Thank you Brilliance Audio, #partner for the ALC of The Hook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: May 23, 2o23
Summary:
Three betrayed women with revenge in common channel their fury in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe and False Step.
A women’s boxing class is the perfect place for betrayed wife Katherine to work out her aggressions. Ideal too for Geneva, a teacher disgraced and ruined by a vengeful ex, and Luz, a software engineer battling an unjust system. Maggie, their instructor and mentor, guarantees she can right the wrongs they’ve endured. And if Katherine, Geneva, and Luz really want to unleash their rage, they must do what Maggie says.
Each woman’s secret task has its risks. Call it justice. Call it revenge. It’s bound to be worth it—if no missteps are made. As they take the leap to reclaim what they’re owed, their lives are turned upside down. Because no one could have guessed that it would all end in murder.
Now, coming together to harness their power, Katherine, Geneva, and Luz fear that the game they’ve been playing is playing them.
My thoughts:
I became an instant fan of Victoria Helen Stone when she wrote Jane Doe. That was such a crazy psychological thriller – so unique and twisted, and so fun to read that I knew I would be reading everything this author writes and with the exception of last year’s book, I have!
Revenge thrillers are another of my favorite sub-genres within the thriller world that I just love to read because they are just so entertaining and wild and that is exactly what this one is. I was definitely reminded of The Collective, which I really loved, so if you’ve read that one and enjoyed it, I highly recommend picking this one up!
I’m always a fan of women supporting women and so I loved that this book does that but in such a unique way. The multiple points of view keep this one moving and there are rules that the women must follow in exacting their revenge, but they are exacting revenge for someone else and they have no idea why. It’s all done under the guidance of Maggie and that alone brings up another whole set of questions, most importantly, why did Maggie set this whole thing in motion?
This one moves really kept me on my toes and kept me thinking. I love a smart thriller and I felt this one is just that. There’s a reason Victoria Helen Stone remains one of my favorite psychological thriller writers and this latest book proves it! If revenge thrillers are your thing, do yourself a favor and add this one to your list…it’s highly addictive and entertaining!
Audio thoughts:
I was lucky enough to snag an early listening copy and let me just say, this is exactly the type of book I love to listen to. It’s the type of book that I’ll find myself looking for things to do because I don’t want to stop listening…I’ll walk just a little further, I’ll find something else to clean or I’ll keep driving around or just sit in a car a little longer. This book is narrated by a full cast and I think that is what made it so fun! The four narrators, Jennifer Jill Araya, Jordan Cobb, Victoria Villarreal and Allyson Johnson, did a fantastic job bringing this one to life. Their pacing and intonation were spot on and they all infused their own personalities into their respective characters.
