
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.
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.


Gah! That is it! I'm so going to Amazon today and buying this!
ReplyDeleteI hope you one-clicked this baby ;)
DeleteI have to try her out too. The delicious secrets are definitely a strong draw :) Not to mention the fact that no matter who reviews her, the praise scarcely changes... Plus, you can't not love a good mystery :D Hugs
ReplyDeleteYes, the mystery for this is a true page turner for me. I hope you enjoy it, Ramona.
DeleteAll the reviews I saw about this one were really good! I confess that I'm quite curious to see how the story is too
ReplyDeleteI have yet to come across a dissatisfied reader as far as this book is concerned
DeleteI have read only good things, still, eh, not my genre
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised!
DeleteI'm currently reading her ten tiny breaths series and so far so good. I didn't love the first one, but as I read the series I'm slowly starting to get hooked.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what book but I think I've read a blurb similar to this one, though this one sounds more intriguing and it's piquing my curiosity more.
Ella @ In Constant Reverie
I want to read that too, but I'm planning to read the other one next. I forgot the name of the series, it's NA and there's some Irish gun runners lol.
DeleteI just bought this book yesterday. Can't wait to read it now!
ReplyDeleteLee! I miss you!!!
DeleteYay! I'm so glad you enjoyed your first K.A Tucker, Braine. I thought this wasn't her strongest book because I struggled with Maggie a bit and I thought the mystery was predictable but I liked the writing quite a bit. I'm curious to see if this is going to be a series!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Maggie is a great narrator, she reflected my curiosity of Celine's life and death to a tee. Plus she's smart and didn't suffer from TSTL. As for the mystery, I suck at predicting shit so I guess I'm the best reader for this series. I always get surprised hahaha
DeleteOMG - this books is right up my alley! I love a thriller, and with a 5 star rating, sounds like this one will keep me on the edge of my seat and guessing. Great review! Hugs...
ReplyDeleteRead it, but be warned! It'll keep you up at night :D
DeleteYay!!!! KAT is my favorite author. I've loved everything she's written. I get so excited when I see others loving her too! :)
ReplyDeleteKat, you guys are tight! hook me up!!!
DeleteI haven't read Tucker and I am a HUGE fan of the genre. I will have to rectify that!
ReplyDeletePop that cherry!
DeleteHWBMR popped my Tucker cherry also. I can't wait to read more of her work. Awesome review!
ReplyDeleteWe should buddy-read Burying Water series together. ;)
DeleteNow a genre I typically read but this one sounds good! Glad you enjoyed since it's your first book by that author :D
ReplyDeleteShe'll give you taste for this genre, give it a go!
DeleteI kept skipping over this one but you've got me interested now.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
That's good enough for me, Karen
DeleteI've been seeing only good things for this and I think I may enjoy it. I read her first book only and that one didn't work so well for me but I think this may be more my taste for sure.
ReplyDeleteGive this a go, maybe this will work for you?
DeleteI am glad to see you loved this one! I love her writing, even though I didn't love this one as much as others. And yes, I am all over "the diaries of a dead person" <- that sounds bad.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, it's morbid and fascinating. They confess and don't really need to apologize or feel ashamed of it because they're gone and whatever transgression is almost always forgiven because they're dead.
DeleteI'm going to have to pop my KA Tucker cherry too, Braine! I've been meaning to read her and this makes like 5 gushing reviews of HWBMR I've read. I'm gonna do it! And I'm so happy you enjoyed the experience. ;)
ReplyDeleteI initally wanted to read Burying Water first, but that binge-read plan fell apart. 4 books can be intimidating when you have a few books piled up. Will definitely go back to that plan soon
DeleteEveryone is raving about this one. I grabbed a copy last week, and I am hoping to get to it this weekend, after I go through a couple of other ARCS. I am not a big NA reader, but I did like her Burying Water series.
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it! It's not NA IMO, aside from the characters being a little older and out of college, it's not angsty too. I hope that helps
DeleteI have heard nothing but great things about this author. I so need to read her work! I have this one on the wishlist and I'm going to try to get to at least one of her books this year!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this should make up for J.S. Cooper
DeleteWow Braine I think I must get this one, you and many of my blogger friends have read and loved this
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review
This is one instance where I encourage you to give in to peer pressure ;)
DeleteOkay, I'm going to add this to my TBR list. I haven't been reading/listening to enough Thriller/Suspense stories lately. I trust your judgement and this looks great. I checked the audio. I'm not familiar with the narrators, but will probably try it out that way first anyway. :-) Great review.
ReplyDeleteMelanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads
That's the best compliment ever, Melanie! Thank you! muah!
DeleteI hope the audio conveys the mystery well :)
I'm so glad this was your intro to Tucker's books, because it is frikking good. I suggest gong with the Burying Water series next. Wonderful review, Braine.
ReplyDeleteHoping I'll be able to read my copy soon. I'm so glad you loved this one, B.
ReplyDeleteReading it now, so I'll have to come back for your thoughts. Glad to see it was rated high for you. :)
ReplyDeleteThe more I hear about this book, the more I want to read it ! I think I'm going to stop being reasonable and resisting and just buy it :)
ReplyDeleteYES!! I am so glad to see you loved this Braine. I love that Tucker is slowly moving towards suspense/thrillers. Sorry I've been MIA, after my Dad passed I feel overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteI can see that I am missing out by not reading this author!!! Your review has me tempted to buy it right NOW!!
ReplyDeleteI've only read the first three Burying Water books by this author, but I really enjoyed that series so far. I am tempted to give this book a try, but not 100% sure yet. I am really enjoying murder mysteries lately, so I think I would enjoy that part. I like it when the mystery keeps me guessing. Great review!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, so many lovely reviews for this one! I can't wait to read this one. I've started the Burying Water series and loving it so far. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, Braine, and I'm so, so happy you loved this as much as I did. I enjoyed that I kept guessing, and I think I suspected more or less every single character, at least for a while :)
ReplyDeleteLexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
Everyone is loving this one and I really cannot wait to read it. It sounds so amazing!
ReplyDeleteBoth things are possible if you carry Michael Kors Handbags Wholesale. If you are a woman who goes for innovative designs, a designer Michael Kors Bags On Sale is perfect for you. Offering a huge selection of chic purses, handbags, shoes and accessories, Michael Kors Outlet Online Store celebrates womanhood in an entirely unique way. Michael Kors Factory Outlet Online Store At Wholesale Price are one of the most sought-after handbags worldwide. We all agree that diamonds are a woman's best friend; however Official Coach Factory Outlet Online are absolutely next in line. To Coach Outlet Sale aficionados, don't fret because we have great news: a discount Official Coach Outlet Online isn't hard to find. If you are a smart shopper looking for a good buy and great deals on your next handbag purchase, you can go to Official Coach Outlet Online.
ReplyDeleteFriendly Links: Toms Shoes Womens | Toms Clearance