The Club by Ellery Lloyd

THE CLUB

A lovely follower asked for an easy, contemporary thriller out in paperback she could take in her hand luggage. Last year I schlepped a huge amount of books (swipe to see the ridic stack) on a long weekend in Greece & as a mood reader who doesn’t gravitate to thrillers (who needs extra anxiety in life) I just didn’t get to The Club. Can you blame me for being unable to focus on anything other than that water? 

Well I read it today in rainy London to see if I could recommend it & I think a lot of people would enjoy this book even if I didn’t love it. It is written in a very conversational style which for me grated but makes it very accessible with broad appeal.

The plot is a slow burn mystery in a white lotus setting. You are thrust into a world of exclusive, highly sought after members clubs a la Soho house for the ultra famous & wealthy. The launch of the isolated island premises over one weekend proves revelatory & deadly with a cast of characters all with motives & secrets. The film this would make.

I particularly relished a few passages that excoriated fame, the tabloids, & the baying, opinionated public who immediately become experts in any given field when a story strikes.

For me the writing could have been tighter (I found it very descriptive), the plot faster & a lot less back & forth as each chapter flits between characters, but that is stylistic preference & it could be a gripping immersive summer read for you.

There were lots of parallels to reality, bordering on parody with moments of satire. Overall it was an entertaining, small clues along the way book, & I get the range of reviews. With a spectrum of perspectives from different angles, there were twists I didn’t anticipate. 

And yes I skipped ahead to see what happened & then went back to read it in a relaxed fashion, I don’t enjoy surprises & love a spoiler. I get that this makes me a heathen in certain thriller reader circles & I’m ok with that! 

If you read this around the @reesesbookclubhype I would love to know what you thought! C

Ad:PR Copy honestly reviewed.