WHAT GOES AROUND by MICHAEL WENDROFF.
Genre ... Thriller
Publication Date ... 4th October 2025
Publisher ... Bloomsbury/Head of Zeus
Estimated Page Count ... 400
Standalone Novel
Order Link ... https://amzn.to/43wg9Cz
Chilling murders terrorize a town and bring together two detectives to face the hardest tasks of their lives. Jack Ludlum, who relies on his brawn to get things done, is now paired with his archenemy, Jill Jarred, a brilliant investigator with keen intuition. As they delve into the secret world of incels and white supremacists, and conflict between local authorities and the FBI rages, a media frenzy further complicates the mission.
Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or something entirely different? Will the detectives' clashing personalities be their undoing, or can they unite to stop the killer before they kill each other?
What Goes Around is a dynamic thriller that examines the intricacies of love, loss, and the unbreakable bonds that transcend time. With its pulse-pounding pace, captivating characters, and a revelatory twist that challenges the boundaries of life and death, this novel will keep you hooked from the first page to the last, and thinking long afterwards.
Hands up, a women of a certain age, my concentration isn't what is was and thus the jumping around between multiple perspectives got a bit taxing at times ... that there were several plots running concurrently with multiple suspects and a tad too many motives certainly didn't help any either. But then, as I said, a woman of a certain age, this says as much about me as it does the writing which on the whole I otherwise found really strong.
Alongside detectives Jack and Jill, drawn into the world of incels and white supremacists {to my mind, by far the most interesting thread of the story}; that the author managed to project their beliefs whilst at the same time condemning them, a masterful piece of writing in a book that I had mixed feelings about.
Whilst I enjoyed how the author demonstrated how Jack and Jill {he very much the brawn, she very much the brains} worked together first as colleagues who are rivals to, well, I wouldn't want to give too much away but to colleagues who have more than a professional interest in each other I would have preferred it if he hadn't gone down that particular route. These two aside, the portrayal of local law enforcement as lazy and largely incompetent was disappointing but in contrast there was Saint; my favourite and, in my opinion, the strongest of the characters who despite knowing right from wrong is continually tempted to do the wrong thing.
Something of a rollercoaster of a ride that was slightly let down by a, what, a weird, a bizarre ending that to my mind though the author pulled it off well enough somehow just didn't quite work, on the whole, alongside the crime aspect which explained incels really well without explaining them {if you see what I mean}, What Goes Around has much to offer and I'm delighted to hear rumours of a prequal as I believe Michael Wendroff has the potential to go from strength to strength.
Michael Wendroff is the author of What Goes Around, a debut thriller published by Bloomsbury, which bestselling author Eric Rickstad calls a “brilliant debut,” and bestselling author Lisa Black says, “starts off at a breakneck pace and doesn’t let up until it reaches its unexpected conclusion.” Plus, #1 bestselling author J.D. Black says, “Relentless and gritty, Wendroff expertly weaves a narrative that begs, ‘just one more page…’”
The book was inspired by what his mother said to him the second he was born: “Oh! How nice to see you–Again!”
Michael has an MBA in marketing from NYU, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. He is a global marketing consultant. He shares his time between New York City, Sarasota, Florida, and Lake Garda, Italy. He is married and has three wonderful children.
His mother was an editor (watching his mother scribbling in red ink on manuscript pages at home on weekends prepared him for his own editor's comments!). She remarried a literary agent, so Michael was friendly with many authors, and even spent a vacation with Robert Ludlum. Watching Ludlum hand-write his 450 page novels on yellow legal pads didn't dissuade Michael from trying to write a novel (though he's thankful for his PC).
What Goes Around was launched in the USA, UK, and Australia, and foreign language rights have been sold in Italian, Japanese, and Hungarian. The hardcover went through 3 printings, and now the trade paperback is available (along with audio book and e-book).
Website ... michaelwendroff.com
Instagram ... https://www.instagram.com/mwendroff/?hl=en
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Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089800836318
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X ... https://x.com/mwendroff
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Linked in ... https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wendroff-ba75014/
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TikTok ... https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelwendroff
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You Tube ... https://www.youtube.com/@mwendroff
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With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Blog Tour/Book Birthday Blitz of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.
As well as on Pen and Paper this review {or links to it} has been shared on my personal FB page, other book sites on FB, Pinterest, GoodReads and Waterstones.
Other Prompts It Might Have Been Used For ...Prompt 19 - Has Short ChaptersPrompt 51: 300 - 400 Pages LongPrompt 52: Published In 2025
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