She should never have said ‘yes’… famous—and she needed Emma’s help.
After everything Beatrice had done for her, Emma could hardly refuse. But what was meant to be a favour has turned into a betrayal, and now Emma has done something terrible, something shocking, and the consequences are terrifying…
Revised edition: This edition of Until I Met Her includes editorial revisions.
more
This was the first book I read by this author – immediately read the second in the series and now I’m on her third book. Full of surprises, a veritable roller coaster ride… don’t plan on getting any sleep.
Natalie Barelli has become my new favorite one-click author! If you love twisted suspense thrillers like I do, I highly recommend this book and the sequel After He Killed Me!
I loved the protagonist Emma Fern– both her twisted mind and snark, which made me laugh out loud. I’ve read all of Ms. Barelli’s books and can’t wait for the next one!
“Surely murder is a lot like having children, or getting a pet: it’s the first one that changes your life. After that, it’s incremental.”
While reading, “Until I Met Her” I almost ticked off some negatives against the author for shoddy plot devices. I thought there were too many times when the psychopathic Emma Fern got away too easily. And then I realized, the subtle clues showing the main character is no genius is what makes this book so clever.
Emma Fern is not a brilliant, cunning killer, outwitting police and cutting off every avenue of possible discovery. But she is opportunistic. And resourceful. And very, very lucky. Which, if you have ever studied actual serial killers, you know this is largely what makes them successful.
You don’t expect Emma Fern, home decor shop owner and wide eyed fangirl to become a murderer. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s the rich, successful Beatrice, who preys on Emma’s pathological need to belong and be accepted, to be the source of evil. And as you read, you begin to feel a great deal of sympathy for Ms. Fern. You hope she gets to keep playing the role of successful novelist. You hope her husband isn’t cheating. You hope Beatrice stops being a cold, heartless bitch to her. You hope everything works in Emma’s favor, until it slowly dawns on you that she is capable of doing literally anything to get what she wants and hold on to what she has. Including murder. When you realize you are silently rooting for her to silence those who have wronged her and thinking she is justified in her extremes, you will stop asking what kind of person Emma Fern is, and start asking the same about yourself.
At least, I did. Because that is the beauty of Ms. Barelli’s writing. It’s subtle, like the venom in a spider bite. You don’t realize the poison has gotten inside you until you feel slightly ill and vaguely horrified. And before you tell yourself you would never go that far to realize a dream, think about what you want most in the world. Your most cherished desires that you nurture with your hopes and hard work and tears. And then ask yourself why you felt such sympathy for this woman. The answer might surprise you.
Read this book. It doesn’t matter if you are interested in the publishing world or have aspirations to be a novelist. If you have ever wanted something so badly you could taste it, you will find yourself falling down the same rabbit hole. Just don’t forget to come back to the real world at the end.
If a bestselling crime novelist asked me to put my name on her next novel, of course I’d never agree! But then we wouldn’t have the ingredients for a good storyline, which is exactly what we have in “Until I Met Her.” Well paced with a clever plot, you can’t go wrong with this suspenseful thriller, which can be read as a stand-alone; but if you want more, there’s a book 2!
There really weren’t any characters I admired but there were many I understood. This is a psychological thriller.
A bored and submissive wife. A self important and casually cruel husband. A manipulative and famous author.
Twists. Turns. And a jaw dropping shock early on. A victim who richly deserved to die. A roller coaster ride that will keep you wondering what is coming around the next blind curve.
Loved it!
A wild ride! The audio narration is excellent.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Genre:
Mystery Thriller
Wow, what a good surprise. I honestly did not expect to like this one that much. This is not your normal thriller which is full of twists and turns, nope. The story is more like a drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Emma Fern meets a famous crime author Beatrice Johnson. A friendship develops between them and one day Beatrice asks Emma a favor. The favor is to publish a book in a different genre than what she usually writes under Emma’s name! You don’t need to know more.
I doubt any reader will like any of the characters in this novel. There is lots of backstabbing, lots of deceit and lies. And I feel this is what made this story like a dangerous hilarious ride full of bumps. Natalie Barellí’s writing style and storytelling way are so engaging. I can’t believe this was her debut book because it is so fantastic for a first book. I am definitely going to read more from her work.
Though there is a second book for this story there is no cliffhanger in this book. So if one wants to read it as a standalone it is still valid to be read and considered that way. But of course, since I enjoyed this very much I am going to read the sequel soon.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
LOVED this book and this author! Great story…reading the next Emma Fern story and enjoying it just as much.