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When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were girls, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. In the aftermath, bookish Abby threw herself into her studies while heiress Gia chronicled the events of that fateful summer in a salacious memoir.

Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece for the summer with her shiny new husband and a motley crew of glamorous guests, preparing to sell the family estate in the wake of her father’s death. When Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in September beneath the Northern Lights, she’s thrilled to be granted the time off from her high-pressure job. But the day of her flight, she receives a mysterious, threatening email in her inbox, and when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the Swedish resort, Gia isn’t there. After days of cryptic messages and unanswered calls, Abby and Benny are worried enough to fly to Greece to check on her.

Only, when they arrive, they find Gia’s beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts a manuscript she wrote detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth about Gia’s provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of the guests they entertained with fizzy champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun. As tensions rise, Gia feels less and less safe in her own home. But the pages end abruptly, leaving Abby and Benny with more questions than answers.

The Sexy Nerd's Review. . .

This is the first time I’ve read this author. I found the premise of this story intriguing which was my reason for wanting to read it.

Gia, Benny, and Abby three peas in a pod. Abby’s mother worked for Gia and Benny’s father which is how she came to be in their midst. As you might guess, Abby didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth, but Gia and Benny did.

Abby wondered how she could be so lucky as to become the best friend of such a wealthy young girl. Gia wasn’t wealthy, but her parents were hella loaded. Gia’s father loved Abby as one of his own so much so that he paid for her college education back in the U.S. Gia and Benny were originally from Greece. They used to spend summer vacation together and do all sorts of things young teens do.

Twelve years later, Gia is working as an attorney and repaying her debt to Gia’s father by living out her dreams of becoming a lawyer. Gia’s father had recently passed, and it was the first time in many years that Abby got to be with her old bestie and her brother Benny, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.

The next time Abby hears from Gia is when she called to advise her that she was getting married to the man of her dreams. Abby tried to be happy for her bestie, but she was struggling to do so because Gia had a terrible habit of loving hard, strong and entirely too fast. She hadn’t known her man but for a few short months and they were getting married. Abby begged Gia not to do it and to give it more time so she could get to know her beau, but Gia was always headstrong and determined to live her best life and do whatever her heart desired because her father gave her a life that she’d grown accustomed to and a girl wants what she wants.

As a result of this conversation, Abby was outraged that Gia would be so stupid as to marry this man she hadn’t known but for a minute. Several months go by and all of a sudden while Abby was in the middle of a case, Gia sends an invitation to her and her brother, Benny, to help her celebrate her thirtieth birthday in Sweden and to watch the awesome northern lights. Abby wasn’t sure she’d be able to just pick up in the middle of a case and go flying halfway around the world for a friend that was angry with her for stating the obvious. But this was Gia and Abby loved her like a sister and this was the olive branch she needed.

As luck would have it, Abby’s boss let her go and she was well on her way. By the time Abby and Benny’s planes landed, Gia was noticeably absent. Where on earth could she be? Why would she ask them to fly there to celebrate her birthday and she be a no show. Abby received a strange text message from Gia stating she was sick and was so sorry she wouldn’t be able to make the trip and advised that she and Benny should continue to stay and enjoy the suite and the northern lights on her.

Abby and Benny weren’t buying that excuse at all. They had no idea what was really going on, that is, until they decided to leave Sweden and head to Greece to find Gia. Once they returned to her home to find Gia missing, they stumbled across her manuscript of her memoir and began reading. What they found on those pages was enough to raise eyebrows and cause some scratching of one’s head. To find out what Gia wrote, you’ll have to read the rest of the novel.

Wow! There was so much going on and a great many things I left out because it would give too many spoilers. I enjoyed the flow of the story. Again, it was a lot, but it was the useful information you needed. I felt the author gave lots of detail, but not overly done. In fact, the details she provided the reader will be needed because it gives a lot of insight into what is to follow. However, having said that, this story was way too long. I know that’s a huge pet-peeve of mine, but this story really began to grate on my nerves because of the carrot dangling that drove me insane. But even though it did that, I was still able to figure out much of what was happening, and then when I got to the ending, I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to feel.

Again, I can’t go into detail because it will spoil the story, but I felt a little let down after having read all those pages that it ended in the way in which it did. I found myself having more questions and not the correct answers. I didn’t hate the ending, but I didn’t love it either. At the end of the day, this was really a good story, and I did enjoy the journey.

The Sexy Nerd gives Ladykiller four additional endings to an otherwise great story! This story builds up well once you get to the crux of what it is about. When you do, the story soars. It is well worth the read even if it was longer than what I typically like to read. Ladykiller goes on sale Tues., July 9, 2024, at your favorite book retailers or wherever books are sold. I think you’d enjoy taking this novel to the beach and relax with your favorite drink and enjoy the scenery and the tale that is spun. Until next time, Nerds, you know how we do.

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