Author: Andrea Bartz
Publication Date: 24 March 2020
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Page Count: 336
Reading Method: Digital ARC
Synopsis:
The name of the elite women-only coworking space stretches across the wall behind the check-in desk: THE HERD, the H-E-R always purple. In-the-know New Yorkers crawl over one another to apply for membership to this community that prides itself on mentorship and empowerment. Among the hopefuls is Katie Bradley, who’s just returned from the Midwest after a stint of book research blew up in her face. Luckily, Katie has an in, thanks to her sister, Hana, an original Herder and the best friend of Eleanor Walsh, the Herd’s charismatic founder.
Eleanor is a queen among the Herd’s sun-filled rooms, admired and quietly feared even as she strives to be warm and approachable. As head of PR, Hana is working around the clock to prepare for a huge announcement from Eleanor—one that will change the trajectory of the Herd forever. Though Katie loves her sister’s crew, she secretly hopes that she’s found her next book subject in Eleanor, who’s brilliant, trailblazing—and extremely private.
Then, on the night of the glitzy Herd news conference, Eleanor vanishes without a trace. Everybody has a theory about what made Eleanor run, but when the police suggest foul play, everyone is a suspect: Eleanor’s husband, other Herders, the men’s rights groups that have had it out for the Herd since its launch—even Eleanor’s closest friends. As Hana struggles to figure out what her friend was hiding and Katie chases the story of her life, the sisters must face the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other—and confront just how dangerous it can be when women’s perfect veneers start to crack, crumble, and then fall away altogether.
Review:
I really liked the premise of this one. A feminist thriller? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I really struggled to get into it. The beginning just felt so dense and didn’t seem to be moving very quickly. However, around 30% it started to pick up.
The story is told in alternating perspectives. Katie is a reporter/writer running away from a mysterious traumatic event and Hana is head of PR for the Herd, working on a mysterious announcement party. In the midst of all of this, Eleanor, the founder of the Herd, goes missing. Hana and Katie have to figure out if Eleanor left willingly, or if something more sinister occurred.
Throughout the story we learn more about each woman’s past and what led them to where they are now. I just wish we knew a little more earlier on to get me more invested in the story. They kept making vague references to the past without actually revealing anything and it got a bit repetitive and obnoxious. The ending was surprising, but not entirely. Don’t get me wrong, it worked. It made sense. But it lacked the wow factor for me. I was expecting something a little more than what we got.
