Nicci French, a husband and wife crime thriller team best selling team never disappoint.

The Favour is another well written, edge of the seat thriller to keep you flicking the pages to the end!

Rating: 3.3/5

If you are to enjoy this latest novel from the husband and wife writing team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, then you are going to have to enter into it in a frame a mind that will allow you to suspend disbelief and allow the authors a fair degree of dramatic licence. If you are prepared to do that then you will be rewarded with a well-written, suspenseful and entertaining domestic/psychological drama/thriller.

The accompanying blurb hardly prepares you for just how implausible the premise is and, in particular, the actions taken by lead protagonist, Dr Judith Winter (Jude). That said, I found my interest sufficiently piqued by the somewhat strange and slightly surreal opening sections and I was prepared to grant the writers the necessary leeway. Penning a novel in partnership with somebody else can sometimes lead to a disjointed outcome, but there are no such issues with Nicci French. Even if the premise takes some swallowing, the writing is consistently fluent and entertaining. As the narrative develops, we are introduced to an eclectic cast of characters where everyone has their secrets and their betrayals. Although this story certainly has a mystery at its heart, it is not an out and out thriller - which is not to say that it doesn't have its thrilling moments.

I can imagine that some readers may not be able to see past the fact that credulity is stretched to substantial degree in the setting up of events, but if you can get beyond that "The Favour" does make for a well-paced and enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review

I felt frustrated by the character Jude in this story; there were many situations she didn’t need to involve herself in, and the choices she made were questionable. However, the whole storyline depended on making these choices.

I loved this book, it was so dark and unpredictable. It is also incredibly well written. I highly recommend this book

This is one of those books which you will read in only one or two sittings. I started it late last night and was 50% through it before I went to bed (and finished it quickly this morning).

Jude is a hospital doctor caring for the elderly. One day after work she is met by Liam, her adventurous and thrilling first love whom she hasn't seen since childhood.

Liam asks for 'the favour', for Jude to take his car and meet him at a lodge far from the city. However shortly after Jude arrives she is met with the Police and not Liam.....for Liam has been murdered and Jude is now in the middle of the investigation....

As I say this was a thrilling ride. Jude was a slightly difficult character to warm to, making what seem to be some crazy decisions however I think we come to realise why. The plot was excellent and the story was peppered with twists and red herrings along the way to keep you guessing.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be a real page turner. I kept finding excuses to have to read a few more pages..... until I'd finished the book. I didn't guess the culprit. So many twists left me guessing until it was revealed. The characters were described well and the plot kept up the pace throughout

Tense, Unpredictable..
Tense and unpredictable, this well written suspense with threads and twists aplenty keeps the reader on their toes from start to finish as they go along with Jude into a situation of nightmare proportions. Jude hasn’t seen Liam in many years. Jude, now a doctor, is astounded when Liam unexpectedly makes contact and asks for a favour. Remarkably, even though she knows very little about the reasons for her actions, she does as Liam asks. This, however, is one good deed that will have entirely unexpected repercussions. Finding herself amidst a murder enquiry was furthest from Jude’s mind. Well plotted with a perfectly crafted cast of characters and a tension mounting plot peppered with twists.

Jude is asked for a favour by her ex-boyfriend, a man she hasn't seen since she was eighteen. (She's now a doctor, and nearly thirty.) Because of stuff that went down in the past, Jude doesn't really feel she can refuse, although the favour Liam asks is a bit odd and incomprehensible. Soon, though, it's all spiralled out of control. In the aftermath of the favour, Jude finds herself drawn into the lives of Liam's partner and child and their other housemates, who seem to lead an attractively bohemian lifestyle. But is there more going on than meets the eye? (Spoiler: yes.)

As always, a good read, if ultimately a bit implausible.

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley and give this review freely and uninfluenced.

This book starts out slowly, and with each new development you can’t help wonder if the characters we’re wearing rose-tinted glasses. Jude, our narrator and main character, is someone who should know better than to make decisions without thinking first leads us on a journey of confusion, loss, heartbreak and suspense all for a Simple Favour that even she didn’t know the truth about.

Young love makes you stupid. That’s all that can explain Jude’s actions as she comes to an unexpected conclusion that her once childhood sweetheart was stolen from them for a twisted reason by the last person she expected
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Grief, Domestic abuse, Classism, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Drug use, Death, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

The Favour by Nicci French

A great husband /wife team that never fail to come up with a great story with lots of gasp out loud moments and plenty of twists to keep the reader on the edge of their seats to the last page.
A past boyfriend of Judes turns up after 10 years and asks that she does him a favour . This however does not go well for either of them .
I really enjoyed this book , and felt it was something different to what we usually get from the authors.
I couldn't put it down.

Having really enjoyed Nicci French with their first thrillers a good few years back, I was excited to read The Favour and was drawn in by the plot synopsis. Unfortunately, for me it didn’t measure up to their early books. I found Jude an exceedingly irritating protagonist, seemingly incapable of taking any decisive action and behaving far more like a teenager than an adult professional (perhaps this was part of the point; that the events in the summer she took her A Levels somehow stopped her maturing, but I find this unlikely given that she went on to become a successful hospital consultant). A 2 star read for me.

Her childhood sweetheart Liam asks Jude for a favour. She has her own secret reason why she accepts this bizarre request and is soon dragged into Liam's world. Twisty and full of turns. The characters in the house draw you in and this book is a page turner. Really enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Jude and Liam were very close 10 years ago but after an incident they drifted apart but he was her first love and she's never forgotten him.Shes a doctor now and engaged to be married she's surprised when one day Liam shows up at the hospital where she works asking her to do a favour for him.
She finds herself saying yes, It can't hurt can it?
She's later contacted by the police to say Liam is dead and what does she know,she soon realises that just one favour could be her downfall.
I found myself saying no don't do it that's how much the book kept me engrossed.Always guaranteed a good read from this brilliant writing duo and this one was no exception.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon Schuster uk for the ARC.

Jude’s first mistake was to ask no questions when someone asked for a favour. Her second mistake was to lie.

When Jude is asked by old boyfriend Liam to do him a favour, she agrees. But she hasn’t seen him for eleven years, so why is she so willing to help? When Liam turns up dead and Jude is dragged into his murder investigation, it’s only then that she’ll start to ask questions.

A good thriller with plenty of twists and turns which made for a gripping read.

This was a bit of a different style to some of Nicci French's previous books, but I totally enjoyed it. Fast paced all the way through with twists and turns which kept me gripped.

Another really good book by Nicci French. It has all the elements that we have come to know and expect from a Nicci French book. Edge of your seat, gripping thriller. Don't miss it.

Fast paced and gripping I couldn't put this book down. It was twisty and kept me guessing the whole way through. A really enjoyable read.

WOW! This duo are the best and most consistent pair. Another brilliant book. I can’t love them enough. Easily my favourite book this year. Just sad I’ve finished it. If you have t read anything (or all!) by then go and be happy when you realise what a talent they are 💜💜💜💜💜

I am a huge fan of Nicci French. I liked this book but it was not my favourite. I guess I felt I couldn't relate to the main character and found things a little too far-fetched. sorry 3 stars from me

Jude always knew that she would be a doctor. During the last long summer holiday before she started at university she fell in love with charismatic Liam. They were total opposites, but Liam was irresistible to her. They had a special connection and revelled in each other. They were a couple and it was with Liam that she willingly lost her virginity. She simply could not resist him, she wanted him and he was her man. She knew it would only be a fling and that they would part soon. Liam could have any girl he wanted but for that idyllic hot summer he loved her with a powerful and tender love. Then one disastrous night they went out with two friends and on the way home the wet roads took their toll and Liam’s rickety old car left the road and crashed. Jude was badly injured and taken away by ambulance. When she recovered and went home, the next time she saw Liam he was with another loved up girl and she walked away in the opposite direction. It was over.
Then, eleven years later, Liam sought her out at work and begged her to give him a little time. She was a geriatric doctor by now and loved her work. She was only a few months away from her marriage, but she simply could not deny him. They sat in a café and talked about their lives. Liam was a new father and was besotted by his son. Jude thought what a lovely parent he would be. He asked her to do him a favour and promised her that it was nothing bad, just simple. She listened to what he wanted her to do and she made the decision to help him out. They met the very next morning. He gave her his bag, his phone, his credit card, and his car. She was to drive to a cottage miles away in East Anglia and pick him up at the nearby train station later that night. She was to use his car and card to pay for anything she needed. When he arrived he would tell her what his favour was. Only that night he did not get off the train. Later on she did have visitors with a tale to tell. Two police officers told her that Liam had been murdered. They drove her back to London and that began the most petrifying and convoluted story she could ever have willingly walked into. This one night away from her fiancé could cost her everything that she holds dear and even maybe her life.
Wow! What a mess for poor Jude to sort out. This story was dynamic, horrifying and full of menace. It was complicated, riveting and grotesque, all at the same time. The storytelling was meticulous, engrossing and astute. I have always been very impressed with the writing of Nicci French, both as a solo author and with her husband and co-author Sean. She is authentic and compelling. This storyboard is almost combustible; like a runaway train, fast paced and dangerously committed to the end. She oozes talent, knowledge and panache. My favourite character was Jude. She was very likeable, fresh, kind and brave. She was a suspect and had to fight hard to be believed. She lost so much through her trusting actions and I was rooting for her to survive. I loved the themes of guilt, friendship, betrayal, love and doing the right thing. This was the code of Jude.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Simon & Schuster UK through my membership of NetGalley and I would like to give my thanks for my copy, sent out to me in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading the novel and recommend it as a very good, solid, enjoyable read. There is a myriad of lies and deception and this makes the story exciting and intriguing. I loved the ending. Beware of unreliable narrators and keep your eyes peeled. There are very few clues and you will never know what will happen next. The finale will have you shaking and your heartbeat frantic, but one character will be standout evil. It’s a 4.5* review from me.