One of Us Is Dead

Opulence. Desire. Betrayal. In Buckhead, friendship can be deadly. In a world of luxury and ruthless ambition, power is everything—and not everyone will survive the climb to the top. In this exclusive enclave of sprawling estates and designer armor, four women are playing a high-stakes game where the cost of losing is life itself. • The Ex-Queen: Shannon was the undisputed sovereign of Buckhead society until her politician husband, Bryce, blindsided her with a divorce. Now, replaced and cast aside, she isn’t just looking for a new life—she’s looking for blood. • The Trophy: Crystal is the new Mrs. Bryce Owen. A wide-eyed Texan transplant, she’s stepped into Shannon’s designer shoes without realizing they’re laced with glass. She thinks she’s won the prize; she has no idea she’s the target. • The Social Climber: Olivia has spent years lurking in Shannon’s shadow, waiting for a crack in the throne. With the crown finally within reach, she’s ready to deploy every manipulative, backstabbing tactic in her arsenal to ensure it stays on her head. • The Keeper of Secrets: Jenny owns Glow, the elite salon where the neighborhood’s darkest desires are whispered over champagne. Jenny knows where every body is buried—and she might just be ready to start digging. As alliances shift and old grudges catch fire, the question isn't just who will reign supreme, but who will make it out alive. In a world where appearances are everything, a "perfect" friendship can be the most effective murder weapon. One of Us Is Dead is an entertaining, fast-moving read told through multiple perspectives across both present-day and recent past timelines. The rotating points of view add layers to the story, though they can occasionally feel overwhelming to keep track of. The characters are vividly drawn—you may not like them, but that’s part of the appeal. They’re the kind you love to hate, each harboring secrets that slowly unravel as the story progresses. From the outset, the title makes one thing clear: one of these women is dead. The intrigue lies in discovering who—and why. While the book isn’t particularly romantic, it does include a few brief, steamy moments that add to the drama. Beneath the glitz and gossip, the author lightly touches on heavier themes, including the impact of violence and questions of sexual identity. At times, the story feels so over-the-top that it borders on dark humor, though it’s not always clear if that’s intentional. Ultimately, the novel didn’t fully deliver for me. The shifting perspectives became distracting, the exploration of sexual identity felt somewhat forced, and the overall plot lacked the tension needed to truly grip me.

Very REAL Housewives meets Desperate Housewives. The twist was one I expected in order to receive a “happy ending”, but some storylines throughout seemed kind of passed over. I needed more background. I feel that writing it in 5 different perspectives caused there to be a lot of missed interactions between some other characters, but it was was quick read and made me glad I wasn’t living in Buckhead with these women lol. Very entertaining.

10 out of 10

It’s like Real Housewives meets Murder Mystery’s. So many twists and turns, felt a tiny bit predictable. But the ending was jaw dropping

Desperate Housewives meets Mean Girls in this fast-paced thriller.

This book was just fun to read. You have your basics for a quick, engaging read– characters you HATE, characters you root for, a reveal that someone has been murdered, and the satisfying(ish?) revelation.

Welcome to Buckhead, a wealthy town north of Atlanta, Georgia. We are first introduced to Jenny and her beauty salon, a local hangout for the housewives. We are slowly introduced to the wives: Shannon, Olivia, Karen, and the newest in town Crystal (Shannon’s ex-husband’s new wife). There’s so much cattiness and drama, but on top of this, we learn that one of these women does not survive.

Told from the perspectives of the five women mentioned above, we learn about the days leading up to the murder and we also get little glimpses of the interrogation post-murder. It’s exciting to not only try to figure out who the killer is, but also who is the person to not survive. The ending had me shook!