No one builds a sense of dread and suspense like Megan Abbott! This book, like her last, Beware the Woman, continues to feel like a new venture away from the fever dream world of teen girls she was first known for and moving forward into the chaos of women who just want to live their damn lives without a man’s interference. This book hit many emotional chords—the intensity of motherhood, the loneliness of being an outcast, sexual identity, and the raw bond between sisters. Oh, and that ending! What a gut punch.

I wanted so much to like this book. I’ve read previous books by the author and enjoyed them for the most part. Unfortunately, the book just did not capture my attention. The rapid introduction of a myriad of characters so early on was so confusing. There just wasn’t enough of the characters or plot to keep going.

The description of El Dorado Drive sounded enticing - a women-led pyramid scheme sounded juicy and fun. I am fascinated by the reality surrounding MLMs. However, this book wasn’t really about that and I failed to connect with the writing.

There are three sisters and we learn about them and their families and their money issues. Lots of talk about money, and why they don’t have money/need money, which makes sense as the sisters get involved in this pyramid scheme.

The chapters consisted of short scenes, separated by three dots. These scenes were so short and so abrupt that it kept pulling me out of the story and I never was able to get into a flow. It also prevented me from caring about what was happening because I was being pulled in so many directions. Ultimately, this just was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was not well written or thought out. Thank goodness this is an ARC because it needs heavily edited.

I give El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott 4/5 stars. There were so many elements of the story that were right up my alley - sisters, fraught by debt and secrets, turn to a Ponzi scheme to regain their footing - that I couldn't pass this one up! I liked the exploration of the sisters' relationships, the culture of their hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, parent/child bonds, and sexuality; however, there were so many competing elements that I wish some had been dialed back or eliminated altogether in favor of giving more detail to others. For example, Harper's alcohol addiction. It was referenced repeatedly throughout the novel, often when Harper broke her sobriety under stressful circumstances, but there were no details on her life in active addiction nor a conclusion. Was alcohol just part of her life from then on out? Also, did she ever pay back Doug?

Megan Abbott has this strange talent for pulling me into worlds I never expected to care about - first with "The Turnout" where I found myself invested in ballet despite my complete disinterest in dance, and now with three formerly privileged sisters in post-recession Detroit getting sucked into a pyramid scheme. Harper, Pam, and Debra carry decades of shared history and complicated loyalty as they chase financial salvation through "The Wheel," an exclusive investment club where women pay thousands to join, recruit others, and supposedly watch their money multiply without selling a single product. The slow-burn story shifts when death enters the picture, casting suspicion across sisterly bonds that were already fragile. Abbott captures the acute anxiety of downward mobility - these women clinging to middle-class respectability while pretending everything's fine. The ending makes perfect sense in hindsight, though I was too caught up in the sisters' desperation to see it coming.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Megan Abbott has created a nail-biting thriller of an enjoyable read in El Dorado Drive. This book is as addictive as your favorite snack.

If you are looking for a must-read mystery and psychological thriller that you will leave you considering your next money making scheme, this book has everything - it is well written, with characters you can relate to, (as well as ones you will come to despise).

In El Dorado Drive, a simple but clever pyramid scheme careens completely off its rails, as everything that can go wrong does - and it ends in murder.

5 Stars (and a pledge from this reviewer to follow this best-selling author faithfully to see what she thinks up next).

A captivating novel that is one of my favorites (so far) for 2025 .

From one who knows, the physical setting, societal and cultural norms, and clothing details are spot on. The writing could have been a bit tighter in the first half, but in general, it was indeed a mystery, with enough suspicious behavior from others to make the trajectory of this who done it difficult to determine!

I didn’t love Megan Abbott’s last book even though I know it was raved about on many review sites. This one however is a clear winner.

Three sisters who grew up in luxury are living as adults in less than ideal situations. The wealth they once knew has not carried through to generations and as adults, they are finding out how hard it is to make a dollar.

One sister, Pam, let’s the other two in on a secret club. A club, that if you make a large financial commitment, will pay you back in multiples. Will this club be the solution or the problem to their lives?

I really enjoyed this book - could not out it down. I will search for other books by same author. Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.

This is about the bonds of sisterhood and the secrets that are kept between women. As the economy is in a down slide, women are becoming desperate to continue their affluent lives and pay down their debts. There is a pyramid scheme called “The Wheel” that allows them to make a bundle of money as long as they can keep the secrets of the club.

Although this is a very good story, and unique in many ways, I found it quite slow and a bit difficult to stay engaged. The ending was unexpected, so I’m glad I stuck with it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

Enjoyable read. Took a but to get into it and then i couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend it and plan to read more by this author.

Debit-ridden Harper joins her sisters Pam and Debra in the Wheel, a pyramid scheme disguised as a woman’s group.

Suburban Detroit with so many residents affected by the downward spiral of the automobile industry makes the perfect desperation-inducing setting. Protagonist Harper is relatable and her bad decisions are understandable as the secrets and lies pile up. Vivian, Pam’s teenage daughter, is a wonderfully chaotic wild card. The various members of the Wheel are nicely motivated and the twists are exquisite.

I adore the fascinating dynamics between the three sisters and Vivian and the deliciously noir downward spiral each of these women fall into. Their various partners and exes also play an important role in motivating them. The sectional left by their parents’ shocking shift in wealth that is shared between Pam and Debra is a traumatic tell-tale heart, beating with hope for a return to riches and a destiny of disappointment.

Abbott’s work is full of beautiful prose and well drawn characters. EL DORADO DRIVE might just be my favorite of her novels.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The disadvantage of reading a lot is that a lot of plots begin to seem overdone. But this was different, interesting and clever.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. ALWAYS a tteat to read a new book by Megan Abbott!

After reading the first few pages I didn’t think I would enjoy this book but yet again, I was wrong. At first the format of the chapter made it seem like it was going too hard to really get to know the characters but as I continued to read that feeling slipped away.

We follow the story of Hannah and her sisters and their dream to do big things. So accomplish this they decide to play The Wheel- where you can make up to 4 times your initial $5000 investment. Sound too good to be true? It is.

I really enjoyed this book! I read it in one day because I thought I had it figured out but I didn’t!

From the very first page, this book draws you into its world with engaging prose, well-developed characters, and a compelling narrative. The author's storytelling is confident and immersive, weaving together themes that resonate long after the final chapter.

Megan Abbott does not miss! She is the queen of the twisty thriller. It’s a slower build than some of her books but the payoff is worth it.

This was a fun, twisty psych thriller! I enjoyed it!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Penguin Book Putnam for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Get In, Loser, We’re Joining a Pyramid Scheme
Megan Abbott’s El Dorado Drive is a vodka-soaked, slow-burn collapse of the suburban dream.
________________________________________
I’m a big fan of Megan Abbott’s work – The End of Everything, Dare Me (and the Netflix series), The Turnout – all of which are original and propulsive. El Dorado Drive, as the title suggests, is a smart rumination on money, nostalgia for wealth, and the fading American Dream. Abbott’s ability to capture the complexities of sisterhood – both familial and political – is beautifully rendered. What Abbott excels at, like few other writers, is capturing the angst, beauty, and cruelty of teenage girls on the cusp of womanhood.

Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, El Dorado Drive revolves around a women-led pyramid scheme involving the three Bishop sisters. As the government bails out GM and Chrysler, their husbands (or ex-husbands) are being laid off and taking buyouts, with their once-secure futures rapidly draining away. The downfall of the car industry hits hard, and Abbott, who is from the affluent suburb of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, captures the decline of the American auto industry with vivid detail.

The setting is sharp and rich – the Bishop family is entrenched in a world of luxury, where status symbols like Reed & Barton silver bowls, paprika-colored Mercedes, and platinum Lexus cars silently underscore the unraveling drama. The characters – especially the Bishop sisters – are strong and compelling. Their personal dilemmas are clear (so clear it gets repetitive), making the novel more of a slow burn than a page-turner.

The plot centers on a pyramid scheme in which new participants contribute $5,000 to existing members, hoping to eventually rise to the top and claim the big payout. The women involved are competent and sharp, a few even portrayed as more suited to running Ford than the PTA. But Abbott’s attempt to make their actions feel plausible doesn’t quite land. The scheme reads as an obvious scam from the beginning, and despite the women’s attempts to justify it with the fig leaf that their lawyer or accountant husbands approved it, the lack of skepticism around such blatant fraud feels contrived.

Let’s be real: the moment you hear the words “pyramid scheme,” everyone in the room should be Googling, “Is this illegal?” You can almost hear the audience yelling, “Get out of the house!” as the women lean in—fueled by denial, scented candles, and an unholy amount of vodka – 23 mentions in the book make it a character - into the con.

This book will appeal to fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers and character-driven drama, particularly those who enjoy books like Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere, but with fewer yoga moms and more cars. If you appreciate stories about strong women navigating complex moral choices amid financial instability, this one is for you.

While I’m giving El Dorado Drive four stars, it’s not without its flaws. However, Megan Abbott’s ability to capture the unraveling of a specific world, her sharp character writing, and her darkly humorous take on our obsession with wealth and reinvention more than make up for these shortcomings. It’s an insightful, occasionally absurd read—even if you find yourself screaming at the characters to, well, Google things.