This is a great first novel from Polly Phillips.
We know from the blurb that Izzy is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, but who pushed her?
The story starts off with Bec and Ed’s engagement and even from the beginning you get a sense that Bec feels overshadowed by Izzy.
Things are said and done throughout the book and it really seems like such a toxic friendship. Bec’s brother, Rob thinks he can see through Izzy and warns her about being her friend, but Bec’s feels that she can handle it.
There’s also the attraction Bec’s has to Izzy’s husband, so the whole friendship thing seems a bit hypocritical.
We do find out how Izzy ended up dead and I wasn’t expecting it to have turned out like that but it makes for a great story.
This is a gripping domestic thriller.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A Story of a toxic friendship and the tragedy that occurs. This book started out great but felt it went a bit silly towards the end. . At times I wanted to reach into the book and slap someone. 3 🌟

Bec and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. They’ve been through a lot together – the death of Bec’s mother, the birth of Izzy’s daughter, Bec’s engagement. But there’s a darker side to their friendship, too – and Bec is about to reach breaking point.

Then Izzy is found broken and bloodied at the bottom of the stairs.

It could have been an accident – perhaps she fell – but if the police decide to look for a killer, then Bec is sure to be their prime suspect.

I was attracted to this book because of its title and premise and it was definitely an engaging read. The pacing of the plot was good especially that the suspense was maintained throughout. There were enough twists to keep me hooked.

The one thing that came to my mind while reading this book was that who needs enemies or haters, when you have best friends like Izzy! The relationship between all the main characters is actually toxic. The only relationship that was real was the one between Bec and her brother, Rob.

Since I found almost all the characters shady, I had a doubt on all of them but even then, when the culprit was finally revealed at the end, I was actually surprised because it was kind was unexpected!

Overall, an excellent debut novel. Looking forward for her next!

Thank You NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this ARC!

My Best Friend's Murder is a fantastic book. It is well written and got my attention immediately. I loved the twists and turns and I was hooked right up to the end. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my ARC.

There is something about female friendships that will resonate with every woman.
Things not to say that you would be the prime suspect in their murder but this book explores the worst part of any friendship.
Izzy and Bec have been friends since school. Together through thick and thin including death of a parent, marriage and children.
Then Izzy is found dead. I found myself flip flopping between being “Team Izzy” and “Team Bec” Both girls have toxic personality traits. Izzy puts Bec down constantly to make herself feel better and Bec always seems to play second fiddle in the relationship - Izzy married Bec’s first childhood crush for example
Neither character is one that is particularly likeable and for me that was a small negative as I felt like both deserved what they got.
That said I was kept guessing for the majority of the book and did enjoy the ending.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, especially as it kept me guessing whodunit until the very end. I think everyone knows someone like Izzy and has been on the end of seemingly innocuous comments which when analysed later are major putdowns. Well written characters and a great storyline. Read this book in two days as I couldn't put it down.

The book centres on the turbulent relationship between Izzy and Bec, from school days to Izzy's marriage to Bec's secret crush, Rich and the subsequent birth of Tilly.

It's obvious from the start that theirs is a dysfunctional friendship, with Izzy seeming to put Bec down continually, to make herself feel better. I had no sympathy for Izzy at all and was championing Bec's from the start but as the book unfolds, you begin to question certain aspects and wonder if things are really as straightforward as they seem.

I felt that this aspect of the plot took some time to get going and, not to spoil anything, happens quite far into the story. Once it did, however, it made me see the characters in a different light and I thought the twists were well thought out.

I was slightly surprised at the ending as I hadn't expected the behaviour from the character compared to the rest of the book but it was still an enjoyable page turner and kept me company on several insomniac nights!

My thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really good read about a toxic friendship. A lot of the characters were unlikeable which added to the story and the suspense. The clever writing kept me guessing the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Raced through this story of a toxic friendship. The story is told by Bec who feels that her best friend Izzy isn't the friend she should be and may actually be meddling in her life.

The book opens with a the crumpled body of someone at the bottom of the stairs, as yet, we don't know who...did they fall? Where they pushed? Are they dead?

You do find yourself at times getting so frustrated with Izzy - but here's the thing about this book, it's told from Bec's perspective and we all know there are three sides to every side of a story, your side, their side and the truth.

I didn't guess the twist at the end and I'm not 1oo% sure I understood the reasons why - but maybe I raced through it that quick, I missed a vital clue.

Really enjoyed this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book this is my honest opinion

This book hooked me from the start, a great story, but with charecters it was difficult to like, but didn't take away any of the tension of the story at all, it all came together to a satisfying conclusion

This sucked me straight in in just a few chapters and after that I couldn't put it down. A compelling, gripping unravelling of a frenemy relationship.

This was a enjoyable domestic thriller with a sweeping and fun plot line. While this book had very well recognised thriller tropes and themes e.g the best friend/frenemy dynamic, cheating husbands and an unreliable narrator. I think this was written competently and I became very immersed in the thriller storyline. I didn’t see the reveal coming which is always a pleasant surprise reading a thriller whodunnit.

This story follows the intense and pretty warped relationship between best friends Izzy and Bec. The prologue starts with a dead body at the foot of the stairs, before opening the novel with Bec’s engagement and we are cast forth on the mystery/suspense from there.

I found the core cast of characters well fleshed out and flawed. Guiltily I also loved to hate the victim and did tend to side with her bestie! I just found the reveal a little too drawn out at the end. After the pivotal wrapping up event took place at around 70% into the book, the final reveal of who the murder was just took a little too long in my opinion.

But I was really pleased with the pacing of this thriller, the character development and the way the author comprised this plot. This is a very strong thriller writer and I eagerly await more from this author very soon.

Thanks to the author Polly Phillips, Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic read that had me gripped from beginning to end! Friendship is such a great topic for a novel and I enjoyed the themes.

On the surface, Izzy and Bec are best friends. Izzy supported Bec when she mourned the loss of her mother, and in turn, Bec was there for Izzy during her marriage and the birth of her daughter. When Bec becomes engaged to Ed, however, the latent conflicts in Izzy and Bec’s longstanding relationship bubble to the surface. Is Izzy truly always the dominant friend and Bec the acquiescent partner? Or are there more insidious links between the women to be uncovered? When Izzy is found dead one day, the suspense increases even more and the novel hurtles towards an explosive climax.
It is hard to believe this is a debut novel, as it is so expertly written and shows deep psychological insight into the latent factors that may shape a friendship. Neither female protagonist is particularly likeable, and depicting them so convincingly that he reader wants to read on regardless must be a real skill. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers, Simon and Schuster, for my ARC in exchange for this honest, unbiased review, and will certainly be looking out for future novels by Polly Phillips.

My Best Friend’s murder begins with a prologue involving a dead body, the author immediately hooking the reader’s attention. It’s with a sense of anticipation and eagerness to meet the characters involved and discover the reasons why the lives of these individuals have culminated in tragedy for one family that I became invested in this storyline from the word go. I was unable to put the book down so that I read from cover to cover in the space of one gloomy afternoon. That initial events take place around the festive season injected a little Christmas spirit into my lacklustre feelings towards this time of year BUT it is by no means a festive novel. These pages contain very little goodwill but plenty of the more negative emotions such as jealousy, rivalry and revenge. I was bewitched by the levels of ill disguised hatred and malice some of these characters display and I hope you will be too!

However, it’s a happy occasion on which we first meet best friends Bec and Izzy. Bec’s boyfriend Ed has finally proposed and she is keen to share the news with her friend. These two have known each other from the first day of senior school and whilst they may lead very different lives, their friendship has somehow managed to stand the test of time. Izzy is married to Rich and they are living in an exclusive street in Clapham with three year old daughter Tilly. Both come from well to do families and therefore are accustomed to leading quite a glamorous and privileged lifestyle. These four form a close knit circle with Izzy having previously worked for the same company Ed is a now partner in whilst Bec has known the Waverly family since Rich and his two brothers were knee high to grasshoppers. With the author divulging early on that Rich was Bec’s first schoolgirl crush she hints at just one reason for the jealousy and rivalry that plaque this friendship.

From the outset it is apparent that the friendship between Bec and Izzy is not one of mutual love and respect. There is an underlying element of toxicity, the levels of which build nicely throughout so this pair can only be described as frenemies. It’s a concept I find fascinating, wondering how and why roles in this type of relationship are assumed and more importantly why the underdog, in this case Bec, doesn’t sever ties with the manipulator (Izzy). As you become more and more entwined in these characters lives the question in many ways is not how the tale ends but who is responsible. From the announcement of their engagement, to the party held in their honour at Izzy and Rich’s house, through to workplace developments, opportunities abound for Izzy to play her game of one upmanship, leaving Bec hurt, frustrated yet still desperate to remain in Izzy’s good books. Somewhere in the narrative there is an analogy used to refer to all the slights, misunderstandings and attempts to belittle that gives Izzy the power over Bec in their longstanding friendship. These million little cuts accumulate so that together they amount to a painful open wound that can possibly never be healed. This current status of Bec and Izzy’s friendship, with jealousy and rivalry escalating and spiralling out of control means it’s hardly surprising that something, or someone has got to give. Everyone unfortunate enough to come within Bec and Izzy’s orbit are caught up in this whirlwind of toxicity so that Rich and Ed, Bec’s brother Rob and his girlfriend become pawns in a game without rules, a game where the stakes are high. I love a dark storyline with less than likeable characters so this novel was right up my street, not quite pitched to perfection but nonetheless intoxicating.

Storylines involving toxic friendships make for compulsive reading and My Best Friend’s murder is no exception. I’ve previously read some cracking novels along similar lines so one of my few criticisms is that this does follow an already well trodden path meaning it’s inevitable the reader can sense the direction events will take. I suppose I liken all the characters to pieces around a chess board. As you step closer to checkmate you know the various positions some of these pieces (characters) will find themselves in although who the winner will be is yet to be determined. I thought I’d guessed how this novel would conclude but oh my goodness I was so wrong. The ending was unexpected, and initially I thought strange and unlikely. However having given myself time to reflect , it is an ending that makes perfect sense. As a debut novel it is impressive and I’ll be sure to follow this author’s career with interest. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Parts of this book were similar to another I recently read through Netgalley. Two best friends, one prettier and more bubbly than the other. The pretty one ends up with a handsome, rich and flamboyant husband, the other a less rich, handsome or flamboyant one. The less pretty friend has at some point in the past had a one night stand/fling or similar with the richer more handsome husband. Along the way the prettier friend ends up dead. In this case we have Issy and Becs. As with a lot of female characters in books these days, Bec makes some awkward, sometimes silly decisions some of which shape the story further down the line and ultimately it’s fatal episode. By the time I reached the end I was actually waiting for more, but we are left with numerous questions about Becs, behaviour throughout this tragic story, there was obviously a lot more to her involvement. Why she couldn’t just be happy that she had finally snared the man of her dreams I’m not sure but then it might err on the side of boeing.

Wow what a story! This keeps you guesssing everyone for so much of the story, then a nice twist at the end to shock you!

Really enjoyed this book, in fact I was so gripped that I accidentally stayed up till 3am reading. Pacy and twisty, it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

I definitely didn’t see the ending coming, but I must confess I was slightly disappointed with it. There were so many well drawn characters, but then the solution was completely out of left field. In all honesty I wish the culprit had been better evolved and that the very final twist focusing on Bec had been explored more.

Great book, but the last couple of chapters were a little disappointing.

A very toxic friendship with jealousy and twists.

Izzy and Bec have been friends since teenagers, Izzy supported her friend through the years from Bec`s mother dying to Izzy`s marriage and birth of her daughter.
When Bec got engaged to Ed their friendship turned toxic towards Bec.
Then Izzy is found dead by Bec and Rich Izzy`s husband everyone is a suspect with loads of twists and turns, keeping you guessing till the end.
Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. This is a story about best friends Bec and Izzy. It begins with Izzy laying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs with Bec leaning over her. We read about the toxic relationship between the friends that leads up to that moment. Absolutely brilliantly written thriller that I couldn't put down.