Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead | Book Review
Today I’m going to be talking about a new release that I was really excited for! This is an author who I have had on my TBR list for quite some time, but I never found time to pick up one of her books. I was approved for this upcoming release by Netgalley, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it. Today we’re going to be discussing Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead.
I had no idea what this book was about before I picked it up. All I knew was that the title had piqued my interest! It’s a thriller filled with complicated female characters and dual timelines. So keep reading for my full thoughts and opinions on this book.
And if you’re looking for more thriller recs, click here.
What is Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead About?
From national bestselling author Ashley Winstead comes a buzzy, bloody new thriller about success, sisterhood, and demanding justice…by any means necessary.
What’s a girl got to do to get some fame, a few million record sales, and justice for murder?
Ten years ago, aspiring singer-actress Scout Sage lost the only thing that mattered: her sister, Georgia. Ever since Georgia’s mysterious death at a Hollywood party, Scout’s done her best to honor her memory, clawing her way through the industry and collecting a network of climbers along the way, fellow hot girls in stilettos with cutthroat ambition, a new Hollywood order.
But when a slew of targeted murders makes headlines across L.A., all pointing to Scout as the killer, she turns overnight from a mid-tier pop star into the world’s most famous (alleged) murderer. Now everything she’s worked to build—including the justice she wants for Georgia—will fall apart unless Scout can prove she’s not guilty.
Meanwhile, the young and unusual detective assigned to her case, herself no stranger to tragedy, begins to unearth secrets not even Scout knows, let alone her millions of new fans. Particularly about the ways Georgia’s death connects to an even older pattern of crimes long hushed over in Hollywood—an old reign of terror that, if brought to light, could be the fuel that ignites a reckoning the world over. (from Amazon.com)
My Initial Thoughts
When I first started reading this book, I was surprised by how many different storylines there were going on. There’s Scout’s story, Grey’s story, side characters like Juliet, plus the past and present of what happened to Georgia and Grey’s sister. It’s a little hard to keep track of at times. But it’s also very necessary because a lot of what fuels Scout and Grey in the present, is what happened to their family members in the past.
Even though Scout Sage is supposed to be a mid-tier pop star, I kind of imagined her as a Taylor Swift type. I’m not sure why. I guess it’s because she has a girl posse and it made me think of the Bad Blood music video. Haha.
This book is really fun and interesting, and I think it will be a must-read thriller of the year. Since it releases during Summer it would be a great book to read by the pool, or by the ocean.
Female Friendships are Complicated
I think that if you’re a woman, you’ll probably agree that explosive female relationships can be the catalyst of many things. That’s one of the interesting elements of this story. Scout and Georgie were sisters, and Isabel was their best friend (but like a sister). But after Georgisa is found murdered, it’s up to Scout and Isabel to seek justice and find out who killed their sister.
In present day, Scout has many women who she has helped out of difficult situations. And that is how she builds up her group of girlfriends. Because after Scout has helped them, they would do anything in return to help Scout.
What’s the Mystery?
The big mystery is a two parter.
1. Is Scout Sage a murderer?
2. Does Scout Sage have a group of women she works with to conduct these murders?
There’s no real evidence which is why law enforcement is left speculating for a majority of the book. But hey! Some people are craftier than others. And in this twisty tale of sisterhood, it feels like anyone could be pulling the strings. Scout Sage is a young woman with fame and connections, and that will get you far. To be honest, it feels very much like a true crime story you could read about in the news today.
I liked the Different Perspectives in this Story
I don’t know a lot about Los Angeles. I visited once in 2018 when my brother was living there. But I imagine that the world of Hollywood is very cut throat. It was interesting to see how Scout’s career progressed over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, Grey is working as a detective with a side hustle as a cocktail waitress. But little do her customers know that she is always watching. And she will use any information that comes her way to try to solve her sister’s sudden disappearance.
Would I Recommend This Book?
Yes, I would. I enjoyed the mystery and how the truth was divulged little by little. As I mentioned, there were a lot of side characters and discussions that made the book unique. I know that Ashley Winstead has written quite a few other books and I hope that I get to read more by her soon. I do have The Future Saints on my bookshelf because it was my book of the month selection for January. And I also have a copy of Midnight is the Darkest Hour, which my fiance gave me for my birthday.
In Conclusion
I didn’t want to go too in depth in this book review because I didn’t want to spoil the mystery. The journey to finding out the truth was really interesting and I didn’t want to give anything away. If you enjoy female focused stories that feature mystery and murder, I think you’ll want to check out Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead. It’s a story that kept my interested until the very last page.
