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Ties that Kill
The Guest List meets Crazy Rich Asians in this sizzling mystery novel with an all-Indian cast.
Six perfect people. Many damning secrets. A death that could expose them all.
Successful entrepreneur Sonia Patel returns to London after seven years to attend her sister’s wedding with a secret agenda. Jia Mehta, a family friend, and an Indian heiress who committed suicide at her own wedding several months ago, sent Sonia a strange text minutes before her death— a text that could lead her to a potential murderer.
Thrown into the glamorous world she left behind; Sonia comes face-to-face with her estranged mother. Mrs. Patel doesn’t like to talk about the past. Or reveal what she knows of Jia’s death.
Alia Patel— confident, poised, and ruthless— is seemingly the perfect daughter and girlfriend. And she’ll go to any lengths to protect what is hers.
Her fiancé Veer is the ideal gentleman— kind, understanding, and intelligent, with a few skeletons in the closet. And he’ll do anything the make sure they stay in the closet.
Their family friend, the shy Rebecca, covets what isn't hers. And her desire could destroy them all.
And Harry, the wedding planner, hides his shady past behind a perfectly tailored suit. He knows all their secrets and isn’t above using them.
As Sonia delves deeper into the mystery of Jia’s death, their lies begin to unravel. Complicated family dynamics emerge, layered with toxic friendships and secret relationships. They’re all hiding something. But who was desperate enough to kill Jia?
Filled with drama, suspense, and twists, Ties that Bind Kill is an entertaining mystery novel that examines the nature of relationships— ties that we die for and ties that we kill for.
Six perfect people. Many damning secrets. A death that could expose them all.
Successful entrepreneur Sonia Patel returns to London after seven years to attend her sister’s wedding with a secret agenda. Jia Mehta, a family friend, and an Indian heiress who committed suicide at her own wedding several months ago, sent Sonia a strange text minutes before her death— a text that could lead her to a potential murderer.
Thrown into the glamorous world she left behind; Sonia comes face-to-face with her estranged mother. Mrs. Patel doesn’t like to talk about the past. Or reveal what she knows of Jia’s death.
Alia Patel— confident, poised, and ruthless— is seemingly the perfect daughter and girlfriend. And she’ll go to any lengths to protect what is hers.
Her fiancé Veer is the ideal gentleman— kind, understanding, and intelligent, with a few skeletons in the closet. And he’ll do anything the make sure they stay in the closet.
Their family friend, the shy Rebecca, covets what isn't hers. And her desire could destroy them all.
And Harry, the wedding planner, hides his shady past behind a perfectly tailored suit. He knows all their secrets and isn’t above using them.
As Sonia delves deeper into the mystery of Jia’s death, their lies begin to unravel. Complicated family dynamics emerge, layered with toxic friendships and secret relationships. They’re all hiding something. But who was desperate enough to kill Jia?
Filled with drama, suspense, and twists, Ties that Bind Kill is an entertaining mystery novel that examines the nature of relationships— ties that we die for and ties that we kill for.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2022
12 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Saint
1 book4 followersA.M. Saint is an author of mysteries and thrillers. A lifelong reader, she always knew that she wanted to write books and share them with other people. After getting two degrees (in Law and Business), she decided to put her education to good use by writing novels. When not reading or writing, she can be found eating, watching Korean dramas or spending time with her sister.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 18, 2022
What a twisted web these characters weave! Jia Mehta is found dead in a hallway upstairs in the hotel that’s hosting her wedding to Arjun that very night. In fact, the Sangeet (pre-wedding party) is in full-swing downstairs. The police quickly rule the death a suicide; they have found ”suicide pills” both next to Jia and in her suitcase. The rest of the room is completely clean. Before she died, Jia called her best friend Alia to tell her she could not go through with the wedding, and sent a text to Sonia Patel after she fell to the floor, dying, with a series of numbers which made no sense. However, five wedding guests who are all hiding secrets of their own had access to the bride before her death: Alia, Mrs. Patel, Alia’s mother, Veér, Alia’s fiancé, Rebecca, close family friend, and Henry, the assistant wedding planner. None of them are suspect in the suicide. Almost three months pass and it is almost time for Alia and Veér’s engagement and wedding. Sonia Patel, successful business owner and Alia’s sister, is begged by Alia and father to come home for the ceremonies. Sonia hasn’t been back in years due to her estrangement from her mother. She saw Mrs. Patel come out of her grandmother’s room the night before her death, tinged with blood, with no explanation. Sonia believes her mother murdered her beloved “dadi,” but all Mrs. Patel will say is that the elderly woman died from a heart attack. Now home, she believes Jia did not commit suicide but was killed. She starts to investigate with the help of the text from Jia, but that merely makes her the next target.
“Ties That Kill” is a fascinating character study told from almost all of the characters’ viewpoints in alternating chapters. It is a small slice of life behind immense wealth which shatters the fragile image of perfection that each individual tries to project and protect, and ultimately tells all. There are baggage and grudges, misconceptions and truth. It is heartbreak and happiness, and stories of people acting the way they do due to upbringing, backbone and spinelessness. It’s the story of how far a person will go to seek revenge, the masks people wear, and the truths beneath them. Mostly, I am thrilled to have learned much about Indian culture, which enthralls me because I am a big proponent of learning and absorbing the heritage of others that is different from my own. I hope you enjoy this work as much as I did.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and A.M. Saint for the ability to read and review this ARC.
“Ties That Kill” is a fascinating character study told from almost all of the characters’ viewpoints in alternating chapters. It is a small slice of life behind immense wealth which shatters the fragile image of perfection that each individual tries to project and protect, and ultimately tells all. There are baggage and grudges, misconceptions and truth. It is heartbreak and happiness, and stories of people acting the way they do due to upbringing, backbone and spinelessness. It’s the story of how far a person will go to seek revenge, the masks people wear, and the truths beneath them. Mostly, I am thrilled to have learned much about Indian culture, which enthralls me because I am a big proponent of learning and absorbing the heritage of others that is different from my own. I hope you enjoy this work as much as I did.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and A.M. Saint for the ability to read and review this ARC.
October 9, 2022
Secrets, murder and rich people drama with an all-Indian cast? Count me in!
I like how this is a multi-layered whodunit with characters who are all equally shady and have plausible motives for committing murder. Not only did I enjoy the social and family dynamics, the book also explores classism and provides a glimpse into high society. My favourite POV is the proud Mrs Patel, who kept trying to one-up her peers but was also very human.
Unfortunately, the book's weaknesses far outweighed the good for me. Bulk of it was slow-moving because there was more telling than showing. Having a whopping 6 POVs felt unnecessary and was made all the more confusing by the dual timelines. There were also lots of significant typos with the wrong character names being used throughout the book (almost like the author was confused herself too). The writing and story were filled with inconsistencies that contradicted themselves.
The reveal was far from original and didn't blow my mind. It also has one of the longest tell-all monologues (a storytelling technique that I dislike in books as it feels lazy) ever in a thriller with the culprit droning on for chapters.
Overall, Ties That Kill feels like a less polished version of The Guest List meets You're Invited. It has potential but needs more editing and refining. Considering how much time it took me to finish, I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
Thank you to the author for an ARC of this book.
Favourite quotes:
✨ "The rich were as miserable as the poor. At least happiness didn't discriminate based on economic status. It was a mythical beast; a fantasy that slipped through mortal fingers like sand."
✨ "Strange how easy life became when you decided to cut away the things that had made you unhappy."
✨ "The truth didn't matter. What people thought was the only thing that mattered."
Ultimate Favourite Quote:
✨ "Mr Patel was the only normal member of that family. He went to work and came home in a predictable routine, isolated from all the secrets the other women in his life held."
LOL I love this so much, it made me laugh...
I like how this is a multi-layered whodunit with characters who are all equally shady and have plausible motives for committing murder. Not only did I enjoy the social and family dynamics, the book also explores classism and provides a glimpse into high society. My favourite POV is the proud Mrs Patel, who kept trying to one-up her peers but was also very human.
Unfortunately, the book's weaknesses far outweighed the good for me. Bulk of it was slow-moving because there was more telling than showing. Having a whopping 6 POVs felt unnecessary and was made all the more confusing by the dual timelines. There were also lots of significant typos with the wrong character names being used throughout the book (almost like the author was confused herself too). The writing and story were filled with inconsistencies that contradicted themselves.
The reveal was far from original and didn't blow my mind. It also has one of the longest tell-all monologues (a storytelling technique that I dislike in books as it feels lazy) ever in a thriller with the culprit droning on for chapters.
Overall, Ties That Kill feels like a less polished version of The Guest List meets You're Invited. It has potential but needs more editing and refining. Considering how much time it took me to finish, I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
Thank you to the author for an ARC of this book.
Favourite quotes:
✨ "The rich were as miserable as the poor. At least happiness didn't discriminate based on economic status. It was a mythical beast; a fantasy that slipped through mortal fingers like sand."
✨ "Strange how easy life became when you decided to cut away the things that had made you unhappy."
✨ "The truth didn't matter. What people thought was the only thing that mattered."
Ultimate Favourite Quote:
✨ "Mr Patel was the only normal member of that family. He went to work and came home in a predictable routine, isolated from all the secrets the other women in his life held."
LOL I love this so much, it made me laugh...
January 2, 2023
Sonia Patel returns home for the first time in seven years for her sister’s engagement party and wedding. Her family’ ultra-wealthy British-Indian social circle is still reeling from the suicide of her family’s close friend Jia moment before her wedding three months before. While home, Sonia and her sister, Alia, discover that Jia may not have committed suicide at all and that Alia herself may be the killer’s next target. But with so many suspects and secrets, this will be one tough case to crack.
This book was like a Bollywood soap opera, complete with a rotating cast of characters who all had dramatic storylines and would literally hide from each other or miss each other’s entrances and exits by mere seconds or minutes. But man, was it fun to read! I was completely pulled in, trying to figure out what was going to happen next and what the solution was. I was really turning pages.
But trust me when I say that none of the characters in this book are likable at all. They’re all pretty atrocious and many will make you want to slap them at certain points. I can’t give away too much, but for example, they get super angry and judge about things one of the other characters does, while doing something extremely awful and immoral themselves. It’s not a great look. But it makes for good reading!
Some of the action was predictable at certain points, but the big reveals had some great twists in there. I really enjoyed seeing everything play out.
If you are looking for a great guilty pleasure book that will just draw you into a deep web of intrigue, this is the book for you. It’s a fun romp through upper-class society that’s a fun time with a great mystery thrown in.
This book was like a Bollywood soap opera, complete with a rotating cast of characters who all had dramatic storylines and would literally hide from each other or miss each other’s entrances and exits by mere seconds or minutes. But man, was it fun to read! I was completely pulled in, trying to figure out what was going to happen next and what the solution was. I was really turning pages.
But trust me when I say that none of the characters in this book are likable at all. They’re all pretty atrocious and many will make you want to slap them at certain points. I can’t give away too much, but for example, they get super angry and judge about things one of the other characters does, while doing something extremely awful and immoral themselves. It’s not a great look. But it makes for good reading!
Some of the action was predictable at certain points, but the big reveals had some great twists in there. I really enjoyed seeing everything play out.
If you are looking for a great guilty pleasure book that will just draw you into a deep web of intrigue, this is the book for you. It’s a fun romp through upper-class society that’s a fun time with a great mystery thrown in.
August 21, 2022
Six perfect people. Many damning secrets. A death that could expose them all.
Successful entrepreneur Sonia Patel returns to London to attend her sister’s wedding with a secret agenda. Jia Mehta, a family friend and an Indian heiress who committed suicide at her wedding sent Sonia a strange text that could lead her to a potential murderer.
Thrown into the glamorous world she left behind; Sonia comes face-to-face with her estranged mother. Mrs. Patel doesn’t like to talk about the past. Or reveal what she knows of Jia’s death.
Alia Patel, confident, poised, and ruthless, is seemingly the perfect daughter and girlfriend. And she’ll go to any lengths to protect what is hers.
Her fiancé Veer is the ideal gentleman kind, understanding, and intelligent, with a few skeletons in the closet. And he’ll do anything the make sure they stay in the closet.
Their family friend, the shy Rebecca, covets what isn't hers. And her desire could destroy them all.
And Harry, the wedding planner, hides his shady past behind a perfectly tailored suit. He knows all their secrets and isn’t above using them.
As she delves deeper into the mystery of Jia’s death, lies begin to unravel and complicated family dynamics emerge, layered with toxic friendships and secret relationships. They’re all hiding something. But who was desperate enough to kill Jia?
Read in one sitting really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and ARC Provided By Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op
I just reviewed Ties that Kill by A.M. Saint. #TiesthatKillAMSaint #NetGalley
Successful entrepreneur Sonia Patel returns to London to attend her sister’s wedding with a secret agenda. Jia Mehta, a family friend and an Indian heiress who committed suicide at her wedding sent Sonia a strange text that could lead her to a potential murderer.
Thrown into the glamorous world she left behind; Sonia comes face-to-face with her estranged mother. Mrs. Patel doesn’t like to talk about the past. Or reveal what she knows of Jia’s death.
Alia Patel, confident, poised, and ruthless, is seemingly the perfect daughter and girlfriend. And she’ll go to any lengths to protect what is hers.
Her fiancé Veer is the ideal gentleman kind, understanding, and intelligent, with a few skeletons in the closet. And he’ll do anything the make sure they stay in the closet.
Their family friend, the shy Rebecca, covets what isn't hers. And her desire could destroy them all.
And Harry, the wedding planner, hides his shady past behind a perfectly tailored suit. He knows all their secrets and isn’t above using them.
As she delves deeper into the mystery of Jia’s death, lies begin to unravel and complicated family dynamics emerge, layered with toxic friendships and secret relationships. They’re all hiding something. But who was desperate enough to kill Jia?
Read in one sitting really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and ARC Provided By Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op
I just reviewed Ties that Kill by A.M. Saint. #TiesthatKillAMSaint #NetGalley
September 25, 2022
Ties that Kill by AM Saint. Thanks to the author for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After an Indian heiress commits suicide at her own wedding, her friends are left with questions. Now it’s the next wedding and secrets are coming out.
If you like straight-up mysteries with complex characters, this is one for you. Wedding mysteries are quite popular these days and there’s a reason for it. The characters all know each other on a surface level but there’s ample room for secrets and back story. This first half of this book was slow for me. So many characters and a lot of back and forth. The latter half picked up as I got to know the characters and understand their personalities.
“At least happiness didn’t discriminate based on economic status. It was a mythical beast; a fantasy that slipped through mortal fingers like sand.”
Ties that Kill comes out 10/6.
After an Indian heiress commits suicide at her own wedding, her friends are left with questions. Now it’s the next wedding and secrets are coming out.
If you like straight-up mysteries with complex characters, this is one for you. Wedding mysteries are quite popular these days and there’s a reason for it. The characters all know each other on a surface level but there’s ample room for secrets and back story. This first half of this book was slow for me. So many characters and a lot of back and forth. The latter half picked up as I got to know the characters and understand their personalities.
“At least happiness didn’t discriminate based on economic status. It was a mythical beast; a fantasy that slipped through mortal fingers like sand.”
Ties that Kill comes out 10/6.
August 31, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. So dynamic and complex with so many layers to be uncovered. It was fast paced, full of twists and just exciting to turn the page. A.M. Saint really dove into the minds of her characters, who were flawed, well fleshed out and so interesting to learn more about. I couldn't put it down!
With multiple POVs and timelines, many mysteries and motives for the central murder, it made for a real page- turner. I loved the setting, learning more about Indian culture and the thriller vibe. I definitely didn't see the end coming!
You won't regret picking this one up.
August 25, 2022
Personally, it took me a bit of time to immerse myself into the book due to the multiple POV's but soon enough, this helped with the complexity and building of characters, making it more interesting and keeping me reading.
At the beginning, the extent of the toxicity in their freindships isn't shown but as the story progresses, you realise they all have their flaws and what you see on the surface isn't the truth. You find out that they all have a motive to kill Jia and not a single character is innocent. It is easier to sympathise with some characters more than others and understand the reasoning for their actions and why it may seem like a justifiable choice in their eyes (that doesn't make them right, of course).
This book is definitely worth the read; a gripping mystery full of unexpected turns.
Thanks to Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op, the author and NetGalley for providing me with the e-ARC of this book.
At the beginning, the extent of the toxicity in their freindships isn't shown but as the story progresses, you realise they all have their flaws and what you see on the surface isn't the truth. You find out that they all have a motive to kill Jia and not a single character is innocent. It is easier to sympathise with some characters more than others and understand the reasoning for their actions and why it may seem like a justifiable choice in their eyes (that doesn't make them right, of course).
This book is definitely worth the read; a gripping mystery full of unexpected turns.
Thanks to Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op, the author and NetGalley for providing me with the e-ARC of this book.
August 11, 2022
Wow, what a fantastic read. I was blown away by the complex characters, the dynamics between them and the twists and turns. I loved the author's writing style. The multiple points of view kept things interesting and I was guessing until the end. A stellar mystery thriller that's going straight to my favorites shelf!
August 30, 2022
I was super lucky to be able to read this book sooner than everyone else, what a journey that was!
Without giving too many spoilers, I will just say that it's a great, compelling story with multiple POVs that takes you on a journey on multiple levels. Besides finding the answer to the obvious questions of 'what happened and why', you get to understand the human mind and see the lengths people are willing to go in order to get what and where they want. It might sound odd, but I felt like I could relate to a few characters and kind of understand their struggles and the reason behind their decisions.
I really hope the author doesn't stop here and that 'Ties that Kill' is just the debut in this genre, I'm excited to see what plots come next!
Without giving too many spoilers, I will just say that it's a great, compelling story with multiple POVs that takes you on a journey on multiple levels. Besides finding the answer to the obvious questions of 'what happened and why', you get to understand the human mind and see the lengths people are willing to go in order to get what and where they want. It might sound odd, but I felt like I could relate to a few characters and kind of understand their struggles and the reason behind their decisions.
I really hope the author doesn't stop here and that 'Ties that Kill' is just the debut in this genre, I'm excited to see what plots come next!
September 16, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
I really like the premise of this book. The characters are interesting and it’s the kind of book where the majority of them are actually quite unlikable despite their appearances. The beginning of the book was really interesting in terms of setting up the murder but once more history was revealed and more details were given - there were some inconsistencies.
For example: Martin says he saw someone push Sharon but then it says Jia and Alia had a whole conversation then went to bed and slept until Martin found the body. Why wouldn’t he immediately go once he saw her fall?
Another example: How did Jia, Alia or Mrs.Patel not notice Harry’s surname? All three had contact with him from the time Jia started planning her wedding and no one heard his surname or saw it on the website?
The story could be really great if not for those issues. I think otherwise the characters are written well and the idea itself is intriguing.
I really like the premise of this book. The characters are interesting and it’s the kind of book where the majority of them are actually quite unlikable despite their appearances. The beginning of the book was really interesting in terms of setting up the murder but once more history was revealed and more details were given - there were some inconsistencies.
For example: Martin says he saw someone push Sharon but then it says Jia and Alia had a whole conversation then went to bed and slept until Martin found the body. Why wouldn’t he immediately go once he saw her fall?
Another example: How did Jia, Alia or Mrs.Patel not notice Harry’s surname? All three had contact with him from the time Jia started planning her wedding and no one heard his surname or saw it on the website?
The story could be really great if not for those issues. I think otherwise the characters are written well and the idea itself is intriguing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2022
Special thanks to the author, publisher, & netgalley for my advanced copy!!!!
This wasn’t a bad read it kind of gave twisted mystery vibes. There were a lot of characters mentioned so you’re told the story from everyone’s POV which I didn’t really like. After awhile the timeline got kind of confusing with the back and forth between characters. Can’t say any of them are memorable except Mrs.Patel because she had this rude nonchalant attitude about her and she seemed really jealous hearted. Everything that came out of her mouth screamed envious.
What I did enjoy was the fact you didn’t know who the actual killer was until the end. All of the characters were shady in some way and held dark secrets that could ruin them if found out. So, knowing everyone’s secret made their motives to kill Jia probable and any of them could’ve been the suspect.
There were also parts of the story that were a bit slow-paced with just getting to the point. Because again there were to many characters involved. I don’t think it was necessary to hear everyone’s point of view because it made things seem a bit inconsistent once things started to be revealed some of which was irrelevant to what was happening.
I honestly kept reading because I just wanted to know who the killer was and their secrets were getting kind of juicy.
This story was M-E-S-S-Y the friendships and the family relationships just trash like no loyalty whatsoever. The secret affair between Veer and Jia, the fact Sonia thought her mom killed their grandmother, Rebecca having a thing for Veer and kissing him a week before he marries her friend Alia just MESSSSY!!! Guess you can say I stayed for the drama.
Overall, it was an okay read I wasn’t really intrigued with the writing style. But the author did well keeping things a mystery I just think the delivery could’ve been a little better.
This wasn’t a bad read it kind of gave twisted mystery vibes. There were a lot of characters mentioned so you’re told the story from everyone’s POV which I didn’t really like. After awhile the timeline got kind of confusing with the back and forth between characters. Can’t say any of them are memorable except Mrs.Patel because she had this rude nonchalant attitude about her and she seemed really jealous hearted. Everything that came out of her mouth screamed envious.
What I did enjoy was the fact you didn’t know who the actual killer was until the end. All of the characters were shady in some way and held dark secrets that could ruin them if found out. So, knowing everyone’s secret made their motives to kill Jia probable and any of them could’ve been the suspect.
There were also parts of the story that were a bit slow-paced with just getting to the point. Because again there were to many characters involved. I don’t think it was necessary to hear everyone’s point of view because it made things seem a bit inconsistent once things started to be revealed some of which was irrelevant to what was happening.
I honestly kept reading because I just wanted to know who the killer was and their secrets were getting kind of juicy.
This story was M-E-S-S-Y the friendships and the family relationships just trash like no loyalty whatsoever. The secret affair between Veer and Jia, the fact Sonia thought her mom killed their grandmother, Rebecca having a thing for Veer and kissing him a week before he marries her friend Alia just MESSSSY!!! Guess you can say I stayed for the drama.
Overall, it was an okay read I wasn’t really intrigued with the writing style. But the author did well keeping things a mystery I just think the delivery could’ve been a little better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and ARC for Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for an advance copy of Ties that Kill, a stand-alone psychological thriller set in London’s wealthy Indian community.
Jia Mehta dies an hour before her wedding, just after sending a mysterious text to Sonia Patel. Three months later Sonia is in London for her sister Alia and fiancé, Veer’s wedding. With new information Sonia deciphers the text and realises that Jia may not have committed suicide, but was murdered. She sets about investigating.
I didn’t gel with Ties that Kill, so it didn’t hold my attention. I was interested to see how the other half live, imagine an intimate wedding for 10,000 (yes, you read it correctly) and lots of designer name dropping, but really they are the same as everyone else, keeping up with the Jones’ and scoring petty points off each other.
Most of the characters are extremely unlikeable with nasty streaks and a habit of jumping to premature conclusions. That they are also keeping deep secrets goes without saying - where would the novel be without them? It is difficult to care or get involved in the machinations and double dealing of characters you don’t care for.
My main bugbear, however, is the format of the novel. It constantly switches between points of view, something I find difficult to concentrate on. It sets the scene for all sorts of motives and throws in more questions, but as a result it is necessarily slow. There is a good story in there, but I found it difficult to get there.
Ties that Kill is not for me, but will suit readers who enjoy the drama of secrets and lies.
Jia Mehta dies an hour before her wedding, just after sending a mysterious text to Sonia Patel. Three months later Sonia is in London for her sister Alia and fiancé, Veer’s wedding. With new information Sonia deciphers the text and realises that Jia may not have committed suicide, but was murdered. She sets about investigating.
I didn’t gel with Ties that Kill, so it didn’t hold my attention. I was interested to see how the other half live, imagine an intimate wedding for 10,000 (yes, you read it correctly) and lots of designer name dropping, but really they are the same as everyone else, keeping up with the Jones’ and scoring petty points off each other.
Most of the characters are extremely unlikeable with nasty streaks and a habit of jumping to premature conclusions. That they are also keeping deep secrets goes without saying - where would the novel be without them? It is difficult to care or get involved in the machinations and double dealing of characters you don’t care for.
My main bugbear, however, is the format of the novel. It constantly switches between points of view, something I find difficult to concentrate on. It sets the scene for all sorts of motives and throws in more questions, but as a result it is necessarily slow. There is a good story in there, but I found it difficult to get there.
Ties that Kill is not for me, but will suit readers who enjoy the drama of secrets and lies.
May 2, 2023
Crazy Rich Asians is one of my all time favorite movies so I was amped for this book that was marketed as that + murder mystery but the end result fell kind of flat.
Jia suddenly dies right before her huge wedding — and while it is ruled a suicide, three months later her friends begin their own investigation.
There’s Alia, Jia’s best friend who is planning her own wedding to Veer, her boyfriend of more than ten years. Veer also was working on a business venture with Jia and the true nature of their relationship is cause for some speculation. Alia’s sister Sonia is a successful business woman who left the nest after a years-long feud with their mother — who is a secret collector herself. And finally we have Rebecca, who has been delusion-ally in love with Veer for their entire lives and thinks if she can end his engagement to Alia it will clear the path for them to be together. With me??
This book has plenty of unlikeable and selfish characters, all of whom were close to Jia and had motive to kill her. And we get to hear from allll of their points of view. It took me awhile to keep all the characters and their connections straight — but the Easter eggs leading up to the “twist” was kind of obvious (at least to me!) from about a mile away so the unmasking of the killer felt kind of anti-climatic. It may also be because I had an advanced copy but sometimes the author referenced the incorrect person or pronoun, which added to the confusion.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for the honest review!
Jia suddenly dies right before her huge wedding — and while it is ruled a suicide, three months later her friends begin their own investigation.
There’s Alia, Jia’s best friend who is planning her own wedding to Veer, her boyfriend of more than ten years. Veer also was working on a business venture with Jia and the true nature of their relationship is cause for some speculation. Alia’s sister Sonia is a successful business woman who left the nest after a years-long feud with their mother — who is a secret collector herself. And finally we have Rebecca, who has been delusion-ally in love with Veer for their entire lives and thinks if she can end his engagement to Alia it will clear the path for them to be together. With me??
This book has plenty of unlikeable and selfish characters, all of whom were close to Jia and had motive to kill her. And we get to hear from allll of their points of view. It took me awhile to keep all the characters and their connections straight — but the Easter eggs leading up to the “twist” was kind of obvious (at least to me!) from about a mile away so the unmasking of the killer felt kind of anti-climatic. It may also be because I had an advanced copy but sometimes the author referenced the incorrect person or pronoun, which added to the confusion.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for the honest review!
January 1, 2023
Thank you Net Galley for offering me the opportunity to read the ARC copy
DNF at 20%
What worked was the premise. Indian characters which lead to Indian family problems was great. Adding digital clues like a mysterious phone message and a secret phone was great. I always like such trails in a mystery.
What didn't work-
1. It felt like not enough research was done on sensitive matters like depression and bipolar. The two terms were used together and it read as if both illnesses are the same. This was a personal put off since I know the seriousness of how different these two mental health issues are.
2. Similar to above the research seemed incomplete on other less sensitive topic too like hacking. As someone with knowledge in the field it came across as unrealistic.
3. THE MAIN REASON TO DNF. I was still ready to look past the lack of research but for an ARC copy the entire book read like a intermediate draft. I found myself highlighting too many things in each page which can be easily corrected with good line editing. Repetition of words, over explanation and other such minute things pulled me out of the flow. As a beta reader I would have looked past this as it's not the final copy
DNF at 20%
What worked was the premise. Indian characters which lead to Indian family problems was great. Adding digital clues like a mysterious phone message and a secret phone was great. I always like such trails in a mystery.
What didn't work-
1. It felt like not enough research was done on sensitive matters like depression and bipolar. The two terms were used together and it read as if both illnesses are the same. This was a personal put off since I know the seriousness of how different these two mental health issues are.
2. Similar to above the research seemed incomplete on other less sensitive topic too like hacking. As someone with knowledge in the field it came across as unrealistic.
3. THE MAIN REASON TO DNF. I was still ready to look past the lack of research but for an ARC copy the entire book read like a intermediate draft. I found myself highlighting too many things in each page which can be easily corrected with good line editing. Repetition of words, over explanation and other such minute things pulled me out of the flow. As a beta reader I would have looked past this as it's not the final copy
August 26, 2022
3.5⭐️
First off, thank you to A.M. Saint for my first arc! The premise of this book had me intrigued being that it’s touted as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Guest List (I haven’t read TGL but I get the vibe).
I had some trouble getting into this at first because there were a lot of characters and multiple timelines for each character. Having to pause and try to remember who was who & place where I was at in time was distracting and disruptive to the story flow. However, once I hit the mid-point and had a solid understanding of who was who, I enjoyed the story! I loved the all Indian cast and how each character had a different but understandable motive for wanting Jia dead. I was left guessing until the end and didn’t expect the outcome.
Overall, I’d say I liked this book but didn’t love it. I felt like I was waiting for a little more than I got. That being said, this story felt very similar in pace and tone to Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen’s books which typically leave me wanting more but other readers tend to love. So if you like their books, then I really think you’ll enjoy this one!
First off, thank you to A.M. Saint for my first arc! The premise of this book had me intrigued being that it’s touted as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Guest List (I haven’t read TGL but I get the vibe).
I had some trouble getting into this at first because there were a lot of characters and multiple timelines for each character. Having to pause and try to remember who was who & place where I was at in time was distracting and disruptive to the story flow. However, once I hit the mid-point and had a solid understanding of who was who, I enjoyed the story! I loved the all Indian cast and how each character had a different but understandable motive for wanting Jia dead. I was left guessing until the end and didn’t expect the outcome.
Overall, I’d say I liked this book but didn’t love it. I felt like I was waiting for a little more than I got. That being said, this story felt very similar in pace and tone to Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen’s books which typically leave me wanting more but other readers tend to love. So if you like their books, then I really think you’ll enjoy this one!
September 15, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Jia and Alia are best friends and both are part of London’s Indian high society. And they both have a dark secret. However, as the years pass and they are both about to be wed to respectable grooms, secrets unravel and their world falls apart. Murder, affairs, cover-ups… oh my! This book has it all and the plot is very good. I only began to suspect who unknown was towards the end. I think a lot of the characters came across as flawed people which made them very relatable.
While I think the story itself was good, I did not like the writing style. There are a lot of points of view and they go back and forth from the present to times in the past. In the beginning, there is a lot of switching around and it is hard to keep everyone straight. Furthering this problem there are multiple instances where the wrong person’s name is written or wrong pronoun used which makes it even more confusing as to whose point of view we are reading. I wanted to be the detective to figure out the murderer not try to figure out whose point of view I was reading! For this reason, I gave three stars. I found the plot to be good, just the delivery was a bit frustrating.
Jia and Alia are best friends and both are part of London’s Indian high society. And they both have a dark secret. However, as the years pass and they are both about to be wed to respectable grooms, secrets unravel and their world falls apart. Murder, affairs, cover-ups… oh my! This book has it all and the plot is very good. I only began to suspect who unknown was towards the end. I think a lot of the characters came across as flawed people which made them very relatable.
While I think the story itself was good, I did not like the writing style. There are a lot of points of view and they go back and forth from the present to times in the past. In the beginning, there is a lot of switching around and it is hard to keep everyone straight. Furthering this problem there are multiple instances where the wrong person’s name is written or wrong pronoun used which makes it even more confusing as to whose point of view we are reading. I wanted to be the detective to figure out the murderer not try to figure out whose point of view I was reading! For this reason, I gave three stars. I found the plot to be good, just the delivery was a bit frustrating.
December 22, 2024
This book wasn't that thrilling, the many, many POVs disturbed my reading experience, the case(s) was long forgotten (have to admit what was it in the beginning that warrant murder), the characters were insufferable (all of them), and I thought the protagonist could save the day by sleuthing but she actually did nothing to move the plot. Too much info-dumping and cardboard characters also didn't help the story.
October 7, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. This book was good. I was very twisty and fun to read but some parts of it seemed obvious to me that it should have been obvious to the people in the book. Haha. Read to find out what I am speaking about. The book had a good premise so this is why I wanted to read it. Quite good.
December 11, 2022
Lots of twists
I found the storyline interesting. Although sometimes it was hard following it because the editing wasn't very good. The wrong usage of pronouns made it difficult as well as missing words . I found myself correcting as I was reading.
I found the storyline interesting. Although sometimes it was hard following it because the editing wasn't very good. The wrong usage of pronouns made it difficult as well as missing words . I found myself correcting as I was reading.
November 29, 2023
Unexpectedly Awesome
This is my first reads by this author. This one of the best books I’ve read all year. It was hard to put it down for sleep and work. Very well written and suspenseful. The ending was excellent and unexpected. It all made sense at the end.
This is my first reads by this author. This one of the best books I’ve read all year. It was hard to put it down for sleep and work. Very well written and suspenseful. The ending was excellent and unexpected. It all made sense at the end.
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