I love a good mystery inspired by the idea that assistants hold all the secrets. In Deadly Company was the best way to say goodbye to summer reading! Keep reading this book review of In Deadly Company for my full thoughts.
Summary
A year after the blowout birthday celebration she organized accidentally ended in the death of her nightmare, one-percenter boss, Xander Chambers, Nicole Underwood thought she was setting the public record straight by agreeing to consult on a feature film based on her story. But on the set in LA, she watches in frustration as her experiences are persistently sidelined by inappropriate casting and frequent, bizarre script changes.
Nicole is haunted by the events of that fateful house party and visions of her now deceased boss. Xander had been unfit to lead the company his mother—famed entrepreneur Bridget Chambers—had founded and built to Fortune 500 status until her untimely death in a car accident several months prior. After being Bridget’s favorite assistant, Nicole had honored her mentor by staying on to keep Xander organized and on task despite his relentless partying. When he wanted her to plan his wild bash, Nicole saw a chance to probe the people closest to the Chambers family and learn if Bridget’s crash was truly a simple tragedy. But Nicole, who just wanted to be the best assistant possible, could not have foreseen the terrible consequences of her actions.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In Deadly Company is a dual timeline story featuring mysteries in each. There’s almost a meta feel to the mystery as we witness the original events, as well as the movie sets, and the idea of the ‘objective truth’. I loved how it felt like we were watching the ‘truth’ erode and shift before our eyes. Whenever we hear a side of the story, a witness account, it’s always through their perspective. So what happens when these accounts clash? When there are questions of angles, feelings, and jaded comments? If you love the idea of a mystery on all fronts, that makes you think about who the real victim is, then you have to read In Deadly Company.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
This book begins with the ones who make lives revolve and secrets in closed fists behind cellphones. Stratton balances these two timelines, reveals, and forces us to question everything we’ve seen. It feels like the past and the present intersect as Nicole is forced to confront the past. Can we ever lay our ghosts to rest? As In Deadly Company expands, Stratton shows us in depth character study and the refracted light of the past. I fell in this one and it broke my mystery book hiatus!
Find In Deadly Company on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.