The Gallos

by C.J. Simone

Dangerous Girls meets Knives Out in this nail-biting thriller.

As the daughter of a murderer, Sylvia Brooks may seem the perfect target for the Gallo siblings to frame for the murder of their abusive father, but the right girl to frame is the wrong girl to trust.


When Sylvia finds herself without a guardian, she accepts the one opportunity to remain at her beloved lake and finish out her senior year, moving in with her rich but intimidating neighbors, the Gallos. She can’t deny the additional bonus of once again getting close to drop-dead gorgeous Nick Gallo, even if he is now dating the annoying new girl who’s reignited the community’s zeal for bullying Sylvia over her bluebeard father’s crimes.

Everyone around Lake Manna knows the Gallos are asking for trouble by taking in Sylvia, an isolated outcast and the daughter of a murderer. Yet that’s exactly why the scheming Gallo siblings have invited Sylvia into their home—she’s the right kind of person to frame for the murder of their abusive father, a man whose money they deserve after all they’ve endured.

But before the Gallo siblings have completed their murderous plan, youngest brother Nick and his girlfriend go missing and leave behind a bloody trail.

The Gallos point at Sylvia, who was at the crime scene and has suffered a strike to the head, leaving her without memory of her last moments with the missing couple. But as the plans to frame her for a murder surface, Sylvia seeks the truth. It’s her only hope to perhaps rescue Nick and prove to everyone that she’s innocent. Not an easy task as the Gallos and neighbors increasingly accuse her and threaten her life. Worse, more and more of the clues she uncovers point toward her as the guilty one.


THE GALLOS is a dark thriller with romance and unexpected twists, told from Sylvia’s point of view with journal entries from the eldest Gallo sibling, Angelina Gallo.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 27, 2026

About the author

C.J. Simone writes dark psychological thrillers with romance, often centered on social issues and mental health themes. Her stories are intended for an upper YA through adult audience. She holds a BA in sociology and an MA in psychology. Widowed in 2023, she now resides with her children and a variety of pets on the East Coast. For more information, please visit https://cjsimonefiction.com/.

Reviews

[C. Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! I read through this so quick, needing to see what would happen next to Sylvia and the Gallos, and I could not have loved it more! My heart was actually beating too fast! I am already a fan of Simone’s Children of the Mob series and jumped at the chance to ARC read this book. I am so glad I did! It’s a fast and compelling read that will keep you guessing and second guessing, this is it! A million recommended stars!!!

[Mary Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! this book has so many twists and turns that just when you think you have it all figured out, the next one flies off the page, making you rethink what you thought you knew. Sylvia is a multifaceted character who has faced so much adversity, which in turn helps her survive more trauma, and just when you think she has come out the other side, you are hit with yet another twist right at the end. It's definitely worth a read and leaves you wanting more!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fantastic, twisty read with complicated characters and depth, then look no further than The Gallos by C.J. Simone! I went into this expecting to be wowed, having read her other books, and I was! I don't know which I love more, her Children of the Mob books with their beautiful complicated hero Gabe and the strong ladies of the series, or The Gallos more. Just as Gabe is unique, flawed, and heartbreaking, Sylvia is not your ordinary heroine and she perseveres through a lot, and I loved her for that! I was fully invested and really felt like I was in this with her. There's a lot of beauty here too in the writing and setting, again at a lake, this time in Virginia.


The Gallos is a truly fascinating rollercoaster of a story that can be enjoyed by most thriller readers and those who love dark family drama the way that I do!

[Andrea Hartline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The angst in this one is crazy! Thank you to the author for an advanced copy for a voluntary, honest review. I really enjoyed this thriller about Sylvia and her unfortunate entanglement with the Gallos. There were so many twists and turns in this story which made it wildly entertaining. It was a touch repetitive about two thirds of the way through, but that ending really brought it all together for me making this go from 4 stars to 5. I liked that when I thought I had things figured out, something in the next chapter would make me question it. Very solid thriller that I think most fans of the genre will enjoy.

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gallos is one huge rollercoaster of a ride! This is Sylvia Brooks and Nick Gallos intense, gritty, thrilling journey and from start to finish it's an edge of your seat read. Characters are great, the storyline is great and the twists, turns and surprises are plentiful. Sylvia turned out to be surprising. With all that she's endured she's not the intimidated girl I initially thought. She's a survivor and she's fierce in her own right. The Gallos is quite an intriguing and entertaining read!

"All of life is temporary and ever-changing."

[Joy Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisty psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed! I was impressed with this one. It kept me turning pages and I liked Sylvia despite her flaws. Great story throughout that kept me guessing, and the ending tops it off nicely. I'll definitely keep reading this author for her complex, unpredictable stories and intriguing multi-dimensional characters! I highly recommend this for your next thriller read!

(This is an ARC review and opinions are my own.)

[S.K. Swaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easily one of the best things I've read in a long time! The twists and turns genuinely kept me guessing throughout. I read this over the course of 3 days - it was THAT good! The only reason I stopped in-between was because I had to sleep or life things got in the way.

I would highly recommend this book as your next psychogical thriller read.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is how you do a thriller!!! I was lucky enough to get a ARC and I stayed up ALL night reading The Gallos! You don’t want to miss thiis one that will have you hooked and losing sleep! I want to talk to someone about that ending but I don’t want to spoil anything!!