Review by Booklist Review
Erika Turnbull was a normal teen living in a small Vermont town until a tragic accident ruined her reputation and turned her life upside down. She lost her self-confidence and could find only dead-end jobs. So when she's hired as executive assistant to Robert and Holly Barron, contestants on the popular TV reality show To the Manor Build, she's thrilled. The show pits contestants against each other as they rehab a property, with the winner selected by the viewing public. Millennials Holly and Robert are transforming a property they bought for a song when the owner defaulted on his taxes, and are building an eco-friendly yet luxurious mega-mansion. But when Robert and Holly disappear, and two mysterious deaths occur, Erika becomes a prime suspect when the trail of clues leads straight to her. The conclusion is as shocking as it is scandalous, but after all the trauma and suspense, it's unexpectedly satisfying. Strohmeyer offers an original plot that keeps us guessing and entertaining writing that veers from dark humor, usually with tongue in cheek, to tragedy.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this propulsive but less than plausible page-turner from Strohmeyer (Do I Know You?), charismatic real estate investor Robert Barron and his fiancée, Holly Simmons, are one of three couples vying for grand prize on the property rehab show To the Manor Build with their environmentally visionary hilltop estate nearing completion in tiny Snowden, Vt. Then, only hours after the pair's livestreamed wedding--and just days before the show's final reveal--the newlyweds vanish. Though the hard-charging self-proclaimed "Robber Barron" has plenty of enemies, the local cops seem quite happy to home in on outcast Erika Turnbull, Robert's assistant, who's not so secretly smitten with him, as their prime suspect. Which leaves it to Erika's brook-no-bull mother, Kim, the town clerk, to turn sleuth to try to save the day--with some assistance from Tammy, Holly's own freshly arrived from Florida steel magnolia mom. Apart from this unlikely band of mothers, several other characters seem disappointingly generic, as does Strohmeyer's satire of reality-rehab TV. Nevertheless, there's sufficient treachery, trickery, and twists (improbable though they be) to make good on the title's promise of entertainment. Agent: Zoe Sandler, ICM Partners. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Robert Barron and Holly Simmons are the perfect reality TV couple. Smart, attractive, and savvy with hashtags and affiliate links, they are turning a rustic Vermont cabin into a state-of-the-art, eco-conscious estate to win a renovation competition show called To the Manor Build. When the two marry just days before the season finale, some see it as a fairy-tale ending while others claim it's a desperate ploy for votes. No one expects the couple to go missing without a trace that same night. The police have no clues, but that doesn't stop them from pointing fingers at Erika Turnbull, Robert and Holly's assistant. Erika is convinced the home's former owner is seeking revenge after Robert bought the house out from under him in a tax sale. While the police rely on old grudges and internet rumors to try to frame Erika, she and her mother, the town clerk, set out to find the truth and rescue Robert and Holly before it's too late. VERDICT Intricately plotted, entertaining, and full of red herrings, Strohmeyer's latest (after Do I Know You?) is a fun romp of a thriller that will keep readers guessing until the last page. For fans of Lisa Jewell and Clare Mackintosh.--Portia Kapraun
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