Thank you, Tandem, Harper Collins Canada, and @booksta.moments for including me in this book train!
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I can confidently say her thrillers are perfect for those moments when you want to binge-read a gripping story in just a few days.
The story follows Zoe, an author who had a whirlwind romance with Zach, now a famous star. Despite being ghosted by him in the past, she unexpectedly bumps into him and agrees to reconnect, thinking it’ll be a harmless fling. Zoe plans to use the encounter as inspiration for her next thriller—a tale about a celebrity and a stalker. But things quickly take a dark turn. She begins receiving chilling messages that eerily mirror the plot of the last book she read, where the protagonist didn’t survive. Suddenly, Zoe finds herself living out her own story, and it feels like she’s the mouse in a cat-and-mouse game.

One sleepless night and half a day later, I’ve finished the book—and I’m feeling thoroughly satisfied. The ending wasn’t what I anticipated, but the twists (some expected, some not) kept me hooked until the very last page.
If you’re a thriller fan, I highly recommend picking up one of her books. Pip might just end up on your auto-buy list too!!

I really wanted to love this book and Pip Drysdale has been an author I've enjoyed in the past but unfortunately I couldn't get into this one. The FMC felt all over the place and was hard to follow (even though I know from other books by the author she excels at writing unreliable crazy all over the place characters) and the story wasn't picking up. It didn't hold my attention or interest and did not feel like worth pushing through.

The Close-up by Pip Drysdale is a psychological suspense novel that felt repetitive and not very suspenseful at all. There was too much internal dialogue and a protagonist that was hard to like or empathize with. The twist at the end is the only reason I’m not giving it two stars, but the convoluted mystery of it all makes it all way less satisfying than it could have been.

While this book may have not been for me, thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

The premise alone had me hooked: An author struggling to write her next novel is unexpectedly reunited with the man who ghosted her years ago. Only to have their reunion trigger a series of events that follows a stalker reenacting events from her first novel.

My thoughts: I just finished this book, and oh my gosh. Usually I pride myself on being able to figure out and predict stuff before it is revealed, but that did not happen this time. It took me by complete surprise. I’m literally still looking for my jaw. I loved the main character’s inner monologue, and I love how she basically carried us along. She was really relatable, and I found myself thinking, “Yeah this is definitely something I would say in my head.” The tension in this book was phenomenal. It was very hard to put the book down at times, and I loved that! The ending, however, destroyed me in a way I didn’t think was possible. I love how this book played with the mystery and struggle of achieving one’s dreams. The pacing was great for the plot, and the plot twist was perfect and just right.

Thank you, Simon and Schuster, for this Arc! I highly recommend this book if you love a good plot twist and thriller.

This book had a really good idea that didn't quite come to fruition.
The writing is a bit clumsy and long winded which made the plot drag and become predictable.
I don't think I will be seeking out anything from this authors backlist.
Thank you (?) to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.

WOW! That ENDING!!!

Pip Drysdale has done it again!!

This book takes you on a journey to LA and the Hollywood scene of those struggling to make it big.

Love everything about this book, the writing, the characters, the plot and again that ENDING!!!!

I really enjoyed this intriguing thriller. Zoe moves to LA as an aspiring novelist. Her career looks like it’s on the rise until it’s not. She is under pressure to produce her second book but it is not happening for her. She unexpectantly reconnects with Zach, a guy she knew three years ago. Since then he has become a famous actor. From the moment she reunites with Zach strange and frightening things start to happen. She is suddenly being stalked and threatened. Zoe doesn’t know who to turn to or who to trust to help her. I loved the suspenseful buildup and the layers that slowly reveal themselves. I was definitely engaged in the story and invested in the plot. I enjoyed this very entertaining book.

Thank you to NetGalley, PiP Drysdale and Simon and Schuster Canada for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This is my favourite Drysdale novel yet. This is super twisty, super action packed and full of lying celebrities. I really didn’t want to put this one down! I was shocked by the twists and that ending had my mind blown! Definitely recommend.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an e-ARC of The Close-Up. Here are my honest thoughts!

Zoe moved from England to Los Angeles to pursue her writing dreams, and she makes it big; releasing a hit novel that is quickly overshadowed by the new thriller of the week. Now she’s stuck with writer’s block, when an old flame who is a huge celebrity pops back into her life. But soon, she is receiving threats and terrifying promises from a mystery stalker who is referencing her novel. Can Zoe figure out who is after her and why, or will she become a victim just like her protagonist?

For me, this book had high highs and low lows. I loved the writing in Los Angeles. I found the setting felt incredibly real to me and I could picture many of the scenes. I was also intrigued by the mystery for the first chunk of the novel, but unfortunately it kind of got away from me. I didn’t like that Zoe would explain what would happen next to her based on her book, because it left very little surprises. I knew all the scenes that were coming, except the ending!

Parts of the ending were a little predictable, but the very end was excellent. There was a huge twist that I really didn’t expect and had to go back to double check that I didn’t miss something. It was a creative and powerful way to finish the book about a woman who just wants to tell a story. At times, I found Zoe a little whiny and frustrating, but by the end of the book she had really grown on me.

If you want a fun thriller with some decent twists, you should check this book out!

If you are a fan of the inner workings of Hollywood as well as the dark side of celebrity then this is the book for you.

Read this iif you like:
-lush California setting with an insider's look at the luxurious world of Hollywood
-struggle to 'make it' in L.A and its toll it takes
-the stalker trope but with a twist
-life imitating art in this case replicating horrific acts in a book
-story within a story plot
-life of a writer and the struggle of writers block
-dysfunctional families
-missing persons and toxic relationships
-secrets and lies, obsession and murder
-satisfying twisty ending

My rating 3.75 out of 5


Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC that will be published Dec 3 2024.

This book is one of the most gripping novels I’ve read this year! I liked the LA setting, the deep dive into the lives of struggling characters who want to make it “big” in the City of Dreams, and the toll it takes and the sacrifice it entails to achieve these dreams. The author’s writing drew me in, didn’t let me go until the end when I was rendered speechless with that explosive finale!!!😱😱😱 I thought the creepy stalking that Zoe experienced was the main highlight of the story, but that epilogue sure deserves its own award for giving such a jaw-dropping twist!!! Needless to say, I’m recommending this to add to your MUST READ pile! It’s so sooo good!

Fact and fiction blur in this heart-pounding twisty thriller that sees a young struggling writer getting scared witless when gruesome acts from her debut book start happening in real life. This one was faced paced and though slightly far-fetched, was highly entertaining and good on audio. Recommended for fans of books like Jennifer Hillier's Things we do in the dark. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fast-paced, and quick read! It was such an interesting concept with an author’s stalker reenacting events from her book. I did enjoy the romance feel and the twists throughout. I also loved her style of storytelling by breaking the 4th wall. I do just wish there were some more suspense and thriller aspects earlier on in the story, but I did love how it wrapped up in the end. Overall, this was a fun and quick read that would be good for someone just starting to get into the thriller genre.

Thanks Simon & Schuster Canada for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Happy release day to THE CLOSE-UP by Pip Drysdale!

This was my first by the author, but it won't be my last. Reading about a struggling writer as a struggling writer was relatable and I could empathize with Zoe and her writer's block. Having the events in your book be brought to life, however, is terrifying for any writer or aspiring writer. And, quite possibly, is their worst nightmare. It's not out of the realm of possibility, which makes this story so intriguing. It was a slower burn with the action not really taking place until past the halfway mark. I figured out the first twist, but the second one got me! I wanted more suspense, though, and I didn't love the ending. Zoe was also a frustrating character at times and an unreliable narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for my review.

2.5⭐️

The Close-Up follows Zoe Ann Weiss, a struggling novelist who reconnects with her old flame, Zach Hamilton, now a rising Hollywood star. Their reunion reignites her creative spark, propelling her debut thriller to viral fame. But fame comes with a price, and soon Zoe finds herself in a chilling game orchestrated by Zach’s stalker, who uses her own novel as a playbook. What starts as a fascinating concept quickly becomes tangled in a slow and somewhat implausible narrative.

One of the book’s biggest challenges is its pacing. The story unfolds over a supposed ten-day timeline, but it feels much longer, with long stretches where little happens to move the plot forward. For a suspense novel, the tension takes too long to build, making it hard to stay fully engaged. Additionally, the twists and turns, while clever in theory, stretch believability—both the characters’ actions and the stalker’s meticulous replication of Zoe’s book feel exaggerated to the point of disbelief. The premise was compelling but the execution left me underwhelmed.

While The Close-Up has its moments, it ultimately fell short for me. Readers looking for a edge-of-your-seat thriller might find themselves disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Edgy, addictive, and twisty!

The Close-Up is a sharp, atmospheric tale that takes you into the life of Zoe Ann Weiss, a struggling author who, after reconnecting with a man who is now a Hollywood movie star, finds herself the victim of a deviant stalker with a penchant for reenacting all of the gruesomest scenes from her first and only published novel.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are troubled, tormented, and consumed. And the plot is an engrossing, eerie tale full of twists, turns, lies, deception, obsession, fame, depravity, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Close-Up is a sinister, suspenseful, tortuous tale by Drysdale that does a wonderful job of highlighting just how easily people can be emotionally and psychologically exploited while at the same time reminding us just how vulnerable and susceptible technology and social media truly makes us.

2.5⭐️

I love a psychological thriller but I really want to feel betrayed by it. To care so much about the characters that I’m shocked. I didn’t care for the main characters, or their relationship so had no investment in the story. It was far fetched and didn’t come together for me.

The very end helped redeem it a bit but it was too little too late.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced, fun thriller with twists that took me by surprise. Expect stalking, secrets, a struggling author who starts dating a celebrity, a writing club with a nemesis. Highly recommend this one!

Aren’t vacation reads the best? I read most of this while I was on a beach in Hawaii, and honestly it was probably the best reading experience for it. Warm sun, dry sand, creepy stalkers and grisly murders—perfect!
But in all honesty, I do love a writer protagonist, and Zoe was a fun one. Struggling with writer's block and her own slowly dwindling career opportunities, the last thing she needs is a media frenzy regarding her love life, and a crazed serial killer who’s a big fan of her work.
Personally, I feel like The Close-Up is very “of this time,” but in the best possible way. Reflecting both the pressures of the modern publishing industry but also current issues with parasociality and our consumer media culture. I feel like 10+ years down the line, people will pick up this book and have a better understanding of the 2015-2025 social climate, and that’s a really amazing thing.
Ultimately, the social commentary aside, this is still a really engaging and interesting book on its own. I would definitely recommend it if you love a good female driven mystery thriller.

I liked this twisted tale told from the perspective of a British author named Zoe. She moved to Hollywood after her debut novel, Fractured, was optioned full of optimism until her book flopped. Desperate to snap out of her writers block, and get the scoop on celebrity life for her new book, she ignores the warning signs surrounding movie star Zachary. She ends up tangled in a dangerous situation. I really enjoyed the way the plot was structured in a way that kept me guessing.