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Revenge Plot
Not yet published
Expected 10 Nov 26A desperate writer’s pursuit of a powerful literary agent takes a dark turn in this new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold.
All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.
He’s finally written his perfect book.
What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.
She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.
Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.
Because his book is about her.
And he’s not leaving until the story ends the way he wants.
All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.
He’s finally written his perfect book.
What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.
She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.
Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.
Because his book is about her.
And he’s not leaving until the story ends the way he wants.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 10, 2026
About the author
Stephanie Wrobel
6 books1,514 followersStephanie Wrobel is the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel, This Might Hurt and Darling Rose Gold, which sold in twenty-one countries and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. She lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
July 21, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up
Life imitating art.
Christmas Day, The Three House, The Catskills, the prefect setting for a thriller? It’s surrounded by woods, a phone dead zone, the weather is utterly atrocious with snow falling on snow, reached only by tracks which are rapidly disappearing under the weight of snow and ice. As for the house itself, the setting is truly glorious but the buildings accessibly is somewhat tricky. This is where renowned literary agent Claudia Conley has booked for the festive season, alone, but needing the peace. However, when Arne Tenderton, along with six year old Theo, crashes his car very close to the Tree House, Claudia finds herself with unexpected guests. Arne has designs on being a published author and has a new (perfect) novel with him. Anyone would think he’s planned the outcome and once Claudia has read it, everything will change
Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere - this is rich in it. The setting for the dramatic events is perfect even if what transpires isn’t exactly festive. There is a constant sensation of being trapped, it’s claustrophobic as much as anything because of the weather closing in, as well as the design of the house. There’s a constant sense of unease, it’s unsettling but there’s also the anticipation of what’s to come. All this is accompanied by being caught up in a huge puzzle wrapped in several enigmas and as a consequence Stephanie Wrobel has me riveted.
The author is very skilled at presenting unlikeable characters but this is what makes her books such delicious reading. They’re flawed, perhaps because of circumstance, some are manipulative class acts, a couple despite their flaws are easy to like. Their portrayal is very good.
There’s much in the book that is very clever. It’s divided into four parts and the food related countdown in Part 1 sets the scene but also gets the novel up and flying at a fast pace, has me asking a multitude of questions, conjuring up solutions and it ends on a really good cliffhanger. I’m all in anyway but now the hook is deep!! Part Two helps to unravel, often literally, the mystery, the pace is slower but my interest levels are high. As Parts Three and Four continue the unravelling, there are many plot twists, turns and revelations, threat and danger levels are high, power shifts back and forth, there’s a red herring or two alongside the obligatory tension and suspense.
I have to reflect on how it ends for a while to sort out my thoughts but I think the author ties it all up well, perhaps with a bow, but nonetheless, it works. The ultimate ending is excellent!!
Overall, another very good thriller from one of must read authors.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
This was a great buddy read with my friend Jayme. What did she think of the book?
Life imitating art.
Christmas Day, The Three House, The Catskills, the prefect setting for a thriller? It’s surrounded by woods, a phone dead zone, the weather is utterly atrocious with snow falling on snow, reached only by tracks which are rapidly disappearing under the weight of snow and ice. As for the house itself, the setting is truly glorious but the buildings accessibly is somewhat tricky. This is where renowned literary agent Claudia Conley has booked for the festive season, alone, but needing the peace. However, when Arne Tenderton, along with six year old Theo, crashes his car very close to the Tree House, Claudia finds herself with unexpected guests. Arne has designs on being a published author and has a new (perfect) novel with him. Anyone would think he’s planned the outcome and once Claudia has read it, everything will change
Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere - this is rich in it. The setting for the dramatic events is perfect even if what transpires isn’t exactly festive. There is a constant sensation of being trapped, it’s claustrophobic as much as anything because of the weather closing in, as well as the design of the house. There’s a constant sense of unease, it’s unsettling but there’s also the anticipation of what’s to come. All this is accompanied by being caught up in a huge puzzle wrapped in several enigmas and as a consequence Stephanie Wrobel has me riveted.
The author is very skilled at presenting unlikeable characters but this is what makes her books such delicious reading. They’re flawed, perhaps because of circumstance, some are manipulative class acts, a couple despite their flaws are easy to like. Their portrayal is very good.
There’s much in the book that is very clever. It’s divided into four parts and the food related countdown in Part 1 sets the scene but also gets the novel up and flying at a fast pace, has me asking a multitude of questions, conjuring up solutions and it ends on a really good cliffhanger. I’m all in anyway but now the hook is deep!! Part Two helps to unravel, often literally, the mystery, the pace is slower but my interest levels are high. As Parts Three and Four continue the unravelling, there are many plot twists, turns and revelations, threat and danger levels are high, power shifts back and forth, there’s a red herring or two alongside the obligatory tension and suspense.
I have to reflect on how it ends for a while to sort out my thoughts but I think the author ties it all up well, perhaps with a bow, but nonetheless, it works. The ultimate ending is excellent!!
Overall, another very good thriller from one of must read authors.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
This was a great buddy read with my friend Jayme. What did she think of the book?
Read
September 18, 2026Claudia Conley is a celebrated literary agent who finds herself renting a treehouse Airbnb in the middle of the Catskill Mountains where she'll spend Christmas alone. She'd rather not be alone, she wishes her brother could have joined her, but sadly those plans fell through. Not all is lost though, she plans to sip champagne while cooking up an elaborate spread of mouth watering cuisine to enjoy.
Arnie Tenderton is a struggling writer waiting for his big break. He's sure his latest effort will be a best seller. He just needs a literary agent that can spread the word to publishing houses. Claudia Conley is the very best and even though she's rejected him once before he's sure she won't be able to put this one down.
When Arnie finds out that Claudia will be alone in a remote place for the holiday he decides that will be the best time to get Claudia's attention. After all, she can't turn him down if she can't get away.
Easy peasy, or is it? You'll have to read this to find out.
This is a fun one! Watching this knot unravel was extremely satisfying. I had some ideas, I made some assumptions, but there was no way I could have predicted where Wrobel was going. The isolated setting and the blustery snowstorm really set the tone and atmosphere.
While this was fun it wasn't perfect. I have a minor complaint but to speak of it would ruin the entire book for future readers. All I will say is that it felt like a cheap and convenient trick to keep readers from guessing the outcome.
I think future readers will enjoy this twisty page-turner. Prepare to be deceived by everyone! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.
Arnie Tenderton is a struggling writer waiting for his big break. He's sure his latest effort will be a best seller. He just needs a literary agent that can spread the word to publishing houses. Claudia Conley is the very best and even though she's rejected him once before he's sure she won't be able to put this one down.
When Arnie finds out that Claudia will be alone in a remote place for the holiday he decides that will be the best time to get Claudia's attention. After all, she can't turn him down if she can't get away.
Easy peasy, or is it? You'll have to read this to find out.
This is a fun one! Watching this knot unravel was extremely satisfying. I had some ideas, I made some assumptions, but there was no way I could have predicted where Wrobel was going. The isolated setting and the blustery snowstorm really set the tone and atmosphere.
While this was fun it wasn't perfect. I have a minor complaint but to speak of it would ruin the entire book for future readers. All I will say is that it felt like a cheap and convenient trick to keep readers from guessing the outcome.
I think future readers will enjoy this twisty page-turner. Prepare to be deceived by everyone! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.
July 13, 2026
I was given a review copy by the publisher.
July 31, 2026
I really enjoyed Revenge Plot. I'm not usually a thriller fan; I'm more of a mystery girl, but the plot - how far a writer would go to get his manuscript read by an agent - really grabbed me. I loved the twists and turns, as well as the ending. Thanks to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this ARC.
July 22, 2026
2.5 Stars This story started off strong with great pacing, but then it abruptly shifted to a new character’s POV and the transition completely killed the momentum for me. From there, the book just dragged. By the time we returned to the original storyline, I was already so checked out that the reveals didn’t wow me. I was just trying to make it to the end without DNFing. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Revenge Plot
Author: Stephanie Wrobel
Publisher: Penguin Random House / Berkley
Genre: Suspenseful Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In Revenge Plot, Claudia Conley is a wildly successful literary agent held captive at her vacation Airbnb by a slightly deranged author named Arnie Tenderton. At first, Arnie pretends he’s just a widowed, stranded motorist who slid on black ice into a tree outside her rental. He even brings along his six-year-old son, Theo (yes, you read that right—he brought a child along for his kidnapping scheme!).
Sympathetic and unsuspecting, Claudia invites them inside the one-bedroom treehouse apartment. It isn't long, however, before she spots cracks in Arnie’s story—only by then, it’s too late. Arnie throws the entire modem setup out into the snow, disabling the internet. Far away from cell service, Claudia is completely trapped. Arnie then demands that she sit and read his manuscript while he watches her, leaving her with a chilling parted line: "I know what you did to Jo Stone."
At this point, the narrative pivots.
It turns out Claudia’s top-selling author writes under the pseudonym Jo Stone. Claudia fabricated a scintillating backstory for "Jo S." to boost sales—despite the author’s strong misgivings. Even as the focus shifts temporarily away from the standoff in the woods, the story never loses an ounce of momentum.
When the narrative returns to the cabin, I was on absolute tenterhooks. I was desperately trying to decipher Arnie’s cryptic threat, deeply invested in the author hiding behind the pen name, and ruining my manicure as I bit my nails in dread over what Arnie might reveal next. 😲💅
Revenge Plot is my first time reading Stephanie Wrobel, and I completely understand why her work receives so many awards and accolades. Beyond delivering an edge-of-your-seat plot, Wrobel offers a fascinating peek behind the curtain into the writing and publishing world. She brilliantly captures the intense pressure, stress, and mental strain authors endure to repeatedly craft original stories. Alongside the insider publishing lore, Wrobel explores heavy themes: envy, loneliness, drug use, single motherhood, sibling dynamics, and betrayal.
This book gave me a lot to chew on, particularly two big questions:
• How much autobiography does a fiction author owe their audience? News reporters and nonfiction writers must verify their experiences, but fiction authors shouldn't bear that burden. Beyond delivering a great story and a name on the cover, I don't believe authors owe us their personal lives. In Revenge Plot, "Jo Stone" lives in terror of being exposed because her agent invented a fictional backstory to sell her debut. The public fell in love with the book before the fabricated backstory ever surfaced. Should readers shun a brilliant book just because marketing spun a tale around the author? I say no—we bought a great story, and in the end, isn't that what we came for?
• What does a literary agent owe an unsigned writer? Arnie’s rage stems from a rejected manuscript passed on by Claudia’s assistant. Instead of revising or writing something new, Arnie lets his ego take the wheel, leading him to commit the unspeakable.
In the book, Jo Stone keeps a list of popular thriller twists. In her acknowledgments, Wrobel mentions writing an article titled Six Twists You Won't See Coming. She wasn't exaggerating—I did not see the final twist coming at all, and there is nothing better than an author who can genuinely surprise me! 😲🤓
Overall, Revenge Plot is a smart, sharp thriller featuring a brilliant protagonist and a villain who delivers a final move that is as shocking as it is satisfying. 🤷🤯🤓
Recommended Titles by Stephanie Wrobel:
• The Hitchcock Hotel-https://amzn.to/4hluWZ
• Darling Rose Gold - https://amzn.to/4gLc7i6
• This Might Hurt - https://amzn.to/3Tkb1Rv
(Three of her titles are also available ☝️ for Kindle Unlimited subscribers via my Amazon Storefront for $4.99 for a limited time. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
My deep thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My views are entirely my own.
Author: Stephanie Wrobel
Publisher: Penguin Random House / Berkley
Genre: Suspenseful Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In Revenge Plot, Claudia Conley is a wildly successful literary agent held captive at her vacation Airbnb by a slightly deranged author named Arnie Tenderton. At first, Arnie pretends he’s just a widowed, stranded motorist who slid on black ice into a tree outside her rental. He even brings along his six-year-old son, Theo (yes, you read that right—he brought a child along for his kidnapping scheme!).
Sympathetic and unsuspecting, Claudia invites them inside the one-bedroom treehouse apartment. It isn't long, however, before she spots cracks in Arnie’s story—only by then, it’s too late. Arnie throws the entire modem setup out into the snow, disabling the internet. Far away from cell service, Claudia is completely trapped. Arnie then demands that she sit and read his manuscript while he watches her, leaving her with a chilling parted line: "I know what you did to Jo Stone."
At this point, the narrative pivots.
It turns out Claudia’s top-selling author writes under the pseudonym Jo Stone. Claudia fabricated a scintillating backstory for "Jo S." to boost sales—despite the author’s strong misgivings. Even as the focus shifts temporarily away from the standoff in the woods, the story never loses an ounce of momentum.
When the narrative returns to the cabin, I was on absolute tenterhooks. I was desperately trying to decipher Arnie’s cryptic threat, deeply invested in the author hiding behind the pen name, and ruining my manicure as I bit my nails in dread over what Arnie might reveal next. 😲💅
Revenge Plot is my first time reading Stephanie Wrobel, and I completely understand why her work receives so many awards and accolades. Beyond delivering an edge-of-your-seat plot, Wrobel offers a fascinating peek behind the curtain into the writing and publishing world. She brilliantly captures the intense pressure, stress, and mental strain authors endure to repeatedly craft original stories. Alongside the insider publishing lore, Wrobel explores heavy themes: envy, loneliness, drug use, single motherhood, sibling dynamics, and betrayal.
This book gave me a lot to chew on, particularly two big questions:
• How much autobiography does a fiction author owe their audience? News reporters and nonfiction writers must verify their experiences, but fiction authors shouldn't bear that burden. Beyond delivering a great story and a name on the cover, I don't believe authors owe us their personal lives. In Revenge Plot, "Jo Stone" lives in terror of being exposed because her agent invented a fictional backstory to sell her debut. The public fell in love with the book before the fabricated backstory ever surfaced. Should readers shun a brilliant book just because marketing spun a tale around the author? I say no—we bought a great story, and in the end, isn't that what we came for?
• What does a literary agent owe an unsigned writer? Arnie’s rage stems from a rejected manuscript passed on by Claudia’s assistant. Instead of revising or writing something new, Arnie lets his ego take the wheel, leading him to commit the unspeakable.
In the book, Jo Stone keeps a list of popular thriller twists. In her acknowledgments, Wrobel mentions writing an article titled Six Twists You Won't See Coming. She wasn't exaggerating—I did not see the final twist coming at all, and there is nothing better than an author who can genuinely surprise me! 😲🤓
Overall, Revenge Plot is a smart, sharp thriller featuring a brilliant protagonist and a villain who delivers a final move that is as shocking as it is satisfying. 🤷🤯🤓
Recommended Titles by Stephanie Wrobel:
• The Hitchcock Hotel-https://amzn.to/4hluWZ
• Darling Rose Gold - https://amzn.to/4gLc7i6
• This Might Hurt - https://amzn.to/3Tkb1Rv
(Three of her titles are also available ☝️ for Kindle Unlimited subscribers via my Amazon Storefront for $4.99 for a limited time. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
My deep thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My views are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of *Revenge Plot* before publication. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I really enjoyed *Revenge Plot*. The premise immediately pulled me in because it combines two things I love in a thriller: an isolated setting and a story centred around books and publishing. Claudia Conley is a successful literary agent spending Christmas alone in a remote treehouse in the Catskills when a man and his young son crash nearby during a snowstorm. The man is Arnie Tenderton, an aspiring author Claudia has rejected before — and his arrival is far from accidental.
Arnie has spent years trying to get published and has finally written the book he believes will change everything. Unfortunately for Claudia, that book is about her. He is determined that she will read it, and this time he is not prepared to accept no for an answer. I loved how quickly the situation became uncomfortable. The snowstorm, remote house and lack of an easy escape create such a claustrophobic atmosphere, and there is a constant feeling that something is about to go very wrong.
The publishing-world angle was probably my favourite part. There is so much about rejection, ambition, agents, authors and the desire to finally be recognised, and it gives the story a really fun meta quality. The novel also plays with the idea of stories within stories, so just when I thought I understood what was happening, another layer would appear and change the way I saw the characters.
I also really enjoyed the morally grey characters. Nobody feels completely trustworthy, and the different perspectives gradually reveal how their lives connect. A few of the twists were easier to predict, but others genuinely surprised me, and I liked the way the author gives you little pieces at a time rather than explaining everything too early.
The middle slowed slightly for me compared with the very strong opening, but once the pieces began coming together I was completely invested again. The later twists and final section were especially satisfying, and I appreciated that the book remained clever without becoming impossible to follow.
Overall, *Revenge Plot* was clever, twisty, darkly entertaining and very difficult to put down. I loved the snowy setting, the publishing-industry drama and the constant uncertainty about who was manipulating whom. One of the stronger psychological thrillers I’ve read recently, and definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys unreliable characters, books about books and stories that keep changing underneath you.
I really enjoyed *Revenge Plot*. The premise immediately pulled me in because it combines two things I love in a thriller: an isolated setting and a story centred around books and publishing. Claudia Conley is a successful literary agent spending Christmas alone in a remote treehouse in the Catskills when a man and his young son crash nearby during a snowstorm. The man is Arnie Tenderton, an aspiring author Claudia has rejected before — and his arrival is far from accidental.
Arnie has spent years trying to get published and has finally written the book he believes will change everything. Unfortunately for Claudia, that book is about her. He is determined that she will read it, and this time he is not prepared to accept no for an answer. I loved how quickly the situation became uncomfortable. The snowstorm, remote house and lack of an easy escape create such a claustrophobic atmosphere, and there is a constant feeling that something is about to go very wrong.
The publishing-world angle was probably my favourite part. There is so much about rejection, ambition, agents, authors and the desire to finally be recognised, and it gives the story a really fun meta quality. The novel also plays with the idea of stories within stories, so just when I thought I understood what was happening, another layer would appear and change the way I saw the characters.
I also really enjoyed the morally grey characters. Nobody feels completely trustworthy, and the different perspectives gradually reveal how their lives connect. A few of the twists were easier to predict, but others genuinely surprised me, and I liked the way the author gives you little pieces at a time rather than explaining everything too early.
The middle slowed slightly for me compared with the very strong opening, but once the pieces began coming together I was completely invested again. The later twists and final section were especially satisfying, and I appreciated that the book remained clever without becoming impossible to follow.
Overall, *Revenge Plot* was clever, twisty, darkly entertaining and very difficult to put down. I loved the snowy setting, the publishing-industry drama and the constant uncertainty about who was manipulating whom. One of the stronger psychological thrillers I’ve read recently, and definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys unreliable characters, books about books and stories that keep changing underneath you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
AN ENDING YOU WILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
One Powerful Literary Agent-Claudia Conley
Three determined Authors-Arnie, Neve and Jo
Christmas Day, 8 AM
Claudia Conley has rented a wonderful cabin for Christmas-a treehouse-perched two stories off of the ground, in the Catskills, with only a ladder allowing access to it. And, she is preparing a delicious gourmet dinner, to enjoy. As she preps her meal, everything from Appetizers through Dessert, my mouth was watering. And, as she cooked, I enjoyed her musings on the disappointing submissions she has been receiving- more husbands who become monsters-more characters in locked room locations-more happy occasions turning deadly. (Touché)
Christmas Day, 4 PM
All Arnie Tenderton wants for Christmas is to be a published author. All he needs to make his dream happen is the RIGHT literary agent-and he believes that agent is Claudia Conley. She is the agent who represents the HOTTEST author in the current market-the mysterious, reclusive Jo Stone. She/He is the author of the Severine female serial killer series- and through mixed media, we learn that EVERYONE is obsessed with trying to figure out the author’s identity and back story.
Arnie tried to do things the RIGHT way. He submitted his very ORIGINAL manuscript “The Unraveling” to Claudia but her assistant rejected it before it could ever reach her. So, he is changed its title, to one that will DEFINITELY catch her eye-one that she CANNOT ignore-since the book is about HER-and he plans to ambush her on Christmas to pitch the book in person. He has a foolproof plan to get invited to dinner, and he isn’t leaving until he gets what he came for.
Just as he hands her the manuscript, and we learn what the NEW title is, we move into Part Two-Neve’ story.
Over the course of the day, the story unfolds through the many courses of the Christmas meal, including Second Helpings, Dessert and even a NightCap. I also enjoyed being fed the insider tidbits about the Publishing Industry-the rise and fall of genres, tropes and even authors.
This was a psychological thriller that had me ENTHRALLED from the very first page! While one twist was a tiny bit hard to swallow, the final twist was VERY satisfying, especially the VERY LAST SCENE! Chef’s kiss! 💋
4.5 stars rounded up!
A buddy read with Ceecee and Marilyn-Do watch for their amazing reviews!
Expected Publication Date: November 10, 2026
Thank You to Berkley Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
One Powerful Literary Agent-Claudia Conley
Three determined Authors-Arnie, Neve and Jo
Christmas Day, 8 AM
Claudia Conley has rented a wonderful cabin for Christmas-a treehouse-perched two stories off of the ground, in the Catskills, with only a ladder allowing access to it. And, she is preparing a delicious gourmet dinner, to enjoy. As she preps her meal, everything from Appetizers through Dessert, my mouth was watering. And, as she cooked, I enjoyed her musings on the disappointing submissions she has been receiving- more husbands who become monsters-more characters in locked room locations-more happy occasions turning deadly. (Touché)
Christmas Day, 4 PM
All Arnie Tenderton wants for Christmas is to be a published author. All he needs to make his dream happen is the RIGHT literary agent-and he believes that agent is Claudia Conley. She is the agent who represents the HOTTEST author in the current market-the mysterious, reclusive Jo Stone. She/He is the author of the Severine female serial killer series- and through mixed media, we learn that EVERYONE is obsessed with trying to figure out the author’s identity and back story.
Arnie tried to do things the RIGHT way. He submitted his very ORIGINAL manuscript “The Unraveling” to Claudia but her assistant rejected it before it could ever reach her. So, he is changed its title, to one that will DEFINITELY catch her eye-one that she CANNOT ignore-since the book is about HER-and he plans to ambush her on Christmas to pitch the book in person. He has a foolproof plan to get invited to dinner, and he isn’t leaving until he gets what he came for.
Just as he hands her the manuscript, and we learn what the NEW title is, we move into Part Two-Neve’ story.
Over the course of the day, the story unfolds through the many courses of the Christmas meal, including Second Helpings, Dessert and even a NightCap. I also enjoyed being fed the insider tidbits about the Publishing Industry-the rise and fall of genres, tropes and even authors.
This was a psychological thriller that had me ENTHRALLED from the very first page! While one twist was a tiny bit hard to swallow, the final twist was VERY satisfying, especially the VERY LAST SCENE! Chef’s kiss! 💋
4.5 stars rounded up!
A buddy read with Ceecee and Marilyn-Do watch for their amazing reviews!
Expected Publication Date: November 10, 2026
Thank You to Berkley Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I *loved* The Hitchcock Hotel, so I was really excited to get approved for this one.
On the surface, this seems to pair well with Best Offer Wins; though swap the desperate home buyer for a struggling writer. Basically someone willing to do anything, no matter how unhinged, to get what they want. Arnie Tenderton has written the perfect book, he’s sure of it. But powerful agent Claudia Conely had the nerve to have her assistant send him a form rejection. He’s positive the girl never even read his amazing book, so he packs his son into a rental car and heads for Claudia’s Air BnB to try to sell the story to her in person. Of course he tries to sell it as a coincidence - they were going to their own rental, the snow storm caught them by surprise, but Claudia starts to notice things that don’t quite add up (for one thing, why was the kid wearing a helmet IN the car??). And when Arnie reveals his true intentions, Claudia takes it as well as you might expect. But here’s the thing - she NEEDS a hot new writer. Her star client, the reclusive Jo Stone, hasn’t had a hit in years. Her last two novels have tanked compared to the first three. So Claudia is slightly more open to this insane pitch than she might otherwise be. After all, what if Arnie is the star she’s looking for? Of course, once she opens the book, she realizes that there’s WAY more going on here than just a desperate writer.
It’s tough to say more without getting into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say, we DO get to read Arnie’s novel, and all of those little details Claudia notices in the beginning turn out to be significant. I wasn’t all that bothered by the POV switching - once we get into Arnie’s novel, it’s basically an extended flashback to a woman named Neve, who was also a struggling writer who had one minor success, and then let her agent talk her into taking a huge risk. But we eventually get back to Claudia and Arnie and how all of these people connect. There were a few twists I predicted, and a few I didn’t see coming. It was really fast paced and hard to put down. It’s also a fun send up of the publishing industry - a little reminiscent of Read Between the Lies, except the characters were a lot less irritating.
On the surface, this seems to pair well with Best Offer Wins; though swap the desperate home buyer for a struggling writer. Basically someone willing to do anything, no matter how unhinged, to get what they want. Arnie Tenderton has written the perfect book, he’s sure of it. But powerful agent Claudia Conely had the nerve to have her assistant send him a form rejection. He’s positive the girl never even read his amazing book, so he packs his son into a rental car and heads for Claudia’s Air BnB to try to sell the story to her in person. Of course he tries to sell it as a coincidence - they were going to their own rental, the snow storm caught them by surprise, but Claudia starts to notice things that don’t quite add up (for one thing, why was the kid wearing a helmet IN the car??). And when Arnie reveals his true intentions, Claudia takes it as well as you might expect. But here’s the thing - she NEEDS a hot new writer. Her star client, the reclusive Jo Stone, hasn’t had a hit in years. Her last two novels have tanked compared to the first three. So Claudia is slightly more open to this insane pitch than she might otherwise be. After all, what if Arnie is the star she’s looking for? Of course, once she opens the book, she realizes that there’s WAY more going on here than just a desperate writer.
It’s tough to say more without getting into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say, we DO get to read Arnie’s novel, and all of those little details Claudia notices in the beginning turn out to be significant. I wasn’t all that bothered by the POV switching - once we get into Arnie’s novel, it’s basically an extended flashback to a woman named Neve, who was also a struggling writer who had one minor success, and then let her agent talk her into taking a huge risk. But we eventually get back to Claudia and Arnie and how all of these people connect. There were a few twists I predicted, and a few I didn’t see coming. It was really fast paced and hard to put down. It’s also a fun send up of the publishing industry - a little reminiscent of Read Between the Lies, except the characters were a lot less irritating.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a tight, twisted, and TWISTY thriller set in the world of publishing and writing. And, boy, are things ever going to get nasty.
Claudia is a sought after literary agent. She's spending Christmas alone at a treehouse Airbnb when her brother (who has early onset Alzheimer's) wants nothing to do with her. There's a huge snowstorm rocking the area but she decides to cook herself a feast and snuggle in. Until she hears a crash and realizes a car has skidded off the road. Inside are a man and a little boy. Very reluctantly she decides to invite them in and share her Christmas feast because she can't leave them to freeze in the storm.
What starts as a nice gesture soon turns into something else, and Claudia will find herself tied up to a chair while the man insists she read his manuscript. Turns out, he's been stalking her for a long time. And while, at first appearance, this seems to be the story of a rejected writer trying to gain his revenge because her agency turned down his manuscript, it's something else altogether. And this is what's going to keep you reading those pages well into the night.
It seems that a man who has stalked this woman, tied her to a chair, and threatens more violence might be considered the "bad guy" in here but your thoughts will change and shift over the course of the book. The characters are so well written that it's difficult, eventually, to find a single truly bad person in here. Everyone has made some questionablly moral decisions to benefit themselves but at what cost? There's so much more to this book that you have to read because I don't want to spoil any of those dark twists which will come.
The author never flinches from the realistic world of publishing, how brutal it can be sometimes, how rejection can sting more than a little, and how, at the end of the day, it's all about the money for the agents, publishers, and authors at the top. There are moral lessons to be taken from this story but it stays clearly focused on this pulse pounding, edge of your seat narrative which twists itself around page after page. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Claudia is a sought after literary agent. She's spending Christmas alone at a treehouse Airbnb when her brother (who has early onset Alzheimer's) wants nothing to do with her. There's a huge snowstorm rocking the area but she decides to cook herself a feast and snuggle in. Until she hears a crash and realizes a car has skidded off the road. Inside are a man and a little boy. Very reluctantly she decides to invite them in and share her Christmas feast because she can't leave them to freeze in the storm.
What starts as a nice gesture soon turns into something else, and Claudia will find herself tied up to a chair while the man insists she read his manuscript. Turns out, he's been stalking her for a long time. And while, at first appearance, this seems to be the story of a rejected writer trying to gain his revenge because her agency turned down his manuscript, it's something else altogether. And this is what's going to keep you reading those pages well into the night.
It seems that a man who has stalked this woman, tied her to a chair, and threatens more violence might be considered the "bad guy" in here but your thoughts will change and shift over the course of the book. The characters are so well written that it's difficult, eventually, to find a single truly bad person in here. Everyone has made some questionablly moral decisions to benefit themselves but at what cost? There's so much more to this book that you have to read because I don't want to spoil any of those dark twists which will come.
The author never flinches from the realistic world of publishing, how brutal it can be sometimes, how rejection can sting more than a little, and how, at the end of the day, it's all about the money for the agents, publishers, and authors at the top. There are moral lessons to be taken from this story but it stays clearly focused on this pulse pounding, edge of your seat narrative which twists itself around page after page. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉, 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕? 𝑰𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕."
All Arnie Tenderton wants for Christmas is a literary agent willing to recognize his genius. Specifically, he wants Claudia Conley, the powerhouse who already rejected him once, assuming that was the end of their communication. Instead, Arnie tracks her down to a remote house in the Catskills where she’s spending the holidays alone and decides this time she is absolutely going to hear him out. The problem is that the book Arnie desperately wants published is about Claudia herself, and he has become just a tiny bit detached from reality regarding boundaries, social cues, and basic human behavior. This book is fully unhinged in the most delicious way possible, and I inhaled it like a woman possessed.
Picture 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒚 wandering into the publishing industry, pouring itself a glass of wine, and screaming about artistic integrity. Arnie is the kind of character who makes you physically recoil one second and laugh out loud the next because his absolute confidence in his own delusions is somehow horrifying and wildly entertaining at the same time. When the twists came, they hit hard, and my allegiances were shifting wildly. I believe my jaw dislocated at some point, but I was too invested in this twisted story.
What made this book so easy to binge is that underneath all the dark humor and escalating insanity was something sharply true about ambition, ego, and how people justify their behavior. I was obsessed with the snowy isolated setting, the claustrophobic tension, and the constant sense that everything was seconds away from going spectacularly off the rails. When I was finished, I was sitting there grinning like Annie Wilkes because this book explored something deeply important: sometimes the worst people really do think they’re the heroes of the story, and that is what makes them utterly terrifying. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for this gem that will publish November 10, 2026.
All Arnie Tenderton wants for Christmas is a literary agent willing to recognize his genius. Specifically, he wants Claudia Conley, the powerhouse who already rejected him once, assuming that was the end of their communication. Instead, Arnie tracks her down to a remote house in the Catskills where she’s spending the holidays alone and decides this time she is absolutely going to hear him out. The problem is that the book Arnie desperately wants published is about Claudia herself, and he has become just a tiny bit detached from reality regarding boundaries, social cues, and basic human behavior. This book is fully unhinged in the most delicious way possible, and I inhaled it like a woman possessed.
Picture 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒚 wandering into the publishing industry, pouring itself a glass of wine, and screaming about artistic integrity. Arnie is the kind of character who makes you physically recoil one second and laugh out loud the next because his absolute confidence in his own delusions is somehow horrifying and wildly entertaining at the same time. When the twists came, they hit hard, and my allegiances were shifting wildly. I believe my jaw dislocated at some point, but I was too invested in this twisted story.
What made this book so easy to binge is that underneath all the dark humor and escalating insanity was something sharply true about ambition, ego, and how people justify their behavior. I was obsessed with the snowy isolated setting, the claustrophobic tension, and the constant sense that everything was seconds away from going spectacularly off the rails. When I was finished, I was sitting there grinning like Annie Wilkes because this book explored something deeply important: sometimes the worst people really do think they’re the heroes of the story, and that is what makes them utterly terrifying. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for this gem that will publish November 10, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Arnie Tenderton has finally written the perfect book after years of disappointments and living in the shadow of his more talented twin. Arnie now needs the perfect agent and lands his sights on Claudia Conley – after all the book is about her.
Arnie has already been rejected by Claudia once before. With Claudia spending Christmas alone in a remote bolthole in the Catskills, he decides that this would the perfect time to pitch his latest novel.
The snowy setting of the book is a perfect backdrop for the tale of betrayal that soon ensues.
Stephanie Wrobel writes beautifully. Revenge Plot is an incredibly smooth read that kept me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end. It is packed with clever twists that constantly keep you guessing – some of them are quite obvious but don’t let this detract you as they are still super fun. It is also highly satisfying to watch the intricate threads linking all the central characters slowly come together.
The finale of Revenge Plot is brilliant – it wraps up in a way that will leave you smiling long after the last page has been turned.
However, some of the characters felt underused and add very little to the plot. At times the narrative seemed to brush over them to focus more on the intricacies of the publishing world rather than investing in deeper character development.
Revenge Plot is also not as dark or suspenseful as I was expecting from the blurb but it is still an exceptional read. If you are looking for a gritty, nail-biting psychological thriller, the suspense levels do fall a bit short.
The second half of the book lags a little bit, losing some of the momentum that made the first half difficult to put down.
These last few points led me to docking one star, but it is still a high four star read. It remains gripping, fun, and deeply satisfying to read. I would ultimately recommend this to anyone who loves a beautifully written thriller that they can absolutely fly through.
Arnie Tenderton has finally written the perfect book after years of disappointments and living in the shadow of his more talented twin. Arnie now needs the perfect agent and lands his sights on Claudia Conley – after all the book is about her.
Arnie has already been rejected by Claudia once before. With Claudia spending Christmas alone in a remote bolthole in the Catskills, he decides that this would the perfect time to pitch his latest novel.
The snowy setting of the book is a perfect backdrop for the tale of betrayal that soon ensues.
Stephanie Wrobel writes beautifully. Revenge Plot is an incredibly smooth read that kept me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end. It is packed with clever twists that constantly keep you guessing – some of them are quite obvious but don’t let this detract you as they are still super fun. It is also highly satisfying to watch the intricate threads linking all the central characters slowly come together.
The finale of Revenge Plot is brilliant – it wraps up in a way that will leave you smiling long after the last page has been turned.
However, some of the characters felt underused and add very little to the plot. At times the narrative seemed to brush over them to focus more on the intricacies of the publishing world rather than investing in deeper character development.
Revenge Plot is also not as dark or suspenseful as I was expecting from the blurb but it is still an exceptional read. If you are looking for a gritty, nail-biting psychological thriller, the suspense levels do fall a bit short.
The second half of the book lags a little bit, losing some of the momentum that made the first half difficult to put down.
These last few points led me to docking one star, but it is still a high four star read. It remains gripping, fun, and deeply satisfying to read. I would ultimately recommend this to anyone who loves a beautifully written thriller that they can absolutely fly through.
August 2, 2026
2.5 stars.
I was really liking this book up until about the middle of it. One of my favorite things in horror is when the characters find themselves trapped in a situation they physically can’t escape, and this book delivered exactly that. I also loved the snowstorm setting. That atmosphere immediately hooked me.
I also really liked Neve as a character. One of my favorite things about her was that she wasn’t afraid to admit to having dark thoughts about the people around her, especially her best friend, Arina. I always enjoy seeing female characters acknowledge those kinds of feelings because they feel much more honest and human. I also really enjoyed all the conversations about being a struggling author and wanting to get published more than anything else in the world. Those parts of the story really worked for me.
My biggest issue started when we began getting explanations from Arnie about what was happening and what had been going on all along. To me, it was extremely disappointing because nearly everything revealed during that final explanation was something I had already figured out. I was really hoping to be proven wrong.
I found this one way too predictable. I think the book gives away every single “plot twist” very early on, and because of that, almost nothing surprised me by the end. By the time Arnie started explaining everything, I was bored because it wasn’t revealing anything new; it was just confirming everything I had already suspected.
And I’m not even a huge thriller reader. That’s why it surprised me so much that I was able to figure out nearly every twist.
So, yeah, I have mixed feelings about this one. I really enjoyed the ride for the most part, I just didn’t like the final destination.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To admit aloud that you wanted something but then not be clever enough to achieve it was mortifying, unimaginable.
I was really liking this book up until about the middle of it. One of my favorite things in horror is when the characters find themselves trapped in a situation they physically can’t escape, and this book delivered exactly that. I also loved the snowstorm setting. That atmosphere immediately hooked me.
I also really liked Neve as a character. One of my favorite things about her was that she wasn’t afraid to admit to having dark thoughts about the people around her, especially her best friend, Arina. I always enjoy seeing female characters acknowledge those kinds of feelings because they feel much more honest and human. I also really enjoyed all the conversations about being a struggling author and wanting to get published more than anything else in the world. Those parts of the story really worked for me.
My biggest issue started when we began getting explanations from Arnie about what was happening and what had been going on all along. To me, it was extremely disappointing because nearly everything revealed during that final explanation was something I had already figured out. I was really hoping to be proven wrong.
I found this one way too predictable. I think the book gives away every single “plot twist” very early on, and because of that, almost nothing surprised me by the end. By the time Arnie started explaining everything, I was bored because it wasn’t revealing anything new; it was just confirming everything I had already suspected.
And I’m not even a huge thriller reader. That’s why it surprised me so much that I was able to figure out nearly every twist.
So, yeah, I have mixed feelings about this one. I really enjoyed the ride for the most part, I just didn’t like the final destination.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Special thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I struggled with how many stars to give this ultimately settling on 3.5. While the story was engaging enough for a quick read, it still missed for me in several ways.
The tease of a struggling author Arnie, who wold do anything to get his newest manuscript in front of agent Claudia, was a great pull at the start. Anyone who's read Stephen King's Misery, can help but draw similarities. With that said, I was still eager to see where things went.
The sudden shift of POV and introduction of an entirely new character was jarring and unexpected. Unfortunately, not in a good way. It was like starting over in a new novel. There's a reason I don't often read two novels at once. I was hanging on the original story and finding it hard to engage with the new one, even though I knew they would weave together eventually. I understand why this was done, as the story came together, but fear the initial storyline vanishing so quickly, may cause some to stop reading entirely.
Even before the two storylines intertwined, it all felt a bit predictable. The early Misery vibes faded quickly as the premise is unique and certainly enough to pull a reader through. I can understand the four and five star reviews. I think this will appeal to a pretty wide swath of readers. I just couldn't help but think the groundwork was there for it to be so much better.
I won't spoil the ending. It was surprising, only in that it was the most unlikely and unbelievable outcome from everything that had come before. I just couldn't buy into either of the main characters responding like they did after what they had been through.
Maybe tagging this as horror was part of the problem. The cover blurb, "He'd kill for her to read it." left me feeling like this was bait and switch. Did whoever put that on the cover read the book?
I enjoyed it, but there were too many things that gave me pause to give it any more stars.
I struggled with how many stars to give this ultimately settling on 3.5. While the story was engaging enough for a quick read, it still missed for me in several ways.
The tease of a struggling author Arnie, who wold do anything to get his newest manuscript in front of agent Claudia, was a great pull at the start. Anyone who's read Stephen King's Misery, can help but draw similarities. With that said, I was still eager to see where things went.
The sudden shift of POV and introduction of an entirely new character was jarring and unexpected. Unfortunately, not in a good way. It was like starting over in a new novel. There's a reason I don't often read two novels at once. I was hanging on the original story and finding it hard to engage with the new one, even though I knew they would weave together eventually. I understand why this was done, as the story came together, but fear the initial storyline vanishing so quickly, may cause some to stop reading entirely.
Even before the two storylines intertwined, it all felt a bit predictable. The early Misery vibes faded quickly as the premise is unique and certainly enough to pull a reader through. I can understand the four and five star reviews. I think this will appeal to a pretty wide swath of readers. I just couldn't help but think the groundwork was there for it to be so much better.
I won't spoil the ending. It was surprising, only in that it was the most unlikely and unbelievable outcome from everything that had come before. I just couldn't buy into either of the main characters responding like they did after what they had been through.
Maybe tagging this as horror was part of the problem. The cover blurb, "He'd kill for her to read it." left me feeling like this was bait and switch. Did whoever put that on the cover read the book?
I enjoyed it, but there were too many things that gave me pause to give it any more stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Revenge Plot, by Stephanie Wrobel, from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 2 ⭐
Oh the meh.
The meh, the meh, the meh, meh, meh.
Sigh.
I really hated that this book wasn’t more engaging, because I enjoyed Darling Rose Gold, also by Stephanie Wrobel, a lot, thus was very happy to get an ARC of this book.
It was just……derivative. Been there, done that. And that, that, and that, and, yes, that, too.
So maybe it’s me that’s derivative, being A Lady Of A Certain Age who has read many, many books?
Probably. I’m betting this will be a hit with lots of folks, and that is something good in this world. Of which we need more.
Much, much more.
DESCRIPTION
A desperate writer’s pursuit of a powerful literary agent takes a dark turn in this new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold.
All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.
He’s finally written his perfect book.
What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.
She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the holidays: alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.
Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.
Received a complimentary copy of Revenge Plot, by Stephanie Wrobel, from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 2 ⭐
Oh the meh.
The meh, the meh, the meh, meh, meh.
Sigh.
I really hated that this book wasn’t more engaging, because I enjoyed Darling Rose Gold, also by Stephanie Wrobel, a lot, thus was very happy to get an ARC of this book.
It was just……derivative. Been there, done that. And that, that, and that, and, yes, that, too.
So maybe it’s me that’s derivative, being A Lady Of A Certain Age who has read many, many books?
Probably. I’m betting this will be a hit with lots of folks, and that is something good in this world. Of which we need more.
Much, much more.
DESCRIPTION
A desperate writer’s pursuit of a powerful literary agent takes a dark turn in this new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold.
All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.
He’s finally written his perfect book.
What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.
She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the holidays: alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.
Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Revenge Plot by Stephanie Wrobel
The author plays with our minds in so many ways, dangling hints, letting us know the different direction a story can go, touching on or ramming right into the problems with agents, editors, publishers, authors, bloggers, influencers and more. This book was a page turner for me and I was never quite sure where it was going until the very last page. Oh, and there is a cute little kid named Theo who knows to be suspicious of a woman living in a treehouse.
We meet Arnie Tenderton and six year old Theo as they are driving through intense snow conditions. Arnie has a destination and that destination is the treehouse where agent Claudia Conley is staying for the holidays. She hadn't planned to be there alone but her companion for the holiday turned on her and cancelled their time together. And now Arnie and Theo have arrived thanks to Arnie losing control of his car, hitting a tree, and being stranded right at Claudia's treehouse.
Claudia doesn't know it, yet, but Arnie was coming to her, for her, and he means business. He has written a book and he doesn't care if no one else reads it but HER. She MUST read his book, he wrote it just for her (and as a catharsis) and since he couldn't get past her assistant, he now has her all to himself (and Theo).
What we have at the moment is a escape room via a treehouse and there is only one way out and it's down. We are going to learn all about Claudia and her manner of doing business. This story is about writers and how hard it is to even make a dent at all on the radar of those who can help an author get published. No one in the publishing industry has it easy so all kinds of ethical and honest stops can be pulled out as some people manipulate and bend the system into getting others to believe lies and half truths. Heck, just make things up completely, insure on one is allowed to talk, and the "make it up" world is open for exploitation.
But, don't let one of those true crime-ish type bloggers get a scent of dishonestly because they will be all over that trail and they will jump on a lie and tear it open until everything is exposed. But hopefully, Arnie and Theo are just at Claudia's temporary treehouse for a short time as they share the feast she has cooked. Then they can be on their way. Watch the author twist and turn things until we end up back in the same place with an entirely different story than we thought we started with, after we've been taken on a long and winding road.
Expected publication November 10, 2026
Thank you to Elisha, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, and NetGalley for this ARC
The author plays with our minds in so many ways, dangling hints, letting us know the different direction a story can go, touching on or ramming right into the problems with agents, editors, publishers, authors, bloggers, influencers and more. This book was a page turner for me and I was never quite sure where it was going until the very last page. Oh, and there is a cute little kid named Theo who knows to be suspicious of a woman living in a treehouse.
We meet Arnie Tenderton and six year old Theo as they are driving through intense snow conditions. Arnie has a destination and that destination is the treehouse where agent Claudia Conley is staying for the holidays. She hadn't planned to be there alone but her companion for the holiday turned on her and cancelled their time together. And now Arnie and Theo have arrived thanks to Arnie losing control of his car, hitting a tree, and being stranded right at Claudia's treehouse.
Claudia doesn't know it, yet, but Arnie was coming to her, for her, and he means business. He has written a book and he doesn't care if no one else reads it but HER. She MUST read his book, he wrote it just for her (and as a catharsis) and since he couldn't get past her assistant, he now has her all to himself (and Theo).
What we have at the moment is a escape room via a treehouse and there is only one way out and it's down. We are going to learn all about Claudia and her manner of doing business. This story is about writers and how hard it is to even make a dent at all on the radar of those who can help an author get published. No one in the publishing industry has it easy so all kinds of ethical and honest stops can be pulled out as some people manipulate and bend the system into getting others to believe lies and half truths. Heck, just make things up completely, insure on one is allowed to talk, and the "make it up" world is open for exploitation.
But, don't let one of those true crime-ish type bloggers get a scent of dishonestly because they will be all over that trail and they will jump on a lie and tear it open until everything is exposed. But hopefully, Arnie and Theo are just at Claudia's temporary treehouse for a short time as they share the feast she has cooked. Then they can be on their way. Watch the author twist and turn things until we end up back in the same place with an entirely different story than we thought we started with, after we've been taken on a long and winding road.
Expected publication November 10, 2026
Thank you to Elisha, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, and NetGalley for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Claudia Conley, a famous literary agent whose career has had its share of ups and downs, is staying in an idyllic, secluded “treehouse” cabin in the Catskill Mountains alone, after her holiday plans fall through. To her surprise, she witnesses outside her window a car crashing into a tree in the midst of a blizzard. The occupants of the car are Arnie Tenderton and his son Theo. Despite Claudia’s trepidations, she brings them into her home and prepares to share her Christmas feast. As dinner preparations proceed, we learn that Arnie Tenderton has something in common with Claudia – he has written a book and he shares information with Claudia about that book. Further, Arnie’s presence at Claudia’s cabin is no accident. In reality, Arnie has searched Claudia out with the goal of persuading her to become his literary agent. Arnie reveals that he has actually submitted a book to Claudia – his best book -- for her consideration, but she rejected his work.
From this point on, the suspense builds and builds. Ms. Wrobel continues to drop hints for the reader as the story unfolds – some not so subtle, unfortunately – but even though we know what to expect, the details and their interrelationships are a surprise. She does a superb job of bringing all of these elements together to heighten the suspense.
There are so many twists and turns it is difficult to discuss the characters without spoilers! Other key characters are one of Claudia’s biggest authors – Jo Stone – the true identify of whom has not been exposed through publication of 5 blockbuster novels; Jo’s boyfriend, Theo’s sister, and Claudia’s brother. As these characters’ stories are revealed, their surprising relationships to one another emerge. The novel continues to build momentum and even though there were lots of clues as to where the story was headed, the ending was a complete surprise.
The book lives up to its title. This was such a great read!
From this point on, the suspense builds and builds. Ms. Wrobel continues to drop hints for the reader as the story unfolds – some not so subtle, unfortunately – but even though we know what to expect, the details and their interrelationships are a surprise. She does a superb job of bringing all of these elements together to heighten the suspense.
There are so many twists and turns it is difficult to discuss the characters without spoilers! Other key characters are one of Claudia’s biggest authors – Jo Stone – the true identify of whom has not been exposed through publication of 5 blockbuster novels; Jo’s boyfriend, Theo’s sister, and Claudia’s brother. As these characters’ stories are revealed, their surprising relationships to one another emerge. The novel continues to build momentum and even though there were lots of clues as to where the story was headed, the ending was a complete surprise.
The book lives up to its title. This was such a great read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5⭐️ rounded up.
This book is told in multiple timelines; 2014-2018 and present day.
It started out great and felt like a thriller.
The setting is a tree house in a remote part of the Catskills.
The only way in and out of the tree house is via a tall ladder that isn’t even firmly attached to the house or the ground.
No cell service, no neighbors less than 10 minutes away; the perfect creepy setting.
Fall and winter are my favorite seasons and right now, when it’s so hot in so many parts of the world, it was nice to take a mental vacation to a cold and snowy place.
To me it felt like this book was split into three parts.
The first part is present day on Christmas in the Catskills.
The second part is in NYC from 2014-2018.
In the third section, we return to present day Christmas in the Catskills.
I enjoyed the first and third parts; they felt the way a thriller should.
I became bored in the middle of the book.
I understand that this section had to be there to give the reader some necessary background information, but I would have preferred just getting the bullet points (I’m a mood reader and I read this because I was in the mood for a thriller).
Frustrated, towards the end of the second section I decided to DNF and went to bed.
Of course my curiosity got the best of me and the following day I returned to it, but skipped through until I got to the third section (something that I rarely do, but I did read enough of the second section to have gotten the important details).
I’m glad that I stuck with it, because I really did like the ending.
As an avid reader, one thing that I appreciated is that I saw the publishing industry through the eyes of an agent, author and publishing house.
It was interesting seeing all of the things that they experience and emotions that they go through.
I hope that before the final version of this is released it will include a TW for Adderall abuse.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
This book is told in multiple timelines; 2014-2018 and present day.
It started out great and felt like a thriller.
The setting is a tree house in a remote part of the Catskills.
The only way in and out of the tree house is via a tall ladder that isn’t even firmly attached to the house or the ground.
No cell service, no neighbors less than 10 minutes away; the perfect creepy setting.
Fall and winter are my favorite seasons and right now, when it’s so hot in so many parts of the world, it was nice to take a mental vacation to a cold and snowy place.
To me it felt like this book was split into three parts.
The first part is present day on Christmas in the Catskills.
The second part is in NYC from 2014-2018.
In the third section, we return to present day Christmas in the Catskills.
I enjoyed the first and third parts; they felt the way a thriller should.
I became bored in the middle of the book.
I understand that this section had to be there to give the reader some necessary background information, but I would have preferred just getting the bullet points (I’m a mood reader and I read this because I was in the mood for a thriller).
Frustrated, towards the end of the second section I decided to DNF and went to bed.
Of course my curiosity got the best of me and the following day I returned to it, but skipped through until I got to the third section (something that I rarely do, but I did read enough of the second section to have gotten the important details).
I’m glad that I stuck with it, because I really did like the ending.
As an avid reader, one thing that I appreciated is that I saw the publishing industry through the eyes of an agent, author and publishing house.
It was interesting seeing all of the things that they experience and emotions that they go through.
I hope that before the final version of this is released it will include a TW for Adderall abuse.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This thriller will keep you guessing. Claudia Conley is a literary agent in need of a big sale. When a young author is recommended to her, Claudia finds that needle in the haystack she’s been seeking, signs this new client, and brings the manuscript out at auction, driving up a bidding war for the rights to publish it. Part of the appeal is the story about the author’s past, a work of fiction in and of itself that Claudia crafts to elicit interest, encouraging this author to adopt a pen name while staying anonymous so that her fictitious backstory can’t be exposed. Speculation about the author’s true identity sparks online conspiracy theories, that also result in massive sales. This new author, writing under the pen name Jo Stone, is a once in a generation talent.
While the first three books in Jo Stone’s serial killer series are international sensations, the last two books fall flat. What has happened to Jo Stone? With these failures, Claudia’s literary agency teeters on the edge and when Christmas comes, she takes some much-needed time away to regroup. What she doesn’t anticipate is an interruption to her plans in the form of a man and a little boy whose car crashes into a tree near her rental property. With blizzard conditions making it dangerous for them to wait for a tow truck outside, she welcomes them indoors and shares the Christmas meal that she’d been preparing with them.
From here on out, nothing is as it seems. Secrets, deception, and surprises carry the book to its final chapter and leaves the reader with the question—do the ends justify the means when it comes to getting what we want?
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
While the first three books in Jo Stone’s serial killer series are international sensations, the last two books fall flat. What has happened to Jo Stone? With these failures, Claudia’s literary agency teeters on the edge and when Christmas comes, she takes some much-needed time away to regroup. What she doesn’t anticipate is an interruption to her plans in the form of a man and a little boy whose car crashes into a tree near her rental property. With blizzard conditions making it dangerous for them to wait for a tow truck outside, she welcomes them indoors and shares the Christmas meal that she’d been preparing with them.
From here on out, nothing is as it seems. Secrets, deception, and surprises carry the book to its final chapter and leaves the reader with the question—do the ends justify the means when it comes to getting what we want?
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a really good book that I ended up finishing somewhere around 5 in the morning because I couldn't wait to see what happened. The story is broken into a couple parts- you get Arnie's POV as he tries to convince a hotshot agent to review his book, and you get a section of the book told from Neve's POV as she struggles to become a published author. These 2 storylines converge in a really interesting way. Though I enjoyed the Neve chapters more than the Arnie chapters, at least initially, I really enjoyed the way it all came together.
The story started off a little slow, with Claudia, the agent, at a remote cabin in the woods, making a Christmas dinner. There was some unnecessary detail related to the meal she was cooking and I was worried the book was going to be slow. However, once Arnie comes into the picture, the pace picks up and never slows again. The overall feeling is tense as the reader learns more about both these characters (not to mention the young boy, Theo, who is along for the ride). Right in the middle of the intensity, the author moves to Neve's story, which is intense in a whole different way. The story then veers back to Arnie and Claudia, along with many great twists that pull the story together. I enjoyed this way of storytelling, and also felt that the end of the book worked very well, and tied up loose ends successfully.
Overall, this was an interesting and unique read that I had trouble putting down. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers- I would give it 4.5 stars, rounded up.. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story started off a little slow, with Claudia, the agent, at a remote cabin in the woods, making a Christmas dinner. There was some unnecessary detail related to the meal she was cooking and I was worried the book was going to be slow. However, once Arnie comes into the picture, the pace picks up and never slows again. The overall feeling is tense as the reader learns more about both these characters (not to mention the young boy, Theo, who is along for the ride). Right in the middle of the intensity, the author moves to Neve's story, which is intense in a whole different way. The story then veers back to Arnie and Claudia, along with many great twists that pull the story together. I enjoyed this way of storytelling, and also felt that the end of the book worked very well, and tied up loose ends successfully.
Overall, this was an interesting and unique read that I had trouble putting down. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers- I would give it 4.5 stars, rounded up.. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2026
This book completely sucked me in. I picked it up thinking it was going to be a creepy stalker thriller, but it ended up being so much more than that.
I loved the publishing world aspect. Seeing everything from literary agents to authors and the pressure behind creating a bestseller made this feel different from your typical psychological thriller. It was one of those books where every time I thought I had it figured out, something else happened that made me question everything.
Arnie was absolutely unhinged, and I mean that in the best possible way. He made me uncomfortable from the very beginning because he truly believed everything he was doing was justified. Characters like that always creep me out the most because they don't see themselves as the villain.
The snowy, isolated setting was perfect for this story. It added so much tension, and I honestly couldn't stop turning the pages because I needed to know how everything was going to come together.
The middle slowed down just a little for me, but once the pieces started falling into place, I flew through the rest of the book. The twists weren't there just for shock value—they actually made sense, and I love when a thriller can pull that off.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable characters, plenty of twists, and a unique look inside the publishing world, definitely add this one to your TBR. I had a great time with it.
4.5 rounded to 5
I loved the publishing world aspect. Seeing everything from literary agents to authors and the pressure behind creating a bestseller made this feel different from your typical psychological thriller. It was one of those books where every time I thought I had it figured out, something else happened that made me question everything.
Arnie was absolutely unhinged, and I mean that in the best possible way. He made me uncomfortable from the very beginning because he truly believed everything he was doing was justified. Characters like that always creep me out the most because they don't see themselves as the villain.
The snowy, isolated setting was perfect for this story. It added so much tension, and I honestly couldn't stop turning the pages because I needed to know how everything was going to come together.
The middle slowed down just a little for me, but once the pieces started falling into place, I flew through the rest of the book. The twists weren't there just for shock value—they actually made sense, and I love when a thriller can pull that off.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable characters, plenty of twists, and a unique look inside the publishing world, definitely add this one to your TBR. I had a great time with it.
4.5 rounded to 5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Revenge Plot hooked me immediately with its unique premise. A struggling writer, desperate to get published, tracks down the literary agent who rejected him and refuses to take no for an answer. As someone who spends a lot of time in the book world, I loved the behind-the-scenes look at publishing, literary agents, and the obsession that can grow from rejection.
The story is told through multiple points of view, which slowly reveal how everyone's lives are connected. I enjoyed piecing the mystery together and trying to figure out who could actually be trusted. The flawed characters fit the story well, and their motivations kept the tension high throughout.
I gave this book four stars because the beginning is a bit slower than I expected while the different storylines are established. Once everything starts coming together, though, the pacing picks up, the suspense builds, and the twists become much more satisfying. Even when I guessed a couple of the reveals, there were still enough surprises to keep me turning the pages.
Overall, this is a smart psychological thriller with an original premise and an entertaining look at the darker side of the publishing industry. If you enjoy character-driven suspense, multiple POVs, morally gray characters, and stories where obsession and ambition collide, this is one worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story is told through multiple points of view, which slowly reveal how everyone's lives are connected. I enjoyed piecing the mystery together and trying to figure out who could actually be trusted. The flawed characters fit the story well, and their motivations kept the tension high throughout.
I gave this book four stars because the beginning is a bit slower than I expected while the different storylines are established. Once everything starts coming together, though, the pacing picks up, the suspense builds, and the twists become much more satisfying. Even when I guessed a couple of the reveals, there were still enough surprises to keep me turning the pages.
Overall, this is a smart psychological thriller with an original premise and an entertaining look at the darker side of the publishing industry. If you enjoy character-driven suspense, multiple POVs, morally gray characters, and stories where obsession and ambition collide, this is one worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ⭐️
Books set in the publishing world aren’t usually what I gravitate toward, but this one surprised me! I absolutely loved Darling Rose Gold, Stephanie Wrobel’s debut, but This Might Hurt…well, it did hurt. I also tried The Hitchcock Hotel, but never finished it because I just felt disconnected from the plot, the characters, and the story as a whole. Much to my surprise, Revenge Plot exceeded my expectations.
The unique premise didn’t initially draw me in. It was the author and my love for her first book. What ultimately engaged me with this one was the suspenseful winter setting. It created such a claustrophobic atmosphere that there was a constant sense something was about to go terribly wrong. I also really enjoyed the character-driven psychological suspense. The morally gray characters kept me guessing, and the layered twists made this one unputdownable. Despite the addictive narrative, it was a slower burn than I typically prefer, and while the publishing industry storyline isn’t usually my favorite trope, I have to admit the drama surrounding it kept me captivated.
All in all, this ended up being one of my favorite slow-burn mysteries of the year. Stephanie Wrobel definitely won me back with this one! A BIG thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Books set in the publishing world aren’t usually what I gravitate toward, but this one surprised me! I absolutely loved Darling Rose Gold, Stephanie Wrobel’s debut, but This Might Hurt…well, it did hurt. I also tried The Hitchcock Hotel, but never finished it because I just felt disconnected from the plot, the characters, and the story as a whole. Much to my surprise, Revenge Plot exceeded my expectations.
The unique premise didn’t initially draw me in. It was the author and my love for her first book. What ultimately engaged me with this one was the suspenseful winter setting. It created such a claustrophobic atmosphere that there was a constant sense something was about to go terribly wrong. I also really enjoyed the character-driven psychological suspense. The morally gray characters kept me guessing, and the layered twists made this one unputdownable. Despite the addictive narrative, it was a slower burn than I typically prefer, and while the publishing industry storyline isn’t usually my favorite trope, I have to admit the drama surrounding it kept me captivated.
All in all, this ended up being one of my favorite slow-burn mysteries of the year. Stephanie Wrobel definitely won me back with this one! A BIG thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Revenge Plot is a twistful, twisty, twista-palooza. This is the third Stephanie Wrobel book I've read, and she's earned true fan status from me now — mostly because of what she does with reveals. She doles them out in the smallest possible increments: boop, here's a tidbit, boop, there's another, and the reader's picture of who these people are and what they've actually done keeps deepening, page by page, never all at once. It's a masterclass in pacing information.
The setting does a lot of the work, too — a treehouse you can only get in and out of by ladder, a snowstorm, no cell reception, neighbors too far away to matter. It's the kind of claustrophobic-but-scenic isolation that makes a thriller's stakes feel airtight instead of contrived.
I'll admit one of the late-book reveals pushed a little past believable for me — an "oh, come on" moment in an otherwise tightly wound plot. But it didn't sour me on the ending, which I loved, full stop. That's a real turnaround from The Hitchcock Hotel, where the ending was the one place the book let me down. This time Wrobel stuck the landing. Highly recommend for thriller fans.
[Thanks to Berkley, BookBrowse, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of the book.]
The setting does a lot of the work, too — a treehouse you can only get in and out of by ladder, a snowstorm, no cell reception, neighbors too far away to matter. It's the kind of claustrophobic-but-scenic isolation that makes a thriller's stakes feel airtight instead of contrived.
I'll admit one of the late-book reveals pushed a little past believable for me — an "oh, come on" moment in an otherwise tightly wound plot. But it didn't sour me on the ending, which I loved, full stop. That's a real turnaround from The Hitchcock Hotel, where the ending was the one place the book let me down. This time Wrobel stuck the landing. Highly recommend for thriller fans.
[Thanks to Berkley, BookBrowse, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of the book.]
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 rounded up. If you enjoy more of a slow burn thriller mixed with literary fiction, this one's for you! The first 25% of this story had me hooked right away. A Christmas setting where we meet a literary agent, Claudia, & a writer who will stop at nothing to get her attention. Is Arnie her stalker? Why is he obsessed with her being the one to read his book? I had no idea what was about to unfold at this point.
The bulk of the story is then taken over by Arnie's book, we get to dive into the tale that he's dying for Claudia to read. This is where the thriller aspect takes a beat and we move more into the focus of literary life, struggles as an early writer, and the obsession to succeed. We learn the importance of this story later on, but I did find this section to drag on a bit too long and this is where it lost me. I wish it had been trimmed down.
It picks up again at around 75%-80% and we're back into the thriller realm. Here we get a popcorn delivery of twists, and while a few were predictable, she did manage to pull one over on me and give me a bit of a shock.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
The bulk of the story is then taken over by Arnie's book, we get to dive into the tale that he's dying for Claudia to read. This is where the thriller aspect takes a beat and we move more into the focus of literary life, struggles as an early writer, and the obsession to succeed. We learn the importance of this story later on, but I did find this section to drag on a bit too long and this is where it lost me. I wish it had been trimmed down.
It picks up again at around 75%-80% and we're back into the thriller realm. Here we get a popcorn delivery of twists, and while a few were predictable, she did manage to pull one over on me and give me a bit of a shock.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book has set a new bar for what I expect out of a psychological thriller novel.!!! If you think you’ve found your favorite book of 2026 so far just wait till this is released on November 10th 2026.
Nothing I’ve read so far this year can hold a candle to this book and I feel like this may be the case for a long time to come!
This book kept giving and giving and the twist when it comes to light blew me all the way around the world and back again! I literally don’t know how I’m gonna recover from this book because my mind is blown into a million pieces in the best way possible!
If you read the synopsis for this book and think oh this sounds good I may add it to my want to read list don’t even think about waiting to read this! I highly suggest reading it immediately.
The thing about this not coming out till November and this being given to me as an ARC to read by #NetGalley is the fact that I wish you all waiting could just read it now. But come November make sure you are ready for this!!!
I’ve never read anything like it! I will forever recommend this book to everyone now!
#revengeplot #stephaniewrobel #berkleypublishinggroup
Nothing I’ve read so far this year can hold a candle to this book and I feel like this may be the case for a long time to come!
This book kept giving and giving and the twist when it comes to light blew me all the way around the world and back again! I literally don’t know how I’m gonna recover from this book because my mind is blown into a million pieces in the best way possible!
If you read the synopsis for this book and think oh this sounds good I may add it to my want to read list don’t even think about waiting to read this! I highly suggest reading it immediately.
The thing about this not coming out till November and this being given to me as an ARC to read by #NetGalley is the fact that I wish you all waiting could just read it now. But come November make sure you are ready for this!!!
I’ve never read anything like it! I will forever recommend this book to everyone now!
#revengeplot #stephaniewrobel #berkleypublishinggroup
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As I wrap up this debut novel, I'm still processing and absolutely blown away. It has that Misery feel, with hints of other trigger thrillers but, an ending you won't see coming. I'm not giving anything away but to say I am totally blown away is an understatement. I hope to get the honor to read anything Stephanie Wrobel writes from here on out. Thank you to Net Galley for giving me an opportunity to read and review this. I will be writing a review on my blog on substack. Look me up, under Timothy Emmons and you'll find my blog, especially te section Back Porch Book Reviews. I discuss books there and this is going to be a part of the things I've read recently and may just headline this piece as it's the best book to kick off the summer of 2026. This is destined to be a blockbuster of a novel and best beach read ever if you're looking for a thriller to heat up the summer months and chill you to the bone at the same time. The glimpses into the book world, and it's myriad crooks and turns will keep you planted as much as the plot. I loved this from the first page. I can't wait to see what Ms Wrobel Puts out next. Happy Reading!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first Stephanie Wrobel and Holy Moly, it won't be the last! Arnie has spent most of his life writing books. Rejection after rejection. Well, now he has written the ONE! Sure to be a bestseller. Now he just has to convince Claudia Conley, the only literary agent that he wants to represent him of this. Only problem, she has rejected him before. Well, our boy ain't havin' it so off he goes to make her see things his way. Claudia is vacationing alone at a remote Catskills mountain rental. A blizzard is coming. Oh, and Arnie's story is based on Claudia and he hasn't quite finished it just yet. Nothing weird so far. Then we also have Neve. Neve writes under the name Jo Stone and we will learn how that came about. Lots of twists and turns in this one and I was there for it! This will be a perfect Winter read! Yes, I absolutely loved the cold and isolated atmosphere and the characters, but the story within a story was also a really cool aspect! Definitely going to check out more Stephanie Wrobel!
Thank you to #NetGalley, Stephanie Wrobel and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to #NetGalley, Stephanie Wrobel and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 24, 2026
Although the book seemed to have a slow start in the beginning, it heated up pretty quickly and turned into a story that was hard to stop thinking about. It is a story about a young writer named Neve that accidentally discovers she hade a talent for writing thrillers. Her agent has talked her into writing under the name of Jo Stone as a marketing tactic. The agent, Claudia went as far as suggesting that Jo was a victim of a serial killer. Neve hated the lies.
Jo Stone becomes a best selling author over night. She also finds herself pregnant by a married man and chooses not to tell the father that she is pregnant. After the baby is born Jo finds that adderall helps her focus on her writing and helps with the constant lack of energy. Before she realizes what is happening, she finds herself popping adderall more often than she should.
Suffice it to say that her life seems to be spinning out of control. And soon, it will take a deadly turn. She’s up against an agent that pushes her to the limits, she’s living a lie as Jo Stone, she’s a new, single mother, and her story just seems to become more complicated by the day. And, I doubt you will be expecting how it all ends!
Jo Stone becomes a best selling author over night. She also finds herself pregnant by a married man and chooses not to tell the father that she is pregnant. After the baby is born Jo finds that adderall helps her focus on her writing and helps with the constant lack of energy. Before she realizes what is happening, she finds herself popping adderall more often than she should.
Suffice it to say that her life seems to be spinning out of control. And soon, it will take a deadly turn. She’s up against an agent that pushes her to the limits, she’s living a lie as Jo Stone, she’s a new, single mother, and her story just seems to become more complicated by the day. And, I doubt you will be expecting how it all ends!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
this is giving an inside look to the suspenseful publishing world!
revenge plot got it covered!
it’s addictive & delivered on the tension!
an aspiring author: arnie tenderton is desperate to sell his first novel and tracks down a powerful literary agent: claudia conley at a remote cabin in the catskills
this has all the elements to kick off a psychological thriller!
this could’ve been trimmed down a tad because it did lag on some parts but once i got more into the book it started to gain plenty of mystery & intrigue focusing on the struggles with literary life, delving in complicated relationships with an author, publisher, & agent.
the few predictable puzzle pieces of twists were executed brilliantly, a few surprised me naturally on equal portions!
many layers of complexity to the characters and i found that extremely enjoyable!
i recommend if you like a fast paced psychological thriller plus multiple timelines, characters you’ll love (also hate) & a winter vibe, setting!
revenge plot is set to be released: 11.10.26
thank you netgalley & berkley publishing group for the arc in exchange for my honest review!~
revenge plot got it covered!
it’s addictive & delivered on the tension!
an aspiring author: arnie tenderton is desperate to sell his first novel and tracks down a powerful literary agent: claudia conley at a remote cabin in the catskills
this has all the elements to kick off a psychological thriller!
this could’ve been trimmed down a tad because it did lag on some parts but once i got more into the book it started to gain plenty of mystery & intrigue focusing on the struggles with literary life, delving in complicated relationships with an author, publisher, & agent.
the few predictable puzzle pieces of twists were executed brilliantly, a few surprised me naturally on equal portions!
many layers of complexity to the characters and i found that extremely enjoyable!
i recommend if you like a fast paced psychological thriller plus multiple timelines, characters you’ll love (also hate) & a winter vibe, setting!
revenge plot is set to be released: 11.10.26
thank you netgalley & berkley publishing group for the arc in exchange for my honest review!~
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