Corleone offers a strong premise with Falls to Pieces. Right off the bat we understand that Kati is an unreliable narrator. Whether due to her drinking problem or selective memory, she is unsure about the events leading up to Eddie’s disappearance. Through Kati’s POV, readers see that she constantly questions herself and her recollection of events. Including the incident that caused her to run off and change her name in the first place. As I progressed through the book and got more information regarding Kati’s past, I became only more confused.

Also, it appears as the author kept trying to throw readers off the trail by crafting possible ties between the people involved in Kati’s past and her present, and if there’s any connections to be made. However, it seemed unnecessary and only made the story harder to follow. While Zoe’s occasional POV helped bolster the suspense and mystery of the story, it became a plot hole at the end of the book. And unfortunately, the ending was disappointing as well. I wish I could say more positive things about this, but I’m not sure I would recommend this one.

“The police will presume one of two things: tragic accident or foul play. And if they discover I am not who I say I am, they’ll certainly lean toward the latter. Should they learn my true identity, they’ll know doubt charge me based solely on the circumstantial evidence already in hand.”


I think my thoughts of this book are going to be a bit skewed because it was a nostalgic setting for me.

The book begins with a missing person on the Pipiwai Trail on Maui, a trail that leads to a huge waterfall. I’ve visited Maui twice and hiked this trail both times. It was beautiful! This trail, the Road to Hana, and Maui in general hold a special place in my heart. It was really unique to read a book that was set in such a specific and not-so-traveled place that I’ve actually been to.
[Picture in my original post to prove it!]


There is some content in this book that is a bit hard to read and I’m sure could be a trigger for many readers. The main character, Kati, and her daughter, Zoe, have escaped to the secluded town of Hana. There are clues that her husband, Jeremy, was violent and abusive emotionally and physically. Katie and Zoe have assumed new identities and lived off-grid to avoid being found by Jeremy again.

“We cannot put anything past Jeremy’s vengeful family and their motley army of well-compensated minions.”



In the second half of the book we get more flashbacks to Kati’s previous life and the abuse she suffered not only from Jeremy, but in childhood from her own mother as well, who would often tell her she wished Katie was never born.

Katie isn’t a super likeable character in the book. Corleone frames her as an unreliable narrator type of character, which is not my favorite. She partakes of drugs and alcohol frequently enough that her gaps in memory are not super shocking or worrisome to her.

Yet, when you think of everything she’s been through, of course she’s going to be a bit messed up. I’m not sure we really see much character development for Kati as the story is more of the thriller variety than how Kati overcomes the trauma of her life to make something new.



The person who goes missing at the beginning of the book is Eddie, Kati’s new fiance. Not too long after that Zoe disappears too. Zoe and her mother have a pretty contentious relationship which doesn’t help either character’s likeability. The strained relationship makes Zoe’s appearance look like a potential runaway situation rather than a kidnapping.

Katie is sure Jeremy has found them again but as she discovers more about Eddie’s life, she realizes she never really knew him and there could be more players in this conflict than just her own past.



At times the plot felt a little convoluted and I lost track of who knew what when and what the important details were that I should be remembering for ‘solving the mystery.’

The twists were mostly surprising but I’m not sure I’d call them satisfying.

I think the overall vibe of this book for me was more 'sad’ than anything else. Sad for the characters, sad for the ending. The solution doesn’t have much redemption or hope.

The beginning of the book starts slow but picks up in the second half. Unfortunately, this book needed more than good pacing to save it.

I loved the initial premise and the title ‘Falls to Pieces’ with the waterfall and disappearance and previous life in ruins—all factors of a good concept— but it just wasn’t my favorite execution.



One thing that this book inspired was thinking about the Hawaiian islands in general. The wildfires in Lahaina happened during the writing of the book. Covid is mentioned in the book and how it was nice to not have all the tourists around for awhile.

It just made me very curious to know more about how the locals feel about tourism on their islands. I know tourism is a major aspect of their economy and brings a lot of jobs. However the book alluded to the fact that a lot of the tourism (hotels and such) are owned by non-Islanders/non-locals. That locals are pushed out of their homes.

“‘Transnational corporations are the ones exploiting Native Hawaiian culture, values, and traditions, all while crowded beaches and commercial tour boating destroy the shorelines and coastal fishing. It’s horrific.’”


I have a lot of questions now about how their economy works. Who benefits? Who gets taken advantage of? What would an actual better way of doing it be? What do locals want? Would ‘locally-owned only’ tourism be workable and able to sustain economic ups and downs? Do locals want tourists to stop coming all together? What benefits do tourists bring? Do Hawaiians like sharing their culture with us or is it a ‘well, what else can we do to make a living but really we’d rather you leave’ kind of situation?

I’m headed back to Maui this summer and now I’m wondering if my presence on the island is burdening the people.



Another aspect that was integral to the plot of the story was casinos. I didn’t realize that Vegas was called the ‘ninth island’ of Hawaii as there is a large and growing Hawaiian population there and a lot of Hawaiians who visit there regularly. In the book, one of the characters wants to build a casino on the islands. It is currently illegal to gamble and there are no casinos.

They saw an opportunity to create something akin to the casinos on Native American reservations for the locals of Hawaii. If this is a real consideration currently in Hawaii amongst certain groups, I hope they really consider the affects of inviting that environment onto their islands.

I understand this is a complex issue. This was my high school debate speech topic, and in the last 20 years my stance has only been affirmed by new evidence, but I’ll spare you all my arguments. I think Hawaii is a beautiful place and I do think there should be a conversation about how to keep the locals from being trampled by outside companies coming and doing business, but I would hate to see an environment like that which accompanies casinos taint their islands.



One other side note: the book mentions the island of Lanai: “Today, 98 percent of it is owned by the tech billionaire who founded Oracle.” The very first time we went to Maui, we were actually booked to go to Lanai. But then, shortly before our trip, it got purchased by the Oracle guy who decided to do a bunch of renovations. Our trip got moved to Maui, which was still awesome. But I do remember how baffled we were to discover the circumstances of our itinerary change!



Recommendation

I loved the setting, reminiscing about my time there, and learning about life in Hawaii, but there’s not much else to rave about with this book. With all the swearing and other content and lack of character development or redemption, this is a book I’ll label ‘not for me.’

I think there are readers who can enjoy it if those things don’t bother them, but generally speaking I’d say there’s probably a better book out there for you than this one.



[Content Advisory: 61 f- words, 40 s-words; sexual and emotional abuse, domestic violence]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

This was fantastic! The twists are masterfully done and the pacing is perfect! The writing is atmospheric and unique. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Douglas Corleone, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kati Dawes and her daughter, Zoe, have been living off the grid in Hawaii for the past two years. Kati is hiding from a dangerous past but has felt safe. That is until her fiancé disappears along a popular hiking trail. And as the search begins for him, her daughter also goes missing.

This was such an enjoyable thriller, and I loved the atmospheric Hawaii setting! It was a quick read with a good mystery, lots of twists, and an MC with a secretive past! There were some suspenseful moments as well as some shocking revelations. I wasn't completely sold on the ending, but this was still a great read. It's my first book by this author, and I'll definitely be reading more!

The setting in Hawaii, with its beautiful descriptions, made a solid foundation for this mystery. Full of secrets, lies, and a missing persons case, this was well-paced and addicting. The twists were unpredictable, but the ending became a bit too tangled. There was more than necessary to unpack. Overall, this was good and still well worth the read for me. Three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

Buckle up, because Douglas Corleone's Falls to Pieces is a rollercoaster of suspense that will leave you breathless.

This isn't just a thriller; it's a labyrinth of secrets, where every twist reveals a darker truth.

Corleone masterfully crafts a world where trust is a luxury and danger lurks around every corner. You'll be drawn into a vortex of intrigue, questioning everything and everyone. Just when you think you've pieced it all together, the ground shifts beneath your feet. Falls to Pieces is a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat experience that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Prepare to be thrilled, chilled, and utterly captivated.

Check out this teaser :

A mother and daughter in hiding are threatened by more than secrets and lies in a twisting novel of paranoia, revenge, and psychological suspense by bestselling author Douglas Corleone.

For two years, Kati Dawes and her teenage daughter, Zoe, have lived off the grid in Hawaii, hiding from a past Kati must forget as if her life depends on it. New names. Anonymous online presence. So far, safe. Until Kati’s fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, disappears along a popular hiking trail in a Maui national park. Now all eyes are on Kati. Exposure can make a woman with so many secrets very paranoid.

Eddie’s law partner, Noah Walker, is doing everything he can to protect his new client from the press that’s hovering like a vulture and the authorities whose suspicions about Kati—and the disappearance—are rising. Then suddenly, Zoe goes missing as well. Kati will risk anything to find her. But the worst is still to come. Because Kati’s not the only one with secrets. And buried among them is a twist she never saw coming.

The best part of Falls To Pieces is Corleone’s impressive descriptions of the Hawaiian setting-it was rich and highly atmospheric. However where I would rate the setting a 5 out of 5, the plot and characters were less impressive. I found the story to be too over wrought and rambling. I did enjoy the missing person aspect, the off grid living and the dual POVs but I feel that I was the wrong audience for this. If you enjoy slow burn psychological thrillers with themes of revenge, escaping your past and paranoia then you may enjoy this book.

My rating 3 out 5 

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this eARC which will be published April 1 2025.

Falls to Pieces 🌺

Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

Kati and her daughter Zoe have lived “off the grid” for two years on the island of Maui after fleeing from their past. When Kati’s fiancé goes missing, immediate suspicion is on her, and the last thing she needs is anyone looking her way or digging into her past.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I loved the setting, all the descriptions of beautiful Hawaii…please, take me back. I did also enjoy the set up, missing fiance and a past Kati ran from - both sounded like a promising set up. I think the best way to sum up my disappointment was that it was too convoluted. For me, the path Eddie’s (the fiancé) story went down wasn’t needed and just added more confusion in trying to keep people and things straight.

I did really enjoy the ending. I personally did not see the big reveal coming and was pleasantly surprised. Sure, it seemed a little far fetched, but several other factors also were throughout this book as well. Including, how the heck did Kati finance what I’m sure was a very expensive escape and subsequent life in Hawaii? This was a quick read and I would be interested in seeing what else this author has to offer.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Not a bad mystery. Atmospheric and easy to read, I give it three stars.

The search is on to find Kati's fiance Eddie, who goes missing while hiking. The last thing Kati needs is for her and daughter Zoe to be in the spotlight considering they are trying to stay out of sight but then Zoe herself goes missing too. This was an exciting story with twists I didn't see coming. The author's writing style was addictive and I hope to read more of his work in the future.

The writing is taut and full of suspense, while the characters are enigmatic, relentless, and resolute. The narrative swiftly unfolds into an enthralling story rife with surprises.
The pacing of the book is perfectly balanced—enough tension to keep you turning the pages.

Falls To Pieces is an intense thriller that culminates in an action packed twisty ending.

I absolutely loved the Hawaii setting, and the MC Kati was so well developed. There were many other characters who laid the groundwork for secrets and lies. Early in the book, we meet Mac and he was definitely a favorite. I absolutely love when secondary characters stand out and he definitely did!

This was my first by the author and I will be first in line for more!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #FallsToPieces by #DouglasCorleone. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about survival, determination and starting over. Katie and her daughter, Zoe, have been hiding from their past for two years. They have been safe until Katie’s fiancé, Eddie goes missing and she is all over the news. As she desperately tries to find Eddie, her daughter turns up missing too. She will do whatever necessary at this point. Can she find them before someone finds her?

Just when I thought I had everything figured out...BAM...plot twist!

Kati and Zoe are in hiding, but we aren't sure exactly why, at least not at first. The author doles out the answers in small doses throughout the whole book. Kati is embroiled in a fight to stay ahead of the police after her boyfriend is found murdered. Did Kati do it? If not, who did? 

I felt like Kati was not a reliable narrator or character. She was emotionally and verbally abused as a child and even in her marriage, which had an impact on her thought process. It is revealed at different times that Kati tended to get drunk and take pills. Was she avoiding life or trying to forget her past?

The story is fast-paced and action-packed. There is a lot to unpack to uncover the truth, but it makes for an engaging read.

We give this book 4 paws up.

Tense from the very start, this book will take you into a dark world, with unforgettable characters, and a deep, thrilling mystery. Little hints get dropped along the way, but as Kati doesn’t know exactly what happens, neither does the reader. She’s a bit of an unreliable narrator in some ways, but I love the little breadcrumbs dropped about her and Zoe’s past the deeper you get. Honestly, I was just as curious as to what happened then as what happened to Eddie and Zoe in the present. Corleone does a masterful job with the descriptions, it’s like watching a crime drama unfold before your eyes. There’s so much I want to say, but I’d rather not risk spoilers. If you like thrilling reads with plenty of twists, tension, and mystery, then this needs to be your next read!

A slow-burn thriller/mystery with a promising premise that kept me on my toes but fell flat once it was all said and done. Initially, we get sucked into a missing-person mystery and I felt like we have read this story before. It became a convoluted mess between the past and present and while it came together in the end and I was satisfied with the twist, it just seemed like a little of a chore to actually get there. Others might love it!

A bit of a mixed bag. I liked the Hawaiian setting but would point out it's not easy to go off the grid on Maui, especially with a teen daughter, if you aren't a local or haven't spent a lot of time there. No matter, Kati's fled her rotten ex with Zoe but now Kati's fiancee has disappeared on a hiking trip and Zoe is gone as well. This alternates between Kati and Zoe as the mystery twists in on itself. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others,

Not for me. I didn’t really enjoy the writing style or narrative of the protagonist. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I think ultimately I am just not the right audience for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Simmering, sinister, and edgy!

Falls to Pieces is an ominous, twisty tale that sweeps you away to Hawaii and into the life of Kate Dawes, the mother of a teen daughter who, after fleeing an abusive husband and changing her name, finds her world turned upside down again when her new boyfriend, a local beloved lawyer goes missing, and the publicity surrounding his disappearance brings all his secrets to light as well as her own.

The prose is crisp and tight. The characters are secretive, persuasive, and vulnerable. And the plot is a complex, menacing tale of family, friendship, deception, lies, drama, manipulation, secrets, revelations, suspicious personalities, violence, and murder.

Overall, Falls to Pieces is a suspenseful, compelling, intense tale by Corleone that isn’t incredibly fast-paced but which, ultimately, does a remarkable job of highlighting that people aren’t always who they seem.

This one started out really strong for me, and just kind of devolved into something else.

Katie and her teenage daughter are living under new identities in Hawaii. They are on the run from her abusive husband and the murder investigation of her mother-in-law. Kati's new fiancé turns up missing, she is once again the center of a murder investigation, her daughter then goes missing, and that is where everything goes wild.

I really liked the book when it was more about dark family secrets and had more of a domestic suspense to it. The book quickly turned to corporate and political corruption and that is where it lost me. The end of the story was really just so convoluted with no one who they seemed to be. I could no longer keep track of all the characters.

This one will work better for people who enjoy thrillers of corruption and have an easier time following them.