The Note by Alafair Burke
✉️ The Note by Alafair Burke — A Beach Weekend, A Prank Gone Wrong, and a Killer Twist
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
Twisty, scandalous, and surprisingly emotional—this one kept me turning pages.
📚 What The Note Is About (No-Fluff Summary)
Three women.
One beach weekend.
A prank note that spirals into murder, secrets, and betrayal.
The Note by Alafair Burke is part murder mystery, part friendship drama—and it starts off like a girls’ weekend novel, only to explode into a tangled web of past trauma and present danger.
🏖️ The Setup: Three Women and a Weekend in the Hamptons
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May, Kelsey, and Lauren—three women who became close 15 years ago at Wildwood, a summer music camp.
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They reunite for a carefree weekend at Kelsey’s beach rental in the Hamptons.
But this isn’t just a friendship refresh. Each woman is carrying baggage:
🎓 How They Know Each Other
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Lauren: Once a counselor at Wildwood, had a secret affair with the (married) camp owner, Thomas.
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May & Kelsey: College-aged campers back then. Marnie, a fellow camper, drowned under Lauren’s watch. The death was ruled an accident, but Lauren was fired.
Since then, life’s been complicated for all three…
🔥 Present-Day Scandals & Secrets
⚖️ May: Powerful attorney, viral controversy
May made headlines after a subway altercation with a Black man went viral. It threatened her career and reputation—but Kelsey and Lauren stood by her.
💔 Kelsey: Tragic widow, public suspicion
Kelsey’s ex-husband Luke was murdered during their divorce. Her alibi was airtight, but many suspected her wealthy, possibly mob-tied father might’ve arranged a hit.
🤐 Lauren: Still entangled with Thomas
Yep, the former camp counselor is still secretly with the married Thomas.
So, when the weekend starts, these women are already juggling enough scandal to fill an entire legal drama.
✉️ The Prank Note That Changed Everything
During dinner, they argue with a rude woman who snags the last parking spot. In the passenger seat? A man.
They jokingly consider leaving a fake cheating note.
Except… Kelsey actually does.
And the note says:
“Your man is cheating on you.”
😳 The Next Day: A Missing Person Poster
Cue panic.
The man in the car? David Smith, now reported missing.
Kelsey comes clean about the prank note—and the tension skyrockets.
To make things even more awkward, Kelsey’s stepbrother Nate joins them at the beach house. He’s:
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May’s ex-boyfriend
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The son of Kelsey’s father’s ex-wife
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Totally not here to chill
🕵️♂️ The Investigation Begins
Detective Carter connects the women to David. Turns out, David was Marnie’s boyfriend at Wildwood, the girl who drowned all those years ago.
When David’s body is found, things unravel:
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Kelsey melts down, afraid she’ll be blamed—again.
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May urges silence and legal counsel.
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Kelsey admits to having an affair with David… using an online alias: Callie Martin.
🧠 May Digs Deeper
May suspects Kelsey is hiding more and starts investigating. What she discovers:
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Kelsey became “Callie Martin” for safety after being publicly “canceled”
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She met David on Instagram
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They had a secret relationship
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She never expected anyone to connect the dots
👀 The Final Reveal: Nate’s Deadly Obsession
As May digs into both David and Luke’s murders, she notices a pattern:
Both men were pulled over by someone dressed like a cop… and both were shot.
She finds a police uniform in Nate’s home. The women set a trap—wearing a wire during a conversation with Nate. It works. Nate confesses.
But the truth is darker than they imagined:
💔 Nate’s Motive
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Nate was in love with Kelsey since Wildwood
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Marnie found out about their early relationship and threatened to gossip—so he killed her
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Luke refused to allow Kelsey to use their frozen embryos, so Nate killed him to “help” her
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David was the final victim—killed out of jealousy
Cornered, Nate jumps from a 20-story balcony.
👶 The Ending
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Nate is dead
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Kelsey is cleared
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The trio of friends reconnect
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Kelsey is pregnant with twins—from the embryos she and Luke had frozen
It’s a bittersweet, almost full-circle moment that gives the story some emotional closure.
📝 Final Thoughts: What Worked and What Didn’t
👍 What I Liked:
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The premise is brilliant: a prank note with deadly consequences? I was all in.
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The pacing keeps you flipping pages.
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The layers of scandal—from summer camp to social media—were juicy.
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Loved that the prank note actually hit a nerve because David really was cheating… with Kelsey.
🤷 What Fell Flat:
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I kind of suspected Nate, so the twist didn’t fully shock me.
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Some of the backstory (like Marnie’s death) could’ve been more emotionally developed.
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The ending wrapped up a little too fast for how many layers were stacked.
📚 Read This If You Like:
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Messy friendships with deep roots
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Scandal-filled mysteries
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Fast-paced thrillers with just enough red herrings
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Books like The Wife by Alafair Burke or The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
⭐ Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars
A solid mystery with a clever hook, layered characters, and just the right amount of drama.
It won’t change your life, but it’s the kind of book that makes for a perfect beach or weekend read—especially if you love stories where women’s secrets unravel in the most twisty ways possible.
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