The Influencer: A Completely Diabolical Psychological Suspense

by Adriane Leigh

Dive into the diabolical new domestic thriller from a USA Today bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Jeneva Rose, Colleen Hoover and Ruth Ware.

Shae Halston lives a life of luxury–at least that’s what her followers think.

After a devastating affair ends her marriage, the internet influencer and It Girl must confront her new normal without losing her grip on reality–or any of her devoted followers. In an act of furious desperation, Shae befriends her husband’s new lover, but the closer she gets to their new life the more her mental health unravels. Soon, manic delusions replace her sanity and before long compulsive thoughts of revenge obsess her until the lines between her online persona and reality blur.

When a tragic accident turns violent, the spotlight turns to Shae and the threat of losing everything looms again. Until an opportunity arises that could secure her freedom for good…even at the cost of another life.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Book Club, Audiobook

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2024

About the author

is a USA Today bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. With appearances in publications such as Vogue Magazine and The Montreal Gazette, the award-winning author, in addition to writing, founded RARE: Romance Author & Reader Events, a community of internationally-renowned book conventions that draw thousands of readers and #1 bestselling authors to events around the world each year. 

She hosts a podcast, The Rebel Artist, and her books are translated into French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

She lives on Lake Michigan with her family.

Reviews

[micky :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow I hated this book. It was bad. Like nothing made sense, I didn’t like a single character and I just didn’t care about anything that happened to them. I was confused the whole time and just wanted something to happen. The dialogue just went in complete circles like the characters just kept repeating themselves but then they’d also constantly contradict themselves? I like didn’t know what any of them actually thought about anything. Anyways no way am I finishing this series. Sorry girly author but it just was not for me

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen a lot of marketing for this one, especially on my IG feed, so I had to read it after some of my favorite authors mentioned it as worthy. I listened to the audio and it was a quick 4 hours, but packed with suspense. The writing is good and full of manic delusions.
Shae is a huge influencer while her husband Dean is a realtor. Her followers and success has grown into epic numbers, but her attention for her husband has downsized, as well as his business. It soon becomes obvious she cannot afford the styles, marketing techniques and places to keep up her glamorous lifestyle. She also pays a stunning Jesika for her marketing on Instagram. Dean soon leaves her for Jesika. Her manic delusions replace her sanity with obsession. She follows them and befriends the very pregnant Jesika, as she plots to kill both of them.
The author uses a lot of sarcasm, but it soon turns into an unhinged quest for revenge, blurring the lines of reality and she cannot determine which was dreamed or created. It does become very disturbing and graphic. I kept thinking there would be more or expecting a different ending, but overall it was a quick twist on a thriller and cannot wait for the other two books in the series.

[vivya · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started promising, but got so lost after half of the book. Felt so disorganised and confusing and became so more and more with every page. Way too gory.

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Psychological Suspense
Type: Standalone in a series
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
4.25 Stars



Shae Halston found her niche on social media as a lifestyle influencer, Mia Starr. While her life on screen seemed perfect, her real life was crumbling with her marriage on the line. But Shae had a plan and she would do anything to keep the life she always wanted.



Throughout the book, I had conflicting emotions regarding Shae. I couldn’t decide if I should love her or hate her. I liked how she was determined to get what she wanted, but her selfishness and unwise moves made her an unlikable character.

Dean has no idea what he did that day he chose to walk out on me.

The story was engaging and made me want to keep flipping the pages. I loved how the story ended, but I felt some parts were slightly unrealistic that lessened the impact. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story is heading next.




🌹📷🌹. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC & Loyda . . . 🌹📷🌹


For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:



For graphics, trailers & author services visit Warhawke Design Studio.

[Jenn Mevorah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I lost brain cells reading this one. Who on earth would actually read the sequel?????

[Rachel CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bat shit crazy. That's all I can say. The story started off actually pretty good...but then it got real crazy - fast. Don't want to add spoilers.. but it was so psychotic and moments you'd just say WTF to yourself that you can't believe it's happening.. and the ending.. didn't see that coming.. but now I can see how that is plausible.

It's super fast paced, chapters aren't lengthy so you can get through this pretty quickly. I am intrigued to see how the other books turn out.

[Shannon Engasser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but I really didn’t love it at all. It was confusing and far-fetched, the characters weren’t interesting or captivating in any way. The ending was disturbing and I just wasn’t impressed. Two stars is being generous 🫣

[Alana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Morgan Whitlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off so promising. Especially in today’s world of influencers all over the place. The storyline seemed very interesting, too! It just didn’t make it for me.

The unreliable narrator trope has never really bothered me but this one was on another level. Shae was all over the place and it was so frustrating that she never even really had a plan for anything. Her therapist visiting with her in Tahoe didn’t make any sense and crossed so many therapist/patient boundaries it was so unrealistic.

The ending seemed very random and gruesome for no reason and it just felt like the second half of the book was talking about a whole other story. I put this book down several times and forced myself to finish it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ this was a wild ride. I felt like I was inside the mind of someone seriously deranged. The twist was great! What a fun quick read.

[Kayla ✧♥︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐

Fell a bit flat for me. Was predictable and a bit over the top, but still somewhat enjoyable.

[Cathy Perachi · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first half of this book was ok- then I don’t even know what happened. Maybe the author decided she didn’t want to be an author anymore and just wrote some crap to finish it so it could be called “a book”. I dunno. Don’t bother with this one

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisted and wild ride. A psychological thriller at its finest. If you enjoy unreliable and unhinged characters/stories then you need to read this book.

I must have had at least five different theories going at one point or another in this story and they were all wrong. Love being surprised by an ending and surprised I was.

Tired of living in the shadows of her online influencer persona, Shae’s husband, Dean, decides he wants a divorce. But Shae is unable to cope with the impending divorce and to make matters worse Dean isn’t just divorcing her he’s leaving her for a much younger model.

So Shae does the only thing she can think of and follows the couple to Chicago, where she begins stalking them, and then befriends the new girlfriend.

Action packed and full of jaw dropping twists; you won’t be able to put this one down. Such a fun read. I can’t wait to begin book number two in this series.

The perfect revenge and survival story.

[Amy Lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was hard to finish. Could have been a good storyline but it was quite confusing, jumped around all a lot and didn’t make a lot of sense. The final chapters were also unnecessarily gory. Do not recommend.

[Chlo (Taylor's Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't that bad, to be honest. Just wasn't very influenceryy and more stalky crazy. The ending was not it, though I agree with the other reviewers on that, but I did enjoy some parts, especially with her plot and schemes. Just couldn't care less about Mia Starrs.

[CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25★



For years, Shae Halston had wanted to escape from herself and found the perfect solution in creating an online persona as an influencer known as Mia Starr. While living through the lens of Mia, Shae finds validation but it is not enough to maintain the illusion.

“Well, keep in mind how you feel and what is reality are two different things,” she cautions.”

Narrated in Shae’s point of view, the plot builds as her life begins to crumble. Perception is important to Shae and she is willing to take extreme measures be Mia to her followers, but wondering what is real to her throughout the story is intriguing. What she would do next kept feverishly turning the pages and my feelings for Shae would change repeatedly. The suspense continued to build until the very end.

The Influencer is about the fragility of emotions and mental health. This book would appeal to those seeking a suspenseful read. This story does continue in The Imposter.


*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey and Loyda*


For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜."

Son of a fricken cliff hanger! GAH! Ms. Leigh, give me book 2 now please and thank you!! 🤯

Holy moly, that was…intense. Addicting. Toxically diabolical. So fricken 🤯. This was the true definition of an unputdownable binge-worthy thriller! Nearly every character is unlikeable and represents everything that is wrong with social media and influencer culture—but you literally can’t.look.away. 🤯🤯🤯

Shout out to Steph (@accio_literary_escape) for joining me for another great #buddyread! Absolutely loved our chat and the fact that we couldn’t help but binge this thing in one evening! 😁

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I really wanted to round up to 3 but… this book was SO predictable I just knew there had to be a real plot twist (that was equally predictable)… no it wasn’t. Then when a plot twist “happened”… it was just… bad. Yikes. I had high hopes for this. It was definitely fast paced though.

[Mackenzie Roedel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot believe i stuck it out & finished this book. The main character was DELUSIONAL and I cannot stand her. So much wasted storyline.. yeah it’s a no for me dawg.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

LMAO what??? GR reviews were true - after 67% i was literally getting whiplash. It kept me intrigued nonetheless but…. There’s no way this would’ve panned out (i realize it’s a book and it’s fake but ya gotta make it a little believable)

[Natalia Farnham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm that ending!!!!! Definitely did not expect the ending but it was a decent thriller overall. It did get a bit crazy in the middle but I guess it was meant to be that way. Would read more from this author.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author posted a link to download this for free and I am beyond grateful. This book was incredible. It was a book I would have easily paid for so I kind of feel bad for “stealing” it. It was a rollercoaster of breakup emotions, and the ending came out of left field. Absolutely worth a read.

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Influencer by Adriane Leigh (2024)
Influencer #1
+266-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Featuring: Social Media Influencer, Instagram, California, Real Estate Agent, Branding Model, Selective Stupidity, Sex, Identity/Imposter Trope, Revenge Trope, Therapist, Chicago, Illinois; Plotholes, Link and cover to The Imposter by Adriane Leigh - The Influencer #2, Bibliography for Adriane Leigh

Rating as a movie: R for adult content

Songs for the soundtrack: "22" by Taylor Swift

Books and Authors mentioned: A Simple Favor by Jessica Sharzer [based on] A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell, The Holiday by Nancy Meyers, The Family Stone by Thomas Bezucha, The Imposter by Adriane Leigh

Memorable Quotes: I didn’t answer him, but I did immediately block him from seeing anything else. That won’t stop him from creating a new account if he wants to, but I don’t think he would do something like that.

Suddenly, I think I should block her on my social media if she does. The last thing I need is to log in and find some shitty comment from her on one of my posts. But then, if I block her, I lose the small window I have into their life. I’m not ready for that. Sure, it might be the healthier decision, but I’m not ready for healthy yet. I’m ready for revenge.

I could follow both of them under Mia’s account, and neither of them would be the wiser. I could be a fly on the wall of their lives and not have to worry about the weird patient-doctor confidentiality thing that I signed in my new client paperwork.

Shae is boring and sad, the opposite of Mia’s wild and beautiful existence.

As smart as I am, I can’t possibly consider everything.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️👩🏼‍💻

My thoughts: 🔖Page 31 of 266 Chapter Six - This might be a little overhyped I'm going to have to take a break because I need to read my book outside before it gets too dark.
🔖81 Chapter Fifteen - I am annoyed this girl keeps bringing up burner accounts but isn't willing to use one for her own benefit. Stupidity fuels the plot. I don't know how she has an error to think she is super smart when she is making all of these amateur mistakes, why don't you have a burner phone, fake ID, or something? You haven't planned anything. Is it too late to abandon ship?
🔖101 Chapter Nineteen - I forgot I was reading this.
🔖127 Chapter Twenty-Three - I don't know why I bother. At this point, I just want to know what was so amazing to those who gave it 5-stars and who is at the opening of the story. This was just the kick I needed to finish my romance novel. I may even start a non-fiction afterward because I need a good mind rinse after these chapters.
🔖141 Chapter Twenty-Six - I was definitely going to quit after I finished my other books, then I just wanted to see the attack, now 3 chapters later it's just as bland but I was unable to find the ending so may have to read this book.
🔖187 Chapter Thirty-Three - This is the most ridiculous story but I'm going to finish it anyway.

This story was so disjointed and disappointing. I only finished it because no one had the courtesy of sharing spoilers and was so out-of-pocket anything could happen next. I will not be continuing. I think everyone who is hyping this book up and giving it 5-stars is playing a prank on us.

Recommend to others: No! Do not waste your time.

Influencer
The Influencer (2024)
The Imposter (2024)
The Intruder (2025)

[Coffee Book Bliss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting with the cover, it’s beautiful and creates a sense of excitement, as we are all following influencers nowadays and a story about an influencer would be worth reading and insightful.

But from the beginning, I couldn’t relate to the narrator/influencer. Shae/Mia is pretty self centered, selfish and a bit irritating. She can only think about herself and not how her decisions are impacting others. Also, she is so indecisive. She loves her husband. She loves him not.

And the therapist was another character who made no sense. As in, what kind of a therapist are you that you can’t recognise basic signals and that too after 20 years with the same patient.

Overall, it’s an okay read with a little gory ending which you may not enjoy.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book! It sounded so intriguing and a plot I hadn’t ever really seen before. Unfortunately it fell flat. The end was all over the place and it was so gruesome and detailed. I did not enjoy it.

[Jessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character is absoluetly insufferable and insane. Throughout the book I couldn't wait for it to be over but somehow Adriane Leigh has convinced me to read the upcoming book in the series...

[Courtney McGhee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The premise seemed great, an influencer living a curated “perfect” life, whose world unravels when her husband leaves her and her online persona threatens to collapse. And yes, the setup had potential. But the execution? It left me feeling cold, uninterested, and more than a little annoyed.

First off: every single character in this book grated on me. The protagonist, Shae Halston (also known as Mia Starr) her squeaky-clean influencer alter ego lying on top of a self-absorbed, delusional real life was so obnoxious I didn’t care whether she succeeded or failed. Her husband Dean, his new younger model girlfriend Jesika, the therapist Kelly, all of them operate in this loop of melodrama and narcissism that never gave me a reason to root for anyone.

The story unfolds with Shae’s marriage falling apart, her husband leaving her for Jesika, and Shae retaliating by befriending Jesika, stalking them, and blurring the lines between her online persona and reality. Don’t forget Jesika is the model Dean and Shae paid for photos to use as Mia.

Sounds juicy, right? Except the problem is the journey. Because I found myself unmoved. I didn’t care when Dean walked out. I didn’t care when Jesika was targeted. I didn’t care what happened to Shae. The book offers very little in the way of redemption, likability, or even coherent motivation. I am supposed to keep flipping pages because of suspense? I was flipping just to finish, not because I was invested.

The writing style is fine-ish; the “unreliable narrator going off the rails” trope is used here. But there are leaps of logic, thin character development, and plot conveniences that made me roll my eyes. For example, I simply cannot take seriously a therapist who seems oblivious in the face of hopelessly erratic behavior not when we’re being primed for a high-stakes revenge thriller.

And the ending? It does not redeem things. Shae ends up so unhinged, the lines between her Mia Starr persona and Shae Halston blur completely. The final twist is meant to shock, but to me it felt arbitrary and just more of what came before: chaos, not catharsis. Shae cakes being crazy to escape, trade places with Kelly, harm her so she’s unrecognizable and moves on.

In short:
• Two stars because yes, it holds together enough to make sense as a thriller and the topic is interesting, but also because I didn’t care about the protagonists.
• If you’re into reading characters who are loathsome, plotting revenge on shallow grounds, and a drunken sprint of dramatic events with little emotional payoff, maybe this is your jam.
• But if you want characters with depth, believable motives, or a sense of real attachment, this one falls flat.

Given all that, I doubt I’ll read further in the series. This one just didn’t make me care.

[Kels Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story line for this book different and interesting. The beginning pulls you in and had me trying to figure out the twist, by the middle/end it became a little drawn out. I thought something more twisted was going on with Shae, Dean, and Jeskia. But no, no real twist… the ending was a little surprising, but everyone ended up being who they said they were.
I don’t understand why a lot of reviewers say this book is confusing? Them saying that is what is confusing to me lol.
I landed on a 3 star due to the ending, even though it was surprising, I did want more of a twist from the story or other characters.

[Maria Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreadful from the begining (epigraph)!

Where things went wrong? Was she merely a pawn in a men's world?
Innocent? Lost? Obsessed?

Shae couldn't seem to stop teetering on the edge of sanity,
diving into her own world of lies and fake things and feelings.
Changing roles, names and identities with frightening easiness,
splitting herself between different personalities.

And resurfacing from time to time
trying to keep two feet in reality,
setting goals and chasing dreams.
Talking about honesty and authenticity
as the only way to treat her followers
and planning about the next fake post.

Losing her grip on reality,
manipulating people, planning for their demise,
claiming she can't live without them,
finding happiness in torturing them
and diving again into a vicious circle.

Twists and turns that left me with an open mouth
and a feeling of wonder for Adriane Leigh and her protagonists,
the way she escalates things and feelings,
but also for the way she's just putting there a contemporary problem, social media and the way people interact with them or lose themselves in a chimaera. Food for thought...

The first part of the book is narrated by Shae.
By the end we have an intervention from her therapist ,
drawing for us Shae's current situation and glimpses of her past.
And just there, taking the next turn is where I admired the authoress the most
because of the depth she added to her story
and the promise of a future
I'm simultaneously anticipating and dreading to meet.

[Cari Gittemeier · Rating 2 out of 5]

do they give anyone with a frontal lobe and firing neurons a publishing deal these days? the only thing *diabolical* about this story was the suffering I endured at its hand. the last 20% was the best part (⭐️) and i am nothing if not a girl who enjoys an unhappy ending so I’ll throw another ⭐️ in there for that. nothing about this flowed and the story had so many holes and loose ends.

*read via kindle, but I recommend not reading at all.