This book had a held-breath feeling. A creeping dread. Something bad is coming for these characters, and I couldn't stop reading until I found out what it was. Excellent characterizations, a compelling plot, and a satisfying ending. Abbott's writing is insightful and cutting. I loved this book.

On El Dorado Drive, nothing is as perfect as it seems. Home to sisters Pam and Harper (with older sister Debra nearby), the cracks in reality are starting to show. Once a well-off family, the sisters have become used to borrowing money and to shady dealings, sometimes even with Pam’s sketchy ex Doug. Ever since they started with the wheel nothing is as it should be.

This novel really captures this struggle for power, money and , by extension, happiness. I love Megan Abott’s melodic, evocative phrasing. So much so that more than half of my book is highlighted to reread, block upon block of yellow words to enjoy over and over again. Abbott elegantly (and cleverly) weaves together a taut, exciting thriller full of interesting, well defined characters. Four and a half stars for this exciting family drama/thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

started slow and calm but turened out really dramatic. mlm thriller is a very unique way to do it. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Such a good book! I love the multi-level marketing world (just the learning about it, not falling into them) and how they are so culty. I really liked the way the themes of adulting, frenemies, sisterhood and marketing were discussed in this book. Overall it was good!

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

Just the moody offering I was hoping for - another captivating novel by Megan Abbott. This didn't disappoint - and I'm hoping my book club chooses to read it after it's released, as there's plenty to be discussed and such great characterization that I really look forward to sharing!

I have read every single novel by Megan Abbott and have loved them all! This new release did not disappoint! Harper, Pam and Debra are sisters who grew up with privilege in Grosse Point, Michigan. But as adults, they all have separate struggles financially. Harper is in debt to her sister Pam’s ex Doug, Pam is left penniless after her divorce, and Debra is spending all her money on her sick husband’s treatments. That is when the sisters are introduced to “the wheel”. It’s a sort of club that woman join, for a hefty fee, and the money goes to one lucky member. At every party, hosted at different homes, a new recipient is chosen. The more members you “sponsor” the greater your chances of collecting become. The club is meant as a supportive experience that helps women lift each other up..but as time goes on and competition becomes fierce, it starts to become a dangerous game. This was quite a ride with all the elements of a perfect thriller…Murder, lies and greed… I loved this and gave it 5 solid stars!

Abbott disappointed me with Beware the Woman but is back to fine form in El Dorado Drive. This book has layers upon layers. It is about family dynamics, suburban classism, and the evil pitfalls of Multi Level Marketing. The build-up is slow, but it speeds up to a satisfying and surprising ending. The reveal and resolution are nothing I was expecting and yet I'm not certain how it could have turned out any other way. I'll be living with these characters for some time.

I am so thankful for the advanced copy. I didn’t love this one by Megan Abbott but didn’t hate it. I just couldn’t get into the story line and felt the pacing was too slow. I also didn’t love the main character. But the ending did pack a punch.

After Anbott’s last book, Beware the Woman (which I strongly disliked), I was hesitant to try another of her books. But I’m so glad I gave El Dorado a chance! It started off pretty slow and the action took awhile, but it got crazy! I loved all the family dynamics with the Bishop sisters. This was really a triumphant return for Megan Abbott for me.

Harper is desperate for money when her sisters invite her to join a secret women’s group to make money called The Wheel. The Wheel works like a pyramid scheme that is possibly illegal. The sisters each have their own secrets with each other and from each other. They easily get wrapped up in the Wheel until it becomes dangerous. The book starts out slow and then quickly gains momentum. Once I made it to the second half of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what happened and why. I believe this is my first book by this author and I will be interested to read some of her other books!

This was my first time reading Meg Abbott’s work, and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed her work. She did a great job setting up the story of the three sisters in the book. I thought the story flowed really well and was also well developed. I love books involving friend or sister drama so this was perfect for me. There was the perfect amount of suspense and the ending was unexpected. 4 stars out of 5! I would definitely recommend this book to other readers once this is published.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

I'm a huge Megan Abbott fan and El Dorado Drive did not disappoint.

Like all of her books, there is a strong focus on relationships, this one centered around sisters - I topic I personally love. The three sisters Pam, Harper, and Debra were messy and complex and real. The awesome plot device of introducing The Wheel as a dangling golden ticket to riches, was the impetus to examine a common theme in her books: what desperate actions will someone take for their family?

Well written, twisty, and dark, I loved this psychological thriller.

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC of Megan Abbott's most recent book, "Beware the Woman," and was very excited to be approved for her next book, "El Dorado Drive." It is clear from both books that Abbott is excellent with character depth and is also a very good, insightful writer.

The book primarily focuses on the relationships among sisters Pam, Harper, and Debra. Each have had money troubles and the discovery of a secretive group called "The Wheel" promises a too-good-to-true financial future. However, the sisters eventually discover that there is more to this club of ladies than meets the eye.

This book was more of a slow burn for me. I was not drawn in from the beginning since it was primarily character development. The pace gradually picked up in the book and became difficult for me to put down after learning more about the inner workings of "The Wheel." I did like how the sisters were very different yet often complimented each other throughout life. It felt like a realistic portrayal of a strong, sisterly bond.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it others. I look forward to reading more from Abbott in the future.

3.5 stars rounded up. Was definitely surprised by the ending of this novel, but found this kinda boring.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and fairly rate this book.

Megan Abbott brings her gothic midwestern fever dream style straight to the heart of Detroit and it’s astonishing how good this book is. The language, the characters, the slow burning dread. I love it all and you will too.

I really, really wanted to love this. Abbott has always been a superb author for me, but this was not her best work.

Three sisters find themselves broke and at the lowest they've ever been. Desperate to bring themselves out of it, they're willing to do anything. That "anything" ends up being "The Club"- an MLM/pyramid scheme of money, and they can hope again.

One of the sisters ends up dead, her ex nowhere to be found. It seems an open and shut case, but nothing is as it seems, and no one can be trusted.

Twisty? Check. Well-written? Check. A fantastic premise? Check and check!

However, I found it to be the weakest of this author's books, as it felt too long and too slow.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read!

This was everything that I was looking for from a suspenseful novel, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed from the description. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and was glad I was able to read this. Megan Abbott has a strong writing style and was wanting to read more.

Kudos to El Dorado Drive being such an accurate, real life portrayal of 3 sisters complex & complicated relationship with each other. I was able to relate to the 3 blonde, bodacious, bold Bishop sisters, 1 with a deadbeat ex-husband/father, along with their financial issues, debts, creditors, failures & successes. "Everything felt both beautiful & painful, like all family events ....It was playful & it wasn't, like everything between sisters."

The book opens, "All I want to be is innocent again. But they knew it wasn't possible. You don't become innocent again. Life only goes in one direction."

There were so many quotes I jotted down in my notebook and also shared with my own sister. I keep telling her she must read this and will relate to it.

Truthfully I did prefer the book before The Wheel was introduced which is ironic as I usually need plot driven books. I was so enthralled with the minute details of the Bishop sisters and how they interacted with each other and in the larger scheme of life. "Sister stuff was so intricate."

I understand Abbott needed some dynamic/force and The Wheel. Provided another form of sisterhood. It was almost cult like and created messiness and issues. The Wheels twice monthly meetings almost made Pam, Harper & Debra less real, more cartoonish and stereotypical and less likeable.

I thought I had figured out the ending early on but without giving any spoilers I'm happy there were many red herrings. I also like how the ending is tied back to the opening line. "But innocence, like our childhoods, our first loves, our broken families- you don't get them back and if you thought about it, you wouldn't want them back. They make you who you were. Who you are."

The book centers around sisters and money. "All the talk about the money. The money. The money. Always the money." Pam even made her son a money cake at his graduation party.

"Going from rich to just getting by was maybe the hardest thing because you'd never learned how to do. Anything. How to accommodate, how to budget. So your debts only grew "

I award this 4 out of 5 mushroom shaped cookie jars. Anyone who is a sister and/or has struggled with financial security should read this. The book is perfect for fans of Hello. Beautiful.

Fairly predictable but an enjoyable read.. Well written, great characters and well told. hanks for the opportunity to read this and much luck on publication. Megan Abbot never dissappoints

Megan Abbott's El Dorado Drive is the kind of book that gets under your skin and stays there. Picture this: Harper, dead broke and out of options, shows up at her sister Pam's door in suburban Detroit. But here's the twist - Pam, who should be financially ruined after her ex cleaned out their accounts, is somehow living large. Her secret? Something called the Wheel, a women's "investment group" that promises sisterhood and wealth. Spoiler alert: if it sounds too good to be true...

Abbott has this incredible knack for pulling you into the minds of her characters. You feel Harper's desperation, Pam's fierce belief in the Wheel, and the magnetic pull that draws women into this scheme dressed up as female empowerment. The story starts like a slow-burning fuse, building tension as you realize just how deep this rabbit hole goes.

What begins as a story about survival and sisterhood takes a dark turn when death enters the picture. Suddenly, Harper and Pam aren't just dealing with moral gray areas - they're in real danger. Abbott weaves '70s and '80s suburban life into the backdrop with perfect details that make the setting feel alive without drowning in nostalgia.

Yes, the early chapters take their time setting things up, but trust me - Abbott knows exactly what she's doing. She's laying the groundwork for a story that's about much more than a pyramid scheme. It's about the desperate things we'll do for financial security, the complicated bonds between sisters, and how easily "empowerment" can become exploitation.

The ending? It's like a punch to the gut that you somehow didn't see coming, even though all the clues were there. El Dorado Drive is a masterclass in psychological suspense that'll make you think twice about those too-good-to-be-true opportunities that come knocking. It's unsettling, it's brilliant, and you won't be able to put it down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/ G. P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this gripping thriller's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.