Anatomy of an Alibi: A Novel
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FIRST LIE WINS
Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.
“Elston expertly unravels a web of secrets and lies. You won’t be able to put this excellent thriller down until the final shocking page.” —Megan Miranda
Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.
Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.
Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.
Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.
Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FIRST LIE WINS
Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.
“Elston expertly unravels a web of secrets and lies. You won’t be able to put this excellent thriller down until the final shocking page.” —Megan Miranda
Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.
Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.
Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.
Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.
Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.
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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Anatomy of an Alibi* is a gripping, fast-paced thriller filled with clever twists, secrets, and suspense that hooks readers from start to...
Ashley Elston has done a great job with this book! In my opinion it's better than her book First Lie Wins! P
It kept me entertained throughout this book! The characters were awesome! The plot was even better and what a great ending
Camille Bayliss and Aubrey Price agree to swap identities for one night to uncover the truth about Camille’s powerful husband, attorney Benjamin Bayliss. Camille suspects Ben is hiding dark secrets, while Aubrey believes he’s connected to a traumatic event from her past, making their risky plan feel worth it. But when Ben is found murdered the next morning, the identity swap becomes a deadly liability. With only one woman able to claim an airtight alibi, the truth threatens to unravel everything.
Ok let’s be honest for a sec…this book caught my attention because of the hot pink. And then the synopsis sealed the deal, even though I didn’t fully enjoy First Lie Wins.
That said… this book was juicy. I buddy read it with some girlies on Fable and had such a good time with the twisty setup of everyone needing an alibi, but it only actually working for one person. Between the questions about who caused the accident, why these two women are scheming, and how it was all going to blow up, I was hooked within the first two chapters. Elston’s writing style kept me fully locked in and flipping pages like I had somewhere to be.
The only difficult struggle (more so in the beginning while the plot was being set up), was keeping track of timelines and POVs as there are multiple. But once the story gets going and you understand who’s who, it gets much easier to follow along.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is the kind of book that’s dangerously easy to read “just one more chapter” of—until suddenly you’re done. The writing is fast, clear, and incredibly engaging, making it hard to put down once the story gets rolling.
The plot is packed with twists and turns that keep you guessing without ever feeling confusing or overcomplicated. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, the story pivots again, keeping the tension high all the way through.
Best of all, the ending is genuinely satisfying and pulls everything together in a way that feels earned. If you’re looking for a gripping, twisty read that flies by and keeps you hooked from start to finish, this one absolutely delivers.
I started reading Anatomy of an Alibi, and it absolutely ruined my ability to be productive for the rest of the day.
Two women. One dead husband. Only one alibi.
Which is already a phenomenal setup, but then this book said, “What if we also add identity swapping, rich Southern families, long-buried trauma, surveillance-level marital paranoia, and a murder that makes you question literally everything?” And I said, “Alright, let’s do this.”
Camille Bayliss looks like she has it all—money, status, a powerful lawyer husband who is objectively too charming to be trusted. Aubrey Price is carrying a decade’s worth of ghosts and a burning suspicion that Ben Bayliss knows exactly what happened the night her life imploded. So naturally, the solution is: pretend to be each other for twelve hours. Because what could possibly go wrong?
This book is sharp, twisty, and deeply committed to making you feel confident in your theories before immediately lighting them on fire. Just when you think you know who’s lying, who’s manipulating whom, or who has the upper hand—surprise! You’re wrong. Again. Sit down.
The alternating perspectives are chef’s kiss, the tension is relentless, and the moral gray areas are deliciously messy. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has motives. And I loved both women so much that I was rooting for them even while side-eyeing their life choices like, “I support you emotionally but legally I cannot.”
By the time the husband turned up dead, I was fully feral, whispering but which one of you did it like it was my business (it was).
Smart, addictive, and wildly entertaining—this is the kind of thriller that reminds me why I keep saying “just one more chapter” and then suddenly it’s midnight.
Two women. One dead husband. Only one alibi.
Which is already a phenomenal setup, but then this book said, “What if we also add identity swapping, rich Southern families, long-buried trauma, surveillance-level marital paranoia, and a murder that makes you question literally everything?” And I said, “Alright, let’s do this.”
Camille Bayliss looks like she has it all—money, status, a powerful lawyer husband who is objectively too charming to be trusted. Aubrey Price is carrying a decade’s worth of ghosts and a burning suspicion that Ben Bayliss knows exactly what happened the night her life imploded. So naturally, the solution is: pretend to be each other for twelve hours. Because what could possibly go wrong?
This book is sharp, twisty, and deeply committed to making you feel confident in your theories before immediately lighting them on fire. Just when you think you know who’s lying, who’s manipulating whom, or who has the upper hand—surprise! You’re wrong. Again. Sit down.
The alternating perspectives are chef’s kiss, the tension is relentless, and the moral gray areas are deliciously messy. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has motives. And I loved both women so much that I was rooting for them even while side-eyeing their life choices like, “I support you emotionally but legally I cannot.”
By the time the husband turned up dead, I was fully feral, whispering but which one of you did it like it was my business (it was).
Smart, addictive, and wildly entertaining—this is the kind of thriller that reminds me why I keep saying “just one more chapter” and then suddenly it’s midnight.
This was such a fun and twisty read. I received an advanced copy but didn’t get to it until after publication, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up. From the start, it had me questioning everything and everyone. I changed my mind more times than I can count about who was responsible, which is always a win in a mystery.
The multiple POVs and shifting timelines worked perfectly for me. I love when a story lets you see different angles of the same puzzle, and this one delivered. Each perspective added another layer, making the suspense build steadily all the way to the end.
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