Suped Up: He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

Series: Standalone
Format: eGalley
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Atria
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Suspense | Thriller | Mystery

A woman who almost had it all . . .

On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight-year-old woman could want: a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a job that (mostly) paid the bills, and an acceptance letter to the prestigious Hollingsworth Institute of Art, where she would finally live out her dream of becoming an antiques appraiser for a major auction house. All she had worked so hard to achieve was finally within her reach. So why would she kill herself?

A man who was supposed to be her salvation . . .

Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a lethal cocktail of pills and vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers a scandalous photograph in a lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man Celine believed would change her life.

Until he became her ruin.

On the hunt for evidence that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life—and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer. A killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.

Yet another successful author cherry pop! Yes, I'm kicking myself for not reading K.A. Tucker sooner. And yes, I'll be reading more of her books moving forward. HE WILL BE MY RUIN is so devious, thrilling, and a total page turner for sure! I'm sure you've read a lot of advance reviews at this point so I'll save you some time and redundant fangirling, and just share why I absolutely love this murder-mystery thriller. 

I'm a fan of diaries penned by some dead person especially if said person has been murdered and has a secret life. Such delicious secrets, Celine Gonzales has, whatever Maggie Sparkes knows about her childhood friend/surrogate sister turned to dust once she got ahold of Celine's journals. Nothing jaw-dropping, at least for me, Maggie's reaction drew me into the story. So many questions, so many what-ifs, missed opportunities, a lot of guilty feelings, Maggie went through all the stages of grief and then some. After all's been said and done, Maggie's loyalty to Celine prevailed and this sororal love is what drove Maggie to dive deeper and exhaust every possible avenue and resource she has to prove that Celine didn't commit suicide rather she killed herself.

I love the guesswork in HE WILL BE MY RUIN, then again I've never been really good at solving murder mysteries so needless to say, my brain is tickled all throughout the novel. Even after Celine's secret life was revealed, I was still left wondering what the motive was and who the killer is. It was quite the twist, I wouldn't have guessed that it was enough to warrant someone to kill another human being. But then again, stranger things have happened so it's not as far-fetched as I thought it would be. As for the perpetrator, oh but he (clue!) is so close yet felt so far. Tucker hid this person in plain sight. I know some readers guessed right, I guessed wrong which made the big reveal even more surprising and nerve wracking.

HE WILL BE MY RUIN is a definite must-read for fans of this genre. You will not be disappointed.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Kobo