Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Published: February 22, 2022
Source: E-copy via Author
Summary:
Allegra Hudson was murdered.
An anonymous “source” drops the note into recently widowed Madeleine Barton’s lap exactly when she needs it most. As a new single mother, she is struggling to make ends meet as a freelance reporter, and covering the mysterious death of local bestselling author Allegra Hudson could be the career-launching story of her dreams.
Working with Allegra’s grieving husband, Connor, Madeleine plunges down the rabbit hole of the writer’s privileged life. The deeper she digs, the more dirt she finds: a conniving best friend, a stalker ex-boyfriend, and a marriage in shambles. The closer Madeleine gets to the truth, the murkier the waters become.
Her source’s looming presence and constant meddling in her investigation paired with her growing bond with Connor over their shared grief have blinded her to the facts, but nothing explains why Allegra Hudson’s life feels so familiar. Only one thing is certain: Madeleine can trust no one.
One Little Word is a deliciously clever game of cat-and-mouse with a completely unexpected twist.
My thoughts:
You all know I love my psychological thrillers, so I was thrilled when Audra McElyea reached out to me to be part of her virtual book tour for the launch of her debut novel…and let me just say what a wild ride this one is!
Right from the start, I found myself caught up in this story – the characters were so vivid and alive and even though I wasn’t quite sure about them and whether they were trustworthy, I just could not walk away from them. This is such a binge-worthy, addictive read and full of unreliable characters that just get under your skin. I kept thinking I knew where things were heading, only to be caught completely off-guard with that twist – what a total shock and yet, it worked so well. I actually had to go back and reread parts of the story to see just how she pulled it off, so kudos to you, Audra for that!
This is such a clever, brilliantly crafted story that is definitely going to stick with you – I finished reading this a few days ago and cannot get this story out of my head – and when you do get to that twist…you will realize why my review is so vague! I see good things coming from this author and I will for sure be eager to read it all!
