The Class Reunion

by N.L. Hinkens

Working as a successful PI in Los Angeles, Heather Nelson hasn’t seen any of her high school classmates from Iowa in over a decade. When she makes a last minute decision to attend her class reunion, she and her once tight-knit group of friends are surprised at dinner by a delivery of an elaborate forget-me-not floral arrangement. But the accompanying card contains an ominous message: you deserve to die —a message they brush off as a prank at first.

When several of the group come close to death in the following weeks, they begin to suspect that the sender of the message has deadly intentions. One-by-one the friends contact Heather to divulge secrets from their past, convinced that the skeletons they are hiding put them at risk. Fearing for their lives, they beg Heather to return to Iowa and track down the person they believe is trying to kill them. But her friends only think they know her. Heather is hiding an explosive secret of her own. - An unputdownable psychological thriller with a mind-blowing murder plot! - Will you enjoy The Class Reunion? If you read any of my favorite psychological and domestic suspense thriller authors including K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland, Kiersten Modglin, Freida McFadden, Kathryn Croft, Lisa Gardner, Louise Jensen, Gregg Olsen, Mark Edwards, or Rachel Caine, the answer is a resounding yes!

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary, Book Club

268 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2020

About the author

NYT and USA Today bestselling author N. L. Hinkens writes twisty psychological suspense thrillers with unexpected endings. She’s a travel junkie, coffee hound, and idea wrangler, in no particular order. She grew up in Ireland—land of legends and storytelling—and now resides in the US. Her work has won the Grand Prize Next Generation Indie Book Award for fiction, as well as numerous other awards. Join her VIP Reader Club for hot new releases, stellar giveaways, exclusive content, behind the scenes and more. https://normahinkens.com/

Pseudonym for author Norma Hinkens

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private investigator Heather Nelson goes back home to Iowa to attend her class reunion after her good friend Lindsay dies in a bike accident. While Heather is at the reunion the group of friends she is sitting with for dinner receive a floral arrangement including a threatening note. Thinking it was probably a prank, they mostly forget about it until, after the reunion, they start to receive further menacing notes. Who could be sending them? They decide to ask Heather for her help as an investigator to get to the bottom of this. As time goes by, they start to wonder who they can trust, and if Lindsay’s accident was murder…

I really liked this book, it was a very absorbing read. I enjoyed the secrets that are slowly revealed as the story progressed, and the setting at the beginning, at the reunion. The characters were interesting, and I liked the surprises towards the end of the story. My only quibble was the use of today’s advanced smartphones in the year 1998 during a flashback. Other than that, another fine read by N. L. Hinkens.

[Lori (on hiatus, life is crazy busy)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book that I read from this author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It is a psychological thriller that takes place in Iowa.
This story starts out with a woman named Heather. Heather left Iowa twelve years ago to become a PI in Los Angeles. She left behind her sister, her friends and some deeply buried secrets that she'd rather forget, but they still haunt her to this day. Heather receives news that her best friend from high school has died in a tragic accident. She doesn't want to return to Iowa and her past, but she has a high school reunion coming up that is going to pay tribute to her late friend. The reunion turns out to be a nightmare. Someone send a bouquet of flowers to the reunion with a card that reads, "you deserve to die." This sets off a set of events that includes, more threats, a poisoning, another dead body and Heather questioning if her friends death was really an accident. Secrets start to come out, friends start accusing each other being behind these threats and acts of violence. Heather starts an investigation of her own. As Secrets unravel, she becomes the hunted.
The last half of the story is where the story really takes off and you can hardly wait to turn the next page. The author did a great job of unfolding the twisted end!

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remembering our younger years..The people we hung out with..The crazy things we did..The trials and tribulations of High School...But, what if something happened...Something only your sister knew about...And you took matters into your own hands...Sort of...And only your best friend knew That...
Years later, after you left all of it behind and got on with your life...You find out that best friend died in a biking accident! ...She was constantly riding, in clubs, races, etc...And rode all over..How did a little mud cause her demise...Or Did It?!
Now she has her reunion to attend...Only going to honor her friend...Then a strange card appears in a floral bouquet sent to them..The class council from years ago...And more cards appear in their mailboxes...How and Why...Does Someone Know what happened?...Friends have major accidents, food poisoning, near death experiences...Why did she come home!! Are they after Her, for that long ago decision to walk away...
An intriguing story of past problems and how they can continue to haunt us...Even years later...
I received an ARC from the author and offer you my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strictly mediocre story with scenarios that stretched the ability of this reader to suspend disbelief. The convoluted and round-about resolution were, together. just a bridge too far. Beyond the chaotic plot, the characters themselves were one-dimensional and under-developed, none particularly likable nor engaging. By the time the final page was turned, I was disinterested and wanted it to end. Three stars for the author being able to keep track of the plot amid the tangled web of intersecting storylines.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good and painful to get through. There is a story arc here and it works, however, not done well nor done with any character depth what-so-ever with the exception of the perp. Very surface scratch of a story. My 2 stars is generous. Best part of the book, the main character owns a Shih Tzu. I'm clueless as to how this book is rated as highly as it is.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty new to this genre. I still don't know what I like or dislike in crime/thriller books, but in time I'll get there.

A Class Reunion, secrets and someone with vendetta.
Heather who is a PI, is trying to figure out who is targeting her and her high-school friends, and it seems to be related to something that happened in her teenage years.

The mystery is well played out, but halfway through the book I was pretty sure who the culprit was. (I was right!)

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. The pacing was good, maybe a bit too short for my taste.

[Jazz Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review tomorrow

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't even finish it.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story!
Keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

[Denise Shaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick pace...couldn’t put down. I didn’t want to put the book down.

[Krystle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre mystery with flat characters.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book because I’m a big fan of Norma Hinkens. It’s another thriller/mystery, but for me, it tended more toward mystery than thriller. The main character, Heather spends the book trying to figure out who is targeting her and her friends and it seems to be related to something regrettable she did as a teenager. There’s plenty of mystery as the reader tries to guess who did it, and as always, it’s a surprise. Of course, the clues were there for the observant person, but there’s also an unexpected twist.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book, but there were a few things that could have been better. I never really connected with Heather. There were a few offhand comments about her missing out on having a relationship and feeling hesitant to connect with people, but it wasn’t explored a lot. It felt like it was injected into the story just to build a possible romance with Josh. I would have liked a bit more emotion so I could relate to her and feel her feelings better. The villain (and I’m being really careful not to reveal anything here) was a bit cartoonish in their evilness, and maybe a bit too all-knowing, but I could buy into it, so it was okay. The main issue was the lack of connection with the characters, and that could have been me just as much as it could have been the writing. Descriptions were vivid and it was easy for me to visualize the action and the settings and the story was easy to follow. Pacing was good too; the story moved forward consistently without ever dragging or feeling rushed.

[WHITNEY WILHITE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely not the ending I expected but good book by this author! Look forward to reading more by her!

[Carolyn Beckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter book, but not a bad story line. This one makes you wonder how many are still holding grudges from high school

[Maria Costantino · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Class Reunion, secrets and someone with vendetta.
Heather who is a PI, is trying to figure out who is targeting her and her high-school friends, and it seems to be related to something that happened in her teenage years.

The mystery is well played out, but halfway through the book I was pretty sure who the culprit was. (I was right!)

[Sabrina R · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad that it was funny. It's so poorly written that I'm shocked it was even published. It's so basic and minor details are over explained. I spent a majority of this book rolling my eyes at how ridiculous the relationships between the characters were. It's been 20 years since they were all on STUDENT COUNCIL together and it's written like they should have been best friends. I rolled my eyes just writing that. It's just ridiculous. Nobody keeps in touch with their student council after high school, let alone 20 years later. Nobody cares and it doesn't matter in real life. The other detail that grinds my gears is when Violet tells her the description of the women who sent the flowers to the reunion, Heather forgets that detail which is crucial to the case, and then is completely shocked when Violet reminds her it matches the description of the woman who bumped into Sydney at the coffee shop. It's a poorly written book. PASS!

[Donnaskins · Rating 2 out of 5]

One juvenile cliché after another. Possibly one of the weakest books I have ever read.

[Mae Clair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heather is the older of two sisters. She’s now a private investigator in LA but returns to her hometown to attend the funeral of her best friend from high school, and also to attend her 20th class reunion. She hasn’t seen her classmates since high school, but cliques are still in place, including friendships and petty jealousies. The night of the reunion a bouquet of forget-me-nots is delivered to the table of the former student council (of which Heather was a member), with a note that reads “you deserve to die.” The question is…who is the note targeting?

Heather thinks she knows as she’s been carrying around a horrible secret and a load of guilt about an incident from her high school days. Within days of Heather’s return, her former friends are targeted, the victims of various accidents and attempts on their lives.

This was an okay story, though I felt portions of the book dragged. The beginning, which delves into what happened to Heather’s sister in the past was kind of predictable, and the investigation in the present plodded at points. I wish the characters had been more developed, and I felt a number of the circumstances, as well as the big reveal, were a stretch.

Still, I have a weakness for books that play off old friendships and hidden secrets. In that respect, the story delivered.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what you would expect from a typical class reunion, murder is on everyone's mind, as well as who might be next. Long kept secrets, murder and scandals are revealed and everyone is a suspect in this twisty turny suspense thriller which reunites friends from the past all in one place. Just when you think you know who did it, the reader is taken in a completely different direction! Edge of your seat PI story which has you second-guessing everything you might have ever thought about attending a class reunion. Grab this well-written nail-biter now. I've read other books by this author, and this one is as amazing as all the others. Get it now. I received an ARC of this book, and all opinions expressed here are given freely and are my own.

[Kenneth Lingenfelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Nelson is now a PI in Los Angeles. Her best friend in high school is found dead of an apparent biking accident. Her former classmates are have a memorial for Lindsay in Iowa during their class reunion. Heather decides to go since Lindsay was her best friend. The classmates get notes that say you deserve to die, once a killer, always a killer, and you should be afraid. The classmates ask Heather to investigate. This is a page turning thriller. Secrets are exposed and the truth will be revealed.

[Jeanne Felfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I've listened or read others by this author, so I moved it higher on my TBR pile and am glad I did. Although as a fellow thriller writer I probably should have guessed who the bad "guy" was, I didn't until that part of the story began unraveling. NL kept it under wraps quite well.

There's only one thing I would've liked to have seen done differently. Unfortunately I can't say here what it is without spoiling the plot. Bwahaha...

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

This read definitely pulls you in and won’t let go. Lots of cliché wrapped up around the old high school days & of course the most popular girl ends up the villain. Although I will admit, that did shock me when it was unveiled. A good short read nonetheless.

[Shelley Futrelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the development of the characters

This story was fast paced and easy to read. The snakes were a little creepy but an important part of the story. I’m going to look and find other books from this author.

[Sam Stoddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read. A group of people meet for their high school reunion after their classmate Lyndsay died. A bunch of crazy things happen. It’s a nicely written book with absolutely zero down time. The author got right to the point.

[Becky Jooss · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Class Reunion was a decent enough book, but there were huge inconsistencies that I couldn't get past - the use of smartphones in the flashbacks to 1997-1998 was a big one. Also the death of Tank was reported as a fatality the next morning, but later on someone (I'll leave out who, so as not to spoil it completely) says "he died months later". These are huge errors that shouldn't get past the editors, publishers, etc.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teetering on 3.5 and 4 stars. The dialogue was a little clunky at the beginning but got better as the book went on. I was interested in all of the different characters and how their stories intertwined. The ending was a little “meh” so that was disappointing.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing.

[Whitney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf after 30%

[Patti Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of The Class Reunion by N. L Hinkens as a member of the author's review team for an honest review. I can honestly say that I absolutely loved The Class Reunion. I can truly say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Class Reunion. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Who does not love a psychological suspense thriller with a surprise ending? Once again N. L Hinkens has shown that she is a master storyteller. I love how she developed the story line and the characters. It was an incredible psychological suspense thriller and has me guessing who was behind all the forget-me-not notes and flowers. I could not put it down and loved every page of this wonderful page turner. The story started out slowly, but once the plot twist was revealed the storyline quickly picked up. Never saw the villain and the accomplice in the story before they were revealed. It truly took me by surprise. The Class Reunion is the story of Heather Nelson, a PI in Los Angeles. The class president of her high school class calls Heather to inform her that her best friend from high school, Lindsay Robinson has died tragically and the class officers want to memorialize her at their upcoming twentieth class reunion. Heather returns home to Iowa to be part of the ceremony. A floral arrangement of forget-me-nots is delivered to the class officers with an eerie message. Heather returns to LA, only to head back to Iowa to investigate who is behind the mysterious forget-me-knot notes that all the class officers received. Heather discovers that all the class officers have secrets that they want to keep hidden. Heather has the biggest secret of all and has only revealed it to Lindsay, twenty years ago after it happened. Heather is not sure if Lindsay's death was an accident or something more ominous happened to her. As Heather is investigating the case, she discovers a link between her secret and Lindsay's secret. I love how the the last chapter takes place almost a year after the events of the story. I love that Heather's life changed once she confessed her secret to her friends and family, and that she was able to determine who was behind Lindsay's death. I also enjoyed that Heather was able to move on from those events twenty years ago. My favorite part was the surprise ending when all the truths are revealed. It was an incredible thriller. Looking forward to reading more books by N.L. Hinkens. Looking for a great thriller, then I highly recommend The Class Reunion. I love how the title was incorporated into the story. I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working as a successful PI in Los Angeles, Heather Nelson hasn’t seen any of her high school classmates from Iowa in over a decade. But when the girl who was her best friend at school is killed in a cycling accident she makes a last minute decision to attend her class reunion. There is a tribute made for Lindsay during the activities and Heather visits the site of the accident to try and understand how this happened to her friend. Heather and her classmates are surprised at dinner by a delivery of an elaborate forget-me-not floral arrangement, with an ominous message on the card : you deserve to die—a message they brush off as an elaborate prank at first.
The author Norma Hinkens, cleverly weaves a story of intrigue which causes the former classmates to start looking at one another with suspicion and tension is high among the group. Heather agrees to investigate the message and the motive behind sending the flowers. The friends share secrets from their past with Heather as she tries to unravel the mystery , but she has a secret of her own which she believes only her sister and Lindsay knew about .
There are a lot of characters in The Class Reunion for the reader to be come familiar with and there is some switching back in timeline but Hinkens skillfully ensures the reader is soon engrossed into the plot, and I found I was turning pages well into the night to solve the twists and turns in the mystery.
I received The Class Reunion as an e-book as an advanced reader in exchange for a review and I thank the author for the chance to read and review her work which will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers