A super smart, fun thriller that had me turning the pages and finishing in a single day. I had to know what was going to happen! Some twists were easy to see coming, but others were a fun surprise that had me gasping. I had a great time!

A reunion trip to the Hamptons for May, Kelsey, and Lauren and a seemingly harmless practical joke turns into disaster when the victim of said joke goes missing the next day. On the outside, it would seem that these are merely unfortunate circumstances, but each woman has dealt with a social media onslaught and cancellation, which causes their reluctance to share what they know with authorities. Plus, their friendships are not what they were, and their trust may be more fractured than any of them are willing to admit.

This was a fast-paced read with some unlikeable characters each with complicated histories. I enjoyed the weaving of the origins of their friendships in the present-tense events of the novel. I sometimes struggle to enjoy thrillers because I'm analyzing the small details, looking for the plot twist. So, I can't get as wrapped up in the narrative in a thriller as I can in another genre. However, that's a "me" problem, not a problem with this or any other thriller. That said, I did guess the twist, but it wasn't due to any glaringly obvious hints. It was a satisfying ending for me, although I can imagine it wouldn't suit everyone's tastes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Note
By: Alafair Burke
Pub Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Knopf
Three friends decided to meet for a vacation in the Hamptons. Their past is complicated and the secrets are REAL! Do they trust each other? What is that saying “ Keep your friends close, your enemies CLOSER”?
May, Lauren and Kelsey were bonded at the young age of twelve after a tragedy.
The Hamptons is supposed to be a fun time, but after a drunken prank goes wrong, the police are now questioning them and May seems to be the center of their investigation. Why are they so focused on her? How well does she really know her friends?
Get ready for a wild ride. Be careful who you call a FRIEND!!!
Thank you, Knopf, for the gifted e-ARC. This was my 5th by this author and love her style.

Lauren, May, and Kelsey call themselves the cancelled crew as each had a blow up in social media affecting their lives. They have all been friends since childhood spending summers at camp together. Now, they decide to meet in the Hampton’s for a fun get away. One note on a cocktail napkin meant as a joke puts them under suspicion for murder.

This was a fun who dun it mystery. May will be torn in many different ways as she struggles with what to do and who to believe. Nothing like murder to test a friendship.

This author typically writes books that captures and enthralls. This one just didn’t do that for me this go round. It almost felt like someone else had written it. I managed to get through the first fourth and then skipped to the back to see what happened. I feel it was because none of the. characters were likable.

As always I appreciate Net Galley and the chance to read the ARC!

What a fun read! I finished it in under 24 hours. I was at the halfway point when I started to suspect how everything was going to shake out, although when I reached the 90% mark and still had no indication that my theory was correct, I started to doubt my instincts. But the last 10% brought it all back and I was right! (Well, mostly right. I figured out who committed the crime and why, but I did not anticipate the way that character's story would play out.) IMO, this is not a negative thing… It means that the author has done a great job of laying the groundwork for the way the story resolves. I hate when there's some sort of a twist that doesn't make any sense to what has come before. This story was well plotted and a great time! I really enjoyed the way these ladies came through for each other, even when they were getting on each other's nerves. Nobody's perfect, no relationship is perfect, and all friendships have their ups and downs, but these three always had each other's back. I also appreciated the critical lens applied to the aftermath of both cancel culture and true crime superfans, and the way one person's casual hobby or clickbait post can absolutely derail the life of the person on the other end. It's a thing we all inherently understand to be true, but I don't know that I've ever seen it described in such thoughtful detail.

This is my first book from this author but I plan to head to my local used bookstore and see what else I can find from her.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

Review of Uncorrected eBook Proof

Despite some uncertainties, May Hanover is preparing to meet her friends, Lauren Berry and Kelsey Ellis for a girls’ weekend in the Hamptons. Perhaps it was the fact that she hadn’t seen them in several years. But they’d been friends since their summer music camp days [where Lauren was a counselor] when May was just twelve years old.

Each woman has had a negative social media experience that has colored their day-to-day lives despite some efforts to move forward. But their friendship has endured, as this weekend has proven.

But when a prank unexpectedly puts the women in the middle of a police investigation and May begins to wonder about secrets her friends may be keeping.

Can their friendship survive whatever lies ahead?

=========

After a bit of a slow start, the narrative gains momentum, becoming a fast-paced thriller. Some unexpected plot twists keep readers guessing leading to some unexpected surprises.

While the characters are well-developed, none are particularly likeable. Yes, they come from very different backgrounds; they each carry burdens from their pasts and the decisions they continue to make. But they make choices that are questionable at best and don’t necessarily seem to act like responsible adults.

But the mystery is compelling and readers may not see the twist coming, the one that changes everything. Readers who enjoy girlfriend stories with a strong dose of mystery and intrigue woven into the telling of the tale will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Knopf Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor / Knopf and NetGalley
#TheNote #NetGalley

Three former child musical prodigies—one a successful Chinese-American lawyer, another a prominent African-American symphony director, and the other a stunningly beautiful blonde daughter of a fabulously wealthy Boston millionaire—in addition to being longtime friends, they also individually hide dark secrets; withhold knowledge about anonymous notes, messages, and relationships; just may be guilty of multiple murders in Alafair Burke’s gripping suspense thriller, “The Note.”

This is my first Alafair Burke novel; however, it definitely will not be my last because I am intrigued by The Note’s lybrythine twists and O’Henry surprises.

I love, love, love this novel. It's my favorite type of page-turner—ones that keep me up until 3 a.m. devouring each luscious paragraph.

NetGalley, Author Alafair Burke, and Publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf are graciously thanked for providing this advanced readers’ copy (ARC)—JoyReaderGirl1.

The Note is a fast-paced, page turner which I really enjoyed. I did figure out the twist before the Hamptons court date, but it was still an awesome Alafair Burke book! I also was glad to see May’s note on her upcoming date in the Epilogue! Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Publication Date: Jan 07, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC.
Sadly, I didn't like the book and kind of rushed through the 2nd half to the ok ending. The 3 friends were not grown ups, they behaved like spoiled teenagers and I really had a hard time believing they cared about each other. This was my first book by the author, but after reading some reviews I decided I'd try another, earlier one.

The Note is an engaging story that I throughly enjoyed reading! Even though I figured out the main twist, the story still kept me involved as did the characters. Great job, Alafair Burke!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this advanced copy.

The Note: A Novel by Alafair Burke

One-word review: Complex
Emojis: 😴🧐🫣
Rating: 3.5 🌟s

My Top-Five-style Review:

5. I loved that all the characters had very different backgrounds and remained friends. From a successful lawyer to a struggling artist, the diversity in their professions and personal lives added depth to the story. The friendship theme throughout the story is a nice touch and adds to the complicated nature of the thriller.
4. The setting(s) is my favorite, with characters spending significant time near the water - this story mainly occurred in the Hamptons. I haven't been there, but I have always loved coastal settings.
3. The characters are adequately developed for the genre, but they annoyed me greatly as I read. Their actions and decisions sometimes seemed unrealistic and forced, which detracted from the overall reading experience.
2. The story's first half read very slowly and struggled to hold my attention, BUT…
1. The second half turns unexpectedly, propelling the narrative into a twisty, turney, fast-paced adventure. The big reveal caught me off guard, and I loved that about it.

Three girlfriends head to the Hamptons for the weekend, but as they are looking for a place to park, a couple steal their coveted spot. After a few drinks they decide to leave a note on the car - “He’s cheating, he always does””. At the time they think it’s a harmless prank but realize that it has caused much trouble than they realized.

This started off pretty slow and very heavy on pandemic references. Very little happens in the first half of the book, but it does pick up some in the second half. It didn’t give the “rush” that a really great thriller does.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alafair Burke, and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alafair Burke has written many enjoyable and interesting books that I have previously read.. Unfortunately, The Note is not one of them. The story of three old friends meeting for a summer weekend in the Hamptons and getting involved in a prank is mostly tedious. There are several murders but nothing is really thrilling and the only mystery is why I continued reading through to the ludicrous conclusion. I thank NetGalley and Alfred A, Knopf for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

The Note is the story of three old friends. They've each had experience being overwhelmed by the criticism of the internet, some of whom deserved it more than others. The three women go on a trip and hijinks ensue.

While this is a quick and decent light read, I didn't particularly like the characters. I will say that the ending wasn't glaringly obvious.

Three girls attended music camp together many moons ago. Two were attendees and one was an older counselor. They have all stayed in touch their entire lives through phone calls, text and of course have had periods of no communication, as any friendship does. But when all of them eventually have a public and brutal "cancelling" scandal on social media for one reason or another, they find themselves back together at the Hamptons for a long weekend beach vacation to destress and reconnect. After they've unpacked, one of the friends - Kelsey, suggests dinner out in the city. While it seems simple enough, they have en encounter there that will change their lives for not only the rest of the weekend but shape their friendship forever.

Alafair Burke is an author I've seen around, seen on socials and posts, but never really dug into. I'm not quite sure why - until this book. I don't think I realized she wrote crime / thriller which is my go-to read. But after this book, I've put her on my TBR list for any new and old reads I can find time for in my life. The book itself was really, really good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I couldn't give it five stars as I'm careful which books I give five stars and don't give the rating away loosely, but again - I can't pinpoint to anything in this book I didn't enjoy or didn't make me want to keep reading. I devoured it in almost 2 "weekdays" which is a good feat for me.

#TheNote #NetGalley
Alafair Burke's The Note is a riveting thriller that explores the fragile balance of friendship, secrets, and the unexpected consequences of seemingly harmless actions. The novel centers on May Hanover, a well-behaved, high-achieving young woman raised under the watchful eye of her first-generation Chinese single mother. Known as the "Little Sheriff" for her rule-abiding nature, May has always tried to be the "good girl." However, even the most disciplined people have secrets, and May's long-time bond with her friends Lauren and Kelsey is far from spotless.
Reuniting after years apart for a getaway in the Hamptons, the trio hopes for relaxation and fun. But their trip takes a dark turn after a drunken prank involving strangers spirals out of control, leaving May at the center of a police investigation. As the pressure mounts, May starts to question her friends’ loyalty, wondering whether they are hiding something from her—and if she has ever really known them at all.
Burke skillfully builds tension throughout the novel, gradually revealing layers of the characters' pasts and the burdens they each carry. The dynamic between May, Lauren, and Kelsey is both compelling and complex, capturing the insecurities, loyalty, and betrayals that often define long-term friendships. May’s struggle between being a rule-follower and grappling with a situation that is spiraling beyond her control makes her an especially relatable and multidimensional character.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for giving me an advance copy.

Such a fast and engaging read! This story was full of twists that seemed completely plausible in a post covid digital platform. I was given just enough information to form my own conclusions - only to be proven wrong time after time!

As a fan of Alafair Burke’s thrillers, it’s hard to admit that this book was a miss for me. In short, the story begins as three childhood female friends reconnect after several years by taking a weekend trip to the Hamptons. Each woman has had an event in her past, which has had an impact on who’ve they become and how they live their lives. A lot of drinking ensues during the weekend and what begins as a prank after an incident parking their car, turns into a nightmare which causes the women to question and trust their friendship and one another. I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters and their toxic relationship.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.