Ashley
Written on Feb 8, 2016
The bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series makes her suspense debut with this sexy, heart pounding story of a young woman determined to find justice after her best friend's death, a story pulsing with the "intense, hot, emotional" (Colleen Hoover) writing that exhilarates her legions of fans.
Twenty-eight-year-old Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what's left of her best friend's belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a bottle of Xanax and a handle of vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers secrets in the childhood lock box hidden in Celine's apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man who Celine herself claimed would be her ruin.
On the hunt for answers that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine's private life-and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.
- ISBN10 1501112074
- ISBN13 9781501112072
- Publish Date 25 February 2016 (first published 2 February 2016)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 11 June 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Atria Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 352
- Language English
Reviews
Linda
Written on Jan 20, 2016
It took me a while to get words to explain the brilliance that is He Will Be My Ruin! This suspense / mystery / psychological thriller is well done, with a complex plot, and fleshed out characters.
I've been a Tucker fan for a long time, and I have to say, her branching out to mystery and thriller like He Will Be My Ruin was a great move! She managed to keep the suspense going, and I was seriously out of breath several times, especially when Maggie was starting to have a panic attack. The beginning was very sad and nostalgic, because Maggie came to New York not to spend time with her best friend Celine, but to pack up her apartment after she had committed suicide. Only, Maggie really couldn't believe Celine would do that - it was so far off from anything the girl she had grown up with would ever do, especially because Celine's mother, Rosa, was in remission after a long fight against breast cancer.
As the story unfolded, Maggie was up for a lot of surprises, though. Between Celine's antique-filled apartment, her diaries, and a hidden compartment in a small box, Maggie uncovers more secrets than she bargained for! Little by little, the girl she thought she knew better than anyone in the world turned out to be quite different from what Maggie had thought. And she also learned what Celine really thought of her - with no holding back at all, since she was never supposed to read those diaries anyway. Maggie's loyalty never wavers, though, she continues to believe that Celine was killed, rather than killed herself, and when the police won't listen to her, she hires a PI to help her.
Because Maggie follows some of the clues herself, and her thoughts seemed to follow both her gut feeling and the clues she found, I was looking for clues with her. And I agreed with her more often than not, with a heavy heart from all she uncovered, and how she wavered between hope and sadness just felt so real to me. Both because her best friend was dead, and because of everything else surrounding that. There is a lot happening in He Will Be My Ruin, with more than one sub-plot, and they are all quite intricate and very well done.
I loved that Tucker managed to keep me guessing right along with Maggie! There were definitely some characters that could be the culprit, but there was always enough doubt, or there was someone else who might look even better for it! I loved the interactions between Maggie and Ruby, Celine's old neigbour. At first, Maggie steered clear of the older woman, due to her claustrophobic apartment - filled with even more treasures than Celine's. Then, there is the PI, Jace, the sexy super... The cast of characters is amazing, and I just couldn't stop reading to find out if Maggie was right about Celine's death or not, and if she was, who was the person behind it all?
Written in first person, present tense, He Will Be My Ruin was an expertly woven mystery, filled with suspense, a little bit of romance, and a tension that never stopped coming.
Not a speck of dust. Celine couldn't stand disorder. Every single nutcracker faced out, equidistant from the next, shortest in front, tallest in back, as if she measured them with a ruler and placed them just so.
In my eyes, it was a given that Celine would always be part of my life. We were an odd match. From our looks to our social status to our polar-opposite personalities, we couldn't have been more different. I was the captain of the debate squad and Celin played the romantic female lead in her school plays.
Was Celine still a good person, despite what she did for money? Yes, I believe so. And yet my memory of her has been tainted. no wonder she never told me.
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Jan 11, 2016
As Maggie begins to pack, she question the suicide ruling. She is convinced there was foul play and the further Maggie delves into her friend’s life the more convinced she becomes. A picture discovered in a hidden lock box and Celine’s diaries have her searching for a mystery man named J.
Tucker began to have the reader question the suicide as we learn about Celine in her journal. Before arriving in New York, Maggie would have said she knew Celine better than anyone but now she is not so sure. In her pursuit of the truth, she befriends the little old lady across the hall and the buildings superintendent. Her questions and engagement with the man she believes is the mysterious J. soon have Maggie trying to unearth clues on her own. All of this leads her on a dangerous path into the arms of a killer.
He Will Be My Ruin had twists, red herrings and colorful characters. I liked Maggie, Ruth and both men she encountered. Secondary characters like Hans and the Private Detective she hired to aid her all added interest and contributed to the story. While I had my suspicions, Tucker threw in some twists that had me questioning myself. The threads were all tightly woven, and the mystery well-constructed. The reveal and climatic ending did not feel rushed and I found myself holding my breath.
Copy provided by publisher This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
whisperingchapters
Written on Dec 24, 2015
K.A. Tucker's Burying Water series was amazing and I didn't think He Will Be My Ruin would top it—I was wrong. Once again, the brilliant K.A. Tucker surprised and amazed me! My mind was blown away. I always think the prologue sets the tone for the rest of the story and helps give more insight. This one set the bar high! The suspense was kicked in immediately and I was gripped from the very first page.
[...] He uncovers your secrets, your fears, your flaws—and he uses them against you. He did it to Celine. And now he's doing it to me.
Maggie was an easy person to like. Despite her family being rich, Maggie travels the world helping those in need. She doesn't mind getting her hands dirty to provide help for others. At the same time, I didn't like the decisions she made—some were beyond stupid—and she was too trusting, too fast. I mean, if you're trying to uncover what happened to your friend, don't go telling everyone you know who you suspect, why and what you're doing to find out the truth. I literally suspected everyone, even the old lady neighbor. To me, everyone was a suspect and I couldn't rule out anyone. Although, there were times where I would say, "No, it can't be this person because of this and that." Still, there was one character I suspected and thought they didn't do it. I even defended the character so much to Erica from Novel Ink (buddy-reading this book with her was freaking awesome!) and yeah.... Let's just say SUSPECT EVERYONE!
I loved that the story turned out to be divided in two POVs: one in present day Maggie and the other in Celine's past, a few months before her death. I would have liked to know more about Celine, even more than we got and maybe the aftermath about what happened after the book ends but hey, let's hope for a novella or a sequel ;)
Overall, this book exceeded my expectations. It went above and beyond what I expected and then some. K.A. Tucker is a master at suspense and this book clearly shows that. I can't wait to read more of her suspense novels (hoping she keeps writing them) because they are so worth it!This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews