It's gonna be hard to market this book. It's not a romance, though it has romantic elements. It's not a mystery, thought it has mystery in it. It's not historical fiction, not a spy, not a caper. Perhaps it's a female driven answer to a James Patrerson novel? Start reading for the late 20s early 30s woman figuring out her life, stay for the Hollywood grandma and Nazi Germany stollen jewels? This book is well written and researched. Some of the characters were interesting. Some if the plot points were good, some convenient. Seems like this may be a start of a series? I may like the second one better now that I get the tone. I waited until the last 3 days I had access to this book to read it and... yeah. If you are someone who doesn't like being confined to one genre, this book is for you. 3 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was the perfect mix of spy mystery, historical fiction and it was humorous. I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy a book that takes place during WWII, but this book was so much more than that. The author did an amazing job with this book and I honestly think anyone could enjoy it!

What a fun take on a cozy mystery that incorporates a pinch of WWII history. I was rooting for Lucy through every twist and turn, through to the very final plot twist.

This was honestly unlike anything I've ever read. A mix of quirky accidental spy/mystery fiction with very serious WWll historical fiction.

I loved this story but I did find the historical fiction surprising based on the blurb and what I thought I was getting into. I think at times I struggled with the seriousness of the flashbacks and the silly / quirky writing of the present day.

Lucy was a mess but I loved her. I wish there had been a bit more of a friendship or connection with the other characters but I get that everyone was a suspect. I also loved all the clues tucked in throughout the book.

Overall this was fun and hilarious and heartbreakingly sad all at once. I really enjoyed reading something so different and unique.

This seems like it was going to be a light and fluffy and quick read. I liked the setup - the concept of a Bearer of Bad News as a career path made me smile and felt like a natural offshoot of this current environment in which you can pretty much pay anyone to do anything for you. But the layering of the Nazis and generational family drama struck a discordant note for me.

The book was heavier than anticipated, or than the cover or blurb would suggest, and I struggled with it as a result. It was like the book couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be - cozy or serious - and by trying to blend the two, it wound up being neither. I found it unsatisfying. It was not a good fit for me...

Such a fun read! There's intrigue, but it's relatively lighthearted, and there's also some good historical tidbits thrown in. The character's are all pretty surface level but it was what I expected and still enjoyed reading about them.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I almost felt like I was reading two different stories -- one contemporary, one historical -- with two very different tones. Both were interesting.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a unique and interesting story. I enjoyed the main character and her antics. I did struggle with the historical portions of the book. I think it was because it was breaking up the story that I was interested in. I also did struggle with figuring out what was going on with the historical part too. Many others seem to like this one, so it is probably just me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review.

I wasn't sure what to think about this book at first, the MC was a mess & her life in shambles. The story is laugh at loud funny at some of the absurdities that I can't see happening, but the underlying story had meaning and made the journey worth it. I don't want to give anything away that happens, but this book has it all, a mess of an MC, life in shambles, crazy adventures, quirky side characters, international travel, espionage & mystery. A quirky book with a feel-good ending.

I liked this mystery a lot, because it's a mystery that manages not to be a murder mystery, but still has an intriguing plot.

Lucy Rey is a hairstylist in Vegas who after being dumped by her fiancé seemingly out of nowhere comes across a mysterious online posting for a job that is simply "Bearer of Bad News." She applies with the encouragement of her best friend Adam and his boyfriend Maurice and to her surprise, she is selected for the job. Her assignment is to travel to the Italian Dolomites, find a particular woman, and deliver a mysterious message which is bad news about an inheritance. Once Lucy arrives in Italy she finds that there is much more to this than simply delivering a message and there is actually a very complicated web of lies and hidden identities at stake.

In between the chapters about Lucy and her necklace mystery there are letters from various people dating from the WWII period, letters from a government department searching for lost things, and contemporary correspondence between present day characters. These letters were a little hard to follow, but they foreshadowed the actual conclusion of what Lucy is supposed to tell this woman and what Lucy and other characters (including who she is delivering bad news to) are searching for.

I was a little surprised that this ended up being a serious WWII related mystery, however that didn't detract from the present day story, it just added depth to what otherwise would have been a goofy story about traveling to Italy. There was plenty of levity in the book, as Lucy meets very eccentric characters while in the Dolomites including an influencer who threatens to ruin the entire thing. I appreciated the side characters of Adam and Maurice as well who cheer Lucy on and help her move past her horrible breakup which inspired her to come to Italy in the first place.

The ending of this book is a little silly and too perfect with everything falling into place, however the author did an excellent job of weaving such a complicated tale of deceit and incorporating the WWII side story into the present day story.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

This started out really great. I was hooked right away. I connected with the main character's voice and her plight of being a mediocre hairstylist in Las Vegas who finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with a male actor. While it's a bit loose why she gets involved in the whole plot to find the necklace, the fun characters and hilarious mishaps keep it moving so it's easy to look past that. I wasn't super prepared for the dual timeline, with the past delving into dark, grim, and often heartbreaking parts of World War II history in Nazi occupied Germany and beyond. The connection that threads all of the characters together is one of intergenerational trauma and while humans have to be resilient to survive, the story does a beautiful job of showing the generational effects of something catastrophic like World War II, the Nazi regime, and the subsequent Russian Red Wave. So, know when you pick up this book, you're getting a lot more than just a funny women's fiction novel. Still, it's a good read if you're in the right frame of mind for it.

I’m grateful for the ARC of this book that I was provided, as the premise was intriguing. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it because the writing style didn't resonate with me. The pacing felt rushed, with too much happening too quickly, making it hard to follow. Additionally, the transitions between scenes were abrupt, which hindered my engagement with the story.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for some detailed research noted in the Author's Notes. I read a lot of rom-coms and a lot of historical fiction books. I have never read one before that combines the two genres. This book is half madcap adventure (what you would expect from the cover illustration) and half a serious retelling of dangers, alliances, escapes and betrayals during World War II. Lucy is down on her luck with a job she doesn't like, a fiancé who may or may not be leaving her and she is estranged from the grandmother who raised her. Then, comes an offer to be a Bearer of Bad News which includes a trip to Italy to the Dolomites. An interesting cast of characters, great descriptions of the landscape and plot twists keep the current day part of the book moving quickly and a fun read. Intertwined through letters and reports, a story about WWII emerges and ties itself into the present day story. Someone looking for just a fun romp may not like this book. Even for me, I am not sure if I liked the merging of two such different tones of story. But, maybe I did! I would certainly read another if this becomes a series. The end of the book seemed to make it seem open to a sequel. This was a sometimes fun/sometimes interesting read and I recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC copy for me to read and review.

well crafted story encompassing history, family, mystery, intrigue, heartache and allsorts of other things.

This book was hard for me to get into. I was VERY confused by the letters/notes that were thrown in there especially at the beginning. It pulled me out of the story more than I was hoping for. It was a slow start but this was a great read. Different than I'd normally pick up, but still great.

Bearer of Bad News is a breath of fresh air! It’s a creative and interesting debut, and I can’t wait to get more from this author. It doesn’t keep a thriller pace, but it’s confident and it delivers family drama that keeps the reader guessing. I didn’t love all the letters and case notes, but a reader can still skim those and enjoy this book and the groundwork that the author lays to keep the story moving forward. The author’s law background comes through. The setting is vivid and the characters are nuanced. I will definitely recommend this book, and not just because the cover is great.

This was a good read! It was a fun combo of a spy book, a fiction, a historical fiction, and had funny parts. The dept of missing items was a fun and interesting concept. It was well written, I liked the characters and how they were acting. The book was good as a whole!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Part comedy spy caper, part historical fiction mystery, I really enjoyed this one. This is a present day story of an out of luck hairdresser, who takes on a far fetched assignment from an eccentric countess to find a priceless necklace. Interwoven with a historical story of a pair of young girls who are trying to escape Nazi Germany. I liked the story, but there is a lot going on here. Each chapter is told in the present and then closes with the historical story and correspondence both past and present relating to the necklace. I found myself getting confused by all the moving parts and backtracking to remember who was who.

This is a good debut and I would read her next book.

I was excited to read this one, because the concept and the cover immediately captivated me. I love the idea of a Department of Lost Things. The characters were quirky and there was some levity. But interwoven with this tale of an unemployed hairdresser from Reno whose grandmother is a retired movie star and a pair of feuding sisters is a serious and sad story of two best friends from Germany in WWII and the Italian woman they knew when they were young. The twists and connections were interesting, but when old letters and modern correspondence broke up the narrative, it sometimes pulled me out of the story, and I had to backtrack to remember who was who and how they connected. It was good but not the lighthearted romp I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I didn’t see the Bearer of Bad News going where it went, but I really enjoyed that we had a historical mystery at the heart of this modern fiction and comedy book.

Lucy is a not very good hairdresser with a well off and famous grandma who raised her who she is estranged from. This is important because she’s stuck in Vegas discovering her fiance is drawn to men, not women (like her), with the challenge of having to pay her leases alone for the next few months. While trying to recover from the shock at her best friend’s house she takes up an Instagram ad to be the bearer of bad news for $25K. While the job is unconventional (as is the boss), she accepts the offer for it and finds herself in Italy, discovering a WW2 mystery involving her family and others that seem to be related to the lady she need to break bad news to. My own blurb reads a little batty, but trust me, this book brings it all together, having you laughing and tearing up in equal measure. The WW2 mystery was so poignant I have to give massive props to the author for fitting it in in a way that made sense and resonated without changing the overall tone in the book. And Lucy is a main character you’ll be able to get behind, along with the many people in her life.

I love a good mystery and the Bearer of Bad News is that, with light elements of a spy caper, family saga, and comedy. Pick this up, you’ll find yourself sucked in!