I ended up really enjoying this one. The Fifth Letter is my first by Nicola Moriarty, but it certainly won't be my last. The book is a fairly quick read with fun, mysterious concept. Four women, five letters, plenty of secrets. Who wrote the hate-filled fifth letter? The story is filled with drama, lie, and secrets. I couldn't stop until I found out everything! There are several excellent twists throughout and plenty of suspense. The characters are fascinating. The writing is strong. The theme of friendship is an added bonus. If you enjoy women's fiction with great mysteries, this is a good one to pick up.

Four women, friends since schooldays, whilst on holiday together, play a game of secrets. Each writes a letter containing a previously untold secret to be discussed within the group. One girl prints off a second letter,that suggests she has feelings of hatred to another group member and may do her harm.
Well, this was never going to have a happy ending! As soon as I heard secret letter, alarm bells started ringing, but in all fairness there are some intense issues debated and help sought and given within this group. We follow the unfolding story via confessions made to a local priest, and that has a surprising ending!
Friendship is complicated and most of us don't carry on schoolgirl friendships into adulthood. We age and change, theses four were subjected to petty jealousies that have become magnified as time goes by.
I liked this book but I didn't love this book. It felt flat and formulaic at times and you couldn't really like any of the characters. I have posted this review on Goodreads.

The first thing that drew me in was definitely the cover it looked just that little bit sinister. After reading the description I was intrigued and had to read it! So what did I think...

First of all I have to say that the characters weren't always 100% likeable but I thought this was a good thing as it allowed me to give each character a chance. Rather than liking one character and being biased against the others. It was interesting getting to know this group of friends especially their secrets and hidden emotions.

Friendship is a key feature in this story and I enjoyed the dynamics of this group of friends. It was a great story showing how even the best of friends can have varying degrees of secrets. Keeping their feelings well and truly to themselves and showing a different side to their friends and family. I can totally understand how the group aren't as close as they once were. Life definitely gets in the way and most people change as they grow older too.

There were a few surprises along the way and I just had to keep reading to find out who wrote that fifth letter. The story flowed pretty well and I wouldn't say that there were really any slow parts. As I was reading I was trying to pick up on things that may give me an idea as to the identity of the fifth letter writer. Nicola Moriarty has done a great job of revealing enough information to keep me invested in the story without giving the game away too early.

The book does fluctuate between the holiday and the present as Joni is telling her story. This gives an interesting spin and helped keep up the suspense as to what was happening.

I will admit to expecting more of a darker edge to the story but this didn't really happen as such. So I guess if you like a more sinister story to unfold than you could be a little disappointed. Overall The Fifth Letter is a very entertaining story packed full of heartache, lies and secrets slowly building up until the big revelations are revealed!

Intriguing and full of secrets!

Four stars from me!

Thank you to Penguin UK & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A wonderfully realistic tale of female friendship, and how although it may last for many years, people change and inevitably the friendships are also tested. This story of four childhood friends illustrates just how much people can change in adulthood, even if the changes are not obviously visible. I really enjoyed the story as the foursome attend their annual holiday and decide to anonymously share their secrets. The concept of the story is original and is written well enough to keep you guessing as to who the author of the fifth letter is. A very good book that will be successful in book clubs everywhere as it is sure to create many a debate.

I struggled with this book, It just didn't click with me. Really tried to enjoy it but found it boring.

I’ve been sick today, and the only good thing about it is that I was able to read the debut book by Nicola Moriarty, The Fifth Letter. This book is getting a lot of attention, not simply because the author is the sister of the best-selling author, Liane Moriarty, but also because the book has earned attention for its own merits. The book focuses on female friendships and secrets – something most women can relate to. Whether or not their secrets are as “big” as the women in this novel, women tend to understand there are some things you keep secret, even from your closest friends.

The book’s basic premise involves four decade long friends on a girls getaway deciding to share anonymous letters sharing secrets they have never told each other. Interesting premise as it is. But, there is more. The secrets are scandalous, and as they are read aloud, the letters have the potential to cause the fault lines in their relationships to become irreparable.

But, again, it does not stop there. One of the women finds a hidden fifth letter (hence the title) that basically confesses to hating one of the women so much that she dreams of violently harming her. The main narrator, Joni, makes it her mission to restore their friendships and find out who the author of the fifth letter could be.

Between confessional psychoanalysis and silly girl talk, this novel covers the usual gamut of toxic friendships, fertility issues, divorce and adultery. It does focus on women’s issues, and at some points, sounds like things you may have read before. However, the book quickly picks up speed and veers off into its course at the second half. Readers will be interested to find out whose secrets belong to which women and how/if these relationships can ever be the same.

I imagine this will be a hit for the summer beach reads and will garner plenty of book discussions. My main complaint is that this is another book that I struggled with liking any of the main characters. This is a personal opinion, but I feel like it is a new trend in fiction – make characters unlikable. In a book about female friendships, there was not one character I would want to be friends with in real life. Again, with that complaint aside, I still found the book engaging.

I will both recommend this novel to my friends and be thankful that my friends are not like these women.

This is a lighthearted read with an air of mystery . Four life long friends away for the weekend wrote anonymous letters with a secret they have but a fifth letter is found , the question is who wrote it? Easy to read but no real climax with a bland ending . My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my arc copy which I have chosen to review. 3.5 stars

The fifth letter is a story based on secrets, Friendship and there relationships.
As everyone knows secrets have a way of coming out and this book shows how those secrets can effect people's lives and friendships.

Ok so we see four very good friends go on a holiday together to get away from their busy lives and reconnect their friendships.
So they decide to each write a letter in secret, sharing something that is happening to them  in their busy lives but  not have the courage to share.
 But not letting anyone else know what they have wrote.

They agree to open the letters on their holiday but not all at once.
Hmm but is that such a really good idea?
Should those letters really be read out loud?
Or would they be better off buried and forgotten about?
I'll let you decide!

Then there is the "fifth letter" who wrote it? Where did it come from? What secrets will it uncover?

I'm guessing you will just have to read it to find out!

I enjoyed the concept of the letters and not knowing who wrote them was exciting trying to guess!
The blurb made this book have a dark feel but it wasn't really like that at all.
I was expecting horrific scenes but that wasn't the case at all.

It was a nice easy read. I would recommend reading this book as it did have a fair amount of twists but the feel of the book wasn't quiet what I anticipated. I was expecting a more darker undertone feel to the book. A bit more sinister and suspense.

I can not tell you enough of how much I loved this book,I literally could not put it down loved the flow of the book and the back and fourth from Jonie to father o'reilly. The characters were amazing Deb from the ger go was my favourite and I loved the the twist at the end I truly was not expecting it ....he now knows everything!!!! Please do a sequel xxx

Four friends on a weekend away without their husbands and kids. All friends since school decide to each write an anonymous letter sharing a secret not previously shared. A fifth letter is found but who does it belong to? The book goes through the friends lives and their pasts as well as their present as they each read out a letter at a time and support the person who wrote it without knowing who did write it.
The book was an easy read, it didn't grip me from start to finish but a nice holiday read

The book is a page turner as you want to know who wrote each letter and in that respect the book delivered. How girls can hold a grudge for years is the concept of this book and this was well written. Would have received the final star if the ending had been more believable. Thanks for the chance to review this book

The description of this book intrigued me and led me to a genre which I don't normally read. Unfortunately, for me the book did not live up to its description although I must admit it was a quick and easy read as I did want to find out who wrote the mysterious fifth letter. I was a bit disappointed at the ending although I did like the little twist - which I won't reveal! I found it quite difficult to relate to any of the characters or even to like them which may have coloured my judgment.

'The Fifth Letter' began really well, I immediately became immersed. Straight away I loved the direction the story was heading and felt like I knew each character and their individual quirks almost like I was involved in the group.
I rather liked the style of narration but at times I did find it difficult to keep track. Occasionally it would just switch back to the present and it would take me a while to adjust. However, once I got used to this, I began to expect it and then after a while didn't even notice.
As the letters were gradually revealed, the pace got faster and the level of tension increased. Secrets and lies started to come to light and new twists hid around every corner. I read the second half in one go!
Additionally, I loved that I thought I knew each character but then more and more would be revealed and my perception of each woman was constantly shifting. Each had their own problems at home which were completely different than how they first appeared. Could I trust their letter? Could I even trust Joni's narration?
On top of all this, I simply couldn't guess who the fifth letter was from. I suspected every single person apart from who it actually was! Moriarty expertly threw suspicion all over the place. I can't emphasise enough how intense it became towards the conclusion. I was on edge the whole time.
I REALLY enjoyed the ending. It was as close as a book has come to my perfect ending for a long time. It tied everything up and the Epilogue was perfect. I'd give 'The Fifth Letter' 4.5 out of 5! I definitely recommend this book. Dramatic, secretive and twisty. Can you really trust your friends?

This was definitely a compelling read, I was hooked in by the blurb and once I started reading I couldn't put it down, I needed to know what was in that fifth letter, who wrote it and who they were talking about. So much so that I devoured this book in one day.

I found the beginning of this book a little jarring, it jumps between the four girls on holiday and Joni talking to a priest in the confessional box. I wanted to just get stuck in to the story and it felt like the switching prevented that, but it didn't take long before we really got in to the story, I'd almost forgotten that there was a confessional and priest involved . Personally I don't think the priest scenes were needed, the story was strong enough without them for me they were a distraction from the main story.

It quickly became clear that all of the women were liars... some were hiding small lies, some were hiding whoppers, for the most part the only person they were hurting were themselves and I felt genuinely bad for them that they felt they needed to hide their secrets form their friends.

With the arrival of the fifth letter I was a little disappointed with how it was handled... I thought we would see the groups reaction to that letter, but instead Joni deals with it by herself and it takes several weeks before she confronts who she sees as the guilty party. The final confrontation between the writer of the fifth letter and the person she wrote about was almost over before it began.

Overall I felt the climax was rushed and then the final scene was a little too much like a forced happy ending, although it was more than a little satisfying to see.

Thank to Net Galley & Penguin books for an ARC of this book. Old friend from school, grown up now, seems and looks the four of them are still friends, but are they reallly.
Deb Trina Eden & Joni set are on their annual bonding trip away. Joni is feeling insecure & the odd one out now as she the only one who who is not a mother. She feels the group aren't talking or confiding much and suggests that the each write a letter to the group revealing secrets that are not known to the others.
All four of them seem to have secrets and there are also many lies. There is also a fifth letter, but who wrote it.
Will the friendships survive the secrets revealed or not revealed in the letters and will it become clear who wrote the mysterious fifth letter.

Having read the blurb I felt dissatisfied as I began reading this book. It had a much lighter tone to it than expected, I even felt that it was much more 'chicklit' than I generally enjoy. However, not one to give up on a book I continued reading. The more I read, the less able I became to put it down. It totally drew me in even if to start with it was against my will.

There were lots of little twists along the way, I liked then disliked and sometimes liked again the four main characters. The novel is not a straightforward telling of a story, it is almost like a conversation, to-ing and fro-ing, just like the friendship between four different women would be. And this is definitely a woman's book.

Now I'm finished I am already missing them, always a sign of a great read.

I really liked the sound of this book, brilliant idea quite different to the other books I have read recently.I found the book to be well written, my problem, and it might well have been my problem was that none of the characters seemed very likable,so I didn't invest any emotion and couldn't really care what happened to them.I was disappointed I wanted to latch onto at least one of them .I hope that other readers do like the characters more than I did because it would have made such a difference for me reading the book if I had.Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Fifth Letter is a novel about the secrets we keep, and how well we really know those that we call our friends. Based around the premise of an annual trip by four school friends now in their thirties, three of whom are increasingly tied down as mothers and the fourth desperate to keep the old gang together, they decide one night to play a drunken game where they each write an anonymous letter detailing a secret that none of the others knows, and then they will try to guess who the secret belongs to.

However, a fifth letter comes to light which contains a secret so explosive that it could tear their friendship apart. The question is, though, who wrote it?

Nicola Moriarty deftly paints four very believable characters in Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina, and the secrets that they confess to each other are both shocking and believable. As they try and identify the author of the fifth letter, though, Moriarty expertly cranks up the paranoia, suspicion and mistrust as the friends play off each other until the mystery is finally solved.

The Fifth Letter is a fairly quick read, nothing too deep and involved but certainly enjoyable and perfect for a beach read or for a commute.

A quick, entertaining read. If you love gossip, this is one for you! 3.5/5 stars.

The premise for this book is solid and intriguing. When reading the blurb, the mention of Joni’s “great” idea to get the friends to share huge secrets anonymously already had me thinking, “Well, that’s not going to go well, is it?!” So I was surprised that The Fifth Letter turned out to be a lighter book than I’d expected, although the dark undertones are certainly there. Moriarty could easily have taken this story into thriller territory if she had wanted, and the narrative walks a fine line between domestic melodrama, mystery and psychological thriller.

The plot itself, with its many secrets and revelations, is compelling and managed to hold my interest even though the main character – Joni – is incredibly annoying. Several times she says to herself, “Oo, hark at me, I should really stop being so selfish and making this all about me, shouldn’t I?” and then proceeds to be selfish and make it all about her. Again. Honestly, a little part of me was hoping one of her friends would freak out and kill her… but then that would have taken us firmly into psychological thriller territory!

Despite it’s more irritating characters, the story cleverly keeps its vital cards close to its chest, revealing a new surprise every few chapters to keep you hooked and turning the pages. The author juggles all the women’s secrets with great skill and when the final reveals come, everything makes sense, even though the identity of the writer of the fifth letter and their motivation was the most unbelievable element of the whole plot.

Overall: The Fifth Letter is a quick, easy, entertaining read. If you’re someone who loves gossip and finding out about other people’s private lives, then this could well be one for you.

Thank you to Penguin UK and NetGalley for giving me an e-copy of this book.

The Fifth Letter was a superb read, I was staying up late just so I could read a bit more.
From the first page I knew I would be hooked, the story is intense and dark but totally addictive.
A brilliant insight into the lives of four best friends, of which the reader can see aspects of herself in them all. The story is full of secrets and lies and with twists and turns and intense moments, I did not find it predictable at all which added to my enjoyment.
I found this book captivating and intruiging and would urge others to read it. I will definitely be on the look out for more books by Nicola Moriarty.
Thank you.