The Note is an intriguing thriller that explores friendship, secrets, and the fallout from a prank gone wrong. May, Lauren, and Kelsey reunite in the Hamptons, but their bond is tested when a harmless joke spirals into a police investigation. While the premise is compelling, the characters felt immature and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with them. The focus on past scandals and societal issues sometimes overshadowed the main plot. However, the story picks up in the latter half and is a quick read. Though not my favorite, it’s worth a try for thriller fans seeking drama.

You have to make it pretty far through this book before things pick up and the story gets interesting. That said though, the three friends in this book are not very likable and it’s amazing all the drama and attention they have drawn to themselves throughout their lives. Thanks to one nosy friend and another playing a practical joke on someone who then disappears, the three friends end up embroiled in a murder investigation…and it’s not the first one for one of them.

Overall, the story is ok, but definitely requires some patience to get through.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book starts out slow, but hold on- it gets better! I kept getting Mary Higgins Clark vibes, which I love. Overall, I'm glad I read this book- for mystery, thriller vibes!

A group of close friends are on vacation, when one has an idea to write a note to a stranger that stole their parking spot. What starts as an innocent prank, quickly escalates and blows up in their faces. When the police become involved, secrets are uncovered and friends turn against eachother.

I found the four main characters to be immature and toxic! It was very hard to relate with them. There were alot of social issues mentioned in this book as well, that seemed slightly repetitive/out of place given that this is a thriller novel. However! Alafair Burke was one of the first thriller authors that I fell in love with a few years ago when I got back into reading. I still feel the way I felt back then- she can do no wrong!! I felt so honored to read this ARC! Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity.

This wasn’t my favorite. It fell flat near the middle although the beginning felt promising. I couldn’t relate to nor did I really like any of the characters. The “twist” was a little predictable as well

When a harmless prank goes wrong, three friends find themselves embroiled in yet another scandal. May Hanover, our main character, was raised by a first-gen Chinese single mom and had no room to slip up. Until she did. At just twelve years old, May bonds with Lauren and Kelsey over a tragic accident. As adults, the three have each found themselves the middle of their own scandals. After years apart, the three friends reunite in the Hamptons, but when a drunk prank goes sideways, May finds herself and her friends at the center of a police investigation.

This book wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either. I found the three characters to be rather bland and often mixed up Kelsey and Lauren. Those two didn't have enough depth to give them many distinguishing factors. The three didn't seem to get along well most of the time, which made me question why they were even hanging out again to begin with. I really wanted to like this one but the characters were just one thing kept that from happening, unfortunately.

The actual plot of the novel was muddied. There was a lot of focus on their previous scandals and the larger societal issues involved, which I can definitely appreciate. However, in this one, it really took away from the story. All in all, I think May spent 3 days in the Hamptons (?) despite the novel seemingly revolving around their time in the Hamptons.

I have to give the novel props for getting me out of a reading slump. It started off so well and, even with its issues, was a fast read. This one just wasn't for me.

(Side note - I was browsing the library earlier today and stumbled across another book - Privacy by Nina Sadowsky. The books have nearly identical covers. Not important to my review, just something I thought was interesting.)

2.75 stars, rounded up

Thank you to Knopf, Alafair Burke, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun one that captured my attention right away and held it until the end!

The Note follows three lifelong friends reconnecting in person on a vacation to the Hamptons. A seemingly harmless prank reveals a big tangled web of lies and secrets and the friends realize they don’t know each other quite as well as they thought…

I’m not gonna say that I particularly liked the characters in here, but I do think they were well written and fleshed out! They frustrated me at times, but that added to the mystery. There are lots of reveals and little twists as the story unravels to keep this interesting throughout the whole story. I did have a suspicion about how this would all wrap up but that didn’t make me find it any less exciting. Definitely a fun mystery!

Thank you to Netgalley, Alafair Burke, and Knopf publishing for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings (moderate): murder, gun violence, panic attacks, drowning, alcohol, suicide, xenophobia, incest

Three woman go on a little getaway which was supposed to be relaxing and fun. One of them leaves a note on someone’s car and it ends up a missing person’s case. Some secrets come to light and of course twists. I admit I did figure out the whodunnit but there were a couple twists/turns that I did not.

Overall it was a fun and entertaining thriller to read. Quick pacing. Tension. I found myself not being able to put it down.

Thank you @netgalley and @alafairburke for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first book by Alafair Burke, and unfortunately, I wasn’t particularly impressed. While I’m sure she has other works I’d enjoy more, this one just didn’t resonate with me. The story centers on three lifelong friends reuniting for a weekend getaway in the Hamptons, each carrying a load of secrets and scandals. Despite this, they all hope to leave their troubles behind and enjoy their time together. However, things take a dark turn on their first night when a careless prank, fueled by too many cocktails, leads to a police investigation.

There were several aspects that prevented me from fully enjoying the book. I had difficulty distinguishing between 2 of the 3 main characters—May stood out, but I often confused Kelsey and Lauren. Additionally, the heavy focus on social issues overshadowed the development of the plot, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story. (The book touches on themes like the pandemic, race, gender, the influence of wealthy white men, and courtroom drama) At times it felt like these elements detracted from the narrative itself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alafair Burke, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ebook! If you're a fan of slow burns, this one is for you. The story gradually unfolds, revealing one piece at a time, until it all unravels in an explosive conclusion!

An innocent note left on a car, a missing body, and a secret from decades before are at the center of The Note. The newest suspense novel from Alafair Burke was one I didn't want to put down. I think it's better to say less about this book because the more you know, the more can be spoiled. I did find it predictable at times, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of it. I read some of her earlier work and I can really see where she's grown as a writer.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Rating: 3.5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. Unfortunately, this will be my last Alafair Burke novel. This was so predictable and the characters were so flat and unlikable that I really should have DNFed.

the book started off strong and i was really into it, but it felt predictable towards the end. i felt like some of the twists could’ve been built in better to make them more believable. despite its predictably, i still was invested and interested and would still recommend.

Kelsey, May, and Lauren were once close until each of them had a scandal that "canceled" them. They meet in the Hamptons for a girls' weekend and what was considered a harmless prank when they leave a note on a car that took their parking spot they had been waiting for turns into a nightmare. The characters are selfish "rich" girls and mostly unlikeable. While this wasn't my favorite read, I did want to keep reading to find out the whodunit.

I cannot even begin to describe how excited I was to learn that an incredible mystery writer chose my hometown as the setting for her book. Yay! I know she has spent time in The Hamptons (thank you, True Crime and Mystery Fest), so it's always refreshing when the author knows what they're talking about. It feels real!

This thriller had an interesting premise, but ultimately it didn’t pull me in, and I really had to babe myself sit down and read it.

I read and enjoyed one previous book by Alafair Burke and was excited to check this one out.

While some of it felt far-fetched, I really enjoyed what a wild ride it was and was really engaged the entire time -- I didn't want to put it down, I was so curious how it would wrap up. I loved all the pop-culture references, especially to the games that I also play daily, and it made for a fun bit of levity in a stressful thriller.

I enjoyed May's character and felt sympathetic for her. It was harder for me to connect to the other characters, but enjoyed the contrast between the three of them.

I didn't see some of the twists coming and enjoyed being kept on my toes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Huge thank you to @knopf and @netgalley for advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
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It’s crazy to me that the pandemic was almost five years ago already! Of course, it makes sense that so many books are set in a post pandemic world. This was an interesting take on how post pandemic affects us each individually. In this case May, become somewhat of a homebody, and a bit panicked when it comes to health safety, which leads to an incident that gets her canceled. Lauren and Kelsey also have found themselves “canceled” for different reasons but these three old friends take the group text out of the phone and to the Hamptons!
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A drunken night goes awry after a note from them is left on a car windshield and soon these three friends find themselves in the middle of a police investigation. This one had many twists and turns!
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Look for this one in January !

This was a fun read, I liked the characters and their dynamic. Just enough background is woven in to make the plot more full and interesting. And the twists were fun! A popcorn thriller for sure, and nothing super deep, but a nice entertaining read!

This was ok. A lot of the premise was silly and it took forever to get through the first half. Once I hit the second half, I got a little more interested even though I figured out who the culprit was.