I'm not sure how authors use the seat of their pants method to write thrillers, and I don't know this for sure, but I'd say that's what Iliana Xander tried to do with All Eyes on Him.
Just like every other 20-something thriller heroine in New York these days, Natalie and her friends are underemployed, short on cash, but still looking for a good time, so it's no surprise when her roommate, Cara, decides to go home from the club with the hot guy, Rosenberg, who she has informed Natalie could be their cash cow. Of course, it doesn't turn out well, and Cara is found unconscious at a bus stop the next morning.
In a typical thriller coincidence, Natalie saves Rosenberg's driver from being hit by a car on her way home from an unsuccessful job interview, and he offers her a job in Rosenberg's mansion as a temporary housekeeper. Natalie jumps at the chance, convinced that the police will be incompetent, and only she can bring down Cara's assailant. Rosenberg isn't just a billionaire, he's a crypto billionaire - that's how we know he's truly evil. Unfortunately, All Eyes on Him is full of caricatures instead of fully developed characters, and there is minimal plot development beyond "find out where all the security cameras are in the house and try to talk to Rosenberg." Are we supposed to believe he's going to bring up attacking Cara in casual conversation with his new housekeeper? Natalie also does some heinous things in the name of getting to the truth, including getting an alcoholic drunk to get information.
Overall, I gave this 2.3 stars and couldn't recommend. This book was the final straw in pushing me to give up on reading thrillers for the foreseeable future.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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