I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ publishing, and the author Kirsten Miller.
I really enjoyed this story. The premise and the supernatural elements felt natural and unforced, and the characters and setting involving. My only criticism is that it was a bit too long. It would have been a lot more gripping if it was shorter as the author circles around the conclusion and resolution in the last half. Due to this, it was easy to guess the guilty parties and the denouement was less of a surprising and satisfying.
Would still recommend though, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Change is an unusual mix of feminist fantasy and crime thriller, featuring three female, middle aged protagonists who’ve had enough of sexist injustice and male entitlement.

Harriet, who has given up on a thwarted career in the advertising industry, finds a new lease of life in exploring the potential of the many strange things she can cultivate in her garden, and is known locally as The Witch. Jo, who has supernatural strength, runs her own gym called Furious Fitness, after losing her senior role in a hotel chain. Nessa, a retired nurse, has a gift which has been passed down through the women in her family, which leads her to the bodies of murdered and forgotten women in order to bring closure to their families.

When the three women are brought together, they embark on a mission to identify and avenge a series of murders of young girls. These girls all have in common that their disappearances have never been taken seriously and their lives never valued by the authorities. They are easily written off as prostitutes or runaways. Jo, Nessa and Harriet find ways of combining their gifts to uncover the truth of what has happened and to apply some unorthodox justice.

There is a lot to like about The Change; the three female protagonists are refreshingly different and there is a real sense of strong, older women taking the lead, ignoring the usual conventions and forming a formidable sisterhood to focus on the young female victims of crime.

It did take me a while to finish this book, and I think this may have been related to the number of chapters giving the back stories of various characters; it didn’t achieve the pace or the page-turner aspect for me that many crime novels do. From the point of view of a lesbian reader, the story’s initial promise in terms of the women’s relationships didn’t play out as I had hoped, and there was a lot of focus on finding fulfilment in relationships with men. I did enjoy the combined qualities of Harriet, Jo and Nessa and would read further stories should these three characters find their way into future books.

This is a powerful and energetic story which repurposes menopause as a a time of coming into strength and power, when the more common female experience is feeling neglected, overlooked and powerless - we follow three main leads as their abilities come to the fore.

Harriet develops into an exceptional healer with extraordinary connection to her garden and the natural world.

Nessa is a 'seer' with a strong spiritual connection that she learns to listen and connect with more closely.

J0 uses her hot flushes as the catalyst for super strength she learns to control.

The three together make a formidable force as they learn to grow into their energy and channel their rage, all while solving the mystery of who is killing girls in their sleepy little town.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was not what I expected and is all the better for it - it felt fresh and I loved the energy throughout.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

This is a powerful book and it's a book about power, about women who find their strength and accept their being themselves.
It's about women who are killer and women who look for their killer.
There's different types of power: economical, phisical, psychic. A then there's Harriet who reached the top and fell down but was able to become stronger.
I loved this women: they're wise, strong, and clever. Loved this story that kept me reading, moved, and made me root for the characters.
An intense and gripping mix of urban fantasy, feminism, and thriller that works and delivers a cast of very interesting and fleshed out characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was an interesting book due to the premise it covered, i don't think what it did worked for me entirely as it felt a flat in places. The topic was explored well and i feel as if the author wrote with a sense of purpose. The characters were all varied and they were generally all distinctive from each other but they felt a bit samey especially when they were first introduced and before the reader got to know them. The writing didn't hook me fully all the time but it wasn't written in a totally inaccessible way.

Omg this was such an unexpected banger? Didn't think I'd ever be that gripped by 3 middle aged women killing evil men but here we are. It started slowly and took a while to get into but once I got behind the story I couldn't stop reading. If you like revenge stories then this one is for you (and Harriett is defo amazing, loved her character).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Unfortunately I can't give a full review of this book as my eARC glitched when I was 3/4 finished so I couldn't read the ending. But I loved what I've read so far and would be surprised if it doesn't end up being a 5 star read when I finally get to finish! Older women are often overlooked in fiction, particularly fiction that includes fantastical or magic realist elements, so I really enjoyed the entire premise. Menopause as a concept is also not discussed enough and I really liked the idea what it could give women power, rather than taking it away. I can't wait to read the end!

And in the beginning Eve only wanted to have more knowledge...and afterwards, and for all eternity all Women are condemned for wanting to know more!; Oh my days! This book! THIS BOOK!...On the surface this book is about the fact that girls are going missing, girls of Colour, runaways, substance misusers, poor girls, working girls. Girls No-one is bothered about, or whose absence will not be missed...At the same time, Women of a certain age are being marginalised, over-looked, or treated as though they no longer have any value to society...What if those worlds collide? What if Women become enraged, furious and angry about all miscarriages of justice! What if no-one can stop the fury?..."We are sold a version of attractiveness you can buy, and over time people forget there was any other type. Some of us don't need the type of crap that you buy at Sephora to draw others to us. Do you know how beautiful it is to be alive? Do you know how few people really are"...Women, gather your Sisterhood, and see this book as your survival guide!.....Excellent

Both empowering and extremist. Fantasy super-abilities are not for me.

3.5 stars.

Women of 'a certain age'. Great. I'm pretty much there myself. A fabulous set of three protagonists to follow, with their various skills, backgrounds and strong personalities. But when it comes to why they might have a reason to be fighting/angry/, it felt as though a whole world of intolerant, sexist men had been created to enrage the reader and show the gender off in an unfair light.

I am being unfair in a way. These men exist, I am aware. But there are examples here of the WORST sorts of men, extreme stereotypes. Which irritated me.

Not only that, but I just don't enjoy realistic settings and stories (here menopausal women, missing girls, murder/mystery-type plots) with coincidentally useful 'powers' inserted. Here for no other reason really than the women have reached the Change era of their lives and metaphor-like, become powerful with their aging yet defiant and beautiful bodies.

But saying all that, I still highly enjoyed this. Because it was still full of the twists, ploys, puzzles and shocks as other similarly plotted books. I also liked Nessa, Jo and Harriet as characters. A demure widow with grown daughters, a former hotel manager and now (women's only) gym owner, an ad exec pushed out because of her age and gender.

I do enjoy a good ‘revenge’ story, of those deserving of punishment getting their just desserts (the vigilante idea appeals), and this gives powerful women a chance to satisfy this urge.

So it was both satisfying and troublesome for me. A great audio choice though, with different characters taking over the narrative reins regularly, building up the story from different perspectives, with their backstories and current investigations together. It sped by.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio/reading copy.

I had this book approved as an ARC sometime back and I was attempting to get through my ARCs in the publication order so it took months for me to it and I did wonder was it going to be worth the wait as I could see such brilliant reviews but the book proved to be everything I wanted and more.
At it’s heart it’s a thriller set in Mattauk with a serial killer killing young girls and a group of three friends in their late 40s going through “the change” (menopause) who are frustrated with white men getting away with quite literally murder and band together to solve these crimes… Harriet, Jo and Nessa start to develop unique talents at this stage in their life and use these to bring justice to the victims and their families. I absolutely loved that it centered around three older women who normally get forgotten about. These women were just brilliant – I absolutely adored Harriet but could relate to Jo to the most 😊
This book covers feminism, women supporting women, brilliant humour and a nod to all of us who have worked in corporations where a glass celling is all to evident.
It’s a long book but honestly I just couldn’t put it down, yes I did figure out the twist at the end but that didn’t bother me as I was hooked from page one.
I’d definitely recommend it for anyone planning their October “spooky month” reads who doesn’t want anything too scary as it is a modern ghost story and has witchy themes but it’s not a horror in any sense. Such, a fantastic, fun read for Halloween or indeed anytime

This was an absolutely fantastic read, it had fantastic characters and a gripping story, the only reason I have given 4 stars instead of 5 is that sometimes the writing style felt a bit immature but it didn't take away from the story

What a book! What a cast of fearsome women! I absolutely loved this female led story of women who've had enough and are not taking any **** anymore.

At heart this is a whodunit thriller. But it's so much more. Provocative and brutal at times, it sadly does not exaggerate the evil that exists in this world. The deliciousness comes from Harriet, Jo and Nessa taking their revenge on these monsters. All three women are awesome, but I just adored Harriet. Pathologically honest, authentic and 'completely invulnerable' she made me want to shout, "I am woman, hear me roar'.

I think I also really appreciated the feminist perspective as being one that doesn't label all men as evil, and does so by including a strong male character, who was honest and kind and gentle.

Definitely one of my most memorable reads for a long time, there is a lot to love about this book.

An electric third age ★★★★☆

This is the story of women taking back power from men and finding a new supernatural strength.

Both Jo and Harriett have been forced out of careers where their male peers have taken credit for their brilliance. Harriett’s husband has run off with a younger still fertile colleague. Nessa is widowed and alone; her two daughters have left the nest. Their bodies are all waging war with the menopause.

However, it’s not over. It’s just beginning. Brought together unexpectedly and guided by Nessa’s chilling gift, the three women uncover a serial killer preying on young women. A killer who is being protected by the ‘pillars’ of society. It’s time these women are given their voice back…

The supernatural element – hearing the dead, powers over the natural world, and the ability to melt or burn – is neatly blended with a whodunnit that the protagonists must take into their own hands.

A quirky, powerful and disturbing tale of justice, abuse of power, and the strength and mysteries of the menopausal body.

As a midlife woman I absolutely loved this page-turning feminist thriller. The story was twisty and exciting and I loved the idea of menopausal women gaining power and the ripped-from-the-headlines plot. I was especially fascinated by the character of Harriett, who pushes everything further, into a darker place.

Personally, my experience of menopause is a tad different - at no point did any of them get any weird aches and pains, or hit a huge wall of fatigue mid-afternoon, or have to switch to sensible shoes with arch support... But it was fabulous to see a book about women seizing their own power, getting angry and making a change in the world. I'm recommending it to all my midlife friends.

I was really intrigued by the concept behind this story but personally I found it a difficult read. I was aware of some of the trigger warnings prior to starting and I appreciated the female led MCs coming together to find the truth behind the death of a young woman. It is an entirely personal opinion that I felt uncomfortable with some of the tones and language used in places. Overall a good read with a well thought out and paced plotline, Not one of my favourites but still a very interesting read.

Kick-ass middle-aged women fighting back? If that's your thing then this is your book. I loved the honest representation of what women really go through in terms of periods and menopause, rather than the usual sanitised glossing over that you see so often. And I loved seeing women in their 40s and 50s as dynamic and empowered lead characters. A really excellent read.

I loved this book. The book had a powerful feminist narrative and was filled with funny, sensitive and powerful women. The story was well written and kept me interested at every turn.
Charles angels, meets Golden girls.

Imagine a world where as a woman you are heard, you are powerful, unafraid and taken seriously.
You have the power to bring down the glass ceiling and to forge your own path without restriction or consequences. Imagine never feeling week, or afraid for your own safety or that of those you love.
This story is based around the lives of 3 very different 50 something woman, who all begin to find their own very unique powers and begin to use these new abilities to make a change not only in their own lives but in the lives of the woman around them.
After finding the body of a young girl who no one seems to care about and who is labelled as a runaway prostitute by the local police, the 3 women decide to band together to expose the corruption at the heart of their small community. Unfortunately one dead girl is only the tip of the iceberg and the women are about to realise just how far and wide the corruption speads and how far some people are willing to go to silence them.

Ok, this was a very unique, powerful mish mash of genres. Feminist? Fantasy? Magical realism? Murder mystery? Contemporary? The list goes on. Does it work though? Hell yes!

The Change is engaging, sometimes heart wrenching but always thought provoking and empowering. Three women in their late 40's discover they have powers as they go through the change. Harriett, a former high flier in the advertising world, leaves her husband and the corporate world to become known as the neighbourhood witch. Jo, used to manage hotels, until her temper got the better of her and she started up her own gym. They're joined by Nessa, a retired nurse and widow who can see ghosts and hear the voices of those who have been murdered. When they discover the body of a 17 year old in a trash bag, they embark on a journey to discover her identity and seek justice for the one who murdered her, but open up a whole new dark and disturbing world where young girls are going missing and those responsible are above the law.

The best part of this novel was the friendship that developed between the three main characters. It felt so real and true. I'm still on the fence about Harriet. I certainly admire her but I'm not always on board with some of the decisions that she makes. I liked Jo but felt her relationship with her sometimes supportive , always loving, husband was a bit under developed. I adored Nessa, church going and kind, I felt her journey was the biggest throughout the book. The greatest part of this is how they are so different but they are completely badass women who seek vengeance and won't stop until they've destroyed the patriarchy. There was a true sense of sisterhood through this book that I relished.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It seems to take inspiration from the Epstein case but deals with it in a way that's empowering, creative, thoughtful and brave. Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

A story about female power and the channelling of menopausal life energy. Some of this could be classed as fantasy, but it all comes together in a plausible way. The main protagonists are strong, funny and likeable characters. If you haven't been through menopause it may seem more of a fantasy than it really is. The heat emanating from Jo - if I could channel it like her I'd be happy. Nessa's "gift" that only manifests after her child bearing years are past is one we've come across many times in fiction. In Nessa's case, is it a gift or a curse - it lets her help people, but at what cost. Harriett is a phenomenon. She made me laugh and gasp in equal measure. A formidable team and what a ghastly situation they had to deal with. A different take on a crime novel, refreshing and a real ode to the power of women that doesn't diminish with age. #netgalley #thechange