Editorial note: I received a copy of Anatomy of an Alibi in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is an intriguing suspense novel about the lengths one will go to uncover the truth.
Ashley Elston’s First Lies Win was a huge hit in 2024. It was a Reese Book Club pick and hit the New York Times Bestseller’s list. The novel will also be adapted for a Hulu TV series.
I liked the novel, but didn’t love it as much as others. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it because I know so many people were really into it. But again, I thought it was entertaining enough for sure.
However, I was more into Anatomy of an Alibi. The story is more suspenseful, and yes, it’s still pretty out there and not realistic, but I was still very engaged with it.
What’s the Story About
Camille Bayliss appears to have it all. She’s married to a successful lawyer named Ben, and she comes from a wealthy and very connected Louisiana family. But no one knows how much she is struggling inside. She believes Ben is hiding something dangerous, and she wants to leave him. However, she is trapped unless she can find the smoking gun.
Aubrey Price is as different from Camille as one can be. Her parents died in a car accident when she was in high school, and it changed the course of her life forever. Now she lives in a house full of criminals, but she is haunted by that night. She believes Nick is the one who knows what really happened.
After Camille and Aubrey meet, they agree to a plan to switch places for one night. Aubrey will act like Camille, and Camille will spy on Ben.
However, the next morning, Ben is found dead. And now the two need an alibi.
The Suspense
Whew, what a synopsis, right? There is so much going on in this story, even more than I put in the summary, but I kept these spoiler-free, so I didn’t want to reveal too much. But Ashley Elston does a really great job of balancing it all out. I never felt overwhelmed by any of the plot points, and the story moves at a rapid pace.
You have Camille going with her gut feeling that there’s something nefarious going on with Nick and his intentions. It’s clearly complicated because they are married, but also because of her family, and especially her dad’s connections.
Aubrey’s world was shattered when her parents were killed. And she doesn’t really have any support until she ends up with a house full of criminals, despite not being one herself. When she receives a tip that the wrong person may have been jailed, she’s determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her parents.
Something that really stuck out to me about Anatomy of an Alibi is the number of surprises that await. It’s such a unique story, as it really takes the suspense to another level. Such as the characterization of Nick, Camille, and the connection to Aubrey, I was completely fascinated and curious about where the story would go.
Power and Money
This novel, while outlandish at times, does pinpoint how power and money can corrupt. Camille enjoys living a life of luxury, as that’s all she ever knows. However, her father is involved in shady work, and while she’s unhappy about his corruption, she’s never found a way to truly break from them.
She thought Ben would be a solace as he came from a different background, but it didn’t take long for Ben to get seduced by the power and money. And now Camille feels all alone and is deeply unhappy in her marriage.
Aubrey doesn’t have much money, and she feels fairly powerless. But again, her grief keeps moving her forward to find the truth.
Verdict
I don’t want to get into spoilers, so I’ll just say that Anatomy of an Alibi is a very entertaining suspense story. A fantastic one to start off your reading journey in 2026. There’s so much intrigue, twists and turns, and lots of surprises.
The characters are richly developed, and the motivations are made clear. You won’t want to put this one down. This is a very solid and complete story.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
