Entertaining, that´s what I can say about this book. Not, by far, on my list of favorite thrillers/mysteries, but ok.

New author Alert - My Best Friend's Murder by Polly Phillips Narrated by: Jane Collingwood I enjoyed the book, The narrator was Excellent and the, plot was too. However,and But........ the ending was just so abrupt. and so wrong! it came out of nowhere and i was left wanting more, more of the story. Plus it ruined this book/audiobook for me!

Narrator was excellent, I couldn't stop listening and finished the whole book in four listens!

I really enjoyed this, it was different from what I’d usually listen to but I’m glad I took a chance on something out of my comfort zone because it was definitely worth it. I’ll be looking out for more from this author.
Really gripping.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook.

This is a brilliant thriller, I loved the way the story unfolded. I was hooked from the very first page. Highly recommended

Many thanks to netgalley and Polly Phillips for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Bec and Izzy have been friends ever since they can remember. But their friendship is not straightforward. It has a dark side that Bec tries to ignore. Izzy always tries to get the upper hand. She is the one with the trophy husband, she is the one with the designer shoes.

But then Izzy dies. Is it an accident or a murder?

The story played well into toxic friendships. How someone can pull others down - even if it means the other person is their own best friend - just so that they have the last word is shown.

The premise was good, though the story seemed a bit drawn out. The ending came as a surprise and I wasn't too convinced with it either. The characters were sometimes a bit too over the top.

Good for a quick one-time read.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook.

3.5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Simon & Schuster UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

My Best Friend's Murder is the perfect example of how to take a really simple concept and turn that into a brilliant thriller. Bec and Izzy have been best friends since childhood, although this friendship has always been tinged with competitiveness and a certain toxicity. Now adults, the toxicity gets knocked up a gear through a series of misfortunes and revelations. When Izzy is found dead by Bec, she quickly realises that she may be the prime suspect.

The first thing to note is that I think the blurb is actually a little misleading. I would say Izzy's body is not found until at least halfway through the book, and the focus is split equally between building tension up in Izzy and Bec's friendship, and Bec then living on past Izzy's death. You really get to dive deep into these characters and find out all intricacies in their relationships, and this paints a really full and interesting picture for when the body is found.

I really liked the characters a whole lot. Bec isn't the most likeable person around but that was quite refreshing, and it helped balance the story so she wasn't just the innocent victim of Izzy. Izzy is a piece of work but with depth, and the more you learn about her, the less black and white things become. I think thrillers like this really need to have that depth in order to be compelling, and this book certainly doesn't disappoint in that aspect. I also really enjoyed Bec's brother and the role he played in the story. It's rare for characters in a thriller to have healthy sibling relationships and it made Bec feel a bit more real, as well as being a key part of the plot. Similarly, Izzy's young child was actually a strong part of the story and not just a plot device. These sound like basic things but it's amazing how many thrillers don't develop these kinds of characters.

The plot itself is also solid. Like I said, it is simple but I mean that entirely as a compliment. This was especially welcome when listening to the audiobook (which is fantastically narrated) as I could listen whilst doing other things and not lose track of what was going on. Rather than trying to focus on huge surprises, instead a muddier picture is drawn throughout so you're never quite sure if you're seeing things correctly. It means that tension and dread build up in a way that makes you slow to realise, and the attachment to the characters keeps you invested every step of the way.

Overall, My Best Friend's Murder is a fantastic thriller and a great audiobook. If you like character-based thrillers which focus on intense relationships and the complex dimensions they can have, I thoroughly recommend checking this out. I am always looking for good thrillers about female friendships and I am pleased to say I have found one.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Can best friends turn deadly?

Bec and Izzy have been best friends since they met on the first day of Middle School. Their relationship is complex. Izzy married Bec’s childhood friend Rich. Bec has never really recovered from this. Bec’s brother, Rob, hates Izzy with a passion. Bec’s has never discovered what happened to cause this but he is always telling her that no so-called best friend, would ever cause the amount of irritation and hurt that Izzy does.

Bec met her fiancé Ed through Izzy. They used to work together and at the engagement party Izzy and Rich hold for the happy couple, instead of talking about his fiancé, Ed goes out of his way to talk about Izzy returning to work alongside him.

Rob is a personal trainer and is training Bec for a 10K race. He brings his new girlfriend, an Oscar actor, Sydney Scott to watch. Bec works for Flare, a women’s magazine, where she’s been trying to break into writing articles. Her big chance comes when Sydney agrees to give her an exclusive interview. Unfortunately, the article also carries a secret that Bec had only shared with one other person, Izzy and when the magazine publishes the secret, Izzy is blamed and things between Bec and Izzy fall apart.

An interesting storyline that kept me listening even though I couldn’t gel with any of the characters. Bec is weak and needy. Izzy is a bully, Rich is too perfect and Ed is a cheat, but regardless of how I felt about the characters I desperately wanted to hear how and who murdered Izzy. Polly Phillips deserves 5-stars just for the ending!

Jane Collingwood is outstanding as the narrator and manages to portray each character perfectly.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the audible book to review.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book. I thought it was narrated well, and overall, enjoyed the story. It was a good mix of thriller and mystery with plenty of suspects along the way. I did not think there were any "open mouth" style twists but overall, good read which I would recommend.

This is a book about toxic friendships, secrets and lies. Bec and Izzy have been friends since they were 11, but now in their 30s, Bec realises that there is a darker side to the friendship.

This is a fabulous debut from Polly Phillips, told from Bec's POV. It is a fast paced listen, full of suspense with several twists to keep you interested. I had several theories as I listened but every one was wrong, so the ending came as a complete surprise.

The narrator, Jane Collingwood, is fantastic and made this a very enjoyable listen.

As I have recently got into Audio books for my daily walks after reading the description, I was really looking forward to this and it didn’t disappoint it had in suspense from the first chapter so much so once I got back from my walks, I carried on listening while doing chores etc.
The toxic friendship depicted in the book is a really fascinating. Bec and Izzy have been best friends for years. Bec lives with her partner Ed but has held a torch for Rich her best friend Izzy’s husband since her school days.
Rich fell for her best friend and Bec has eventually moved on but is very close to Izzy, Rich & Tilly their 3-year-old.
Throughout the book you do wonder why Bec remains loyal to Izzy as to be honest she can be a real bitch. As Bec starts to question the friendship a tragic accident occurs that sees Izzy lying dead at the bottom of the stairs with blood pooling around her head,
Without giving any spoilers, I had an idea how this book would end and was pleasantly surprised with the twist. Just when you think everything's going to get wrapped up, you're taken in a totally different direction
Highly recommended author and debut novel!

I love getting lost in a good thriller audiobook whilst I'm working to keep my mind occupied and My Best Friend's Murder did just that. Right at the start of the book we are presented with Izzy's dead body and uncertain circumstances, readers are then taken on the journey of getting to know about Bec and Izzy's friendship and their relationships with those around them. So we gradually get to discover underlying tensions, potential suspects, and possible motives.
From the beginning I was engaged and interested. I think the author did a great job of helping to build our dislike of Izzy and boosting our support of Bec. Never mind Bec, even I hated Izzy by the half way point! The toxicity and power within that friendship was frightening. As with most thrillers I was expecting a big twist but I certainly didn't predict what the twist was, and I always think that's the make or break point of the book. The suspense in the plot and the constant trying to figure out who the murderer was kept me on edge and kept me looking forward to getting back to the book.
The narrator did a good job, especially with the different characters' voices. It was easy to distinguish between characters and they sounded believable.
I'd highly recommend this book to readers who love domestic thrillers.

This book was a roller-coaster. It reads like a fun contemporary, following the friendships and relationships of Bec, but the mystery element of this book are also really interesting. You know from the outset that a murder takes place (it's literally in the title), but a significant amount of this book is the build up to that happening which meant that there were quite a few sudden moments of tension when you begin to wonder whether this could be when it happens. Then when it has taken place, you have a similar tension of trying to uncover who did it. I have very mixed feelings towards the main character - it felt like she was growing as a character throughout the first half, then it all goes downhill and I found her, and her decisions, really irritating. By the ending I still had about 3 potential suspects in my mind, and one of them was correct. This meant it wasn't shocking, however there was a lot of tension and intrigue. The final scene still has me slightly baffled, but really made me think about what I would have done in her situation.

Best friends since high school, Bev and Izzy have what can only be described as a toxic friendship.
A gripping start to this debut thriller, which had me gripped throughout, told from Bec’s side.
I thought I knew where the ending was heading but the twist completely threw me.
Thanks Netgalley for this arc in return for my honest review.

A story about the pernicious friendship between two women. The story is told from the perspective of Bec who is the quieter, less confident and less successful of the two. Her best friend Izzy seems to have everything – a happy marriage, a lovely daughter, a home and wardrobe to die for (no pun intended) and portrays an instagram worthy perfect life. They have shared many life events together but when Bec gets engaged her best friend’s reaction is not what she hoped for and she begins to wonder if Izzy has ever really been her friend. Their relationship slowly becomes more and more toxic until Izzy is found dead in her home.

There are no likeable characters in this book (seriously, even the Izzy’s 4 year old daughter isn’t likeable) and I found myself extremely frustrated with Bec numerous times and consistently rolling my eyes whilst listening (audiobook version). It makes it difficult to relate to the characters but you do love to hate them and it ensures there are a plethora of possible suspects for the crime of Izzy’s murder.

Unfortunately I did manage to correctly identify the murderer before this was revealed but I think this may be due to the number of thrillers I read rather than the authors writing. Overall a decent domestic thriller with twists, turns and secrets galore.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Isabel and Bec have been friends since they started high school. Izzy has always been the confident one, the one who excels effortlessly and who seems to lead a charmed life. Bec has always felt second-rate, and her childhood crush marrying her best friend definitely doesn’t help this.
The book starts by telling us that Izzy dies. She is found in a crumpled heap at the bottom of her stairs and of course we want to know what happened.
Going back a little, we watch the final stages of Izzy’s life unravel before us as we try to work out exactly who might have done this.
There’s no getting away from the fact that these two have a toxic relationship. They stick together for seemingly no reason other than they depend on their twisted relationship to give them meaning.
Bec, of course, harbours a crush on Izzy’s husband. She is about to marry but finds her fiancé cheating and Izzy seems more involved in the bad things going on than is wholly palatable.
Getting events from Bec’s view did manipulate us somewhat into feeling for her and seeing events from her viewpoint. By the end I realised she was just as toxic. A sort of happy ending but nobody really a comes out of this a winner.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the chance to listen to this before publication. A solid thriller, and it made me pleased to not have friends like this!

This book was brilliant! Listened to it whilst walking the dog - she was exhausted by my “just ten more minutes”.

I’ve got to say, the suspense was amazing! It definitely made me want to read/listen more.

My thanks to Netgalley for my audio copy of My Best Friend's Murder. It was beautifully read and a pleasure to listen to, however, it was not the story I expected as per the title and even now I've finished listening to it I am not sure which genre this book falls into.

The characters were, without exception, totally unlikeable but it didn't seem to matter because I was hooked right up until the end which took me completely by surprise, I really never saw that coming.

This was a brilliant accompaniment to my morning walk but I cannot be sure that I'd have enjoyed it so much had I been reading a hard copy, make of that what you will. I rated it four rather than five stars because the whole cast were unremittingly unpleasant which seems a little farfetched.

Audio version of this book 📚- Wow what a great listen ! I really enjoyed this one and with the narrator being so good as well made it even better ! At first I got a bit frustrated with the main character Bec being such a walkover and letting Izzy be so mean to her but over the story Becs character becomes stronger and she starts to stand up for herself. I must say the ending totally got me as it was so unexpected!!

This took a little while to get into as I was struggling to pigeon hole the genre. It's written in the style of general chick lit and that is quite juxtaposed from the cover and title, but once I settled in to the story I enjoyed it. Its not full of suspense, but there are lots of twists that aren't too predictable.

I loved the ending, its fairly unconventional but was pleasing in a twisted way.

The characters and plot were well written, I became easily drawn in, and I do like flawed female characters that aren't 'made' that way by circumstances.

I was lucky enough to receive a free audio version of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and the narration was great.

Bec & Izzy are the ultimate frenemies. In this faced paced, page turner we explore the death of a friendship and the impact of that on those who are entwined in their lives. They have been through death, birth, marriage, infidelity & eventually the breakdown of a friendship, culminating in murder? Or a tragic accident?