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The Roaring Ridleys: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 1 May 26In Jazz Age New York, a shocking murder shatters the privileged life of the city’s most elite family in a propulsive mystery-thriller debut from author K.M. Colley that spans from Harlem to Long Island’s Gold Coast and high society’s glittering world of deadly secrets.
In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it wealth, status, and protection as the city’s most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family’s renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There’s Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family’s expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.
As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys—and they’re willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters protecting the family name or each other.
In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it wealth, status, and protection as the city’s most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family’s renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There’s Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family’s expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.
As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys—and they’re willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters protecting the family name or each other.
- GenresThriller
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 1, 2026
347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 12, 2025
Well, hello everyone I wrote this book so of course I’m gonna give it five stars 😂. No but seriously if you took the time to read this book, whether you liked it or not, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day reading into the crazy world of the Ridley‘s. Truly, I have smiled at every single review because it’s wild to me, seeing after years of hard work and rewrites this coming to fruition. The fact that you all are rating the uncorrected proof so beautifully really makes my whole day! As you can tell I love New York so much. It is a place that I felt I grew as a woman. So this book is an ode to all of us who are striving for a greater life even if we weren’t put in the best positions we’re gonna make the most of it! Appreciate you all so much. Happy reading!
December 26, 2025
I was able to read this through NetGalley in the uncorrected version from the author & her publishers. But my opinion is my own on the book. I’ve read it twice just to be sure, yes twice lol. Considering it was uncorrected it was obvious to ignore small errors if there were any. It’s uncorrected so that speaks for itself that errors are possible.
First I want to say that I love the dynamics between the siblings. Even though they were all adopted the way they have their own ways of wanting to prove themselves better than the other & to their father (or not) really hits the mark for anyone that has siblings. It’s always a competition even if in a loving way or underlying jealousy. If I didn’t know they weren’t blood, I’d think otherwise. The banter between them felt real enough to how my brothers & myself speak to one another or would have in the era this story was written. Also Kavita is my girl, love her bad.
As far as the father & mother well… The mother had no backbone & was just there. The father held his adopted children to extreme high standards & I feel that had a huge impact on the children & how their characters developed overtime. Regardless it’s understandable to the story because again he held himself to unimaginable high standards.
The energy & vibes of the story really made me want to see it on my screen in real life, watching it all play out. I’ve never been to New York but I wish I could have visited in the 1920s. Anyone have a Time Machine?
Overall, I loved the book. I loved the plot twist of the mystery thriller aspect, but what I enjoyed most was getting to dive into the children & why they are how they are & what made them that way. I can’t wait to get the corrected version to place on my trophy shelf. 🖤
First I want to say that I love the dynamics between the siblings. Even though they were all adopted the way they have their own ways of wanting to prove themselves better than the other & to their father (or not) really hits the mark for anyone that has siblings. It’s always a competition even if in a loving way or underlying jealousy. If I didn’t know they weren’t blood, I’d think otherwise. The banter between them felt real enough to how my brothers & myself speak to one another or would have in the era this story was written. Also Kavita is my girl, love her bad.
As far as the father & mother well… The mother had no backbone & was just there. The father held his adopted children to extreme high standards & I feel that had a huge impact on the children & how their characters developed overtime. Regardless it’s understandable to the story because again he held himself to unimaginable high standards.
The energy & vibes of the story really made me want to see it on my screen in real life, watching it all play out. I’ve never been to New York but I wish I could have visited in the 1920s. Anyone have a Time Machine?
Overall, I loved the book. I loved the plot twist of the mystery thriller aspect, but what I enjoyed most was getting to dive into the children & why they are how they are & what made them that way. I can’t wait to get the corrected version to place on my trophy shelf. 🖤
November 16, 2025
I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't get into it the way I would have liked. Although I did enjoy the story, I found parts of it that just went on and on with no real purpose. It did pick up in the end and I was surprised with the finale. Since the book was set in the 1920s, I would have liked to have seen a more vibrant description of that era tied into the whole thing. It just didn't give me the feeling I was looking for.
This book was an ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 Stars
I am a huge fan of the 1920s so I was immediately drawn to this book! I loved the glitz and glam, as well as the mob tie in. Some parts of the book felt a little meandering and I was ready for the pace to pick up. However, the characters were really well developed and the end concludes really nicely with some good twists! Overall, I really enjoyed the sibling's relationships and back stories.
#netgalley
I am a huge fan of the 1920s so I was immediately drawn to this book! I loved the glitz and glam, as well as the mob tie in. Some parts of the book felt a little meandering and I was ready for the pace to pick up. However, the characters were really well developed and the end concludes really nicely with some good twists! Overall, I really enjoyed the sibling's relationships and back stories.
#netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was lucky enough to receive an uncorrected version of this arc in return for my honest review. (There is clearly some more editing to be done, but I focused on the plot and story arc for this review.)
To be fair, a period piece like this is not my usual genre, but something about this book pulled me in. I was not disappointed.
This story began with the introduction of the Ridley family. It is based in the 1920s, and the Ridleys are on par with the Vanderbilts of the day, along with all of the very wealthy at that time. They run a shipping empire, and they stand out for a few reasons. The most important one is the fact that the seven children of the family are adopted and are from various parts of the world. An unusual circumstance, to say the least.
The three daughters are the main narrators of the story. Every chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of them. We traverse the timeline from the night of the major party of the season to the very end when all the secrets in the family are laid bare.
Bluntly, there is a lot of scandal and drama. From mysterious passings, to gangsters, to dealing with race while being a part of the 1% of wealthy people in the world.
It made for an intriguing story that went along quickly. This one took me only a couple of days to complete.
It was not a bad read at all and was, for me, a pleasant mix of family issues and an insider’s view into the life of the rich and infamous. I think it would make a popular series on Netflix. There are quite a few jaw-dropping twists that would play off perfectly on screen.
If mystery, family drama, and the roaring 20s are your kind of favorite things, this book should be on your tbr.
To be fair, a period piece like this is not my usual genre, but something about this book pulled me in. I was not disappointed.
This story began with the introduction of the Ridley family. It is based in the 1920s, and the Ridleys are on par with the Vanderbilts of the day, along with all of the very wealthy at that time. They run a shipping empire, and they stand out for a few reasons. The most important one is the fact that the seven children of the family are adopted and are from various parts of the world. An unusual circumstance, to say the least.
The three daughters are the main narrators of the story. Every chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of them. We traverse the timeline from the night of the major party of the season to the very end when all the secrets in the family are laid bare.
Bluntly, there is a lot of scandal and drama. From mysterious passings, to gangsters, to dealing with race while being a part of the 1% of wealthy people in the world.
It made for an intriguing story that went along quickly. This one took me only a couple of days to complete.
It was not a bad read at all and was, for me, a pleasant mix of family issues and an insider’s view into the life of the rich and infamous. I think it would make a popular series on Netflix. There are quite a few jaw-dropping twists that would play off perfectly on screen.
If mystery, family drama, and the roaring 20s are your kind of favorite things, this book should be on your tbr.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
[ARC] I realllllly wanted to like this one but overall I didn’t. I was confused pretty much the whole time and the characters, their relationships and motives felt all over the place and disconnected so I didn’t buy into their family dynamic, which was essential for this story. Though things tied together fairly decently in the end, it was really difficult to track any form of a timeline while reading until the end and the dialogue was choppy and didn’t add any depth to the story. It was a great concept and i’m giving this some grace because I know there are some edits to be made, but to me it was more of a character study rather than a thriller or murder mystery novel. I did really like that you could clearly see the mc’s personalities shine through the writing and the pacing at the end, the way the murderer was revealed and the epilogue were really refreshing and I wish the rest of the book felt like that because those moments made the story really compelling and I couldn’t put the book down. Overall, I see the potential just needs to be fleshed out a bit better.
(I will be buying the corrected version when it’s released and reading from this author again bc i support black authors forever!)
(I will be buying the corrected version when it’s released and reading from this author again bc i support black authors forever!)
December 9, 2025
Seven adopted children, all from different parts of the world, are adopted into a ritzy, privileged family. Tensions and secrets are kept under wraps until threats are received and a newspaper gossip columnist is murdered at the Ridley's garden party.
I love reading mysteries involving wealthy, prominent families, and I love reading novels set in the roaring 20s. Unfortunately, this story failed to meet my expectations. There was so much repetition in the descriptions of the siblings and the way that they relate to one another. Similarly, there was a lot of repetition of the father's sometimes unrealistic, and seemingly unloving, expectations of the family, and the mother's lack of backbone. I didn't even care who killed the reporter. Sadly, I just wanted to get through the muck and move on to another book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I love reading mysteries involving wealthy, prominent families, and I love reading novels set in the roaring 20s. Unfortunately, this story failed to meet my expectations. There was so much repetition in the descriptions of the siblings and the way that they relate to one another. Similarly, there was a lot of repetition of the father's sometimes unrealistic, and seemingly unloving, expectations of the family, and the mother's lack of backbone. I didn't even care who killed the reporter. Sadly, I just wanted to get through the muck and move on to another book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
How in the world is Ms. Colley so stunning? The picture at the end of the book made my jaw drop. Anyway. I enjoyed this book way more than I expected. It never felt unnecessarily monotonous, the glamour was nicely delivered and I simply fell in love with the main characters. The siblings' dynamic was my favorite part, their love for each other, their purposeless arguments, she made them very loveable. It didn't get 5 stars because for me it was a bit lacking in the romance department but overall it was very good.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest thoughts and review:
This book has an intriguing premise. The pacing, however, is not as exciting. It is terribly slow-moving, and I struggled to keep myself engaged enough to track the story. I could have realistically pushed through to the end, but I decided that I'd walk away without finishing since it was taking forever to get through each chapter.
This book has an intriguing premise. The pacing, however, is not as exciting. It is terribly slow-moving, and I struggled to keep myself engaged enough to track the story. I could have realistically pushed through to the end, but I decided that I'd walk away without finishing since it was taking forever to get through each chapter.
January 12, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley and K.M. Colley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Roaring Ridleys coming out April 21, 2026. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I definitely read a lot of murder mysteries. I loved the time period and setting of the book. The 1920s were definitely a fascinating time. I really enjoyed the characters. I thought the plot was good and I love the diversity. I would check out other books by this author!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I definitely read a lot of murder mysteries. I loved the time period and setting of the book. The 1920s were definitely a fascinating time. I really enjoyed the characters. I thought the plot was good and I love the diversity. I would check out other books by this author!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was mostly incoherent. At this stage, I would normally make some kind of comment about how the plot was okay and the execution needed fine tuning, but, to reiterate: Incoherent...but with occasional shopping time?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews