Title: ONE OF US IS DEAD
Author: JENEVA ROSE
ISBN: 9781398723689
Publisher: Orion Books
Pages: 312
Source: Gift from Alicia
Opulence. Sex. Betrayal … Sometimes friendship can be deadly.
Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …
Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
Official Summary
06 August 2026
I am new to Jeneva Rose’s books, and after finishing One of Us Is Dead, I find myself a little on the fence.
The writing is strong, the pacing is excellent, and the short, punchy chapters kept me turning the pages. On paper, this has everything I usually look for in a thriller. Unfortunately, I just never connected with the characters.
The story revolves around a group of wealthy women who all seem convinced they are better than everyone else. They are selfish, entitled, and constantly trying to outmanoeuvre one another. While I appreciate that unlikeable characters can make for entertaining reading, I struggled to find anyone I could root for.
Olivia, married to a gangster, sees herself as the undisputed queen bee, and she is thoroughly unpleasant. Shannon, despite her cheating husband, seems determined to win him back, leaving me constantly questioning her choices. Crystal expects to walk straight into the friendship group of her married boyfriend’s ex-wife and be welcomed with open arms—an expectation that baffled me. Then there’s Karen, who is having an affair herself but is outraged to discover her own husband has been unfaithful with Olivia. The hypocrisy was almost impressive!
Jenny was perhaps the most frustrating of all. She spends her days catering to these women, doing whatever they ask, yet seems genuinely surprised that they treat her like “the help.” Well… because that is exactly how they see you! At least she was the one who stepped up when everything fell apart and dealt with the aftermath of Olivia’s murder.
For a book that ultimately earned three stars from me, I certainly seem to have a lot of opinions about these characters! In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether provoking such a strong reaction deserves an extra star. Whether I liked them or not, Jeneva Rose certainly succeeded in creating a cast of memorable women who kept me talking long after I finished the final page.
If you enjoy thrillers filled with toxic friendships, wealthy socialites, plenty of drama, and characters you’ll love to hate, then One of Us Is Dead may be just the book for you.
Also By Jeneva Rose
THE PERFECT MARRIAGE
‘Would you defend your husband if he was accused of killing his mistress?
Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. At 33 years old, she is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned.
The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. He begins to tire of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.
Out in the secluded woods, at Adam and Sarah’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers.
Then, one morning everything changes. Adam is arrested for Kelly’s murder. She had been found stabbed to death in Adam and Sarah’s second home. Sarah soon finds herself playing the defender for her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress.
But is Adam guilty or is he innocent?
Review Coming Soon
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Jeneva Rose is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including the multi-million-copy phenomenon The Perfect Marriage. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages and optioned for film and television.
She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and her English bulldog, Phyllis—named after Phyllis Vance of Vance Refrigeration (The Office), obviously.
When she’s not writing, she’s navigating motherhood, overthinking plot twists, and convincing herself she’ll relax after the next deadline.
Thank you for visiting once again. I have already read The Perfect Marriage and The Perfect Divorce and you can expect to find them reviewed here very soon. Until next time… Happy Reading!
