisty and has different POVs. All of these factors definitely delivers a real treat with this fabulous book by a very talented author.

Reviewer’s Note: Make sure to read this book to the very end, as in the Author’s Note we get a peek into J. T. Ellison’s writing and and creative process.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Not my favorite by this author. It was a pretty good thriller but I found it hard to keep up with all of the characters. The ending was a little chaotic and while parts of the book seemed to drag on, I thought the epilogue could have been made a bigger part of the story. I did enjoy the quick mention of Mindy Wright as a nod to another one of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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?

Loved it

What A Great Read!
Page turning and pulse pounding J.T. Ellison certainly delivers a fast-paced thriller and one of my favourites by her.
World renowned best selling novelist Columbia Jones is on the final night of her latest book tour. Suddenly a face in the crowd makes the author collapse and by the next morning she is dead.
The police are baffled until details emerge revealing the authors illicit past. It seems many people had motive to kill Columbia and it's not until her secrets are revealed that we see how many lives will be ruined as the truth comes out.
I loved that "Taylor Jackson" was given a mention.
Highly Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! The twists kept coming with this one! Not my first JT Ellison book and definitely won’t be my last! Quick and fast paced and I definitely didn’t see the twist at the end. Would love a sequel! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Oh my goodness - A Very Bad Thing is an incredible read. The way the story unfolds is a masterpiece.
These characters are real and raw. The twists and turns seem obvious but aren't and the ending is perfection.
This story will stay with me. One you'll wish you could read for the first time - again and again.
I highly recommend this read.

J.T. Ellison never disappoints. Every new book she writes is my new favorite, and A Very Bad Thing is certainly no exception. The multiple narrator format just works to reveal the story, which is perfectly crafted. The characters are textured and complex, but in a believable way. They're people that could be your friends, your neighbors. I'm still trying to decide if Columbia Jones is a likable character, which is the sign of a great book, when it stays with you after the final page.

What a nicely written novel! This thriller is twisty, fun, and inventive. Though some of the twists are a bit predictable it also has some you won't see coming. Columbia Jones is a best selling novelist that is well known and loved by many. When she is found dead in a hotel room its up to journalist Riley and Detective Sutcliffe to find out the truth behind the crime. Darian, Columbia's lone daughter is tormented by the death of her mother and how to continue her legacy without her genius. This book was one of my favorites this year. Expertly written.

I am a big fan of J.T. Ellison and this book is the perfect reason why. "A Very Bad Thing" is filled with twists and turns that will leave readers guessing whodunit?

This was a phenomenal thriller to me and I could not put it down. I literally took it with me into the kitchen while cooking. It was so good. I really loved that you had no idea who the killer was throughout and the shocking twist at the end was top notch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for selecting me to read this ARC. I really enjoyed it.

What a twisty wild ride! It's definitely best to go into this one blind and just enjoy being swept up in it. We had the MOST FUN discussing this at our local in person book club.

Celebrity author Columbia Jones is adored by fans far and wide, but someone dislikes her enough to kill her. The morning after the final stop on her book tour, Columbia is found dead and bloody in her hotel room by a journalist she tapped to write an article about her and potentially write her memoir. As Columbia's daughter and the journalist take separate paths to learn about this woman, they begin to learn that the woman had a dark past that isn't done haunting them.

This book had a very interesting plot and twists I didn't see coming. I think the sheer number of different POVs took me out of the story a bit but overall I still had fun reading it and couldn't wait to find out what happened!

I have to admit that I didn't LOVE this one. I really enjoy J.T Ellison's writing, but I found this particular book to be way too long for what it was — the reveal didn't blow me away, and the characters were decent but not amazing. Overall, I recommend this one on audio because it was quite a slog for me, personally, to read with eyeballs. A solid thriller but not my favorite by Ellison.

Thank you Over The River PR, #partner, for the advanced copy of A Very Bad Thing in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a fan of JT Ellison’s books for quite a while, especially her stand-alones. She manages to create such wickedly additive reads and this latest one is no exception. As thick as this one is, I devoured it and recommend you doing the same! It’s definitely best reading it in big chunks because so much happens and it all connects. I loved the book-within-book trope and how that played into the overall plot. So many surprises here. Every character you meet has a past that just begs to be dug into. This one takes off right from the start and doesn’t let up…it’s fast-paced and so clever and I absolutely loved it!

This was an interesting thriller. I will admit I was disappointed in how quickly Columbia Jones died because she was by far the most interesting character in the book. The twists were interesting and I always like getting to see so many perspectives, but this book felt long and there were several points where it slowed down tot he point I was wondering when it would get twisty again. The last quarter was definitely fast paced enough to make up for that, and overall I really liked this one. I did like the book within a book technique (although I wanted a little more from those snippets). The ending was interesting but almost felt a little bit cheap, but overall I enjoyed it. Columbia Jones is a famous author on a tour for a book that has already been optioned for a movie. Riley is the journalist she contacted to cover the tour and possibly help her write her memoir. Darian is Columbia’s daughter. All three women’s lives take a crazy turn when Columbia is killed under suspicious circumstances.

This was an amazing read!! Was nearly impossible to put down as the twists and turns just kept coming.

A very popular writer, Columbia Jones, who is at the climax of her career has secrets. She is on a book tour with her team, and one night passes out on stage. So when she is suddenly dead, her daughter Darian whom she is very close with, starts to learn who her mom really was and some of the dark secrets she held. What happened to Columbia? Did someone kill her, and if so who would want to do that?

Likes: Never really knew what was coming. Thought I had some of it figured out but things just kept straying from what I thought was going to happen.

Dislikes: I do think there is some added fluff in here that could be gotten rid of, even if not, it was an excellent book.

Thank you to NetGalley, JT Ellison and Thomas & Mercer for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I love books about writers - the book parts the book character “writes” just makes everything way more interesting. I loved the reporter and the wide arrangement of characters. I would definitely recommend.

Everyone has secrets. If you’re a celebrity, those secrets are hard to keep. If you’re an author, you can TRY to rewrite your narrative, but those skeletons in the closet always come out. A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison is a thriller that keeps you guessing about what lies will actually be unveiled.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Celebrated author, Columbia Jones, has a lot of secrets. She is much beloved by her fans, but they don’t really know the real Columbia Jones. Her daughter, Darian, becomes mixed up in Columbia’s lies. Riley, the reporter hired to write Columbia’s story, also becomes entangled without knowing it. However, when a die-hard cop, a relentless reporter, and a fan become involved, those secrets start to unravel.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:
The story line of A Very Bad Thing kept me guessing. There were enough subplots to keep me interested, and the book tied up well at the end. My only criticism is it felt a little long to me. I think the book could have been shorter, and still had the same effect. That being said, I still recommend reading it if you enjoy thrillers. I enjoy a book with enough twists. It also should have connections to random characters that make you eager to see the ending. This book had both of those.

Than you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and J.T. Ellison for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison is a fantastic thriller that I had trouble putting down. Yes, it is that good! Columbia Jones is a famous author and is on tour for her latest book. Her daughter, Darian, is with her as she helps her mother with publicity, touring, and other details related to her career. At an event, when Columbia is on stage and talking about her book, a man stands up and looks at Columbia for a bit before leaving the auditorium. Columbia obviously knows him because she turns white and faints shortly after. Columbia has to be taken by ambulance to the hospital to get checked out. This has never happened before. They blame it on her not sleeping well and not eating enough, but only Columbia knows the truth. She did know the man who stood and he brought back a lot of memories that Columbia would like to forget!

As Columbia and Darian go back to their hotel suite, a writer who has been following Columbia, hears them arguing. Columbia asked Riley, a writer from a New York paper, to follow her and write a story about the tour. Riley has been with them for weeks now and knows them fairly well. As it's getting late, everyone goes to bed. Darian sneaks out to spend the night with her boyfriend who's the head of Columbia's security detail. The next morning, Riley is supposed to meet with Columbia early to go over a few things. When Riley knocks on the door there's no answer. She tries again and nothing. That's weird because Columbia is always up early. When she tries the door knob, it pushes open. She calls for Columbia to let her know she's coming in, but gets no response. As she makes her way to the bedroom, she screams and rushes to the bed. There is blood everywhere and Columbia is dead! As Riley is leaning over Columbia checking for a pulse, Darian comes in and screams. Darian thinks Riley killed her mother!

Who would want Columbia dead? Why would they do it in the hotel where her fans were staying? Is this related to the man who stood up? Who was that man? Was Columbia murdered? There's no weapon or signs of violence other than the blood! Darian tells the police that Riley killed her mom and they arrest her. Did Riley really come into the room for the first time when she said? Why was the door unlocked? Darian had locked it on her way out, hadn't she? Where was Columbia's security detail? Why were the cameras out all over the hotel at the time this happened? As you read this book more and more questions come to light. I absolutely loved A Very Bad Thing and rate it 5 stars with my very highest recommendation! This book will keep you flipping the pages at record pace towards the end. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of A Very Bad Thing in exchange for a fair review! This book is available now and should not be missed! #AVeryBadThing

I loved the first 50% of the book and then I was lost and confused.

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. This would be a solid choice for a beach read.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and J.T. Ellison for an ARC of this book!**

Columbia Jones: with a splashy name like that, she just SOUNDS like a superstar...and her legion of loyal devotees would certainly agree. As the author of 20 bestselling titles, who also has a film adaptation of one of her works on the horizon, her career trajectory is rocketing the author straight into the stratosphere. Her daughter Darian works as her publicist and de facto 'wingwoman' of sorts, helping to keep the crowds at bay and her events running smoothly, despite lingering concerns of an overzealous 'stalker' fan on their heels. But on the final stop of her book tour, nobody is more surprised than Darian when one particular face in the crowd makes her mother go white...and drop to the floor.

After the hospital runs some tests, her collapse is chalked up to exhaustion and lingering jet lag and she is released to spend the night back at the hotel. Unfortunately for Columbia, perhaps she SHOULD have spent at least one night in the hospital; the next morning, Darian arrives at her mother's room to wake her up...but instead finds her in a pool of blood. Darian is horrified, heartbroken, and at a complete loss, and she isn't the only one baffled and terrified to hear the news. Columbia had hired journalist Riley to follow the tour and pen a piece about Columbia's life...a life that now has been coincidentally cut short. But when Riley the journalist finds out she's being called to the reading of Columbia's will, it seems like Columbia had a bigger reason for choosing her to write this particular 'no holds barred' account of her life...and that Columbia may have been hiding something from her daughter Darian, too.

With Detective Sutcliffe on the case along with the two women who seem poised to inherit Columbia's fortune, can this unlikely trio dig far beneath the surface of the fortune and fame AND glitz and glamour to find out who the REAL Columbia was...before it's too late? And more importantly, WHAT in her past could have led her to set out on an entirely new course...and have left such a dangerous enemy who would stop at nothing to 'end her story'...for good?

J.T Ellison has quite a bit in common with our MC, Columbia Jones...so in some respects, I'm sure this character was a bit of fun to write. After all, Ellison has THIRTY novels under her belt, and although she may not have a Spielberg-helmed film in the works (yet!) her works have been optioned for television (and let's hope that one day, ONE of these myriad projects gets made!). In so many ways, Columbia is larger than life and her character was a LOT of fun to read, not to mention intriguing...but there's a slight problem with starting the book off with such a loud and impressive BANG.

When the most interesting and readable character ends up getting killed off in the first 10% of the book...chances are good I'm going to be looking at my watch, tapping my foot, and rolling my eyes a LOT from thereon out...and when it came to a Very Bad Thing, this rule proved to be about as reliable as Greenwich Mean Time.

It's not to say that there aren't any other interesting characters in this book...or rather, the POTENTIAL for interesting characters. But between just keeping track of them all, their place in the plot, and the constant discussions about what was going on (or not going on) with Columbia's will, I just felt a strong sense of disconnect. This is a thriller that is very intent on providing the promised twists, and it does...but the machinations involved to get there just weren't that interesting. This is hard to discuss while remaining spoiler-free, but after a WHOPPER of an introductory chapter (sadly, my favorite part of the whole book - I honestly thought after reading that intro ALONE this would be a 5 star read! Talk about whiplash...) there is a tonal shift, where the sort of 'bad girl/unreliable narrator' energy is lost and it instead delves into more of your standard murder-mystery with a HEAVY dose of family drama and the requisite 'mysterious past' of our beloved Columbia Jones.

...Which WOULD have been okay (EVEN with multiple narrators) to take a peek behind the curtain at all that got Columbia to her breaking point and her convoluted journey to get there (again, no spoilers!) if not for a couple of other issues. First up? This book utilizes a device that can either function as satisfying, intriguing, and multilayered, or messy, boring, and disjointed: the oft dreaded "Book within a Book." Of course, with Columbia Jones being an author, it comes as no surprise that we are treated to this manuscript of sorts...but it also felt more like a distraction at times rather than a juicy glimpse into a private journal. I honestly think Ellison gave away some of her twists (or alluded to them) a little TOO clearly with this device, and it sort of took the 'oomph' out of a few of the surprises left in store. I'm not sure if it could have been eliminated entirely, but chapters kept popping up sporadically throughout, and I think it could have made greater impact if it was sort of a 'one and done' reveal with lots of chapters presented at once...and then we could sort of 'close the book' and move on.

Sadly, this brings me to my biggest issue with this book, and it should have been an obvious deal breaker before I ever cracked the (digital) spine - this thriller clocks in at nearly 500 PAGES. I'll be honest, the number of thriller or even horror books....or frankly, ANY books aside from classics, HF, or fantasy that NEED to be 500 pages is pretty minute. Despite Ellison's best efforts to keep the pace a-jumpin', I can't even count the number of times I thought "When is this just going to be OVER?"...and not because I was desperate for a dazzling denouement. And frankly, I'm glad I wasn't, since the third act of this book and the epilogue was far more dull than dazzling. Luring all of your characters to one location for the big showdown? Yawn. It's not often that I bump my rating down based on page count alone, but when 1/5 or more of the book could have been eliminated without consequence, it sort of tells me everything I need to know. I just am not one for filler in a book that is supposed to feel this twisty and exciting, and sadly, I think my excitement sort of died along with Columbia.

And while Columbia Jones may have done a Very Bad Thing, I think by choosing to stick this one out until the very end...I may have done something even worse.

3.5 stars, rounded down from 4