This was the perfect multi-tasking audio read for me. I liked this one more than the first, but they’re both good. 

If you read The Plot, there’s a bit of a recap woven into the story to remind us of what happened if it’s been awhile. 

If you haven’t read The Plot, you should still be able to follow along, but there are parts that might seem vague or overly mysterious without the background (and it may be a little more confusing). 

 

Energy: Exacting. Compelling. Indignant. 

 

Aspiring writers may find parts of this a bit harsh or pretentious? It reminded me of Yellowface in that it’s not clear whether there’s some author intrusion going on, but I’m no writer so I loved the drama of it all. The names and aliases sent me for a loop, I had to pause and think it over if I took so much as a tiny reading break. 

 

Tangled web of lies and truths. Even when I predicted something it was still fascinating to watch it unfold. Easy listening, great narration (if I read it as text, I may have been a bit bored sometimes). The roller coaster of feelings I had for our morally grey main character.  How the story led me to overthink things. 

 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Vermont, New York, and Athens, Georgia, USA

Perspective: The widow of a best-selling author finds themselves in the spotlight after writing about it. They thought their secrets were safely hidden, but someone out there knows the truth and plans to reveal all. We get snippets of manuscript versions being sent to people. 

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Starting at the end (of the previous book). Intrigue. Escalating guilt, paranoia, unhingedness. Layered secrets. Conflict, drama, tea. Who is the new harasser? Why now? What truly happened that is the “inspiration” for this story?  

📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief on the plausible-ish side

 

Book signing. Manuscripts. Phone calls. Cash. Pub. Envelopes. Mail. 

 

Content Heads-Up: Loss of spouse. Murder. Plagiarism. Rape (off page, memories). Parental rejection. Suicide, suicide attempts. Attempted murder. Lies, manipulation. Drugging. Gun violence (brief, on page). Kidnapping.

 

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Library Audio