Laura Wolfe

I got hooked on this book. Started it figuring would read a few minutes then skip around, but ended up finishing in one sitting. It's not perfect, but it was better than I anticipated and was the kind of story that kept my attention. Sometimes the MC was a bit flighty - and trusting the podcaster with some of the info esp on a friend, really? - but I liked having the podcast part meshed in. This is one of those cases too where the cold-case victim was nowhere near picture perfect. Twists show more keep popping up. Not sure what I think on the epilogue ending, really - it's somewhat cheesy but it's not awful either, and it seems to be a common trope there has to be a final hidden twister in there somewhere. show less

Laura Wolfe is a new author for me. I purchased this book because it takes place in Chicago where I live. Wolfe is a fantastic writer and I don't know why I haven't heard of her before. The suspense in this novel is high and I couldn't put it down. The book was published in 2020.

The story opens with Mara Butler getting fired from her job at Avery Consulting. She has just broken up with her boyfriend and purchased a new condo. When she sees an add for an assistant to a real estate agent, show more Jacqueline Henderson, she applies and to her surprise is hired. Jacqueline is one of Chicago's top realtors. While Jacqueline dresses the part of a smart agent she has a crooked moral compass. Her quest to win the prestigious Top Producer Award by the Chicago Board of Realtors has led her to think outside the box. Mara begins to earn alot of money under Jacqueline's tutelage. She earns enough to pay the mortgage on her new condo, a new car and pay some of her cancer-stricken sister's medical bills. However, Mara becomes entangled in Jacqueline's unorthodox methods of getting real estate listings from clients. After a competing realtor suddenly dies, Mara is afraid of becoming the next victim.

Top Producer is a fast paced novel that depicts the cut throat world of real estate. I have to wonder, though, if all realtors go to the same extremes as Jacqueline. My gut tells me yes. Each extreme act ratchets up the suspense because the reader does not know how far Jacqueline, or even Mara, will go to be successful. Mara's parents are disappointed in her for losing her first job so quickly and Mara feels the pressure to succeed at something, anything. It's interesting how Mara tells herself that Jacqueline's questionable ethics are probably not illegal but Mara really doesn't know what is legal in the real estate world. She is not a trained realtor.

I loved the Jacqueline character more than Mara. Jacqueline is a perfect villain. She does not care who she hurts in her rise up the ladder at Greystone Realty. Today we would probably label her as a narcissist. Regardless of how confident Jacqueline appears, she is just as insecure as Mara. Her parents are disappointed in her too and she was rejected by her last boyfriend. She just doesn't let people know what her true feelings are.

I loved the Chicago setting. As each address or building was mentioned I knew exactly where they were located. The familiarity added to my enjoyment of the novel. However, readers not familiar with Chicago will understand which buildings are known as high end and which are not. With Chicago being known for being kind to mobsters, organized crime was in the back of my mind as I read about each questionable action by Jacqueline. I didn't know if Jacqueline was affiliated with a mob family or just taking advantage of everyone in town expecting to come across them regularly. Non-Chicagoans will probably not sense this feeling but I don't think it will affect your enjoyment of this novel. show less

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Prom Queen in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What a mind bending read. There were so many things I loved about this book.

1. I loved our main character and narrator Brooke. She was incredibly relatable and hard not to like. She was the quirky, artsy, non-popular, girl-next-door that you may have been friends with or may have been yourself.

2. This was one book where a jumping timeline between past and present really worked wonders for show more the plot and kept me guessing over who had "murdered" (maybe? or was it really a suicide?) her ex-best friend from high school. You find out so much that happened by the older timeline, while current Brooke works to figure out a. if her friend was murdered in the first place, b. if she was, then who did it, and c. who is leaving her these creepy threatening notes. Along with worrying the a podcaster that came to town might blow up her life.

3. The podcaster section of the story. This is something I've seen in A LOT of books lately (and have gotten a little bored by), but Wolfe managed to make it both a central, yet more so supporting part of the mystery. It wasn't what the story was about, which was refreshing, and just added another investigative piece to the puzzle.

4. THE TWISTS. Can we talk about how this was a thriller in which I never saw the ending coming. There of course were hints along the way, and maybe some of you readers will see them more clearly than me....but I never predicted the ending at all. In fact, I had a thousand other ideas of who might have been the murderer. Never guessed it....and I like to think that as an English teacher, I have a knack for picking up on foreshadowing. Not this time.

10/10 this was a seriously fast read. I started it yesterday and managed to finish within 24 hours. I could not put it down, and could not stop wondering what happened. Highly recommend. show less

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.After reading the blurb for Prom Queen, I knew I needed to read it. Also, having experiencing the author's previous work The In Laws, I expected a twisted tale. She did not disappoint. Prom Queen delivered a nail-biting, twisted and page turning tale that will delight thriller/mystery fans.

This thrilling and page turning read is told in dual timelines, the show more past and the present. The past timeline gives readers insight into the tragedy which occurred twenty years ago. While the present stirs up painful memories and with it comes danger.

Brooke, the leading lady, returns to the town which held painful memories, to handle her mother's estate. While there, she encountered a true crime podcaster. Now she normally wouldn't give a stranger a second thought, but the sight of a familiar necklace around the stranger's neck gave her pause. The same necklace which mysteriously disappeared the night her best friend, Bailey, fell off a bridge into the path of a moving train. Then she learns the podcaster was in town seeking information about the twenty-year-old tragedy. Coincidence, I think not.

Told primarily from Brooke's POV, Prom Queen takes the reader on a thrilling journey. The deeper one goes into the story, the more questions arise. One thing is for certain, Bailey did not commit suicide 20 years ago and someone is determined to keep the truth hidden.

The past timeline highlights the angst and the drama that comes with being a teenager in high school. Jealousy, broken friendships, and bullying. The present focused on learning the truth behind the tragedy. This is one of those stories where everyone is a suspect, even the person narrating the story. I honestly had no clue who was behind Bailey's demise. The revelation shocked me, but what was even more shocking was the end. I am still trying to pick up my jaw from the floor. I am keeping my fingers cross, hoping for a follow-up story.

Overall, Prom Queen delivered a solid read and I recommend it to fans of suspenseful stories.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading show less