The Worst of You

by Sarah Richards, Sarah Desjardins (Narrator)

Brace yourself for the latest gripping thriller from Sarah Richards, the bestselling author behind Audible hits China White and Born Winners. The Worst of You is a twisted tale full of mysteries that only grow more intense with each thrilling reveal, keeping you guessing until the shocking conclusion. Masterfully narrated by Sarah Desjardins (Yellowjackets), this immersive audiobook will have you captivated from start to finish.

In The Worst of You, just-wed architects Timo and Nia flee a murder scene, setting in motion a chain reaction of lies and betrayals that threaten to unravel everything they have built together. Twisted and propulsive, this thriller is told from the alternating perspectives of the couple and those close to them on Williwaw Island, each with their own motive to use the outcome of the murder case to their advantage. When a huge storm sweeps up the coast, trapping everyone on tiny Williwaw Island, it’s a race against time—and the elements — to stop the murderer from striking again.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

I am Sarah—a lifelong Southern belle who will never put sugar in her grits.

I have been published in Bella Grace magazine, writersdigest.com, and my story, “The Ghoul of Whitmire Cemetery,” set in my hometown of Pensacola, Florida, was recognized as an Honorable Mention and published in The Saturday Evening Post’s “Great American Short Stories” anthology in 2016. “The Post-It Poet,” set at my alma mater of Pensacola State College (PSC), placed as an Honorable Mention in the 2019 contest, and “Office Space Cadets,” also set at PSC, placed as Honorable Mention in the 2022 contest.

My Amazon.com author page can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B08G7PDJFV

I am a writing expert for a global proofreading company and edit academic papers for a company based in Finland—all while working towards my B.A. in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing.

I enjoy life with my husband and children in the Florida Panhandle.

Reviews

[Megan Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all over the place. The ending felt rushed.

[Liz Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, a DNF. I tried to power through this novel but mid-way through I realised that I wasn't interested in the story -- despite the compelling blurb on Audible -- didn't find any of the characters that appealing, and therefore didn't care what happened to them.

[Mary H · Rating 1 out of 5]

The puns that have been set in motion by Richards choosing this title for this book: all so obvious! Is it the best book I have read this year/ever? No! Probably not the worst but the worst this month.

Why did everyone have such weird names? Why on earth are there are so many bear traps? What even are bear traps? why would you trap bears in a natural area where they live?

What is the obsession with architects? Did Richards think this would be an amazingly different take on a story?

Why on earth did any of the people in this book EVER get together with any of their partners or former partners?

Does anyone care about any of these questions I have thoughtfully posed? Does anyone care about this plot line? I think the answer to both is a well deserved NO.

[Maria Ivek · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot was implausible and ALL characters were despicable - for various reasons. As a result I didn’t care about them or what happened in the book. I wish I had given it a miss.

[Nile Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well… I persevered until the end of this audiobook but cannot say I enjoyed it very much. I found all the main and even the side characters to be somehow “off”, more like caricatures than anything else, case in point Nia’s parents! It was impossible to root for any of them and so I quickly lost interest in their fate. The story felt both convoluted and clumsily drawn. I think I’ll give this author’s backlist of books a miss.

[Kelli Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 to be fair
Something about this just wasn’t there for me. I don’t know what was missing but the ending seemed rushed

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just not good. I originally was drawn in with the synopsis of a storm hitting a secluded island but the storm was barely in this story. There were so many un-developed subplots that I had a really hard time following where this story was going. I wasn't invested in a single character and the happy-go-lucky ending was a bit random. Had a read the reviews beforehand, I would have skipped this one.

[Kaya Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is gonna sound mean but I wish Audible put better books in their member free catalog...
This one was just a mess. The reveal fell flat.
And cop sleeping with a suspect in her case and everything's fine?
Please

[Hanako · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. I didn't love the characters (Stella was probably my favorite out of them) and the story was entertaining enough. I feel like it was trying to be ever so twisty, and maybe would have been better with one or two fewer twists than what we got so that the motivations would have been a bit clearer.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It was fine" is the best i can do for this book. It seemed to take a while to tie together the two "crimes" and when they did come together then all the sudden it felt very rushed. Characters were not really likeable. Just. Meh.

[Lacey Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story took forever to get interesting. The perspective and characters switched too often and made the story line confusing, especially going from present to past and back with different people. The ending was predictable and dragged on.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, that was a hard slog. 👎🏻

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - was not really a fan. Was very happy it was over. I had high hopes!

[Victoria Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 4 stars!

“The Worst of You” is one of those stories that pulls you in without warning.
Sarah Richards does a great job giving you just enough to stay invested but still leaving you second-guessing your instincts. The deeper I got, the more I wanted to know what everyone was hiding — and why their lives were so tangled together.

I found myself re-listening to chapters, catching little clues and connections I missed the first time. It’s one of those reads where nothing is exactly what it seems, and every character has a thread worth pulling.

If you like messy relationships, small-town familiarity, drama, secrets, and that slow unraveling of ‘oh… that’s why,’ then this book delivers. A solid, addictive, twist-teasing read.”

This book was an easy read, and I did enjoy it, but I found myself pretty flustered most of the way through — mostly because of the characters’ choices and all the secrecy. To be fair, though, I definitely did not see the ending coming, so credit where it’s due!

The story follows newlyweds Timo and Nia, who may have witnessed a murder on a ferry on their way to visit Nia’s parents. Timo already has charges pressed against him from a previous (supposedly unrelated… or is it?) case, so he’s terrified to speak up. Nia starts acting suspicious, their communication crumbles, and their marriage starts to fall apart under pressure.

We also follow investigator Stella! From the moment Stella enters the picture, I was immediately curious — how exactly does she know Timo, his wife/girlfriend Nia, and his best friend/boss Jason? (Spoiler: she’s from the same area, and once you piece it together, it clicks.) I loved that sense of familiarity mixed with tension.
Stella is juggling a complicated divorce, a narcissistic ex, and the challenges of co-parenting their son, Cooper. She was once partners — both romantically and professionally — with her ex, and she firmly believes there is no such thing as coincidence. Her storyline adds a gritty, emotional depth that contrasts the unraveling chaos of Timo and Nia.

Then there’s Marin, a struggling college student with a traumatic past, a shopping addiction, and a whole lot of emotional weight on her shoulders. Her brother — notorious for disappearing — has gone missing again. Unfortunately for her, he’s also her financial lifeline, and his absence sends her spiraling.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy cow this book is problematic. “She looked grey, like a concrete block” what a lovely way to be described.

No character in this book is likeable which is fine except for the fact that they are all stupid and can’t see past their own selfishness.

Also I know the author is a woman but does she have to mansplain everything to us? “She felt invasive like a surgical tool cutting into flesh” 🤦‍♀️

PLUS WHY DID THE DETECTIVE HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH THE MURDERED GUYS SISTER??? Wrong on so many levels.

Awful writing, awful characters, awful everything.

[hanatigressreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can agree on other people’s review that the characters in this book are very unlikeable and really made me also questioning how they could be or ever could have been a couple. The story wasn’t totally bad but the solution to all of what was happening was a little fantastic. Drugging both her husband and her daughter for how long?? Nah. I also found Marin totally unlikeable so the love story between Stella and Marin was not really believable. Anyway I needed to listen to the end so it wasn’t a total waste of time.

[Kiera · Rating 1 out of 5]

if your characters are obsessed with correcting grammar, you should make sure the grammar corrected was actually incorrect in the first place. using "I" instead of "me" isn't always grammatically correct. instant DNF. plus too many characters to easily follow and the story was all over the place.

[Leyte Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, although the ending did seem rushed.

[Evelin · Rating 1 out of 5]

meh

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the definition of “forgettable, even as I was reading it”.

[Elise Gooding-Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 good mystery that will make you constantly jump sides on who is the good guy. I loved trying to predict who was in the wrong

[Jennifer Heltman · Rating 3 out of 5]

While i didn’t feel a strong empathy for any character,
The who dunnit was a twist i didn’t see but it didn’t feel out of nowhere.

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of suspense. Loved that every character plot was deceivingly connected!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little twist at the end that wasn’t expected

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted this to be a good book, but it just wasn't. I enjoyed the characters, but a few of them had an evolution that didn't make sense to their character. Without spoiling it completely, the "bad" guys suddenly become "good" but not in a redemptive way that literature usually takes. Also, the denouement was too tidy and neatly written; an unbelievable, fairytale ending. No real human struggle or loss. In addition, the author's use of the word "derelict" when describing a house was probably used a dozen times. A gallery of adjectives, commonly known as a thesaurus, is pretty accessible on the internet these days.

What kept me reading was the hope I would eventually be surprised with the authors' "twists and turns." Alas, they were all predictable and shallow. Overall, I am disappointed and wouldn't recommend this to a friend.

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you had already sort of revealed who the transgressor is in the beginning, at least make it interesting. I'm not sure why I finished this; I probably waited for an "aha" moment, but there was none. At least it was a happy ending.

P.S.

I'm sorry, but I can't take Timo's name seriously. I kept having the mental picture of the cuddly, mushroom-pooping character in Wildrift/League of Legends whenever I hear his name, so there's that.

[Janice Branning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the reviews of this books before I started to listen to this book and I almost didn’t start the book. Everyone see character different when they read a book. I will say that the story went into very many different directions at the beginning. You have maybe someone falling off a boat and a man being injured in a bar fight. Like with most stories they will be tied together.
Would make a fun Bookclub read, who doesn’t love a triller with a little mystery, which you can figure out in the first 50 pages.

[Joanne Posluszny · Rating 1 out of 5]

You had a hard time liking any of the characters .. too many flaws and i was pushing myself to finish this.. if it wasnt for my goal that i am trying to accomplish… this would have went on the shelf with spare

[Kami | hookgrips_hops_andhenry · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Kim Dependahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was all over the place. Ending felt rushed.