Welcome friend! Reading books where the protagonist is an author is always a fun exercise for me as it gives me a glimpse of the publishing world. J. T. Ellison is well known for her thriller novels and I had the chance to give her latest, A Very Bad Thing, a read and talk to her as part of Over The River PR your for the month of October. Here is what the story is about:
J.T. Ellison | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a taut thriller about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has—and everyone she knows.
A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.
With twenty hit titles, and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.
Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
A Very Bad Thing – Review
A Very Bad Thing is a gripping thriller about the murder of an author during the last leg of a book tour. J. T. Ellison masterfully blends mystery, hidden identities, troubling pasts and inheritance intrigue into an engaging story, intertwining perspectives of numerous people. The question isn’t just who killed Columbia Jones? It is also how are all these people connected to one another?
Let’s do a quick profile on the three main perspectives in A Very Bad Thing:
Columbia Jones
- Renowned author whose people adore
- Found murdered in her bed during the Denver leg of her book tour
- Had a will she kept secret from her daughter Darian
- Has a dark past she left behind when she became Columbia Jones.
- Her perspective is either from the past, through her writing or letter to her daughter.
Darian Jones
- Daughter of Columbia Jones and her publicist
- Grief stricken at the loss of her mother
- Supposedly the only beneficiary of her mother’s will until the new one comes into the picture
- Her understanding of her life and family starts to unravel with Columbia’s loss
- Her perspective is from the present.
Riley Carrington
- Journalist; was hand picked by Columbia to cover her latest tour
- Discovers Columbia’s body and is accused of murdering her
- One of the beneficiaries of Columbia’s will
- Was adopted and has a complicated relationship with her family.
- Her perspective is from the present.
I enjoyed the variety of characters in A Very Bad Thing. Each of them has their distinct personality, struggles, challenges and past and I felt that the writing and plot did justice to every single one of them. There were things that Columbia did when she was young that she is ashamed of. With her writing, she was able to leave that life behind and start over but this meant a lonely existence where she couldn’t even share her deepest truths with her daughter, Darian. The hard choices she made weighed on her till her death. Her actions in the past destroyed many lives and she recognised that only in hindsight. As a famous author, she became a public figure and it was inevitable that someone would find out what she had done and use it against her.
How Riley is mixed up in Columbia’s life and death was very interesting. I loved her character and the way her mind worked. As a journalist, she will face danger to uncover the truth. On the other hand, Darian is emotional and impulsive. She accuses Riley of murder of her mother. She declares the news of the murder on social media even though the police have not confirmed it nor do they want her to put such allegations out there in public.
Another perspective is that of Detective Sutcliffe as he investigates the situation and how he is able to learn more about Columbia’s past and its importance in the murder. I liked his professionalism and sharpness of mind. He isn’t one to do it all alone – he knows has a trusted network of people he can rely on to help him crack this case. Turns out, his past might also have something to do with his assignment to this case.
A Very Bad Thing gets super juicy when Columbia’s newest will comes to light. With both Riley and Darian as beneficiaries, not to mention a few other people who Detective Sutcliffe was looking into, the plot truly thickens. I wasn’t sold on the guy found to be guilty of Columbia’s murder and enjoyed the twists and the final resolution.
This book was a page-turner and I am looking forward to reading more from J.T. Ellison. Tomorrow, find out which book from her backlist she recommends picking next.
If you are interested in giving this book a read, add it to your Goodreads shelf.
Many thanks to Over The River PR for a review copy of this book. Head to their blog to find out who else has joined the tour.
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