In Deadly Company Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given an electronic advanced reader’s copy of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good murder mystery. I’m always intrigued by crime, the culprit, and how the narrative plays out. Also, I like dark comedies. The more absurd the situation, the better. Today’s subject In Deadly Company by L.S. Stratton combines these two genres to make a pretty good story with satirizing Hollywood, a relatable protagonist, and a twist that truly came out of nowhere.

In Deadly Company is about a woman’s attempt to process what happened to her boss. A year after organizing a blowout birthday celebration that ended in the death of her nightmarish boss Xander Chambers, Nicole Underwood thought she was setting the record straight by agreeing to consult on a feature film based on her story. However, on the L.A. set, she watches in frustration as executives sideline her experiences through inappropriate casting and frequent and bizarre script changes. Nicole is haunted by the events at that party and visions of her deceased boss. Xander had been unfit to run the company his mother – famed entrepreneur Bridget Chambers – had founded and built to Fortune 500 status until her untimely death in a car accident months prior. After being Bridget’s favorite assistant, Nicole honored her mentor by staying to keep track of Xander and his partying ways. When he wanted her to organize a wild bash, Nicole saw a chance to probe the people closest to the Chambers family and learn if Bridget’s car cash was truly a tragedy. Despite wanting to be the best assistant possible, Nicole couldn’t have foreseen the terrible consequences of her actions.

The novel shifts back and forth from the past and present. The former focuses on what led to the disastrous birthday bash, and the latter highlights the trials and tribulations of Nicole consulting on the movie based on her version of events. Despite how dark it could get, I enjoy its humor as it satirizes Hollywood and how it chooses to adapt true stories. For example, they cast a famous star – a light-skin black woman – to play Nicole in the film, yet they look nothing alike, especially with Nicole being dark-skinned. It’s like casting Zendaya as Quinta Brunson (from Abbott Elementary) in a biopic. Nicole also expresses dismay at the script changes. These border on purely insane through Nicole’s eyes. On the surface, they change what she knows is true, but deeper down, they threaten to expose her carefully crafted narrative.

Although the story is briefly told by two other characters, it’s Nicole’s point of view that readers follow. They will immediately like her because of how relatable she is. She spent years working as Bridget’s assistant. After working for Xander, she wants to get out. After all, Bridget gave her a lot of praise, so she remained loyal to her. I felt for Nicole, especially when she was being triggered by possibly seeing Xander everywhere she went. I would be too if my boss looked and acted like Donald Trump Jr. In many ways, she is the victim of a one-percenter family. At the same time, she is not exactly innocent. This makes for a more interesting read since it makes her actions have more weight. There’s also more understanding as to why she wants to get her side of the story out there.

Of course, I have to mention the twist. It truly did come out of nowhere. At first, I wasn’t sure how it fit into everything prior. However, the more I thought about it, the more the pieces of the puzzle came together. Go read the book to find out.

My only complaint about the book is how rushed the romance was between Nicole and Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a self-described con-man and the boy toy of Anna Chambers – Bridget’s sister. They start off awkward enough at the birthday bash since Nicole gave him a different name the last time they met. In spite of that, they end up spending time with each other before the real tragedy occurs. However, since there was a year between the unfortunate event and when the movie is being made before they meet again, they reunite with no real problems despite the baggage they both carry. And soon after, they are a couple. It would have been better if their romance was more developed with more scenes showing off their chemistry without distracting readers from the main plot.

In Deadly Company by L.S. Stratton is a good murder mystery and dark comedy. While it’s gruesome at times, it can be quite funny, especially when it’s making fun of Hollywood and its treatment of true stories. Nicole is a complicated, but sympathetic character that readers will easily root for even if they don’t agree with all of her actions. Also, what a twist! I would recommend this to people who like the television shows White Lotus and Succession as well as movies like the Knives Out series. In Deadly Company will be out tomorrow, September 2, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

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