I was attracted to The Friend due to the pretty cover (reflection of a girl walking along a beach) and because the blurb intrigued me. I've read Dorothy Koomson before (The Chocolate Run) but hadn't realised she wrote mysteries too. Anyway, I loved The Friend and completely devoured it, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books very soon!
The story is about Cece who has recently moved to Brighton with her husband and three children. Unfortunately, her husband fails to mention that a woman has been found with head injuries in the playground of the children's school. And it later transpires that Cece's new friends are high on a list of people the police are very interested in talking to. Each friend has a secret that would destroy her, but could one of them really be a potential murderer?
I love reading mysteries and usually try to guess the identity of the murderer and their motivation before the big reveal. However, The Friend is so well-written, and the characters so realistic, I became so engrossed in their story it hardly mattered who did what to whom. I particularly liked Cece, for the way she didn't stand any nonsense from her husband or her ex. I also liked Anaya, who had to suffer the mother-in-law from hell!
The strength of this book is definitely in the characters, all of whom have huge secrets in their past that could be motivation for murder. The victim was sympathetic at first but as I got to know her (through her actions towards her friends) my loyalties definitely changed. I think the only character I failed to relate to was Hazel, due to her appalling taste in men!
There are a lot of characters - four main ones, plus their partners and children, and a few exes, and I did get a little confused, particularly between Maxie and Hazel at first. I think the story would probably appeal more to readers who enjoy their commercial fiction with a bit of a mystery, rather than fans of pure crime fiction.
But I loved The Friend and thought it was utterly brilliant, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. I think it would particularly appeal to readers of Lisa Jewell (I Found You) and Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies).
Thank you to Dorothy Koomson, Cornerstone Digital, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment