I debated requesting this book as the blub really does not do it justice! It does start off a bit slow, repeatedly telling us how hard it is to be an up and coming professional, particular a woman but, once the action starts, hold on! There were one or two twists I saw coming but, a few caught me by surprise. I read other reviews that were disappointed in the ending but, for me, chef's kiss!

Sara's death sets Cass off into an exploration of not only their toxic workplace, but also of the women in a secret group who are meant to be helping other women. This debut novel is heavy on the details of life in a law firm but the thriller part is well conceived as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fast paced read that will be a good one for travel.

A twist filled debut thriller set in the world of high flying professionals. I liked the premise and the start of the novel was exciting but the narrative got lost in cliche and I was disappointed in the denouement.

★ 2.5 stars

The Clique is a psychological thriller that follows Cassandra Harlow, who's an overworked lawyer in a prestigious top tier law firm. Cassandra is determined to make partner and when one of her colleagues suspiciously commits suicide off their work building, Cassandra finds herself crossing paths with a high society group of women who assure her they can give her the tools to climb the corporate ladder.

This story had so much potential and it did intrigue me at the start, despite it's slow pace. I was impressed by the level of detail the author went into not only with the legal concepts, but just general office lingo and workplace dynamics.

That's probably the extent of the positive things I can say about this book. In my opinion, it just dragged on for far too long that I lost interest. The high society aspect was a good concept - I love reading about unhinged women, however, I didn't care about any of the characters enough to to maintain interest in this alone. The author heavily relies upon stereotypes and I found the plot twists predictable. I was going to give this 3 stars, however, the ending was disappointing. Towards the end, the characters actions made no sense and contradicted the storyline. It felt like the ending was just made up as the author went.

Overall, the storyline had great prospects for a debut book, it was just let down by the execution. People that have worked in law firms or offices might get a kick out of this one!

This title will be available on 1 August 2024.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was well paced and kept my interest the whole way. It is little bit nail biting at times!
Very well written and gives an insight to a rather unsavoury world of corporate life.

A great read.

This was such a good read! Lots of mystery, some twists and turns and set in a high stakes environment! I'll be recommending this to all!

A fabulous debut from Rhiannon Barnsley. I do enjoy a twisty thriller and this was a fast, popcorn thriller that so raced through. While I guessed some of the twists, others shocked me and kept me turning those pages. While this is a fun read, it does cover some dark themes of suicide, murder, inequality in the workplace for women and more. Just go with what happens and be entertained.

Cass is a high flying corporate lawyer who is working all the hours in hopes of becoming a partner. When her friend and colleague Sara seems to have jumped from the roof to her death, Cass is not convinced. It begins a dangerous journey into a secret society for women l whee things are not what they seem.

I look forward to seeing what this author has for us next. Thanks so much to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on August 1st.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
This was an enjoyable and solid debut from Rhiannon Barnsley. A slow burner to start but the pace increases as the story unfolds. Some good twists along the way which lead to a decent ending. Misogyny and inequality are the main topic in the story and there are some truly unlikeable characters in this but they do help give the story some realism as there are moments in the book that you may have to suspend belief with. All in all this was a great read especially in the latter half

I'm not doing well with what I'm reading lately. This one starts off with a quick bang and then goes to a slow, very detailed story of the main character and her life.

It's not the most exciting, but for what I believe to be a debut, it could be worse.

This was a different read for me it worked well but I have no idea if realistic or not. Parts of it felt very over the toland unbelievable. However it was a good holiday read and I binged it

This is a great debut. I am proud of the author.
I was sad about the suicide and the mysogongy. The story moves quickly. It was enjoyable.

This is an entertaining read about the stressful life of a corporate lawyer. When Sara, Cass’s friend and colleague appears to jump to her death, Sara is compelled to investigate. The plot then centres around a secret society for female high-flyers, although the novel also focuses on misogyny in the work-place.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of this easy-to-read thriller. The book required a little suspension of belief, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment and I raced through the novel.

Thank you to Rhiannon Barnsley, One More Chapter and Netgalley for my advance copy.

This was an excellent story gripping from begining to end., Some well described characters that jumped off the page.and the tension was maintained right to the end.,Great conclusion.

This is a book about work. The End.

KIDDING. But seriously, this book is about work and men and power and sexism. Sara O'Neil is a high-powered attorney. She's got everything and then out of nowhere, she climbs on the rooftop terrance and leaps to her death. Cassandra, her friend, knows that is out of character so she wants to dig a little. She knows that Sara was part of a womens group, one that only accepts high-powered people, and she wants to infiltrate her way to find out the truth.
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I was a LITTLE bored by all of the attorney talk, but this was still a good read from Rhiannon Barnsley.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

Fantastic debut. The story was fast paced and the tension built throughout. A little unrealistic but still a good read.
May thanks to HarperCollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Cass’s friend & colleague, Sara, jumps from the rooftop of their law office it is assumed by most to be a suicide, however Cass suspects otherwise. Her investigations lead into uncovering a very exclusive women’s only society that promises career success in a male dominated world. Sara was part of this society and after her passing, Cass and best friend Nat compete for her place. It soon becomes apparent that all might not be as it seems.

This was a fast-paced thriller that was a very quick read. I think author nailed the misogyny that is present in many corporate environments. The characters were relatable and likable, I was desperate to know what had happened to Sara. I loved the relationship between Nat & Cass too. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a quick read that is full of mystery, twists and turns.

Wow!! I read this book in one go because I was so intrigued by what happened to Sara that I lost track of time. I enjoyed the plot. It was written so well that I felt like I was part of the story. The ending was unexpected and kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery. It was an interesting journey and I'm glad I took the time to read it. I'm glad I was able to experience the story. I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter and the author Rhiannon Barnsley for this wonderful ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for the copy of The Clique by Rhiannon Barnsley. This was a fast and easy read, which is always a bonus on lazy Summer days! I always enjoy reading about secret societies and cults, so this book seemed like it was right up my alley. The writing and the characters drew me right into the story. I loved this book and all of the surprising reveals. Get ready to be blown away, and don't miss this one! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

It was refreshing to read a new storyline than Im accustomed to. The writing by this author kept the book moving along and I just needed to know how it was going to end up. The ending was unpredictable and thats what I love in a book.

An addictive tale of secret societies, toxic law firms and misogyny with some interesting characters and an intriguing mystery.

A classic psychological thriller that ticks all the right boxes making it a bit of a page turner that is easily read in one sitting.

Overall a good read.