The Note (by Alafair Burke)
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet Alafair Burke during The Back Room, a virtual author event. She was promoting her latest mystery novel, The Note. Since I’ve always enjoyed her books, I was thrilled to have the chance to connect with her. I placed the audiobook of The Note on hold with the Libby app, and finally, I had my turn to listen to it.
The Note is set in the Hamptons where three lifelong friends reunite for a long weekend. May, Kelsey, and Lauren became friends at a summer music camp and despite the passage of time and significant life events, they’ve managed to stay in touch. The women have a random encounter with two strangers that leads to a silly, drunken prank. Events quickly spiral out of control, resulting in a police investigation. Beyond the surface-level mystery, The Note delves into the profound impact of long-term friendships and the loyalty that binds them together.
Catherine Ho narrated The Note, which I didn’t particularly enjoy. Fortunately, I could increase the speed of the narration, which helped me finish the book. However, I found Ho’s narration of various characters to be below average, and there were lengthy pauses between each sentence. This made it difficult for me to get into the book and become familiar with the characters. Once I adjusted to the narration and focused on the story, I enjoyed it. Alafair did a great job setting up the twists, which kept me engaged until the very end.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of the puzzles and word games that the three best friends engaged in. Alafair discussed this and her personal fondness for puzzles during her author event at The Back Room. I’ve written about my experience on my Author Event blog, which you can find here.
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