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Scrap
A true-crime obsessed young artist is drawn into the lives of an obscenely wealthy family in this fantastically entertaining thriller from Calla Henkel, author of Other People’s Clothes
Recently dumped and stuck with a mortgage, artist Esther Ray wants to burn the world, but instead, she reluctantly accepts a scrapbooking job from the deliriously wealthy Naomi Duncan. The scrapbooks, a secret birthday gift for Naomi’s husband, Bryce, trace the Duncan’s 25-year marriage. The Esther must include every piece of paper she’s been sent, must sign an NDA, and must only contact Naomi using the burner phone provided. Otherwise she’ll spoil the surprise. As Esther binges true-crime podcasts and works through the near-200 boxes of Duncan detritus, she finds herself infatuated with the gilded family—until, mid-project, Naomi dies suspiciously. When Esther becomes convinced the husband killed her, she uses the scrapbooks� trove of information to insert herself into the Duncans� lives to prove it. But the more Esther investigates, the further she is dragged back to the scorched earth of her past and the famous artist who paid her to disappear. Laced with pitch-black humor and conspiratorial unease, Scrap is a razor-sharp examination of wealth and power, art and truth, of the line between justice and revenge—and who gets to cross it.
Recently dumped and stuck with a mortgage, artist Esther Ray wants to burn the world, but instead, she reluctantly accepts a scrapbooking job from the deliriously wealthy Naomi Duncan. The scrapbooks, a secret birthday gift for Naomi’s husband, Bryce, trace the Duncan’s 25-year marriage. The Esther must include every piece of paper she’s been sent, must sign an NDA, and must only contact Naomi using the burner phone provided. Otherwise she’ll spoil the surprise. As Esther binges true-crime podcasts and works through the near-200 boxes of Duncan detritus, she finds herself infatuated with the gilded family—until, mid-project, Naomi dies suspiciously. When Esther becomes convinced the husband killed her, she uses the scrapbooks� trove of information to insert herself into the Duncans� lives to prove it. But the more Esther investigates, the further she is dragged back to the scorched earth of her past and the famous artist who paid her to disappear. Laced with pitch-black humor and conspiratorial unease, Scrap is a razor-sharp examination of wealth and power, art and truth, of the line between justice and revenge—and who gets to cross it.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2024
77 people are currently reading
8,512 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
March 9, 2024
Calla Henkel once expressed a desire to write “Get in it and go for the ride thrillers,� this definitely fits the bill. Henkel’s narrator Esther Ray has quit, possibly fled, New York's art scene for a peaceful existence in the mountains with girlfriend Jessica, close to the hippy-retreat-turned-lesbian-haven Asheville. She spends her days crafting to a soundtrack of true crime podcasts. But when her life plan’s abruptly overturned, she finds herself embroiled in a real-life mystery, pulled back into the world she’d tried to leave behind.
Esther is a fascinating creation, prone to caustic observations, muttered witticisms, and morally dubious decisions, she’s clearly concealing a shady past. There’s also something slightly retro about her, her clothes, her attitudes bear traces of the amateur detectives found in vintage, lesbian/feminist crime novels. Like those women Esther is driven by an obsession with solving a possible crime. But what felt cosy in their stories has a more sinister feel in Henkel’s.
Henkel’s portrayal of the contemporary art world is wonderfully vivid and gloriously scathing. She’s brilliant at conveying its more feudal aspects, artists forced to butter up wealthy, vapid patrons looking for an investment or conversation piece to decorate their pricy homes. But then again Henkel’s writing what she knows here, she’s a well-regarded artist in her own right. She clearly knows her crime too. Her plot, her themes of reinvention, self-delusion, and deception form an inventive play on the work of writers like Gillian Flynn and Patricia Highsmith. Prickly outsider Esther often seems like a naïve, hapless version of Highsmith’s Ripley and, like Ripley, I found it impossible not to root for her � even at her most unlikeable.
I got the impression Henkel was enjoying herself here, she opens with lines from Derrida’s Archive Fever (Mal d’Archive) but makes his ideas the basis for a commercial thriller. She skilfully reproduces tropes and conventions from crime writing but engages in gentle parody at the same time. Yet she still manages to reflect on wider political and cultural issues: alienation; social media and narcissism; femicide and the overwhelming number of missing or discarded women. I was a bit thrown by the content of some later reveals, they felt a bit excessive - although compared to Flynn’s plots they’re positively minimalist. I was also uncertain about some of the ideas around the maternal here - but I can’t really go into those without giving away too much. But despite any and all reservations I really relished this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Sceptre for an ARC
Esther is a fascinating creation, prone to caustic observations, muttered witticisms, and morally dubious decisions, she’s clearly concealing a shady past. There’s also something slightly retro about her, her clothes, her attitudes bear traces of the amateur detectives found in vintage, lesbian/feminist crime novels. Like those women Esther is driven by an obsession with solving a possible crime. But what felt cosy in their stories has a more sinister feel in Henkel’s.
Henkel’s portrayal of the contemporary art world is wonderfully vivid and gloriously scathing. She’s brilliant at conveying its more feudal aspects, artists forced to butter up wealthy, vapid patrons looking for an investment or conversation piece to decorate their pricy homes. But then again Henkel’s writing what she knows here, she’s a well-regarded artist in her own right. She clearly knows her crime too. Her plot, her themes of reinvention, self-delusion, and deception form an inventive play on the work of writers like Gillian Flynn and Patricia Highsmith. Prickly outsider Esther often seems like a naïve, hapless version of Highsmith’s Ripley and, like Ripley, I found it impossible not to root for her � even at her most unlikeable.
I got the impression Henkel was enjoying herself here, she opens with lines from Derrida’s Archive Fever (Mal d’Archive) but makes his ideas the basis for a commercial thriller. She skilfully reproduces tropes and conventions from crime writing but engages in gentle parody at the same time. Yet she still manages to reflect on wider political and cultural issues: alienation; social media and narcissism; femicide and the overwhelming number of missing or discarded women. I was a bit thrown by the content of some later reveals, they felt a bit excessive - although compared to Flynn’s plots they’re positively minimalist. I was also uncertain about some of the ideas around the maternal here - but I can’t really go into those without giving away too much. But despite any and all reservations I really relished this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Sceptre for an ARC
September 2, 2024
I ATE THIS UP, but 3.5 stars rounded down. See I’m trying to be objective if that’s even possible, lemme explain to you what I mean.
A young lesbian bookmaker meets a crazy rich lady, who, in a flash of fate, commissions her to create scrapbooks with every document she’s collected over the past 20 years. These include her daughter’s school tests, financial receipts, and regular-degular family photos. Although initially skeptical, our main character accepts (she just got dumped and now needs money to cover the costs of their previously shared mountain cabin). But when rich lady dies� some scraps reveal there may have been something else going on�
Pacing is insane because I could NOT put this book down. But while events progressed perfectly, not every clue was revealed satisfyingly. Sometimes little pieces would come out at unexpected points a little too easy. It would catch me a bit off guard when I was hoping for a big reveal there. Especially the ending� that was too easy of an explanation for me. But other elements did tie themselves up nicely, almost poetically for our main character. The drama and tension in the gaps definitely made up for the easiness. This book is so rich that there are a million things there to pull your attention.
Another note: Scrap carries a modern tone� I’d say in a respectable way. Like there’s a character that’s a Tik Tok influencer (normally I’d eye roll), but it never felt unnatural. It was refreshing to me! I actually quite enjoyed it after reading a bunch of deep literary masterpieces. And how addictive it was.
So I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun read. I devoured this book. It’s certainly not perfect but it is a romppppp
A young lesbian bookmaker meets a crazy rich lady, who, in a flash of fate, commissions her to create scrapbooks with every document she’s collected over the past 20 years. These include her daughter’s school tests, financial receipts, and regular-degular family photos. Although initially skeptical, our main character accepts (she just got dumped and now needs money to cover the costs of their previously shared mountain cabin). But when rich lady dies� some scraps reveal there may have been something else going on�
Pacing is insane because I could NOT put this book down. But while events progressed perfectly, not every clue was revealed satisfyingly. Sometimes little pieces would come out at unexpected points a little too easy. It would catch me a bit off guard when I was hoping for a big reveal there. Especially the ending� that was too easy of an explanation for me. But other elements did tie themselves up nicely, almost poetically for our main character. The drama and tension in the gaps definitely made up for the easiness. This book is so rich that there are a million things there to pull your attention.
Another note: Scrap carries a modern tone� I’d say in a respectable way. Like there’s a character that’s a Tik Tok influencer (normally I’d eye roll), but it never felt unnatural. It was refreshing to me! I actually quite enjoyed it after reading a bunch of deep literary masterpieces. And how addictive it was.
So I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun read. I devoured this book. It’s certainly not perfect but it is a romppppp
September 8, 2024
Oh my god. Okay lesbian Gone girl.
February 27, 2024
From The Cover📖
Recently dumped and stuck with the mortgage, artist Esther Ray wants to burn the world, but instead, she reluctantly accepts a scrapbooking job from the deliriously wealthy Naomi Duncan. The scrapbooks, a secret birthday gift for Naomi's husband Bryce, trace the Duncan's twenty-five-year marriage. The conditions: Esther must include every piece of paper she's been sent, must sign an NDA, and must only contact Naomi using the burner phone provided. Otherwise she'll spoil the surprise. As Esther binges true-crime podcasts and works through the near-two hundred-boxes of Duncan detritus, she finds herself infatuated with the gilded family - until, mid-project, Naomi dies suspiciously. When Esther becomes convinced the husband killed her, she uses the scrapbooks' trove of information to insert herself into the Duncan's' lives to prove it. But the more Esther investigates, the further she is dragged back to the scorched earth of her past and the famous artist who paid her to disappear.�
Review ⭐️
From the synopsis I should have loved this book. From this I thought I was getting a unique modern tale on my favourite genre - classic golden age crime with a twist- I was thinking Erin Kelly meets Lisa Jewell�. Was so WRONG
What should have been an interesting concept , with the scarp book, amateur sleuthing and hints of dark secrets, is in a fact a self indulgent car crash.
Recalled in the first POV via Esther, this is books first failing as a character she is a riot all over the places full of self importance ,she is nasty,unlikable and for want of a better phrase a pain in the bum she isn’t a character I want to hear from in the first person. The writer has fallen into the trap of describing her thoughts and feelings over and over again so not only is she not very likeable character she comes across completely self-absorbed and boring, even in the parts about the investigation and other characters it becomes all about her much of which isn’t relevant to the plot and a lot of it seems slipped in at the point of edit to try make sense of the frankly bonkers conclusion.
The second failing is the fact the author has clearly put far too much of her own prejudices and judgment in the character, with lots of quite nasty remarks of which made me laugh as the writer clearly follows a woke agenda but her remarks and observations are far from woke but are in fact single minded and ill informed, the joke/remark about gay men and lupus I found quite appalling to be honest.
The third failing is the plot itself the main plot looses all traction as the novel goes on, it loses the focus and whizzes off in a number of directions that result in a broken very unrealistic ending, the author makes nods to Gone Girl thoughout any compassions between the masterpiece that is Gone Girl and this rubbish is highly insulting. The sub plots that are meant to illustrate Esther’s motives are farcical, in particular where her sense of justice comes from, her reactions to the outcomes of these sub plots is comical it’s like her full motive and character arcs were pointless.
This novel is all over the place jumping about with no firm plot, the sub plots are pointless with no firm threads , the ending is ridiculous, the characters badly written, and overall the novel reads like the inner thoughts of the authors own screwed up views.
This could have been brilliant as the initial concept was really quite unique but it was sadly let down.
Don’t waste your time reading this it’s only good for scrap.
Recently dumped and stuck with the mortgage, artist Esther Ray wants to burn the world, but instead, she reluctantly accepts a scrapbooking job from the deliriously wealthy Naomi Duncan. The scrapbooks, a secret birthday gift for Naomi's husband Bryce, trace the Duncan's twenty-five-year marriage. The conditions: Esther must include every piece of paper she's been sent, must sign an NDA, and must only contact Naomi using the burner phone provided. Otherwise she'll spoil the surprise. As Esther binges true-crime podcasts and works through the near-two hundred-boxes of Duncan detritus, she finds herself infatuated with the gilded family - until, mid-project, Naomi dies suspiciously. When Esther becomes convinced the husband killed her, she uses the scrapbooks' trove of information to insert herself into the Duncan's' lives to prove it. But the more Esther investigates, the further she is dragged back to the scorched earth of her past and the famous artist who paid her to disappear.�
Review ⭐️
From the synopsis I should have loved this book. From this I thought I was getting a unique modern tale on my favourite genre - classic golden age crime with a twist- I was thinking Erin Kelly meets Lisa Jewell�. Was so WRONG
What should have been an interesting concept , with the scarp book, amateur sleuthing and hints of dark secrets, is in a fact a self indulgent car crash.
Recalled in the first POV via Esther, this is books first failing as a character she is a riot all over the places full of self importance ,she is nasty,unlikable and for want of a better phrase a pain in the bum she isn’t a character I want to hear from in the first person. The writer has fallen into the trap of describing her thoughts and feelings over and over again so not only is she not very likeable character she comes across completely self-absorbed and boring, even in the parts about the investigation and other characters it becomes all about her much of which isn’t relevant to the plot and a lot of it seems slipped in at the point of edit to try make sense of the frankly bonkers conclusion.
The second failing is the fact the author has clearly put far too much of her own prejudices and judgment in the character, with lots of quite nasty remarks of which made me laugh as the writer clearly follows a woke agenda but her remarks and observations are far from woke but are in fact single minded and ill informed, the joke/remark about gay men and lupus I found quite appalling to be honest.
The third failing is the plot itself the main plot looses all traction as the novel goes on, it loses the focus and whizzes off in a number of directions that result in a broken very unrealistic ending, the author makes nods to Gone Girl thoughout any compassions between the masterpiece that is Gone Girl and this rubbish is highly insulting. The sub plots that are meant to illustrate Esther’s motives are farcical, in particular where her sense of justice comes from, her reactions to the outcomes of these sub plots is comical it’s like her full motive and character arcs were pointless.
This novel is all over the place jumping about with no firm plot, the sub plots are pointless with no firm threads , the ending is ridiculous, the characters badly written, and overall the novel reads like the inner thoughts of the authors own screwed up views.
This could have been brilliant as the initial concept was really quite unique but it was sadly let down.
Don’t waste your time reading this it’s only good for scrap.
October 16, 2024
she gone girled a little too close to the sun (or should i say the slopes..)
December 4, 2024
a compulsive, caustic read. its cynical yet ultimately hurting narrative voice reminded a bit of the protagonist of anna dorn's perfume and pain, but this was much more of a thriller. the tension was really well-done and i couldn't put this book down. i do feel like some parts of the ending were a bit too easily tied up, but other parts were quite interesting thematically in terms of esther's grief and longing for a better life � you'll get it if you've read the book. overall, not a flawless book, but an incredibly entertaining romp that i'd definitely recommend.
also unrelated but no idea why goodreads says i've read this multiple times lol this is my first time reading this book
also unrelated but no idea why goodreads says i've read this multiple times lol this is my first time reading this book
April 4, 2024
Mmm this book was okay. It’s a page turner and Henkel is good at capturing a manic obsessive brain. But I just wanted more - more wit and more suspense � I dunno it had some good one liners but the whole thing was a bit flat. Can’t even think of interesting things to write in this review cause I feel so meh about it
February 29, 2024
A really enjoyable mystery thriller. Not what I usually read but I’ve wanted to read Henkel for a while. This is about a woman who meets a billionaire at an art preview and the billionaire asks her to turn a bunch of her old keepsakes and papers into some scrapbooks. The artist agrees but then the billionaire woman dies and the artist woman goes absolutely batshit crazy trying to find out what happened.
The pacing was a bit off for me. It took me a while to get into it, but the middle section where all the action was happening really drew me in. There were issues I felt with some scenes feeling rushed but overall it was a really well plotted book and super easy and fun to read. I wasn’t sure about the ending and still don’t know if I liked it yet, maybe a bit too neat for my liking, but I did enjoy this book and am glad I branched out of my normal genres to read it.
The pacing was a bit off for me. It took me a while to get into it, but the middle section where all the action was happening really drew me in. There were issues I felt with some scenes feeling rushed but overall it was a really well plotted book and super easy and fun to read. I wasn’t sure about the ending and still don’t know if I liked it yet, maybe a bit too neat for my liking, but I did enjoy this book and am glad I branched out of my normal genres to read it.
August 30, 2024
this was kind of a love letter to parasocial relationships and identity theft
June 8, 2024
i can’t mind the last time i was this thoroughly entertained. did i believe a word of this? no. did i absolutely love it? yes
Calla Henkel’s Scrap is about lesbian crafter (of course) Esther who is tasked with a secretive and meticulous scrapbooking project by rich philanthropist Naomi. in the midst of listening to true crime podcasts and getting dumped by the woman she thought she’d have kids with, Esther discovers that Naomi has died � and she suspects Naomi’s husband to be involved.
Scrap tackles obsession, true crime fanaticism, privilege, grief, and truth, but with wit and irony. i can only describe it as a wild ride.
it’s Gone Girl meets Gossip Girl but gay. if that doesn’t sell it, i don’t know what will�
Calla Henkel’s Scrap is about lesbian crafter (of course) Esther who is tasked with a secretive and meticulous scrapbooking project by rich philanthropist Naomi. in the midst of listening to true crime podcasts and getting dumped by the woman she thought she’d have kids with, Esther discovers that Naomi has died � and she suspects Naomi’s husband to be involved.
Scrap tackles obsession, true crime fanaticism, privilege, grief, and truth, but with wit and irony. i can only describe it as a wild ride.
it’s Gone Girl meets Gossip Girl but gay. if that doesn’t sell it, i don’t know what will�
September 11, 2024
OK, so I am a bit unsure how to feel about this book.
What I liked:
premise, amateur investigator, unstable main character with questionable past and emotional damage
What I didn't:
plot strings and tone felt all over the place at times, scrapbooking element not as critical as I kind of hoped, literal entire summary of another well known thriller that then plays into the plot in some ways, I am unsure how earned the ending felt to me, and it felt rushed and somewhat flat
it also occasionally contains sentences that seem out of place or odd. case in point:
"Like everything biblical, it felt like a porno" LOL what
Overall, this was a decently enjoyable book that didn't fully click for me, but I don't regret reading this
What I liked:
premise, amateur investigator, unstable main character with questionable past and emotional damage
What I didn't:
plot strings and tone felt all over the place at times, scrapbooking element not as critical as I kind of hoped, literal entire summary of another well known thriller that then plays into the plot in some ways, I am unsure how earned the ending felt to me, and it felt rushed and somewhat flat
it also occasionally contains sentences that seem out of place or odd. case in point:
"Like everything biblical, it felt like a porno" LOL what
Overall, this was a decently enjoyable book that didn't fully click for me, but I don't regret reading this
October 15, 2024
had a blast
February 12, 2025
3.5 � rounded down because some of it, using the author's own words, felt like something out of a bad TV show
October 25, 2024
Campy art world lesbian murder Asheville hippie mommy issues unreliable narrator rural family intrigue thriller. It was so good. Not as good as the author’s debut or maybe yes—just different. It was fun fast and the pace/nesting of story really comes together at the end.
July 27, 2024
What a fun read, almost trancelike.
We follow Esther Ray; an artist, lesbian, true crime fanatic, cop hater. She meets a very wealthy woman named Naomi, who asks her to create a series of scrapbooks portraying her and her families lives. (Dream job, am I right?)
As Esther goes about her new job, we are lurched into a mystery with many moving parts. Naomi’s secrets, Esther’s secrets, intertwining forces that could go up in flames at any moment. (Iykyk.) These two women who have nothing in common on the surface, but if you navigate to the depths - the tight binding full of family photographs, doctors notes, cryptic messages - share a timeline of evidence and trauma. Kismet! I feel like a rereading of Gone Girl is absolutely necessary after this.
3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.
We follow Esther Ray; an artist, lesbian, true crime fanatic, cop hater. She meets a very wealthy woman named Naomi, who asks her to create a series of scrapbooks portraying her and her families lives. (Dream job, am I right?)
As Esther goes about her new job, we are lurched into a mystery with many moving parts. Naomi’s secrets, Esther’s secrets, intertwining forces that could go up in flames at any moment. (Iykyk.) These two women who have nothing in common on the surface, but if you navigate to the depths - the tight binding full of family photographs, doctors notes, cryptic messages - share a timeline of evidence and trauma. Kismet! I feel like a rereading of Gone Girl is absolutely necessary after this.
3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 7, 2024
I found this so entertaining and intriguing, especially if you enjoy character-driven chaos!
Hold off on this if you haven’t read Gone Girl but plan to soon. There are spoilers for that book in this one.
Energy: Neurotic. Misunderstood. Adrift.
🐕 Howls The moments when the mystery took a back seat to Esther’s character development and reflecting on her choices, but it was still interesting.
🐩 Tail Wags The mix of literary fiction and mystery. Story is both entertaining and heartbreaking. Fun main character to follow (she’s insufferable yet oddly sympathetic). Captivating and cringe-worthy character development. Piecing together the puzzle alongside the MC while she jumps to conclusions without thinking things through. Unexpected bittersweet ending.
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set mainly in Asheville, North Carolina.
Perspective: A book binder artisan tries to reconnect with a friend at a post-art show dinner without success. Instead they are stuck at a table with someone who really wants to hire them to craft a family scrapbook.
Timeline: 2018
🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment. Unreliable narrator. Intrigue and secrets. Multi layered plot. What was the incident at the studio? Why is there so much secrecy around the scrapbook our main character was hired to make? Why is she so invested in this family? Is her client okay?
📖 Cred: Semi-realistic/plausible
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Barn studio. True crime podcast on Bluetooth speakers. Tortilla soup. Report cards. Family photos. Eggshell white paper. Burner phone. Oil paint. Honey buns. Gone Girl. Rose quartz.
� Obsessive, morally grey main character chaos
� True crime commentary and stories
� Unexpected sidekick
� Mysterious family history and drama
� Commentary on true crime, law enforcement, wealth, consumerism, and need
� Character driven stories
� Was there even a crime?
� Literary cozy mystery amateur sleuthing
� Infiltrating the inner circle sneakiness
� Sprinkling of popcorn thriller energy
� Thrown in the story tagging along with the main character first person narration style
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (intoxication, hangovers). Loss of parent (as preteen; as adult). Alcoholic parent. Car crash (fatal; recall). Intoxicated driving. Anti-police sentiments (character opinion). Infanticide (implied). Psychopathy (child; implied). Loss of child (infant; SIDS). Loneliness. Long term relationship break-up (unexpected). Infidelity, betrayal (descriptive recall). Mass shooting (school; off page recalls, brief). Adult/minor sex, non-consensual sexual images. Suicidal ideation. Home invasion, threats, drugging (brief). Domestic abuse. Emotionally distant parent. Obsession, obsessive thinking. Cancer (lung; brief discussion).
Rep: American. Dutch ancestry, Croatian, Armenian and Pakistani heritage, and Polish peripheral characters. Cis. Lesbian. Olive, ivory, pink, and ambiguous skin tones.
📚 Format: Library Digital
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Hold off on this if you haven’t read Gone Girl but plan to soon. There are spoilers for that book in this one.
Energy: Neurotic. Misunderstood. Adrift.
🐕 Howls The moments when the mystery took a back seat to Esther’s character development and reflecting on her choices, but it was still interesting.
🐩 Tail Wags The mix of literary fiction and mystery. Story is both entertaining and heartbreaking. Fun main character to follow (she’s insufferable yet oddly sympathetic). Captivating and cringe-worthy character development. Piecing together the puzzle alongside the MC while she jumps to conclusions without thinking things through. Unexpected bittersweet ending.
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set mainly in Asheville, North Carolina.
Perspective: A book binder artisan tries to reconnect with a friend at a post-art show dinner without success. Instead they are stuck at a table with someone who really wants to hire them to craft a family scrapbook.
Timeline: 2018
🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment. Unreliable narrator. Intrigue and secrets. Multi layered plot. What was the incident at the studio? Why is there so much secrecy around the scrapbook our main character was hired to make? Why is she so invested in this family? Is her client okay?
📖 Cred: Semi-realistic/plausible
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Barn studio. True crime podcast on Bluetooth speakers. Tortilla soup. Report cards. Family photos. Eggshell white paper. Burner phone. Oil paint. Honey buns. Gone Girl. Rose quartz.
� Obsessive, morally grey main character chaos
� True crime commentary and stories
� Unexpected sidekick
� Mysterious family history and drama
� Commentary on true crime, law enforcement, wealth, consumerism, and need
� Character driven stories
� Was there even a crime?
� Literary cozy mystery amateur sleuthing
� Infiltrating the inner circle sneakiness
� Sprinkling of popcorn thriller energy
� Thrown in the story tagging along with the main character first person narration style
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (intoxication, hangovers). Loss of parent (as preteen; as adult). Alcoholic parent. Car crash (fatal; recall). Intoxicated driving. Anti-police sentiments (character opinion). Infanticide (implied). Psychopathy (child; implied). Loss of child (infant; SIDS). Loneliness. Long term relationship break-up (unexpected). Infidelity, betrayal (descriptive recall). Mass shooting (school; off page recalls, brief). Adult/minor sex, non-consensual sexual images. Suicidal ideation. Home invasion, threats, drugging (brief). Domestic abuse. Emotionally distant parent. Obsession, obsessive thinking. Cancer (lung; brief discussion).
Rep: American. Dutch ancestry, Croatian, Armenian and Pakistani heritage, and Polish peripheral characters. Cis. Lesbian. Olive, ivory, pink, and ambiguous skin tones.
📚 Format: Library Digital
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
July 27, 2024
In ”Ein letztes Geschenk� von Calla Henkel nimmt die von Liebeskummer geplagte Kunsthandwerkerin Esther Ray einen ungewöhnlichen Auftrag der Multimillionärin Naomi Duncan an. Sie soll Familien-Srapbooks aus unzähligen Erinnerungsfetzen erstellen. Als Naomi unerwartet sirbt, glaubt Esther nicht an einen Unfall und beginnt nach dem Vorbild der True-Crime-Podcasts, die sie Tag für Tag hört, selbst Nachforschungen anzustellen und begibt sich dabei immer tiefer in die von ihr so verabscheute Welt der Reichen.
In erster Linie ist “Ein letztes Geschenk� ein hervorragend konstruierter Spannungsroman. Er besticht mit innovativen Ideen, einem spannenden Plot und für mich vollkommen unerwarteten Wendungen und wird allein dadurch zu einem rasanten Pageturner. Wenn man also auf der Suche nach dieser Art Roman ist, ist "Ein letztes Geschenk� schon einmal eine gute Wahl.
Zusätzlich dazu entwirft die Autorin für uns auch ein paar äußerst interessante und geheimnisvolle Charaktere: Esther Ray besitzt eine abgründige Vergangenheit, fast schon zwanghaft neugieriges Verhalten und eine Obsession für True-Crime-Podcasts. Sie ist ein sehr verbissener Mensch, der zwar oft mit falschen Mitteln, aber dennoch verzweifelt versucht, das Richtige zu tun und für Gerechtigkeit zu sorgen. Neben Esther ist auch ihr zurückgezogen lebender Nachbar Patrick, der selbst immer noch die Folgen eines tragischen Ereignisses aus der Vergangenheit zu bewältigen hat, eine echte Bereicherung für den Roman.
Calla Henkel gibt uns zudem Einblicke in zwei faszinierende und ineinander verflochtene Welten: die Kunstszene und die Welt der Superreichen. Mit ihrer klugen Beobachtungsgabe lässt sie geschickt eine unterschwellige Gesellschaftskritik in die Handlung einfließen.
Fazit: "Ein letztes Geschenk" ist eine gelungene Mischung aus packendem Spannungsroman und kluger Unterhaltungsliteratur, die mich bestens unterhalten hat und die ich sehr gerne weiterempfehle!
In erster Linie ist “Ein letztes Geschenk� ein hervorragend konstruierter Spannungsroman. Er besticht mit innovativen Ideen, einem spannenden Plot und für mich vollkommen unerwarteten Wendungen und wird allein dadurch zu einem rasanten Pageturner. Wenn man also auf der Suche nach dieser Art Roman ist, ist "Ein letztes Geschenk� schon einmal eine gute Wahl.
Zusätzlich dazu entwirft die Autorin für uns auch ein paar äußerst interessante und geheimnisvolle Charaktere: Esther Ray besitzt eine abgründige Vergangenheit, fast schon zwanghaft neugieriges Verhalten und eine Obsession für True-Crime-Podcasts. Sie ist ein sehr verbissener Mensch, der zwar oft mit falschen Mitteln, aber dennoch verzweifelt versucht, das Richtige zu tun und für Gerechtigkeit zu sorgen. Neben Esther ist auch ihr zurückgezogen lebender Nachbar Patrick, der selbst immer noch die Folgen eines tragischen Ereignisses aus der Vergangenheit zu bewältigen hat, eine echte Bereicherung für den Roman.
Calla Henkel gibt uns zudem Einblicke in zwei faszinierende und ineinander verflochtene Welten: die Kunstszene und die Welt der Superreichen. Mit ihrer klugen Beobachtungsgabe lässt sie geschickt eine unterschwellige Gesellschaftskritik in die Handlung einfließen.
Fazit: "Ein letztes Geschenk" ist eine gelungene Mischung aus packendem Spannungsroman und kluger Unterhaltungsliteratur, die mich bestens unterhalten hat und die ich sehr gerne weiterempfehle!
October 13, 2024
Really really enjoyed this one! I was expecting to have hesitations because I don’t often love books where someone gets way too involved in a crime/mystery, but the main character in this book is so unhinged and goes so far over the line that I had to just buy in at some point. I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times at Esther’s delusions, which I think are supposed to be hilarious, and I also really liked reading her attempts to solve the crime. This reminded me a lot of the Netflix true crime satire show with Kristen Bell, especially with the well-timed information Esther receives, and the way she fully inserts herself into something that she has no business doing.
The main plot and mystery of this book surrounds Naomi’s unexpected death but I actually found all of the side plots equally compelling (or at least not completely pointless). I particularly liked the relationship between Esther and Patrick, and if anything I wish we could have had more of them, especially since Patrick proves his worth as an amateur sleuth. The ending is completely absurd, but I did love it, and I think does have a lot to say about how wealth and power are unequivocally linked, and how they open doors.
The main plot and mystery of this book surrounds Naomi’s unexpected death but I actually found all of the side plots equally compelling (or at least not completely pointless). I particularly liked the relationship between Esther and Patrick, and if anything I wish we could have had more of them, especially since Patrick proves his worth as an amateur sleuth. The ending is completely absurd, but I did love it, and I think does have a lot to say about how wealth and power are unequivocally linked, and how they open doors.
December 17, 2024
Great plot, even better insane narrator. This book is like if Gone Girl thought she was a murder podcaster but didn’t actually have a podcast. That is literally one of the narrator’s traits.
Esther is so overtly off-grid and intellectual that she initially comes off as annoyingly try-hard, but soon we realize she is completely delusional (ex. repeatedly calls herself a true crime podcaster even though she literally doesn’t have or want to have a podcast; see above). It’s like she has a thought then in one second is convinced that is reality no matter how insane it is. I was literally laughing at multiple points.
That aside, I did think the plot was well done. Part of me wondered if there was indeed a mystery to be solved or if I was just falling into Esther’s psychosis, while the other part of me was completely wrapped up and cheering Esther on as she wildly overstepped. The ending was so crazy I seriously kept waiting for her to reveal it was in her head or something like that.
This reminded me of Rabbit Hole, where the narrator gets entirely uncontrollably sucked into another world and sacrifices her own life and deadlines. But they also consider the concept of justice and searching for it/bringing it about yourself.
Esther is so overtly off-grid and intellectual that she initially comes off as annoyingly try-hard, but soon we realize she is completely delusional (ex. repeatedly calls herself a true crime podcaster even though she literally doesn’t have or want to have a podcast; see above). It’s like she has a thought then in one second is convinced that is reality no matter how insane it is. I was literally laughing at multiple points.
That aside, I did think the plot was well done. Part of me wondered if there was indeed a mystery to be solved or if I was just falling into Esther’s psychosis, while the other part of me was completely wrapped up and cheering Esther on as she wildly overstepped. The ending was so crazy I seriously kept waiting for her to reveal it was in her head or something like that.
This reminded me of Rabbit Hole, where the narrator gets entirely uncontrollably sucked into another world and sacrifices her own life and deadlines. But they also consider the concept of justice and searching for it/bringing it about yourself.
December 1, 2024
this one goes crazy� arguably even better than her debut? But may need to re read other people’s clothes to be certain. One thing is for sure Calla Henkel loves crime and unreliable female narrators� also a thread of books I’ve been drawn to for the past year (the guest, penance, bunny). But this is masterfully done, pacing exquisite, voice is sharp and unique and funny. Good satire on True Crime Industrial Complex - without feeling like just another entry in the genre (looking at you, promising young women. Why have I read so much stuff about true crime despite literally hating it). Bonus points for lesbianism and art world discourse.
My only gripe is the ending wraps up a bit too neatly but it’s better than OPC bc I had to Google and try to understand what happened. Granted I may have been finishing that book on a 5mg edible on Stinson Beach� happier times. Thank u Mia for the Rec!
My only gripe is the ending wraps up a bit too neatly but it’s better than OPC bc I had to Google and try to understand what happened. Granted I may have been finishing that book on a 5mg edible on Stinson Beach� happier times. Thank u Mia for the Rec!
September 14, 2024
This was so readable to me. Quick, punchy, sprinkle of popculture. One of those authors I can feel myself picking up every upcoming book from - not because it's life-changing but, like, consistently interesting. It feels like a good mix of different topics and themes. Loved the talk about art, especially scrapbooking, and true crime. Will probably read Henkels first book soon.
tw/cw: mentioned death and murder, drugs, violent tendencies, trauma, death of a parent, grief, manipulation, crime, arson, breaking and entering, fraud, cheating, pedophilia
tw/cw: mentioned death and murder, drugs, violent tendencies, trauma, death of a parent, grief, manipulation, crime, arson, breaking and entering, fraud, cheating, pedophilia
August 24, 2024
Esther Ray, a true crime junkie, takes on a scrapbooking job that is surrounded by secrecy. Hired by the wealthy Naomi, Esther is given a burner phone and must sign an NDA before undertaking the project. When Esther finds out that Naomi has died, she is convinced that her husband has killed her, and she becomes obsessed with finding the truth. 3.5 stars
November 13, 2024
I loved this book. It had everything I could want- humor, a woman doing the most unhinged things you could imagine, and a good mystery. I feel like the motives were well fleshed out, and there was great little side plots that added to the overall story. Ester was such an interesting character to root for, but I’m glad she got what she wanted in the end.
January 3, 2025
4.5. Absolutely devoured this! Loved the pacing, I was hooked instantly and couldn’t get enough. Was easier to dive into than Other People’s Clothes (which I never finished) IMO. Haven’t read a mystery or thriller in a while and this was a perfect re-introduction to the genre � plus it’s gay?! Delicious.
January 13, 2025
one thing about me, is i love a unreliable, delusional, narrator and Esther is just that. Her obsessed with true crime gets her sucks into a mystery that she goes to insane measures to try and figure out. I found myself leaning into those ideas and thoughts even though they were crazy.
December 20, 2024
Five stars for how much I giggled and enjoyed myself whilst reading this book but three stars for the story itself. Dear reader, I think you're supposed to find Esther to be both awful and unrealistic. I didn't adore the ending and wished it had taken a different direction, but this was very fun for me.
January 31, 2025
oh my god
March 2, 2025
It’s as if someone crafted a novel just for me, absolutely excellent!
September 12, 2024
Esther has to be, without a doubt, one of the most unlikeable characters. Reading her actions, I got the sense I was watching a horror movie and every move the main character makes leads her in the killer’s direction! Not be an absolute asshole, but you get why their relationships are non-existent and why xxxxxxx xxxxxx her.
The twist to the book is not particularly surprising (but then I always hate when characters make real world references, so maybe that’s why it sticks out?) and Esther is delusional most of the time. Like, if I was one of her friends, I’d be worried and possibly hold an intervention because she becomes unhinged and fixated on something absolutely and clearly unreal.
The pacing is� uneven and the ending alone dragged and was probably 2 chapters too long - and with each page it becomes more and more removed from reality� like she suddenly learned how to do certain things without any guidance or knowledge. We’re talking she goes from owning a flip phone to suddenly discovering VPNs; psychotic to sane; hippie artist to whatever you’d call her in the end�
In writing this review I even knocked my review down a star because it just made me frustrated at having to relive it.
That said, when it works, it works - the flip side is when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t.
The twist to the book is not particularly surprising (but then I always hate when characters make real world references, so maybe that’s why it sticks out?) and Esther is delusional most of the time. Like, if I was one of her friends, I’d be worried and possibly hold an intervention because she becomes unhinged and fixated on something absolutely and clearly unreal.
The pacing is� uneven and the ending alone dragged and was probably 2 chapters too long - and with each page it becomes more and more removed from reality� like she suddenly learned how to do certain things without any guidance or knowledge. We’re talking she goes from owning a flip phone to suddenly discovering VPNs; psychotic to sane; hippie artist to whatever you’d call her in the end�
In writing this review I even knocked my review down a star because it just made me frustrated at having to relive it.
That said, when it works, it works - the flip side is when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t.
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