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Bailey Weggins Mystery #7
Even if it Kills Her
Kate White returns to her New York Times bestselling Bailey Weggins’ Mystery series, with this favorite true-crime journalist turned sleuth’s most chilling case to date.
Bailey Weggins’ great new friend in college, Jillian Lowe, had everything going for her. Pretty, popular, and whip-smart, she lit up any room that she walked into. All of that dramatically changed during her sophomore year, when a neighbor became unhinged and murdered her family. Jillian immediately left school, and ever since, Bailey has felt guilty for not staying in closer contact and being a greater support to her friend.
Now, sixteen years later, Bailey is shocked to see Jillian at her book event, and even more stunned when her still-gorgeous friend approaches her with a case. The man accused of murdering her family is on the brink of being cleared of the crime through new DNA evidence. With the real killer walking free, Jillian is desperate for Bailey’s help to identify him and allow her the closure she yearns for.
As the two women return to Jillian’s childhood town to investigate, it doesn’t take long for their sleuthing to cause shock waves. Someone starts watching their every move. As they uncover deeply-guarded secrets, so shocking that they make Jillian rethink her entire relationship to her family, Bailey and Jillian find themselves in great peril. They must decide just how much they’re willing to risk to finally discover the truth about the Lowe family’s murder.
Bailey Weggins’ great new friend in college, Jillian Lowe, had everything going for her. Pretty, popular, and whip-smart, she lit up any room that she walked into. All of that dramatically changed during her sophomore year, when a neighbor became unhinged and murdered her family. Jillian immediately left school, and ever since, Bailey has felt guilty for not staying in closer contact and being a greater support to her friend.
Now, sixteen years later, Bailey is shocked to see Jillian at her book event, and even more stunned when her still-gorgeous friend approaches her with a case. The man accused of murdering her family is on the brink of being cleared of the crime through new DNA evidence. With the real killer walking free, Jillian is desperate for Bailey’s help to identify him and allow her the closure she yearns for.
As the two women return to Jillian’s childhood town to investigate, it doesn’t take long for their sleuthing to cause shock waves. Someone starts watching their every move. As they uncover deeply-guarded secrets, so shocking that they make Jillian rethink her entire relationship to her family, Bailey and Jillian find themselves in great peril. They must decide just how much they’re willing to risk to finally discover the truth about the Lowe family’s murder.
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
761 people are currently reading
5873 people want to read
About the author
Kate White
53 books2,821 followersKate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels of suspense: eleven standalone psychological thrillers, including The Last Time She Saw Him (2024), and eight Bailey Weggins mysteries.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense fiction.
Kate’s first mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense fiction.
Kate’s first mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
January 3, 2018
Argh.
Weak is the word that first came to mind upon finishing this book. Decent premise, but weak development. Weak characters, a plot line that dragged on, and an ending that seemed to rapidly evolve out of nowhere. Weak. And disappointing. Unfortunately, I’ll not be in a rush to read another in this series.
Weak is the word that first came to mind upon finishing this book. Decent premise, but weak development. Weak characters, a plot line that dragged on, and an ending that seemed to rapidly evolve out of nowhere. Weak. And disappointing. Unfortunately, I’ll not be in a rush to read another in this series.
November 1, 2017
I liked this book but gave it only 3 stars because of the ending...it just felt rushed after the slower pace of the plot build up.
October 19, 2017
Review to come later.
Quick thoughts:
This is the first new Bailey Weggins book in awhile. Bailey is one of my fav characters ( right up with Kinsey from Sue Grafton character & Fina from Ingrid Thoft)
The mystery is intense. There are secrets and Bailey is unsure who to trust. I love unsolved cases and family secrets so this worked on many levels for me!
Bailey is back and I'm SO glad!!!!
Quick thoughts:
This is the first new Bailey Weggins book in awhile. Bailey is one of my fav characters ( right up with Kinsey from Sue Grafton character & Fina from Ingrid Thoft)
The mystery is intense. There are secrets and Bailey is unsure who to trust. I love unsolved cases and family secrets so this worked on many levels for me!
Bailey is back and I'm SO glad!!!!
November 26, 2017
4.5/5 stars
Even If It Kills Her is a psychological thriller in the Bailey Weggins Mystery Series. It is the seventh book in this series. However this book can be read as a standalone.
This is my first book in this series. I enjoyed the author's last book The Secrets You Keep and I love mystery thrillers. So I decided to read this book even though I haven't read any of the previous books in the Bailey Weggins series. The mystery is self contained to this book. And I was able to easily follow the story without having read any of the previous books.
The narrator is 36 year old Bailey Weggins (1st person POV). Bailey is a true-crime journalist turned amateur sleuth.
Bailey is looking for a new true-crime book to write. Her college roommate Jillian shows up and asks for Bailey's help. When they were in college Jillian's family was murdered. There are now major concerns that the person who was convicted is innocent.
There are a lot of characters in this book. Some of the characters' names are too similar and I found it a bit confusing (Jillian, Julia, Jocelyn).
This book featured a very interesting mystery. There were a lot of viable suspects, which I loved. I really enjoyed learning the facts as Bailey discovered them. I could not put the book down.
This book was a real nail-biter all the way to the end. It was a really enjoyable mystery.
For me the ending is everything. And truthfully I am not sure if I loved the ending. I did figure out who did it before the reveal. And I don't know if I am happy or satisfied with the direction the author took re: the killer. There was definitely one twist towards the end that was very impressive.
Overall, Even If It Kills Her was a very strong book. You can definitely read it even if you're new to this series. I really liked it!
Thanks to edelweiss and Harper Paperbacks for allowing me to read this book.
Even If It Kills Her is a psychological thriller in the Bailey Weggins Mystery Series. It is the seventh book in this series. However this book can be read as a standalone.
This is my first book in this series. I enjoyed the author's last book The Secrets You Keep and I love mystery thrillers. So I decided to read this book even though I haven't read any of the previous books in the Bailey Weggins series. The mystery is self contained to this book. And I was able to easily follow the story without having read any of the previous books.
The narrator is 36 year old Bailey Weggins (1st person POV). Bailey is a true-crime journalist turned amateur sleuth.
Bailey is looking for a new true-crime book to write. Her college roommate Jillian shows up and asks for Bailey's help. When they were in college Jillian's family was murdered. There are now major concerns that the person who was convicted is innocent.
There are a lot of characters in this book. Some of the characters' names are too similar and I found it a bit confusing (Jillian, Julia, Jocelyn).
This book featured a very interesting mystery. There were a lot of viable suspects, which I loved. I really enjoyed learning the facts as Bailey discovered them. I could not put the book down.
This book was a real nail-biter all the way to the end. It was a really enjoyable mystery.
For me the ending is everything. And truthfully I am not sure if I loved the ending. I did figure out who did it before the reveal. And I don't know if I am happy or satisfied with the direction the author took re: the killer. There was definitely one twist towards the end that was very impressive.
Overall, Even If It Kills Her was a very strong book. You can definitely read it even if you're new to this series. I really liked it!
Thanks to edelweiss and Harper Paperbacks for allowing me to read this book.
October 17, 2018
This review is for the audiobook of “Even if it Kills Her” by Kate White, read by Susie Berneis, and published by Dreamscape Audio.
Audio: 3 stars
Ms. Berneis has a husky and sultry voice that definitely appears, upon first listen, to be an appropriate fit for this novel. However, as time goes on, I started to find her voice intoxicating, to the point where it was lulling me into sleep. Her deep, monotonous voice would have worked as a lullaby for me. With only one narrator as well, I found it difficult to differentiate between characters (Berneis seemed to have one standard female voice and one standard male voice), as well as when the main character was thinking versus when she was actually saying her thoughts out loud. I have not heard Berneis on any other audio CDs, so I can’t speak to that, but she does not match the timing and pace of this novel.
Story: 3.5
After the horrible death of her family, Jillian left college (and her roommate, Bailey) and the two lost touch. Bailey is plagued by guilt over not being there for her friend in her time of need, so when Jillian reaches out after ten years, Bailey is more than happy to help. It turns out, Jillian needs Bailey’s investigative and creative skills as a murder-mystery writer. The man who had been charged with her family’s death has died in prison, and there is evidence to believe that he wasn’t the man responsible. As Bailey investigates, and Jillian delves deep into the painful memories of her past, both suddenly become the centre of a very dangerous and life threatening game. Together they must find out who really killed Jillian’s family, before the real killer silences them for good.
“Even if it Kills Her” is the seventh novel in the “Bailey Weggins Mystery” series by the Kate White. For those following along, you do not need to read these novels in any kind of order. After reading only one (and the most recent one at that) I did not feel last or confused by the plot and was able to understand the characters’ and their motivations almost immediately.
That being said, the novel had a wide range of characters (as is typical mystery novel fashion- to add more bulk to the ‘whodunnit’) , but a lot of them were unnecessary (I did not understand the importance of Bailey’s visits with her aunt. Besides the obvious familial connection, she added little to the story) When the “twist” of the novel is revealed, it is unrealistic and completely unbelievable (in the “there is absolutely no way they did not know that” sort of way) . I had made a guess at who I thought was the killer and, although I was wrong, it actually would’ve made more sense with my ending.
The novel wraps up nicely, with the mystery solved and everyone getting their happy ending, so I give props to Ms. White for that. Perhaps if I investigated (pun intended) Ms. White’s other Weggins’ Mystery novels, I would understand a little more of Bailey and her motivations (such as her desire to completely go against her boyfriend’s concerns and wishes to help out a friend, that she has not seen in ten years, in a potentially dangerous situation) .
Overall, the audio on this novel probably soured me to the plot as a whole. But it definitely provided me with some murder-mystery entertainment (and I love me some serial killer psycho drama) . I will have to check out the other novels in this series, to see what I am missing out on.
Audio: 3 stars
Ms. Berneis has a husky and sultry voice that definitely appears, upon first listen, to be an appropriate fit for this novel. However, as time goes on, I started to find her voice intoxicating, to the point where it was lulling me into sleep. Her deep, monotonous voice would have worked as a lullaby for me. With only one narrator as well, I found it difficult to differentiate between characters (Berneis seemed to have one standard female voice and one standard male voice), as well as when the main character was thinking versus when she was actually saying her thoughts out loud. I have not heard Berneis on any other audio CDs, so I can’t speak to that, but she does not match the timing and pace of this novel.
Story: 3.5
After the horrible death of her family, Jillian left college (and her roommate, Bailey) and the two lost touch. Bailey is plagued by guilt over not being there for her friend in her time of need, so when Jillian reaches out after ten years, Bailey is more than happy to help. It turns out, Jillian needs Bailey’s investigative and creative skills as a murder-mystery writer. The man who had been charged with her family’s death has died in prison, and there is evidence to believe that he wasn’t the man responsible. As Bailey investigates, and Jillian delves deep into the painful memories of her past, both suddenly become the centre of a very dangerous and life threatening game. Together they must find out who really killed Jillian’s family, before the real killer silences them for good.
“Even if it Kills Her” is the seventh novel in the “Bailey Weggins Mystery” series by the Kate White. For those following along, you do not need to read these novels in any kind of order. After reading only one (and the most recent one at that) I did not feel last or confused by the plot and was able to understand the characters’ and their motivations almost immediately.
That being said, the novel had a wide range of characters (as is typical mystery novel fashion- to add more bulk to the ‘whodunnit’) , but a lot of them were unnecessary (I did not understand the importance of Bailey’s visits with her aunt. Besides the obvious familial connection, she added little to the story) When the “twist” of the novel is revealed, it is unrealistic and completely unbelievable (in the “there is absolutely no way they did not know that” sort of way) . I had made a guess at who I thought was the killer and, although I was wrong, it actually would’ve made more sense with my ending.
The novel wraps up nicely, with the mystery solved and everyone getting their happy ending, so I give props to Ms. White for that. Perhaps if I investigated (pun intended) Ms. White’s other Weggins’ Mystery novels, I would understand a little more of Bailey and her motivations (such as her desire to completely go against her boyfriend’s concerns and wishes to help out a friend, that she has not seen in ten years, in a potentially dangerous situation) .
Overall, the audio on this novel probably soured me to the plot as a whole. But it definitely provided me with some murder-mystery entertainment (and I love me some serial killer psycho drama) . I will have to check out the other novels in this series, to see what I am missing out on.
January 30, 2024
I actually liked the writing and story telling style of this but those plot lines??? Far too tangled for me. At the end of a mystery/thriller I am expecting everything to add up and make sense, but the motives revealed felt weak and there were a lot of threads that ended up leading to nowhere which made me feel like a waisted time reading all of them.
May 30, 2021
3.5 stars
Even if It Kills Her is the 7th book in the Bailey Weggins mystery series. Bailey receives a call from a friend from long ago; a friend she feels guilty for not supporting during the loss of her family in a brutal murder. With new evidence discovered, Bailey agrees to help her friend find answers, and possibly inspiration for her own next true crime novel. Her live-in boyfriend, Beau is less than thrilled at the prospect of Bailey putting herself in harms way once again, and this issue creates tension in their relationship.
The mystery was interesting and enjoyable, though not especially gripping or jaw-dropping. The typical cheesiness and blunt manner of speaking are included, and there are a good number of characters with similar sounding names to keep track of, but the unraveling of the mystery was intriguing. The conclusion was a nice, twisty surprise.
I’ve now read all of the books in this series (a bit out of order), and though I haven’t loved them all, it has a been a fun, almost retro-feeling series to read with characters I’ve come to know well.
Even if It Kills Her is the 7th book in the Bailey Weggins mystery series. Bailey receives a call from a friend from long ago; a friend she feels guilty for not supporting during the loss of her family in a brutal murder. With new evidence discovered, Bailey agrees to help her friend find answers, and possibly inspiration for her own next true crime novel. Her live-in boyfriend, Beau is less than thrilled at the prospect of Bailey putting herself in harms way once again, and this issue creates tension in their relationship.
The mystery was interesting and enjoyable, though not especially gripping or jaw-dropping. The typical cheesiness and blunt manner of speaking are included, and there are a good number of characters with similar sounding names to keep track of, but the unraveling of the mystery was intriguing. The conclusion was a nice, twisty surprise.
I’ve now read all of the books in this series (a bit out of order), and though I haven’t loved them all, it has a been a fun, almost retro-feeling series to read with characters I’ve come to know well.
November 28, 2017
Review to follow.
January 29, 2018
Storyline really drags.. some typos/incorrect word usages were very distracting for being in a published piece. Some very tame “scares” for a murder mystery. Then *spoiler alert* a very unlikely murderer comes to light at the end that hardly makes sense. End comes to a crashing halt fast, and is rushed after a LOT of build up. 400 pages worth. Not rushing to read any other pieces by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2017
Another good read by Kate White! I enjoyed this book. I felt like I was at the Brookeshire’s with Bailey investigating with her. I really enjoyed the twist at the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next Bailey Weggins book!
November 20, 2017
Boring.
February 13, 2021
Rounded up to 3.5 stars. I usually enjoy the Bailey Weggins series by Kate White, but this was not one of the best. The story dragged on, with not much happening in the middle of the book, but picked up again in the last third. Still, it was an easy and entertaining read, with lots of suspects and a moderate amount of suspense.
January 8, 2018
I've been reading Kate White ever since her first Bailey Weggins book If Looks Could Kill came out so to say I was looking forward to another installment in the series would be an understatement. Kate White always delivers a suspenseful fast paced thriller and Even If It Kills Her is another page turner.
Bailey Weggins is doing promotion for her latest book when she encounters a college friend Jillian Lowe who asks her to help investigate her family's murders that occurred back when they were in college together. It seems that the person convicted of the crimes is now believed to be innocent and Jillian wants Bailey to help her track down the murderer. Of course, it isn't long until the investigation turns deadly and Bailey may be in over her head.
There are always the right amount of twists, turns and surprises to keep you reading late into the night. If you haven't read any of the other novels in the Bailey Weggins series, you could certainly start with this one.
I received this book courtesy of Harper Paperbacks Harper Collins through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Bailey Weggins is doing promotion for her latest book when she encounters a college friend Jillian Lowe who asks her to help investigate her family's murders that occurred back when they were in college together. It seems that the person convicted of the crimes is now believed to be innocent and Jillian wants Bailey to help her track down the murderer. Of course, it isn't long until the investigation turns deadly and Bailey may be in over her head.
There are always the right amount of twists, turns and surprises to keep you reading late into the night. If you haven't read any of the other novels in the Bailey Weggins series, you could certainly start with this one.
I received this book courtesy of Harper Paperbacks Harper Collins through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2017
I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads. I've recently finished reading the rest of the Bailey Weggins' series so I was excited to win an advanced copy of this one through Goodreads. I think this series is great and seems to grow better and better as the series progresses. This one was my favorite of the series so far. It tied in an interesting back story and crime that occurred 16 years ago. A gruesome, yet interesting story that unraveled slowly. I hope there isn't a long hiatus between the next book in the series!
December 2, 2017
Audiobook Edition
3.5 Stars rounded up
I’ve read/listened to all the Bailey books and it’s a welcome adventure to tag along with her as she undertakes a new investigation, even if it means retreading some well trod paths.
My biggest issue was the narrator for this book, she sounded much older than the character, with many of her characters sounding like they’re getting over being sick. Her male character voices bordered on being a parody.
While I’d likely not listen to a book with this narrator again, Bailey’s investigation was interesting enough to keep me listening.
3.5 Stars rounded up
I’ve read/listened to all the Bailey books and it’s a welcome adventure to tag along with her as she undertakes a new investigation, even if it means retreading some well trod paths.
My biggest issue was the narrator for this book, she sounded much older than the character, with many of her characters sounding like they’re getting over being sick. Her male character voices bordered on being a parody.
While I’d likely not listen to a book with this narrator again, Bailey’s investigation was interesting enough to keep me listening.
November 26, 2017
The entire book was a list of things the main character did to solve a mystery. I should have abandoned it.
March 9, 2018
lamest ending twist ever
May 2, 2018
I was so disappointed- I didn't even finish the book! Kate White is one of my favorite authors, and this book I just could not find any interest in!
January 4, 2019
When I bought this book the synopsis and the price attracted my attention since it's on sale and after I payed for it and went back home I found out that this book was a part of a series but it's still okay to read it even if you haven't read the other books since it looks like a stand alone. During the first chapter it was clearly exciting and you'll surely be interested in the mystery but after finishing the book I was completely disappointed with everything and I'll tell you all about it on my next paragraph.
There's no thrill or suspense in every situation that's considered to be suspenseful, I didn't feel nervous for Bailey or any other character who is in a tight situation nor did I feel scared on reading about the situations that's happening to them. Next is that some of the character names starts with the same letter and they also rhyme so it confused me on while reading about them, I was like "wait so who died? Jillian? or Julia?". Next is this part:
"Once I reached the top of the stoop, I noticed, to my surprise, that the front door was partly ajar. Maybe she'd left it that way to better circulate the air on a hot night."
I literally laughed at this part, of all the things that she can think of, she thought that the lady purposely left her front door slightly ajar at night. Most of the horror, suspense, mystery movies or books I watched/read have this kind of thing, you know door slightly open and then cue in the suspenseful music or sometimes it'll be super quiet and you'll be at the edge of your seat waiting to find out on what happened on the other side of the door. LIKE IT REALLY SMELLS LIKE TROUBLE, but on this book I just practically laughed because of what she's thinking. Next is the revelations on the book, it wasn't suspenseful, it was like any other chapter and it didn't even build up the thrill. I was just reading and then next thing I know Bailey was talking with the culprit and then after a few minutes someone saves her and the killer is dead and while I was reading it the only sentence I said was "that's it?". In the end after finding out that Jillian and Julia were twins I thought that there was gonna be a huge plot twist in the story like it wasn't Julia who was dead but it was actually the real Jillian who was killed that night. I would've much like that version more. Lastly, I want to talk about the phasing of the story, it was super slow and I felt like the author should have made the story shorter. Maybe that way it'll be a little more suspenseful and not totally boring?
There's no thrill or suspense in every situation that's considered to be suspenseful, I didn't feel nervous for Bailey or any other character who is in a tight situation nor did I feel scared on reading about the situations that's happening to them. Next is that some of the character names starts with the same letter and they also rhyme so it confused me on while reading about them, I was like "wait so who died? Jillian? or Julia?". Next is this part:
"Once I reached the top of the stoop, I noticed, to my surprise, that the front door was partly ajar. Maybe she'd left it that way to better circulate the air on a hot night."
I literally laughed at this part, of all the things that she can think of, she thought that the lady purposely left her front door slightly ajar at night. Most of the horror, suspense, mystery movies or books I watched/read have this kind of thing, you know door slightly open and then cue in the suspenseful music or sometimes it'll be super quiet and you'll be at the edge of your seat waiting to find out on what happened on the other side of the door. LIKE IT REALLY SMELLS LIKE TROUBLE, but on this book I just practically laughed because of what she's thinking. Next is the revelations on the book, it wasn't suspenseful, it was like any other chapter and it didn't even build up the thrill. I was just reading and then next thing I know Bailey was talking with the culprit and then after a few minutes someone saves her and the killer is dead and while I was reading it the only sentence I said was "that's it?". In the end after finding out that Jillian and Julia were twins I thought that there was gonna be a huge plot twist in the story like it wasn't Julia who was dead but it was actually the real Jillian who was killed that night. I would've much like that version more. Lastly, I want to talk about the phasing of the story, it was super slow and I felt like the author should have made the story shorter. Maybe that way it'll be a little more suspenseful and not totally boring?
May 23, 2025
Bailey Weggins takes on a cold case at the behest of an old friend in this installment. I throughly enjoyed this book right up to the end where it went off into weird soap opera, VC Andrews territory At first I thought the twist would be more Christie like but it really went no where.
It's been a while since a Bailey mystery was released and in book time it's been two years. Bailey is now a published book author have written a book about the last case involving the murder of the super model Devon (can't remember her last name) she no longer works for ant magazine but freelances and writes books although she can't come up with her next book. While signing books she meets her old college friend Jillian. Jillian's family were brutally murdered while she was at college. Bailey hasn't seen or heard from her since she left school after the murders and she feels guilty for not reaching out to her friend after. Jillian tells her new DNA evidence has put the case in doubt. A young meighbour who was said to be obsessed with Julia, the younger sister of Jillian was convicted and died in jail. Now it seems he didn't do it and Jillian wants to know who did and for Bailey to help her. They head for the Berkshires on the case and begin digging up things people including Jillian wanted kept hidden. There are tense moments like Bailey suffering a horrific dog attack and her several rabies shots that knock her out. But some threads go nowhere like was mom having an affair with her best friend? What about dad possibly abusing a kid in the boy scouts? That one sort of gets resolved but again a let down. Then came the twist about the sisters and in my mind I could see a perfect ending, either Jillian was the target not Julia or Jillian was killed not Julia, maybe Jillian somehow arranged the murders. But it came out of nowhere and was an odd ending. I should've done what another reviewer did and read the ending cause maybe I could pick up on the clues she left. So overall not a bad story but that ending just had me shaking my head.
It's been a while since a Bailey mystery was released and in book time it's been two years. Bailey is now a published book author have written a book about the last case involving the murder of the super model Devon (can't remember her last name) she no longer works for ant magazine but freelances and writes books although she can't come up with her next book. While signing books she meets her old college friend Jillian. Jillian's family were brutally murdered while she was at college. Bailey hasn't seen or heard from her since she left school after the murders and she feels guilty for not reaching out to her friend after. Jillian tells her new DNA evidence has put the case in doubt. A young meighbour who was said to be obsessed with Julia, the younger sister of Jillian was convicted and died in jail. Now it seems he didn't do it and Jillian wants to know who did and for Bailey to help her. They head for the Berkshires on the case and begin digging up things people including Jillian wanted kept hidden. There are tense moments like Bailey suffering a horrific dog attack and her several rabies shots that knock her out. But some threads go nowhere like was mom having an affair with her best friend? What about dad possibly abusing a kid in the boy scouts? That one sort of gets resolved but again a let down. Then came the twist about the sisters and in my mind I could see a perfect ending, either Jillian was the target not Julia or Jillian was killed not Julia, maybe Jillian somehow arranged the murders. But it came out of nowhere and was an odd ending. I should've done what another reviewer did and read the ending cause maybe I could pick up on the clues she left. So overall not a bad story but that ending just had me shaking my head.
September 2, 2018
A crime writer revisits a gruesome murder of the family of a college friend, 16 years later. New suspects emerge; new facts, new violence and new drama surface as the amateur sleuth and surviving friend go back to the scene of the crime. Well-plotted and well-written, this fast-moving story unfolds in a manner that keeps the reader guessing. My first book by this author, and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read it on the heels of a similar easy-reading mystery. Perfect beach mystery.
January 16, 2018
Bailey Weggins is a true crime author in NYC. Back in her college years she and Jillian Lowe were best friends and lost contact after Jillian's family was murdered. After 16 years Jillian contacts her because there is new evidence in the case. Bailey opens up a Pandora's Box of secrets. White's writing was like opening a delicous treat. I really did not expect the ending!
November 23, 2019
Decent mystery, but in another author's hands might have been better. I thought the heroine (Bailey) was quite a pushover and wasted a lot of time. She let her old friend (for whom she was doing a favor) insult her, block her efforts, and make demands. And there was a lot of detail about irrelevancies, such as furnishings of a room at an inn or lunch items.
November 15, 2017
Bailey manages to "solve a mystery" through good-old-fashioned sleuthing. Refreshing read!
January 24, 2018
3.5 stars. Typical PI thriller. Reminded me of Sue Grafton. Entertaining.
March 2, 2018
I enjoyed it but it wasn’t my favorite of hers.
April 5, 2018
Felt that there was more to the story...at least I could envision more and expected more.
This is the first of this series I've read.
This is the first of this series I've read.
October 1, 2019
I found this book to be a pretty good audio to listen to while crafting or walking
November 16, 2020
I am not sure why this book took me so long to finish! It was pretty good. Did not figure out who did the murders. Was surprised by the ending!
February 5, 2021
4.25 stars
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