⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! You Made Me Do This is definitely a slow-burn thriller, but for me, the payoff was absolutely worth the wait.
Before the story even begins, Jesse Q. Sutanto dedicates the book to women everywhere—and after finishing it, I think the book lives up to that dedication. This is a very female-focused thriller, and that was one of the things I appreciated most about it.
I’m already a huge fan of Sutanto’s writing. Her cozy mysteries are top-tier for me, and I’ve also really enjoyed several of her romances. I love that she can move between genres that are so wildly different and make each feel distinctly her own. Her thrillers have been a little more hit-or-miss for me, though, particularly when it comes to the way women are portrayed. You Made Me Do This is easily my favorite of her thrillers so far.
Sienna Langley is a marriage therapist whose self-help book, The Three Marriages, was originally only moderately successful. The book argues that our first marriage is to ourselves—the relationship we have with ourselves before we can have a successful relationship with someone else. Then an influencer discovers the book, declares that it changed her life, and suddenly Sienna is wildly successful. She and her husband, Colby, become a famous online couple with plenty of money, followers…and scrutiny.
When Sienna and Colby travel to Bali for a luxurious vacation, things begin to feel increasingly unsettling. Sienna has been receiving disturbing messages from a stalker, and somehow a letter from this person has followed her all the way to their resort. Add in their young butler, Cassidy, who seems unusually interested in the couple, and there’s a growing sense that something is very wrong in paradise.
This is a true slow burn. Most of the action happens toward the end, and I can absolutely see some readers feeling that the beginning is too slow and the ending too action-packed. Personally, the pacing worked really well for me. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and letting that sense of unease build before everything finally exploded.
And when it does? The ending is SO satisfying.
The surprises landed exactly when they needed to. There were moments when I started putting things together just before the reveal, which is actually my favorite kind of thriller experience—I want the author to give me enough clues that I could figure something out without making the answer obvious from the beginning.
This is less of a jump-scare thriller and more of a thoughtful, twisty popcorn thriller with a strong focus on women, marriage, identity, and the difference between the life we present to the world and what is actually happening behind closed doors.
Basically: give me a fireplace, a bowl of popcorn, and this book on a cold winter weekend.
One of my first favorite thrillers of 2027—and definitely my favorite Jesse Q. Sutanto thriller yet.
⭐️ 4.5/5 stars
You Made Me Do This publishes February 9, 2027 from Thomas & Mercer.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy!
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