A Very Bad Thing by J. T. Ellison
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by ChollaA great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.
With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.
Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
She couldn’t have written a better mystery herself. But when world renown author Columbia Jones is murdered on her own book tour, who’s left to solve her murder? With no one trusting anyone else, it’s a race to the finish line for the daughter, the reporter, and the detective.
Every character in this book intrigued me in some way. Columbia Jones, of course, because she’s the hugely successful author who has a secret past that no one, not even her daughter, knows about. Watching that backstory unravel was worth the price of admission.
Riley and Darian are two sides of the same coin. Both are strong and independent women, successful in their jobs, but also struggling to find their true selves. In the beginning, I liked Riley a lot more than I did Darian. But as the story unfolds, you get to know Darian better and she becomes a more sympathetic character.
Probably my favorite part, however, was how you get a glimpse into the past through a short story that’s presented chapter by chapter throughout the narrative. It’s an unusual way of imparting information and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I’d love to see more of this kind of thing in novels overall.
What a twisty rollercoaster of a ride this story was. I’m never very good at figuring out who the culprit is, but I definitely had no clue this time around. Just as you think one suspect is eliminated, they’re drawn back under the spotlight. This is a good thing in my opinion. I like to be led astray in a novel because it makes the reveal even more rewarding in the end. And the author seems to be very adept at doing exactly that. I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future. The two I have read so far have both blown me away.
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