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One of Us Is Dead
Opulence. Sex. Betrayal ... Sometimes friendship can be deadly.
Meet the women of Buckhead--a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she's been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge ...
Crystal has stepped into Shannon's old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she's up against ...
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon's crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book ...
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients' secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead--and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
*****
Big Little Lies meets Real Housewives in this scandalous mystery by Jeneva Rose. One of Us Is Dead takes an insightful look at wealth and power when a group of socialites gather at an exclusive salon and one of them winds up dead. A wicked, clever, and highly entertaining read! - Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten
A deftly crafted blend of women's friendships, rivalries, ambitions, and suspense, One of Us is Dead is a riveting and entertaining read from first page to last. - Midwest Book Review
Real Housewives of Atlanta meets Big Little Lies...If you enjoyed Big Little Lies, you should read this book.- San Francisco Book Review
Scheming mean girls, sex and scandal, secrets and lies, all wrapped up in Buckhead privilege and opulence--what's not to love? One of Us Is Dead is wicked, twisty, thrilling fun from the first page to last. - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Last Girl Ghosted
I tore through the pages of this lusciously addictive, fast-paced, incredibly fun suspense...One of Us Is Dead is the perfect binge book. Jeneva Rose is the queen of delectable thrillers! - Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her
Jeneva Rose's new book One of Us Is Dead is another book you must read if you love fast-paced murder mysteries! This was a super fun, super quick read. The author is a fantastic storyteller, I will read anything she writes. - All the Good Books
With One of Us Is Dead, Jeneva Rose has delivered the most binge-worthy thriller of the year. Mean Girls meets Desperate Housewives in this twisty, scorching, and propulsive read, and I couldn't get enough of the gossipy, scandalous, and backstabbing socialites of Buckhead. Grab this book, mix a strong mimosa, and prepare to become obsessed! - May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives
Meet the women of Buckhead--a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she's been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge ...
Crystal has stepped into Shannon's old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she's up against ...
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon's crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book ...
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients' secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead--and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
*****
Big Little Lies meets Real Housewives in this scandalous mystery by Jeneva Rose. One of Us Is Dead takes an insightful look at wealth and power when a group of socialites gather at an exclusive salon and one of them winds up dead. A wicked, clever, and highly entertaining read! - Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten
A deftly crafted blend of women's friendships, rivalries, ambitions, and suspense, One of Us is Dead is a riveting and entertaining read from first page to last. - Midwest Book Review
Real Housewives of Atlanta meets Big Little Lies...If you enjoyed Big Little Lies, you should read this book.- San Francisco Book Review
Scheming mean girls, sex and scandal, secrets and lies, all wrapped up in Buckhead privilege and opulence--what's not to love? One of Us Is Dead is wicked, twisty, thrilling fun from the first page to last. - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Last Girl Ghosted
I tore through the pages of this lusciously addictive, fast-paced, incredibly fun suspense...One of Us Is Dead is the perfect binge book. Jeneva Rose is the queen of delectable thrillers! - Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her
Jeneva Rose's new book One of Us Is Dead is another book you must read if you love fast-paced murder mysteries! This was a super fun, super quick read. The author is a fantastic storyteller, I will read anything she writes. - All the Good Books
With One of Us Is Dead, Jeneva Rose has delivered the most binge-worthy thriller of the year. Mean Girls meets Desperate Housewives in this twisty, scorching, and propulsive read, and I couldn't get enough of the gossipy, scandalous, and backstabbing socialites of Buckhead. Grab this book, mix a strong mimosa, and prepare to become obsessed! - May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2022
4656 people are currently reading
138973 people want to read
About the author
Jeneva Rose
17 books40.8k followersJeneva Rose is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Perfect Marriage and The Perfect Divorce. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages and optioned for film/tv. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Drew, and her stubborn English bulldogs, Winston and Phyllis Vance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,927 reviews
December 14, 2021
I hope you enjoyed reading One of Us is Dead as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was the hardest book I've written thus far, thanks to five points of views and switching between past and present. I rewrote the ending many times as well, so I hope you liked the final version.
If you did enjoy it, I’d be so grateful if you took the time to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It makes a huge difference in helping people discover my book for the first time.
If you did enjoy it, I’d be so grateful if you took the time to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It makes a huge difference in helping people discover my book for the first time.
July 12, 2022
This was fun to read; rich, mean, gossipy, wives who hang out at a salon. But it wasn’t very thrilling and didn’t have me turning the pages with anticipation. The ending was cool so I’d say 3.5 stars. If you just want something ridiculous & fun to read this is perfect!
April 29, 2022
I'm embarrassed I read this
April 26, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Out of all the “housewife” thrillers I’ve read, this one features the most deliciously evil villain!
The women of Buckhead are known for being plastic/beautiful, wealthy, and downright vicious.
Shannon has always been the most powerful woman of Buckhead…until now. Her politician husband, Bryce, divorces her and remarries a younger woman. Shannon is used goods.
Olivia has been dying to be the queen bee-yotch for years, and finally gets her chance now that Shannon isn’t married to a powerful man. Olivia will do anything to be on top, and doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way.
Crystal is the younger woman who marries Blake. She came from Texas and has never been around wealth. Just wait until she sees what she’s dealing with.
Karen works hard for what she has, and is the only one with both a husband and child. If only life in Buckhead could be peaceful, but that’s not going to happen with this group.
Jenny owns a salon that all of the women are serviced at. Just like a bartender or cab driver, she’s privy to plenty of tantalizing secrets.
Too bad some of these secrets will get someone killed.
This was an absolute blast to read. Some of the characters are so atrocious and wickedly deceiving. There are also some I rooted for. The biting dialogue is darkly humorous with plenty of snark and bitchiness. There are so many juicy secrets and threads, some of them downright cringeworthy in the best way. The different POVs are successful in building suspense, and the delectable ending is absolutely perfect for these folks!
This is definitely a popcorn thriller 🍿, and so well done at that. I loved it, and look forward to reading more from this author.
4.5 stars.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 4/26/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Out of all the “housewife” thrillers I’ve read, this one features the most deliciously evil villain!
The women of Buckhead are known for being plastic/beautiful, wealthy, and downright vicious.
Shannon has always been the most powerful woman of Buckhead…until now. Her politician husband, Bryce, divorces her and remarries a younger woman. Shannon is used goods.
Olivia has been dying to be the queen bee-yotch for years, and finally gets her chance now that Shannon isn’t married to a powerful man. Olivia will do anything to be on top, and doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way.
Crystal is the younger woman who marries Blake. She came from Texas and has never been around wealth. Just wait until she sees what she’s dealing with.
Karen works hard for what she has, and is the only one with both a husband and child. If only life in Buckhead could be peaceful, but that’s not going to happen with this group.
Jenny owns a salon that all of the women are serviced at. Just like a bartender or cab driver, she’s privy to plenty of tantalizing secrets.
Too bad some of these secrets will get someone killed.
This was an absolute blast to read. Some of the characters are so atrocious and wickedly deceiving. There are also some I rooted for. The biting dialogue is darkly humorous with plenty of snark and bitchiness. There are so many juicy secrets and threads, some of them downright cringeworthy in the best way. The different POVs are successful in building suspense, and the delectable ending is absolutely perfect for these folks!
This is definitely a popcorn thriller 🍿, and so well done at that. I loved it, and look forward to reading more from this author.
4.5 stars.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 4/26/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
April 30, 2024
2.9/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
UGH I wanted to love this but I just didn't... RTC
╔═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╗
score card:
plot: 2.5/5
characters: 3.5/5
world/setting: 2.5/5
pacing: 2.5/5
enjoyment: 3/5
total: 2.9/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
╚═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╝
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
29/04 5:22pm
i really do hope it’s dead but i feel like that’ll be too on the nose so i don’t know
29/04 2:29pm
if only i was rich enough to have these problems
29/04 10:23am
woah jaclyn hill and jeffree star mention?
29/04 7:55am
thank the stars for short chapters - this is exactly what i needed i get the sense im watching selling sunset on netflix except these women aren't selling anything
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
alright here we go *my* (with all your suggestions) fool proof method to avoid a reading slump! a quick, easy to follow, mystery/thriller. I saw fellow Australian Paige read this and gave it 4 stars so I have high hopes for this one
UGH I wanted to love this but I just didn't... RTC
╔═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╗
score card:
plot: 2.5/5
characters: 3.5/5
world/setting: 2.5/5
pacing: 2.5/5
enjoyment: 3/5
total: 2.9/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
╚═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╝
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
29/04 5:22pm
i really do hope it’s dead but i feel like that’ll be too on the nose so i don’t know
29/04 2:29pm
if only i was rich enough to have these problems
29/04 10:23am
woah jaclyn hill and jeffree star mention?
29/04 7:55am
thank the stars for short chapters - this is exactly what i needed i get the sense im watching selling sunset on netflix except these women aren't selling anything
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
alright here we go *my* (with all your suggestions) fool proof method to avoid a reading slump! a quick, easy to follow, mystery/thriller. I saw fellow Australian Paige read this and gave it 4 stars so I have high hopes for this one
May 12, 2022
Oh boy this was a devilishly fun Audible!
The narrators were very entertaining and I must admit one of them had me literally laughing out loud!
I think if I would have read this one instead of listening to it, I would have rated it a 3.5 The audible is deserving of a 4 star rating.
Olivia, Karen and Shannon are rich housewives (well Karen actually does work) and have been frequenting the same exclusive Salon (called Glow Salon) for years that is owned by Jenny. Shannon is now newly divorced but her ex's new young wife, Crystal soon begins to go to the same Salon. Jenny seems to know all their secrets....and well one of them dies...as per the title....who is it? It's hard to make out and the puzzle slowly comes together as Jenny's interrogation by the police begins right at the start of the book.
This is available in the Plus Catalogue section for Audible members. A great "freebie."💅🏻
The narrators were very entertaining and I must admit one of them had me literally laughing out loud!
I think if I would have read this one instead of listening to it, I would have rated it a 3.5 The audible is deserving of a 4 star rating.
Olivia, Karen and Shannon are rich housewives (well Karen actually does work) and have been frequenting the same exclusive Salon (called Glow Salon) for years that is owned by Jenny. Shannon is now newly divorced but her ex's new young wife, Crystal soon begins to go to the same Salon. Jenny seems to know all their secrets....and well one of them dies...as per the title....who is it? It's hard to make out and the puzzle slowly comes together as Jenny's interrogation by the police begins right at the start of the book.
This is available in the Plus Catalogue section for Audible members. A great "freebie."💅🏻
October 23, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Jenny is the owner of a posh salon in the upscale area of Buckhead in Atlanta. Her salon, Glow, caters to a set number of wealthy clients who come in for very regular treatments.
Because of this exclusivity and frequency of visits, Jenny has come to know her clients very, very well. Almost too well for her tastes. Along with her assistant, Jenny has become quite versed in navigating the ups-and-downs of her clients toxic relationships.
The most recent drama involves former Queen Bee, Shannon, whose politician husband, Bryce Madison, recently left her for a 20-something waitress he met while on a business trip to Texas.
The waitress, Crystal, has recently moved to town and become the new Mrs. Madison. Young and innocent, like Dorothy walking into Oz, Crystal has no idea what she is in for when it comes to Buckhead society.
For her part, Olivia is all too happy to sit back and watch Shannon's demise. Truthfully, she's been waiting for that star to fall for a while. As she sees it, now is her time.
Lastly, there's Karen. The least aggressive socially of the bunch, Karen's still hiding some big secrets of her own.
These women are used to a constant state of drama, with under-handed insults being slung back and forth, but how far are they willing to take it? Would someone actually kill to protect their position in the community? How about to keep their secrets secret?
Y'all, somebody is not going to make it out alive...
One of Us is Dead is like Fried Green Tomatoes met The Real Housewives of Atlanta, they fell in love and had a baby that was essentially an Adult version of Mean Girls.
You know based off that description that my evil a$$ is 100% here for it.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook for this one, which does feature a full cast. It was really well done and I definitely recommend that format.
It was fun having a different narrator for each perspective. It felt like I was really getting to know these characters and they are twisted. Everyone was hiding something. Everyone knew things they shouldn't. They were just all up in each others business. It was captivating.
I did have a lot of fun with this and became invested quickly. It was really close to a full 4-stars for me. I was disappointed that the ending wrapped everything up so quickly though.
I wanted more intrigue as far as the murdery bits were concerned. For most of the narrative I actually forgot that the whole point was that someone was ultimately going to end up dead. There was so little focus on that.
I would have appreciated more time invested in those aspects, but of course, that is completely a personal taste issue. I was just sort of hoping for a wee more mystery.
Overall, this is a super fun, fast-paced, dramatic and slightly ridiculous read.
Be forewarned, however, if you are not into girl-on-girl slander, back-stabbing and crime, this may not be for you. Just know going in these women are brutal. They aren't holding any punches.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a ton of fun with this one!
Jenny is the owner of a posh salon in the upscale area of Buckhead in Atlanta. Her salon, Glow, caters to a set number of wealthy clients who come in for very regular treatments.
Because of this exclusivity and frequency of visits, Jenny has come to know her clients very, very well. Almost too well for her tastes. Along with her assistant, Jenny has become quite versed in navigating the ups-and-downs of her clients toxic relationships.
The most recent drama involves former Queen Bee, Shannon, whose politician husband, Bryce Madison, recently left her for a 20-something waitress he met while on a business trip to Texas.
The waitress, Crystal, has recently moved to town and become the new Mrs. Madison. Young and innocent, like Dorothy walking into Oz, Crystal has no idea what she is in for when it comes to Buckhead society.
For her part, Olivia is all too happy to sit back and watch Shannon's demise. Truthfully, she's been waiting for that star to fall for a while. As she sees it, now is her time.
Lastly, there's Karen. The least aggressive socially of the bunch, Karen's still hiding some big secrets of her own.
These women are used to a constant state of drama, with under-handed insults being slung back and forth, but how far are they willing to take it? Would someone actually kill to protect their position in the community? How about to keep their secrets secret?
Y'all, somebody is not going to make it out alive...
One of Us is Dead is like Fried Green Tomatoes met The Real Housewives of Atlanta, they fell in love and had a baby that was essentially an Adult version of Mean Girls.
You know based off that description that my evil a$$ is 100% here for it.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook for this one, which does feature a full cast. It was really well done and I definitely recommend that format.
It was fun having a different narrator for each perspective. It felt like I was really getting to know these characters and they are twisted. Everyone was hiding something. Everyone knew things they shouldn't. They were just all up in each others business. It was captivating.
I did have a lot of fun with this and became invested quickly. It was really close to a full 4-stars for me. I was disappointed that the ending wrapped everything up so quickly though.
I wanted more intrigue as far as the murdery bits were concerned. For most of the narrative I actually forgot that the whole point was that someone was ultimately going to end up dead. There was so little focus on that.
I would have appreciated more time invested in those aspects, but of course, that is completely a personal taste issue. I was just sort of hoping for a wee more mystery.
Overall, this is a super fun, fast-paced, dramatic and slightly ridiculous read.
Be forewarned, however, if you are not into girl-on-girl slander, back-stabbing and crime, this may not be for you. Just know going in these women are brutal. They aren't holding any punches.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a ton of fun with this one!
May 6, 2022
Audible Listen
Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, Cassandra Campbell Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 04-26-22
These women have goals!
#1 Get drunk while getting beautiful at the exclusive Glow Salon.
#2 Try not to pi$$ off the Queen Bee, Olivia.
#3 Keep their secrets to themselves.
If you enjoy an over the top housewife drama, full of sarcasm and devilish games, you may want to check this audio out! I laughed at the pure zaniness, a frivolous read!
This may not have worked for me if I had read it, but the narrators were entertaining and brought each character to life. The women had me shaking my head and thanking my lucky stars I wasn't in their circle of friends. They have waaay too much time on their hands.
Amongst the women there is a little country bumpkin, a gold digger, a china dish, and a venom filled frenemy. We know one of them dies, but the who and the why isn't revealed until the end, so you might change your mind a few times like I did. Team _________?
I had fun with it, got my nails done, and didn't take it too seriously!
Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, Cassandra Campbell Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 04-26-22
These women have goals!
#1 Get drunk while getting beautiful at the exclusive Glow Salon.
#2 Try not to pi$$ off the Queen Bee, Olivia.
#3 Keep their secrets to themselves.
If you enjoy an over the top housewife drama, full of sarcasm and devilish games, you may want to check this audio out! I laughed at the pure zaniness, a frivolous read!
This may not have worked for me if I had read it, but the narrators were entertaining and brought each character to life. The women had me shaking my head and thanking my lucky stars I wasn't in their circle of friends. They have waaay too much time on their hands.
Amongst the women there is a little country bumpkin, a gold digger, a china dish, and a venom filled frenemy. We know one of them dies, but the who and the why isn't revealed until the end, so you might change your mind a few times like I did. Team _________?
I had fun with it, got my nails done, and didn't take it too seriously!
December 17, 2023
"The women dressed up in their most expensive gowns, trying to outdo one another. The men wrote large checks to compensate for other areas in which they were lacking"- Welcome to Buckhead, Atlanta.
❤ ✔ — Thank you to Laura for this recommendation. It did not disappoint.
✨Six entitled women acting unhinged…sign me up. Buckle up for a wild ride of drama, gossip, backstabbing, and cattiness! If you ever indulged in some good old Real Housewives/ Desperate Housewives type of TV, then you will likely enjoy this book. Add in a murder and you have a highly entertaining story that I really enjoyed. This was over the top, crazy, wild, and just completely ridiculous and I loved every page of it.✨
“The truth is, I’d rather be dead than poor, and the easiest way to stay rich is to stay powerful”
The Plot- One of the main female characters is dead. But why and who? A salon owner who serves the rich housewives of Buckhead recalls the events that led up to the death of one of them. She is the one that knows these ladies on a different level. These ladies come to her to get all dolled up and spill their secrets to her because she is just “the help” who is she going to tell? The salon owner knows everyone of their demons and their deep, darkest secrets. With sex, lies, betrayal amongst the group of friends it could be anyone.
✂️ Side note: when I go to the hair salon I talk to most shit and have the time of my life with my hairdresser. So it was very realistic to me that the hairdresser knew all the secrets ✂️
“Your skin is glowing, I can barely notice the lack of elasticity today”
The Characters- The women of Buckhead are known for being plastic/beautiful, wealthy, and downright vicious.
Jenny- The salon owner and the peacemaker.
Olivia-I hated this chick from the very first introduction. She was the queen bee of the group. The one hungry for power and she will do anything for it. She is the typical rich mean women. I kept picturing the step-mom from parent trap LMAO
Shannon- The scorned ex- wife. I love this crazy bi***. She was so delulu it was hilarious. Omg she had me dying laughing but also cringing with the shit she pulled. We love an unhinged funny chick.
Crystal- The new girl in town and the new wife. Ahh so she was the other woman. Even tho she stole Shannon husband I grew to like her very quickly. She was smart and witty.
Karen- She was a breath of fresh air. She didn’t fit into this group of caddy ladies but she was definitely needed for the groups dynamic.
Keisha- Jenny’s best friend/ coworker. She was a hot ticket.
“The men in our lives dont define us. We define ourselves”
The Writing & Pace- One of Us is Dead is told using alternating points of view and an alternating timeline. The timeline alternates between before the murder and after the murder. You don't know who dies until the very end so the majority of the book is drama leading up to it. This was a fast paced story.
“Women weren’t meant to be quiet.”
My Thoughts- Thoroughly captivating and engaging, this story was one that left me reeling at the end with all the twists and turns.I am a huge fan of rich-person drama, so I was sold right from the description. The drama and cattiness of these women was so fun to read, and I couldn’t wait to find out who was dead and why. My jaw was on the floor at the end of this book. Honey! I was like damnn haha
“& in this town it’s all about who you know, what you wear, how you look, and how much money and power you have”
PLAYLIST
🎶Run The World- Beyoncé
🎶7 Rings- Ariana Grande
🎶Cute But A Psycho- Ava Max
🎶Trouble- Valerie Broussard
🎶Keeps Getting Better- Christina Aguilera
🎶Breakfast- Dove Cameron
🎶S&M - Rihanna
🎶Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
🎶So What- P!nk
🎶DARKSIDE- Neoni
🎶Backstabber- Ke$hia
🎶Devil I know- Allie X
🎶We Are Never Getting Back Together- Taylor Swift
🎶Bad Blood- Taylor Swift
🎶COPYCAT- Billie Eilish
🎶Lady- Chromatics
🎶I Kissed A Girl Katy Perry
🎶Bad Dream- Cannon
🎶Good 4 u- Olivia Rodrigo
🎶Look What You Made Me Do- Taylor Swift
🎶Paint The Town Red- Doja Cat
🎶You Don’t Own Me- SAYGRACE FT G-Eazy
🎶Mad Hatter- Melanie Martinez
🎶Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Chromatics
🎶Dangerous women- Ariana Grande
🎶Money- Cardi B
🎶Cinderella Is Dead- EMELINE
🎶IM NOT SORRY- Neoni
🎶How Villains Are Made- Madalen Duke
❤ ✔ — Thank you to Laura for this recommendation. It did not disappoint.
✨Six entitled women acting unhinged…sign me up. Buckle up for a wild ride of drama, gossip, backstabbing, and cattiness! If you ever indulged in some good old Real Housewives/ Desperate Housewives type of TV, then you will likely enjoy this book. Add in a murder and you have a highly entertaining story that I really enjoyed. This was over the top, crazy, wild, and just completely ridiculous and I loved every page of it.✨
“The truth is, I’d rather be dead than poor, and the easiest way to stay rich is to stay powerful”
The Plot- One of the main female characters is dead. But why and who? A salon owner who serves the rich housewives of Buckhead recalls the events that led up to the death of one of them. She is the one that knows these ladies on a different level. These ladies come to her to get all dolled up and spill their secrets to her because she is just “the help” who is she going to tell? The salon owner knows everyone of their demons and their deep, darkest secrets. With sex, lies, betrayal amongst the group of friends it could be anyone.
✂️ Side note: when I go to the hair salon I talk to most shit and have the time of my life with my hairdresser. So it was very realistic to me that the hairdresser knew all the secrets ✂️
“Your skin is glowing, I can barely notice the lack of elasticity today”
The Characters- The women of Buckhead are known for being plastic/beautiful, wealthy, and downright vicious.
Jenny- The salon owner and the peacemaker.
Olivia-I hated this chick from the very first introduction. She was the queen bee of the group. The one hungry for power and she will do anything for it. She is the typical rich mean women. I kept picturing the step-mom from parent trap LMAO
Shannon- The scorned ex- wife. I love this crazy bi***. She was so delulu it was hilarious. Omg she had me dying laughing but also cringing with the shit she pulled. We love an unhinged funny chick.
Crystal- The new girl in town and the new wife. Ahh so she was the other woman. Even tho she stole Shannon husband I grew to like her very quickly. She was smart and witty.
Karen- She was a breath of fresh air. She didn’t fit into this group of caddy ladies but she was definitely needed for the groups dynamic.
Keisha- Jenny’s best friend/ coworker. She was a hot ticket.
“The men in our lives dont define us. We define ourselves”
The Writing & Pace- One of Us is Dead is told using alternating points of view and an alternating timeline. The timeline alternates between before the murder and after the murder. You don't know who dies until the very end so the majority of the book is drama leading up to it. This was a fast paced story.
“Women weren’t meant to be quiet.”
My Thoughts- Thoroughly captivating and engaging, this story was one that left me reeling at the end with all the twists and turns.I am a huge fan of rich-person drama, so I was sold right from the description. The drama and cattiness of these women was so fun to read, and I couldn’t wait to find out who was dead and why. My jaw was on the floor at the end of this book. Honey! I was like damnn haha
“& in this town it’s all about who you know, what you wear, how you look, and how much money and power you have”
PLAYLIST
🎶Run The World- Beyoncé
🎶7 Rings- Ariana Grande
🎶Cute But A Psycho- Ava Max
🎶Trouble- Valerie Broussard
🎶Keeps Getting Better- Christina Aguilera
🎶Breakfast- Dove Cameron
🎶S&M - Rihanna
🎶Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
🎶So What- P!nk
🎶DARKSIDE- Neoni
🎶Backstabber- Ke$hia
🎶Devil I know- Allie X
🎶We Are Never Getting Back Together- Taylor Swift
🎶Bad Blood- Taylor Swift
🎶COPYCAT- Billie Eilish
🎶Lady- Chromatics
🎶I Kissed A Girl Katy Perry
🎶Bad Dream- Cannon
🎶Good 4 u- Olivia Rodrigo
🎶Look What You Made Me Do- Taylor Swift
🎶Paint The Town Red- Doja Cat
🎶You Don’t Own Me- SAYGRACE FT G-Eazy
🎶Mad Hatter- Melanie Martinez
🎶Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Chromatics
🎶Dangerous women- Ariana Grande
🎶Money- Cardi B
🎶Cinderella Is Dead- EMELINE
🎶IM NOT SORRY- Neoni
🎶How Villains Are Made- Madalen Duke
March 19, 2025
the fact that I have to say this twice in one day is wild!! pls pls pls stop putting negative comments especially racial ones on my reviews its hurtful to see ppl think im stupid and try to dumb things down for me yes in black but that doesn't mean you have to address characters are black pls just be respectful this review got so much hate but id appreciate those ppl who put comments about "if I had read the book id know this" no I did read that crappy book and it was terrible and these are my thoughts plus if you read my review you'd see its accurate so instead of telling me what to read pls actually READ MY REVIEW!! 👏 👏👏
Read Your Own Risk!!!
Minor Spoilers
1/2 🌟’s
“You know what? If you ask me, Olivia could use a beating.” Shannon cackled.
Siri play: ‘We are never getting back together’ by Taylor Swift
☆Theme☆
I fuck you, you fuck me, and pay up like literally and metaphorically
☆My thoughts☆
The quote should tell you enough already. So hear i was looking for another quick read and I find this drama filled book. I love reading about drama so I thought this would be a good one. I was so wrong. Like waaaay off. I thought Verity by Colleen Hoover was disgusting and terrible!!! 🤢 This was right up there maybe even worse. And to think I almost read this instead of TBONA. I would have read this piece of garbage instead of reading about evajacks. Thank God I did a poll!!! 🙏 So many times I wanted to put this down bc it was getting to be too much but Ik I would be mad at myself for at least not knowing what happened. And yeah the ending shocked me. Turns out quiet ones aren't always the safest ones. The drama was wild like beyond anything I've ever read. None of them are innocent at all. Reading this was torture and made me feel so disgusted. This is probably my 2nd worst read ever (if not 1st) right up there with Verity.
☆Characters☆
Oh boy!!! Here we go. Be prepared!!!
•Jenny
She seems so sweet innocent and at the end girl definitely is Not!!! But to be fair she was literally assaulted but it was still messy. However she was such a nice laid back character while everyone walked all over and girl was like oh there probably going through something. Idc that does not give someone the right to act like your their servant and lap dog. Girl needed to stand up for herself bc she was being waaay to lenient.
•Olivia
OMG! This girl pissed me off sm…😡 First of she forced Karen's husband to pay her to have sex with him and just to be with him. Ummn thats not a marriage. That's some crazy mess right there. And the phrases they used while they were doing it:
-Chairwoman Olivia Petrov
-Shannons reign is over
What??? Why are you talking about other people second off all what in yr right mind made you even want to say that and ruin the whole moment. This is so gross and disgusting on so many levels. Then she had him pick up the money after they were done like he was her personal lap dog. 🤨 On top of that she told Crystal she was a victim of abuse even tho she was basically abusing her own husband (Dean) Also she had her “friend” jumped by men and was nearly killed. She throws money at everything and even catfished her own ‘friend’ and left her phone where people could find out. Girl has been waiting all night and didn't know her so called friend made a fake dating account and pretended to be her date. Um some friend right there. Some people are so stupid. Like girl how do you do that but then also leave your phone for someone to see. I'm not saying thats okay but like no common sense whatsoever. And then was ready to leave her husband bc he couldn't give her the money she wanted. Absolute snake.
•Keisha
They didn't talk much about her but she was nice and funny. I like how she stood up for Karen. They were both so cute. ❤ At least something good came out of this.
•Karen
She was okay. Definitely better than majority of the characters. I love her relationship with Keisha eventho she cheated on her husband with her but that guy sucked anyways bc he was cheating too. So…ig it worked out. 🤷♀️
•Crystal
I'm not going to says she was innocent bc of the ending but overall she was one of my favorite. I felt so bad for her being new and then wrapped up all in this mess. She deserved sm better. I love how she was like the only one willing to stand up and get things done. So badass. 💜
•Shannon
She was like a total nightmare at the beginning of the book. She embarrassed herself on stage by drinking too much and confessing her undying love for her ex-husband (Bryce) while she is at a public event and wouldn't stop talking about how she loves her man and he is so good to her. Wake up call!!! Clearly he isn't if he dumped you for a younger woman. Probably cheated on her too. Then everyone started singing We Are Never Getting back together by Taylor swift. That's so embarrassing! 😬 And then she was voted off as chairwoman bc of her divorce with her ex then on top of that girl went and had dinner with the ex who embarrassed her and proposed to him he said yes at first to shut her up and then told her to stop being so obsessive and he would hurt her if she kept bothering him all while they were at the restaurant. 🤨 However I did love when she wore her wedding dress as her Halloween zombie dress. He said he paid like 15 thousand for it. Oh well!! Should have never cheated then and done all that crazy mess!!! 😤🤷♀️
•Bryce
One of the exes who cheated ofc. In fact I don't know who didn't cheat in this book. That's how unloyal everyone is in this. Ik something was up with him from the beginning. Divorced his wife to get with a younger woman (Crystal) and seduced her to get what he wanted. And ofc they always make the women look bad like oh just bc she went along with it, she isn't being forced against her will. Some are scared to say no or don't know what kind of mess they're getting into in the first place. I feel like Bryce deserved his ending. After all the things he did. And the way he kept talking about life insurance should've been the biggest red flag for all of them. Like are you trying to kill someone?!
•Mark
They barely mentioned him besides saying he cheated on his wife (Karen) by paying Olivia to have sex with him bc Karen couldn't fulfill his needs. At that point get the damn divorce already. 😖
•Dean
He runs a business that was trafficking drugs and women and his wife Olivia was willing to join in to get money. Bryce was also a part of it too ofc. All the guys in this especially him were twisted. In fact basically every character was. Like this was too much.
☆Last Thoughts☆
Absolute disaster. Sm happened and I'm so disgusted with this. I can't believe how innocent this book seems (besides the title of ofc). Its crazy bc I never rate anything lower than a 3. So the fact that I was willing to rate this right away, a half star at that, should let yall now. I don't recommend this at all but if you're going to read this I'm sending so many hugs yr way 🫂🫂🫂+ bc this is a rough one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/16/24
What did I just read? 🤨🤢😖
Read Your Own Risk!!!
Minor Spoilers
1/2 🌟’s
“You know what? If you ask me, Olivia could use a beating.” Shannon cackled.
Siri play: ‘We are never getting back together’ by Taylor Swift
☆Theme☆
I fuck you, you fuck me, and pay up like literally and metaphorically
☆My thoughts☆
The quote should tell you enough already. So hear i was looking for another quick read and I find this drama filled book. I love reading about drama so I thought this would be a good one. I was so wrong. Like waaaay off. I thought Verity by Colleen Hoover was disgusting and terrible!!! 🤢 This was right up there maybe even worse. And to think I almost read this instead of TBONA. I would have read this piece of garbage instead of reading about evajacks. Thank God I did a poll!!! 🙏 So many times I wanted to put this down bc it was getting to be too much but Ik I would be mad at myself for at least not knowing what happened. And yeah the ending shocked me. Turns out quiet ones aren't always the safest ones. The drama was wild like beyond anything I've ever read. None of them are innocent at all. Reading this was torture and made me feel so disgusted. This is probably my 2nd worst read ever (if not 1st) right up there with Verity.
☆Characters☆
Oh boy!!! Here we go. Be prepared!!!
•Jenny
She seems so sweet innocent and at the end girl definitely is Not!!! But to be fair she was literally assaulted but it was still messy. However she was such a nice laid back character while everyone walked all over and girl was like oh there probably going through something. Idc that does not give someone the right to act like your their servant and lap dog. Girl needed to stand up for herself bc she was being waaay to lenient.
•Olivia
OMG! This girl pissed me off sm…😡 First of she forced Karen's husband to pay her to have sex with him and just to be with him. Ummn thats not a marriage. That's some crazy mess right there. And the phrases they used while they were doing it:
-Chairwoman Olivia Petrov
-Shannons reign is over
What??? Why are you talking about other people second off all what in yr right mind made you even want to say that and ruin the whole moment. This is so gross and disgusting on so many levels. Then she had him pick up the money after they were done like he was her personal lap dog. 🤨 On top of that she told Crystal she was a victim of abuse even tho she was basically abusing her own husband (Dean) Also she had her “friend” jumped by men and was nearly killed. She throws money at everything and even catfished her own ‘friend’ and left her phone where people could find out. Girl has been waiting all night and didn't know her so called friend made a fake dating account and pretended to be her date. Um some friend right there. Some people are so stupid. Like girl how do you do that but then also leave your phone for someone to see. I'm not saying thats okay but like no common sense whatsoever. And then was ready to leave her husband bc he couldn't give her the money she wanted. Absolute snake.
•Keisha
They didn't talk much about her but she was nice and funny. I like how she stood up for Karen. They were both so cute. ❤ At least something good came out of this.
•Karen
She was okay. Definitely better than majority of the characters. I love her relationship with Keisha eventho she cheated on her husband with her but that guy sucked anyways bc he was cheating too. So…ig it worked out. 🤷♀️
•Crystal
I'm not going to says she was innocent bc of the ending but overall she was one of my favorite. I felt so bad for her being new and then wrapped up all in this mess. She deserved sm better. I love how she was like the only one willing to stand up and get things done. So badass. 💜
•Shannon
She was like a total nightmare at the beginning of the book. She embarrassed herself on stage by drinking too much and confessing her undying love for her ex-husband (Bryce) while she is at a public event and wouldn't stop talking about how she loves her man and he is so good to her. Wake up call!!! Clearly he isn't if he dumped you for a younger woman. Probably cheated on her too. Then everyone started singing We Are Never Getting back together by Taylor swift. That's so embarrassing! 😬 And then she was voted off as chairwoman bc of her divorce with her ex then on top of that girl went and had dinner with the ex who embarrassed her and proposed to him he said yes at first to shut her up and then told her to stop being so obsessive and he would hurt her if she kept bothering him all while they were at the restaurant. 🤨 However I did love when she wore her wedding dress as her Halloween zombie dress. He said he paid like 15 thousand for it. Oh well!! Should have never cheated then and done all that crazy mess!!! 😤🤷♀️
•Bryce
One of the exes who cheated ofc. In fact I don't know who didn't cheat in this book. That's how unloyal everyone is in this. Ik something was up with him from the beginning. Divorced his wife to get with a younger woman (Crystal) and seduced her to get what he wanted. And ofc they always make the women look bad like oh just bc she went along with it, she isn't being forced against her will. Some are scared to say no or don't know what kind of mess they're getting into in the first place. I feel like Bryce deserved his ending. After all the things he did. And the way he kept talking about life insurance should've been the biggest red flag for all of them. Like are you trying to kill someone?!
•Mark
They barely mentioned him besides saying he cheated on his wife (Karen) by paying Olivia to have sex with him bc Karen couldn't fulfill his needs. At that point get the damn divorce already. 😖
•Dean
He runs a business that was trafficking drugs and women and his wife Olivia was willing to join in to get money. Bryce was also a part of it too ofc. All the guys in this especially him were twisted. In fact basically every character was. Like this was too much.
☆Last Thoughts☆
Absolute disaster. Sm happened and I'm so disgusted with this. I can't believe how innocent this book seems (besides the title of ofc). Its crazy bc I never rate anything lower than a 3. So the fact that I was willing to rate this right away, a half star at that, should let yall now. I don't recommend this at all but if you're going to read this I'm sending so many hugs yr way 🫂🫂🫂+ bc this is a rough one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/16/24
What did I just read? 🤨🤢😖
April 14, 2022
This was like desperate housewives on crack! I had to laugh when I read their book club read and discussed Vogue. Who does that? These ladies do!
These women did not save that drama for their mama, that is for sure! Oh, how deliciously devious and spoiled these women were.
Shannon-divorced when her husband met a younger woman. Of course, she is angry, hurt, and bitter. On top of that her ex-husband's new wife is in her social circle.
Crystal- the new young beautiful wife who married Shannon's ex-husband.
Olivia - is cruel, meal and hides behind “just kidding" when she is nasty to others. It is her mission to bring down Shannon.
Jenny - owns an exclusive spa and knows all of the ladies’ secrets.
Karen - is married with a child. Yet, she yearns for something else.
All these women have secrets. All want to protect their secrets. How far will anyone go to protect their secret. That is the question.
So juicy, so much fun, so full of petty backstabbing and cruel comments. I could not stop listening This was such a fun book/audio book. The narrators did such an amazing job. I didn't want to turn it off.
I highly recommend the audiobook. I was aghast at some of their antics. Others I felt for. I had some eye rolling moments! This was such a fun guilty pleasure! I have to say this was one of my favorite audiobooks so far this year!
Do yourself a favor and join in the fun by picking up this book.
Spoiled. Privileged. Devious. Deadly.
Highly Recommend.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
These women did not save that drama for their mama, that is for sure! Oh, how deliciously devious and spoiled these women were.
Shannon-divorced when her husband met a younger woman. Of course, she is angry, hurt, and bitter. On top of that her ex-husband's new wife is in her social circle.
Crystal- the new young beautiful wife who married Shannon's ex-husband.
Olivia - is cruel, meal and hides behind “just kidding" when she is nasty to others. It is her mission to bring down Shannon.
Jenny - owns an exclusive spa and knows all of the ladies’ secrets.
Karen - is married with a child. Yet, she yearns for something else.
All these women have secrets. All want to protect their secrets. How far will anyone go to protect their secret. That is the question.
So juicy, so much fun, so full of petty backstabbing and cruel comments. I could not stop listening This was such a fun book/audio book. The narrators did such an amazing job. I didn't want to turn it off.
I highly recommend the audiobook. I was aghast at some of their antics. Others I felt for. I had some eye rolling moments! This was such a fun guilty pleasure! I have to say this was one of my favorite audiobooks so far this year!
Do yourself a favor and join in the fun by picking up this book.
Spoiled. Privileged. Devious. Deadly.
Highly Recommend.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 27, 2023
TRIGGER WARNING: all they do is drink in this book. Sometimes they consume more alcohol than humanly possible.
I can’t even begin to say how horrible this book was. The ONLY chapters that matter are chapters 84 & 85. That’s just the last 10 pages of the book y’all.
This book is an assault on all women. Every character is vapid and stupid, caricatures of RH in any area. Women are NOT this stupid.
They reference people who work in the mansions and at the parties as “The Help” nearly a dozen times. Are you fucking kidding me?
The 1 🌟 comes from the trope of knowing someone is dead and NOT disclosing it until the end.
It won’t be a surprise though. You’ll know immediately who is dead.
The immature, catty, selfish bullshit never stops. This book is FULL OF REPETITION. It wasn’t character development as it was hammering 🔨 it in our heads all the characters’ traits ad Nauseam.
For a book that is less than 300 pages, it took an inordinate amount of time to read. The pages are cringeworthy and useless. The timeline is difficult to assess as it jumps from POVs (and they all sound like the same woman so y’all won’t even remember who is speaking) and time frames without notice.
Lots of closed captioned writing that provides useless content to fill the pages. Everything is predictable. The dialogue is laughable and the women are pitiful.
The problem is … they really aren’t stupid, but you won’t know that until the end. By then you won’t care.
I can’t even begin to say how horrible this book was. The ONLY chapters that matter are chapters 84 & 85. That’s just the last 10 pages of the book y’all.
This book is an assault on all women. Every character is vapid and stupid, caricatures of RH in any area. Women are NOT this stupid.
They reference people who work in the mansions and at the parties as “The Help” nearly a dozen times. Are you fucking kidding me?
The 1 🌟 comes from the trope of knowing someone is dead and NOT disclosing it until the end.
It won’t be a surprise though. You’ll know immediately who is dead.
The immature, catty, selfish bullshit never stops. This book is FULL OF REPETITION. It wasn’t character development as it was hammering 🔨 it in our heads all the characters’ traits ad Nauseam.
For a book that is less than 300 pages, it took an inordinate amount of time to read. The pages are cringeworthy and useless. The timeline is difficult to assess as it jumps from POVs (and they all sound like the same woman so y’all won’t even remember who is speaking) and time frames without notice.
Lots of closed captioned writing that provides useless content to fill the pages. Everything is predictable. The dialogue is laughable and the women are pitiful.
The problem is … they really aren’t stupid, but you won’t know that until the end. By then you won’t care.
June 2, 2022
I don't know why, but this Pussycat Dolls song came to mind...
3.5⭐
Whodunit and Whoisdead? I love not knowing, it keeps me double guessing! 💅🥂🔪
Jenny, Olivia, Karen, Shannon, and Crystal. The ladies pampered themselves at a fancy "Glow" salon owned by Jenny where one enjoys champagne and gossips away. Think Desperate Housewives of Buckhead, Georgia.
One of Us is Dead was fun and not too serious until later. There is some unbelievable catty behavior and delicious backstabbing among "friends", all for good drama. The claws come out fast, so be ready because you won't want to put this one down once you started. Great characterizations all around.
If you're into audiobooks or want to give it try, this one is fantastic! Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Campbell.
Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me
Don't cha
Don't cha
3.5⭐
Whodunit and Whoisdead? I love not knowing, it keeps me double guessing! 💅🥂🔪
Jenny, Olivia, Karen, Shannon, and Crystal. The ladies pampered themselves at a fancy "Glow" salon owned by Jenny where one enjoys champagne and gossips away. Think Desperate Housewives of Buckhead, Georgia.
One of Us is Dead was fun and not too serious until later. There is some unbelievable catty behavior and delicious backstabbing among "friends", all for good drama. The claws come out fast, so be ready because you won't want to put this one down once you started. Great characterizations all around.
If you're into audiobooks or want to give it try, this one is fantastic! Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Campbell.
April 12, 2024
"There's something about salons and booze that bring out the truth in you. Mix them together and you'll spill your guts."
This was such a fun, fast-past read! If you like reading about rich-lady drama with a murder twist, this is for you. This honestly felt listening to a season of desperate housewives as it's full of gossip, secrets and backstabbing.
The audio was great, I didn't feel lost as there was 5 narrators voicing the difference women. All you know at the start of the story is that someone died and by the end of the story we figure who died and who the murderer was. The alternate pov's was an interesting way to bring the story together and made me feel like I was on the case and living out my nancy drew dreams 🕵️♀️ I probably would be fired as a detective because I didn't see the twist coming 👀
I devoured this one in a few hours, it's gripping, full of twists, unhinged and has complex characters. I loved that the hairdresser was the centre-point of the story because we all talk trash when we are getting our hair done 💇♀️
I love this kind of drama so I found it funny and didn't take it too seriously. Most of the story is centred around the drama rather than the actual crime so keep that in mind. I did expect a bit more from the ending because it wrapped up quite quickly but I still enjoyed it.
Let me introduce you to the ladies:
Jenny - The hairdresser and the heart of the story. We see Jenny in both the flashbacks and in the current timeline throughout the story.
Olivia - Olivia is married to Dean but her single most important thing in life is herself. Olivia reminds me of Bree from desperate housewives because she's the pact leader and a little dominatrix. I actually liked Bree though, she was iconic. Olivia is the shein version.
Shannon - Is a long term resident and bitter ex wife of Bryce. She's probably a little 🤪 but I loved her. I aspire to be her level of delusional.
Crystal - Crystal is Bryce's new younger wife and new in town. I was expecting to dislike her given the narrative this type of character has but she was a queen 💅
Karen- Is a little wallflower and is married to Mark. She's not your typical suburban housewife.
Keisha - She is a beautician at the salon so she has an insight to what's divulged by the local ladies. She's a fun addition to the antics but we didn't get her POV.
Some iconic lines:
"Thank you for being here for me. Your companionship is so interesting.”
“I know you're not as sophisticated or glamorous as I was when I arrived, but I promise to never treat you like that.”
“Your skin is glowing, I can barely notice the lack of elasticity today.”
“Even though she was rich, she smelled poor.”
“I'd rather be dead than poor.”
“My latest botox injections had started to wear off, allowing me to express my emotions more visually.”
“Dogs are so easy to train, especially the stray ones.”
“But as the great Taylor Swift once said, 'we are never, ever, ever getting back together'” - the context of this was savage 🤣
I you need something quick to listen to and this is free on Audible atm! 💅 🥂🤑 Recommendation courtesy of my girl Meagan 💖
This was such a fun, fast-past read! If you like reading about rich-lady drama with a murder twist, this is for you. This honestly felt listening to a season of desperate housewives as it's full of gossip, secrets and backstabbing.
The audio was great, I didn't feel lost as there was 5 narrators voicing the difference women. All you know at the start of the story is that someone died and by the end of the story we figure who died and who the murderer was. The alternate pov's was an interesting way to bring the story together and made me feel like I was on the case and living out my nancy drew dreams 🕵️♀️ I probably would be fired as a detective because I didn't see the twist coming 👀
I devoured this one in a few hours, it's gripping, full of twists, unhinged and has complex characters. I loved that the hairdresser was the centre-point of the story because we all talk trash when we are getting our hair done 💇♀️
I love this kind of drama so I found it funny and didn't take it too seriously. Most of the story is centred around the drama rather than the actual crime so keep that in mind. I did expect a bit more from the ending because it wrapped up quite quickly but I still enjoyed it.
Let me introduce you to the ladies:
Jenny - The hairdresser and the heart of the story. We see Jenny in both the flashbacks and in the current timeline throughout the story.
Olivia - Olivia is married to Dean but her single most important thing in life is herself. Olivia reminds me of Bree from desperate housewives because she's the pact leader and a little dominatrix. I actually liked Bree though, she was iconic. Olivia is the shein version.
Shannon - Is a long term resident and bitter ex wife of Bryce. She's probably a little 🤪 but I loved her. I aspire to be her level of delusional.
Crystal - Crystal is Bryce's new younger wife and new in town. I was expecting to dislike her given the narrative this type of character has but she was a queen 💅
Karen- Is a little wallflower and is married to Mark. She's not your typical suburban housewife.
Keisha - She is a beautician at the salon so she has an insight to what's divulged by the local ladies. She's a fun addition to the antics but we didn't get her POV.
Some iconic lines:
"Thank you for being here for me. Your companionship is so interesting.”
“I know you're not as sophisticated or glamorous as I was when I arrived, but I promise to never treat you like that.”
“Your skin is glowing, I can barely notice the lack of elasticity today.”
“Even though she was rich, she smelled poor.”
“I'd rather be dead than poor.”
“My latest botox injections had started to wear off, allowing me to express my emotions more visually.”
“Dogs are so easy to train, especially the stray ones.”
“But as the great Taylor Swift once said, 'we are never, ever, ever getting back together'” - the context of this was savage 🤣
I you need something quick to listen to and this is free on Audible atm! 💅 🥂🤑 Recommendation courtesy of my girl Meagan 💖
May 3, 2022
EXCERPT: Jenny - present
'I've spent thousands of hours working on these women. I've primped, waxed, cut, painted, spray-painted, powdered and massaged them. I know almost every inch of their bodies. But I also know their demons - their deepest, darkest secrets. The things we try to bury beneath the surface so as not to show the world the doppelganger lurking within us. So, am I surprised something like this happened? Not in the slightest . . . '
ABOUT 'ONE OF US IS DEAD': Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …
Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
MY THOUGHTS: Every now and then I like to read a novel about bitchy women, but One of Us is Dead takes this to a whole new level, and after the initial enjoyment, I'm afraid my enthusiasm began to wane to the point where I was toying with the idea of quitting this read. But then . . . something very unexpected happened that again, briefly, piqued my interest enough to carry me through to the end.
I think that if you are a fan of the 'Real Housewives' programmes you will probably love this. The women have all married wealthy men. They are mostly various degrees of spoiled, sculpted, plastic, back-stabbing bitches. They spend their time in the beauty salon, lunching, shopping, drinking, entertaining and organising charity fundraisers, which probably would have benefited more had they just donated their collection of Birkin bags. But murder? That's not what these ladies, and I use the term very loosely, do. Their weapons are usually their tongues, not baseball bats and Glocks.
There are a few things that annoyed me: the build up is very long compared to the rather quick resolution; and the very unexpected happening seems to get lost in the story until the very end and there doesn't seem to be any legal ramifications or investigation. This is a big issue!
I did love the cast of narrators in the audio version, each character having their own voice. I read/listened to One of Us is Dead and vastly preferred the audiobook.
There is a definite market for this book and I do wish I had enjoyed it more.
⭐⭐⭐.3
#OneofUsIsDead #NetGalley
I: @jenevaroseauthor @blackstonepublishing
T: @jenevarosebooks @BlackstoneAudio @BlackstonePub1
#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Jeneva Rose is originally from Wisconsin but now calls Chicago home. She lives with her husband and stubborn English bulldog, Winston.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for providing both a digital ARC and an audiobook ARC of One of Us is Dead written by Jeneva Rose and narrated by Elizabeth Evans, Hilary Huber, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley and Andy Arndt. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'I've spent thousands of hours working on these women. I've primped, waxed, cut, painted, spray-painted, powdered and massaged them. I know almost every inch of their bodies. But I also know their demons - their deepest, darkest secrets. The things we try to bury beneath the surface so as not to show the world the doppelganger lurking within us. So, am I surprised something like this happened? Not in the slightest . . . '
ABOUT 'ONE OF US IS DEAD': Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …
Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
MY THOUGHTS: Every now and then I like to read a novel about bitchy women, but One of Us is Dead takes this to a whole new level, and after the initial enjoyment, I'm afraid my enthusiasm began to wane to the point where I was toying with the idea of quitting this read. But then . . . something very unexpected happened that again, briefly, piqued my interest enough to carry me through to the end.
I think that if you are a fan of the 'Real Housewives' programmes you will probably love this. The women have all married wealthy men. They are mostly various degrees of spoiled, sculpted, plastic, back-stabbing bitches. They spend their time in the beauty salon, lunching, shopping, drinking, entertaining and organising charity fundraisers, which probably would have benefited more had they just donated their collection of Birkin bags. But murder? That's not what these ladies, and I use the term very loosely, do. Their weapons are usually their tongues, not baseball bats and Glocks.
There are a few things that annoyed me: the build up is very long compared to the rather quick resolution; and the very unexpected happening seems to get lost in the story until the very end and there doesn't seem to be any legal ramifications or investigation. This is a big issue!
I did love the cast of narrators in the audio version, each character having their own voice. I read/listened to One of Us is Dead and vastly preferred the audiobook.
There is a definite market for this book and I do wish I had enjoyed it more.
⭐⭐⭐.3
#OneofUsIsDead #NetGalley
I: @jenevaroseauthor @blackstonepublishing
T: @jenevarosebooks @BlackstoneAudio @BlackstonePub1
#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Jeneva Rose is originally from Wisconsin but now calls Chicago home. She lives with her husband and stubborn English bulldog, Winston.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for providing both a digital ARC and an audiobook ARC of One of Us is Dead written by Jeneva Rose and narrated by Elizabeth Evans, Hilary Huber, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley and Andy Arndt. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 21, 2022
Meet Buckhead, the town where housewives behave at their worst and murder is the special of the day.
The group of women included:
Olivia: she is egocentric and will do anything to be on top. She has waited years to help destroyed Shannon now that she is down on her luck.
Shannon: once the most powerful woman in town, married to Bryce, the rich politician until her marriage falls apart and he leaves her for a younger woman whom he marries.
Crystal: a young woman from Texas and now the wife of Bryce.
Karen: a very successful real state agent. She is married to a successful plastic surgeon and has a small child.
Jenny: the owner of Glow. The IT beauty salon. The place where these women backstab each other, drink champagne and tell their secrets intend it or not.
I had so much fun listening/reading this one. The women were catty, spoiled, and plastic but entertaining nonetheless. The audio narrators Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job at fleshing out these women for me. I will say Jenny was my favorite since she was the most down-to-earth person in the group. I did root for almost all of them through the book.
After finishing listening to this guilty pleasure, I know I will read Jeneva Rose's next book.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
Complimentary audio and digital copy were provided by Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The group of women included:
Olivia: she is egocentric and will do anything to be on top. She has waited years to help destroyed Shannon now that she is down on her luck.
Shannon: once the most powerful woman in town, married to Bryce, the rich politician until her marriage falls apart and he leaves her for a younger woman whom he marries.
Crystal: a young woman from Texas and now the wife of Bryce.
Karen: a very successful real state agent. She is married to a successful plastic surgeon and has a small child.
Jenny: the owner of Glow. The IT beauty salon. The place where these women backstab each other, drink champagne and tell their secrets intend it or not.
I had so much fun listening/reading this one. The women were catty, spoiled, and plastic but entertaining nonetheless. The audio narrators Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job at fleshing out these women for me. I will say Jenny was my favorite since she was the most down-to-earth person in the group. I did root for almost all of them through the book.
After finishing listening to this guilty pleasure, I know I will read Jeneva Rose's next book.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
Complimentary audio and digital copy were provided by Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 15, 2022
“Don’t let them fool you, Detective. Individually, they’re genuine and they can be kind ... but when you put them in a room together, these women are downright toxic.”I picked up One of Us Is Dead because it’s gotten really good reviews from a lot of GR friends whose opinions I usually agree with. But, wow, am I an outlier here. To process my thoughts, I think it’d be helpful to break down the pros and cons of this novel.
Pros:
The title: One of Us Is Dead is a completely accurate title. The story is told from the perspective of five different first-person narrators, and one of them is dead by the end of the book. Some book titles lie (why yes, I am still bothered by The Perks of Being a Wallflower), but this book is not one of them.
The cover: That is an eye-catching cover.
Cons:
Characters: I don’t watch the Real Housewives series, so I don’t know how much these women behave like those women. But almost all of the characters in One of Us Is Dead are just the worst. Shannon, reeling from her recent divorce from Bryce the Congressman, is delusional about her current situation. Karen, the one who literally thinks she “not like the other wives,” is clueless about her current situation. Crystal, Bryce’s new wife, is the most perceptive and tolerable character but she’s clearly hiding something about her past from the reader. Which brings us to Olivia ….
Olivia: Olivia may be the most vile character I’ve ever read. Cruella de Vil is more nuanced and believable. Olivia has zero redeeming qualities, holds irrational grudges, and is so awful to the people she considers her friends that I simply refuse to believe that anyone would spend a moment of time with her. Still, a book with unlikeable characters can still be great (Lolita and Gone Girl are just two examples). Unlikeable characters were not my only problem with this novel, which leads us to ….
Story: In the present, a police detective is interviewing Jenny, the owner of an upscale salon where a surprising amount of the story takes place. There’s been a murder, but the reader isn’t told who’s dead until the book is almost over. Most of the book is told in flashbacks from the perspective of the five narrators that slowly reveal their connections and interactions, providing lots of options for the identity of both the killer and the victim. So, if you’ve seen or read Big Little Lies, One of Us Is Dead will feel really familiar. There are all of these references to death and murder throughout the story (“he was going to be the death of me,” “you’re going to have a killer time,” things like that), but they aren’t actually clues about who’s going to die. It could have been clever foreshadowing if there was less of it, and if the book was not literally called One of Us Is Dead. You might figure out who the murder victim will be (I did), but pretty much every character is given a motive to be both killer and victim. There are several twists and reveals during the story that were completely predictable … until the ending.
Ending: There’s something completely unpredictable going on under the surface of the story. But once it’s revealed it felt wildly out of place. Worse, when the murder is finally explained, the explanation does not hold up to scrutiny. It simply does not make sense physically or logistically.
Conclusion:
There’s a character who at one point complains that she’s sick of these characters’ “bullshit and pointless rivalries.” I could not have agreed more. If it wasn’t for the knowledge that there was going to be a murder, I don’t know why anyone would care about these toxic frenemies. And even if someone loves books about this particular type of desperate housewife, I’d still say One of Us Is Dead is deeply flawed. This book is a hard stay away for me, but feel free to take my opinion with a mountain of salt. Like I said at the start, my negative opinion is clearly in the minority here.
July 9, 2022
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by
• your library for categorizing this as a thriller instead of The Real Housewives of Unbelievable Characters written in the full stop rhythm of a telegram
• every character’s POV being so indistinguishable from the next that you’re forced to go back to the beginning of each chapter to double check who is speaking
• other goodreads readers for giving this clunky book a bizarrely high rating
✋🏻✋🏻✋🏻
• your library for categorizing this as a thriller instead of The Real Housewives of Unbelievable Characters written in the full stop rhythm of a telegram
• every character’s POV being so indistinguishable from the next that you’re forced to go back to the beginning of each chapter to double check who is speaking
• other goodreads readers for giving this clunky book a bizarrely high rating
✋🏻✋🏻✋🏻
May 7, 2023
Lots goes on in this unfulfilling story of catfights and snobbery signifying nothing. 1 of 10 stars
September 6, 2022
⭐️2.5
I had so much damn fun reading this. The ending is what turned this from a 3 star to a 2.
For 85% I was loving this messy rich people drama. It hit especially close to home because I used to work in Buckhead and I've met these women. If you're sitting there thinking there isn't an association of rich wives who organize every gala and fundraiser and poker game, you're mistaken. Jeneva has to live in Buckhead. There's no way she nailed the Buckhead Betties without experiencing it firsthand.
The back handed compliments, the air of superiority, the bless-her-hearts, the chardonnay and vodka sodas, the political undercurrents. It's all so accurate and hella entertaining to read.
I would have given it a 3 star on merit but the ending is horrible. I don't know what the author was thinking but hot damn was that a mess. The climax was anticlimactic and happens OFF PAGE! I felt cheated.
I had so much damn fun reading this. The ending is what turned this from a 3 star to a 2.
For 85% I was loving this messy rich people drama. It hit especially close to home because I used to work in Buckhead and I've met these women. If you're sitting there thinking there isn't an association of rich wives who organize every gala and fundraiser and poker game, you're mistaken. Jeneva has to live in Buckhead. There's no way she nailed the Buckhead Betties without experiencing it firsthand.
The back handed compliments, the air of superiority, the bless-her-hearts, the chardonnay and vodka sodas, the political undercurrents. It's all so accurate and hella entertaining to read.
I would have given it a 3 star on merit but the ending is horrible. I don't know what the author was thinking but hot damn was that a mess. The climax was anticlimactic and happens OFF PAGE! I felt cheated.
April 22, 2022
ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴜs ɪs ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
ᴊᴇɴᴇᴠᴀ ʀᴏsᴇ
ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 4★
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪғ:
⚛︎ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏᴍᴇsᴛɪᴄ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs
⚛︎ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ғᴀɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs
⚛︎ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠ
⚛︎ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ ʀᴇᴀᴅ
⚛︎ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏғ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs ɪɴ ᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ
sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs: ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴏғ ʙᴜᴄᴋʜᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀs ᴀʀᴇ ғᴀsᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴜsᴇs ʙɪɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴄᴀᴛᴛʏ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡɴ sʜɪғᴛ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴅɪᴠᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴀᴡs ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀs sʜᴀɴɴᴏɴ, ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴠɪᴇᴡᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴛʜe “ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ʙᴇᴇ," ɪs ᴅᴇᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜʙᴇʀ ᴄᴏɴɴɪᴠɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ sʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ᴘsʏᴄʜᴏᴘᴀᴛʜɪᴄ, ᴏʟɪᴠɪᴀ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴊᴇɴɴʏ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴏᴡɴs ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴄʟᴜsɪᴠᴇ sᴀʟᴏɴ sᴘᴀ ɪɴ ʙᴜᴄᴋʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴏғ ᴜɴʜɪɴɢᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs.
ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs: ɪ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ, ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ. ᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs ғʀᴀɴᴄʜɪsᴇ, ɪ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏғғ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ᴏғ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ʜᴇᴀᴅs (ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɴᴇғɪᴛ ᴏғ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ) ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪᴛ ᴇᴀsɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪғ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀɪʟʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴊᴏʀɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴅʀᴀɢ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀsᴛ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴇsᴛᴀʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ. ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀғᴜʟ ᴛᴡɪsᴛɪɴᴇss ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ʀᴏsᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴄᴇʟʟᴇɴᴛ ᴊᴏʙ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ.
ɪ ᴇᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ, ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏᴍᴇsᴛɪᴄ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs, ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs ᴏʀ ᴀʀᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ, ғᴜɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡɪsᴛʏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʀᴏsᴇ's ғɪʀsᴛ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ, "ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ."
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋsᴛᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴄ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ.
ᴊᴇɴᴇᴠᴀ ʀᴏsᴇ
ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 4★
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪғ:
⚛︎ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏᴍᴇsᴛɪᴄ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs
⚛︎ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ғᴀɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs
⚛︎ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠ
⚛︎ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ ʀᴇᴀᴅ
⚛︎ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏғ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs ɪɴ ᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ
sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs: ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴏғ ʙᴜᴄᴋʜᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀs ᴀʀᴇ ғᴀsᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴜsᴇs ʙɪɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴄᴀᴛᴛʏ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡɴ sʜɪғᴛ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴅɪᴠᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴀᴡs ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀs sʜᴀɴɴᴏɴ, ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴠɪᴇᴡᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴛʜe “ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ʙᴇᴇ," ɪs ᴅᴇᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜʙᴇʀ ᴄᴏɴɴɪᴠɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ sʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ᴘsʏᴄʜᴏᴘᴀᴛʜɪᴄ, ᴏʟɪᴠɪᴀ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴊᴇɴɴʏ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴏᴡɴs ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴄʟᴜsɪᴠᴇ sᴀʟᴏɴ sᴘᴀ ɪɴ ʙᴜᴄᴋʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴏғ ᴜɴʜɪɴɢᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs.
ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs: ɪ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ, ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ. ᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs ғʀᴀɴᴄʜɪsᴇ, ɪ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏғғ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ᴏғ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ʜᴇᴀᴅs (ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɴᴇғɪᴛ ᴏғ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ) ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪᴛ ᴇᴀsɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪғ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀɪʟʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴊᴏʀɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴅʀᴀɢ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀsᴛ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴇsᴛᴀʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ. ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀғᴜʟ ᴛᴡɪsᴛɪɴᴇss ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ʀᴏsᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴄᴇʟʟᴇɴᴛ ᴊᴏʙ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ.
ɪ ᴇᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ, ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏᴍᴇsᴛɪᴄ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs, ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴡɪᴠᴇs ᴏʀ ᴀʀᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ, ғᴜɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡɪsᴛʏ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʀᴏsᴇ's ғɪʀsᴛ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ, "ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ."
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋsᴛᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴄ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ.
September 12, 2022
What a delicious and devious thriller. I loved the desperate housewives vibe, even if these were meaner (at least some of them). They were still complex with their own problems, and had interesting relationships with the others. I especially liked the description of Olivia, seeing the world though her eyes was a slightly scary experience but also kind of fun. The book was suspenseful, but not nail-biting. You had to read on though, see what would happen next. My attention never wavered and I was very satisfied with the ending.
May 7, 2022
I only finished this book so I could give it a one-star review. I feel dumber for having read it.
August 11, 2022
4.5 Stars, rounded up. Perhaps on account of entertainment factor alone! Once I started reading this book about a group of catty, rich housewives I just couldn't put it down!! To say the antagonist was evil would be a huge understatement! If you want something not too deep, incredibly fast-paced that includes elements of mystery, suspense and hot-tempered southern belles, this is definitely the book for you!
May 13, 2022
Everyone seems to love this – and then there’s me . . . .
As I said below in a comment to my pal debra I’m going to go ahead and blame my wrongreading on the fact that I am addicted to Every Single Housewives of Every City Ever. (And do you know Dubai is next???? Motherfucking DUBAI!!!!!!! The opulence better be dripping off of those bitches.)
If you aren’t addicted to all of the Househoes, maybe this will work better for you. For me? The “drama” was severely lacking (I mean not one table was to be flipped!) with an overdone trope of someone is dead, but you don’t know who that dragged on and on as a nonstop trip through Dullsville until the final 20 or so pages. I kept thinking the entire time I was reading that I would definitely be recommending Big Little Lies and telling my pals to take a pass here if they had not yet read that one.
But rather than bashing a book that didn’t work for me, let me give you a little refresher course on the type of asshole I am and why I found this one lacking. The other night the Hoebags of Beverly Hills premiered and I. WAS. THERE. FOR. IT. Since I only watch the show and don’t follow any of the ladies in the off season I was completely blindsided that the main topic was going to be Dorit Kemsley’s house getting burglarized. I then went to Reddit to find my tribe and discuss the fact that the entire set up was stinkier than rotten fish. I mean:
1. Kyle already cornered the market on all of her Birkins and mother’s jewelry being stolen a couple of years ago.
2. Who the fuck has an alarm system for a multimillion house that doesn’t have some sort of “rest” feature that allows the people who actually live there to walk around inside without tripping the system at night????
3. It was common knowledge Dorit was on the chopping block and was most likely not going to be invited back to “hold a diamond” and neeeeeeded some sort of storyline to keep her relevant.
4. These crooks show up with nary a dufflebag to carry their wares and have to take a comforter to lug it all down the street.
5. Who then leave her phone at the exit gate (with a flashing light serving as a beacon) so she can call 911?????
6. And finally, the Kemsleys are effing grifters. Dorit's entire tenure has been muddied with lawsuits, bankruptcies and an unfathomable amount of debt to a poor like me (seriously $2MM to the Bellagio???? not to mention the million plus to the IRS). What a lucky break to be able to claim all of these missing valuables with the insurance back at the end of October and pay off some of that money!
Save your “you’re disgusting” or “OMG way to blame a victim!” comments. I know I’m a piece of shit, but I still have a whiff of residual stank in my nostrils from this start to the new season so this book simply paled in comparison to what I’m used to watching on a weekly basis. And I haven’t even watched Atlanta’s debut yet!
#ifyouknowyouknow
As I said below in a comment to my pal debra I’m going to go ahead and blame my wrongreading on the fact that I am addicted to Every Single Housewives of Every City Ever. (And do you know Dubai is next???? Motherfucking DUBAI!!!!!!! The opulence better be dripping off of those bitches.)
If you aren’t addicted to all of the Househoes, maybe this will work better for you. For me? The “drama” was severely lacking (I mean not one table was to be flipped!) with an overdone trope of someone is dead, but you don’t know who that dragged on and on as a nonstop trip through Dullsville until the final 20 or so pages. I kept thinking the entire time I was reading that I would definitely be recommending Big Little Lies and telling my pals to take a pass here if they had not yet read that one.
But rather than bashing a book that didn’t work for me, let me give you a little refresher course on the type of asshole I am and why I found this one lacking. The other night the Hoebags of Beverly Hills premiered and I. WAS. THERE. FOR. IT. Since I only watch the show and don’t follow any of the ladies in the off season I was completely blindsided that the main topic was going to be Dorit Kemsley’s house getting burglarized. I then went to Reddit to find my tribe and discuss the fact that the entire set up was stinkier than rotten fish. I mean:
1. Kyle already cornered the market on all of her Birkins and mother’s jewelry being stolen a couple of years ago.
2. Who the fuck has an alarm system for a multimillion house that doesn’t have some sort of “rest” feature that allows the people who actually live there to walk around inside without tripping the system at night????
3. It was common knowledge Dorit was on the chopping block and was most likely not going to be invited back to “hold a diamond” and neeeeeeded some sort of storyline to keep her relevant.
4. These crooks show up with nary a dufflebag to carry their wares and have to take a comforter to lug it all down the street.
5. Who then leave her phone at the exit gate (with a flashing light serving as a beacon) so she can call 911?????
6. And finally, the Kemsleys are effing grifters. Dorit's entire tenure has been muddied with lawsuits, bankruptcies and an unfathomable amount of debt to a poor like me (seriously $2MM to the Bellagio???? not to mention the million plus to the IRS). What a lucky break to be able to claim all of these missing valuables with the insurance back at the end of October and pay off some of that money!
Save your “you’re disgusting” or “OMG way to blame a victim!” comments. I know I’m a piece of shit, but I still have a whiff of residual stank in my nostrils from this start to the new season so this book simply paled in comparison to what I’m used to watching on a weekly basis. And I haven’t even watched Atlanta’s debut yet!
#ifyouknowyouknow
April 28, 2022
Well that was an entertaining and crazy ride! These rich and bitchy women drew me into their drama and strung me along, page after page.
This was a domestic thriller that had the most evil villain I have encountered so far this year! The story involves rich women who have nothing better to do than pretend to be friends because they travel in the same circles. They are constantly backstabbing each other and at the same time, drinking champagne while getting their hair and nails done. I loved the craziness of this story and all the twists and turns that lead to a satisfying ending!
This was a domestic thriller that had the most evil villain I have encountered so far this year! The story involves rich women who have nothing better to do than pretend to be friends because they travel in the same circles. They are constantly backstabbing each other and at the same time, drinking champagne while getting their hair and nails done. I loved the craziness of this story and all the twists and turns that lead to a satisfying ending!
August 10, 2022
Buckhead, a place where you need lots of money, an Amex black card, and a mansion of a quadrillion rooms to live!
The ladies residing here lead by the nefarious Shannon, have much too much money and too much time on their hands.
Poor Shannon, one of the group, just was sent off packing as her husband Bryce gave her her walking papers and installed a new younger (of course) wife, Crystal, in her place. Poor Crystal, a Texas baby, doesn't have the faintest idea what this marriage will place at her door.
Olivia, another gem, is poised to take over as queen of the day, since Shannon is about to lose he place. Olivia is detestable and that is being kind. Manipulative and cunning, she's the one who would cut the throat of anyone who tried to get ahead of her.
Then there is Jenny, the owner of a now posh salon where only the elite go to be polished, coiffed, and fawned over. She offers a place where these entitled, spoiled ladies come together to trash one another at times, while claiming the role of being friends.
These ladies come together which will prove to be fatal for one and them.
I enjoyed listening to this book. It was pure fun with the realization that there are women like those depicted in the book.
Btw, the men were no prizes either!
The ladies residing here lead by the nefarious Shannon, have much too much money and too much time on their hands.
Poor Shannon, one of the group, just was sent off packing as her husband Bryce gave her her walking papers and installed a new younger (of course) wife, Crystal, in her place. Poor Crystal, a Texas baby, doesn't have the faintest idea what this marriage will place at her door.
Olivia, another gem, is poised to take over as queen of the day, since Shannon is about to lose he place. Olivia is detestable and that is being kind. Manipulative and cunning, she's the one who would cut the throat of anyone who tried to get ahead of her.
Then there is Jenny, the owner of a now posh salon where only the elite go to be polished, coiffed, and fawned over. She offers a place where these entitled, spoiled ladies come together to trash one another at times, while claiming the role of being friends.
These ladies come together which will prove to be fatal for one and them.
I enjoyed listening to this book. It was pure fun with the realization that there are women like those depicted in the book.
Btw, the men were no prizes either!
November 21, 2024
Grab your champagne and your sharpest stilettos - Jeneva Rose's "One of Us Is Dead" is a deliciously wicked dive into the backstabbing world of Atlanta's elite! Think "Real Housewives" meets "Big Little Lies" with an extra shot of murder, and you've got this absolutely addictive thriller that had me canceling plans just to keep reading.
The story revolves around the most exclusive salon in Buckhead, Atlanta, where the city's elite wives come to gossip, scheme, and maintain their perfect facades. At the center of this viper's nest is Shannon Thomas, the queen bee whose social reign seems unshakeable - until Jenny McCallister arrives in town. Jenny, the beautiful new wife of Shannon's ex-husband, threatens to upset the careful balance of power, and suddenly the salon becomes a battlefield where alliances shift as quickly as seasonal fashion trends.
Rose masterfully orchestrates her cast of characters: there's Crystal, the salon owner who knows everyone's dirty secrets; Karen, desperate to maintain her social standing; Shannon, the dethroned queen ready to strike back; and Jenny, the newcomer who might not be as naive as she appears. Each woman's voice is distinct and compelling, making you simultaneously root for and suspect them all.
The structure is brilliantly crafted, with multiple POVs and timeline shifts that keep you guessing. We know from the start that someone ends up dead, but Rose keeps you on your toes about both the victim and the killer. The tension builds exquisitely as secrets unravel, alliances crumble, and perfectly manicured claws come out.
What makes this book particularly engaging is how Rose balances the glittering surface of wealth and social status with the darkness lurking underneath. The petty rivalries and social climbing serve as perfect cover for deeper, deadlier motivations. The author nails the atmosphere of high-society Atlanta, where appearances are everything and social death can be worse than actual murder - until, of course, real murder enters the picture.
The dialogue crackles with wit and venom - these women weaponize words like master fencers, and every conversation is a duel. I found myself highlighting countless passages of perfectly crafted shade and savage one-liners. Rose has a particular talent for showing how these women use politeness as a weapon and social niceties as armor.
The mystery itself is cleverly plotted, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing but playing completely fair with the clues. When the final revelations come, they're both shocking and satisfying, making you want to go back and spot all the breadcrumbs you missed.
"One of Us Is Dead" is more than just a murder mystery - it's a razor-sharp satire of social climbing, a meditation on power and privilege, and a reminder that sometimes the most dangerous weapon isn't a knife or gun, but a carefully placed rumor at a salon chair.
This book is absolutely perfect for fans of domestic suspense who like their thrillers with a heavy dose of social commentary and dark humor. It's "Mean Girls" grown up and gone terribly, deliciously wrong. Jeneva Rose has created something special here - a thriller that manages to be both wickedly entertaining and smartly observant of human nature.
Five perfectly polished stars for this gloriously twisted tale of beauty, betrayal, and murder. Just remember - in Buckhead, even the deadliest poison comes in a designer bottle!
medium.com
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The story revolves around the most exclusive salon in Buckhead, Atlanta, where the city's elite wives come to gossip, scheme, and maintain their perfect facades. At the center of this viper's nest is Shannon Thomas, the queen bee whose social reign seems unshakeable - until Jenny McCallister arrives in town. Jenny, the beautiful new wife of Shannon's ex-husband, threatens to upset the careful balance of power, and suddenly the salon becomes a battlefield where alliances shift as quickly as seasonal fashion trends.
Rose masterfully orchestrates her cast of characters: there's Crystal, the salon owner who knows everyone's dirty secrets; Karen, desperate to maintain her social standing; Shannon, the dethroned queen ready to strike back; and Jenny, the newcomer who might not be as naive as she appears. Each woman's voice is distinct and compelling, making you simultaneously root for and suspect them all.
The structure is brilliantly crafted, with multiple POVs and timeline shifts that keep you guessing. We know from the start that someone ends up dead, but Rose keeps you on your toes about both the victim and the killer. The tension builds exquisitely as secrets unravel, alliances crumble, and perfectly manicured claws come out.
What makes this book particularly engaging is how Rose balances the glittering surface of wealth and social status with the darkness lurking underneath. The petty rivalries and social climbing serve as perfect cover for deeper, deadlier motivations. The author nails the atmosphere of high-society Atlanta, where appearances are everything and social death can be worse than actual murder - until, of course, real murder enters the picture.
The dialogue crackles with wit and venom - these women weaponize words like master fencers, and every conversation is a duel. I found myself highlighting countless passages of perfectly crafted shade and savage one-liners. Rose has a particular talent for showing how these women use politeness as a weapon and social niceties as armor.
The mystery itself is cleverly plotted, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing but playing completely fair with the clues. When the final revelations come, they're both shocking and satisfying, making you want to go back and spot all the breadcrumbs you missed.
"One of Us Is Dead" is more than just a murder mystery - it's a razor-sharp satire of social climbing, a meditation on power and privilege, and a reminder that sometimes the most dangerous weapon isn't a knife or gun, but a carefully placed rumor at a salon chair.
This book is absolutely perfect for fans of domestic suspense who like their thrillers with a heavy dose of social commentary and dark humor. It's "Mean Girls" grown up and gone terribly, deliciously wrong. Jeneva Rose has created something special here - a thriller that manages to be both wickedly entertaining and smartly observant of human nature.
Five perfectly polished stars for this gloriously twisted tale of beauty, betrayal, and murder. Just remember - in Buckhead, even the deadliest poison comes in a designer bottle!
medium.com
August 3, 2022
Love me a juicy adults behaving badly thriller! Five entitled women living in the affluent suburb of Buckhead in Georgia. Shannon, the wronged first wife. Crystal, the fresh faced naïve second wife. Olivia, the villain you will love to hate. Karen, the voice of reason. And Jenny, the salon owner who knows all these lady’s secrets. From the title of the book you know someone will be dead by the end. What you don’t know is who,, how and why. Everyone is so entangled, Seriously everyone has a good reason to want to kill everyone else. These ladies were all so petty, vapid and fun to read about. The story is told from the POV of each of these five women. I loved how we got to get inside the head of each of these characters and see what made them tick. The audiobook was narrated by an all-star cast of five amazing narrators who brought each of these characters to life. If you are an audiobook person then I 10/10 recommend this on audio. It is probably one of the best I’ve listened to this year. Looking forward to reading even more from Jeneva Rose.
This book in emojis: 💅🏻 💁🏻♀️ 🍷 💍 🦌
*** Big thank you to Blackstone Publishing for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This book in emojis: 💅🏻 💁🏻♀️ 🍷 💍 🦌
*** Big thank you to Blackstone Publishing for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
July 30, 2022
(3.5 stars). I will start off by saying that this was a fun, entertaining, and fast read. However, if I was 10 or 20 years younger I would have definitely enjoyed it more.
One Of Us Is Dead consists of a bunch of rich, catty, manipulative women who I didn’t care much about. I’m at the age where I try to stay away from the drama, let alone read about it.
There were a few of the women characters who I did like, and I’m glad that they got their redemption in the end. Also, if you’ve read the synopsis of the book and the title, you will know that someone does end up dead in this story. All I have to say is Thank God it was the right one or else I would have thrown this book out the window!!
Along with the female drama, there were some twists thrown in there that gave this book a bit of suspense. I also really enjoyed the ending. Was it unrealistic? Maybe. But, because of it I gave this book a higher rating.
I previously read and loved The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, and I look forward to reading whatever she comes up with next!
One Of Us Is Dead consists of a bunch of rich, catty, manipulative women who I didn’t care much about. I’m at the age where I try to stay away from the drama, let alone read about it.
There were a few of the women characters who I did like, and I’m glad that they got their redemption in the end. Also, if you’ve read the synopsis of the book and the title, you will know that someone does end up dead in this story. All I have to say is Thank God it was the right one or else I would have thrown this book out the window!!
Along with the female drama, there were some twists thrown in there that gave this book a bit of suspense. I also really enjoyed the ending. Was it unrealistic? Maybe. But, because of it I gave this book a higher rating.
I previously read and loved The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, and I look forward to reading whatever she comes up with next!
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