Members Only

by Emma Rosenblum

From bestselling author Emma Rosenblum comes a fast-paced, satirical thriller set at an exclusive country club, where a sudden death on the day of an important wedding unravels the carefully held secrets of its status-obsessed members.

Harrington Country Club is a carefully manicured haven for Greenwich’s wealthy residents. Middle-aged blondes (icy, honey, and golden, respectively) and their khaki-clad husbands sunbathe at the Olympic-size pool, traverse the massive golf course, and play heated tournaments on the much fought-over newly installed pickleball courts. And yet below that shiny veneer bubbles a much messier reality.

Ted Flynn, the president of the club and father-in-law of the bride-to-be, hasn’t been entirely truthful about his financial situation. Despite her mother’s wishes, Jessie Summit doesn’t actually want to marry her Ken doll fiancé, Patrick Flynn. And the chef, Mike Lightbody, who was inexplicably poached from a trendy Brooklyn restaurant to cook at a country club in Connecticut, has more than his fair share to lose.

When a body hits the ground on the morning of Jessie and Patrick’s wedding, everyone is a suspect.

Funny, propulsive, and quietly shocking, Members Only is a story about privilege and the lengths to which people will go to protect it.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 12, 2027

About the author

Emma Rosenblum is the national bestselling author of Bad Summer People, Very Bad Company, and Mean Moms. She's the former chief content officer at Bustle Digital Group, overseeing content and strategy for BDG’s editorial portfolios. Prior to BDG, Emma served as the executive editor of ELLE. Previously Rosenblum was a senior editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, and before that a senior editor at Glamour. She began her career at New York magazine. She lives in New York City, with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Rosenblum has become a niche author in the “rich people behaving badly” category.
I’ve had different experiences with her books; I really enjoyed Bad Summer People, mostly enjoyed Mean Moms, and didn’t care for Very Bad Company.
Still, she’s an auto-read author for me because I can always count on some entertaining drama in her books.
I don’t really watch any of the crazy and dramatic reality TV shows on Bravo, but Emma gives all of that to me in the form of a book.
She has a knack for writing enjoyable books with dislikable characters.

I remember an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where they were discussing potential country clubs to join and Susie Greene describes one as "WASP, WASP, Republican City".
That pretty much describes Herrington.

Herrington is an elite country club in Greenwich, CT.
Jessie Summit and Patrick Flynn, whose families have been members for generations are basically Herrington royalty and scheduled to be married there, despite the fact that neither of them seem that eager about taking their vows.
Everything is interrupted when an employee there falls to his death from a building.
No one is sure if it was a case of suicide or homicide.
Detectives arrive and the country club is basically put on lockdown until they can interview everyone; no one is allowed to enter or leave.

There are A LOT of people in this book.
I’m used to reading books in a multiple POV format, but I felt like I had to pay more attention to this one because there were so many names to keep track of.

Most of the characters were pretty selfish and unlikable, but there were a couple who made me smile at the end.
I’ve learned to not take her books too seriously and just enjoy the ride as I’m reading.

Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an eARC to review via NetGalley.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can pretty much guarantee if you give me rich people , a closed location and a body--I'm game. From the first page you are thrown into the wild and crazy life at Harrington Country Club. What is suppose to me the wedding of the century two Harrington power family's children wedding day....but when a body "falls" , detective Sasha Terra is called to uncover the many secrets of the Members.....however Terra isn't the only one with secrets.
Members Only was a fun read, and structured in a way that had you as the reader constantly guessing who was telling the truth, because everyone had a motive to kill . Rosenblum captures "country club" life perfectly, even down to the obsession with pickle ball, the superiority complex of the golfers and of course prominent fake it till you make it attitude.
My one area of criticism was there were quite a few characters that read very similar to one another so I had to put in some extra brain effort to keep everyone straight. By the end I was completely satisfied and VERY relieved that i am not a member of Harrington!
It was a great read and Rosenblum continues her wonderful prose!
This is a fun one that I would highly suggest reading poolside!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this advanced copy of Members Only. I was not paid for this honest review.

[ava!!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Emma Rosenblum for the ARC of Members Only!

I was so excited to receive this one, I loved Emma’s prior book Bad Summer People, and like a mystery with rich people behaving badly as the trope. I unfortunately found this read a little too predictable and a slow start. I enjoyed the mixed media feeling — emails in addition to the prose — but felt like the characters were a little too shallow, likely because there were so many of them. Rosenblum’s previous books centered on a smaller circle of characters, which allowed her to add much more depth and background.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

Members Only by Emma Rosenblum (Jan. 2027)
320-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Satirical Thriller, Mystery Thriller

Movie Rating Equivalent: R for adult content

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⛳️👰🏼‍♂️👮‍♀️👮🏾‍♂️

Another Solid Hit from Emma Rosenblum

​I was very excited to read Members Only. I have read all of Emma Rosenblum's published works and I have yet to be disappointed. While this did not disrupt my top three favorites from her, it was still an incredibly solid read. She has an absolute knack for writing about affluent people with a common connection. Whether it is a shared friendship, a company, or a private school, she excels at portraying wealthy individuals behaving badly. She executes this specific trope brilliantly. Her narrative style is remarkably unique, and she builds tension in a way that keeps you completely hooked. I am already looking forward to her next release, but this country club story definitely slaps. The pacing and character dynamics will give you absolute whiplash.

​Recommend to others
Yes! You will either love it or hate it by the end, and that polarizing energy is exactly the kind of bold storytelling I enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Featuring: Wedding, Country Club, Death, Greenwich, Connecticut; Affluent People, Multiple POVs, Investigation, Secrets, Sex, Police Detectives

[Elly Valdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC —

Emma Rosenblum is the queen of “rich people doing bad things” fiction. While I don’t think this was as good as Mean Moms, I still had a lot of fun reading this. Lots of characters (almost too many) to hate and frown at their terrible, selfish decisions, and there were several times I even laughed out loud. Lots of people saying this was a slow start, but I disagree, I think it had a slow middle, the beginning and end were fast paced and did what they needed to do.

(Also, I love this cover. Something about the orange/pink sky really caught my eye).

[Cari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Booklist read!

[Mal · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced reader copy

The Harrington Club is a bastion of Greenwich, CT wealth and on one particular morning, it is also the site of a death and the crucible for myriad secrets. First: how did attractive and popular staff member Hugh fall off the roof of the club? Was it suicide? Was it murder? Will the wedding of Jessie and Patrick (children of two wealthy Harrington families) happen when the grounds have become a crime scene? And will they happen when the bride doesn't want to get married and the groom is hiding something? When Detective Sasha Terra shows up, all the secrets that the members have been hiding threaten to come out, including Sasha's own shameful connection to The Harrington.

The beginning of this book was exactly what I was hoping for--a slightly melodramatic set-up with over-the-top characters and the straight woman police detective who is determined to solve what she believes to be the murder of one of the staff. The multiple character POVs and the structure of interspersing police interview transcripts kept the story moving at a good clip. What lost me was the end of the book, where the straight woman suddenly became as unhinged as many of the wealthy characters hiding big secrets; this would've been potentially okay if the detective's unraveling had felt earned. Instead it felt like she cracked without reason, which left the whole story spiraling without an anchor. Also, the POV the story ends on felt like one of the less interesting ones, which ended up giving the story a deflated feeling in the epilogue. Overall, this is a mostly fun read and readers who enjoy Rosenblum's novels should give this a try.

Members Only is out January 12, 2027

[Lauren Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, FLATIRON Books, and Emma Rosenblum for access to this eARC: Harrington Country Club is an outdated oasis for the elite of Greenwich, CT, with its Middle-aged blondes (of every shade), Oxford-clad tennis husbands, and new pickleball courts for mediocre tournaments. Inside its walls, Hugh Bruce starts his day making his rounds as head of member satifaction, a job more complex than anyone knows.
Two prominent Harrington families are joining together in holy matrimony, much to the bride’s chagrin. But despite Jessie’s reluctance to marry her perfect fiancé Patrick Flynn, the show must go on.. Ted Flynn, the president of Harrington and father-in-law of the bride-to-be hasn’t been entirely truthful about his finances.. And club chef Mike Lightbody, poached from a trendy Brooklyn restaurant to cook at the country club, has much to lose.
But the moment a body tumbles from the roof and hits the ground, everyone becomes a suspect.

The multi-POV, and police interview transcripts made this a very titillating read. I LIVE for the drama! There’s just something I love about rich people behaving badly and their elitist actions being dissected by law enforcement. I found myself staying up late to find out what happened to these terrible people, & eating up every bit of it. It’s a very quick read once the drama hits, & the drama hits quick!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Rosenblum is one of my favorite authors. Her signature story style of (generally wealthy) people behaving badly never gets old! She shows people as they truly are, not as the perfect version of themselves they are trying to present.

Members Only is set at the affluent Harrington Country Club in Greenwich, CT. There is a wedding about to take place, joining two of Harrington's most prestigious families. When a body hits the club driveway though, everyone becomes a suspect. But as the police place the club on lockdown, the only thing that really matters is if wedding is still on.

The story is told through the multiple points of view of each of the characters. In the beginning of the book, these chapters are alternated with police interviews and general club updates as the police gather statements. But Rosenblum is at her very best once these alternate chapters subside, with the characters making definitive decisions about how they are going to proceed through this situation.

Overall, I enjoyed this very much. The story unfolds with the author's signature wit and humor. I hope she revisits CT again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Emma Rosenblum for the chance to review this ARC!

This was such a fun, juicy read! I’m a sucker for a good “who done it?” mystery, but what really pulled me in was all the drama, gossip, and dysfunction hiding behind the doors of an elite country club.

Herrington is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, families have been members for generations, reputations matter, and there are plenty of secrets lurking beneath the surface. When an employee dies in what may or may not be a suicide, the club is suddenly filled with suspicion, and I loved seeing all of the relationships and secrets unravel.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs in this one. There are A LOT of characters, so it took a little effort to keep everyone straight at times, but I actually thought getting all those different perspectives made the story even more entertaining. There was always another piece of gossip, another secret, or another side to the story to uncover.

Most of the characters were pretty unlikeable, selfish, and messy, which honestly worked perfectly for this book. Give me rich people behaving badly, country club politics, and enough gossip to fill a group chat, and I’m entertained. 😂

The plot kept me guessing, and I especially loved the combination of mystery and over-the-top country club drama. It was the kind of book where I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next.

Definitely a fun, fast-paced read if you enjoy mysteries with messy characters, multiple POVs, and LOTS of secrets.

[Kristyn Dayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved “Mean Moms” by Emma Rosenblum earlier this year, so I was super stoked to receive an advanced copy of her latest book. If there’s one thing this author does well, it’s giving us readers an inside peek at seemingly put together groups of people and making it messy as hell.

“Members Only” takes us inside the meticulously manicured grounds of the exclusive Harrington Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, on the morning of a high-profile wedding. The festive atmosphere completely derails when a body drops right onto the club property, instantly turning every status-obsessed member, the reluctant bride, and secretive staff members all into prime suspects. As a strict police lockdown forces everyone to stay put, the glamorous veneer of privilege completely shatters to reveal a web of financial lies and elite desperation.

Was it twisty? A little. Was it predictable? At times, yes. Was it funny and messy and wildly entertaining? ABSOLUTELY. Once I understood where the story was going, I was totally strapped in and along for the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy! This one hits shelves on January 12, 2027.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something about Emma Rosenblum’s books that makes wealthy people behaving badly ridiculously entertaining, and Members Only is no exception. The country-club setting, the secrets, the gossip, and especially the sense of entitlement felt incredibly believable.
Having some personal experience with country-club culture, I thought Rosenblum really captured that particular hush-hush atmosphere—where everyone seems to know everyone’s business, but nobody actually says anything out loud. There’s an unspoken understanding to protect the club, the people who belong, and the image they’ve created, even when things underneath that polished surface are anything but perfect.
I especially enjoyed the way the book explores privilege and the assumption that certain rules simply don’t apply to people who are accustomed to getting their way. The characters are messy, entitled, and often completely infuriating, but that’s also what makes them so fun to read about.
A juicy, fast-paced summer read with plenty of secrets, drama, and that delicious what happens at the club stays at the club energy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Lisa Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Members Only by Emma Rosenblum is a sharp, juicy look at privilege, secrets, and the messy dynamics lurking beneath a seemingly picture-perfect community.

Rosenblum does such a great job creating characters who are complicated, flawed, and occasionally downright frustrating which, of course, makes it impossible to stop reading. I loved watching the polished exterior slowly crack as secrets, rivalries, and questionable choices began bubbling to the surface. There’s plenty of social commentary woven throughout, but it never overwhelms the delicious drama.

There were a few moments where the pacing slowed for me, which kept this from being a full five-star read, but overall, this was clever, entertaining, and wonderfully messy. If you enjoy stories about wealthy people behaving badly, complicated friendships, and communities where everyone has something to hide, this one is absolutely worth adding to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expected publication: January 12, 2027.

[Hilary Fankhauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun look at how the other half live by Emma Rosenblum.

I have read and loved every book Emma Rosenblum has published, so when I saw this time she is exploring Connecticut country club culture, I was dying to get my hands on this ARC!

This book flits between a cast of characters that are members of the Harrington Club in Connecticut. A high profile wedding is to take place between two prominent Harrington family members. The wedding is put on hold when a staffer's body falls (or is thrown?) off the roof of the club first thing that morning. The members are told to stay in place as detectives interview the members, who ALL have their own juicy secrets. The chapters cycle through different POVs. This book combined two of my favorite genres - rich people behaving badly, and whodunnit mysteries.

I enjoyed reading this so much, and can't wait to see what Emma Rosenblum does next.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one does rich people behaving badly as well as Emma Rosenblum. I’ve been hooked since her debut novel, and her latest does not disappoint.

Members Only takes place over the course of one sun-soaked day at an exclusive Connecticut country club, where preparations for a wedding are interrupted by a death. The bride has second thoughts, the club president has financial secrets, and the chef has plenty at stake himself. Suddenly, there’s a lot more to worry about than who gets a pickleball court.

This is a murder mystery with plenty of red herrings and even more bad behavior. These people put so much effort into keeping up appearances, and watching that unravel is half the fun. I wouldn’t want to spend a day at the club with them, but I was very happy to read about it.

Another very entertaining read from Rosenblum. Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[BHK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Members Only by Emma Rosenblum was an absolute delight from beginning to end, and without question my favorite book of hers yet! I’m completely obsessed with her writing and the deliciously messy worlds she creates, and make a point to read her books every year. The wealthy country club setting was packed with rich people behaving badly, hidden agendas, juicy secrets, gossip, and loads of drama! Every character felt like they were hiding something, and I had so much fun trying to figure out who could be trusted. The whole reading experience reminded me of an Elin Hilderbrand novel in the very best way…glamorous settings, complicated relationships, and irresistible drama, while still delivering a clever thriller all its own. Five stars from me. This was pure fun, and I loved every minute of it!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge Emma Rosemblum fan and I was thrilled to get this ARC. If you love stories about rich people behaving badly then add this to your TBR.
I loved the country club setting. This book takes place at Harrington Country Club on the day that an elite couple (to that country club) is getting married. A man falls to his death before the wedding and everyone is trapped at the club. Was it suicide or something more sinister?
I loved the characters, the setting, the crazy rich people, the social commentary, the drama, and the whodunit. In the beginning there were a lot of characters to keep track of, however, it did all come together for me. This was a fun beach read. I can’t wait to read what Rosemblum writes next. A huge thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The murder at the country club on the day of the wedding between the children of two of the wealthiest families through everyone in a tailspin - especially when it came to light how many people could have wanted the victim dead. As the investigation unfolds, the bad behavior of the wealthy members and the detective who has many things to prove collide.

I really enjoyed Rosenblum's previous titles and I was eager to grab this one. It did not disappoint. If you like a good beach read about the lives of the Uber-wealth and the poor behavior stemming from their entitlement and dysfunction, this is a great one to grab. What really sets this book apart, though, is the ending. I love how the author courageously penned the "right" ending, not necessarily the happy one.

[Kerry Glynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Emma Rosenblum for the eARC of this book.

This book was PHENOMENAL! Pulled me in from page one and I was hooked! This was a “who done it” in the best way. The characters, the setting, the banter and the plot were just so well done. You didn’t know who was involved, where the next juicy gossip would come from, and how this would end until those final few chapters. The interactions with the club members all throughout the story had me laughing out loud as well as cringing. I read this book in one night as I could not put it down.

This is my first Emma Rosenblum and it will definitely will not be my last. I am going to tell everyone about this book as it needs to be on TBR lists immediately!

[Ashley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been really into 'rich people behaving badly' books lately. I am very into golf right now so the backdrop of the country club really sucked me in. The people at Harrington Country Club are all lying or have something to hide. It's up to Detective Sasha to figure out what's really going on. Unfortunately for Detective Sasha, she's a previous employee of the country club who also seems to be hiding something. I felt like the pacing of this book was perfect for a thriller in this setting. Every chapter seemed to have another 'gotcha' moment that really held my attention. I would recommend for this for anyone who loves books about naughty rich people or just fans of thrillers in general. A great read from start to finish for me.

[Amanda Zanzano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
3.75 rounded up to 4! This book is set at an exclusive country club in Greenwich, CT. A sudden death threatens to cancel a wedding, which would unionize two of the most powerful families at Harrington Country Club. It is a story of “who did it?” - even though there are a lot of characters I didn’t feel overwhelmed by figuring out who was who and I was able to recognize who I should be focusing on. Overall, I was engaged for most of this story and enjoyed picking it up. I enjoyed this one more than Mean Moms. This would be a good read for the beginning of summer.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Members Only was such a fun read! Emma Rosenblum knows how to write rich people behaving badly, and I was completely hooked. The country club setting was perfect, and there were secrets, gossip, drama, and suspicious characters everywhere! I loved trying to figure out who was actually telling the truth because everyone seemed to be hiding something. It had that perfect summer drama feeling, but with enough mystery and twists to keep me guessing. I flew through this one and didn’t want it to end!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Rosenblum has penned yet another rich-person-behaving-badly story that has completely sucked me in. I shook my head OFTEN-- are there really people like this in the world?! I liked this one more than a few of her others, and I was absolutely invested in the mystery of it all. Rosenblum's books are always multi-POV, but this one also included police transcript interviews. I enjoyed trying to figure out the exactly what had happened (and I didn't, which is always the sign of a good book).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC; all opinions are my own.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Rosenblum has a talent for perfectly capturing middle aged people behaving badly and she’s nailed it again in Members Only. (Out January 2027) Set at a cushy Greenwich CT country club, I love how the author uses each character to tell the story. Starting with Hugh Bruce who promptly lets you know he has twenty minutes left to live.
This cast of characters are washed-up, former strippers, leading secret lives, hiding secrets and having affairs. A fun quick read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This was a fast read! You quickly become immersed in the Harrington Country Club culture and secrets. One the day of a wedding involving the president of the clubs family, you can imagine staff are on high alert. But when someone "falls" off the roof, the facility becomes locked down and investigations must begin to occur, forcing secrets to come to life...

[Jess · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC of Emma Rosenblum’s newest book! The story centers around a group of privileged people that get stuck at a country club in Connecticut after a body is found. While I did like the book and the plot, it almost seems like there was too many characters (not many likable ones) and too many different storylines. The short chapters and the changing perspectives made me want to keep reading and find out what would happen next. It was a light, entertaining read.

[Abby Comm · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'd think a murder mystery set at a posh country club would be juicy, but I found this book to be rather boring. It started off intriguing enough, but the middle was a drag, and then the end was simply *fine*. I think it would make for a decent HBO miniseries though, a la Big Little Lies or White Lotus. Oh, and major props to the illustrator bc the cover is fabulous.

[Chelsey Konkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished members only really good book . It will keep you guessing the whole time of who killed this person. It kind of reminded me of a modern day on the golf course Club members clue and you’re trying to figure out who’s who and who killed them but really good Book. I really enjoyed it!! The ending will definitely surprise you didn’t see that coming! Definitely recommend!

[Mackenzie Leszczynski · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

Overall, just not my cup of tea. I think the writing was a little basic for me and the plot was very much put in front of my face. As much as I love a teaser or a hint, I feel like everything was just said, versus implied. I didn't feel passionately about the characters and didn't love the ending either.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

[Kristen Petet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of twists and turns. It was easy to follow even with all the narrator changes. It was a quick fun read. I will say that the ending wasn’t my favorite but I can see how it made sense in the situation. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.