⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Maria Abrams takes readers on a rollercoaster of suspense, satire, and social commentary in *Death in the Downline*. Blending the allure and pitfalls of multi-level marketing (MLM) culture with a cozy murder mystery, this novel delivers an intriguing yet flawed narrative that critiques a predatory industry while providing a lighthearted and fast-paced read.

The story centres on Drew, a former journalist recently laid off from her BuzzFeed role, who finds herself moving back to her small hometown. Struggling to navigate unemployment, heartbreak, and life back with her father, Drew reconnects with her old best friend, Steph, whose life now revolves around LuminUS, a glossy MLM promising empowerment and financial success. What starts as a seemingly harmless “boss babe” lifestyle quickly spirals into something darker when one of the company’s sellers turns up dead, leaving Drew to uncover the disturbing secrets behind LuminUS and its too-good-to-be-true promises.

Abrams shines in her critique of MLMs, skillfully highlighting the financial and emotional exploitation they bring, especially to vulnerable women seeking stability. Through Drew’s perspective, the narrative dives into the façade of empowerment, the relentless hustle culture, and the dreams that MLM schemes manipulate to trap their participants. The faux Instagram posts and fake news articles scattered throughout the book are a clever and humorous addition, offering a meta nod to how MLMs thrive in the age of social media.

Despite its strong premise and engaging tone, *Death in the Downline* has its shortcomings. The pacing is uneven, with a slow start that delays the mystery's central conflict. By the time the stakes are raised, the resolution feels rushed, leaving the ending underwhelming. The plot flirts with deeper, conspiracy-like revelations but doesn’t fully deliver, leaving some threads untied and the ultimate reveal less impactful than it could have been.

The characterisation is also a mixed bag. Drew is a relatable and empathetic protagonist, and her evolving friendship with Steph provides a heartfelt subplot that adds depth to the narrative. However, many supporting characters feel one-dimensional, serving as placeholders rather than fully realised individuals. This detracts slightly from the emotional weight of the story and the richness of the small-town setting.

Nevertheless, Death in the Downline excels as a modern cozy mystery with a unique premise. It’s darkly funny and informative, offering biting social commentary on MLM culture without veering into preachiness. Fans of quick, entertaining reads with a touch of satire and intrigue will find plenty to enjoy here, especially those fascinated by the cult-like world of MLMs.

While it may not reinvent the cozy mystery genre, Death in the Downline is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read, perfect for those looking for something light yet relevant. With its clever critique and engaging writing style, Maria Abrams proves she’s a voice worth watching in contemporary mystery fiction.

A hilarious, fast-paced page-turner that perfectly captures the experience of being approached by a #BossBabe. With sharp wit and empathy, it explores why and how vulnerable women get drawn into these schemes.

If you've ever been prey to an MLM or grew up in a hun infested small town, you will eat this right up. I was so intrigued by the premise of a mystery set around an MLM murder and this did not disappoint!

We follow Drew, a journalist recently let go from Buzzfeed, as she moves back in with her Dad from NYC to small town. Back home, recently single, unemployed and alone, she is enticed by the invitation to reconnect with an old friend over coffee. Quickly she realizes her old friend Steph is there to try and sell her some MLM BS. Drew is hurt, but finds herself in dire need of money and without a home once again.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this and it exceeded my expectations. It really nailed the predatory aspect of MLMs in the right way. Dissecting the root evil of these creators and the victimhood deep behind the down lines. This dove deep into the questionable wellness products they sell, facade they put online, and debt they're willing to dig into to be 'part of the team'. I couldn't put this down and read it in one afternoon!

I'm almost morbidly fascinated with the cult-like nature of MLMs, so I was really interested by this book. This was a good book--fast paced with funny moments and characters that I found really compelling. This book could be a bit silly at times, and it wasn't exactly something that kept me on the edge of my seat, but I still had a good time. I had fun, and I got to scratch the itch that is my fascination of MLMs, so this was a fun read.

As a former victim of a Beautycounter sales pitch, this intrigued me from the jump! This was fast paced and fascinating- I imagine it to be not terribly far off from reality of the MLM world!

A comedic murder mystery about MLMs is very "sign-me-up" territory, and this one mostly delivered. It was a bit silly and predictable at times, but it was a fun book that can be read in a day or two, and it was highly enjoyable.

This book was so hilariously fun. Ever since I stumbled across r/antimlm and other snark pages on Reddit, I've been fascinated by MLMs and pyramid schemes, and how they prey on vulnerable women for the company's profit. Luckily no one I know personally has ever fallen victim to one and I'm too much of a homebody to be approached by MLM members, but they're so interesting to read about.

DEATH IN THE DOWNLINE is both a takedown of MLM culture and a fun cozy mystery. I found that the commentary on MLMs struck the perfect tone: the author is clear that the villains are those at the top of the pyramid. They've cultivated their scummy "networking" tactics to be hard to notice, and those who fall for it aren't stupid. The book is extremely informative but doesn't feel preachy.

I felt for our main character Drew--a desperate, out-of-work journalist--and enjoyed following along with her thought process as she realized that she had joined a pyramid scheme. I also enjoyed the progression of her friendship with Steph, especially how it resolved.

Give this one a read if you want to learn more about MLMs and their tactics while enjoying a fun cozy mystery.

Down on her luck, Drew moves back to her hometown, where she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Steph. As the two rekindle their friendship, Steph offers Drew the opportunity to join LuminUS, a skincare company that allows her to sell products and become her own boss, promising it would help get her back on her feet. Drew has her suspicions about the company, and it only gets worse when one of their sellers ends up dead.

This had a slow start, but once I got into it, it was really fun to follow along and watch as it all unraveled. It's nothing spectacular, but it definitely does its job, and it's an entertaining, quick read with an interesting plot. I do feel like it was a little underwhelming, as it sometimes felt like it was gearing up for something crazy to happen, but it... didn't. And the ending also felt somewhat very rushed, and not satisfying to me. It still was a very enjoyable, easy read, with a cast of interesting, vividly fleshed out characters, that were very fun to follow and try to understand. I appreciated the straightforward critique of MLM culture in general, and their predatory techniques. Overall, even with its flaws, it still was a really good time, and I would definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to Quirk Books & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a very easy read. Perfect for anyone looking for a summer read. I thought it was quite enjoyable. Check it out!

I am the prime audience for this book. MLMs plus murder mystery??? Sign me up! Unfortunately, it didn't come together for me. The characters were flat, which I don't always mind for thrillers/mystery. However, the plot was not compelling or page-turning enough for me to not mind. The writing was alright but not great. Would have loved more humor to be infused into the book. That would have made it work a lot better for me. The reveals were not all that interesting or surprising. Not terrible, just not my favorite!

As someone who hasn't herself fallen victim to an MLM scam but knows people who have (luckily they got out before any significant damage was done), I REALLY enjoyed DEATH IN THE DOWNLINE. It has a lot of fun snark regarding MLM culture while also calling out how incredibly predatory they are, especially towards women in tight financial situations, and has a pretty solid mystery to. boot. I really liked watching Drew slowly piece together the secrets and dangers of LuminUS, and I also really liked her relationship with Steph and all of the earnest connection AND messiness that comes with time apart and a falling out that was never properly addressed. All in all a very enjoyable read and a fun one to start the New Year with!

Death in the Downline is not only an enjoyable read, but it turns a critical eye toward "boss babe" multi-level marketing culture. Would be a great snow day read!

Super easy read; darkly funny about its subject matter. Great summer read for readers looking for a unique spin on crime - and a standalone! Really enjoyed it.

"Death in the Downline" by Maria Abrams is a sharp, witty, and delightfully dark mystery that cleverly dissects the allure and pitfalls of MLM culture. The protagonist, Drew, is relatable and engaging as she navigates the glamorous yet sinister world of LuminUS. Abrams weaves humor and suspense seamlessly, delivering a fast-paced, gripping narrative. Fans of biting social commentary wrapped in a compelling whodunit will find this book both thought-provoking and entertaining. A standout read for those who love mysteries with a satirical edge.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I was interested in this one because of the MLM aspect. The dialog of the characters was pretty spot on in my experience with MLMs. The book was a fun read. I could recommend it to someone who likes the cozy murder mystery genre. Nothing too shocking and it was a pretty clean read.

Slow to start but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. This book doesn’t do anything necessarily ground breaking— no new musings on the terrible system of MLMs and how they prey on women. That being said, it is definitely unique and I haven’t seen this done before, it worked as a tense murder mystery but I wish it had been a bit crazier for how much shit was going down. But it was a satisfying story about friendship, predation, and small towns.

When Drew returns to her small hometown after being laid off from her journalism job at Reddit, she hopes to lay low, avoid her old friends, and figure out her next move. But those plans quickly unravel when her former best friend pulls her back into the fold—along with a growing obsession sweeping the town: LuminUS, a “doctor-recommended” skincare MLM promising empowerment, success, and transformation.

Abrams delivers a razor-sharp exploration of the world of multi-level marketing, blending suspense with emotional depth. Through LuminUS, she gives us an intimate look at the women caught in its web—not just their polished Instagram lives, but their quiet vulnerabilities, relentless hustle, and the dreams that keep them tethered to an impossible promise. Their stories are raw, relatable, and painfully real, adding a deeply human layer to the book’s fast-paced plot.

The glittering illusion of LuminUS shatters when one of its distributors is found dead, and Drew begins to suspect the company is hiding something far darker than overpriced serums and shady sales tactics. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that could destroy not just the women she’s come to care about but the entire LuminUS community.

Death in the Downline is a gripping, thought-provoking thriller that combines sharp social commentary with a richly layered portrayal of community, ambition, and exploitation. With every twist, Abrams pulls you further into the sinister world of LuminUS, making this a must-read for fans of contemporary thrillers and of course anyone wary of MLM pyramid schemes.

#QuirkBooks #DeathInTheDownline #MariaAbrams

This is a fastpaced, straightforward story. At first I was very curious to dive into the world of MLM but it felt like the author could have done so much more with this story. I would have loved a more in depth, undercover type of story. Now it feels a bit like anybody who's even a tiny bit suspicious about LuminUS could have solved this. Which makes for the outcome not to be a surprise.
The fact that the author doesn't hide her critique on the whole MLM / cult world is very interesting. The characters were ok. I was rooting for Drew to succeed and hoping for Steph to find her way out of LuminUS. The rest of the characters were either small roles or a bit insufferable (mostly the girls trying to sell LuminUS).
All in all, it's a quick and fun mystery to read in between.

Death in the Downline is a fast-paced, modern cozy mystery that blends humor and intrigue, enhanced by clever extras like Instagram posts and fake news articles. Its lighthearted tone, creative format, and surprising twists make it a fun, engaging read for fans of dark-edged mysteries.

Death in the Downline was a formulaic mystery that tried to blend social commentary about the real-world predatory effects of MLMs with a whodunit murder, and it missed on both counts. I got more behind-the-scenes information on MLMs from both LuLaRich and Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans, so Abrams's info-dumping on how shady and underhanded downlines can be ended up taking up space that should have been devoted to better backstory and character development. I also kept waiting (hoping) for the murder element to go somewhere besides a rather boring Scooby Doo-esque reveal that had little to do with MLMs. Abrams had a chance to make the "I think this product is poisoning people!" plotline to go somewhere conspiracy-adjacent like Megan Giddings in Lakewood or Ira Levin in The Stepford Wives, and I really wish she would have taken it.