Look Closer

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 8,657 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 09-03-2024


About this item

“Wildly entertaining.”—New York Times Book Review

From the bestselling and award-winning author comes a wickedly clever and fast-paced novel of greed, revenge, obsession—and quite possibly the perfect murder.

Simon and Vicky couldn’t seem more normal: a wealthy Chicago couple, he a respected law professor, she an advocate for domestic violence victims. A stable, if unexciting marriage. But one thing’s for sure: absolutely nothing is what it seems. The pair are far from normal, and one of them just may be a killer.

When the body of a beautiful socialite is found hanging in a mansion in a nearby suburb, Simon and Vicky’s secrets begin to unravel. A secret whirlwind affair. A twenty-million-dollar trust fund about to come due. A decades-long grudge and obsession with revenge. These are just a few of the lies that make up the complex web... and they will have devastating consequences. And while both Vicky and Simon are liars, just who exactly is conning who? Part Gone Girl and part Strangers on a Train, Look Closer is a wild rollercoaster of a read that will have you questioning everything you think you know.


Top reviews from the United States

Randy Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024
Quick and easy read! Couldn’t put it down. Twists and turns in every chapter.
Melissa Ammons
4.0 out of 5 stars Look Closer
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024
I breezed through this in two days flat. Could’ve been one day, but …
This is a very twisted tale that involves Lauren, Conrad (though he is quite a superficial character), Vicky, Simon, Christian, Gavin, Jane (the police detective) and her partner, Andy. We have a diary, some text messages, and an event that happened on Halloween, because what better day could there be than the one where you can dress up and no one will recognize you or what you are up to?
This book is written in the present-day timeline which includes the investigation and the months leading up to the fateful day. This is a writing style that I tend to like to read. I liked the fact that my head was kind of spinning throughout the telling of this tale, thinking oh it’s … no, maybe not. I did begin to figure out the whodunnit, but not the reason behind it. This is rather a long tale at 448 pages, but I think it had to be so the ending was not rushed and the connections between all the whys could come together cohesively in the end.
Savannah T
5.0 out of 5 stars Super Twisty !
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
This was an absolute page turner! The plot thickens with each chapter and it kept me guessing the WHOLE time. This one had me questioning every single character from start to finish. Highly recommend if you love “edge of your seat” drama and suspense!
Logan Barris
3.0 out of 5 stars Dragged on.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
I really just wanted this book to end. It felt way too long. Characters were not that interesting and not a lot of character development. Good twist and conclusion.
Lainey love
4.0 out of 5 stars Page turner
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
Quick chapters, fast paced who done it. Lots of fun. First time reading this author and will try more.
Steve Lacey
5.0 out of 5 stars Look Closer
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
An absolute spell-binding page-turner! A fabulous story that grabs you and shakes you until nearly the last page. A great who/how done it.
David W Putnam
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
Look Closer by David Ellis

This could easily be the most complicated crime novel I’ve ever read and yet I was never confused. A testament to the author’s superior writing craft/skill. The story is in four points of view all of them first person present. This book is another solid five. I was truly amazed at the story and character development that carried me right along. When I put the book down, I found myself thinking about what might happen next. An author can’t ask for more out of a book. I quit counting the number of twists. Which also took me right to the edge of thinking there may have been one too many... but stopped short just in time. Another sign of a brilliant craftsman at work.
What makes the story work is the attention to detail without it, the complicated plot would easily fail falling into a mish-mash of olio.
There is a thing in writing called MAR, motivation, action, reaction. Something has to be motivated in the proper way or the action and reaction can fall short and or turn into melodrama. The author here walks a very fine line. In order to make such a complicated story work the two protagonists have to step dangerously close to the line without crossing over into being unredeemable characters. It works well here but that line is clearly visible. The motivation for what ultimately happens is thin in places. There is also a huge Point of View cheat which is not uncommon in thrillers and mysteries. When a reader picks up a book there has to be a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. The difficulty in writing one of these is saving up this suspension of disbelief and only using when absolutely necessary. That’s what happens here, the author needed it to facilitate the story so for me it worked very well. Loved it. But I know some readers who might throw the book across the room.
Easily a five-star review and this author goes on my hardcover list where I buy the hardcover as soon as it comes out. I highly recommend.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson and Dave Becket series.
W. Frazier
4.0 out of 5 stars Narrative circles into an intricate web that’s so creative and so satisfying.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
Author David Ellis loves his twists and turns. This book starts with a deliberately slow and steady build, a ragged story line with dark characters. The chapters are delivered in first-person and rotate through the cast, all of the pieces have just bits of a connection. It was a tough start, I was looking for someone, something to like. Then, about a third of the way through, the sneaky narrative takes hold. At the halfway point I couldn’t put the book down. The disparate threads circle tighter and tighter and the plot becomes an intricate web that’s so creative and so satisfying. I left the book with a sly smile and a “well done”.

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