Stories within a story. Each character had their own complex story and this book wove them and their friendships together well.A very descriptive book with a twist at the end.

I haven't read a Dorothy Koomson book in a few years but I am a big fan and 'The Friend' did not let me down.

Newcomer Cece finds herself at the centre of a whodunnit when she moves to Brighton and befriends Maxie, Anaya and Hazel. Centred around the Plummer Prep School Cece soon learns that the prestigious school her husband had chosen for her children has recently been in the news as the result of one of the parents,Yvonne, being attacked and left for dead. What makes it more surreal is the fact that Cece's new friends happen to be the best friends of Yvonne and they all appear to be hiding something.

As the book proceeds we delve into the back stories of each of these women and this in turn gives us an inkling into why they are acting so guilty after Yvonne's attack. It really is a thrilling read and I found the multiple narratives kept me interested and also warmed me to each of these women even though they all clearly had something to hide. So who did attack Yvonne?

They mystery unravels towards the end and I'll admit that I was completely and utterly shocked. I'd been playing amateur detective throughout the book and had at various points thought that it was each of the friends. The end result does not disappoint at all.

I'd 100% recommend The Friend to others and I cannot wait to get stuck back into some other Dorothy Koomson books in the future.

The central plot of this book is good. Four friends find their lives thrown into turmoil when one is found badly beaten and left for dead outside their children’s school. She is in a coma, their stories don’t quite add up.
From there the story is pieced together from multiple points of view. This worked very well and keeps you guessing until the end.
What I found less convincing was the actual friendship, particularly with Yvonne. Why would anyone want to be friends with such a woman?
It’s an easy read but I don’t think one of her best.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this copy.

It took me a while to appreciate what Koomson was doing, and to get into reading pattern - and I had to realign my reading habits, working to recall who was speaking among these different voices, and what had gone on mostly wrong, and, then, . on top of this there are flashes forward and back in time - so a demanding read, and assessing. it emerges that Cece is the main protagonist, and then how this slow unwinding complex crime among friends unravels - part of the fun is the keeping-up with who is doing what and when, and remembering the voices. the crime is pretty heinous but dealt with but is subsumed to theme of what friendships are, how the ties from past and personal impact on present - to escalate violence and rancour. it's all 'tame' in its way, and the outcome is resolved all around ... and at times the concerns of the protagonist seem diluted but always real. very impressive even if the reading was difficult

This is another good book Dorothy Koomson.

A who dunnit based around a private school, and the school parent politics that also go on.

Yvonne is found battered and unconscious in the school grouns after a parent coucil evening?? Who has dunnit and why, why will her friends not talk to her husband??

Cece is a new parent that has moved into the area with her twin boys, will she make friends or will she be ignored?

Lots of twists and turns though the storyline, though it does seem to take awhile to get going.

Dorothy Koomson really knows how to write a really good book. I was gripped from the start and wanted to know what had happened to Yvonne. The friends lives and secrets are really well described and the story is really engaging and beautifully written throughout. I have read most of Dorothy Koomsons books. They are all really good reads. I will definitely be recommending this book and looking out for the next one.

A highly enjoyable read.

The story centres on Cece who moves from London to Brighton with her three children to be with her husband who has already been there for three months. Although not too keen to move the family tries to settle down.

No sooner has Cece arrived at the private school she has chosen for her sons than she discovers an attempted murder has recently taken place on the school premises.

Cece becomes friends with the three women who knew the victim better than most and all is not as it seems. Everybody appears to be hiding something especially the victim who seemed to know everybody’s dirty secrets.

The book follows the twists and turns well and kept me engrossed throughout. What sort of friend are you?

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone, and Dorothy Koomson for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Highly enjoyable and recommended.

What a fab book, really well written and kept me completely hooked from the get go.
The pace was fast and unforgiving and the characters were amazing, I really liked each of the women, they have traits of all of us, I couldn’t choose a favourite but if I had to it would probably be Anaya or Maxie but only by a margin, they were all lovely with a dark side plus the end was really satisfying.
Full of suspense and a great description into each of the ‘Friends’ made this novel one of my best so far this year.
I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.

I was already a fan of Dorothy koomson and was looking forward to reading this novel. I was really pleased to get a bit of a differ story, crime thriller mixed with a family tale.

When Cece moves from London to Brighton with her husband and children she is keen to make new friends and quickly enrols her children into a local private school...... but what she doesn't know is that Yvonne another parent has been bludgeoned in the school grounds and that her new friends are under suspicion with the police. We gradually learn that each of them have secrets that could provide a motive for murder but which one is it and can Cece find the culprit before they strike again!

A good story with plenty of intrigue and great characters, a page turner that you don't want to put down until you find out who did it!

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.

I have read a couple of Dorothy Koomson books to date, but 'The Friend' has to be one of her best to date!

Cece and her three children, daughter Harmony, and twins Oscar and Ore have moved with her husband's job, to Brighton. In doing so, she has been forced to give up her own job back in London and suddenly finds herself adrift in a new place. Cece gradually befriends Maxie, Hazel and Anaya, young mums with children at Plummers Prep, the smart private school which Oscar and Ore are enrolled in.

However, strange things have been happening at Plummers Prep. Yvonne, a popular young mum and head of the Parent's Council was the victim of a violent attack in the school grounds only a short time before Cece's arrival and is now in a coma and fighting for her life. Investigating police officers have turned their attention on Maxie, Hazel and Anaya, apparently close friends with Yvonne and the last people to see her before the attack.

As Cece is drawn deeper into the group she becomes increasingly aware that something is not quite right with the three women she now calls her friends; they are all hiding something - something that could be important in solving the case of who assaulted Yvonne.

Enter stage, police officer, Gareth, Cece's own secret from a past she has left far behind. Reluctant to spy on her friends, Cece finds herself under increasing pressure from both parties as her friends begin to unburden themselves on her, and Gareth exerts his own kinds of pressure to reveal what she knows.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was rich with mystery, each 'secret' gradually being uncovered in layers as the story progressed until we finally had the complete picture. The main female characters were strong, believable and likeable characters, who had each fought and won huge life changing battles to get to where they were.

This might have been a five star read, but for one thing; the complexity of the way the novel was written, and its constant movement both in time, place and people, made it very difficult to follow and make connections for quite some time. As a result it was sometime before I felt the true pull of this excellent story that eventually had me turning pages right until the very end.

A very solid 4 star read.

Actually read this last year, was a very good read, he some great characters and a good storyline, can't really go wrong with a Dorothy Koomson book

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

I have been a huge fan of Dorothy Koomson and her books for quite a while now. When I learned that she had a new book due for release I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Well I managed to get my hands on a copy and wow, I am so glad that I did, as I absolutely loved it but more about that in a bit.
The book centres around five different women called Cece Solarin, Yvonne Whidmore, Maxie, Anaya and Hazel. Cece has just moved to the area and she is eager to meet new people, who she hopes will be her friends. She befriends Hazel, Anaya and Maxie and gets along quite well with them. However, her new friends are not all that they first seem to be as Cece finds out. Not so very long ago the Hazel, Anaya and Maxie were very good friends with a lady called Yvonne Whidmore, who was attacked and left for dead. Cece’s new friends were the chief suspects in the case but nothing has yet been proven. The story is written from the point of view of the different women and over different periods of time. The book follows Cece’s attempts to find out what happened and is told as from present day and also from ‘flashbacks’ showing the lead up to the attack on Yvonne and to illustrate why the women are the way they are. That sounds confusing but it really isn’t as the different strands interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly. In a way I really felt for Cece. She moves to this new city and she desperately wants to get to know people but once she realises the truth, she is slightly scared for her life. Her home life isn’t exactly rosy either and I must admit to wanting to slap her other half, Sol, several dozen times across the face with a wet fish for how he carries on. Hazel, Anaya and Maxie haven’t exactly had it easy either as they are viewed with suspicion wherever they go and particularly when they go to the school to pick up or drop off their kids. They can’t look Yvonne’s husband and their two kids in the eye and avoid them at all costs. What really did happen to Yvonne Whidmore? Who attacked her and why? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
The author’s writing style is such that you can’t help but be drawn into the story and before you know what is happening, you are addicted to reading the book. I found that I just couldn’t put the book down and I needed to get my next fix of just one more page, one more chapter and well you get the picture. I was desperate to find out what really had happened to Yvonne Whidmore and I had to stop myself from reading the end of the book first. I know that sounds silly but I have the nasty habit of starting a book, reading the end of the story and then reading the main bulk of the book to see how the characters got there if that makes sense? But as tempting as it was to do this with ‘The Friend’, I successfully resisted the temptation. ‘The Friend’ is really well and sensitively written. The incidents, the characters and the topics covered are so sensitively written that the book seems real as daft as that might sound to some. I was completely swept away by the story and I actually found myself empathising with the different characters. Everything they went through, I went through. Reading ‘The Friend’ was certainly an emotional rollercoaster ride and I felt as though I had been through the emotional wringer. There were literally times where I dreaded turning the page as I feared what was going to happen next, moments where my heart rate quickened and moments where I had to hold my breath. It’s safe to say that I immersed myself in the book and I really did feel as though I was ‘living’ the story.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘The Friend’ and I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. Dorothy Koomson has another winning bestseller on her hands. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this massively talented author. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Couldn't put it down. gripping, compelling and more twists than a Curly Wurly. A great read - highly recommended

I love Dorothy Koomson's books and is book is up there with her best. I loved the main character Cece who has a couple of secrets of her own but whoah nothing like her new set of friends. The story of five great characters in a whodunnit to discover who almost murdered the very dislikable Yvonne. Could it be one of these seemingly normal school gate mums. A really wonderful mystery with great humour, real life tensions and some very clever back stories. An easy five stars from me.....

Dorothy Koomson is one of my favourite authors, I have read and enjoyed all her previous books and this one didn’t disappoint.
The story centres around a group of four school mums who have formed a close relationship. When Yvonne, one of the group is attacked and left for dead, everyone comes under close scrutiny. The story is told by the other three friends and a new mum who has just moved into the area with her family. Each of their pasts are investigated and all their secrets are revealed. We then realise that Yvonne was not the trusted friend they thought.
I enjoyed all the different stories behind each friend and found myself reading this book every free minute I had. There were plenty of twists and turns, and I never saw the ending coming! Another fabulous read from Dorothy Koomson.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Over the years I've read almost all of Dorothy Koomson's books, the only one I haven't read yet despite having a copy of it is When I Was Invisible, as she's an author whose books I know I'll enjoy and will pick up ad add to my reading pile without even reading the blurb. I know that when I eventually get around to reading one of her books I'm in for a intense read as she really is adept at exploring relationships, especially friendships, that will have you totally hooked and second guessing what's going on and that was definitely the case in The Friend.

We meet a group of school mums, Yvonne, Maxie, Anaya and Hazel, who have formed a close friendship through their mutual connection but is their bond as close as it seems? When 'popular' Yvonne is attacked and left for dead, everyone comes under close scrutiny especially those closest to her.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Maxie, Anaya, Hazel and newcomer Cece who has relocated to Brighton with her family. Unfortunate timing on her part means that her first school run just happens to be on the day that Yvonne's young children are returning to school. To say the atmosphere at the school gates is strained is an understatement, no-one is making eye contact with Trevor, Yvonne's husband, as he escorts the girls to school. Is that because they don't know what to say to him or because they have something to hide?

A chance encounter, or not as the case turns out, means that CeCe soon finds herself caught up in the action as an old friend asks her for help, by using her own past against her, to get to know her new friends better to find out what they're hiding. What follows is an investigation into the life of Yvonne and those close to her. Everyone seems to have secrets they are hiding, and seem to be relieved that their secrets are safe for now whilst Yvonne is in a coma. The saying 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' seems to be very true amongst this group of friends, what hold did Yvonne really have over them that they're afraid to talk about?

At first I did think that there was maybe one character too many to try and follow the separate narratives throughout but that concern soon went out of the window as the story progressed and I found myself caught up in the drama wondering what was going to unfold next. Saying that I thought there was one character too many, I find myself contradicting myself as I did sometimes wish we could have heard from Yvonne, to get to know what made her tick and act the way she did.

As each of the women's pasts are investigated and their secrets revealed, we soon discover that maybe Yvonne was not quite the loyal and popular friend she appeared to be, and that each of the women had their reason to be glad that she was no longer able to have that hold over them. Maybe Yvonne was not quite be the innocent victim after all.. .

When I'm reading a reading a crime/mystery based story I'm constantly on the look out for clues to try to solve the case, in this instance as to why Yvonne was attacked and who her attacker was? All I can say is that I was half right, I had worked out the motive but was nowhere close to identifying the actual culprit.. a testament to Dorothy Koomson's skillful writing for throwing in that element of surprise that caught me totally off guard.

I'm kicking myself that I left it so long to read The Friend as it is one of my favourite reads of her recent books, although The Ice Cream Girls is still my absolute favourite overall. And like The Ice Cream Girls, The Friend has the perfect ingredients for a TV series or mini drama.

Three Stars. I'm a huge fan of Dorothy Koomson but I really didn't enjoy this book. I'm very disappointed as I was looking forward to reading it. There were far too many silly, pretentious women involved with daft names for their kids and it was grindingly slow. The only good thing was the sense of humour employed. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK.