My Favorite Terrible Thing: A Novel

3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars | 8,822 ratings

Price: 4.99

Last update: 11-20-2024


About this item

The world’s most famous author has vanished. A thrilling hunt of mind games and twisting suspense begins when a detective sees evidence written into her novel.

Detective Nina Travers is so good at her job that she blends in like a benevolent Tom Ripley. She can be anyone. She can be no one. Nina wants to be someone. Her new case will finally get her noticed.

Bestselling author Claire Ross has disappeared from the Hamptons on her wedding day. How tragic that the author of an epic romance that captured the heart, soul, and imagination of the world should suddenly vanish on the happiest day of her life. Claire’s distraught family and friends, her mystified fiancé, and her zealous online fans all have their theories—from the sinister to the hopeful. Nina’s job is to find the truth, and she’s pursuing an angle that no one else has explored. She’s looking for a trail of clues in Claire’s novel.

Reading between its haunting lines, Nina follows a spiraling path of secret love, obsession, and death. What Nina finds is so shocking even she never saw it coming.


From the Publisher

SARAH PEKKANEN review

Top reviews from the United States

Jaclyn Kendall
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Twisty
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2024
About 1/4 into the book, I was really enjoying the “where is Claire Ross?” mystery. The writing seemed a little stilted, but I attributed that to a conscious choice by the author for the way Nina thinks and speaks. Frankly, given Nina’s love of literature, I was glad she didn’t wax poetic or romantic every chance she got. I checked the Goodreads reviews to remind myself if other readers enjoyed this book as much as I was, and I was disheartened to see several poor reviews. I was concerned the book was going to lose steam, or take a jarring turn for the worse. Then, I got to the first big twist. I really can’t describe how much I enjoyed the unexpected turn half-way in. I was almost giddy reading that chapter, and even
more eager to pick the book back up the next day. The second half of the story got weird and a little creepy…but I loved it. At times it was uncomfortable, but there is nothing so offensive or off-putting that a reader would need to take a break or stop reading. In fact, it was quite the opposite - I couldn’t put it down! I needed to see where this was going. The author thoughtfully provided multiple plot points throughout the book that had me considering a dozen different ways this story could end, but Henry wasn’t overindulgent in unnecessary details. The final chapters have my head spinning, and yet I feel satisfied by the conclusion. I always appreciate a story that doesn’t end with a tidy bow, but I also need some sort of resolution. This book balances those two things very nicely. I give this 4.5/4.75 stars. The story itself is a 5, the writing is a 4, and the likelihood that I will recommend this read is 100.
BettyB
5.0 out of 5 stars Not A Light Beach Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
The title of this book is a bit deceiving in my opinion, as it does not give any clue as to what you are getting into. You may be thinking, "oh....favorite things..." and maybe even hear Julie Andrews whispering in your ear about whiskers on kittens. You might think this is a light, beach-read-type mystery that you'll find fun and indulgent. Let me stop you right there. It's not. This book has a lot of layers, and has a sheen of tension from the first page. I read an earlier review that said at around the 62% mark, the book took a mind-bending turn in an icky sort of way and made the reviewer uncomfortable. My comment to that reviewer would be that if you considered that turn "mind-bending" and were comfortable up to that point, you weren't paying attention. There is a darkness larking here.

That said, this is extremely well-written. You can't just blow through it; these sentences and pages are well-crafted and the author took care to choose each description, each exchange, each word, with purpose. It is interesting to see so many things that are happening on the surface, but that parallel or compliment each other upon closer inspection. I do think that the author had such a subtle lead into the heart of the book that I felt a little unsatisfied by the ending. It's not that it wrapped up too quickly, it's just that I got to a place that I wasn't expecting to be and it was when the book was ending. The book that one of the characters wrote is prominent, and it deals with reincarnation. There is also a female character who is gay, and while there are no explicit or graphic sex scenes, she does talk about her desires. Some people may be put off by these themes; I think they added to the complexity of the book.

I think this is not one of those books I will re-read. Not because it wasn't good, but because it sticks with you enough that it's not necessary to pick it up again. It is a book I am still processing after finishing it a couple of days ago. This read is very much worth your time.
John D. Hannon
3.0 out of 5 stars This is an interesting book
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2024
I have to say that at times I did like this book. However, at other times I found it to be strange. The story line is a good one. At times I did not want to put the book down. Overall it was a good but strange book
Kathleen Amirault
4.0 out of 5 stars A freaking weird book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
So I’ve never been inside the head of a stalker, but now I have. A truly crazy story which ends up being worth the read but I had my doubts along the way.
I recommend this book to folks who like a story that drags you along at a breakneck pace. Fasten your seatbelts!
DebN
2.0 out of 5 stars A Terrible Thing
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2024
The premise of this book was interesting - a private investigator hired to find a missing best-selling author looking for clues to the disappearance in the author's own novel. And the first half of the book delivered on the promise of this premise. But a little over halfway through the book, the story abruptly shifted to something completely different, to the extent it seemed like I was reading an entirely different book and as a reader I felt like I had been lied to all along. In retrospect, there was one small flashback early in the book that hinted at what was to come, which seemed like a random, odd inclusion at the time but now I see was a Chechkov's gun kind of moment. Unfortunately, I kept reading after the book shifted from an interesting mystery to a dark and cringey psychological drama, but I really wish I hadn't wasted my time. The story got weirder and more disjointed with every turn of the page, and the ending was just a mess. Don't make the same mistake I did; skip this one.
Alexandra Franciscus
5.0 out of 5 stars Ingenious Plot with Prose to Match
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
My Favorite Terrible Thing follows detective Nina Travers as she investigates the missing bestselling author, Claire Ross. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll leave it there. I will only say that the mystery is just one part of a very surprising story.

This book is truly a rare find: It’s a page-turner with writing that just knocks you off your feet. It’s for people who want a story with all the twists and turns—who want to be on the edge of their seat the whole time—but also want to be dazzled with extremely rich, interesting writing that doesn’t slow you down. Henry’s ability to very quickly concoct vivid imagery, to craft full characters, and to make every sentence count is nothing short of phenomenal.

I would compare My Favorite Terrible Thing to books by Tana French, Angie Kim, or Danya Kukafka (Notes on an Execution). So good!

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