For the Best by Vanessa Lillie

☆☆1/2
ebook, 235 pages
Expected publication: September 8th 2020 by Thomas & Mercer
About the Book:
Suspected of a murder she can’t remember, a troubled woman takes an unusual approach to proving her innocence in this gripping thriller from the bestselling author of Little Voices. When Jules Worthington-Smith’s wallet is found next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. After struggling for years to build the perfect family and career, she’s dangerously close to losing everything. Sure of her innocence, Jules is desperate to clear her name. But there’s one big problem: she was blackout drunk when the murder took place and can’t remember what happened. Unsatisfied with the police’s handling of the case, Jules embarks on her own gin-fueled murder investigation. As she uncovers fresh clues, she starts a true-crime vlog that becomes a viral sensation, pushing her into the public eye. It’s not long before the ordeal forces Jules to confront her demons, including her turbulent childhood and excessive drinking. The deeper Jules digs, the more dirt she uncovers about the murder and herself. Unexpected truths pile up until she’s buried so deep even finding the killer might not be enough to set her free.

This book gets the dreaded OK from me. The concept is a good one, and the story could have been gripping. Unfortunately, the pacing is dreadfully slow and repetitive— characters go around and around the same topics until they reach a resolution. The climactic ending isn’t terribly climactic — the reader has guessed it long before it’s written. This reader wishes Ms. Lillie had done a better job developing multi dimensional characters and dialogue that went somewhere. It was surprising to feel such a disconnect from the characters since the subjects at hand were so solemn and emotional.

Thank you NetGalley, Vanessa Lillie and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#FortheBest #NetGalley