She Started It: A Novel

Written by Sian Gilbert

Narrated by Sarah Ovens, Anne-Marie Piazza, Ione Butler and 3 more

A hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a Caribbean bachelorette party that takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None...but with Instagram and too much prosecco.

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063286313

Sian Gilbert

Sian Gilbert was born in Bristol, UK. She studied history at the University of Warwick, before teaching at a comprehensive school in Birmingham for almost five years. She now lives in Cambridge with her partner. She Started It is her debut novel. 

Reviews for She Started It

[Yomaira Reyes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an unexpected surprise. Not only a good book but a great ending!

[Iveth M. Allman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was good but it could have been shorter and the ending felt unfinished.

[Lauryn Lugo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, it was predictable but I didn’t care because I felt such visceral sympathy and pain for the main character and such real hatred for the mean girls at the center of it all. The characters were written well and I wanted to hear the resolution regardless of being able to predict the twists

[Sara Jackson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved different narrators for each POV! decent mystery thriller, decent final twist

[Gigi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like Mean Girl drama with a side of murder, you’ll enjoy it like I did. I had a lot of fun hating on these b*tches. It was literally like Mean Girls meets Lord of the Flies.

[Salome F · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What a good ending, I cried! I really enjoyed it!

[Nm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My goodness was this an amazing book! The twists and turns where well thought out and the setting was perfect. The end was tied up with a neat little bow with the hint of more coming but leaving the major questions answered at the end. What an absolute gem of a first novel

[Taniesha Gibson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it! The end was shockingly great. Very Entertaining, and very well written.

[Gracie Rose · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mean Girls goes to the Bahamas! Poppy was the outsider; the butt of all jokes.. but now she's gorgeous and successful and has invited the whole evil Clique on an all-expenses paid Adult trip to a private Island where she has the upper hand ? This book is made of purely of drama, revenge, and ugly behavior and definitely some ???? The ride is just like the reality shows we love to binge full of cringe ?

This is definitely a good Summer/Poolside read but had more dark subjects than I'd expected or, truthfully- liked. The ugliest parts of life are exposed and it worked until the end which just wasn't as sunny and relaxing as the Bahamas.

[Dlux A. Austin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just when you thought you had it figured out, there’s another twist!

[Disha jetly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.I could not believe it was a debut novel.Such a good writing.

[Gennifer Gammon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Predicable and way too far from reality for my taste

[Christen Bruno · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

wasn't much suspense. I saw the ending coming half way thru. it was alright just a lot of moving pieces

[Traci Thompson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great read. Bravo, job well done. Check it out.