A letter starts off: "My darling daughter, ... I did a very bad thing." What a wonderful hook!
The main character is an author on a book tour. Then more and More.And.More characters were introduced. So many, too many characters and events, enough to make the book drag.
I like that J.T. Ellison includes Nashville or Tennessee as a scene in her books. Hopefully her next book will be shorter and less confusing.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because of that amazing beginning.

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison is a one of a kind mystery/thriller about an author on her last stop of her month long promoting her new book The Ivory Lady. Columbia Jones has very carefully crafted a web of lies around her past and now she is ready to unravel them piece by piece. Riley is an up and coming reporter that just landed the biggest break of her carrer. She has been invited to come along and document the book tour and in return Riley gets to write a one of a kind article for the newspaper she works for. Darian, Columbia's only child has been helping her with her mother since graduating college. Columbia has kept Darian on a very short leash. Darian doesn't mind it however, she is wondering why after all these years why is Columbia having a journalist on the book tour with them. Kira is a long time fan and has read every book that Columbia has very written. Her husband Luke, has suprised her with a once in a lifetime trip to Denver for a VIP experiance a meet and greet with Columbia. The more that Riley digs into Columbia's past the more she is in danger. If writing the story of a lifetime worth dying over? This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last chapter in the book.. I was hooked by the very first page. I would like to both NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for letting me read a advanced copy of this book.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
I could not put this book down. This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Ellison is at the top of her game! The characters are well thought out and developed and there stories unfold with a slow burn. The story hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end. It was a little on the longer side but I honestly didn't want it to end.

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison is an excellent twisty psychological thriller.
I love stories about authors , and this one hits the mark!
The characters are well written, complex and twisty for sure!

I love this authors books and this new one is no exception.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Very Bad Thing is the first J.T. Ellison book I've read in awhile. I've tried some of the previous ones without a lot of luck, but this one looked pretty interesting. Famous author mysteriously dies with secrets she's been trying to cover up. Sure...sounds like fun.

Overall, this was a quick engrossing read. Lots of twists, turns, and generally entertaining. This started out as four stars and went down to three because I feel like the end was a little all over the place with random mustache twirling moments and all the strings being pulled together was a little too tidy. The pacing was solid though and I'd recommend it if you're looking for something where you don't have to think too hard.

Lies, lies, and more lies in this thriller about a world famous author, Columbia Jones, who suddenly dies in the midst of her book tour. What was the cause of her death? Who could have caused it? Was it poison? Was it the gentleman who stood up and walked out in the middle of her talk? Was it her daughter? The journalist working with her? So many questions are posed throughout this read as J. T. Ellison once again has produced a thriller meant to keep you awake and reading the next chapter, seeking clues or answers.
I so enjoyed the way Columbia’s background is slowly revealed. Also loved the chapters of her old novel that helped bring her background to light.
I found most of the characters, especially Columbia and Darian, unlikeable. Riley intrigued me and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story. I also enjoyed the addition of Kira and her family. I did guess at some of the revelations mid way through the book but others were shocking.
J. T. Ellison never disappoints and this is another well written thriller. Many, many thanks to J. T. Ellison, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasurable opportunity to read an arc of this thriller to be published on November 1st. Four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, J. T. Ellison, and Thomas & Mercer for the ebook. This book was a page turner! Ellison has a way with words and a way of explaining homes and places it just is like you're right there seeing it. This was a wild ride and I highly recommend.

This is the stuff thrillers are made of. Fast-paced, can’t trust anyone, new identities, multiple suspects, twist after twist after twist. A Very Bad Thing hooked me from the very first page and took me on one roller coaster of a ride.

I loved all of the characters - Ellison did a great job giving each of them individual personalities, backgrounds, and motivations - and the mystery of Columbia’s life and death. The ending left me absolutely shook.

This story is a bit long, especially for a thriller, but it’s so worth it. Easily Ellison’s best and most engaging novel yet!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Columbia Jones is a famous author who was in Denver for the last meet and greet of her book tour after being on the road for a month. She had asked Riley Carrington, a well-known journalist, to accompany her on this tour with the intention that Riley would write her biography once they were back home. When Riley goes to Columbia's room to finish her interview with her the following morning, Riley finds her dead in bed. This sets off one of the biggest "whodunit" and why did they do it. I did enjoy this story but I felt it was too long with way too many characters involved. It got very confusing at times and was somewhat repetitive.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this very interesting book.

This has a really well written and thought-out plot. I enjoyed the writing style, short chapters and the multiple POVs, although I did find the beginning to be confusing because you are introduced to quite a lot of characters but once you know who’s who the story is easy to follow.
I thought some of the plot to be slightly predictable but the twist at the end really through my sideways.

★★★★

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I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to review this book.

This does not disappoint! The story builds quickly and continues at a fast pace. The behind the scenes glimpse of the life of a successful author and the people around her make for an interesting read. Short, fast chapters with both likeable and unlikeable characters make this a ‘gotta find out how it ends’ story. I flew through the chapters. It was a day and a half read for me.. I’ve enjoyed J.T. Elison’s other books and this is no exception. I can’t wait for her next.
Thank You to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and J.T. Ellison for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

Wow! What a rollercoaster. I truly did not know what to expect at any point while reading this book but in the end it all made sense. Ellison weaves a complicated story of an authors hidden life that comes out slowly after she is murdered and doesn’t miss a beat. There are no plot holes or loose ends. Would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a twisty thriller to dive into.

Brimming with intrigue, dark secrets and drama, A Very Bad Thing is an intense page-turning thriller that implores you to race through it with a burning desire to consume every last sordid detail. J.T. Ellison has delivered an expertly crafted, twisty tale that provides hours of indulgent entertainment.

Celebrity novelist Columbia Jones is riding high, finishing up a lengthy tour for her latest book. But on the last night of the tour, she collapses onstage after a mysterious individual stands up during her talk. And the next morning, she’s found dead in her hotel room. With the literary world reeling, investigations commence by both the police and a tenacious reporter who was accompanying Columbia on tour. Soon details of Columbia’s past start to emerge and they paint a much different picture about the beloved author’s past that provide insight into her murder. And the details uncovered guarantee that everyone involved will see their lives changed forever.

A Very Bad Thing is well-conceived and executed featuring a twisty plot with a slow drip of information that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end. There’s intrigue, violence, emotion and massive world-rocking revelations. The character development is superb, delivering complex individuals who are more than they seem and whose past actions don’t necessarily define them. And the drama…oh boy is it thick and juicy. It’s a lifetime movie on steroids. But it’s also way more than a guilty pleasure. It’s a banger of a book. A fascinating and voyeuristic tale for all to thoroughly enjoy.

The book might be over, but I'm not over with it.

You cannot - and I repeat, CANNOT - made me lose my mind over who did what and who impregnated who and whose baby was whom, just for lazily ending the book that way.
The ending doesn't end, the one who needed closure didn't get it, people who I liked died for no reason at all… and all of this without a proper explanation.
Most importantly, it really pissed me off.

This story is based on one very specific thing: the characters are elder citizens at the bare age of not even thirty.
Since the very first chapter, when we don’t even know who are these people, we know Darian is in her late twenties but hasn't really done anything with her life besides managing her billionaire of a mother, Riley calls “kid” a guy who's four years her junior and Kira needs to lose the baby weight because when you hit thirty then it's gonna be a problem.
Like, I get it, we kinda of need to know their age for the sake of the story, but they’re not old. Kira should be at the club, not having more children!

There is also the matter of the ending, about what I can't say anything if I want this to be a spoiler-free review, but: I get making a more open ending - even if I want to yank my hair out of my head at the moment -, why though leave such a big misconception out in the wild?

Anyway, I must admit I loved J.T. Ellison’s pen more than the story itself, so I'll definitely be back.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I've always enjoyed this author's books. Thanks to the publisher, author, and netgalley for my review copy.

I really enjoyed this one! It wasn't exactly a quick read as it was quite long, but thankfully, it kept me entertained. It was told through multiple viewpoints, had lots of secrets and lies, plenty of shady characters, and was pretty jam-packed with action. There were some twists, right up until the last few pages. It was a very entertaining read.

It was a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, especially because there were many characters, and I will admit, it took me a while to get them straight. But once it started to flow, the story was quite exciting, and I would recommend giving it a read!

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?