In her seventh book, THE DEADLY BOOK CLUB, Lyn Liao Butler presents a thrilling murder mystery filled with likely suspects, all of whom might have had a reason to kill the victim. Five prominent female book influencers meet online once a month to talk business and books, drink cocktails and dish dirt. During one meeting, when several of them happen to be in Hawaii, the screen freezes. But the audio continues, and they hear bloodcurdling screams as one of them is surely being murdered.

The five book lovers have become friends over the years, some closer than others. There's Helena, the well-known chef from Texas who loves cookbooks but also relishes books by new authors that she feels don't get the attention they deserve. She has taken another book influencer, Leigh, under her wing. Leigh comes from a wealthy family and is engaged to a very successful businessman. She loves romance novels and is happily planning her extremely lavish wedding. Many people think that Leigh is a bit standoffish, but Helena recognizes that she is really just an insecure woman who thinks her beauty and money are the only reason anyone befriends her.

"The writing is propulsive, and I read THE DEADLY BOOK CLUB quickly, eager to find out how it was going to end.... For book lovers like me who dabble in social media, this is also a great peek into the lives of book influencers."

There's Sidney, who lives what some would consider to be a fairytale life --- with a doting, successful husband, two adorable children, huge houses and vacation homes, and a lifestyle right out of the "rich and famous." Sidney loves psychological thrillers and has a few secrets of her own. She is a huge animal lover and will do anything to protect those she loves. Anything.

Jessie shares Butler's heritage with her Taiwanese parents and her love of her family's traditional cooking. She enjoys her job as a sportswriter, but to maintain the lifestyle she craves --- with designer clothes, exotic vacations and no financial worries --- she has another, very secret profession. Jessie loves horror and true-crime books. 

The last influencer is Kate, the eldest of the group. She and her wife, Larissa, have been longing for a family of their own. A traumatic event in Kate's past caused her to miscarry, and her anger and remorse have led her to make some poor decisions. Those, in turn, put her and Larissa in danger. 

Each of these five women is harboring at least one secret. But when secrets are uncovered, emotions run high. After one member of the group is killed, with the screams reverberating in the ears of the other four women listening helplessly, they all meet in Hawaii, where the murder occurred, to try to figure out what happened. Three of them were already on Kauai, one was on Maui, and Kate traveled from her home on the East Coast.

It's a difficult feat for an author to juggle narratives from the points of view of five people. But Butler manages to tell the story effectively from these multiple perspectives, giving us glimpses into each woman's character, insecurities and dreams. We see their mistakes and how some would take advantage of the others. This is definitely not a group that shares unconditional love for each other. Sidney (and Butler) would remind us that unconditional love is best given by a four-legged creature with a tail that wags. 

The suspense continues until almost the very end as we struggle to understand what happened that night on the frozen screen. Red herrings abound. People disappear. Women are forced to confront their transgressions. There's a shocking set of twists at the end, as Butler finally uncovers the perpetrator, who realizes that mistakes were certainly made. Butler aptly compares her bad guy (really a woman) to Dexter, the serial killer.

The writing is propulsive, and I read THE DEADLY BOOK CLUB quickly, eager to find out how it was going to end. While we’re aware that some of the women were not at fault, we're hooked. We still want to know what happens to their problems and how they figure out their path forward. For book lovers like me who dabble in social media, this is also a great peek into the lives of book influencers.