I'm so disappointed that I didn't fully enjoy this one. It felt like I was reading two books combined together by two different authors. The first half of the story was extremely slow. It was dragged out with endless backstories on the three women that I felt were unnecessary. Having a well-developed character and knowing his or her history is one thing, but to have their issues repeated numerous times was overkill for me. This caused me to not like or care about any of the characters. The second half of the book was fast paced and engaging though. The reveal wasn't much of a surprise. I had it narrowed down to a few characters but wasn't sure until I was. In my opinion, this book lacked the intensity that the author usually projects in her novels. I love her legal thrillers and collaborations with the infamous Mary Higgins Clark, but this one missed the mark for me. I would recommend only to form your own opinion.  

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I was expecting to enjoy this book more than I did. I didn’t care for any of the characters and I felt like the story dragged on a little too long. The ending was not much of a surprise. I thank Knopf Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book

I was excited to Read The Note as my first Alafair Burke book. I haven’t read anything else by this Author.
The book was an okay read. I was hoping for more. It was slow starting out and I feel as if she added a lot of fluff that wasn’t exactly needed that took away from the story.
I do think Alafair did a good job making each of the characters feel like your group of friends and everyday life gets in the way kinda feel. While it wasn’t my favorite I will try another book by Her!

This is my first read by this author. I found it engaging and pretty fast-paced so I’ll likely read more from her. I thought the story was good even though I guessed the twist at the end early on. Would recommend

I have enjoyed all of Alafair Burke’s novels, and if you've never read her books, pick up this one, and you'll be hooked and heading to buy everything else she's written. She knows how to set the scene, blend in plenty of twists, and build characters that seem true to life.

In this case, after the pandemic, some friends who knew one another from years ago, but had bonded online during the quarantine decide to meet up for a girls' weekend. Do they really know one another at this point? Will the weekend be what they each thought it might be?

The pacing is perfect, and you will not want to put this book down. I thought I had all the answers, but, of course, I did not. Cleverly done.

I highly recommend this book, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that, while I enjoyed the post pandemic background, it was mentioned so much I was tired of it.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for a digital copy of The Note by Alafair Burke in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AlafairBurke #Knopf #NetGalley #thriller #mystery #TheNote

It was meant to be a harmless prank to get back at the guy and his snotty girlfriend who stole their parking space. The note caused a lot more harm than the three friends could have imagined. When Kelsey, Lauren and May reunite after years of being too busy to see each other, they begin to learn so much more about each other than they remember from their camp counselor days and not all of it is good. Kelsey's husband has been murdered with no suspect in sight, Lauren is having an affair with an older, married man and May has had to give up her dreams of becoming the DA for New York due to a video that made its way to social media. All three are looking for supportive friendship but when the driver of the stolen parking space car is missing and later found dead, the suspicion falls first on the three women and later on Kelsey who is still a suspect in her husband's murder. Asian American May has her suspicions about her friend and jumps to the wrong conclusion. Can she undo her damaging words before Kelsey is sent to prison for life?
Interesting characters and the power of words combine to change a "girl's week" vacation into a murder investigation. The background information about the girls time at camp will give astute readers of mysteries the clues they will need to solve the murders.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Three longtime friends are meeting up for a weekend in the Hamptons. They have dubbed themselves "The Cancelled Crew" due to separate events that have befallen them (one involving a murder). On their weekend, they somehow get tangled into another murder mystery. Through many twists and turns, the reader learns the intricacies of "the cancelling," to the end when the murderer is revealed. A quick-paced, mystery!

I had never read a book by Alafair Burke before taking on The Note, but I'll be reading more of her books moving forward. This was a good mystery. None of the characters were all good or all bad, and everyone had annoying characteristics--just like real life! I felt like May, Lauren, and Kelsey were people I knew, and not just because I'm familiar with the Hamptons, but because they seemed like real people I went to boarding school with. Each one of the three were multi-layered and complex, with both good and bad qualities, which must be hard to write because so few writers are able to do it well. I really appreciated the little details, like the fact that thirty-year-old people really do still connect over what boarding school they went to. It wasn't the most surprising ending, but the rest of the book is so well-written, it's not a disappointment. Although there are definitely some unusal twists in the story!

May, Lauren, and Kelsey are all part of the Canceled Crew--women whose lives went viral for not great reasons. They also worked at the same summer camp, and one even dated another's sibling. They are connected, even if May and Kelsey haven't seen each other for years. The three of them decide to spend a weekend in the Hamptons and when some man steals a parking spot, one of them leaves a note on his windshield...and then later, the man turns up missing. How are the three of them connected to this missing man? And what are they hiding from each other?

Great book.

A drunken weekend in the Hamptons turns into a nightmare when three friends find themselves tied up in a murder investigation.

May has been friends with Lauren and Kelsey since summer camp and is excited to reunite after several years apart. A control freak and rule follower, May is anxious about the trip, and her worries are justified when a playful prank lands them at the center of a murder.

When three friends get drunk during their weekend getaway to the Hamptons, they play a prank with disastrous results, finding themselves tied up in a murder investigation. As it turns out, all three are hiding secrets.

The author’s writing style is engaging, and the mystery is intriguing. However, the three friends are close to unlikable and behave selfishly throughout. Part of the premise of their reunion is they are all part of the “Cancelled Club”, meaning they were all caught up in scandals exposed to the world. To have one friend be canceled seems like it could be explained; when it is all three, it does raise some eyebrows.

While the characters are not the most charming, the plot is solid, and fans of a good whodunit will enjoy this fast-paced mystery.

I received an advanced copy through Net Galley in exchange for a review. I enjoyed this author’s other books so was happy to read this one as well. Overall, it was quite convoluted with too many characters having complex backgrounds or backstories to keep track of. I think if those were somehow simplified, the story might have been more interesting. The climax and ending were also extremely abrupt.

Alafair Burke’s The Note is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller that pulls readers into a web of lies, deception, and dark secrets. Known for her masterful suspense and intricate plotting, Burke delivers another pulse-pounding narrative filled with twists that keep you guessing until the very end.

The pacing of The Note is tight, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that compels you to keep turning the pages. Burke weaves in elements of suspense and psychological tension as the plot builds toward its explosive climax. The novel also raises thought-provoking questions about identity, trust, and how far one will go to protect the people they care about.

In classic Alafair Burke fashion, the final twist is as shocking as it is satisfying. Just when you think you have everything figured out, the story takes a sharp turn, leaving you reeling.

Overall, The Note is a must-read for thriller fans. With its engaging characters, relentless tension, and unexpected twists, it’s the kind of book that keeps you up late at night, eager to unravel the mystery.

The Note is the first book I’ve read by Alastair Burke. Three old friends meet for a weekend in the Hamptons. When one of the friends leaves a nasty note on a strangers car for laughs, things take a horrible turn no one could predict. This fast paced book was a fun read and hard to put down!

Typically I enjoy this author's books. This one just fell short. I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters.
I appreciate the ARC, thank you Net Galley.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I had never read anything from this author. She is definitely a good writer who is grammatically correct and detailed. I’m sure being a lawyer helped that! This book delves heavily into the relationships of three lifelong friends. Each has a checkered past and present! I didn’t particularly care for any of them, and felt all of them deserved some of the misfortunes that came their way! The book was interesting from the beginning and kept that way at an even pace. It has a lot of convoluted details that serve to keep the mystery alive. I will seek out more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Suspenseful with twists you won't see coming. Well written but felt a bit slow paced at times. Character development is very good. Secrets, lies, betrayals and even murder encompasses the lives of three friends from past to present. What is the truth? Who do you believe? Received a free copy from NetGallery and this is my voluntary honest review.

This was an extremely well written psychological mystery with a surprising twist at the end. I particularly appreciated that the three main characters were multi-racial (white, Asian, African America) and the author recognized issues that each woman faced and responded to in a realistic manner.

The book moves back and forth in time to provide background details critical to the plot and emotional responses of the three woman involved. Readers can easily identify with the strengths and flaws of one or more of characters.

I enjoyed the pace of the book including the false flags interspersed throughout. The book was a real page turner until the final satisfying conclusion!

Wowowowowow. this had me HOOKED. I could not stop reading this and every free moment I had was coming back to read the next chapter. The twisted world that May is embroiled in and her friends who may or may not be who they seem is such a ride. Little by little you are fed new bits of information until you think you know how it all ends...and then that theory gets blown to smithereens. I never would have guessed how this all wraps up and it truly fed my true crime soul. Don't hesitate, you will LOVE this!

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, reading all in one day. The premise was good, the characters different enough to be engaging, and the story just zipped along at a good pace.

My only complaint was the first 1/3 of the book -- it felt a tad disjointed and was a little confusing before the underlying issues of the main characters were laid out. Other than that, well done.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

I love Alafaire Burke and this is one of her most intriguing books I’ve read. This book is about three friends who have known each other since childhood who have all been at the center of their own individual scandals. This book kept me interested from the start and I'm looking forward to her next thriller.

May has always been the good, well behaved girl in the trio of long standing childhood friends that include Lauren and Kelsey. Now years later they meet up for a trip in the Hamptons after long absences from each other.

The daring one, Kelsey, leaves a provocative note on the windshield of a bickering couple's car, supposedly as a joke to get back at the couple for taking the girls' parking space outside a restaurant. The consequences of that note become complicated and more involved that it first seems.

The plot is intriguing, as well as the very different personalities of the three women. A suspenseful thriller that is very entertaining.