The story is based on a couple (Alice and Jason) who face turmoil when Jason's childhood friend shows up out of nowhere and asks for money to pay off some thugs that are after him/
I really tried to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. The author's writing style is solid and the book flowed well. Here are the reasons for my rating (spoilers):
- Hated the Carl character and was annoyed and puzzled at Jason's behavior. It's not normal that he would've gone along with the ridiculous scheme. He lacked a backbone and his response to the situation was bizarre and unrealistic.
- The story was very predictable. What you see is what you get. Towards the end I ended up skimming chapters just to finish. I kept waiting for a twist that never came. The one supposed twist anyone could have seen coming a mile away.
- The fact that Needham was Carl's father was neither here nor there. It was dropped like a big revelation but what's the significance?
- The whole backstory with Alice and the Neville's was weakly developed. They seemed to be caricatures and the police detective left me wanting. I couldn't bring myself to care.
- There are repetitive chapters where nothing happens and the story doesn't advance. Carl is begging, Alice is warning Jason to ignore him, Jason is in turmoil rinse and repeat.
Overall I would recommend. The book failed to hold my attention. It took me several days to go through it and I was forcing myself to the end. The story and the plot were somewhat dull in my opinion.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The relationship dynamics explored are interesting and the plot keeps you asking questions until the end.

Would highly recommend - really enjoyable reading.

“You owe me.”

We’ve all caved after hearing those words, right? I know I have. When they’re spoken by a friend it’s hard to ignore their plea.

Carl Jackson and Jason Green go way back. They’ve been friends for decades, ever since childhood. Despite Jason knowing he should have cut ties with him long ago, he can’t - Carl’s grip on Jason’s life is too tight. When Carl gets caught up in some fraudulent investment scheme in the Caribbean and can’t come up with the hundred thousand pounds he owes, he remembers his buddy Jason and turns to him for help. Best friends can’t turn each other away, right?! Especially when a life is in danger?

After really enjoying her previous release last year, I was disappointed that I didn’t like The Perfect Witness by Susanna Beard as much as I’d hoped.

What I loved:
✔️short chapters
✔️an outsider’s peek into a manipulator in action
✔️the beautiful writing, full of literary devices
✔️a stellar ability to build tension
✔️exploration of ‘only’ children and their attachment to others
✔️exploration of toxic friendships (nice to see a male friendship featured)

What I struggled with:
✔️temptation to play a drinking game - downing a shot every time I read about Carl needing money
✔️pacing, pacing, pacing
✔️repetition, especially in the first third of the book
✔️Jason had no backbone and Alice wasn’t much better; I grew weary of the whining
✔️Carl was an unlikeable character and I ended up not caring what happened to him
✔️I kept waiting for a big twist that didn’t happen (wait, did I miss it?)

Please don’t take my disappointment with this book as a reason to pass on it. My low tolerance for manipulators and whiners shouldn’t impact your reading choice. There are 4 and 5-star reviews out there…check them out.

I was gifted this copy by Joffe Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Enjoyable read-short chapters which I love-story was fairly predictable but I did like it. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat and I expected more at the ending. I wouldn’t say it was really a thriller, more like a mystery book. I kept waiting for a plot twist but there wasn’t one, I kept expecting more from the book. Thank you to NetGalley, Susanna Beard and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Will definitely check out her other books! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lordy Lordy! This was such a good book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. I loved it so stinking much!

This was an easy book which I really enjoyed. Was glued to my kindle from start to finish. It had a bit of everything in It suspense, action, intrigue, mystery, revenge and murder. There was many twists and turns which definitely kept my interest. I would definitely recommend this to everyone especially someone who wants an easy quick thriller to read.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy

Thank you to Joffe Books, NetGalley, and Susanna Beard for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Best Friend.

When Alice opens her front door late at night to find her boyfriend’s best friend Carl, she knows that things are about to go downhill. But she never could have guessed how badly or how quickly. Jason feels indebted to Carl because of something that happened long ago, but he also knows that falling for Carl’s desperate pleas for help would likely mean losing Alice. As the two of them get pulled deeper and deeper into Carl’s troubles, they must work to save both their relationship and their lives. Will they be able to withstand all the bad that Carl brings with him, or will everything be ruined?

I would rate The Best Friend by Susanna Beard 4 out of 5 stars. There were a few points at which the story seemed to stretch on longer than necessary, but otherwise it was a very interesting mystery. I appreciated the different perspectives throughout the book, and how each perspective switch gave me a deeper understanding of what was happening. At times, I felt the loyalty Jason felt towards Carl was slightly overplayed. The dialogue, plot, character development, and descriptions were all amazing. I would rate this book as more of a mystery than a thriller, but it was definitely a very good mystery.

If you like in-too-deep mysteries where most of the problems stem from misplaced loyalties, then this is the book for you! There are plenty of fun twists and turns, and I think it could be a great mystery book to ring in the fall. It releases August 24, 2023, so keep an eye out!

The Best Friend - Susanna Beard
How much can you really count on your best friend? Jason comes to find out not very much when he realizes Carl, the friend who saved his life as a child, continues to ask you for favors that are progressively getting worse.

SPOILERS:

This time Carls in deep and plans a burglary and ropes Jason into helping him because “he owes him.” I was SHOOK when they got into the house to find the owner dead and the money already gone. Poor Jason just wanted his normal life back and even once this was over his life would never be the same. THE PLOT TWIST of his mom being the one to help ensure his innocence had me unable to put this book down and RACING to the end.

The book was slow at first then it started to pick up in the middle of the book. That’s when I got really into it.

This was a decent read but definitely not the psychological suspense that it claims to be.

I was interested to read about toxic male friendships especially since toxic female friendships are very well represented in the thriller/suspense genre. However, this falls short of the mark because Carl is just so clearly awful and Jason is a complete idiot. Both Alice and Jason are complete pushovers when it comes to Carl. I felt frustrated and unsympathetic to them because they almost make it too easy for him to take advantage of them, especially Jason.

The plot twists were the most disappointing part of this book. The big (and honestly only) plot twist was extremely easy to guess. I expected at least one of the three central characters (Alice, Jason, Carl) to have an ulterior motive/secret scheme. Carl especially seemed set up to be hiding something but nothing ever came of it. Truly disappointing.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this wasn’t one of my favourite reads. This was my first book by this author and I feel like i need to read another by Susanna Beard to make a fair judgement. I love psychological thrillers but this didn’t feel that intense to me. I enjoyed the twist near the end but i truly felt like there should have been another page for some reason. It was a good story with realistic characters. Wish i could have rated it higher but sadly it just didn’t really keep me gripped.

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

Simply a tale about a toxic friendship.
Quite an easy read, nothing to taxing although i did get a bit frustrated with the main characters.
Not quite what i was expecting "thriller" wise.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Phychological suspense.
And Alice and Jason have a late visitor, Carl turns up on their doorstep it's a wet night and they couldn't turn him away, it's been a long time since Jason has seen his old pal and Alice keeps seeing him looking out of the window, and she goes off to bed her mood tells her bad things are going to happen, Carl does not turn up without a reason and ends up staying over, the next morning all she gets from Jason is"he's my friend and I owe him" and he is about to find out how much Carl wants owing.
Ooooh! there is big trouble ahead for this couple and their families and I was so glued to this book right through. Found it such a enjoyable read that gets fast and gripping.
Excellent, mind blowing and fabulous

THE BEST FRIEND
by Susanna Beard
Pub Date: 24 Aug 2023

I liked the main characters, Jason and Alice, their friend Carl was despicable! The fact that Jason was unable to say NO to his "best friend" Carl even when it's life threatening I found to be unbelievable. It was irritating that Jason would allow his supposedly "best friend" to take advantage of him.

This was a decent read. I don't really feel this qualifies as a psychological suspense it claims to be.

Synopsis:

I’m finally in a good place. A lovely home. A steady job. And Jason. Reliable, honest, kind Jason — my boyfriend. My best friend. I trust him implicitly.

But if anyone can lead Jason astray, it’s Carl. His best friend.

And now Carl’s on our doorstep. Begging for help.

I warn Jason not to get involved. But Carl has a hold over my boyfriend that I don’t understand. And suddenly everything I hold dear is under threat.

Thank you #THEBESTFRIEND & #NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book.

Not sure about this one. You need to read it and make up your own mind. A very convoluted tale, well written and with interesting characters. I love Susanna Beard's books, but this one strikes my cynical bones.

A good read from a great writer.

Thanks to NetGalley and he publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

The book offers an effortless and engaging reading experience, initially presenting what seems like a straightforward plot. However, as the story unfolds, readers are in for a delightful surprise with unexpected twists and turns that keep them guessing.

The couple at the center of the narrative, finding themselves in an unforeseen situation, are well-developed characters who evoke empathy and intrigue. Carl, on the other hand, is portrayed as a clearly menacing presence, and you can't help but wish for him to disappear from the story, though that proves to be a challenging wish.

While the book keeps you thoroughly engrossed, the ending may leave you feeling somewhat abrupt and overly neat. Perhaps a more gradual conclusion or a touch of ambiguity could have added an extra layer of depth to the overall story.

In summary, this book is a rollercoaster of surprises, well-crafted characters, and an engaging narrative. While the ending might feel a bit rushed, the journey to get there is undeniably captivating. #THEBESTFRIEND #NetGalley

The book is easily read - but what seems an obvious plot at the beginning has more twists and turns than you expect.
The couple suddenly finding themselves in a situation they didn't bring about are well drawn.
Carl is clearly bad news, and you keep wishing he would just go away, but it becomes impossible.
I found the ending a little sudden and maybe a bit clean.

An excellent example of a modern thriller, with characters who will drive you crazy with their naïveté! It’s a straightforward story but the author throws in enough detail and intrigue to keep it interesting, including a fascinating link to one of the main character’s past and family of origin. It’s really well written with strong and believable dialogue, making reading it an absolute pleasure.

I am always interested to see what Susanna Beard comes up with, because I have loved some of her books - like The Perfect Neighbour - but was indifferent to others, like What Happened That Night. This book falls somewhere in the middle, for me.

Jason and Alice are a happily married couple enjoying their life together. Until, that is, a knock on the door one night heralds the arrival of Jason's problematic best friend, Carl.

Alice is understandably not excited by this development, because Carl tends to draw people around him into his messes, which are definitely not few and far between. Nor is this occasion any exception to that rule. Carl is in trouble, and he is about to bring that trouble to his friend's doorstep...

As this story reminds us, toxic friendships are not by any means limited to women - though those are the relationships that tend to be more often portrayed in novels.

Now, as Jason seems unable to say no to Carl, things spiral downwards, with Alice a horrified spectator.

This story could have worked much better if Jason and Alice had each been less of a victim. Carl was undoubtedly despicable, but it was hard not to feel that they made it too easy for him. The story was entertaining enough, but it had the potential to offer the reader much more.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Unfortunately, after reading several of Ms. Beard's
books and really liking them, I didn't like this one.
A couple (Jason and Alice) home on a rainy night and getting ready to retire, are surprised to hear knocking on their front door. It's Jason's childhood best friend, Carl, and he manages to finagle a bed for the night. And then some! Alice is upset, Jason seems unable to say 'no' to Carl and has led him into trouble in the past. This time the trouble is enormous and life threatening.
I was irritated and angry at Jason as well as Alice, who kept supporting Jason. It seemed impossible that people could be so stupid!