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

This is one of THOSE books! The kind you tell all of your friends, family, and reading buddies that they HAVE to read it! Every avid reader has those favorites, you know, the ones you clear your calnedar to read the new release. In A VERY BAD THING, we meet Columbia Jones, the author whose name is so well known, it's used as a measure.....is it as good as a Columbia Jones book?
The mystery starts at the very first page and when Columbia is dead soon after, the thrill starts. JT Ellison manages to keep adding twists and clues and characters until this reader was pretty sure the whole group had something to do with the deaths....yes, plural. As each question is answered, another appears, and there are some BIG questions here. The ending was an added plus, I knew there had to be more!!! You need to read this. Plan a quiet afternoon and tell everyone to fend for themselves, there will be no coming up for air until the end.

This one is for people who liked The Inheritance Games or Knives Out.

Columbia Jones is finishing up her last night on tour when she faints on stage. Later, she’s murdered. Who did it? Her daughter? The reporter following the book tour? Someone from her past?

The author’s death in the description intrigued me and it didn’t disappoint. I wanted Riley (the reporter) to figure it out before the murderer got to her. This one kept me guessing.

Thank you net galley for an advanced copy of J.T. Ellison's A VERY BAD THING. This was an awesome read and I looked forward to finding out what that very bad thing was--and whether or not it only one thing, And of course I knew there would be a murder and the who done aspect gets me every time. I would think I knew who the culprit was, then changed mine mind several times. I also liked the fact that this story was about an author so the reader gets a glimpse of the author's writing process and some of what goes on on book tour.

When a famed author is murdered, her daughter is left reeling and a journalist won’t stop until she uncovers the truth.

This felt more mystery with thriller moments than a true thriller to me. To that end, I found the pacing slow at times and the book too long. Interspersed in the novel is some of the main character, Columbia’s work, which I actually found the most compelling and wanted more of.

There’s plenty here for fans of Ellison to enjoy, but it’s not one I feel like will stick with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

A 5 star thriller by NY Times & USA Today Best Selling Author JT Ellison.
It’s EVERYTHING a thriller, crime, suspense reader would want!
What could peak our interest more than a book about an elite award winning author and everything that goes along with that EXCEPT murder, her own!
Ellison kept me guessing with each twist up until the very end!
Favorite character was Author Columbia Jones herself because of her secretive and demure personality.
Twisty plot kept me turning the pages. Interesting and compelling novel, hard to put down.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Full review posted on Instagram @shereadswith_coffee and Goodreads @shereadswithcoffee
Will post full review to Amazon and Bookbub as well.

Wow. What a twisted ride. Just when you think you have it figured out the story takes you in another direction. Definitely a can’t put down book.thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This is a really good story that took me forever to read ( forever for me anyway) because I just haven’t been much in the reading mood and it is a bit slower paced for my liking in the earlier chapters ( or just my mood .. honestly I don’t know ) . There is definitely some foreshadowing but a few totally unexpected surprises along the way .

Too long, too many characters, too repetitive - this one definitely wasn’t for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #AVeryBadThing by #JTEllison. Columbia Jones, is a famous author, and now she’s dead. At her latest book tour she sees someone who startles her and the next day she is dead. She had many secrets from her past that are coming to light. Is someone in her past the killer? What secrets is she hiding?

I was thrilled to be able to read and review A Very Bad Thing, by one of my top thriller authors! J.T. Ellison is an auto read author for me. I love that I can go in blind with no idea of the premise of the book, and she never disappoints. This book is no exception! I loved the pacing of the plot, and the tension that was built up throughout the story. The twists were so clever, and unexpected. I will say that there was a lot of characters to keep track of, and the book was a little longer than I like for a thriller, but that did not deter me from being able to devour this story! While there were some twists that were a little far fetched, they worked for this story. Just be prepared to suspend belief a little bit.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait for her next!

EXCERPT: 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. As did everyone around me.

ABOUT 'A VERY BAD THING': 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?

MY THOUGHTS: Who is Columbia Jones? Because she certainly isn't who she says she is. But then she is an author. A writer of fiction. Is it really so very strange that she has made up her whole life?

The big question is WHY?

I've heard of people's pasts coming back to haunt them. Columbia's past has come back to kill her.

A Very Bad Thing is Good. Very Good.

Enthralling. Twisty. It had my mind darting from one possible perpetrator to the next. I never did arrive at the correct solution! And that solution is totally, deviously delicious!

A lot of this isn't entirely plausible, but it is one hell of a fun ride. I'm glad I bought a ticket.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#AVeryBadThing #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison is the bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes contemporary fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel. (source jtellison.com)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This one is different from a lot of the books I've read by this author and it had me hooked from the beginning. Interesting and complex characters. Plenty of suspense and twists. Wow!

This twisted thriller had me guessing from beginning to end, and the gripping story kept me reading long past my bedtime. Columbia Jones is a bestselling author, on tour with her latest book. She is accustomed to adding twists to her plots but no one expected her to end up dead in her bed at the end of the tour. What an unexpected twist! With little to go on in order to investigate her death, Detective Sutcliffe is a dogged and determined investigator who follows the few clues he has to uncover secrets from her past that probably led to her demise. Her daughter Darian is mystified and to who would want to kill her mother and even more stymied by the mysteries of a new will and people named in it that she doesn’t even know. The plot is so twisted that it’s like riding a roller coaster at breakneck speed and then coming to a death-defying curve that has you biting your nails in anticipation and dread of what will be exposed next. This is a propulsive thriller with the author’s signature style of crisp writing and painstaking details that added to the believability of the story. I was totally immersed in the family drama and the mystery as the book switched points of view between various characters and locations. The characters were realistically flawed with complicated personalities adding to their realism. This is a clever page-turner with some intense intrigue and plenty of sub-plots masterfully woven together into one gritty and sharply written novel.

Wow! A very bad thing indeed! This was very twisty and dark! Some of these characters are not what they seem. Others don’t even know who they are! This was a good, thrilling story with a not-so-neatly wrapped up ending. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thrillers aren’t usually for me - the ending can 100% make or break them, and rarely do I come away satisfied - but I truly liked this one. Fast-paced and twisty, with themes of loyalty, legacy, and family (and many more which I would love to include, but I will avoid spoilers!). I will just say I was continuously surprised by the turn of events through the final chapter. While I think it may have been a bit more complex then necessary, there were several well-developed characters with fascinating backgrounds whom I to grew to care for. I enjoyed the unique format with multiple POVs mixed with in the draft of a short story. I could totally see this novel becoming a successful movie.

I hate to say I DNF this one, because I usually LOVE JT Ellison books….I just could not get into this one. The beginning was hard for me to even pay attention, so I may try this one again in the future. As I said, I love this author so I definitely will heck out her next book!

A celebrated author Columbia Jones dies on the last day of the book tour. Her death starts a chain of sinister events for Columbia's daughter Darian, Riley a journalist writing her story and Kira, a big fan. A big secret from Columbia's past is gradually revealed.

This was such an exciting story. It's told by several alternating pov's, and also past and present narrative, which I liked. I was eager to know what the secret was, so I kept turning pages late into the night. There were several good twists and the ending was quite unexpected. At 446 pages the book felt a little too long and there was some unnecessary repetition, but all in all I really enjoyed it.

Don't let this big book (495 pages) scare you. It is a fast read with short chapters told in multiple POV's. Famous author Columbia Jones has been murdered and there are multiple suspects. Each has a secret but the biggest secret was kept by Columbia. This book has so many twists and turns and each secret is slowly revealed to keep you guessing. I love when an author gives me an OMG moment and J.T. Ellison has succeeded with a great ending.

Thank you to @thrillerchick @amazonpublishing, Netgalley and @otrpr for the #gifted book and this is my honest opinion.