To Die For, a review by Joanna

To Die For is a riveting mystery thriller that takes a classic Agatha Christie scenario – a bunch of rich people all have motives for a murder committed in a luxurious mansion – and sets it in contemporary Malibu. I’ve read and enjoyed the author’s Jessica Shaw series, wasn’t so keen on her other stand-alone, but liked the sound of this one. Most of the characters are deliciously awful, but she does a good job with the twists and I didn’t guess the victim or the perpetrator until they were revealed.

Andi Hart is a young real estate broker agent hoping to set up on her own after problems at the swish agency she currently works for. Then her employers reveal they have been commissioned to sell a 50 million dollar beachfront property, and the successful agent will receive one million dollars. Suddenly the gloves are off, and each of Andi’s colleagues is desperate to win the prize – but will they resort to murder?

I started out despising almost all of the characters here – they claim to have money worries, yet drive ridiculous cars and most of their problems are self inflicted. The story is told from various perspectives, including Aribo, the detective leading the investigation – about the only sympathetic personality in it, so I hope Gray brings him back in future books. We don’t learn who has been killed until quite far into the book, although the various possibilities are gradually eliminated. This plot device has been used a lot in recent crime fiction, but it was well done here and I didn’t feel cheated by the various reveals. Overall, an entertaining holiday thriller with a satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.