In Deadly Company

By: L.S. Stratton

Narrated by: Khaya Fraites

An incisive workplace satire and twisty murder mystery featuring a young executive assistant who realizes the peril in being diligently attentive to her boss's whims.

As the assistant of the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Nicole Underwood has plenty of tasks on her to-do list—one of which is the blowout birthday celebration for her nightmare, one-percenter boss, Xander Chambers. But when the party ends in chaos and murder and Nicole is one of the survivors, suspicion—from the investigators to the media—lands on her. Was she the reason for all the bloodshed?

A year after those deadly events, Nicole tries to set the public record straight by agreeing to consult on a feature film based on her story. However, on the set in LA, she's sidelined by inappropriate casting and persistent, bizarre script changes, while also haunted by the events of that party weekend with visions of her now-deceased boss. It seems clearing her name isn't so simple when the question of guilt or innocence is...complicated.

Enjoyed this read!

In Deadly Company has been sitting on my TBR long before its release, so finally diving in felt overdue — and L.S. Stratton made the wait worth it. What starts as a corporate celebration gone wrong quickly unravels into a layered whodunit that kept me constantly second-guessing myself. I had early suspicions about who the villain might be… and I was gloriously wrong. That’s the exact kind of thriller experience I love.

Stratton structures this story through dual timelines — the lavish birthday party that ends in murder, and the present day, where Nicole Underwood consults on a film based on that same night. The narrative switch is seamless, tightening the suspense and giving more dimension to Nicole’s fear, ambition, and the political minefield of the corporate world she’s still entangled in.

One of the strengths of this novel is its genre blending. Stratton folds in dark humor, sharp social commentary, corporate intrigue, and a sprinkle of romance without losing the core mystery at its center. The pacing stays brisk, the tension remains high, and even though the story is breezy and easy to follow, it never once feels shallow. Instead, it sneaks up on you — a thriller that surprises not with shock value, but with how cleverly the pieces fit together.

I’ve been a fan of L.S. Stratton since Not So Perfect Strangers, and this novel reminded me exactly why. In Deadly Company is smart, entertaining, and full of turns you won’t see coming. A solid, satisfying whodunit that delivers exactly what it promises.