From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a taut thriller about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has—and everyone she knows.
A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.
With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.
Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
A Very Bad Thing is a complex and multilayered, unputdownable whodunnit that intertwines themes of family secrets, loss, and betrayal. The narrative follows author Columbia Jones and daughter Darian embarking on a book tour to promote her latest novel. During the tour’s final stop, Columbia encounters a mysterious figure in the audience, leading to her sudden collapse on stage. The following morning, she is found dead in her hotel room by Riley Carrington, a reporter who has been touring with Columbia while harboring secrets of her own. Columbia’s death sets off a complex investigation into her past and the secrets she kept from her daughter. The storyline is unpredictable, complex, nonlinear, and features some dark subject matter.
There is a large cast of characters and interweaving subplots in this multilayered story, so readers need to pay close attention, especially when new characters are introduced. While the main characters are intricately developed, adding depth to the unfolding mystery, the excessive side characters are mostly flat. The story is told from multiple POVs and flashbacks, including the perspectives of Darian, Inspector Sutcliffe, Columbia (in flashbacks), Riley, and others! The book is also a longer read, at almost 500 pages—but with the complexities of a constantly moving/changing narrative and many alternating perspectives, the story feels shorter. Throughout the story, there is a predominant display of the complex mother/daughter dynamics between Columbia and Darian, and in almost every instance their quarrels and mistrusts succumb to a profound sense of love, making the novel also an emotional family drama.
Some of the plot twists, although dramatic and well executed, are quite predictable. The story escalates in intensity in the second half and comes to an explosive showdown conclusion, which includes a final plot twist where readers will have to suspend their disbelief—there could have been a more plausible and creative ending after such a well-crafted story. The epilogue does provide some more clarity into what really transpired but also poses more questions at the same time, which may infuriate readers. There’s definitely an opportunity for a follow-up novel should the author choose to write one!
Overall, this book is a highly original psychological thriller that will delight fans of complex, multilayered storytelling. It’s also a book that readers have to pay close attention to with its multitude of twists, parallel storylines, and excessive characters—the payoff is page-turning storytelling filled with drama and suspense that gives the feel of a thrilling, puzzling soap opera. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld does a phenomenal job creating a suspenseful and dramatic listening experience from start to finish, providing unique and equally compelling narratives for the many character perspectives, creating an unstoppable listen! If you’ve enjoyed J.T. Ellison’s work before or are looking for an intricate psychological thriller with large entertainment value, then give this book high consideration!
