Scandal

by Kelly Mancaruso, Kristina Mancaruso

They had the perfect marriage.
Until she was found alive...

2020. During a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh Creedy's life was torn apart when she and her two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked at their cottage in the middle of the night. Only Kaleigh managed to escape.

2025. Married to a famous footballer and a rising star in her own right, Kaleigh has tried to put the terror of that night behind her. But just when she thinks she's safe, the unthinkable happens…

Emma is found alive, and her version of events don't quite match up to Kaleigh's.

Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling - but who will you believe?

From the authors of Rumoured comes another twisted thriller featuring a celebrity couple at the centre of a horrifying cold case - perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage and Luckiest Girl Alive.

Praise for RUMOURED
'Packed with unpredictable twists...deliciously fun.' MEGAN COLLINS
'Your next obsession.' SIAN GILBERT
'As bingeable as the juiciest celebrity gossip.' ASHLEY WINSTEAD

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2026

Reviews

[suspenseisthrillingme · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Holy cow! A dark and twisted tale of toxic friendships, juicy gossip, and high-stakes drama, Scandal took me into the depths of a murder mystery all while providing the binge-worthy atmosphere of WAGS. With a fast-paced, one-sitting-read kind of plot and a root-for-able yet morally gray cast, it was all I could do to hold on for dear life as the long-buried secrets were slowly revealed. You see, everyone was hiding something in this cleverly crafted whodunnit. Starting off as a happily-ever-after that quickly descended into a wild rollercoaster ride of wicked twists and turns, the intrigue and drama made it feel like a reality-TV show pumped up on steroids. Don’t get me wrong, this popcorn thriller-slash-mystery delivered a tangled web of secrets and lies that was an armchair sleuth’s favorite kind of treat. I mean, who doesn’t love trying to work it all out?

I do have to say, however, that the mixed-media format might’ve topped my list of things I loved most about this novel. Giving it a very ripped-from-the-headlines feel even as events got out of hand, it added humor and levity as the dark reality leaked out bit by bit. It was the last one-hundred pages, though, that made this book into the gem that it was. Packed to the brim with stunning surprises, grim truths, and a few plot reversals, I didn’t see that finale coming at all—which was both good and bad. After all, while it delivered the shock value in spades, my mystery-loving self would have loved a few clues to prime my brain. In spite of that, however, I fell for this one completely just like I did for this talented writing duo’s debut, Rumoured. Messy, suspenseful, and full of delicious WAG-ish soap-opera-like drama, it was a blast from cover to cover. Rating of 4.75 stars.

Read if you’re a fan of:
- Celebrity drama
- Suspicious individuals
- Reality-TV vibes
- Long-buried secrets
- Fast pacing
- Murder mysteries
- Nonstop twists
- Morally gray characters
- Dual timelines
- Toxic friendships
- Juicy gossip
- Popcorn thrillers
- Multiple POVs
- A mixed-media format

SYNOPSIS:

They had the perfect marriage. Until she was found alive...

2020. During a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh Creedy's life was torn apart when she and her two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked in the middle of the night. Only Kaleigh managed to escape.

2025. Now married to a famous footballer and a rising star in her own right, the former beauty queen has tried to put the terror of that night behind her. But just when Kaleigh thinks she's safe, the unthinkable happens...

Emma is found alive, and her version of events doesn't match Kaleigh's.

Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling, but who will you believe?

Thank you Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso and Head of Zeus Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: September 8, 2026

Content warning: pregnancy, confinement, PTSD, infidelity, violence, murder, mention of: addiction

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness, what did I just read?! This story is insane. The twists kept twisting, secrets kept unfolding, the tabloids kept circling, and the scandal kept scandalising!

Hats off to the authors. This was an outstanding, unputdownable read. My new favourite popcorn thriller!!

Kaleigh is the sole survivor of a girls’ trip that ends with her two best friends brutally murdered. Five years later, she’s married to Harry Turner, the famous footballer who once dated her best friend Emma. But when Emma suddenly reappears alive with a completely different version of what happened that night, Kaleigh’s world explodes. The tabloids go wild, secrets unravel, and you’ll have no idea who to trust.

If you like psychological thrillers, you will absolutely devour this. It has everything: multiple POVs, celebrity drama, messy friendships, tabloid articles, social media gossip, and scandals, all woven into a gripping murder mystery.

That ending had me completely enraged, and I was so here for it! Absolutely brilliant and addictive!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Cynth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this!! It was so gripping and entertaining. WAG drama, scandal, murder and the past coming back to haunt the present. YES. Absolutely recommend!

Thank you for my ARC

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like their previously published book, Rumoured the celebrity gossip and mixed media format made this a quick and fun read! Footballers, fame, secrets, betrayal, and twists that had me questioning everything.

Kayleigh was the sole survivor of a brutal attack that left her 2 best friends dead. 5 years later she’s built a great life with her husband (who was dating one of her friends that was murdered) and is expecting her second child when Emma shows up alive and starts telling a different story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️💫 In 2020, during a friend's birthday trip, Kaleigh Creedy's life was torn apart when she and her two friends, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked in the middle of the night. Only Kaleigh managed to escape. Now in 2025, married to a famous footballer and a rising star in her own right, the former beauty queen has tried to put the terror of that night behind her. But just when Kaleigh thinks she's safe, the unthinkable happens… Emma is found alive, and her version of events doesn't match Kaleigh's. Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling, but who will you believe?

After enjoying Rumoured by these authors last year I was very eager to read this next title, so eager perhaps that I found it a little difficult to stick to the readalong schedule and devoured in just two sittings!

Straight from the off I flew through the pages of this, each chapter leaving me wanting to know what came next, the pure definition of a page turner. A consistent pace keep the tension teetering throughout, the twists perfectly positioned to give the reader those ‘I didn’t see that coming’ moments.

The characters are not necessarily likeable, especially so when some of the background flashbacks provide more nuggets of what happened in the past, but I did find myself rooting for Kayleigh. I also loved the insertion of the mixed media content in the form of news articles and social media forums, giving that ‘real world’ insight into just how this would be absorbed in the world in reality, as this definitely aids the reader connection.

I feel this book was like an episode of Footballers Wives crossed with a murder mystery whodunnit and, whilst it probably shouldn’t work, well, it really does! Will eagerly anticipate Book 3 ladies!

[Kelly Veit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Rumoured last year and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read this one. When I heard that it was a thriller involving wives and girlfriends, I was immediately on board. It definitely did not disappoint!

The Mancaruso sisters have woven a tangled web of secrets and lies that keeps the reader guessing. It is face-paced and bingeable in one day! This is a roller coaster of a ride, with twists and turns that I did not see coming. Most of the characters are morally gray and lack common sense. In spite of this, I found myself rooting for them.

The story has a ripped from the headlines feel to it. I loved the social media posts and documentary-style material along with the regular narrative. So the reader gets to see the public’s perception of what happened rather than solely from the multiple POVs.

If you enjoy a thriller mystery with toxic friendships, lots of secrets and jaw-dropping revelations then Scandal is definitely one you want to pick up!

✨Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA via NetGalley for the advance copy.

[♡Joan Vegas♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
Darkness lives in the woods... This book is a daily reminder that it's the people closest to us who can hurt us the most. 💔😢

Set in the United Kingdom, this book follows the life of Kaleigh, who seemingly has the perfect life: she's married to famous Nottingham footballer Harry Turner, is the mother of Alfie, and is eight months pregnant with their second child. But when the past comes knocking at her door, Kaleigh will do anything to protect her perfect family at all costs.

This book was intense, dark, mysterious, and incredibly intriguing. 👀 This is the perfect read during the World Cup season. 👏⚽

I love books filled with juicy scandals, and this one definitely delivered. Although it leaned more towards psychological suspense than I expected, the story completely pulled me in, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. 😅🙃

While there were plenty of twists, I found that around the 50% mark some of them became a little predictable—but in a good way, as it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from these authors.

[Vicki (chaptersofvicki) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was so good! The drama, the secrets, I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve decided I love books with a mixed media format.

Told over 2 timelines and different POV’s, I was totally invested. I loved the Harlow Hayes mentions too!!

There was so many twists and I couldn’t even begin to predict which way this was going to go. I would never have guessed the ending.

The Mancaruso sisters are definitely an auto buy author for me now. Highly recommend this one!!!

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandal reads exactly like its title: messy, addictive, and impossible to look away from. I was hooked from page one all the way to the final reveal. I went in thinking it would be a light, dramatic ride, but it turned out to be a full-on roller coaster with wild twists, sharp turns, and characters who keep you on guessing. The story leans heavily into Kaleigh’s glamorous-but-fragile world as a former beauty queen married to a famous footballer, all while carrying the weight of surviving the brutal attack that killed her two best friends. Every chapter pulled me in deeper and I found myself guessing (and second-guessing) right until the end. It’s fun, fast, and absolutely delivers all the right amount of drama.

What I Enjoyed
* Survivor trope
* First-person narrative
* Fast-paced

What Felt Off
* Brutal attack scenes
* Trashy, toxic female friendships
* Kaleigh’s naivety

Breakdown
* Setting: 4⭐️
* Characters: 4⭐️
* Writing: 5⭐️
* Message: 4⭐️
* Overall: 5⭐️

Final Verdict
A highly entertaining thriller with a juicy twist I genuinely did not see coming. I’m still a bit stunned but in the best way. Perfect for readers who love messy secrets, high-gloss drama, and a survivor at the center of it all. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Aria & Aries, and authors Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso for my advance copy.

~ JaNnA ~

[ame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scandal was one of those books where, once the ball got rolling, it didn't stop until the very end. The cover calls it "bingable", and honestly, I couldn't agree more with that, it's truly a page turner.

Unfortunately I picked this book up around the time I was falling into a reading slump, so I didn't get through it in one sitting. But once I returned to it, it was exactly the kind of book I needed to get me out of that slump. It's incredibly easy to read, and the story keeps giving you new information through the book to make you question everything you thought you knew.

The book follows Kaleigh, a heavily pregnant woman whose seemingly perfect family life is thrown into chaos when her friend Emma suddenly reappears. To give you some context, Kaleigh is the only survivor of a homicide that took the lives of her two best friends (Emma and Leila). However, Emma's return forces everyone to question what really happened that night. And things get even messier when we learn that Kaleigh's husband, Harry, was actually Emma's boyfriend before the attack. Kaleigh and Harry were brought together by their shared trauma and have since built what appears to be the perfect family,  but, as we know, nothing is ever as perfect as it looks. There are secrets everywhere, and pretty much everyone has a dirty little secret to hide.

I'm usually pretty good at guessing who the culprit is in thrillers. I might not always get it right, but I can usually narrow down the possibilities fairly quickly. However, that did not happen here. Every time I thought I'd figured something out, another revelation would come along and make me rethink my conclusions. I'd decide that this person was suspicious, only for another thread to unravel and point me somewhere completely different. The book does a good job of mixing up the possibilities without making the twists feel completely random. There are a lot of secrets involved, and the story really embraces the messiness of it all. I honestly went into this not expecting to enjoy a soccer/WAG thriller nearly as much as I did, but I was absolutely hooked.

One thing I particularly liked was that everyone is flawed. I tend to prefer characters who aren't perfect, since having those little flaws make them feel much more realistic and feel like real people. Scandal does this particularly well in my opinion, because everyone feels a little shady at some point, including Kaleigh. Kaleigh herself was a great protagonist. She's likeable, but she's definitely not perfect, and I enjoyed watching the story gradually peel back the layers of her character. He started out as this picture perfect influencer/celebrity WAG, but as the story progressed I realised that she was more complex, and because she is also a potential suspect, I never felt like I trusted her completely.

The ending is somewhat open-ended, which I personally didn't mind. It does leave you with a few things to think about rather than tying everything up. And honestly, it has made me even more curious about the authors' other work. So, congratulations Kelly and Kristina, you've successfully added another book to my already endless TBR pile. lol

With that being said, i genuinely enjoyed Scandal. It's a fast paced, twisty thriller that somehow manages to be suspenseful without feeling like a super heavy book. If you're looking for something that you can absolutely fly through, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try. And while summer is technically over, I think this would make a great beach read. It's juicy, messy, full of secrets and twists, and most importantly, incredibly easy to binge read.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when I pick up a book expecting one thing but then get something quite unexpected, something that blindsides me. Scandal was one of those books.
The story focuses on a celebrity couple, football star Harry Turner and his wife Kayleigh. They got together after the horrific deaths of Harry’s ex, Emma, and her friend. Kayleigh was the only survivor. The man responsible for the murders killed himself in prison, but there are many who believe him to be innocent. When Emma is found covered in blood in a local pub, the story takes a decidedly dark turn.
This is definitely one to go into knowing nothing more than you’re told. It most certainly didn’t go as I predicted, and there’s a lot to unpick. Hard to put down and compulsive reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start this review by saying a huge thank you to Vic at Insta Book Tours for having me on this readalong.

The premise of this book was so interesting to me and I am so pleased it lived up to the expectations I had of this novel.

From the first page, I was absolutely desperate to know what had happened to Emma and, to be honest, I had no clue how the book was going to progress. I definitely found the narrative to be easy to follow, and yet I found myself totally oblivious to what had actually happened that night.

The characters were actually quite unlikeable at times, particularly during the flashbacks, but I think this added to the overall drama of the story and it meant that I wasn't necessarily rooting for anyone, but more so that I was desperate for some answers.

This book had me hooked and it did exactly what I wanted it to do!

[Felix Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved everything about the setting. After reading „Rumoured“ I already had high hopes for this story. The authors are very good at painting a fresh and interesting story, every character feels realistically written and there’s no useless filler scenes. As a football fan myself I’m especially glad they were able to make the football aspects of the story as realistic as possible. Also the use of social media to drive the narrative further is very interesting to me, same way it was a very good tool in „Rumoured“.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woah, are you in for an absolute twisty treat if you pick up Scandal. Thank you Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso, Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for the gifted advance reader copy. I absolutely loved Rumoured and was counting down the days until Scandal showed up to request!

Let's start with the social media & reddit posts complete with comment sections. They were realistic and hilarious despite also being extremely out there at times which frankly added to the authenticity. I love how the Mancaruso sisters used them as not only levity between scenes, as an insight into the surrounding gossip to our main characters, but also turned it into a plot point.

The multiple POVs added dramatically to the storytelling. Every single character was keeping secrets and no one knew if the secrets involved the same event or were completely unrelated. At times they were both. Scandal was a rollercoaster with loops you never saw coming.

My jaw dropped MULTIPLE times while reading Scandal. Every time I thought I had it all figured out another curve ball was thrown. The plot twist with JusticeforDaveyAllen? The ending? My flabbers are gasted. And like, what?! That's where you leave us? I can't wait for Kelly & Kristina Mancaruso to add another book into the world, and hopefully get some more closure of *after* with Kaleigh & Harry.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Twists and turns, keeps you guessing!

What I love about the Mancaruso Sisters is the inability to figure out the ending.
You never know who will be the bad guy, and several times I audibly gasped while reading this one. If you have not read their books, start with RUMOURED and then grab this next.
Brava, another amazing thriller, cannot wait for their next!!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[MidgeB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This thriller was a cross between Footballers Wives and a classic whodunnit. Twists and turns in every chapter and most i did not see coming . This kept me guessing until the end and I absolutely loved it. 4.25⭐️rounded up

[Ripley's Recommended Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story follows Kayleigh, who survived a brutal attack that left her two best friends dead. Five years on, one of those friends reappears, only to discover that Kayleigh is now married to the man she was dating all those years ago. Worse for Kayleigh, there are discrepancies in their stories about what really happened that night.

In Scandal, everyone has a secret they’re desperate to protect and, to be honest, none of the characters are particularly likeable which, in this case, added to the fun. The storyline is fast-paced, juicy and wonderfully gossipy, which kept me entertained and engaged right up until the final 20% of the book.

After that, though, things started getting a little silly for my taste. There were a few moments where the twists and turns felt increasingly contrived. One particularly ill-researched and completely throwaway line — which wasn’t even crucial to the plot — really grated on me, and I still can’t get past it. And that’s what annoyed me most, because up until then, I was having a pretty good time but between that and the final acts absurdity left me disappointed.

2.5 stars

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I was not crazy about their debut book but with this book, they knocked it out of the park! I really enjoyed the story and the multiple points of view that help to keep the suspense going throughout. Lots of drama and jaw dropping twists. Definitely worth the read.

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaleigh is married to Harry Turner, a famous footballer when her friend Emma, who everyone assumed had died, suddenly is back on the scene. Will the events of the past and the present become a scandal for the eager public to speculate over?

Scandal is a psychological thriller based around Nottingham, here in the UK. The authors are sisters who were born in America but Kelly now lives in Nottingham. Like their debut novel Rumoured, they make fun of the differences between spoken and written English in Britain and the US. Scandal is their second novel and the themes of being in the public eye, having a brand, celebrity culture and social media content and comments are once again fully explored. Scandal is told from multiple points of view: Kaliegh, her husband Harry, Emma an old friend and Charlie a psychologist.

I did not like the format of Scandal which is told in 2 time frames, the present day and 5 years ago when the “Nightmare in Notts” attack happened at a forest retreat. This going backwards and forwards was a right pain for me and I would have preferred the story to be told in real time with a gap of 5 years marked by a simple “Later…”. I found the plot to be good but not as good as in Rumoured. I developed doubts about all the characters, each one being economical with the truth. I was disappointed with the ending and felt a little short changed. I think Scandal is a GOOD 4 star read and am sure the sisters will continue to write many thrillers together in the future.

I love it when novels include local culture and real locations. I will leave you with a quote from Scandal that is typical of British attitudes to car parking, myself included!...

We’re meeting at Sherwood Pines in Mansfield, near Kate’s home. Not far from where the Nightmare in Notts attack happened. I carefully nestle my vehicle into one of the makeshift off-road spaces carved out by others who, like me, refuse to pay a six-quid car park fee.

…However, a quick glance on the internet shows that since Kelly visited, Sherwood Pines has now increased their car parking charges to £4 for 1 hour, £7.50 for 2 hours, £11.00 for 3 hours and a staggering £12.50 for all day! I love a forest walk with my dog but at those prices, unless I can find free parking near-by will simply go elsewhere.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury for passing me an ARC on the understanding that I post a review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandal by Kelly Mancaruso and Kristina Mancaruso is a gripping psychological thriller built around a disturbing question: what happens when the survivor of a horrific crime discovers that the story she has told for years may not be the whole truth?

In 2020, Kaleigh Creedy and her friends Emma and Leila are attacked during a birthday trip. Kaleigh is the only survivor, leaving her as the sole person able to tell the story of that terrible night. Five years later, she appears to have rebuilt her life. Married to a famous footballer and becoming a celebrity in her own right, she seems to have moved beyond the tragedy. Yet the apparent security of her new life is shattered when Emma, believed to have been lost in the attack, is found alive.

This revelation is a powerful turning point. Emma's account does not match Kaleigh's, placing the credibility of the survivor at the centre of a mystery that has remained unresolved for years. Rather than simply reopening an old case, Emma's return threatens to dismantle the identity and reputation Kaleigh has carefully established. The question is no longer only what happened that night, but which version of events can be trusted.

The celebrity dimension adds another compelling layer. Kaleigh's marriage to a famous footballer places her private life under intense public scrutiny, and the arrival of the tabloids transforms an already disturbing mystery into a public spectacle. As questions mount, the contrast between her apparently perfect life and the secrets surrounding her past creates a tense atmosphere in which reputation, relationships, and truth become increasingly difficult to separate.

The premise also raises intriguing questions about memory, survival, and conflicting perspectives. Kaleigh and Emma share a traumatic history, but their accounts lead in different directions. This uncertainty encourages readers to reconsider what they think they know and to question whether the person attracting the most sympathy is necessarily the person telling the complete truth.

What makes Scandal particularly appealing to psychological thriller readers is the combination of a long-buried crime, a fractured friendship, a high-profile marriage, and the pressure of public exposure. The stakes are both personal and reputational, giving the mystery several interconnected dimensions. The story's focus on unreliable accounts and concealed secrets also provides fertile ground for suspense and unexpected revelations.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scandal is a sleek, addictive thriller that pulls you straight into the glare of celebrity life, where every secret is amplified and every truth is up for debate. Kaleigh Creedy has spent five years rebuilding herself after the night that shattered everything — the attack that left her two friends presumed dead, the trauma she’s tried to bury, the fame that arrived whether she wanted it or not. Now married to a football star and carefully curating her public image, she finally feels steady again… until the past walks back into the room.

Emma’s reappearance is the kind of twist that knocks the breath out of both Kaleigh and the reader. Her version of events doesn’t just differ — it threatens to rewrite the entire narrative. Suddenly Kaleigh’s perfect life begins to crack under the pressure of suspicion, tabloid frenzy, and the uncomfortable truth that memory is rarely as reliable as we want it to be. The authors capture that spiralling tension beautifully, letting the story slip between glamour and dread with a sharp, cinematic edge.

What makes the novel so compelling is the emotional complexity beneath the scandal. Kaleigh isn’t just fighting for her reputation; she’s fighting for the version of herself she’s spent years trying to believe in. The dynamic between the three women — the survivor, the returned, the missing — adds a layered, unsettling depth, and the question of who to trust becomes more tangled with every chapter. The celebrity backdrop only heightens the stakes, turning private trauma into public spectacle.

The pacing is tight, the twists land with precision, and the final reveals feel both shocking and inevitable — the kind of truth that was hiding in plain sight all along. It’s a story about survival, perception, and the dangerous gap between what really happened and what the world chooses to believe.

A gripping, compulsive thriller perfect for fans of A Flicker in the Dark, The Perfect Marriage, and Luckiest Girl Alive, and one that lingers long after the last page.

With thanks to Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Acantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling and breath taking book that races through its plot.

Five years on from the tragedy that cost her both her best friend's lives, Kaleigh's life is pretty much perfect. Married to a famous footballer, a son, a daughter on the way, everything is amazing.

Until Emma stumbles into a pub, very much not dead and blaming Kaleigh for five years of hell.

This was great. All the secrets that the characters were hiding, the way in which things were gradually revealed and plenty of twists and turns that kept you gasping and turning the page. If ever there is a book that lives up to the 'just one more chapter' vibe, it is this one. For the most part I had a great time and learning all those secrets behind the 'perfect' outer view was brill.

I liked the use of newspapers and comments to get some of the story across, showing us how easily the public can turn on someone and the way in which things can so quickly fall apart. As well as the the toxic entitlement of some football fans - we all know someone like those commenters.

Honestly there were only a couple of things that held me back from giving this five stars - I wish more had been done with a certain character who is unceremoniously killed roughly halfway through the book. That was a major shame as the drama and tension was really picking up with them in the story and it lost a little of its energy with them gone. I also would have liked a little more digging into the mind of the guy who kept a victim locked up for five years. There was so much that could have been done with that.

My main issue was... I didn't like the ending. Which I'm now going to talk about so stop reading if you care.

I'm sorry! I'm sorry.

I love a good twist, and even the way it ends wasn't the problem, that heart pounding uncertainty was fine, almost a cliffhanger. Its just... mental illness, mental disorders feel like a cheap cop out and it just stigmatises people for no good reason.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[Cindieslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

🦋 A missing girl, a stolen life, and a shocking double murder...

​I just finished this 5-star psychological thriller and wow—that ending completely blew me away! I genuinely did not see the final twist coming. Between the deep psychological trauma, high-society secrets, and endless suspect list, I couldn't put it down. 5/5 stars! 🦋🩸

​The Setup: Psychologist Charlie is at a pub when a blood-soaked, terrified girl walks in. Charlie immediately recognizes a butterfly tattoo on her wrist: it's Emma Macy, a girl presumed dead five years ago after her friend Leila was murdered. Emma hasn't spoken a word to anyone, but when police ask Charlie to take the case due to a potential trauma bond, Charlie can't walk away—even with an overflowing caseload. 🍻🏥

​The Plot: Emma's miraculous reappearance throws Kaleigh's life into total chaos. Five years ago, Kaleigh barely survived the attack that claimed Leila and seemingly Emma. Now, Kaleigh is married to Harry—Emma's ex and Nottingham's star football player—and pregnant with their second child. With tabloids swarming and brand deals falling apart, Emma accuses Kaleigh of the original attack, causing Kaleigh's world to crumble under media scrutiny. 📸⚡

​The Catch: Before the truth can be fully uncovered, Emma’s body is found dead in her own backyard—killed in the exact same brutal fashion as Leila five years earlier. Driven by desperation to clear her name and protect her family, Kaleigh uses her unlimited funds to launch her own investigation, unearthing dark, horrifying secrets that rewrite everything everyone thought they knew. ⏳⚡💥

​An absolute 5-star masterclass in psychological suspense with a jaw-dropping twist you won't see coming! 👏✨

​⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars
​📌 Tropes: Return of the Missing Person, Unreliable Accusations, High-Society / Media Frenzy, Psychological Suspense, Shocking Plot Twist, Reopened Cold Case

My full review on this book can be found here; https://cindieslibrary.com/scandal-by...

[Jordyn’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and BloomsburyUSA for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

One second, let me pick my jaw off the floor! Scandal has to be one of the best thrillers I've read this year!

This book had me looking like the meme of the guy with a bunch of papers on the wall connected by red string. I was trying so hard to guess who the killer was, and every time I thought I figured it out, another key detail was revealed, and I had to start back at square one. There were so many secrets and twists that were perfectly set up and revealed. This is definitely not a book where the killer is easy to guess from the beginning (at least not in the way you'd think). Scandal by Kelly and Kristina Mancuso is a fast-paced, multi-POV, dual-timeline psychological thriller that is so suspenseful, it will have you on the edge of your seat!

This book is so well-paced; the action starts from page one and never slows down, which I loved. I flew through this because it was nearly impossible to put down! It never felt slow, and none of the plot twists felt like they were thrown in simply for shock value or to throw off the reader without actually being relevant to the story. I loved the use of multiple POVs. It was so interesting to see how each character was impacted as new secrets were revealed. I also loved that we, as the audience, were kept in the dark just as much as the characters were.

I also really enjoyed the use of mixed media, like news articles, social media posts, and comments. It made the story feel more realistic, and we also got to see how the public reacted to each new piece of evidence. The fact that the characters were public figures definitely made the story feel even more high stakes, since Kaleigh and Harry were publicly dealing with their trauma while also trying to protect their reputations.

If you love twisty thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, you need to pick up Scandal!

[Laura Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandal by Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Scandal had me in a chokehold from start to finish. Between the celebrity drama, long-buried secrets, media frenzy, and a mystery that constantly kept me second-guessing myself, I was glued to the pages. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was happening, the story took another sharp turn. And that ending? I’m still thinking about it.

The story follows Kaleigh, who has spent the last five years trying to rebuild her life after a devastating attack during a birthday trip left her as the only known survivor from her friendship group. Now married to England football star Harry, she’s finally settled into what looks like a dream life. But when Emma—the friend everyone believed died that night—is suddenly discovered alive, everything starts to unravel. The deeper I got into the story, the more questions I had, and I loved trying to piece together what really happened.

Kaleigh was such an interesting character to follow because there were so many moments where I wasn’t sure who or what to trust. Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso do an amazing job of keeping every character under suspicion, and the shifting perspectives only added to the uncertainty. The celebrity element made everything feel even more intense, with public opinion, headlines, and online speculation creating constant pressure around the case.

One of my favourite things about this book was how effortlessly it kept the momentum going. Every chapter revealed something new, every POV felt purposeful, and there was always another secret waiting to be exposed. I never felt like I was ahead of the story, which made every twist land even harder.

If you’re a fan of twisty thrillers filled with secrets, scandal, complicated characters, and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, this is one you won’t want to miss.

[Claire Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love your psychological thrillers served with a massive side of juicy celebrity gossip, tabloid drama, and high-stakes tension, Scandal by the Mancaruso sisters needs to be at the very top of your TBR. This novel pulls back the curtain on the glamorous, yet incredibly toxic, world of professional football and the WAG culture that surrounds it.

The story follows Kaleigh Creedy, a former beauty queen who survived a violent attack five years ago that seemingly claimed the lives of her two friends. Now, she’s married to a famous footballer and living a seemingly perfect, glittering life. But her world completely shatters when one of those friends, Emma, is found alive, and her version of what happened that night doesn't line up with Kaleigh's at all. With the tabloids circling and her life unravelling, a massive psychological game of "who do you believe?" begins.

This book is an absolute rollercoaster of a ride, that moves at full-throttle speed. It features clever mixed media, like internet forums, social media commentary, and tabloid articles, that makes you feel like you are actively scrolling through a real-life celebrity disaster.

The book also does a fantastic job exploring trauma, the fickleness of public scrutiny, and how reputation can become a prison.

Scandal is a masterclass in suspenseful fiction. It is shocking, messy, addictive, and impossible to look away from. Yet it also feels like more than just your average intense twisty thriller, and will leave you thinking about it long after the final page.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

[Rich ✧ ✭ ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all Footballers Wives fans!!!

In the early 00’s I was addicted to ITV’s outrageous drama, Footballers Wives. The glamour. The WAGs. The drama. The escapism. This was that (albeit less bonkers!!) in book form and I absolutely loved it!

I enjoyed every chapter of this popcorn thriller. If you enjoyed ‘The Reappearance of Rachel Price’ by Holly Jackson this will also appeal to you! Whilst this is a completely different story, the fast-pacing and string of untrustworthy characters amongst a mystery which has lasted years was RIVETING!

Back in 2020 best friends Kaleigh, Emma and Leila, were violently attacked in the middle of the night while on a birthday trip. Only Emma came out of the attack alive… or so everyone thought. Because 5 years later, a dishevelled Emma makes a reappearance bringing the tabloids rising column inches in the process!

A local therapist is given the job of helping Emma tell the police what happened, and the finger is very quickly point at her old-friend and now footballers wife, Kaleigh. Her perfect life is unravelling, the tabloids are circling, but who will you believe?

The story is told through multiple POVs as well as different timelines but the story never once felt confusing as it all unfolds seamlessly and is so cleverly intertwined. Footballers wife Kaleigh was such a brilliant character to follow during this dark thriller. I genuinely had the ITV cast of FW playing these characters of this familiar world in my head as I were reading.

There were juicy scandals with a history of bed-hopping, multiple twists, gory murders and so much suspense I had to finish this as quickly as possible! I was so addicted and the twists just kept coming and coming.

Well done ladies - I enjoyed this even more than ‘Rumoured’ which was a great debut. Absolutely fantastic.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

It’s the year 2020, and Kaleigh Creedy and her best friends, Emma and Leila, are spending a birthday weekend in a cottage at the Sherwood Forest retreat, in Nottingham UK. Idyllic certainly comes to mind, but the girls are viciously attacked in the middle of the night and only Kaleigh survives- well that’s what we’re given to think. Leila’s body is discovered in nearby water, but despite extensive searches, Emma’s body couldn’t be found.

However, 5 years later, Emma turns up completely out of the blue, but she’s not in a good way, and appears to have been held in captivity. In the meantime, former beauty queen, Kaleigh, has married Emma‘s boyfriend, famous footballer Harry Turner, and as much as Kaleigh’s happy that Emma is alive, she does wonder how all this will affect their relationships.

However, Kaleigh will have more to worry about, as Emma’s account of what happened that night is the complete opposite of hers!

Welcome to the world of top league footballers, WAGS, and their celebrity lives, and watch in horror as Kaleigh and Harry’s perfect lives begin to unravel in spectacular fashion!

The storyline shifts between 2020 and the present, and as the twists began, I found I whizzed through this book at a rate of knots. I found it hard to put down at times, and it had some terrific twists, though I would have preferred a different ending. Very enjoyable though!

*My thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *

[Marcia Weekes-Spears · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Quick Summary (Spoiler-Free)

Scandal is one of those rare thrillers that refuses to let you settle. Just when you think you’ve worked it out, another revelation pulls the rug from beneath you. Every chapter leaves you questioning what you thought you knew, and the story gathers pace right up to the final page.

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💖 What I Loved

• Five stars simply aren’t enough. I would happily give this book more if I could.

• The twists are relentless, but never feel forced. Every reveal feels earned, making you rethink everything you’ve read before.

• There were countless moments where I had to put the book down, stare into space, and process what I’d just discovered. It’s been a long time since a thriller has had that effect on me.

• I won’t say anything more because this is a book that deserves to be experienced without spoilers. Trust the authors and enjoy the ride.

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💫 Favourite Moment

Not a single scene, but the feeling of constantly thinking, “Surely that can’t be right…” only for the next chapter to prove me wrong all over again.

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🎯 Who Should Read It

If you love psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, this is for you. If you’re someone who enjoys trying to solve the mystery before the characters do, prepare to have your theories challenged more than once.

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🧠 Final Thoughts

An absolute MUST READ. Clever, addictive, brilliantly plotted, and impossible to predict. Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso have set the bar incredibly high, and I genuinely cannot wait to see what they come up with