thriller

The story portrays very well the evil in some people, as if we needed any reminding of this with the constant evil in the news of today. The entire story was believable, as was the desperation, and the dedication of a group of like-minded friends. I wish their personalities had been toned-down a bit. Their arrogance is unappealing and the ties that bind them are self-serving, but in spite of that I found myself caring about them. I never, through all the twists, turns and palpable tension, even came close to guessing the ending. The attention to detail, the descriptions, the research all worked together to put the reader right in the story and propel you through it to the absolutely unexpected ending. ( )

A great reminder for young and old of all things we should aim to be.
Life can often get carried away, but one promise to ourselves can get us back on track.
Each day is a new day to do better than the day before. ( )

This novel presents itself as a Whodunit. A dead body is found in a car. Two people originally occupied the car. What happened to the other person? Who, of the two, is dead?

The novel reveals bits at a time as it alternates between viewpoints. A group of friends witnessed a student die while at Vassar; they've all felt guilty for leaving and not calling the police at the time. They've kept this secret for years. A few other people have joined their group, but this secret remains. One of their friends committed suicide because of the guilt: Alice. Even she has chapters from her point of view. In the present time, they are getting together to save one of their group before another death occurs: Keith. Keith appears to have never gotten over Alice and deals with his guilt via drugs and alcohol. The friends are determined to get him into rehab. Jonathan, Maeve, and Stephanie all arrive at Jonathan's new home in a quaint town, not too far from Vassar, together with a plan. They will have Keith in rehab by Sunday. Jonathan 's challenges include a fiancé who renovated the house and whom Jonathan loves but no one else of their friends likes. Stephanie practices law successfully and strives to keep everyone focused. Her problems connect to Finch, a "new" friend whom no one likes. Maeve struggles to make sure everyone gets along and worries constantly as to why her boyfriend won't text her back. Derrick's marital life reveals that no one likes his wife, including Derrick, but she never makes an appearance. All of these friends intertwine their lives and for some even their business lives. They also never reveal that each has received an email stating, "I know what you did." As this simmers beneath the plot, the weekend in the country completely changes all of them. Ultimately, is Derrick or Keith dead?

Julia Scutt, the local detective, plans on advancing up the professional ladder despite her male chauvinist boss. Julia, whose sister was killed in high school, wants justice for victims and punishment for the criminals. Her sections of the novel take place beginning Sunday morning as she puts the evidence together, separating all of the friends and asking questions. The other chapters begin on Friday night and go up through Saturday night detailing all of the actions of our various friends. There are A LOT of chapters from different points of view.

This thriller should keep you on the edge of your seat, but it doesn't. It's a constant train wreck because of these friends. Friends like these.......might not be the best friends.....or maybe they are? They certainly look out for one another. A lot of plots develop into a final story. You will know who the "bad" guy is, as it's pretty obvious. Did I figure out all the twists and turns? No. It's not a bad novel--it's a adequate escape if you like this type of genre. ( )

A trip to the Catskills reuniting old school friends takes a sinister turn in Kimberly McCreight’s Friends Like These. As soon as the group arrives, they start discussing the real reason for their gathering: convincing one member to enter Rehab. Being in each other’s orbit brings back fond memories and the intimation of a tragedy that binds them all. Old dynamics, roles, and emotions are resurfaced-each of them carrying a burden of guilt in different ways. When two of the friends end up missing, the investigation unmasks a connection between the shared secret from long ago and the events unfolding at their reunion. McCreight ambitiously attempts to provide depth and histories for each of her many characters. What results is a novel that fails to be truly engaging. Friends Like These confuses the reader with its implausible revelations and concurrent plotlines, scaffolded on a plot that is neither strong nor interesting enough to overcome its deep flaws.
Thanks to the author, Harper and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )