A woman’s brunch with friends quickly turns dark in this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger
Ana Blacksmith has gathered her closest friends and sister Vera for a brunch to celebrate her recent breakup from her boyfriend Paul. But when shocking news about Paul arrives, all eyes are on Ana, the angry ex with a bad reputation. Suspicions only intensify when Ana’s best friend falls deathly ill after the brunch.
But Ana is not the only one who had a score to settle with Paul. As the investigation unfolds, rumors of a secret network that uses ancient methods to obtain justice begin to emerge. Vengeance is sweet, but it can also be deadly. Ana and Vera are determined to find the truth before Ana takes the fall and their own long-buried history comes to light.
Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including her upcoming release SERVED HIM RIGHT (March, 2026). With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense.
Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times, and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family.
Unpopular opinion time: I adore this auto-approved author, but this one wasn’t my favorite. For me, it’s the least likable of her books, mainly because the cast is packed with difficult characters I struggled to root for. The story gives us many POVs, yet it orbits mostly around sisters Ana and Vera, whose prickly personalities never quite invited me in. Add to that some choppy pacing between past and present, and several wordy, momentum-light chapters, and I found it hard to stay fully hooked.
That said, the supernatural/coven/poisonous herbs thread is intriguing in concept. I loved the atmosphere of old-world remedies and whispered rituals; I just wished the execution were tighter and more central. The opening—anchored to an office harassment/#MeToo-adjacent incident—felt sharp and promising. But once we settle into the dynamic with wild, self-sabotaging Ana, coolly controlling Vera, and their “ex-orcism” brunch crew, my excitement dimmed. Iggy had sparks of potential, but she’s sidelined more than I’d hoped. The good news: the last quarter finally kicks into gear. The mystery resolves cleanly, and while a few twists are telegraphed, they’re still satisfying enough to bump my rating from 2.5 to 3 solid stars.
Quick recap (spoiler-light): Ana Blacksmith hosts an “ex-orcism” brunch at Vera’s house to celebrate her breakup with Paul Hayes. Guests include college friend Iggy (now a new mom married to Ana’s ex), their mutual friend Esme, and workaholic lawyer Payton. Mid-toast, police knock: Paul is dead, and his sister names Ana a person of interest, citing Ana’s temper. Awkwardly, the lead detective, Timothy Bandeau, is one of Ana’s recent one-night stands. By day’s end, one brunch guest collapses—poisoned—after eating food Ana prepared. With Ana and Vera’s herbal know-how (learned from their guardian Aunt Agnes) and a murky family past, suspicion tightens. Did Ana act in a jealous rage…or is someone more dangerous stalking the sisters from the shadows?
Bottom line: I’m landing at 3 stars—credit to the eerie ambiance, the finale’s snap, and a few deft reveals. My expectations were higher (this author usually nails pace + character), but I’m still rooting hard for the next book to be a knockout.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for the digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ Park Row for an ARC of this book!
As I've previously mentioned, while I do have a nice respectable order I read my Netgalley books in according to due date. I do have the habit of bumping books to the front of the line if it's an author I love. As in this case
Listen, I've known since 2019, after reading Confessions on the 7:45 that Lisa Unger was a genius. So obviously when I saw on Netgalley she had a new book coming out, I nearly sprained my thumb hitting the "request" button. I was NOT disappointed Unger is a true queen of psychological thrill.
The way this woman can weave a story together is absolutely incredible. This is another one of those authors who will have you wondering what is going on and then when it all comes together it's a jaw dropping, completely earth shattering experience. I mean, like, my jaw actually dropped several times while reading this 🤌🏻
Another aspect that adds a little something extra special to her books, is the drama! I absolutely eat it up in every book of hers I've read thus far. And again, this one was no exception! A gaggle of 30-somethings, gathering together for a brunch?? Odds are you're going to want to throat punch at least one person. But that's what makes her books so addictive! The real/ raw feelings you feel towards her characters.
This is an obvious must read for anyone who loves a good suspenseful thriller with a backbone!!
I'm so excited to share SERVED HIM RIGHT with you on March 10th, 2026!
When Ana Blacksmith gathers her friends for a Sunday brunch to EX-orcise her cheating former lover from all their social media feeds, things start to go wrong fast. 🥀 The police are at the door. Someone at the brunch becomes deathly ill. And Ana’s former lover? Well … you’ll just have to read to find out.
This was a great thriller!! It's told fr many points of view, and the characters are well developed and very interesting. I loved the little hints of paranormal weaved throughout the story, and there's a awese twist at the end. I recommend!!
Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Lisa Unger books always serve and “Serves him right” definitely is serving!!
The plot follows Ana who meets up with her friends for a post break up brunch so she can vent about her recent ex Paul. When the news arrived that Paul is unalived and Ana is the main suspect, things go from pretty bad to way worse when one of Anas close friendly becomes deathly sick following their brunch together.
I loved the tension and chaos as the events unfolded and the themes of sisterly bonds and doing anything you can to protect those you love.
There is lots of drama, plot twists and surprises. The fast pacing will keep you turning pages and I couldn’t wait to see how it all came to a conclusion in the finale.
I always love Lisa’s books and this one was no exception, definitely a fun read so save for when you have time to sit and devour its contents.
Thank you to HTP Books for the netgalley gifted copy!
I’m going to be so honest here… when I requested this book I thought it was a new Lisa Jewell who is always a fun thriller experience for me. When I received my acceptance, I realized I skimmed the name and was a bit disappointed and worried that I requested from an authour I wasn’t interested in and wouldn’t like this. So I went into this completely blind and a bit skeptical and can say I have been reformed!!
This was like reading Lisa Jewell mixed with Kirsten Miller and it was so much fun! The writing was so much better that I had anticipated and the plot had a lot more depth than I typically expect from a thriller.
This is a story about women, the generational cycles, the histories passed down, and the power of female friendship. There were so many aspects of this book that surprised me and kept me glued to this book. I’ve never read Unger before but I’m so excited to delve into her books now.
Sisters can be deadly, and this is a case of how many women had a grudge against an evil man... meaning who was helping which sister behind the other's back! Lots of angles. Kept my interest. Felt satisfied by the ending, but also had a good touch of things left unsettled in a way that actually felt appropriate.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!!!
This is a complicated review to write. On one hand, this book has a strong opening and some compelling themes. On the other hand, I felt this book lacked cohesion.
I found the character of Timothy to be fascinating. How he gets involved in the story and the subsequent fallout from his position in the narrative was strong and compelling to me. In addition to this, the bond between the sisters felt fleshed out and purposeful. But everything else unfortunately fell a little flat for me. The formatting could have been more aesthetically pleasing, the pacing felt slow, and different sections of the book didn’t seem to gel with each other. There was a repeated theme that was more or less “men are bad” (which can be a powerful theme when used effectively), but I found this message to be overused and thrown in random places where it didn’t REALLY add anything (at least in my opinion), and ultimately wasn’t serving the plot in any tangible way. Though I admit as a male myself, perhaps I am biased and ignorant of the points the author was trying to make with this.
With that said, the mysteries that are introduced in this book were still enough to provide me with enjoyment. I found the ending both satisfying and fun. While it’s not something I would personally recommend - if this is a genre you really enjoy, you may get more out of this than I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an ARC of Served Him Right.
This story started out strong for me and then promptly took nose dive off a cliff. I'm just going to go ahead and make a list of the things I didn't like about the book because there is a lot.
- I did not enjoy the supernatural/witches/wiccan plot. I wish this would have been made clearer in the description so I could have passed from the beginning. - There are ENTIRELY too many characters...I should have kept track but I'd guess something like 30 "main" characters we are supposed to remember by first name only. The number of characters made the plot so convoluted and tedious that I didn't end up caring who the murderer was. - I was put-off by the preachy political messages inserted into the story. While I am one thousand percent of the same political view point as the author, I read to forget how fucked up the world is, not to be reminded of it. - If I had to read another instance of one of the characters using the word "Gawd" I was going to throw my kindle across the room. Seriously, who talks like that?!
Definitely putting this on the "recommend to skip" list.
In the spirit of giving honest reviews, I have to be honest about this book. I did NOT like it! I understand that the mystery/thriller genre is extremely popular these days. However, publishers are taking it too far classifying some books as such! This book is neither mystery nor thriller. It is better categorized and supernatural fiction. Had it been properly categorized, I would likely have passed on it and spared the author the poor review.
But ... I did manage to get through this one. The plot was messy and the entire book was a jumble of characters all the way through, at different points in time. The beginning opened with a an interesting situation with a woman being drugged and assaulted by her boss, which seemed like an interesting start to a revenge story. But, it veered off course from there to Wicca and herbs and weird family and friendship dynamics. Each and every character was absolutely unlikeable and there was nothing redeeming about the story except that it *finally* ended.
I have enjoyed Lisa Unger's books in the past, but this one was a fail.
As an aside for the publisher: when providing ARCs, please remember that formatting and making a book physically easier to read for the readers (as in: spacing and visual accessibility) can make or break a reading experience. I found this book to be physically difficult to read because of the formatting and the manner in which everything was jumbled together. Page footers floated in the middle of the pages, making it more confusing than it already was to keep the characters straight. Honestly, half the time, I didn't even know whose point of view I was reading - it was that messy.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row, and Lisa Unger for an advanced copy of this book. It releases in March 2026 and I recommend that you only read it if you appreciate the supernatural and witchcraft, not if you're looking for a traditional mystery/thriller.
This book is so good! I was completely invested in the characters, in the murder investigation, and in the exploration of women’s complex history of persecution and fight for justice.
Served Him Right is so impeccably layered. The double entendre of the title alone lends to its incredible depth. The plotting in the story is top notch and Unger pulls every reveal off beautifully. I loved each and every POV character - their backstories, their motivations, and their connections to one another. They’re all deeply flawed and yet you can’t help but understand and root for them.
The history of The Cove and The Knowledge were my favorite parts of the story. I loved the network of women looking out for one another, righting wrongs, servicing justice, and holding each other accountable to their own moral code. This was not only a thrilling mystery, but a beautiful story of generations, friendship, and sisterhood. I loved literally everything about it and cannot recommend it enough!
Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row Books, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn’t exactly what I signed up for—I expected a dark thriller and instead got a full-blown witchy family drama mystery with a sprinkle of chaos and emotional baggage. But honestly? I was hooked anyway. I stayed up way too late muttering “just one more chapter” like a liar.
There were about 47 POVs (give or take), but somehow I managed to keep up. None of the characters are winning “Most Likable” anytime soon, but I respected their trauma-fueled messiness.
My first Lisa Unger read—and now I guess I’m adding her entire backlist to my TBR like I don’t already have a problem. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Lisa Unger for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This is my second Lisa Unger book and I enjoyed it. A murder, secrets, lies and sketchy friendships and relationships made this a twisty and suspenseful read. I enjoyed the witchy aspect of the two main characters and the solidarity between the witches.
I was overwhelmed with the amount of characters, I felt like some of them were unnecessary POVs just used to distract from the plot and the pacing was a bit off for me.
But overall an interesting book. I’ll be looking into Lisa Unger’s other books to see if any catch my eye!
“Served Him Right” by Lisa Unger is a tense psychological thriller. The story revolves around two sisters who are extremely close because of losing their parents at a young age. While hosting a brunch for her younger recently divorced sister, shocking news arrives that the sister’s ex husband has been mysteriously murdered. As the investigation unfolds, the use of poisonous herbs are found as the cause of death and a tribe of feminist Wiccans come under suspicion. This fast moving story had so many POV and so many different characters I found it hard to keep up. But for any reader who enjoys female revenge driven suspense, this book is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The girls gather for a brunch to celebrate a recent breakup, but when the police arrive and inform them that the ex has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, it sets off a frantic search for the truth, will all eyes squarely on one of the women. Cleverly titled Served Him Right has a lot going on: a police investigation compromised by a personal relationship, townwide rumors of a witches cult run amok, and plenty of viable suspects to keep the reader guessing. All these elements come together nicely in this interesting, albeit unusual thriller. The drawback is the very large cast of characters, and keeping everyone straight takes some effort, and the ending strains credulity, but overall it’s a good read with a somewhat unique plot, worth a read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy Unger, but this one felt rushed towards the end. We start with a great prologue that sets the scene and signals that we’re about to dive into a #MeToo situation. Then we jump into the first chapter, where we’re quickly introduced to a group of self-assured, confident women who will most definitely save the day. Oh, and there's a murder, too.
The buildup and the characters were fun and chaotic. We’ve got sisterly bonds (Vera and Ana), high-powered friendships, predatory boyfriends, and witches. Yes, witches. Not the "double, double, toil and trouble" kind, more Practical Magic than Macbeth. I loved the premise and the characters, but the last few chapters felt rushed. As if a TV series that suddenly finds out it won’t be renewed and has to wrap everything up in a single episode. I got whiplash from that delivery. Knocked off a star for that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kind of witchy but kind of not and soooo many threads that by the end, I didn't even care who killed who and who did what. Also did not help that all of the characters were deeply unlikable.
Sisters raised by their Aunt Agnes, Vera and Ana are both well versed in “The Knowledge” – growing of herbs and their multiple uses from tinctures, salves, teas and poisons. While a brunch “ex-orcism" is being attended by friends, police show up questioning Ana about the death of that ex. During talks with the police, one of Ana's friends collapses requiring medical treatment. Both the death of the ex and the collapse of the friend show poisoning in toxicology reports. Worried her sister has gone off the deep end, Vera begins her own personal investigation. Did Ana’s fiery temper finally get the best of a situation causing her to break and murder her ex? Or, is someone trying to frame Ana by manipulating events from behind the scenes making her the prime suspect?
Unger comes in on FIRE with a vibrant cast of characters – each vying for attention. With PoV's from the majority of characters in the story, it can feel overwhelming at times. The story offers a rich, immersive view of the characters by utilizing the multiple PoV's though. This allows every character to remain distinct, emotionally raw, and convincingly vulnerable. I did find it tough to keep everyone straight at times, distracting away from the story.
Served Him Right doesn't stop with the characters, the plot is just as compelling. Filled with drama, twists, and unexpected turns, Unger gives us a classic whodunnit style that keeps you guessing, yet completely in the psychological thriller vibe. Adding in the blend of herbology and paranormal elements give it an intriguing layer to an otherwise seemingly normal world.
Because the plot is so strong, I am giving this a 4. The biggest challenge is keeping all the characters straight, which occasionally made following the storyline a bit tedious leaving missed key details. I'm not sure if fewer characters would have resulted in such a strong storyline allowing readers to maintain focus on characters and plot OR if the storyline is so strong because of the abundance of characters. Either way, I would recommend giving this a read if you are looking for something to really dive head first into knowing that you have to devote all your attention to it until you finish.
I would like to thank Lisa Unger and NetGalley for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC Served Him Right. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.
read if you like: 👯 multiple female narrators 🪄 potions/magic 🙄 whodunnits
summary: This book follows a tight-knit group of girlfriends who gather for an “ex-orcism”—a playful ritual to banish the lingering bad vibes of Ana’s ex-boyfriend. But their lighthearted brunch takes a sharp turn when police arrive to inform Ana that her ex, Paul, has been found dead. The mood grows darker still when another guest is suddenly poisoned, leaving the women to wonder if something far more sinister is at play. What begins as a witty, fast-paced tale of secrets, loyalty, and betrayal quickly spirals into darker territory, weaving in unexpected supernatural elements and a mystery that blurs the line between crime and magical reality.
The book starts off really strong—fast-paced, intriguing, and with a setup that had me hooked right away. But as the story unfolded, it lost some of that momentum. I’ve loved so many of Unger’s other books, but I’m just not a fan of supernatural elements or potions, so those aspects didn’t click for me.
I really enjoyed the dynamic of the girlfriend group at first—it was sharp, fun, and felt authentic—but as the story went on, it lost steam and got a little strange. Personally, I was hoping for more of the true crime focus rather than leaning so heavily into mystical elements.
Overall, it was a solid read, but not my favorite. If you’re into the supernatural, you should check this book out when it releases on March 10.
Mix a dash of the Erin Patterson case, a helping of female rage, and a generous scoop of witchy folklore, and you’ll get Served Him Right.
That framing actually sums up my experience with this book quite well — because while there are elements here that are intriguing, the overall direction wasn’t quite what I expected going in. Based on the blurb, I anticipated a more grounded psychological thriller. What I got instead leaned far more heavily into supernatural and witch-adjacent themes, which aren’t really my area of interest. Had that been clearer upfront, I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up.
I also found myself struggling at times with the structure. There are a lot of POVs and multiple timelines, and there were moments where the narrative felt crowded rather than tense. Instead of being pulled along, I occasionally had to stop and work out who I was reading about and where we were in the timeline — something that can really stall momentum in a thriller.
One element that did stand out (light spoiler) was the explicit mention of death cap mushrooms, which immediately brought to mind the Erin Patterson case here in Australia. That real-world parallel added an unsettling edge and was easily one of the more memorable aspects for me.
Overall, this was a solid but uneven read. I didn’t dislike it, but I also never fully connected with it. Readers who enjoy genre-blending thrillers with supernatural elements will likely have a very different experience to mine.
Ana has always been a bit of a wildcard, but with her history, who can blame her? Her mother poisoned her father and she and her sister, Vera, had to go live with their aunt Agnes as young girls. But now her ex-boyfriend, Paul, has been found murdered. And it looks like poison is to blame. To make things look worse, she finds out during a luncheon to ex-orcise him from her life with her friends.
Vera has always had to watch out for her little sister, but maybe Ana has gone too far this time. Ana says she is innocent, but is she telling the truth? This wouldn't be the first time an ex of Ana's has gotten hurt.
Now one of the women who was at the luncheon is fighting for her life in the hospital, having ingested something toxic.
All roads lead back to Ana, and the detective on the case, Tim, can't ignore that. He also can't ignore the heat between them. Is he falling for a murderess?
There are also claims of witches and a secret society called The Cove. Could there be way more going on than meets the eye?
The book was classic Lisa Unger- it drew me right in and kept its claws in me until I could finish it. I loved the different POVs so we could see what was going on behind the scenes in the before and after.
My biggest complaint was that it felt like there was A LOT of repetition. It made it a bit of a slog to get through at the end.
Overall, fantastic, gripping, everything I love from Lisa's books.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I think my biggest problem with this book (that I have with a lot of thrillers) is that the characters didn't feel that deep or real. And they weren't that likable for me. I like rooting for a character, getting invested in them and the story because of who they are. And maybe the different POVs made that difficult for me?
And I'm starting to think that I only like multiple POVs in fantasy novels and romances. I think that in a thriller it can read as almost jumpy or choppy even when picking up a different POV in the same/a relevant situation.
I really did love the idea of this book though, the poison and those sorts of spooky vibes in a thriller really could've been so cool and unique and interesting. I really don't think I've read a thriller that leaned in that sort of spooky direction. It was more witchy over the typical murder-y almost.
This was spooky, I just wanted more from it. I'm sure less character-driven readers will enjoy this (I really just love to adore a character).
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
‘A woman’s brunch with friends quickly turns dark in this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.’
Served Him Right, told from alternating POV’s and timelines, starts out with this lazy, enticing and cryptic kind of pull. For the first half, I was inexorable, lulled in by these peculiar sisters, murder and the possibility of poisonings.
Unfortunately that changed in the second half. Shit got downright weird. Unger seemingly wants the reader to buy into this witchy theme, but for me, what I got out of it was a cult of deranged, man-bashing women.
The last 20-25%, when we’re close to discovering who committed the crimes at play, the POV’s are changing so frequently, I felt the urge to simply trudge through in order to get it over with.
Sadly, the book had lost its creep factor as well as its hook.
Regardless, I am a firm Unger fan and I’m crossing my fingers that this was a me-thing or perhaps just a one-off.
2.5 ⭐️ RU.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.
Lisa Unger is truly the queen of misdirect. Nowhere — and I mean nowhere — in this entire novel did I figure out who the culprit was. Every time I thought I had it nailed down, she threw in another twist that completely blindsided me.
There are quite a few characters to keep track of at first, and I’ll admit I had a little trouble figuring out who was who and how everyone connected. But once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. I couldn’t stop reading — and when I had to put it down, I kept thinking about it.
What I love about Lisa Unger’s writing is that she doesn’t just deliver a suspenseful story; she builds a world full of flawed, layered people who feel real. The pacing is perfect, the tension builds beautifully, and by the end, every piece fits together in such a satisfying way.
Served Him Right is a psychological thriller with heart — fast-paced, twisty, and emotionally sharp. Lisa Unger proves once again why she’s one of the best in the genre.
Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy — this one’s going to stick with me for a while!