Book Review: A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
You know you’re in for something juicy when the main character in a thriller is a famous novelist—and the first twist is her own murder.
I went into A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison expecting an addictive, twisty read—and that’s exactly what I got. The story centres around Columbia Jones, a literary superstar with a devoted fanbase, a hit movie in the works, and just enough dark history to turn her glamorous life into a ticking time bomb.
The premise is brilliant: Columbia collapses at a book signing, and by morning, she’s dead. From there, the narrative splits into perspectives, with her daughter Darian (also her publicist), a dogged journalist, and a tenacious detective all trying to make sense of what happened—and why.
The pacing is sharp, and Ellison layers the suspense well, slowly peeling back Columbia’s carefully curated image to reveal a woman with secrets that would make even her most gripping novels blush. I was genuinely hooked by the shifting allegiances and motivations. There’s a real sense of unravelling here—both of Columbia’s legacy and of the people trying to protect it.
What knocked it down to four stars for me wasn’t the plot (which was brilliant), but the sheer number of characters vying for attention. At times, I found myself wanting more depth in a few key emotional moments—especially between Darian and her mother. Still, the momentum never faltered, and I raced through the last third of the book in one breathless sitting.
If you’re a fan of behind-the-scenes literary drama, unreliable narrators, and murder with a splash of media scandal, A Very Bad Thing delivers. It’s dark, pacy, and thoroughly entertaining—with one of the most deliciously meta twists I’ve read in a while.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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