I couldn’t warm to the characters and found the main protagonist so irritating.
At the halfway point I just wanted the book to be over. I did enjoy the ending

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Unfortunately since requesting the book, my reading tastes have changed and it would be unfair to review this book as I do not think I could give it the review that would be justified

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

What a fabulous read!! It was certainly suspenseful, I loved the mystery of trying to figure out what had happened. I especially loved the interviews in-between all of the chapters. But my god I did find Miranda rather irritating at time 🙄.
This isn't my first Nina Manning book, I certainly wasn't let down!

This book was was not one of my favorites.
Miranda was rather shallow and annoying. I just did not care for her character at all. She was just unlikable to me. She was too needy and cared way too much about her reputation.
The plot and unlikable characters just made this an overall disappointment for me. The next person might love it, but not me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable thriller with plenty of drama, intrigue and suspense, and I flew through it in a day!

Gripping, intriguing and completely unique. I adore Manning and this is a truly amazing read. I have loved this book.. And it’s been one that I have been unable and unwilling to put down.

Oooh, the main character really grated on me, she was so needy and self-centred! Throughout the book she is always very conscious of what people think of her, caring about her reputation as being ‘top dog’ in the village. However, it is clear there is something not quite right with Miranda: a hidden past and a suddenly edgy relationship with her supposed best friend sends her world askew.

The narrative is interrupted with flashbacks, chapters that are ambiguously titled ‘Before’. There are also extracts from several police interviews with members of the village where Miranda lives, giving clues to readers that something sinister happens in the climax of the novel. This certainly piqued my interest and encouraged me to come up with outlandish theories about what was to come in the story. However, when the time (eventually) came, I thought the ending to be an anti-climax and rather rushed.

I don’t think it helped that I had predicted some of the novel’s outcomes, feeling impatient for these to be revealed. This is where my biggest complaint is of the novel: although starting off so well, it falls flat about a third of the way in. Personally, I thought there was too much talk and waffle, with the pace slowing considerably, that meant my frustrations towards Miranda simply intensified. It was only when I realised that the night referred to in the police interviews was dawning that I found I was interested in the story but when the revelations started coming, they felt too rushed and underdeveloped, as if the writer was racing to complete the novel.

Aside from the developments being a bit predictable, I really grew to dislike Miranda’s character. She is so self-centred and desperate to belong in everyone’s lives. In my opinion, she is really insecure and this fuels her neediness. Manning refers to Miranda’s life back in London, successfully giving it a sinister angle. Yet, when the truth is finally revealed, I thought it was a bit lack-lustre and one dimensional. I think I was hoping for something a lot more darker than a history based on social media channels.

This was an ok book and I thought the supporting characters to be nicer. In fact, I thought they were too kind for the likes of Miranda and Evie, thinking perhaps they must be blind to the constant competitiveness and desire for acceptance – particularly from Miranda. The countryside setting was idyllic which juxtaposed with the mystery of the story, but this was not enough to make the story gripping.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much promise. I really wanted to love it but I can only say I liked it. It was a quick and easy read. The ending was what really fell flat for me.

I've read most of Nina Manning's books and have enjoyed them all, so I was excited to read Queen Bee. I liked this novel even more than some of her others, and even though I guessed the biggest twist way before it was revealed, I still really enjoyed the ride. The characters were interesting to read about, I was excited to find out everyone's secrets, and I liked the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review another great Nina Manning novel...I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! : )

Big Little Lies fans will be glued to Nina Manning’s chilling new domestic noir title, Queen Bee.

In the quiet village of Helesbury, Miranda Wallace reigns supreme as the queen bee of her small social circle. Miranda leads a life that her friends admire and envy in equal measure. She is the perfect friend, the best mum and a woman who seems to have it all together and is in control of her own destiny. Nothing and nobody could possibly topple Miranda from her throne of perfection – until a new arrival comes to Helesbury who threatens to destroy her perfect life: Verity.

Verity is Miranda’s polar opposite. Cool and aloof, she is everything Miranda isn’t. For the first time in her life, Miranda begins to feel insecure and threatened as the queen of Helesbury becomes completely obsessed with her new rival. Miranda is convinced that Verity has got something to hide – and she is determined to find out her secrets and expose them to the entire community. However, Miranda is about to learn that Verity isn’t as indifferent as she had previously thought…

Verity knows that Miranda has secrets of her own. Secrets that could turn Miranda from village royalty to total outcast. With her back against the wall and determined to fight tooth and nail for the ones she loves, Miranda will go to any lengths to protect what is hers – even if the results are deadly…

Nina Manning’s latest crime thriller is certainly not for the faint of heart. Unpredictable, claustrophobic and so tense and terrifying it will have readers thinking twice about whether they should trust their friends and neighbours, Queen Bee is a creepy and shocking page-turner that is scary, addictive and absolutely impossible to put down.

After enjoying Nina Manning's The Bridesmaid, I promised myself to enjoy whatever came my way next from Nina Manning as well. Thankfully Queen Bee very much lived up to my expectations and gave me a rollicking ride of drama and suspense. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Friendships really are crucial to a happy life. As someone who is still hesitant about romantic relationships, I have often benefitted from the grace of friendships, from the way friends can provide both support and necessary moments for growth. Especially amongst women, friendship can be crucial in providing that mirror in which to reflect upon your own experiences, your own worries, etc. So even if Manning's Miranda is a little dramatic in her tight grip on her friendship with Evie, I could appreciate her fear of losing that connection, that joy, that a tight friendship brings. But then I've also learned that you cannot hold onto people too tightly. No one person can be everything for you, neither a partner nor a best friend is capable of being there for every aspect of your being and your life. Since I have already learned that lesson, I'd have hoped to see a little more of it in Queen Bee. But then, what is a village suspense novel without heightened drama?

Miranda has survived her first year in the quiet village of Helesbury, after a quick and dramatic exit from bustling and vibrant London. But she is enjoying village life. Her husband and daughter are happy, and Miranda is happy too, especially now that her friendship with Evie is this close. This closeness is what she has always wanted, and what she almost lost back in London. So when a new woman called Verity moves to the village and strikes up a tight friendship with Evie, Miranda feels unmoored. Everything becomes suspicious and her worst habits and instincts begin to return. But perhaps there really is more to Verity than meets the eye. And so starts a suspenseful book full of drama. While I saw the major twist coming after the first half of the book, I still enjoyed the way in which Manning got us there.

I once again enjoyed Nina Manning's writing style. Her prose flows very easily and it is a joy to read. Manning has an eye for the detail that brings a scene to life, that helps flesh out a character. Queen Bee is not very deep, in that it revels in the details of easy country living, farmers markets, and social media perfection. But it is fun, it is entertaining, and does exactly what is promises. One downside to Queen Bee is that the ending is such a twist, that much of what has gone before becomes almost irrelevant. Miranda is so tightly wound as a character, so full of insecurities and concerns, yet the grander story at play does not rely on these elements. As Miranda is our main character, I would have loved to see her be served a little more, get a little more closure and attention for her own storyline.

Queen Bee is what I had hoped for from my next Nina Manning read: an entertaining read with enough secrets to keep you going till the end.

Since she moved to a small town, Miranda has been the "Queen Bee" along with her best friend Evie. After fleeing the big smoke due to social media issues, Miranda has trying to focus more on family and friends and leave her past behind. Then Verity arrives in town and threatens everything she knows. Will Miranda fall back into the patterns of her past and ruin everything to prove Verity is not who she says she is? A good read.

Miranda is queen bee in her village. A newcomer herself, but she has fitted in quickly with the other women in the community, in particular with her best friend Evie. But Miranda is keeping secrets and a new arrival makes her feel threatened...
Queen Bee is a psychological suspense and domestic thriller set in an English village.
Miranda is quick to jealousy and suspicion and it is clear that her past makes her feel vulnerable. Her behaviour is a little extreme but this is tempered by the obvious insecurities due to her history. She is not a particularly easy character to like but readers will understand her fears. There are hints and clues about things that have happened connected with social media but the truth is not revealed until later in the book.
New arrival Verity acts suspiciously and the two women have very awkward exchanges. Both women are desperate to belong but find their position in the village is threatened by the other. Evie finds herself stuck in the middle but is also keeping things hidden... Friendships and the juxtaposition of real life versus the image we project are key themes for the book.
The majority of the book is written in the present day but this is interspersed with police interviews with a variety of characters (which creates suspense as we await what has led to the police involvement) as well as a plotline of a little girl in a difficult family situation. This creates tension and anticipation of the big reveal about the truth.
Queen Bee is full of suspense and twists, and is an enjoyable book overall.

This book opens with a police investigation and the author uses a dual time line to develop the story.

I've read books by this author before and the plots and characters are always well written.

I do like Nina's books and this one was no different. It was a very in the moment subject about online lives and how much we share. It also explored the bad side of that where people think they can say what they like about you online. It also explores female friendships and how important they are. The only thing I felt irritated by was the constant reference to an awful thing that happened. Which didn't turn out to be too bad! I think it was just used to ramp up the suspense. I am excited to read the next book.

3 for neutral! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one enough to finish! Will update if able to finish at a later date, as I’m a very moody reader!

Not just another small town mystery, but one ripe with intrigue and backstabbing by some very vicious neighbors! Loved it!

Every tribe needs its queen

Moving to a new place is never easy but moving to a close knit community like Helesbury is going to be even harder. Everyone has their friendship groups and it’s so small, it’s difficult to muscle your way in… that is unless you’re Verity. And things are awkward with our leading lady Miranda…

Miranda hints at something that’s happened in her past, what is it? I really wanted to know what it was! And how does she link to the little girl found in the beach hut or is that a total red herring?? I was flummoxed and totally intrigued!

Manning presented the story by keeping me on my toes. The jumps between the present and the past are a little unnerving as the key players in the past are yet to manifest themselves. The interviews drop little nuggets of information which add to the intrigue and suggestion of something sinister that was ahead of me… I kept clicking through my e-copy desperate to get to the climax!

This is a tense thriller set in a claustrophobic village where everyone knows everyone’s business and it’s a matter of time before secrets are known. Manning tempered the tension and intrigue brilliantly. I genuinely didn’t know how this was going to pan out despite the unsuspecting and innocent clues she drops in throughout. I was totally blindsided! This is my first taster of Manning’s writing and it won’t be my last; in fact, I’ve added another one of her novels to #mountTBR.

If you get a buzz from reading exhilarating domestic suspense then don't miss out on Nina Manning's Queen Bee. Miranda Wallace is mum to Anabel, wife to David, and queen bee in the village of Helesbury Gloucestershire; she is a great mother, popular and friendly. Verity is the opposite - indifferent and cool and she disrupts Miranda's happy life. What does Verity know about Miranda? I loved the concept of this dark tale with shades of obsession and an undercurrent of foreboding and it was a quick read for me. I was hooked from the beginning and surprised by the ending. I look forward to reading more from Nina Manning.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley, and this review is my unbiased opinion.