Book Review: "The Herd" by Andrea Bartz
**we received an advance copy of The Herd courtesy the author and Penguin RandomHouse
Synopsis:
The name of the elite women-only coworking space stretches across the wall behind the check-in desk: THE HERD, the H-E-R always purple. In-the-know New Yorkers crawl over one another to apply for membership to this community that prides itself on mentorship and empowerment. Among the hopefuls is Katie Bradley, who’s just returned from the Midwest after a stint of book research blew up in her face. Luckily, Katie has an in, thanks to her sister, Hana, an original Herder and the best friend of Eleanor Walsh, the Herd’s charismatic founder.
Eleanor is a queen among the Herd’s sun-filled rooms, admired and quietly feared even as she strives to be warm and approachable. As head of PR, Hana is working around the clock to prepare for a huge announcement from Eleanor—one that will change the trajectory of the Herd forever. Though Katie loves her sister’s crew, she secretly hopes that she’s found her next book subject in Eleanor, who’s brilliant, trailblazing—and extremely private.
Then, on the night of the glitzy Herd news conference, Eleanor vanishes without a trace. Everybody has a theory about what made Eleanor run, but when the police suggest foul play, everyone is a suspect: Eleanor’s husband, other Herders, the men’s rights groups that have had it out for the Herd since its launch—even Eleanor’s closest friends. As Hana struggles to figure out what her friend was hiding and Katie chases the story of her life, the sisters must face the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other—and confront just how dangerous it can be when women’s perfect veneers start to crack, crumble, and then fall away altogether.—Penguin RandomHouse
Rating (out of 5): 4
Review: In full disclosure, and in full Moira-style, I have to confess that I tore this book up when I received an advance copy in early November, and have not had the opportunity to do a full second read. I’m thinking that’s not a huge issue, as you don’t want me to ruin anything from a thriller!
Andrea Bartz is an Instagram friend of the blog (we LOVE her), and I really, really enjoyed her second book. Also: I’m excited that at this pace she’s churning out one a year! I’ve enjoyed seeing her writing develop from her first book, The Lost Night, to The Herd, and cannot wait for what is to come.
I have been fascinated by The Wing, the all-female coworking space for some time—and it’s the perfect setting for a murder mystery! (Side note: how do we feel about this NYTimes Wing expose?)
I have to say—I got a great deal of anxiety (in the positive, spurs on the drama sense) from Katie’s decision to make Eleanor the subject of her next book. The plot thickens with Eleanor’s disappearance, and there are no lack of potential bad actors in this juicy whodunit.
A great strength of the book is the exploration of feminism in late-stage capitalism. The specific breed of rich-lady feminism that can undermine women as much as it builds them up is one that rarely gets explored, but the devilishly backstabbing actions of the women portrayed here had me hooked.
My sole significant complaint, which is mostly my own issue—I did have some trouble keeping all the characters’ names straight in my head, and might have enjoyed a slightly narrower character focus.
TL;DR: Andrea Bartz continues to show she’s one to watch with her sophomore offering. Quick and fun, but dark, this one is timely and topical.
If you liked this, try:
“The Lost Night” by Andrea Bartz (my review here)
“The Winter Sister” by Megan Collins (my review here)
“Perfect Little Children” by Sophie Hannah (my review here)
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