Rich Little Liars

by A.J. Carter

A BRAND-NEW, relentlessly pacy psychological thriller with twists you won’t see coming, for fans of Michelle Frances, Gemma Rogers and Lisa Jewell. Everyone has something to hide…

After surviving a house fire that killed her husband, Kelly Reynolds vanishes into the East Hamptons, a world of gated estates, pristine lawns and neighbours who smile like they have nothing to fear. Here, money buys discretion, and the past is supposed to stay buried.

But when anonymous notes begin appearing at her door, Kelly realises someone knows what really happened the night of the fire. With each message, the East Hamptons’ flawless façade starts to crack, and the quiet judgement in her neighbours’ eyes feels less imagined.

As suspicion tightens and danger creeps closer, Kelly’s carefully rebuilt life begins to unravel. Because some secrets don’t stay hidden – and the truth is far more dangerous than the lies that protect it.

Rich Little Liars is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read that twists and turns its way to a shocking conclusion.

Praise for AJ

'From the beginning to the end, this book continued to astounded me. So many twists and turns I could hardly breathe.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

'Just when you think you know where it's going, AJ Carter pulls the rug out from under you. Brilliant!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

'Deliously twisted. I devoured it in one sitting!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

'A true page-turning Psychological Thriller with enough twists to make your head spin!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Summer

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 5, 2026

About the author

AJ Carter is a psychological thriller author from Bristol, England. His first book, The Family Secret, is praised by critics around the world, and he continues to regularly deliver suspenseful novels you can’t put down.

Sign up to his mailing list today and be the first to hear about upcoming releases and hot new deals for existing books. You’ll also receive a FREE digital copy of The Couple Downstairs – an unputdownable domestic thriller you won’t find anywhere else in the world: https://BookHip.com/WAXFLLP

Reviews

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

RATING: 2 STARS ⭐️⭐️
Vibe check: Repetitive Twists, Underwhelming Thrills

full review ⬇️

The cover looked good, the tagline had me intrigued and the start was promising.

But then I read further and this was honestly one of the most infuriatingly repetitive books I’ve read.

It started off very much giving me Freida McFadden vibes and I was intrigued and keen to see where this story was going. But unfortunately, it just never really went anywhere new.

The repetition was constant! Everyone is always familiar in the kitchen, every neighbour is looking at a house funny and the same observations and suspicions just keep looping over and over again.

I also really struggled with the characters. They felt flat and frustrating and I never found myself invested in any of them. The main character perspective in particular felt like she spent far too much time watching and assuming rather than actually progressing the story. At one point I genuinely found myself thinking… does she just live at her window all day? 😅

I picked the twist early, I wasn’t surprised by any of the plot lines and while it initially felt like a story that was building towards tension, instead it just kept circling the same ideas over and over.

I appreciate the sneak peek of this early read thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley but sadly this wasn’t a win for me.

[Kim McFall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one started out strong. However, it dragged on and I quickly lost interest. The characters were not well developed. It was a bit repetitive and the dual timeline just did not work for me.

[Moriah · Rating 2 out of 5]

So bad I don't want to take time to review it

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up.

[Mary Anna Discenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Mind blowing ending! Best plot twist I’ve ever read! This author is definitely a fav! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Annika Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way harsh review- if you’re the author, ignore this one!

Took 90 minutes to read and in that short time I still genuinely had to wonder see if I missed entire chapters with the combination of massive gaps and character development. Left wondering just what the heck I read, and also bemoaning the 90 minutes spent on the - She’s at the window, she’s banned from the hospital, now she’s not banned from the hospital, everyone hates her, now they’re scared of her, now they’re staring again…

Why do women narrators written by men in thrillers always seem to fluctuate only between two modes: paralyzing anxiety with a lack of will and agency I’ve only seen from a woman in a coma, OR totally and completely psychopathic? No depth whatsoever, and actions lack any believability. She was getting a threatening letter at her front door in broad daylight and never looked at her window to see who walked up her giant driveway to deliver it, meanwhile seems to spend her whole life in front of the windows?

Spoiler-

Biggest hole was the detective being the “stalker”. He didn’t talk to his brother for 15 years, became a detective in the town she happens to move to, and is so enraged by his brother’s death that he launches a pervasive fear-based mission to “show her how he felt”? What? When would that make sense, ever??

Also, are we supposed to assume she didn’t answer anyone’s texts, make efforts with the women of the community, and perceived everyone as antagonistic through the lens of a “victim” because that’s what she thought Kelly would be doing? How does that make sense? Didn’t she move to that town for “discretion”? But she’s an accomplished conman? So why was she so afraid, not sleeping, etc? Why go after the doctor, when she had a billion dollars now to her name? Did Roxanne feel real guilt? Not written in a “wow, amazing twist!” way, just written in a way that makes no sense at all.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow didnt see that ending coming.

[Kaitlyn Langridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually didnt like it at first but then it became so addicting. Must be getting smarter because I guessed a portion of the ending 🤓👆👆

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich Little Liars by AJ Carter, when the book begins we meet Kayla who is moving in to Southampton a very wealthy neighborhood in England then we go back and meet Kelly and her husband Daniel who’ve been married a few years and love each other but she feels as if they’re straying apart. Than one day a lady knocks on her door looking disheveled hungry so Kelly invites her in for tea and to just make her feel better when it’s all said and done Roxanne has made herself a staple in their household even taking on increasing roles from let me help you make the table to I took some chicken out I thought I would cook Daniel a nice dinner etc soon these two povs will come together in the resolution is laid out and I must say I at first was very entertained by the story but then the lady in the big house really got on my nerves all she did was worry about what the neighbors were doing what were they looking at what they had on what they thought of her and that really was too much then every day her opinion would change one little thing would make her feel like oh now I’m a part of the neighborhood and then the next day she’s like what do normal people do after buying a lavish home? it didn’t take much for her to go from confident and secure to questioning everyone’s motives. Soon however she does have something to question because someone is leaving notes at her door and even leaves her old wedding ring so she is fearful but it all comes to ahead when she finally meet someone who likes her as much as she likes him. his name is Doctor Richard and he couldn’t be sweeter but then he gets attacked in her home. Who is out to get Kayla and why? detective Harvey was supposed to be investigating but it seems he already has a suspect and that’s Kayla herself and he really believes she did it until he doesn’t. As I said this book was entertaining but once it got to I believe her name was Kayla they don’t say her name a lot so I don’t remember what it was but it’s the rich lady in the big house and she was so annoying.I wouldn’t deter anyone from reading it but it’s not a book I would bring up with someone that asked me to recommend a good thriller. I would still read another book by him because there are lots of great riding and this is my first book by him so I just hope her other books aren’t the same. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank god it’s over

[Lane Bisson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book hooked me the first 100 pages but then I lost interest and kept forcing myself to read it to get it over with lol. This book had twists only in the ending, so the rest of the book felt boring to me. The twist at the end was unexpected but not good enough to make up for the rest of it being kinda slow.

FULL SUMMARY WITH ENDING+SPOILERS:
Prolouge: character describes being in a house burning down, shouting for Daniel but a beam falls on him and kills him, character barely escapes the fire.

Now:
Kelly Reynolds is a nervous wreck moving into her new amazing house in East Hampton. It’s a new home, new town, new beginning post fire. She still smells phantom smoke and is still anxious when a new neighbor, Caroline, comes up to the door and introduce s herself. Kelly reminds herself that Caroline, and no one in town for that matter, knows anything about her or her past. She wills herself to start a new normal life tomorrow. She walks around town, meets a few neighbors, goes to an HOA meeting, and grabs a drink with neighbor and doctor, Richard. After the drink Kelly smiles and feels like for the first time in al long time, things will be okay.

Then:
Kelly is in her house when a stranger knocks on the door. It’s a lady named Roxanne she says her car broke down, her phones dead, she needs help. Kelly lets her in to use the phone and offers her a coffee while she waits for the car repair person. She asks unusual questions and seems rehearsed in her answers when Kelly asks her. Kellys husband Daniel says she shouldn’t let people in because maybe she was scouting to steal. She ends up getting coffee with her the next week and it became a pattern of hanging out. One day she shows up at the house to hangout unexpectedly and Roxanne introduces her to Daniel. Kelly notes that Roxanne looked at Daniel like she did the kitchen the first day they met, like she wanted it.

Now: Kelly get paranoid about neighbors discovering her past. Richard come over one night with extra food and she welcomes him in and they chat for a while. Later that evening she finds a typed out note through her mail slot that says ‘I know what you did’.

Kelly gets invited to a neighborhood womens brunch. At the brunch Caroline presses Kelly about how difficult the fire must have been, the investigation, etc. Kelly cant take it so she races home in panic. Richard comes over later to comfort her, they kiss and he lets her sleep peacefully.

Then: Roxanne started coming around more and more, making dinner in their home, having conversation with Daniel without Kelly. It was like Kelly got in the way for Roxanne and Daniel to be friends.

Now: Kelly is feeling optimistic and sort of happy now in her routine with Richard and the neighborhood until another letter comes in the mail slot. This time the letter says “you should have burned too” and in the envelope is her warped and burnt wedding band, like someone must have gone into the crime scene of the fire and found it. She goes into an almost 3 day paranoia bender - not sleeping, checking all the locks. Richard gets worried about her and she lets him come over to comfort her. She tells him that shes gotten notes/threats about her past. He ends up seeing it in a drawer and asks her who would be sending this and what do they think she did? He decides to take the note incase they need it and he stays to comfort her more. He leaves with the note and Kelly hopes he doesnt investigate further, hes not dumb.

Then: Roxanne comes over one day for breakfast now and insinuates that Daniel is a little too flirty with other women. Not her necessarily, but she mentions the elderly woman next door. Kelly gets very snappy with her and Roxanne leaves and stays away. Kelly notes that she realizes this was all Roseanne’s manipulation, make Kelly feel like she over reacted, like Roxanne was just trying to be a good friend, but Kelly stood firm knowing that Roxanne must have had bad intentions. She plans to tell Daniel when he comes home but he had had a rough day so she doesn’t say anything.

Now: rumors are flying around town about Kelly and how her story doesn’t add up. She’s growingly paranoid. One night she notices a shape outside in her backyard. The next night she sees it is a person standing there. She calls the police.

Then: Kelly comes home from work early to find Daniel and Roxanne about to hookup. They have been cheating for a few weeks. Kelly tells Roxanne to get out and makes Daniel go stay in a hotel. She removes all traces of Roxanne in the house and plans for when Roxanne inevitably comes back for the last word.

Now: an intruder breaks into Kelly’s house and Richard was staying over so he comes down and attacks him. Richard gets hit over the head and is in critical condition. At the hospital the same police officer Officer Harvey was called in to talk to Kelly. He is suspicious about Kelly and the fire and why she has had intruders.

Then: Daniel comes back home and gaslights Kelly into thinking it wasn’t an affair, it was just a kiss, they never even had sex (only because Kelly had walked in on them). He makes it seem like Kelly is unwell and catastrophized the whole thing. Roxanne comes over when Daniel is away to talk. Kelly lets her in.

Now: When Kelly gets back from the hospital, she sees muddy footprints and the message “I’ll get you next time” on the boarded up window. She calls the cops and Harvey comes over and checks the place out. It’s all clear and he apologizes to her for being so harsh and he stays to help her feel comfortable and open. Kelly sleeps for the first time in a long time. Then she wakes up with a gun pressed to her throat and officer Harvey is the one doing it. He admits he’s the one doing the ring, the notes, and he has questions she needs to explain and they have a long drive ahead.

Then: Roxanne had come over one night. They all go into a fight and through Kelly trying to lunge at Roxanne a kitchen towel caught flame and lit the whole kitchen on fire. Kelly was paralyzed with fear as Daniel died and Roxanne just stood there staring at her.

Now: Officer harvey takes Kelly to her old burned down house and tells her to tell the truth about what happened. He is actually Daniel’s half brother who Kelly never knew existed. Kelly remains that she didn’t try to kill him, but she admits that she hated him so much in that moment she was happy he was dying. Harvey says Roxanne never existed and that no one can find any evidence of her. The floor below them collapses in.

Then:
Kelly gets Daniel’s life insurance and inheritance

Now: Kelly and Harvey are in the house and they are trapped with wood and debris. Kelly gets up but Harvey is stuck. She decides to help him and she tried to unstick him but doesn’t get him out before everything collapses. She wakes up in the hospital room and cops tell her a neighbor thought they heard a collapse so the cops came to check out the house and found them. Harvey is dead and they found in his house notes about Harvey stalking Kelly for months. Kelly acts like she didn’t know he was his brother and they see her as a victim. Richard is good in the hospital and they have a long nice talk about how Kelly doesn’t haven’t to share every detail of her past and he still cares about her.

Roxanne:
Roxanne plotted to take over the Reynolds lives months before she showed up to their door that day. She worked her way in and planned it all. The fire was an accident, she was planning to make it look like some break in gone wrong, but it worked to her advantage. Daniel died, she saw that Kelly was happy he was dying, and when Kelly got out, Roxanne killed her and hid her body. Roxanne then took Kelly’s identity, the money, everything, and moved to east hampton. She pretended to be the grieving widow but this whole story has really been Roxanne.

[Hope Brace · Rating 2 out of 5]

don’t waste your time

[Chapters_with_VDKeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y’all, Rich, Little Liars is a solid read that serves up money, secrets, and enough shady behavior to make a reality TV reunion look tame. 🍾👀

After a house fire kills her husband, Kelly Reynolds disappears into the East Hamptons, where the lawns are perfect, the smiles are polished, and everybody seems to be hiding something. When anonymous notes start showing up, Kelly’s carefully rebuilt life begins to crack faster than cheap mascara in a rainstorm.

AJ Carter keeps the pages flying with juicy twists, suspicious neighbors, and plenty of rich-people drama. I guessed a couple of the surprises before they landed, which kept it from five stars, but I was still fully invested in the chaos.

Think Desperate Housewives with deeper pockets and darker secrets. Messy, entertaining, and packed with enough gossip and deception to keep me flipping pages way past bedtime. 🔥

Thanks to #NetGalley, A.J. Carter and Boldwood Books for a copy of Rich Little Liars for my honest, voluntary review. #RichLittleLiars #AJCarter #BoldwoodBooks #NewRelease

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital advanced readers copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

I thought it was a good story with 2 good twists. There is a Dual Timeline where Kelly Reynolds life is falling apart in the past and when she tries to rebuild it in the present - without her husband Daniel since he died in a tragic house fire in the past.

She moves to East Hampton but I kept thinking she should not have done that. It’s a close knit community and she feels they are gossiping about her, watching her and excluding her. She seems to be unraveling.

She meets a doctor who believes she is a good person and he really likes her. I felt this character was flat and thought his desire to spend time with Kelly was somewhat quick and unrealistic.

The beginning of the story was slower paced but after about 65% the plot seemed to come together. I enjoyed it despite the identity of one person being a blindside. The concluding chapter helped some things that happened previously to make sense in hindsight.

[EricaReadsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, it wasn’t horrible but not great either. I guessed the plot twist about half way through the book and I feel like this story has been done many times before. It was a quick read if you are in the mood for a forgettable suspense novel.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is predictable and I guessed this ending about twenty minutes in. This is a trite story told a thousand times and a thousand times better. Resist the pressure, save your time and turn away..nothing new to read here.

[Katie Dierckens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by A.J. Carter and was very impressed. It was fast paced and kept me guessing and just went I thought I had it figured out then came the real twist.

[Charlotte Lack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in two days! Haven’t read a book with an ending with such an unanticipated twist in a very long time. Easy read that kept me hooked the entire time. Probably closer to a 4.5 as Kelly harped on a lot about guilt when it ended up being slightly more anti-climactic. But the 5 is warranted for the ending!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

a lot of lead up for a mid climax
this just wasn’t that good in my opinion
the characters weren’t developed much and some of them were extremely pointless :(

[Penny Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this read. Lots of twists although guessed the end.

[Jenna Whalen · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

The story itself was good, steady, and I liked the flashback vs current chapters. But the ENDING WAS GREAT. I did not see that twist coming at all!!!!

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

RICH LITTLE LIARS BY AJ CARTER.
4 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
This was so good and soooo blooming messy and I was so here for it.
Really great psychological thriller

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sizzling, addictive East Hamptons domestic suspense!

"A relentlessly pacy thriller where a grieving recluse is forced to play a high-society game of cat-and-mouse against anonymous threats."

In RICH LITTLE LIARS, author AJ Carter delivers an atmospheric, affluent coastal New York contemporary psychological thriller mystery. The story hinges on a traumatized house fire survivor facing immense social hurdles and toxic town gossip to keep her dark history buried. Reclusive widow vs. an elitist neighborhood of hidden corruption.

Elevator Pitch
Hoping to erase the memory of the tragic house fire that killed her husband, a widow flees to a wealthy East Hamptons enclave for a fresh start, only to be dragged into the inner social circle of her elite neighbors just as an anonymous letter arrives with five chilling words: I know what you did.

Setting
The pristine, ultra-exclusive coastal community of the East Hamptons, New York. The story shifts between tense neighborhood brunch gatherings, sprawling luxury beachfront estates, and the lingering, smoky memories of a devastating house fire.

Vibe
Tense, paranoid, and twisty. It perfectly pairs the glamorous, "rich people problems" drama of Big Little Lies with the suffocating, slow-burning dread of a classic small-town psychological conspiracy.

Genre
Psychological Thriller / Domestic Suspense / Crime Fiction.

Themes
~The Facade of Wealth
~Judgment and Survivor's Guilt
~The Impossibility of Escape
~Betrayal and Complicity

KELLY REYNOLDS: THE PARANOID RECLUSE
Turning a desperate desire to stay hidden into a sharp-eyed defense strategy against her neighbors.

Standout Characters
~Kelly Reynolds: The protagonist; a traumatized widow trying to rebuild her life while fiercely guarding a secret she is willing to kill to protect.

~Richard and Roxanne: The neighborhood power brokers; a pair of elite, affluent instigators whose welcoming exterior hides a deeply calculated agenda.

Author Writing Standout
Carter’s signature gift for writing twisty, razor-sharp suspense fiction set in glamorous locations shines through in his relentless, fast pacing.

Takeaway
A pristine reputation is often the ultimate camouflage for a monster; the secrets we run the fastest from are always the ones that have a knife waiting at the finish line.

Title Significance
Rich Little Liars acts as a direct, scathing indictment of the East Hamptons social elite. It highlights how easily immense wealth can buy absolute privacy, while simultaneously signaling that every elegant neighbor Kelly encounters is hiding a dark truth of their own.

Metaphor
The five-word anonymous letters serve as the central metaphor of the novel. They represent an inescapable digital and physical mirror—a tool that shatters the protective illusions of Kelly’s expensive new sanctuary and forces her to look directly at the ash and smoke of her past.

Why You Should Read
Read this if you are a fan of fast-paced, twisty domestic thrillers like those by Jamie Day, Emily Shiner, Freida McFadden, Miranda Rijks, Daniel Hurst, or if you love glamorous, multi-POV mysteries filled with messy relationships and jaw-dropping final reveals.

My Thoughts
The novel succeeds in building immediate psychological tension. The Hamptons timeline is perfectly captured—not just through aesthetics, but through the heavy social anxieties of neighborhood gossip and the systemic corruption of the town's elite. Kelly is an unforgettable lead; her vulnerability, fear, and ultimate survival instinct make her journey highly grounding. Full of scandal, secrets, paranoia, deception, and lies.

Verdict: 4 / 5 Stars
"A sizzling, addictive East Hamptons domestic suspense popcorn thriller. It perfectly pairs glamorous "rich people problems" drama with the suffocating, slow-burning dread of a classic small-town psychological conspiracy." #CoverLove

Recs
~The Family Secret by AJ Carter
~The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
~The Neighbors Are Watching by Maggie Blum Thompson
~The Block Party by Jamie Day

Special thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: June 5, 2026
June 2026 Must-Read Books
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[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich Little Liars opens with a dead husband, a house fire, and a woman relocating to the East Hamptons, which is basically the universal sign for, “this is not a fresh start, this is Act Two of the disaster.”

Kelly Reynolds survives the fire that kills her husband, Daniel, and promptly moves into a neighborhood full of pristine hedges, expensive smiles, and the kind of women who definitely know your business before your Amazon package hits the porch. Everyone is polished, everyone is watching, and everyone somehow manages to look judgmental while holding a glass of white wine. It’s like if Desperate Housewives had a trust fund and a Pilates membership.

Kelly is trying very hard to be normal, which of course makes her look immediately suspicious. Then anonymous notes start appearing, reminding her that somebody knows what really happened the night of the fire, and suddenly her rich-neighbor nightmare upgrades into full psychological thriller mode. Nothing says “welcome to the community” like a threatening note and a passive-aggressive garden party.

And Kelly... she is a lot. She is paranoid, twitchy, secretive, and makes choices that had me staring at the page like I was her unpaid therapist. She has the emotional energy of someone repeatedly saying “I just want peace” while actively walking deeper into the world’s most obvious mess. But honestly, I kind of respected it. Trauma does not make you charming and efficient. Sometimes it makes you weird at brunch and suspicious of anyone holding a casserole dish.

The flashbacks were where the real gossip lived. Present-day Kelly spends a lot of time feeling watched, which, yes, girl, because this is literally called Rich Little Liars. But the past timeline with Daniel, the unraveling marriage, the emotional manipulation, and all the ugly little cracks before everything catches fire, that’s where the story really starts cooking. You realize pretty quickly this is not just a sad widow story. This is a “everyone in this marriage needed either a divorce lawyer or an exorcist” story.

Then there’s Richard, the handsome neighbor who is nice to her, which in thrillers is basically the same as someone showing up wearing a shirt that says DEFINITELY TRUST ME. I do not trust nice men in domestic suspense. I have seen You. I have lived. Every time he appeared, I was like, sir, explain your vibe immediately. The book knows exactly what it’s doing there, and I had a great time accusing him of crimes from my couch.

Officer Harvey did test my patience a little because some of that detective thread felt so convenient it practically arrived gift-wrapped. I was willing to suspend disbelief, but I was doing it with my arms crossed. Still, I’ll forgive a lot if the final act delivers, and this one mostly does. The twist wasn’t a full throw-the-book-across-the-room moment for me, but it had enough bite that I got that deeply satisfying “I KNEW something was off” feeling, which is honestly half the joy of reading thrillers.

And that ending does a lot of heavy lifting. Suddenly Kelly’s paranoia makes more sense, the neighborhood weirdness clicks into place, and you get that lovely little thriller aftertaste where you want to flip back and see what the author was smirking about the whole time. I appreciate a book that lets me feel both smarter than everyone and completely played.

This is a fast, messy, suspiciously glamorous read, the kind of book you inhale in one sitting while loudly announcing “I hate everyone in this and I need to know what happens next.” It’s not the sharpest knife in the thriller drawer, but it is absolutely fun, and sometimes fun is all I’m asking for. Not every book needs to be Gone Girl. Sometimes I just want rich people behaving badly and a woman unraveling near a decorative hydrangea.

For me, this sat comfortably at 4 stars, which is the literary equivalent of saying, “Was this a little ridiculous? Yes. Did I still stay up until midnight finishing it because I needed answers? Also yes.” And honestly, that’s a respectable place to live.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Suspect Every Blonde Woman Holding a Cheese Board

Huge thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for handing me this deliciously messy ARC, because nothing brings people together quite like rich people lying in waterfront property.

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Rich Little Liars in exchange for an honest review.

Rich Little Liars is a psychological thriller that slowly unravels the story of Kelly, a woman trying to escape her past after a devastating house fire claims her husband’s life. Told across dual timelines, the novel gradually reveals the events that led her to East Hampton and the secrets she desperately wants to keep buried.

I initially found Kelly easy to sympathise with. Her struggles with anxiety, PTSD, and an unhappy marriage felt authentic and relatable. However, as the story progressed, I became increasingly frustrated with some of her choices and the way she allowed herself to be manipulated. At times, I wanted to shake her and tell her to not only stand up for herself but to get out of the damn house rather than hiding behind the curtains!

The dual timeline structure worked well, steadily revealing new information and keeping the mystery alive. Early on, I thought I had the story figured out and found some of Kelly’s vague confessions repetitive. Then the book delivered a major twist that completely changed my perspective and made me reconsider everything I thought I knew. It was one of those moments where you realise the clues were there all along.

The supporting cast added plenty of drama and tension, although I felt some character motivations could have been explored further. In particular, I would have liked more development of Kelly and Richard’s relationship, as I struggled to fully understand why Richard the kind local doctor became so devoted to her.

My main issue was the pacing in the final quarter of the book. By that point, I was becoming impatient with the constant angst and wanted answers sooner. While the ending was satisfying and delivered some genuine surprises, I personally think the big reveal could have arrived a little earlier. I was also left with a few unanswered questions.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and easy-to-read psychological thriller with an intriguing mystery, strong suspense, and a memorable twist. Fans of domestic suspense and books like The Housemaid will likely find plenty to enjoy here.

3.75 stars.

[Supriya K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich Little Liars by @ajcarterbooks
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Psychological Thriller

 After surviving a house fire that killed her husband, Kelly Reynolds moves to the East Hamptons hoping for a fresh start. But when anonymous notes begin appearing at her door, she realizes someone knows the truth about that night. As secrets unravel and danger closes in, Kelly's new life starts falling apart.

My Screams: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was dealing with a migraine yesterday and needed a distraction.

Big mistake

Because once I started this book, there was no putting it down.

From chapter one, I was hooked

This is Kelly's story a newly widowed woman trying to rebuild her life after tragedy. Told through a Then and Now timeline, the story slowly reveals the secrets, betrayals, and heartbreak that shaped her life.

What starts as a fresh beginning quickly turns into a nightmare when anonymous notes begin appearing and a stalker starts making Kelly's life miserable.

What hit me the hardest was how suffocating her life felt. Kelly is constantly looking over her shoulder, questioning everyone around her, and wondering who she can trust.

This quote perfectly sums up Kelly

I am: a woman at the end of her rope, desperate for someone anyone *to help her hold on.💔

That broke my heart.

And then there was Daniel.

THE AUDACITY OF THAT MAN. 😤

Every scene with him had my blood pressure rising. The gaslighting was absolutely infuriating, and more than once I wanted to reach into the book and slap him.

I became completely obsessed with one question:

Who is the stalker?

I needed answers.

I was so immersed in the story that I couldn't stop reading. Kelly felt incredibly lonely and hopeless, both in the past and the present, and every new betrayal made me want to give this woman a hug and tell her to run.

By the final chapters, I was practically holding my breath.

The tension was unbelievable.

Then I thought I could finally relax...

And I read the last chapter.

EXCUSE ME?!

WHAT DID I JUST READ??? 😱⚡

I sat there staring at my screen in complete shock.

AJ Carter got me good

Go read this book

Seriously

Just go read it

P.S Roxanne, Daniel,Harvey straight into the dustbin

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was thankfully a quick read because I knew what was going on from almost the very beginning. Kelly has moved to East Hampton after a fire that killed her husband and destroyed their home. She’s looking to start over with a quiet new life. But almost as soon as she moves in, she starts receiving threatening notes. She already can’t handle the inquisitive nature of her neighbors and is determined not to talk about what happened with the fire. She continuously alludes to ‘the truth of that night’ and ‘what really happened’, so we know there’s some secret about it that she’s terrified someone has figured out.

The reader sees from two different perspectives, in the present as she tries to settle in and in the past, leading up to the fire. She only has one friend now, a prospective love interest named Richard, who’s pretty much the perfect man. He’s single, kind, patient, compassionate, and always available at the drop of a hat, because how busy can a Hamptons doctor be, apparently? And yet he’s still single and uninterested in anyone until Kelly arrives.

I can’t even mention the part of the story that gave everything away because as soon as you read about that character, you realize what happened. So once you figure that out, you’ve got 75% of the book to get through, waiting for it to be revealed. And it’s just a whole lot of Kelly being scared and starting to tell ‘the whole truth’ to Richard and then deciding ‘no, I just can’t, he’ll never stay with me.’ It actually happens with these exact words several times throughout the book! There just wasn't enough substance to the story, with a lot of repetition to add filler.

I think it would have been better as a short story – tightened up, no repetition, and moving so fast you don’t have time to consider what’s truly going on.

My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advanced reading copy of this book.

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Reynolds survives a house fire that killed her husband. Their home is destroyed and the insurance company pays out, allowing Kelly to make a fresh start. Now that Kelly is a rich woman, living in an expensive home in an upmarket area, can she fit into this wealthy community without people questioning her past?

Rich Little Liars is a psychological thriller from Bristol, UK based author A.J. Carter. This time the author travels across the pond to East Hampton, in the state of New York, US. Having read 3 of his novels before, I found it strange for a British author to change to an American setting, with American English spelling and local words. Once I got over this surprise, I found that this story would work anywhere in the whole world, not just places with trash cans and cell phones!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rich Little Liars, the tension starts from the first page. Warning flags spring up all the time as this story develops. Normally one of my pet hates is changing time frames but Rich Little Liars is the exception. The author skillfully tells the story with each chapter beginning either “Then” or “Now”, being before or after the house fire. What this does for the reader is to build a story of how it is from Kelly’s point of view. So I became totally absorbed with the daily detail of Kelly’s life both before and after the house fire. I developed a strong empathy for Kelly and felt her husband had many, many faults.

I thought the plot was BRILLIANT making Rich Little Liars an outstanding 5 star read. Just when I thought that Kelly had got over the worst of her troubles, ready to live happily ever after with her new boyfriend Richard, there was a final shock with the ending of this novel. That is why this is a psychological thriller and not a romance of a widow making a new life for herself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Boldwood Books for passing me an ARC on the understanding that I post a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich Little Liars by A.J. Carter gave me exactly the kind of chaotic rich-people thriller energy I tend to fly through in a day. 😅 Think: perfect neighborhoods, people pretending everything is fine, women unraveling, secrets everywhere, and that constant feeling that somebody is lying straight to your face.

Kelly moves to East Hampton after her husband dies in a house fire, trying to start over and basically disappear into this polished wealthy community. But then the anonymous notes start showing up and you immediately know this woman is about to absolutely lose her peace.

I’ll be honest… Kelly stressed me out a little. 😂 There were moments where her paranoia and spiraling started to feel repetitive, and I definitely wanted more from the neighbors because honestly THEY were the people I was most interested in. Give me the nosy rich women with hidden skeletons. That’s my thing.

But even with that, I still ate this book up. The short chapters made it ridiculously bingeable and the setting felt so vivid. It reminded me of one of those trashy-but-addictive true crime documentaries where everybody looks polished on the outside but behind closed doors everything is falling apart.

I did figure out part of the twist before the reveal, so it wasn’t a jaw-on-the-floor thriller for me, but there were still enough turns and messy reveals to keep me fully entertained. This is the kind of book I’d throw in a beach bag or read poolside while ignoring responsibilities.

I’d personally give this one about ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Not a perfect thriller for me, but absolutely entertaining, fast-paced, and easy to binge.

If you love wealthy neighborhood drama, secrets, paranoia, toxic relationships, and thrillers that feel like a Netflix series waiting to happen, this one is worth picking up.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to A.J. Carter, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for a copy of Rich Little Liars in exchange for an honest review.

This book and I entered a toxic relationship almost immediately. 💀

Kelly moves to the glamorous world of East Hampton after a fire kills her husband, supposedly looking for a fresh start, but from the very beginning I could not connect with her at all. Not in a “love to hate her” thriller way either. Just plain exhausting. Every decision felt dramatic for the sake of drama, and I spent most of the book wanting literally anyone else to take over the storyline.

The biggest issue? The “big secret” practically walked into the room wearing a neon sign within the first few chapters. Once I figured it out that early, I kept waiting for the story to pull a rabbit out of its designer handbag and surprise me with something. A twist. A shocking reveal. A reason for all the slow circling. Instead, the plot just kept stretching itself thinner and thinner like dollar-store taffy until I was mentally begging the chapters to speed up.

This honestly felt like a story that could have been told in five sharp, fast-paced chapters instead of dragging itself across an entire novel. There was so much repetition, so much filler, and not nearly enough payoff. For a thriller set among wealthy secrets and scandal, it somehow managed to feel strangely flat. And that ending? By the time it arrived, I was less “shocked and amazed” and more “finally, sweet freedom.”

Final Verdict:
A thriller that spilled its secrets way too early and then spent the rest of the book wandering around East Hampton hoping nobody would notice. Unlikable characters, painfully predictable twists, and pacing slower than a traffic jam in a gated community valet line. One of my biggest disappointments of 2026. ⭐☆