I read this book in about one day. It started, and just didn't let up. Located in a community of well off women who are generally all struggling financially behind closed doors, they turn to a pyramid scheme called The Wheel that consists simply of giving $5000 to join, and then recruiting other women to join. No goods change hands. What they're selling is financial freedom and security.

Three sisters become part of this club, and as expected, things get better for all of them before they take a dark and sinister turn. Money makes everyone crazy, and these women are no exception. Generally you know it's not going to turn out well, but the twists and turns involved are surprising and incredibly entertaining.

I remember reading Megan Abbott's bestseller "Dare Me" a few years back and finding it incredibly underwhelming. So much so, that I never continued with her back catalog as I have done with some of her contemporaries. However, the premise of this one sounded intriguing enough, and the news of this being adapted in Hollywood also made me doublethink my opinions of her work. Maybe it's not her, maybe it's the one book I wasn't into. After completing this one, I do think it might be her. Or me. I'm not sure. Abbott has all the talent in the world, and I felt like the first 50 pages were strong. I was into it. I was into the concept, but somewhere around the halfway mark, it just all fell apart for me. What had promise slowly dissolved into a traditional domestic whodunit that, frankly, I never cared to find out the answer. I stuck with it for my own OCD, but I can't say the payoff was worth it. It was just okay. Would I read another of her books? Sure. Would I rush out to do so? Absolutely not.

I have loved some of Megan Abbott's books, really loved them, but the last few have been so slow and the complete opposite of a suspense novel that even my devotion to her writing just can't carry me thru. I tried and tried to get into this one but I was not connected to the characters and found it to be kind of a mess. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.

I really wasn't too sure about this one but I enjoyed it. The story kept my interest and I enjoy the characters. These sisters trying to just make it in life as they navigate their own problems. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Megan Abbott is a master, and this book did not disappoint. Her novels always have a murky sense of dread, and are explorations of the dark sides of everyday people.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinGroupPutnam for the book #ElDoradoDrive by #MeganAbbott. This was a very interesting read that kept me on my feet! Pam, Debra and Harper are sisters all trying to get by in life with their own problems. Money is a big part of that, well the lack of it. Debra and Pam invite Harper into a club they are in, The Wheel. It allows them quick access to money and is very secretive. But as with most good things that come to an end, tragedy hits close to home. Who was the cause and why?

This was an okay book! It just was slow in a few spots, however I read it quickly. Would recommend for a next read if you’re looking

Not my favorite from this author. It felt like it tried to do too much without doing much at all.

Such a good premise and kept my attention but the timeline was odd. And I didn’t care about the characters.

I think I’m done trying Megan Abbott books. This one sounded interesting but I gave it like 20% and just wasn’t into it. The formatting was a bit rough so may have played into it as well.

Sisters, secrets, schemes, and greed set the stage for El Dorado Drive. This one had all the right ingredients—a dark take on money, deception, and the dangers of “women helping women” gone wrong—but it ended up being a bit of a slow burn for me, which I tend to struggle with.

The story follows Harper, who's hit rock bottom and moves in with her sister Pam—who, after a rough divorce, seems to be doing surprisingly well thanks to something called “The Wheel.” It's pitched as a women-led money circle, but there’s definitely more going on beneath the surface.

While I liked the family dynamics and the twisty look at greed and betrayal, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and buying into the premise—especially how women facing serious financial hardship were expected to join a cash-based scheme. Abbott does address this, but it just didn’t quite work for me.

Although the summer is almost over, I would consider this a definite beach read. Women, money, greed, and deception are the primary themes in this one. I can give it a solid 3 stars as I was entertained and often found myself shaking my head at the shenanigans!

El Dorado Drive is about three formerly rich, beautiful sisters from Detroit. As the Big 3 Automotive companies collapsed, so did the monied fortunes and futures of their executives. Picking money and a golden future was the most important task at hand, except for Harper, the youngest sister. As their father lost his fortune, she lost her future as an equestrian. She lost her direction and subsequently ended up not just in debt but with with deep emotional trauma.

Pam, the middle sister, was a lightning rod for excitement as the most popular woman everywhere she goes. As her divorce from her husband Doug is exploding around her, she digs in her heels to find a way out. That was when Debra, the eldest sister, brings her and subsequently Harper, into The Wheel. The Wheel is a means of survival for the women who can no longer rely on men to survive. The circuitous "giving and receiving" starts off innocent until you start to piece the plot together.

El Dorado Drive picks at the things you cannot control in life like health, money and other people's choices. What I loved about this story was that it was not manipulative. You didn't feel drained and emotional, you felt like you were gaining control and then losing it. I cannot help but wonder what 2020 and beyond scams these ladies might have engaged in, but if you watched the Netflix LulaRoe and/or Anti-MLM content, you will absolutely love this book.

3.5. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I was very excited to receive Abbott's latest book because I have appreciated her previous works.

As always Abbott's writing is tight and effective as she unearths the darker side of female relationships. The novel conveys tension and suspense from the outset and throughout. The mystery doesn't begin until later in the book and has a satisfying conclusion.

I love a book about sisters and I love a book about cults. In El Dorado Drive, Megan Abbot spins a pyramid scheme into a fever dream of suburban desperation. The three Bishop sisters, each with their own secrets and problems see money as the solution. The facade of sisterly closeness is shattered when the scheme explodes and secrets result in tragedy.

I wrote about this on Goodreads, the Storygraph and other social media sites. Here's my review from Goodreads:

Set in the early 2000s, this book is about three sisters who will do almost anything to regain the money and status they once had.

The three sisters were raised among the wealthy of the Detroit suburbs and had every reason to believe that they'd always be rich. Life, however, dealt them different cards. Pam, the middle sister, lost her money because her husband was a schemer who couldn't seem to latch onto something good. Debra, the eldest, lost her money when her husband became sick and the medical bills crippled them. Harper, the youngest, is in trouble because she stupidly borrowed money from Pam's ex-husband.

What's a gal to do? Pam, always popular, is asked to join a women's club called the Wheel. It is, of course a Ponzi scheme, though Pam and the other women at the top of the pyramid downplay that part. Eventually, Debra and then Harper are roped into the game. All goes well until it doesn't And when it doesn't, everything goes horribly wrong.

I know this book has gotten a lot of praise, but for me it was only meh. I think it's because I really didn't care about any of the sisters and wasn't invested in their fate. I wasn't shocked by the twist, and I thought there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

Thanks to Putnam for the review copy.

Thanks to NetGallery and G.P. Putman’s Sons for an ARC of this book!

Definitely a slow burn but a decent mystery. The book dragged a bit for me, and I thought it could’ve been shorter. There was a lot of detail about the importance of money and being broke and the “Wheel”, which I still didn’t truly understand, that could’ve been cut back.

I also didn’t really care for any of the characters. The end had the mystery reveal but somehow felt anticlimactic at the same time because I wasn’t truly invested.

One thing I enjoyed with the writing style is how the characters would mention a memory or past event, and then we would get the details of the flashback with more context as a sideline in the book.

Not a bad story but didn’t really stand out for me from other thrillers and mysteries I’ve read!

Turns out I like a slow burn mystery. Who knew?

And this one I did know: I love a story about an MLM/pyramid scheme. This was such a good book for that because we see everyone’s motives then how the obsession takes hold and then the consequences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an eARC of this book! This is my honest review.

In El Dorado Drive, Megan Abbott spins a hypnotic tale of glamour, obsession, and the dark side of reinvention. Set in a glittering world full of ambition and artifice, the novel follows characters dancing dangerously close to the edge—emotionally and morally. Abbott’s signature noir style shines here, with sultry prose and razor-sharp character work. The mystery unfurls with mounting dread, drawing readers into a slow burn that erupts into a jaw-dropping finale. As always, Abbott examines power, femininity, and desire with brilliance and bite. El Dorado Drive is magnetic, stylish, and utterly intoxicating

El Dorado Drive puts a dark, compelling spin on the world of MLMs, exposing just how predatory and seductive these schemes can be, especially for women craving financial independence and control. The family dynamics between the sisters felt raw and real, with their complicated history adding depth to the unraveling mystery. While the plot moved steadily and had some solid twists, it was the psychological tension and the examination of money, power, and desperation that stood out most.

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for the gifted copy.

I usually don't complain about a book being too slow-paced, but this one got on my nerves. I found the red herrings too obvious and the ultimate conclusion was just sad. It's not bad, but just not what I'm looking for in a thriller.