Bad Intentions

by Iliana Xander

The next heart-pounding thriller from bestselling author Iliana Xander.

Josie Boots messed up. Really badly.

So she returns to her small hometown of Burnville to care for her ailing grandmother.

It's been twenty-five years since an unspeakable crime rocked Burnville.

Twenty-five years since her grandmother's trial.

Twenty-two years since her mother's death.

Six years since Josie was called the "bad seed."

Two months since she proved them right.

Josie just can't catch a break.

Maybe, finally, she can find peace in Burnville. But then a stranger shows up, promising to tell Josie all about her family's dark past. When Josie goes to meet him, a brutal crime happens right in front of her eyes.

Josie was born out of secrets, and they all start clawing their way to the surface. They say history repeats itself, except this time, the past isn't repeating, it's hunting her. And it might be deadly.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

Josie's family has a bad past. Her grandmother was on trial 25 years ago. Her mother died 22 years ago. Josie is someone who harbors a lot of her own secrets. She's also known as the 'bad seed'. Her life is all crime and no break. Until she meets a stranger who promises to tell her all about her family's dark secrets.



Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author Iliana Xander for an early copy!

Publication date: August 25, 2026

[Carys Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read ‘Love, Mom’ at the start of the year & absolutely ate it up! The bar was set high & Iliana Xander did not disappoint👏🏻

This thriller was addictive - I devoured it & struggled to put it down (even when sleep was calling my name🫠) Any book that has the ability to tug at my heart strings one chapter, then absolutely blow my mind the next is a 5⭐️ read for me!

Straight away, this book shocked me so I was immediately drawn in. The change of perspectives & timelines was executed so seamlessly that it was easy to follow. The twists though🤯 My mind was reeling!

If you love a psychological thriller where the secrets are continuously layered, tension builds & revelations make your jaw physically drop, this one’s for you📖

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iliana Xander can write the craziest stories, and I will enjoy the experience every time. I went into Bad Intentions (mostly) blind, and was instantly trying to figure out what was going on. It starts as a bit of small town drama and suspense, and quickly devolves into a chaos circus with a backstory (complimentary). At no point in this story did I accurately predict where it was headed, and I really enjoyed the twists. The multiple POVs provided so much dimension to the story, and I appreciated seeing events from different perspectives throughout. That epilogue was the perfect final note, and is absolutely required reading.

Bad Intentions releases on August 25, 2026. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me with an eARC (via Netgalley widget), all thoughts expressed are my own.

[Lu thrillskillsandchills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently “cancelled”, Josie Boots returns to her hometown of Burnville to care for her ailing grandmother, Karen. But once she’s back, the town’s old secrets start resurfacing, and it quickly becomes clear she’s not the only one who’s returned… 👀

While Josie’s cancellation certainly gives her another reason to come home alongside Karen’s declining health, it ended up being the one storyline that didn’t quite land for me. There was so much build-up surrounding what had happened that I was expecting a bigger payoff, but it never quite got there.

It was a little slow to get going, but at around the 30% mark everything started falling into place and the pacing took off. From there, I was hooked. The final reveals (and there are quite a few!) were executed fabulously, and I really enjoyed just how twisty this turned out to be.

If you’re after a thriller packed with family secrets, small-town drama and plenty of twists, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up. A fab popcorn thriller!

[Tiffany]

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for sending me this ARC. Loved her other two books so I am very excited for this one.

Pub Date Aug 25 2026

[Karen Traversy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Intentions
By Iliana Xander
Pub Date: August 25, 2026

I was approved to read this ARC by Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley, and this is my third book by Iliana Xander. I’ve really enjoy her writing style.

I’m usually not a fan of multiple POVs, but this one was easy to follow. I specifically enjoyed Rika’s character.

Bad Intentions is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business—except for the details surrounding a 25-year-old murder. The story follows a dual timeline, alternating between 25 years ago and the present day.

There are family secrets spanning generations, and while this isn’t a fast-paced read, it definitely kept me interested. I really enjoyed seeing everything come together in the final chapters and loved how all the pieces of the story connected.

Btw… DON’T skip the epilogue! 👀

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️⭐️ Wow! Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the pre-release read of this title! What a wild ride! My first Iliana Xander book and it did not disappoint 👏 The book was fast paced and nice short easy to read chapters. Told from different POVs with alternating time lines. You think you know and then BAM, you don't! Kept me guessing and kept me up reading way past my bedtime lol. Definitely recommend this book for a good, face paced thriller that keeps you wondering "who done it?".

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Bad Intentions! This one was a win for me and earned a solid 4 stars. It hooked me from the very first chapter and kept me invested the entire time. I really enjoyed the dual POVs, they added depth to the story and kept the suspense building.
Rika ended up being one of my favorite side characters. She brought so much to the story, and her friendship with Josie added another layer that made the plot even more engaging. I also spent the entire book worried about grandma and desperately hoping she'd be okay… like that stressed me outttt. The epilogue is what truly ties everything together, so whatever you do, don't skip it. It reveals a key piece of the story that makes the ending even more satisfying.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy these authors books, they are easy to read, fast paced, catchy thrillers with down to earth characters. Out of the three books i’ve read, this plot took me longer to get into. At the half way mark i grew invested in the characters and enjoyed watching the scenes unfold. An auto read author if you enjoy easy to read thrillers with twisty surprises

[Cait Sully · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the beginning! It’s a fast-paced mystery that kept me on my toes. The short chapters made it especially easy to fly through and I loved how the different POVs and timelines slowly came together.

A fun, twisty read that kept me guessing right up to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Sydney D’Amato · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ This was a little slow to get into and kind of felt all over the place. I wasn’t sure where this book was going, different things kept happening, time frames were back and forth without any warning, there was no rhyme or reason as to whose POV was next, it was just really messy. I feel like the ending pulled itself together to find out what actually happened, but then there’s just another piece of plot dropped at the end and then the end. Idk, prob wouldn’t recommend.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my ARC!

[HighLadyofSpice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars and I am NOT okay.

First book I've read by this author and she had me from page one. Suspenseful, creepy in the best way, twists that actually twisted, and an ending that didn't fumble? Rare.

And can we talk about Josie and Rika? Strong female characters who actually hold their own. I loved them. I was stressed FOR them.

Highly, highly recommend. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley Flippin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Poison Press for the ARC of this title.
I went into this one totally blind, not knowing what to expect. I loved the last book I read by the author so I had high hopes. The story intrigued me from the beginning. I was invested in Josie and Karen and what they were both hiding. It was a bit slow but the ending was full of twists and turns. Some were easy to guess but others were not. This was a quick read and kept my attention but not my fav. 3.5 stars

[Cynth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to sit on this review over night because I wasn’t sure how I felt, it’s twisty but felt a bit like a random twist. I would say it’s a good popcorn thriller, it’s fast paced, easy to read and if you love Freida McFadden you will love this one. Would definitely help a reading slump.

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read Iliana Xander’s previous books and really enjoyed them, so I was super happy to be approved for this one.

Overall, this was a good read.

The pacing is a mix of slow burn and faster moments, which kept things interesting, even if it dragged a bit here and there.

As the blurb says, Josie returns to her small hometown after a series of misfortunes and while trying to take care of her sick grandmother. Growing up, she’s always heard whispers about her family. Everyone knows bits of what happened to her mother, her father is a mystery and her grandmother has a past that people don’t forget.

And of course… small town = secrets.

Everyone knows everyone, everyone has something to hide and everyone is willing to protect those secrets, no matter what.

Things take a turn when Josie is contacted by a stranger who claims to have answers. And from there? Chaos. We get stalking, murder and a lot of unhinged situations. At one point, everyone is suspicious and you can't really trust anyone either.

That part was really fun to read.

What frustrated me the most though… was Karen, the grandmother.

I understand she wanted to protect Josie and keep things hidden, but the constant refusal to talk, only to suddenly decide “okay, now we talk” after dragging things out… it got annoying. It felt like unnecessary tension at times.

While I found parts of the story a bit predictable, especially with the small-town setup, it didn’t completely take away from the enjoyment AND the final reveal was definitely on the more unhinged side, in a good way and that it really managed to surprise me.

Overall, a solid and entertaining thriller, perfect for a chill night.

⭐ 3.75–4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the ARC!

[lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

i tried very hard to enjoy this because the premise was really interesting, but it's a shame i ended up disliking a lot more aspects to the book than i liked.

the main thing that didn't work for me here is the writing. it was a bit too choppy for me to fully immerse myself into and the first half of the book was just going around in circles while somehow not adding anything to the plot. also, the way the 24-year-old fmc talks was really grating. her personality is pretty flat and the few times she did show some emotion, she would talk like a high schooler: "oh. my. gosh." or "are. you. kidding me?" it was insufferable.

i also didn't care for the way things were revealed towards the end. that kind of scene just felt a tad overplayed in the genre. the plot twists didn't really leave much of an impact and the last chapter especially seemed like it was just thrown in there. probably hoping for a shock factor but ultimately was just underwhelming.

i did appreciate the short chapters which made reading feel very fast, much like most thrillers do, and added a bit of excitement. overall, i don't really think i would recommend this. sorry.

thank you to netgalley and poisoned pen press for the arc! all opinions are my own.

[Erica★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this one to be more fast-paced, like Iliana’s previous books, but it was a much slower burn. It didn’t really pick up until around the 70% mark, and for much of the story I found myself wondering where it was heading. At times, the plot felt a little scattered.

Once it reached the final third, though, everything came together. The pace ramped up, and the ending delivered plenty of twists that made the slower buildup worthwhile. The story is told through multiple POVs and shifts between the past and present, which kept me engaged throughout. If you enjoy small-town crime thrillers with layered mysteries, this one will likely be right up your alley.

Josie Boots never knew her mother.
But everyone in the small town of Burnville had heard the rumours.
Raised by her grandmother, Karen, Josie has always wanted to know the truth behind the whispers.
Who was her father? How did her mother die? And what really happened twenty-five years ago that led to a local man found dead, and Karen being accused of murder?
The Boots family have a bad reputation. Karen has never revealed the family’s secrets – but Josie is tired of waiting. So when a stranger reaches out offering her answers, she jumps at the chance to meet him.
But in Burnville, when you start digging up the past, you risk setting the whole town alight...

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Publication date : Aug 25, 2026

[Michaela | bumblebeeslibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Intentions, a sort of mystery/murder mystery

After a viral video got her "cancelled" and her grandmother being sick, FMC Josie is back in her hometown of Burnville, somewhere she did not plan to move back to. There are so many secrets from her past, and since her Grandmother refuses to give the details, Josie makes the decision to meet a stranger to get to the truth. But, she never quite makes his acquaintance, and then the twists and turns keep coming until Josie finally learns the truth about what happened 25 years ago.

I really enjoyed the dual POV we get with Josie, and her grandmother. The super slow reveal of this murder mystery made the book unputdownable! I felt for Josie, because I too would want so desperately to know what actually happened with the rumors of her mom and grandmother and murder swirling about. Meeting an anonymous stranger at night seems a bit risky though, and poor Josie finds herself back on the same roller coaster her mom and grandmother were on 25 years ago. It seems like the ghosts of the past never really left, and are there to get their own kind of sick and twisted revenge.

Rika is a great character, and fast friend to Josie, someone she really needed to help her through the mess. As Josie gets deeper into the mystery, she herself ends up getting caught right in the middle of yet another murder mystery.

The end was quite interesting, as it revealed even more about one of the characters that nobody expected!!

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press, Netgalley, and the author for a copy of this book!

Some fav quotes:
"It’s a split-second, I’m-going-to-leave-so-no-one-will-know-I-was-here-and-things-will-be-fine decision. The kind often made on reflex when you end up in crappy situations that might involve law enforcement."

"But this sound replaying in my brain is much worse. Because I wasn’t the one in the car. I watched it happen. That sound had texture. The slurping of the rain. The dull blow of the impact. And something else, like bones breaking, a person’s flesh being smashed, the insides being mangled. The skull cracking against the pavement…"

"Bad idea? Probably. But bad ideas are often something that we thought we could handle, only to find out later we didn’t even have a chance."

"I promised myself I’d never forgive the betrayal all those years ago. But the person I called is the only one who knows everything that happened that fateful night of the fire."

"How do you tell a dead body from a prop? The smell."

"Sometimes, beautiful things are born out of terrible secrets. Go figure."

[Vito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iliana Xander is back with “Bad Intentions”. What are her intentions with this book? Because I’m left confused.

Let’s get to the premise. One of our leads, Josie Boots (lol) has made a mistake and now she’s back in Burnsville, PA, living with her grandmother Karen (yes, she briefly mentions why she’s not *that* kind of Karen). Her hometown comes packed with bad memories, including who she is and what her mother and grandmother were up to before Josie was born. Josie is on a mission to find that out, but when a chance encounter with somebody who may know something goes wrong, Josie is left to figure it out on her own (and Karen is nervous of what she may find out).

The intro, the strongest part of the book, grabs you by the neck. But it’s mostly on the promise of what may come and not as much about the delivery or contents of the book. Because, what comes next, does not measure up to what came before. I really struggled with the “so what” here especially with how this book was presented. We know something is up with our two leads’ past but it’s handled poorly that once it feels like something is about to happen, you may already be checked out. 

I’ll be careful here to avoid spoilers, but Josie isn’t sure of what her mother was up to before she passed away at a young (?) age.

~~ Side note: She died 25 years ago (so like 2001?) - did that many people have cell phones with texting capabilities back then? It’s brought up so often that I am easily convinced but a Reddit thread or two has me considering otherwise. ~~

Her grandmother, though, knows plenty… why didn’t Xander do the best (imo) thing and gives us multiple parts, with Josie’s chapters focused on the present and the grandmother’s from the perspective in the early 2000s? Instead, they’re mixed together… which led to pacing issues and confusion with timing.

The overall driver of the story was also ultimately not that interesting especially as things are (slowly) revealed. And I won’t even talk about the twist at the 85% mark, with a character ripped out of every cheesy 80s movie and the trope where they reveal their plan because there won’t be any survivors. Okay… Insult to injury, the epilogue adds another fragment/blemish that may illicit laughter than shock. 

People will eat this up, but there are probably “healthier” options in the next aisle. NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Thrillerswineandchill · Rating 3 out of 5]

🦋 T H R I L L E R T H U R S D A Y review 🦋 featuring “Bad Intentions” by Iliana Xander!

Josie Boots has a reputation around her small hometown of Burnsville, Pennsylvania as being a bad seed. Twenty five years ago a horrific crime shook the town that was directly linked to the three generations of Boots women.

Josie couldn’t wait to leave town to pursue her dreams of having a career in music, however a scandalous recording of her gets exposed and suddenly she is getting cancelled. She returns back to Burnsville with her tail between her legs to hide out, get some peace and also take care of her sick grandmother.

Upon her return, Josie receives some anonymous text messages from someone claiming to know all about her family’s dark past. Desperate to find out more about what happened 25 years ago, she decides to take the bait. Her grandmother had stood on trial for murder back then and Josie knows there is a lot more to the story beyond the whispers and rumours she grew up listening to.

💭 A tight lipped small town, a notorious family, generational trauma and resurfacing dark secrets … this thriller has it all! Josie has lived in the shadows of her mother and grandmother’s pasts and is trying to escape the reputation that follows her everywhere she goes. The big secret taunts readers as there is a slow burn to get to the truth. Murder, stalking, bad intentions and twisted revenge are all juicy themes in this novel that will make you feel stuck in the middle of complete chaos!

Thank you kindly to @ilianaxander.author @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on August 25, 2026!

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Bad Intentions by Iliana Xander as an ARC. Thank you to Iliana Xander, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After returning to her small hometown of Burnville to care for her ailing grandmother, Josie hopes to finally find some peace. But Burnville is filled with dark secrets, and Josie’s family has been at the center of them for decades. When a stranger offers to reveal the truth about her family’s past, Josie agrees to meet him—only to witness a brutal crime. As long-buried secrets begin to surface, Josie realizes the past isn’t just repeating itself… it’s coming after her.

The first book I read by Iliana Xander was Love, Mom, and I absolutely loved it. I’m so happy to say that Bad Intentions did not disappoint. Just like her previous novel, this is a gripping thriller that is incredibly hard to put down.

Iliana Xander has a way of pulling readers in from the very first page. She masterfully drops just enough breadcrumbs throughout the story to keep you guessing while making it impossible to stop reading. Every time I thought I had things figured out, another clue or twist had me second-guessing myself.

This was one of those books that had me staying up way too late because I needed to know what happened next—and then reaching for it again first thing in the morning. If you’re a fan of fast-paced thrillers filled with family secrets, suspense, and twists, this is one you’ll definitely want to pick up.

[Zuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being canceled on social media, Josie moves back to her hometown. She starts receiving text messages from a stranger who wants to reveal family secrets she never knew about.

I really enjoyed this one! The mystery, family secrets, and twists kept me invested. I loved seeing how everything unraveled and how the different POVs connected. There’s no romance, which I really appreciated because it allowed the story to focus more on the secrets and emotional depth of the characters.

The ending felt a bit rushed, though. I wished there was more clarity around certain characters and their involvement. I would have loved a little more explanation with some of the final reveals.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for giving me access to the arc in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on August 25.

[Charlotte Pearce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the eARC of Bad Intentions!

I had high hopes going in to this one. I'll admit I haven't read anything else by this author but I know their other novel, 'Love, Mom', is highly rated so I was excited to dive in to Bad Intentions.

Unfortunately, I found this a bit slow to get going and I didn't really have an interest until about 60% through. I also found some of the dialogue to be quite clunky and it some places it didn't flow as well as I thought it could, which took me out of the story sometimes. However, I did enjoy the dual timeline POVs and piecing everything together as you go through the book. I also did enjoy the twists that were revealed toward the end.

I would definitely read more by this author but I think perhaps this book wasn't the one for me.

[Rachiebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned press for this advanced arc! This book had me hooked from the start! I loved the chaos and the intensity! This whole book was a super trip down crazy lane! This is the first book I have read from this author and I will for sure be grabbing all the others.

Josie has made a huge mistake and ends up going back to her small town she grew up in to cower and reel from the backlash of being cancelled. Now that she is home taking care of her ill grandmother. Things start happening that pertain to her past, her mother grandmother had secrets and now Josie is having to watch her back as secrets start to surface.

This book was so good I soaked it up in one sitting! If you are looking for a fly by flash thriller. This is it!

[remco.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Josie Boots messed up. Really badly… They say history repeats itself. Except this time, the past isn’t repeating… It’s hunting her. And it might be deadly…” 😱😱

After ‘Love, Mom’, I was really excited to read ‘Bad Intentions’. And again, Iliana Xander did not disappoint.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I loved how the story kept revealing the long-buried secrets along the way.

‘Bad Intentions’ is an addictive, entertaining and suspenful read with short chapters. I really struggled to put it down. There were plenty of twists I did not see coming. Also enjoyed the multiple POV’s.

Thank you NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Liz Chardon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Intentions by Ileana Xander was a twisted, revenge-filled popcorn thriller that definitely kept me curious. The story had plenty of drama, secrets, questionable decisions, and moments that made me wonder just how far these characters were willing to go.

While I enjoyed the revenge aspect and the overall premise, some parts didn’t completely land for me, and I found myself wanting a little more depth and development. Still, it was a quick, entertaining read that kept me turning the pages.

If you enjoy messy characters, revenge stories, and bingeable thrillers, this may be one to add to your TBR!

Publishes August 25, 2026

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[ANGELA L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
After reading Love, Mom last year, I was hoping Iliana Xander would deliver another great thriller with Bad Intentions—and she absolutely did. This was a fast-paced, gripping read from start to finish. The story is told through multiple perspectives and timelines, but it’s structured in a way that’s easy to follow and keeps the suspense building. I’m always drawn to small-town settings filled with secrets, and this one delivered exactly that. I highly recommend it!

[Sarah Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but I love Iliana Xander’s writing, so I stuck with it. Once things picked up, there were some twists I genuinely did not see coming.

It’s not my personal favorite from this author, but it was still an entertaining, easy to read thriller that kept surprising me. If you’re looking for something quick and full of unexpected turns, this one is definitely worth a try!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iliana’s first two books were fast-paced popcorn thrillers so when I picked this one up I was hoping for the same read in a day type of book. Unfortunately, this fell more into the slow burn category for me.

Bad Intentions starts right in the middle of a pretty dramatic scene with little to no explanation. The rest of the book seemed disjointed with alternating POV and timelines without the time period listed in the chapter title.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Tina Plintz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy small-town domestic thrillers, you’ll definitely want to check this one out. Josie returns home to care for her grandmother, the woman who raised her. She wasn’t happy to be back in the small town she’d fled, but a sudden turn of events forced her to make the decision. It’s a bit slow-paced at first, but it picks up and throws you into a world of suspense that keeps you guessing. Once you start, you’ll find it hard to put down.