The Club audiobook

If a latter-day Agatha Christie wrote a locked-room mystery set at a fictional Soho House, you would have Ellery Lloyd’s The Club. This was an engaging and literary slow-burn mystery that was intimate and enjoyable, if a little slow at times.I have always been fascinated with the private club and magnet for the celebrity and creative elite, Soho House (even going so far as to try to scheme a way into joining until I learned of the exorbitant membership fee). Having attended Soho House functions as a guest, I always wondered when happened with the inner workings and admissions of such clubs, so this book was basically written for me.This novel focuses on an isolated Island version of the elite club Home (a thinly veiled Soho House type of retreat) and a mysterious death that occurs within its confines. The book is told from 5 points of view, which was a little much for me (full disclosure: I have a short attention span and a finite memory bank for narrating characters). I loved the focus on the enigmatic founder of Home and the celebrity and socialite members. I would have loved a little more focus on those characters and a little less from characters I found more tertiary. I enjoyed the timely themes the book tackled (which I won’t elaborate on so as not to spoil the unfolding of the story) and thought the writing was very good. Being a thriller adrenaline junkie, I would have liked a little bit more action a bit quicker in the story. But I also enjoyed getting to know most of the characters and reading the well-executed plot.This is a thoughtful and nicely executed and locked-room mystery. Thriller fans should know going in that this is a more literary slow-burn, traditional whodunit, rather than a high octane page-turner. It also has some interesting social commentary woven in. So read it when you are in the mood to do a little more thinking per page.Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and the author for the enjoyable ARC.

I don't really have much to say about this one. It was a decent read, I was entertained while reading it. It wasn't that unique in terms of plot line, a lot of what happens felt cliched, but it was executed well enough that it didn't bother me. I'm not sure I would classify it as a mystery though.

Home is a luxurious club only for the rich and famous. Run by Ned Groom, The Home Group has celebrity clubs all over the globe, London, Lisbon, Malibu, Manhattan, Paris, Shanghai, Venice, and Cannes. The Home Group is launching its newest and most spectacular Home yet on an island off the English coast. The new opening launch party is the most coveted A-list party of the year. But behind the scenes tension is escalating and some are at there breaking point. The longer the weekend gets, everything takes a sinister turn and some people on the island don't make it out alive. Told from four points of view: Jess(who is newly hired to work in housekeeping at Home), Nicki(Ned’s personal assistant), Annie (the head of membership at home), and Adam(Ned’s younger brother). There are also pieces from a Vanity Fair article at the end of each chapter. The Club is begins introducing us to the set of narrators and other characters. Some of the characters are more likeable than others and most are morally grey at best. You soon learn about the complex history between the characters. You will not see a lot of action in the beginning but the second half is much more intense and will leave you on the edge of your seat. I thought the ending was satisfying and it concluded the entire story. This is my first read by the husband and wife writing duo that is Ellery Lloyd and it will not be my last! I love for a good locked room whodunit mystery and this one exceeded all of my expectations. The Club is a solid and well-written book that kept me entertained and constantly guessing what would happen next. I do feel like The Club is more of a mystery than a typical thriller but either way I loved the story and I highly recommend this one! The Club will be available on March 1. A massive thanks to Harper Books for the gifted copy!

Are you ready for the roller coaster ride that is The Club? After reading and really enjoying People Like Her, I was keen to see what this writing duo had in store for us next. And I was not disappointed.The Club, a new exclusive members only club with a waiting list, is opening a new resort. Island Home is said to be the best and most exclusive yet. The launch party is going to be the celebrity even of the decade and everybody wants in. An isolated location, you just know that things are not going to be smooth sailing. That many egos in one place - a recipe for disaster!! The invitees and the staff are hiding things, and will do anything to keep their secrets safe.A fun, extravagant murder mystery, where anybody could be the culprit. A fast and enjoyable read. Love the insight to the world of the rich and famous.Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for my advanced copy to read. Published April 7th.

I had literally zero expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed the craziness of this one.If you like the dark side of celebrity gossip, you may like this.I loved the way that the characters are all connected. And it's all jacked up.Maybe that final night was a bit TOO crazy, but this book didn't seem to take itself TOO seriously either, so it worked. An excellent 4.5 read rounded up to 5 stars

Everyone wants to join the club. The rich the famous and the meager. But there’s not enough room, which is why the club is expanding. It’s a place where the wealthy and famous can go and feel as free as the commoners. But things go south fast at the new club house once all of its members are gathered. Probably because the club is running out of money and needs more funds from each person there. Will they pay? Is there an underlying reason as to why they would pay to be a part of the club? All these answers in more or between the pages of this book!

Holy plot whiplash Batman. I adored this thriller!!! Enter THE CLUB if you dare!

What a great book! I devoured it in one sitting. I love books about the glitzy and glamorous behaving badly and that’s exactly what you get here. An exclusive club is opening a new location on a hard-to-reach island when secrets are exposed, resulting in multiple deaths. The reader knows that people have died from the beginning but doesn’t find out who they are until the end. The POV switches between the members exec, the CEO’s assistant, the CEO’s, brother, and the new head of housekeeping. None of these people are super likable but they all draw you in nonetheless.The pacing of the story is fast from beginning to end, and the alternating of voices was an effective way to tell it. The author did a great job of describing both the island and the atmosphere in a way that I could picture it clearly. Though there were a lot of characters, it was easy to keep them all straight and the characterization was good while not taking away from the action. There were multiple mysteries all wrapped up together and twists that surprised me throughout the book. I found the ending to be satisfying; loose ends were tied up and there was a promise of what else might come. Overall, fantastic read that I would recommend for those like mysteries and thrillers, not to mention the secret lives of celebrities. I am going to go track down the previous book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was one of the readers who absolutely loved People Like Her, so I was really excited to read Ellery Lloyd's sophomore novel The Club. I love the cover so much, and I usually love anything that is filled with drama, so it seemed like a real winner on those fronts. I was immediately captured by the imagery of this author duo's writing and the way they brought Island Home to life. In theory, it is a place anyone would love to be, but this story brought new meaning to the phrase looks can be deceiving. There weren't really any likable characters in the book, although I did like Jess quite a bit, and I think it is good to know going in that you are probably going to love to hate these people. I really enjoyed the various viewpoints, and I loved the pieces of the Vanity Fair article mixed in throughout as well. I think The Club really shines on audio, and the narrator Tamaryn Payne did such an amazing job being the voice of so many characters. She really brought them to life for me, and I particularly loved how she made the article seem like another narrator when she read those parts. It took me a minute to get all of the characters straight, but once I did, I was really into this drama fest and was excited to see where the story would take us. It is a fairly slow burn, even with the different viewpoints and the article mixed in, but I was hanging onto every word and couldn't put it down. The audiobook isn't even 9.5 hours long and I easily listened to it in one day, and practically one sitting if I'm being honest. I was also really satisfied with the end of the book and if you love drama with unlikeable characters this will be a solid read for you. I am a huge fan of this husband-and-wife team, and I can't wait to see what they write next!Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Super fun! Nice popcorn read! Really enjoyed it!

A great character driven mystery - A "the rich are different and really quite appalling " story as the most exclusive club in the world has a murderous opening weekend for its latest incarnation. A great group dynamic all with something to hide, featuring a cast of mostly hugely dislikeable characters who you are horrified by but simply can't stop reading about. Really enjoyed it. Cements Ellery Lloyd as an author I will continue to follow.

An exclusive club only available to the elite in the entertainment community. A place where appearances can be deceiving and everyone is looking out for themselves. This book made for a fun, thrilling, and quick summer beach read. 🏖

It took me quite awhile to get into this book, there were lots of characters and lots of details that didn't feel important, but then it took off and captured my interest. Who was killed and why, lots of suspects, lots of motives and revenge. Who will come out the club unscathed?

I was a fan of this fast paced and fresh mystery. Everyone is dying to get invited to this weekend-long party and you will feel like the true VIP you are by getting an invite (via this book 😉).Step inside the über exclusive members club, called Home, think Soho House but more exclusive and way better parties. This book follows the opening weekend of the club’s most ambitious project yet. The newest club is set on a remote island accessible only 12 hours a day by car. While the weekend festivities are over the top and extravagant, tensions are boiling over behind the scenes. The story is narrated by some of the club’s most key staff members shows you the world of opulence and excess is not all that meets the eye….Many alternating viewpoints and shocking revelations. I really enjoyed how this was written. I am seeing many mixed reviews on this story but I am happily going to recommend to anyone who loves a whodunit as it held my interest and kept me guessing. Sure, there are a ton of characters who are a bit nuanced and tricky to keep track of but it’s nothing we can’t handle.To me, this book felt incredibly similar to The Siren by Kat St. John. In my book, that’s a fabulous thing as I love her stories.Best paired with a proper gin gimlet.Cheers!

Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired and on Bookstagram.I think we've all heard of celebrities owning islands and of those that run away for the weekend to party in Ibiza. It's viewed as a club, but what about the VIP clubs that require an investment that's as much as an average house price? They exist and in Ellery Lloyd's The Club not only do they exist, but they hold within their walls all the best secrets. The Home Group is a worldwide vacation club for the elite and The Club follows those VIPs as they celebrate the opening weekend of Island Home. A secluded island off the English coast, Island Home is the best of the homes, offering private bungalows to the guest, dining under the sea, and parties filled with all the best party favors. There's tension within the ranks of The Home Group though, both within those who manage it and the celebrities who belong to it. As the weekend grows wilder, a body is found.I am a huge fan of island based novels, especially when a dead body is involved. It's instantly like a game of Clue, with a list of suspects, locations, and weapons to choose from and a myriad of issues scraping the surface. The Club was instantly gripping, taking the reader into Island Home from the perspective of the employees. We are treated to multiple background storylines and glimpses into the secret lives of the rich. Of course, someone is always breaking the rules in order to maintain power and that power is at risk during the raucous weekend. I didn't know what to expect as I dove into The Club, I loved some of the characters' and their perspectives, while others made me so annoyed. It is a classic story about the haves and have nots, with a whodunnit twist. The secrets are all over the place and the reveal of each is so impactful.I was engaged from start to finish while reading The Club. It was the kind of fun read where you're totally hooked, trying to solve the murder yourself, while also suspending disbelief and just going along for the ride. The hype around The Club is worth it.ARC provided.