I did struggle to stay interested in this book. The dialogue seemed to ramble a lot and the conclusion although unexpected didn't make sense. The idea is quite interesting but didn't do anything for me.

The story of a friendship between four women.
How well do you really know your closest friends? Do they share everything with you and are they always as honest with you as you think they are? Joni, Deb, Trina and Eden have been friends since the age of twelve and have been going away on an annual holiday, just the girls, since they were twenty one. But it is getting more difficult to get them away together. Having kids and a family does complicate things but does it mean you have to sacrifice your friendship? On their latest holiday Joni is looking for a way to really restore their friendship to what it used to be and suggests that they each type and print an anonymous letter containing one secret the others don’t know about. The letters are to be mixed up and one opened each day to be read by all of them together while trying to guess who the author of the letter may be.
But, someone writes a fifth letter, intending to destroy it as it was just too honest, revealing a deep hatred and obsession with one of the group. She tries to burn it before anyone reads it but the letter slips sideways in the grate, the flames die down and the letter is not destroyed. Joni finds the charred remains and manages to retrieve the letter from the hard drive of the computer. Who wrote the fifth letter? Will the contents of the letter destroy the friendship between these women?
The idea of the story - examining the friendship between a group of long-term friends is a good one but I found the grammar and spelling throughout the story very distracting. Surnames and first names written with a lower instead of an upper case letter; starting a new sentence with a lower case letter caused me to have to reread bits of the story just to get all the facts straight and to make sure that I had not misunderstood. My friend, an English teacher, says perhaps it was done on purpose to convey the importance or lesser importance of certain characters but to me the only purpose it served was to annoy.
Saphira
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Not a bad book but little unrealistic, wasn't sure if they were grown women at first because of the way they were acting and talking. Just ok.

My book selection skills have been a bit off lately – I feel I’ve said several times, politely, ‘this was not the book for me, but others will probably love it’. And here we go again.

This time it was a definite category error: I thought this was a crime novel. My bad. The story, set in Australia deals with four young women, friends since school, who go on a weekend away and make a plan to each write a letter revealing a secret. The four letters are written, and discussed and pored over – but it turns out there is a fifth letter, with much deeper and darker revelations, and the question is: which of the women wrote it? A good setup – but I thought this would be a proper thriller, with a crime either lost in the past or else brought on by the whole letter business. But that isn’t really the case. The book is pretty much unabashed chicklit: it’s about relationships and feelings and friendships, and about the scars and traumas of childhood.

I thought it was a big error for us to see the action through the eyes of one of the women, because that knocked her out as a possible writer of the fifth letter, and reduced the tension. And there was a lack of balance, an unevenness about the book – some matters were taken seriously and others dismissed too easily. The actions of some of the women seemed very strange, and they all seemed rather dim, and they didn’t in fact seem to like each other all that much.

But Moriarty kept the story going, it was certainly an easy read, and it was all rounded off at the end. But I didn’t believe a word of it. (Not necessarily a deal breaker.)

Not to make too much of this – it’s plain that Nicola Moriarty is the sister of blog favourite Liane Moriarty. It would be unfair to compare the two writers – especially as, despite superficial similarities, their books are quite different.

A three and a half star rating.
Four best friends from high school in Australia are having some time away together, leaving their partners at home. All of them have a secret or two and one drunken evening they decided it might be fun to each write an anonymous letter revealing something about themselves, but one of them writes an extra one, a bit darker and meaner. One of the group won't rest until she has discovered who the secret letter writer is. Of course like most secrets, the truth will eventually out! Some serious bits, and some lighthearted parts too. None of the women were very likeable and all had a nasty streak. I loved the idea of this novel - could four school friends keep up their very intense relationship into their 30's? On the whole I enjoyed this book, not so much a "whodunnit" but a "who wrote it"!

What a brilliant thrilling read i loved it and couldnt put it down what a fantastic story

Joni, Trina, Eden and Deb are on their annual trip away together, to reconnect and have a break from everyday life. Every year it gets harder to find the time and to organise everyone and they aren’t as close as they once were. Then it’s suggested that they all write an anonymous letter airing a secret to rekindle their closeness. What could possibly go wrong? Except somehow there ends up being five letters instead of just four, why did someone write two and who was it?

Surprisingly this book is a lot more light-hearted than I thought it would be. I think the blurb made me imagine it being more sinister in tone than it was. I found I actually quite liked it though; there was a good balance between the light-hearted tone and the suspense in the events taking place. It made it a very compelling read, I certainly became engrossed and managed to make my way through the book quickly.

The premise is great and has elements that plenty of people would relate to, childhood friends who have grown apart due to marriage, children and a lack of time, as well as a lot of other things that crop up in relationships and in families, like miscommunication and regret. The letter writing was an intriguing concept; anonymously airing secrets is always going to make for exciting reading because you can never predict the outcome.

There were a lot of twists that I didn’t expect and I found myself in a state of constant misdirection wondering who wrote the fifth letter. There were a few occasions that the book did slow down a little for me and I felt that maybe the pacing could have been improved to keep the suspense at its highest. As I mentioned I was engrossed but there were parts I wanted to skip over so I could find out who and why.

Joni is our main narrator and at first, I thought I had a lot to relate to in her but I have to say that she very quickly became annoying and at times just a bit too over the top. It was as if she was still a teenager sometimes and no matter how I tried I just couldn’t get on side with her; I could understand her motivations but could really have done without the melodrama. Having said that towards the end she did seem to get more palatable and any drama was justified, but it was a shame that she wasn’t like that from the start. I also had a bit of trouble with the other characters too, they just didn’t stand out enough and I didn’t really find myself as invested in their lives as I would have liked to be.

The Fifth Letter is an entertaining and fairly effortless read, it has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and would be perfect as a lazy day book or for reading by the beach.

Very easy and funny book, It has dark undertones and you know something is coming.... the same time you are laughing at Joni and the priest. I loved there conservation .

I disliked Joni , I don't know why exactly but she irritated me , but I found Deb and Tricia where ok, until the last minute I didn't how I felt about eden ( but understood her at the end).

I loved the build up to the end.

The explosive ending was magnificent, everything came to ahead. You understand why? And you actually start to think back!!
It deals with big issues that effected these women and made them who they are now. talks about friendship through the years and how people change ..

very quick ,funny , easy book to take on holiday.

I was disappointed with this book as the premise sounded fine and, I know I shouldn't say it, but in the hands of her sibling it would have been a really good read. I just didn't think it cut the mustard and I read it and forgot it almost instantly. Sorry but not for me.

Unfortunately, I have to say I have given up reading this book as the formatting on Kindle was appalling, and it really disrupted any flow the story has. I did try - I hate giving up on books and got half way through - but I didn't like or care enough about the characters to carry on. Joni was just plain irritating, and the others indistinguishable.

The blurb:

Joni, Trina, Deb and Eden. Best friends since the first day of school. Best friends, they liked to say, forever. But now they are in their thirties and real life - husbands, children, work - has got in the way. So, resurrecting their annual trip away, Joni has an idea, something to help them reconnect. Each woman will write an anonymous letter, sharing with their friends the things that are really going on in their lives. But as the confessions come tumbling out, Joni starts to feel the certainty of their decades-long friendships slip from her fingers. Anger. Accusations. Desires. Deceit. And then she finds another letter. One that was never supposed to be read. A fifth letter. Containing a secret so big that its writer had tried to destroy it. And now Joni is starting to wonder, did she ever really know her friends at all?

I really enjoyed reading this book apart from the mistakes - capital letters at the beginning of sentences and even on people's names. So for that reason I can only give this book 4*

I was just bored and I felt the tale was too contrived.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, but it wasn't for me and I was unable to finish it. I don't review books that I don't finish, as I feel it's unfair to everyone involved.

"Maybe you're not suppose to stay friends with people from high school for so long after school. Maybe it just doesn't work."

Joni, Debs, Trina & Eden have all been friends since the first day of high school. Brought together by Joni following a comment from a teacher, they helped each other through all the problems that adolescence and high school can bring. Now thirty, married and with most of them having kids Joni feels that the group is drifting apart. Worried about being left behind as the only childless member of the group, Joni insists the four of them get together for their normal yearly holiday. However things aren't quite what they used to be and Joni, desperate to fix this, suggests that each person writes a letter telling a deep secret or problem that the group can help solve hopefully bringing them closer together. The letter sharing doesn't go according to plan and when Joni finds a fifth letter that one of them write and tried to destroy, Joni knows she has a real problem on her hands. Written in the letter is a secret so big and shocking that it could tear the group apart. Can Joni find out who wrote the letter and solve the problem or is this the end for her friendship group?

This was a really fun enjoyable book. It had a great flow to it which made it very easy to read. I raced through if, managing to read 100 pages a night which as a busy mum is no mean feat! It was interesting to read about the group and discover more about their friendship. The flash backs/ stories from their youth helps the reader to understand more about this history and understand what makes the characters tick. As the story progresses I discovered more about the characters and what they are going through which made me have slot of empathy for them. I wanted them to find a solution to their problems and have a happy ending. The revelations when they came were surprising but also quite real. They were things that could actually happen to normal people which made it a little bit more shocking. The author interjects quite a lot of humor into her writing and some of her descriptions made me laugh loud, particularly the ones relating to the husbands which were very true!

There are a couple of things I didn't like about the book. Firstly it does take a while to get going and while I did enjoy all the lead up part of me was waiting for the mystery if the fifth letter to begin. It is worth waiting for though as when it does get gripping I couldn't put it down. The second is that Joni in the present sounds completely different to the one in the past. Maybe this was due to who she was speaking to but it was a little annoying.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes women fiction or gentle mysteries. It might especially suit mum's or parental reading groups as there is a strong emphasis on the role of a mum and the challenges/ issues they can face which would create some great discussions.

This is Nicole Moriarty's debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her. Nicole is Lianne Moriarty's sister and the style is similar do if you like Lianne I think you will like this book.

Huge thanks to Sarah Harwood & Michael St Joesph for a copy of this book.

The Fifth Letter is the first Nicola Moriarty novel that I have read, I understand in fact that it is her debut, and a mighty fine debut it is.

The Fifth Letter follows a group of four women, who've been friends since School. They holiday annually together and have remained great friends through great change; university/college, marriages, miscarriage, infertility etc.

It is whilst on one of these annual trips that the group of friends decide to write the others an anonymous letter. There will be four letters, one from each of the individuals to the others in the group.

A confession to something that no one else knows, despite their closeness. Something that they have hidden from the others for years.

What starts of as a bit of a drunken joke, quickly becomes serious, and one of the four gets up in the middle of the night to destroy her original letter and write another. With good reason. Her original letter is vicious, poisonous even, towards another in the group.

Realising her mistake, she vows to get rid of the first letter that she has written. But when you are with a group of friends so close, is it really possible to hide your darkest secrets from them?

For a good while I was certain that I knew who had written the Fifth letter (turns out I was eventually right) but the author kept me guessing with a good few twists and turns before revealing it's author.

Four friends. Five letters. One big secret.

Joni, Deb, Erin & Trina have all been best friends since school and in an effort to maintain their friendship into adult life they organise a girlie getaway each year. Enjoying time to catch up away from their careers, partners, children & real lives. What could be lovelier?

On a boozy evening during their trip the girls decide to each write an anonymous letter containing their biggest secret. Each letter holds their deepest, darkest confessions and exposes their rawest vulnerabilities. What seems like a fun idea to open up and further strengthen & deepen their friendship, starts a catastrophic chain of events, when suddenly a fifth letter appears.

Who has written the extra letter? Who has an extra secret to hold?

This is a really gripping story which keeps you guessing. I’ll be honest I struggled a bit to keep up with the four & remember who had which issues (there’s LOTS of drama. It’s a good thing!) but the relationships are so well constructed & described you quickly pick them up again. I love how all four women interact, it’s such an interesting picture of toxic female friendships. The use of a confessional conversation with the priest was a nice touch but there was a “round off” (no spoilers) that felt a tiny bit awkward & far-fetched, so it’s four cwtches from me.

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin for the chance to read & review. A fascinating story of secrets, lies, friendships & frenemies. Get your copy here.

Unfortunately I was unable to get through this book. The idea of the mysterious Fifth Letter was intriguing but it was a long time making an appearance. Meantime, I failed to connect with any of the characters and disliked their behaviour, which I found unbelievable. To be honest, I am surprised the book got published.

I don't read a lot of 'chick-lit' but books like this really make me want to read more. I love books that make you think, especially about real adult issues. Don't get me wrong, I love a YA dystopia as much as the next person but sometimes I want to read about the real world.

THE FIFTH LETTER is very reminiscent in style of BIG LITTLE LIES - and I thought that before I realised that Nicola Moriarty is Liane Moriarty's sister, hence the similar styles.

I really like the twists and turns in this that reveal all the little things the characters thought they already knew about each other. I like how, as the story unfolds, both the characters and the reader come to realise they don't actually know as much as they think they do. It goes to show how, no matter how well you think you know someone, maybe you don't know that much.

Four friends since early school days who have maintained their friendship right into adulthood.
Even with families they still maintain the yearly ritual of going away together for a girlie holiday.
During their school years they had a joint diary where they wrote to each other their inner most secrets. Whilst on holiday they decide to resurrect this tradition by each of them writing g a letter anonymously revealing a secret that they have not shared with their friends.
Four friends five letters,secrets or lies. Will their friendship survive.
Loved the book a real girlie read.
Lovers of Maive Binchy will love this book.

I would like to thank netgalley and penguin random house for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
The book is based around Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina who have been friends since school and are now all married but try and keep in touch and go away for a few days together every year. This time when they are away they decide to write a letter revealing a secret they have kept from the rest of the group. All four letters have been read and you have to link who wrote which one but then Joni finds a fifth letter that contains some harsh stuff but who wrote it???
This book was big on suspense because I didn't work out who had wrote the letter till the end, which was a good thing but that is where it ends unfortunately as there was no real excitement in it leaving me not really bothered who write the letter and why. The other problem I had with this book was the 4 main characters were not very likeable, there was not one I warmed to.
The book was told from Joni's perspective as she confesses to a priest I'm still not sure if that worked or not. Finding out who wrote the fifth letter at the end kind of faded into the background with everything else that was happening at that time and was really not a big deal.