Triple Threat: A deliciously dangerous sapphic thriller about fame, obsession and the actress ready to kill for the spotlight

by Isha Raya

**PRE-ORDER THIS TWISTY, SAPPHIC THRILLER - PERFECT FOR FANS OF KILLING EVE AND BELLA MACKIE**

She’s not a killer, she’s an opportunist.

Sometimes to be the main character - you have to get rid of the other one. When struggling actress Dimple Kapoor pushes her Hollywood rival to her death, it’s not the first time she’s killed. Or the second...

But this third time was an accident. It just so happens to be a very convenient accident that's created the perfect opportunity to land her dream role and propel herself to stardom.

It’s too bad someone else at the party witnessed the crime.

With everything she’s ever wanted within reach, Dimple will do anything to keep it all in her grasp – including killing again.

Unfortunately, someone is on to her. Saffi Iyer is one of the best private investigators in the business – and she’s determined to solve the mystery behind the trail of bodies Dimple is leaving behind.
But when the two women meet, sparks fly.

Has Dimple finally met her match?

Genres: Lesbian, Thriller, Queer, LGBT, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Isha Raya is a fan of psychological thrillers featuring questionable morals, mastermind schemes, and brown women who get to be anything from superstars to supervillains. She graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in biology, and she currently resides in the depths of your mind. You’ll Never Forget Me is her debut novel. You can find her across social media @theisharaya and at https://www.theisharaya.com/

Reviews

[Isha Raya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent years writing You'll Never Forget Me, pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into it, simply because I wanted to read it. If you find yourself enjoying this book, then perhaps it's because we're kindred spirits. Or maybe it's just that we both grew up on 2010s Tumblr. Either way, I will never forget you <3

Making myself scarce now since ARCs are being sent out (to ensure that author and reader spaces remain separate, I don’t interact with reviews of my books on any online spaces unless I am tagged!)

Content warnings can be found here: https://www.theisharaya.com/content-w...

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you ever read death note and thought “i want this but sapphic and MORE toxic” this is the book for u!! saffi could literally throw me out of a window and i would say “thank you”

[rose ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

“people always seemed untouchable until they died.”

“how could anyone connect me to this crime?” idk girl maybe the painfully obvious trail of evidence you left behind??

struggling actress dimple kapoor’s luck changes when she impulsively kills her rival and lands the breakout role they were competing for. with her dreams of stardom finally within reach, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make them come true and immortalize herself on the silver screen—even kill again.

unfortunately for dimple, the family of the woman she murdered hire renowned PI saffi iyer to investigate their daughter’s death. saffi immediately suspects dimple (side note: literally everyone should immediately suspect dimple, she is Not Good At This) and dimple decides that saffi must die before she can link dimple to her crimes.

what follows is allegedly a cat-and-mouse thriller where dimple’s goal (murdering saffi) and saffi’s goal (seeing dimple locked up) are complicated by an inexplicable attraction, but in order for a game of cat and mouse to be riveting, i need to believe in dimple as a criminal (and to a lesser extent saffi as a PI). that’s difficult when dimple is not the criminal mastermind she thinks she is and saffi is not the brilliant PI she thinks she is (and the writing is not self-aware enough to recognize that).

i picked up you’ll never forget me for the killing eve comp. unfortunately it does not measure up; what makes killing eve so compelling is (a) the dynamic between eve and villanelle and (b) villanelle’s charisma. you’ll never forget me never manages that with dimple. you can’t just tell me that she’s a charming, clever murderer when her behavior doesn’t line up with that—frankly, she’s really rash and should have been caught about a dozen times. the same applies to saffi. if she’s so brilliant, i want to see that. she can’t just conveniently suspect dimple based on vibes. and while i could (maybe) get past a mediocre PI chasing an inept murderer if the chemistry was there… it decidedly is not. i was never sold on this supposed “obsession” (on either side), so the whole concept fell flat.

i think the most disappointing part is that this is a really neat idea. a sapphic cat-and-mouse thriller where the PI decides to let an old hollywood creep go down for a lethally ambitious young actress’s crimes? that could have been so good! it could have been such an interesting way to explore the dark side of fame, what people are willing to do for success, whose crimes are forgotten or forgiven, etc. unfortunately it was none of those things for me.

i’m not sure who i would recommend this one to. maybe readers who are particularly into hollywood/hollywood-adjacent thrillers might enjoy this more than i did? it isn’t one that i’ll be recommending, though.

i received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

rating: 1.0/5.0 stars

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You’ll Never Forget Me” by Isha Raya

Genre: Psychological Thriller/LGBT
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub. Date: January 13, 2026

This novel is so over the top, I thought I was reading a farce. Yet it is supposedly written as a cat-and-mouse thriller. Dimple (yes, that is really her name) “does not call herself a murderer, per se—she’d prefer the term “opportunist.” Our protagonist’s personality is captured in this line. Saffi is the private detective determined to prove Dimple’s guilt. Readers enter knowing that Dimple is a struggling actress who kills a rival for roles. The bodies keep on flowing afterward. Dimple will stop at nothing to become a movie star. How can a novel with betrayal, blackmail, multiple murders, and framing manage to be dull? The plot is simply too silly to be believable, making the story boring. I still applaud the author for her diverse characters and a surprising love affair, which is why I give this book a two-star rating rather than one star.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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[gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book can't possibly be serious, it has to be satirical. For a book being marketed as a cat-and-mouse thriller, it sure is bland and boring and quite frankly laughable. Halfway through I began to question if I was stupid, or just hadn't read enough thrillers because this can't possibly be how private investigation works?? And then to make it all worse, the narrative kept pushing this false sense of yearning between the two characters that I honestly couldn't see or understand. This was honestly a mess, and it's even more painful because there was so much potential here.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

If you love stories about anti-heroines, You'll Never Forget Me is for you!

Dimple Kapoor is an up-and-coming actress, and a talented one. But Hollywood is competitive and not fair that there seems to be room in Hollywood for only one South Asian ingenue. So it must be a coincidence that Dimple's rival Irene ends up falling down a flight of stairs. Sorry/Notsorry, Irene!

Dimple is unhinged in a darkly comic way. She'll do anything to get what she wants ... and deserves.

Enter Saffi, a tough PI hired by Irene's grieving parents to look into their daughter's tragic "accident." Saffi is pretty sure she's cracked her case, but decides to play a fun cat and mouse game with Dimple, to whom she feels an irresistible pull.

I loved how Raya took the old time femme fatale walks into a PI's office concept (from movies like The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity) and made it sapphic. I also appreciated that the book spoke to the difficulties of being a woman of color in Hollywood.

Darkly comic, unhinged, simmering with erotic undercurrents, this book is for fans of unhinged thrillers like Killer Potential or So Happy Together, or TV series like Killing Eve.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Subscribe to my amazing newsletter HERE at JenRyland.com Let's be friends on Bookstagram!

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impossible to put down and delightfully thrilling. Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been excited for You'll Never Forget Me for such a long time and really pushed my hopes up, which may have been the reason this book didn't hit quite as hard as I hoped it would.
It feels like a sapphic version of NBC's Hannigram in Hollywood, if Hannibal lacked his talent for manipulation and Will's interpersonal relationships didn't follow a clear logic.

This story definitely had its strengths, and the showdowns between Saffi and Dimple were really intriguing and kept me invested.
The vibey Hollywood aesthetic that is present throughout the entire story was also one of its strong suits.
However, the actual crimes being committed always ran incredibly smoothly, which made them feel a bit too easy.

Sadly, where I was really lost was at the ending. I was very excited to see how this story would be wrapped up , but really, it just made me drop my star rating down one star.
What could have culminated in a final showdown of two minds that have been pitted against each other to reach their goal of mutual destruction did end with some death, but definitely not the ones whom I would have logically expected.

If you want a book with a toxic sapphic relationship, don't mind unclear motives, and instead want to experience the wild and occasionally dark Hollywood vibes, then this might be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

[mara - hyrulevalkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How does one win in a world that favors the cruel?"
Dimple has had a rough upbringing. From losing her aunt and uncle, to constantly losing out on acting opportunities to a woman who may as well be her twin, she's just trying her best to make it stardom. That is, until a golden opportunity presents itself to wipe out the competition, once and for all. Little does she know that her actions have already been noticed by a low profile and highly interesting PI. Will the truth be revealed? Or will Dimple hide in the shadows from those she loves forever?
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advanced opportunity to read You'll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya. I was originally intrigued by this novel because I saw the author pitching it as "Death Note but make it sapphic and even more toxic".
Sold.
I think that my previous knowledge of the source material made my overall enjoyment of this novel higher than if I hadn't watched or read Death Note, but I think it was still very well written and a quick read. I was a little disappointed by the ending, I feel like it was a tad lackluster. But I still had a great time and would recommend it to friends!

[Debra Shaughnessy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A twisty thriller about a struggling actress who kills her rival and will do anything to protect her fame. Stylish, tense, and full of morally gray characters.

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Killing Eve comp had me so excited to pick this up and I was sadly quite disappointed. What makes Killing Eve compelling is Villianelle actually being a criminal mastermind who is extremely thought out in her actions. When she meets Eve this changes and she becomes more erratic in an attempt to connect with the woman she's attracted to. Dimple is not calculated, she's an opportunist trying to cover her tracks and yet she somehow leaves no physical evidence behind. As a result, when Saffi suspects she's a murderer the hunch relies on very little physical evidence. Everything just felt so convenient and like the author was forcibly making the story take a certain shape (don't get me started on the nonsense with keeping a vial of blood for a week and it not clotting). There were a few nice moments like the way in which Dimple and Saffi connect over their past actions around the 50% mark, but it wasn't enough to carry the story. Overall, this was a suspense novel that really lacked any suspense.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 💫

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, unfortunately. A thriller with a villainous main character and sapphic romance - I was all in, but it just didn't hit the way I'd hoped it would.

While I usually love an anti-hero or an unhinged narrator, I had a hard time finding Dimple all that likable. There wasn't anything about her that made me want to root for her despite the crimes she was committing. I was told she was charming but failed to actually be charmed by her. And some of the crimes just felt far too easy and clean, and I have no clue how Saffi was the only one sniffing her out. Speaking of Saffi - she as well felt a bit one note, and especially towards the end, I had a hard time understanding her motives. And while I was rooting for the romance between them at the start, I never really felt the chemistry that was supposed to be there.

There was a lot happening - blackmail, multiple murders, framing - but I still never felt utterly gripped by any it. The most interesting parts to me all happened in the first one hundred pages and then slowed from there. The ending was a bit frustrating, too. Not because of the fates of the two main characters - I'd assumed they'd end up how they did, and was fine with it - but just because of how it all played out, which I won't go into detail on, for non-spoiler reasons.

The writing itself was well done, and I really did love the representation included here as well. I wouldn't be opposed to giving this author another chance, because I really see the vision that she had with this, it just didn't land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

[Corryn Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a hard one to read. It dragged on and on. I definitely didn’t see some of the twists that came but I wouldn’t say this was a book a couldn’t put down.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A fun cat and mouse game. It had a really strong start, but it kind of lagged in the middle, and then picked up again at the end.

Dimple was a bit of a psychopath, but it was hard not to root for her. She was pretty cool and wouldn’t let anything stop her from getting what she wanted!

Priyal was so loyal! I loved her. She was such a cute and kind character.

I didn’t care for Saffi, but it’s not like I disliked her. Maybe because I wasn’t rooting for her like I was for Dimple. I wanted Dimple to win in their back and forth, so naturally I won’t root for Saffi or like her as much.

Atlas and Eli were fine characters, but I knew they weren’t as important to the story as Dimple and Saffi were, so I never got attached to them. They were just kind of there.

I wouldn’t say there was much of a relationship. I honestly could have given or taken one, but don’t go into this expecting it to be a romance. It was definitely on the back burner, even if you knew where it was going.

The end was a bit unrealistic, especially with who would be framed and the logistics of it, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief because it’s a fictional book. There were some loose ends that never got explained that went into that as well.

It ended kind of abruptly. I would’ve liked to see more of them together or see what they did with their life. Even a quick chapter of a year or two later, just to see what happened to them, would have been nice. I am satisfied what happened in the end, but I also almost wished it ended a little differently. I didn’t really expect it to go any other way.

It was a solid debut novel! If it sounds interesting to you, it was a decent read. I got through it pretty quickly. The writing was easy enough to follow along.

[kailesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ thank you Bantam & NetGalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.

Okay, I’ve been anticipating this read for a while, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up because what the helly?! This book was so good, I genuinely could not put it down.

The story follows an up-and-coming actress turned serial killer, Dimple, and an obsessive investigator, Saffi, locked in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. All signs point to our leading lady… yet none of the evidence quite gets her there. Meanwhile, with the close proximity of it all, an unlikely romance starts to bloom between Dimple and Saffi, what could possibly go wrong?

I really enjoyed Dimple’s character and found her evil and unhinged in the best way. She was unapologetic, chaotic, and somehow had me rooting for her even when I definitely shouldn’t have been. On the flip side, I also really enjoyed Saffi, her ambition and obsession throughout the investigation made her just as compelling. I kept bouncing back and forth between hating one of them, loving the other, and then suddenly rooting for both. It was such a weird (and fun) emotional rollercoaster. The ending also had me floored! I was not expecting it to end the way it did and left me slack-jawed. The story and investigation panned out so well and I was happy with the ending overall.

The scenes between both MCs were another highlight. Their dynamic was undeniably toxic, yet appealing, and watching it slowly tiptoe into romantic territory was the icing on the cake. I do wish we’d gotten a bit more development or depth in the romantic arc since it was more lightly sprinkled throughout, but I still enjoyed their connection and the tension between them.

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced, and wildly entertaining read. The suspense kept me guessing, the characters kept me invested, and the hints of romance added an extra layer to this twisted, unexpected story.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating — 3.75 out of 5 stars.

this was genuinely unhinged. i knew it would be going into it — looking at the premise alone, with an up-and-coming hollywood actress killing her rival (as the inciting incident, no less!) — it certainly sets the reader up for a wild ride.

first of all: i love unapologetically evil women! dimple is actually everything to me, and i loved watching her be crazy on purpose with a trail of bodies left behind her. not many people want to commit to the full send like that when they say they want to write evil women, so i was so on board for her journey. i will say, though, at times her unhinged antics felt a little all over the place. i get that that’s part of the point, since she’s scrambling to cover up this impulsive murder and the fallout from it, but it made the story feel meandering and confused at times as opposed to a well-plotted thriller. i also wish a bit more time had been devoted to fleshing out her relationship with saffi — what we got to see was delicious, but i think it would’ve helped if they met earlier than a third of the way in. i wanted more of them together!

overall, this was a fun, quick read. i read it on the plane home from vacation and it was nice and easy to read it all in one sitting! if you’re looking for a snappy thriller and you support women’s wrongs, this would be a great vacation read.

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea (gofetchabook)]

The story just wasn’t for me. One actress accidentally kills another in a fit of rage and steals her leading role. The police rule the death an accident but the family hires private investigators because they’re convinced it was murder. Just all plots I don’t enjoy.
I don’t love rich people behaving badly. I also tend to dislike family and friends convinced things aren’t accidents.

Additionally, we were kind of introduced to too many characters really fast and it was hard to follow. It feels like there may be some kind of second chance romance between one of the PI’s and another one he calls for help who has something dark in her past and doesn’t want to return to America. The whole “I did something bad but I’m not going to say what it is, just elude to SOMETHING happening for half the book” is another thing I dislike.

Overall, just not a book for me.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5 stars

This book was kind of a train wreck that I couldn't look away from.

I was hoping for a Villanelle-esque character, someone murderous and compelling, but I found Dimple dull and underdeveloped. Then enter Saffi, apparently one of the best PIs in the world, but she discerns Dimple’s crimes by jumping to a series of unreasonably large assumptions. The plot asks readers to suspend a lot of disbelief, more than I think is fair to ask, and I don't think the character arcs were justified in the text.

I was so eager for a captivating cat and mouse chase, but this ultimately fell flat and did not inspire very much excitement or emotion in me.

[Amanie Johal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this immensely, however I can't say that the sapphic tension was really there.

I'm still waffling on whether the author was not able to make the romantic/sexual tension clear, or if I still have some internalized homophobia around needing explicit intention written out. If this were a heterosexual couple, would I have accepted that the tension between them was sexual/romantic even if neither made any indication they were attracted to the other until 80% into the book? Not sure, honestly.

However, I still liked this a lot. Following Dimple's choices and Saffi's counters was quite fun. Also, at the end of the day, I'm a sucker for desi wlw in any form.

[andrea ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cat-and-mouse sapphic thriller was right up my alley. I had so much fun reading this one!

I think it was super interesting to explore the "dark side" of Hollywood, and how much you're willing to do to obtain fame and glory. However, it was missing a little something in terms of writing to get me a little bit more engaged. There were times where I felt the dialogue felt a little too obvious for my taste.

But this is very enjoyable, particularly for fans of Gone Girl (such as me)

[maité · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very well written and interesting book not like the usual/standard murder-mystery stories out there. I really enjoyed reading this. the queerness isnt a main plotline and I liked the way it was just part of the story without any homophobia. the characters were all really interesting but I did find the last few chapters a bit too fast paced compared to the rest of the book. this also made the ending feel unsatisfying to me.

[Sapphic Bookshelf]

Thank you to PRH Audio for the audiobook.

I enjoyed the dynamic between our two main characters, Dimple and Saffi. When they started interacting on page, I was hooked. Definitely check this one out if you’re looking for a sapphic cat and mouse thriller.

I also really recommend the audiobook. I thought the narrator did an excellent job, and the overall production was well done.

[Brooke! · Rating 4 out of 5]

insane book!!! was not expecting the ending AT ALL. saffi i love you 🙌🙌 4/5 stars for this book and very very interesting!!! the back and forth was AMAZING and i loved the dual pov.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Solid debut🙂‍↕️

[Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh)]

dnf at 30% I did not care about anyone and the dialogue is pretty bad

[Emily H · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending wasn’t what I wanted (the characters are kind of despicable people), but the plot and writing were so slick and cohesive that this deserves 5 stars.

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc, this is an unpaid and truthful review!

Overall I enjoyed this book! I love a multi-POV romance, and I’m very happy to add another sapphic romance to my digital bookshelf! An actress (Dimple) on the brink of her stardom who accidentally murders her main rival which ends up giving her the role to launch her career. On the opposite end is a private investigator (Saffi) who returns to the US in order to help her old friends solve the case. Quickly Saffi suspects Dimple and a cat and mouse chase ensues where Saffi waits for the starlette to trip on her own lies.
Unfortunately the premise did not follow through for me as hard for reasons I will detail below. *Possible spoilers ahead*

Tension:
Both characters felt in control of the situation which should have had them spiraling. Due to this, I never felt tension or scared for the characters. Despite Saffi having an equally controlling personality as Dimple she did not do much the entire time. I know her passivity goes hand in hand with her PI job to watch but I think it would be more interesting if she pushed Saffi more physically. Or if she went beyond what is expected/allowed of a PI and risked her position and friendships more. Despite the stakes being murder and the death penalty, I barely felt them.

Romance:
The only romance we get is from when they describe one another. In this LA setting I expected a messy relationship which they tried to keep secret and Saffi tried to keep herself from. I would not count this as a romance book if it was not framed that way. The lack of action in the case continued in the romance aspect unfortunately.

In the end, I was sold a tug of war for power but it remained in Dimple’s court for the entirety of the story which was boring. Despite the lack of action the characters were interesting I wanted to see them do more things! I would love to see this author apply their character skills into a more captivating and paced narrative.

[ً · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was annoying

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya
Publisher: Ballantine | Bantam
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You’ll Never Forget Me is a slick, twisted psychological thriller soaked in old-Hollywood gloss and powered by two very unwell women circling each other like sharks in designer heels. It’s sapphic, it’s unhinged, it’s campy in the best way—and it wants you to root for bad decisions made by worse people. Mission accomplished.

Dimple Kapoor, our anti-heroine, is a struggling actress with a gift for manipulation and a track record of “accidental” murders. The book opens with her killing her rival Irene Singh—technically an accident, but let’s not kid ourselves—and sliding into the exact role that had her auditioning for second-best her whole life. Dimple doesn’t just want the spotlight. She wants the entire stage cleared of competition. And if that means a few bodies drop along the way? Well, the show must go on.

Enter Saffi Mirai Iyer, a high-profile private investigator with a sharp mind, colder heart, and a face that belongs in a slow-burning indie drama about secrets. She’s hired by Irene’s wealthy parents to find their daughter’s killer, and within about three seconds, she’s pretty sure it’s Dimple. The twist? Instead of immediately hauling her off to jail, Saffi invites her to “assist” in the investigation—as bait. This is where the book leans hard into its camp-noir energy. It’s ridiculous. It’s melodramatic. It’s absolutely irresistible.

Raya doesn’t pretend this setup is grounded in realism. That’s not the point. The book is less interested in procedure than it is in obsession, power, and the way ambition rots when you feed it too much. The story revels in the tension between these two women—Dimple, calculating and desperate to be loved; Saffi, emotionally constipated and drawn to destruction. Their chemistry is like a lit match hovering over spilled gasoline. It’s not always believable, but it is fun to watch.

Now, let’s talk pacing. The beginning is electric—sharp prose, high stakes, and a clear hook. Then, in true thriller fashion, the middle gets a bit murky. The book wants to juggle noir aesthetics, psychological tension, and a slow-burn romance, and occasionally it drops a ball. There are moments where the plot meanders or relies on conveniences so absurd they break immersion. Dimple joining the investigation team after murdering one of the victims is particularly baffling if you’re trying to take any of this seriously.

But if you treat this book less like a crime thriller and more like a stylized fever dream about fame, morality, and the kind of queerness that doesn’t want to be sanitized—then it works. Raya has no interest in writing likable women. She writes compelling ones. Dimple is a standout: part femme fatale, part lost girl, part chaos goblin with a death wish. Her self-awareness is cutting; her motivations are messy. She doesn’t murder for fun—she murders because she’s cornered, she’s scared, and because she thinks it’s her only way forward. She’s a monster, sure, but she’s a deeply human one.

Saffi, on the other hand, is harder to pin down. For someone with such a sharp reputation, she often comes across as distracted, even confused. Her obsession with Dimple simmers but never quite boils over. And while the romantic tension is there, it never fully ignites. Some readers will find that frustrating. Others, like me, might find it more honest to the toxic dynamic being portrayed. They’re not lovers. They’re reflections of each other’s ruin. And sometimes that’s more interesting.

One of my favorite elements was how the book critiques Hollywood’s treatment of South Asian women—the way actresses like Dimple and Irene are interchangeable to casting directors, and how Dimple internalizes that erasure until she’s willing to do anything, even kill, to be the one who gets remembered. The book’s title isn’t just a threat. It’s a plea.

Quote that stayed with me:

“It doesn’t matter how hard you work—Hollywood picks someone to love, and most times, it isn’t you.”

Let’s be clear: this book will not be for everyone. If you like your thrillers tidy, your romances wholesome, or your protagonists morally redeemable, look elsewhere. This is for the readers who loved Killing Eve, Gone Girl, or A Simple Favor and thought, “What if we made it even messier—and gayer?”

Is it perfect? No. The plot sometimes twists itself into knots. The ending might frustrate readers looking for clarity or justice. But it’s bold, stylish, and compulsively readable. Isha Raya swung big with her debut, and while not every risk lands, enough of them do to make this a memorable ride.

Final verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Read it for the vibes. Stay for the chaos.

#YoullNeverForgetMe #NetGalley #IshaRaya #SapphicThriller #QueerBooks #WomenDoingCrime #PsychologicalThriller #HollywoodNoir #CatAndMouse #BooksWithBite #LGBTQFiction #FictionReview #MorallyGreyWomen #DarkFeminineEnergy #NewBookRelease2026 #ThrillerReview #ARCReview #BookTokMadeMeReadIt #BeGayDoCrime #SupportWomensWrongs

[Melissa Corday · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher Bantam, and author Isha Raya for providing this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I've curated my Instagram algorithm pretty carefully; I get local authors recommended to me rather often, which is exactly how this book came to my attention! I saw Isha Raya was a fellow Texan and one of her posts was suggested to me, one celebrating her debut was just a few days away. I saw it was a queer thriller about a murderess. Actually, what the reel said was "I fear I girlbossed too close to the sun... the sapphic book I wrote because of Death Note brainrot ended up in the Seattle Times." Fam... say less. I'm in. That kind of irreverent internet slang is right up my alley. It felt like sis was marketing directly to me. I *sprinted* to Netgalley to see if it was requestable; sometimes books close to their release won't grant new requests. But it was available. And I figured, what the hell? And I slapped the Request button. I didn't expect to have the approval email in my inbox the next morning. Hot damn! OK! Let's go!

It took me two weeks to read this 288 page book. My average reading speed is about 1 week for a 350 page novel. My math's kinda bad, but this should have taken me about 5-6 days to read, not 14. What happened?

Without getting too far into it, this is not a romance. The FMCs (dual POV) are queer, but their exact identity is never specified. They do not have a relationship other than investigator and suspect. I was totally lacking on the "potent chemistry" the synopsis references. There is a kiss for shock value, and there is an EXTREMELY closed door scene where Saffi rides up the elevator with Dimple to Dimple's hotel room, and then the next morning Saffi is gone, with no trace left behind. Saffi (the PI) loathes everything about Dimple (the actress/murder suspect). And for that matter, I still haven't decided if Dimple is a cute name or insufferable one. But liking or disliking a name isn't influencing my review, I promise.

I'll be the first to admit thrillers aren't my usual go-to genre; I am a romance and sci-fi girlie, and I really really like when genres cross-over. I fully expected this to be a romantic thriller, and was bummed when it wasn't. In the face of no romance, I was hoping for high-stakes, but despite this being a murder investigation, it felt pretty low-stakes the whole time? Kind of weird.

While I don't read a lot of thrillers, I do read a lot of debuts. This one was rough. Because the FMCs both felt kind of one-dimensional to me, and the murder investigation felt fairly low-stakes, I had a hard time staying invested, which made the pacing feel off. I needed more... everything, really. Some hatefucking or messy behavior from either FMC would have been only too welcome. Saffi, the private eye, was too good at investigating until the plot needed her to make a mistake, and Dimple, the suspect, was too good at covering her tracks or having convenient alibis until the plot needed her to make a mistake. The first 80% of the book felt like waiting around; all the action takes place in the last 20%. Don't get me wrong- multiple murders happen during the book, Dimple gets followed by PIs and other suspects, including a suspect with a history of abusing women that look like Dimple, and there's plenty of arson and pushing people down stairs/out windows, but I never felt like Dimple nor Saffi were in any real danger at any time.

Some of the side characters could have been written out and had no consequence. One character was mentioned a few times off-page and then showed up for a single scene, but I still don't think that scene served the plot and could have been omitted without repercussion. Dimple, specifically, is mentioned as not having any friends for the whole time she's been in Hollywood, which has been several years. It is a plot point, multiple times, that she's a recluse. She doesn't go out, ever, except to wrap parties or screenings. That kind of antisocial character is hard to sympathize with. I found myself wondering, multiple times, what's to like about her? Do I want her to get away with it because fuck the system, or do I want her to face justice? And which crimes were actual crimes, and which crimes should I turn a blind eye to? Killing an abuser, for example... is that really a crime? I did enjoy the moral quandary there; I love a good morally grey or morally black moment. But it needs to be paired with a sympathetic character, and I'm still not sure Dimple is.

I'm conflicted on how to rate this one, and it was just interesting enough to keep me from DNFing, but by the time I finished, I wasn't satisfied and don't think I'd be able to recommend this one. It wasn't dreadful, but I don't think it should be marketed as having "potent sapphic chemistry" or compared to Death Note or Killing Eve.