Very unique. But very very good. Loved the story and the concept and the way it was so well written. Easy to read and flowed so well. Will look up the author back catalogue

Harriet has been attacked, she knows she’s not going to make it and she hasn’t much time left. Determined to solve her own murder, Harriet tries to piece together her last day and comes up with 3 suspects

Malek, her doting husband

Karen a mum from her daughters school that Harriet’s recently had a disagreement with

Victoria, Harriet’s loyal best friend

The premise of this book sounded absolutely amazing, however for me it failed to deliver and here’s why. The story is mainly told from four POVs, Harriet’s and the three main suspects, every now and again we would get the POV from some random character which absolutely confused me at the time but it did help everything tie together in the end. Harriet was such an unlikable character honestly I’m surprised the suspect list wasn’t longer because this woman was a piece of work. Karen and Malek were absolutely insufferable, with their constant whining and complaining, Victoria might be the only character I actually didn’t mind in the whole book. The first chapter of this book had me absolutely hooked but the more we got into it the slower it got, and I had to force myself to keep picking it up. That is until about 80% in and then everything kicks off. Over all I gave this book 3⭐️

Thank you so much to Michael Joseph penguin random house , Nicola Moriarty and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book

Can the Moriarty sisters ever not deliver? I'm happy to say so far they always do. And this premise was another gritty and original read. I loved getting to know the story from all sides. And then trying to work out who did it. Or why. Can there ever be a reasonable "why" to murder?
And the best bit is we are working it out alongside the victim who's lying in her own blood trying to figure it out too! I mean come on, brilliant twist to the proceedings.
I'm not sure I feel okay about talking badly of the near dead, but the main character was totally flawed. Very selfish and manipulative so it was great to read her views, then how that runs parallel to the other people in her life. And who in the end would do this to her? Brilliant read. Perfect domestic thriller for the summer.

Harriet is trying to work out who murdered her and decides on 3 main suspects, thus allowing the author to tell the back stories of these characters, their relationships to Harriet and each other, and why they might be her assailant.
The book starts with a great premise and continues with a twisty story that hooks the reader in until the author finally brings the pieces together producing a slightly frantic but satisfying ending.
Great read!
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book.

This book has a unique concept of the murder victim speaking to the reader both at the start and throughout. This, for me, was one of its strengths. I also liked how there were the three suspects and how each one had their own section. However, I wasn't as keen on the amount of other characters that were shown and I did get a bit confused.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but felt it more 'chick lit' and relationship based than I prefer - although I can see that in the book needs this to tell its story. If this is your thing - murder mystery mixed with chic lit etc then it's for you!

The ending wasn't what I expected and I did feel slightly let down. I would read this author again, I just don't think this was quite what I had hoped for. With thanks to Net Galley/Penguin for the chance to read it though.

The book opens with a woman who has been attacked trying to work out if she CAN hold on long enough to work out who killed her.
It soon beco.es apparent that it's Harriet, a deeply unlikeable, controlling woman in an open marriage. It's is her awful character that makes this book.so compelling- trying to work out who hated her enough to kill her. Along the way there are plenty of suburban secrets that come to light and we're never quite sure who it could have been. I was slightly confused at the end but the diverse range of characters was refreshing.

This book had me hooked from the start - with an interesting concept of the victim trying to work out who done it! I really enjoyed it although the ending got a bit confusing with all the different characters involved and having to work out who was who. Some unlikeable characters too but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment. Recommended.

‘Unfortunately, though, no one knows she’s there… or at least, no one who’s going to come looking’
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Love or hate her, Harriet Osman is impossible to turn down. But someone in her life has finally snapped, leaving her face-down in a pool of her own blood. Harriet isn't one to die quietly though, and she is determined to reveal her killer before she goes.
Was it her devoted husband, Malek, with a violent past? Her best friend and lover, Victoria, with a deadly secret only Harriet knew? Or the new woman in her life, fellow school mum Karen? The one with an impeccable reputation ... or so she says.
Bullying, friendships and games (in and out of the bedroom) combine with envy, lust and revenge, creating a darkly twisted tale of drama and suspense where the question isn't who killed Harriet, but why did it take them so long to do it?
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I was GRIPPED I tell you, Gripped! I was desperate to know what had happened, and also what a clever way of exploring a narrative we’ve seen many times before, therefore breathing new light into an already beloved trope, as we count through the suspects with our dying lead character as she slowly unravels the mystery behind her untimely demise
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Thank you so much to Michael Joseph for sending me this one to read early!! It’s out 15th August in the UK!

What a great book! A fantastic read that I can recommend. Well written, with enough clues to keep yo guessing. And enough interest to keep you hooked.

I liked this,
I couldn’t stand Harriet and could see why she was killed
It was fun seeing the characters reasons to why they might want to kill her
It was definitely unique
Fasted paced and intense at times
Lovely set of characters

A good read that took me a short time to get into but once I did I was hooked
Enjoyed the varied characters and the writing and for me was a quick read as wanted to find out the ending!

Harriet is a manipulative, horrible woman. No wonder someone wanted to kill her. As she lays dying she ponders which of her friends or family it may be. The plot's pace is uneven and slow in parts and none of the characters are particularly nice or memorable. The build-up to the party falls a bit flat when two of the main characters do not turn up. The ending is quite amusing.

I can see the appeal of this but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care enough about any of the characters and found them all a bit wooden.

Quite a powerful original story. It starts with Harriet reflecting and trying to figure out who was responsible for her lying on the floor with blood coming for her head. I really liked the way Nicola gave each person a chapter - going to and fro from one to the other- suspenseful and twisty.

I loved this! Pacey, punchy and a whole lot of fun. This deftly written, twisty crime novel is just a treat from start to finish. The plot starts from the POV of Harriet, a woman on the verge of death who's trying to work out who killed her. We then follow the various characters in Harriet's life in the weeks leading up to her fortieth birthday party . We quickly work out that everyone who knows Harriet has a motive for wanting her dead. Underlaid with some serious themes, this is also a funny book with some really excellently observed moments. The perfect book for reading on a lazy beach holiday.

3 killers with motives and means…

Nicola is unbelievably talented and this thriller kept me hooked right till the end! It might be Nicola’s best one yet!!

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Stories that keeps you guessing
- Compulsive and captivating reading
- Books written from different suspect perspectives
- Gripping thrillers

With thanks to Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

I often consider how fortunate the global thriller readership is that all three Moriarty sisters have taken up writing as it means an ample supply of riveting books for us! This one, a thriller by Nicola Moriarty, is entertaining and suspenseful in equal measures. It starts from a shocking point of departure – a woman lies dying from a gunshot wound – but the sympathy the reader has with this fictional victim of a capital crime is soon mixed with antipathic tendencies and a great many questions, as we get to know more about this complex, unlikeable female by the name of Harriet Osman. Among those with a grievance or two against her are long-suffering husband Malik, her daughter Farrah as well as best friend Tallulah, and also Tallulah’s mother Karen. The woman that Harriet considers her best friend – Victoria – also joins the line of suspects but the real line of investigation the reader undertakes, in my opinion, is not about who despised Harriet enough to want her dead, but a forensic investigation of how a privileged domestic set-up can turn so awry. A competent thriller that should satisfy Ms. Moriarty’s readership. My thanks go to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to read this title ahead of publication and to publish an unbiased book review here.

Who doesn't love a good Nicola Moriarty novel

This book was as fantastic as her other books. I loved it

Thanks for the opportunity to review

Very different - kept me enthralled to the very end!

Everyone wants to be in Harriet's 'gang'; she has the magic ingredient which makes them all want to be in her friendship circle. But now she lies dying and is desperately trying to work out who put her in that position. Chapter by chapter, we find out all about her life - home, husband, daughter, friends and acquaintances. But who would possibly have wanted to end her life?

I can honestly say that I've never read another novel like this one. I was riveted and, I must admit, suspected everyone in turn. Who could have left someone to die? This is a complicated tale set during a heavy rainstorm and with a birthday party taking place. I suspected ever single character in turn and still managed to be surprised! A cracking five star read and easily earning my recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Harriet is lying on the floor, mortally wounded. She knows she is going to die and she would like to solve the mystery of who did this, how and why before she dies.

She has three suspects in her mind - her husband Malek, her best friend and lover Victoria, and her daughter's best friend's mother Karen. The action starts on the day of her "surprise" 40th birthday party that she has heavily planned herself and invited everybody to. We get to know the three suspects and a lot of other people too - that first part feels quite slow because we have to get to know so many people.

We learn a lot about Harriet's personality, and while she is complicated, selfish and manipulative and treated some people horribly, she also has a good side. She loves her family even though she doesn't always treat them right.

This is a very suspenseful thriller, with many twists and turns and red herrings. I'm not very good at picking up clues just nodding afterwards ("oh yeah, she did say that!") but they are definitely there and strategically placed for people with a good memory. Even I know though that if persistent rain and a murdered young girl elsewhere in the country are continually referenced, you better pay attention to that.

The last part is almost hyperventilating with tension - everything seems to speed up and happen at once when Harriet's birthday party gets underway without her. There are so many questions that need to be solved and so many "something is not right" and "I have a bad feeling" statements uttered that the reader almost gets whiplash trying to keep up.

Throughout the narrative we encounter quite a few toxic men who think the women of this world owe them something. It is very clever of the author to intersperse the story with random statements of people at the periphery of the action who see things but choose not to get involved, to the detriment of others, like the guy who says nothing when a mate passes nude photos of his girlfriend around, or a neighbour who doesn't inform the partygoers of certain happenings they ought to know about. It seems that even the difference between Harriet surviving or dying hangs on someone not coming forward about something they've seen.

This is also an exploration of modern relationships with spouses, lovers, friends and teenage children, incorporating the LGBTQ+ community and things like open marriages and throuples, and the emotional pitfalls that lie therein.

Here's a life hack: never play Two Truths and a Lie with anyone, it will come back to bite you, especially if you have traumas in your past!

I think this book, though suffering from a few pacing issues, is cleverly written and incredibly entertaining. I stayed up late until I had finished it and would highly recommend it as a dramatic page turner with interesting, believable characters and friendship dynamics.

4.75 stars