"The Note" by Alafair Burke is a murder mystery that takes place partially during a vacation at the beach. May (the attorney and college professor) and Lauren (the symphony directory) committed no murders but Kelsey (the widowed attorney who works at her father's business)-- well, it's hard to be sure.

The young women are long-time friends, having attended the same arts camp while in school. They've kept up their relationship largely by text message but now want the real thing. Wouldn't you know, their very first night out, a guy steals the parking spot they'd been waiting for. Cooler heads seem to have prevailed, but then it turns out that one of the women had gone back and put a provocative note on the man's windshield.

The next day May, Lauren, and Kelsey begin to see "Have you seen this man?" posters. Yes, it's parking spot man. Each has an idea about what to do and come up with different stories. Consequently, when the police start coming around, the friends look guilty even to themselves. But who really did it? The murderer of Kelsey's husband was never identified; could the two cases be related? Can the friendships even survive the hurt feelings?

"The Note" has the most delicious red herrings. Just when you think you've made a little progress, I imagine you'll find you haven't.

Alafair Burke has written an unusual, intriguing book with more attention paid to character and relationship details than in many mysteries. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Note. The writing was excellent. Kept me turning the pages. I did figure out a big part of the plot pretty early on, but it didn’t ruin the book for me. I’m anxious to read more of Burke’s books. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Solid thriller with twists and turns galore.
When life long friends May, Kelsey and Lauren decide to share a getaway in the Hamptons that
Kelsey books for them, murder and man and mayhem are not far behind.
Playing a prank on a person who cut them off in a restaurant parking lot and stole their parking spot, seems like a funny little minute of revenge as they drink their afternoon away. The note they leave on the car's windshield ends up being anything but funny as the driver goes missing that evening.
Very good mystery with strong, complicated but intriguing characters and a riveting plot.
Bravo.

I would like to thank the publishers and Alafair Burke for an ARC copy of The Note. May, Kelsey and Lauren was best friends since summer camp. Although May and Kelsey didn’t keep In touch with Kelsey, Lauren was the go between. They all decided to meet in the Hamptons and have a girls weekend. Well it turned out to be a very interesting one. Someone is missing and fingers start getting pointed. This nook kept me guessing and on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t wait to get to the end. Enjoy!
I was given a free copy of this book to give an honest opinion.

Despite being somewhat predictable, this was a solidly written and highly entertaining contemporary crime novel.

We have all had moments we aren’t exactly proud of, unfortunately . . . May, Lauren, and Kelsey have had their flawed moments hashed out in the public eye. Each of these women has since dealt with their own toxic fifteen minutes of internet shame and find themselves far removed from the carefree childhood friends they once were.

In the messy aftermath of public scandal, their innocence has faded along with the fierce closeness they each shared. In a coordinated effort to reconnect, a fun getaway is planned to the Hamptons. During the trip, a petty inebriated decision is made by one of the ladies to leave a provocative note on the windshield of a car that brazenly stole a parking spot. The incident was quickly forgotten, but that prank note has darker repercussions than anyone intended or could have possibly imagined. It wasn’t considered a serious matter until a police investigator arrived at their rented house. Each question exposes deep insecurities and trust issues. Rising suspicions pit them against one another, someone here is a deceiver. A rush to judgment, an affair, and an unsolved murder…all that and more comes along to unravel these three women and test the loyal bonds of their friendship . . . will it survive the truth?

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Note for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

This book had me stressed! Bad decisions and secrets between friends. The book kept me guessing until close to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Book review 📖

📜The Note
✍️Alafair Burke
📠Knopf
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: January 7, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @aaknopf for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Three friends, May, Lauren, and Kelsey, take a trip to the Hamptons for a weekend of what was supposed to be fun. What they end up with are police knocking on their doors after a man goes missing.

✨May, a former Assistant District Attorney and self-proclaimed rule follower, decides to let loose on her weekend trip. What happens when a chance encounter with another couple and a handwritten note unravels a string of negative events in succession?

✨When May finds herself at the center of a police investigation, she wonders if she really knows her friends at all and what secrets they’re harboring.

✨I thought I’d like this one a lot more than I did. I felt like the action was a little slow and there was a dump of backstory at first, which I prefer to learn over time. I do, however, like Alafair Burke’s books and will continue to read more.

#netgalley #thenote #alafairburke #knopf #thrillerfiction #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #winterreleases

I am a huge fan of Alafair Burke but this book just fell short for me. Very predictable and just nothing that held my attention. I didn’t particularly like the 3 main characters either. Overall this was just a miss for me.

Kelsey, May, and Lauren meet in the Hamptons for a girls weekend. Once close friends, they have been somewhat estranged as each one has something scandalous in their backgrounds. When a prank goes awry and someone is murdered, their friendship is tested as suspicion falls on them. Secrets are revealed, relationships questioned as the hunt is on for the killer.

Like peeling away the layers of an onion, the histories of the three women slowly unfold with twists, turns, and surprises. I didn’t particularly like the main characters, but I loved the story….I couldn’t put it down. Another book read deep into the night.

Even though I wasn’t trying, I did guess the perpetrator fairly early. That did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. A great escapist read; perfect for the beach, a rainy day, or a cold and stormy one.

Twists, lies, secrets, betrayals, and one note that sets everything in motion and once started, just keeps throwing red herrings in all directions. You might think you've guessed it, but likely not. Tense and addictive, and nothing is really as it seems. A joy for all mystery fans!

I kept thinking I knew where this was going to go and then was pleasantly surprised.

Three friends visit the Hamptons for the weekend and one of the girls leaves a note on the windshield of the car of the couple who steals their parking spot. But when one of the couple later winds up missing and dead, the three girls scramble to solve the mystery before one of them takes the fall.

This was witty and clever. The characters were interesting and unique. I enjoyed the plot and it was a quick and fun little mystery. I love that I thought I knew “whodunnit” but ended up being surprised at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This was a story of 3 women who have been friends since childhood who reunited for a getaway. I have always enjoyed Alafair Burke’s books. This book was somewhat of a letdown. I will remain a fan and be happy to read any future ARCS of hers.

Like Alafair Burke’s previous novels, The Note is an excellent thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. However, it’s not my favorite of hers, largely because I’m not a big fan of coincidences in storytelling—and this one has a couple of major ones.

Three long-time girlfriends, self named the "Cancelled Crew" get together for a vacation weekend in the Hamptons that ends in a police investigation. Each of the women were involved in a public scandal that led to their "cancellation" and subsequent withdrawal from society. During the weekend, friendships are tested, secrets are revealed and a practical joke has serious consequences.

This was a fast read and I can't say any of the characters were especially likeable. I did not see any of the twists coming and was especially surprised by the ending, however I do feel it was a bit anticlimactic. The Note was a decent psychological thriller that kept me guessing.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the eARC!

Wow! Just wow. That is the thought that comes to mind upon completing The Note by Alafair Burke. I have read all of her novels, and The Note is excellent like all the others. I really cared about the characters, the storyline was captivating, the pacing was just right, the dialogue natural, and the storyline is completely realistic. I really enjoyed this novel. It was definitely a five-star read!

I enjoyed this mystery thriller about 3 girlfriends who run into trouble on a trip to the Hamptons.Friends since childhood, they’ve gone their separate ways but have made a special effort for this long weekend trip to get together and reconnect over dinner and enjoyable time together. Things don’t go according to plan when murder enters the picture.

I was thrilled to get this ARC from NetGalley so I read it right away. In the beginning, I wasn't too fond of May but her personality really came through once she put her lawyer hat on. This story is so topical - from how and what happened to May in 2020 to how she is addicted to true-crime podcasts. Each girl has an moment of infamy in her past and they all get explained in a timely manner, especially as the story develops and pieces start falling into place. Without spoiling it, the author does a nice job connecting past events with the present, which created fun twists. I have to say, I guessed the whodunnit early on, but still enjoyed how it came to light in the story. Alafair Burke is a must-read for me.

Wow, this was a complicated contemporary mystery about childhood friends who get together for a reunion in the Hamptons. When someone they knew from the past disappears simultaneously in the Hamptons, they all become suspects. These old friends have all suffered their share of past tragedy even though they grew up with money. The local sheriff suspects they know more about the disappearance and are lying to him. Old pain bubbles to the surface, and secrets, lies, and murder rise with the pain. It's a good read with well-drawn characters, but a little slow initially. So many suspects, it kept me guessing until the end.

"The Note" delivers a twisty mystery, where no one is truly innocent and the author keeps you guessing until the end. The story revolves around the "Cancelled Crew," a trio of women who've been friends for years. The pandemic rekindled their dwindling friendship, bonded together by each of their individuals traumas. A weekend away in the Hamptons to reconnect takes a dark turn when a man goes missing, and suspicions rise within the group.

The bulk of the story is told from May's perspective, an attorney turned law professor with a hidden temper. Gathered together with Kelsey and Lauren, who each have their own pasts to contend with, each is left questioning who they can trust, and trying to figure out what his missing man has to do with their sordid past.

Highly recommend this quick read. As soon as you think you know what happened, you'll change your mind.

Another great read from Alafair Burke! Rich, complex characters and an engaging plot keep the reader engaged. One star off for the pandemic backstory, I call it “Covid fatigue”.