I have a huge fear of flying. You know crashing (especially into the sea), terrorist bombs, turbulence, waiting so long to take off you just want to escape.
But I hadn't considered the idea that on a short flight an older woman might just get up out of her seat and go up and down the aisle pointing at passengers, telling them what is wrong with them and at what specific age they might die.
Cherry is the woman who becomes known as the 'Death Lady' long after the flight when one of her predictions actually happens.
The author is prolific and highly successful - and many of her novels have been turned into TV series (currently 'Apples Never Fall' is on our screens) and highly dramatic often family related scenarios are her go to plot.
"...life....both your wildest dreams and your worst nightmares come true" - it says in the novel. It is nearly halfway through the book before the first death and by then Moriaty has outlined some good vignettes of the other passengers. The newly weds (still wearing their wedding finery) learn the wife will die through domestic violence and a mother is told her son will drown aged 7.
So often the book delves into how the passengers take on a new direction in life to avoid such a calamity as predicted on their memorable flight. For it becomes a news worthy story when investigations begin to be made into the Death Lady. The predictions lie heavier on some more than others and maybe this reveals to us whether we should be pessimistic about the future or as so many say 'live each day as if it weas your last.'
That is where the interest lies. In why a seemingly quiet older woman decided to do this. Was she suffering from dementia? Had she genuine psychic powers?
This is not usually the sort of book I would read but the author builds the drama well and I was definitely involved with Cherry's life and why she came to that point on that flight.
But I'm still not a fan of flying!

What a brilliant story that hooked me in from the beginning. I loved how the lives of strangers were interwoven and linked by the predictions of Cherry on an internal Australian flight. I really enjoyed the story of Cherry's life but all the characters are so well written that you invest in their lives as well.
The question of how you would cope if you knew how and when you would die and could you change the outcome by is thought provoking.

Liane Moriarty doesn't disappoint her readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Here One Moment.

I have read other books by Liane and adored them but this one did justnot rck my boat. I struggleed all the way through and did not enjoy it at all. I found the writing style was too confusing with the sudden change of character wihout any warning made me reread many times tocatch up with who was talking before and after. The premise of the story was good is so much as what would anyone do faced with a date and reason for their death. How would they react and try to stop the event happening. I think that taking the death lady aspects as a new chapter each time would have made the distinction of character stories so much easier to follow. I could understand the fears of the people who were given these preditions and also it was good to see how the families and friends all reacted as well..

Here One moment by Lianne Moriarty is about a psychic who predicts cause of death and age at death of passengers on board a flight. The passengers of course don't know whether she is a "real psychic" or someone suffering a mental health crisis but, understandably they are all shaken by her predictions. The rest of the novel focuses on the aftermath of these predictions and the psychics background.

I really enjoy multi-timeline/multi narrative books however, and this could be because I was reading on kindle, but there was no separation between where one part ended and the next began which made things a little confusing.

I really love Liane Moriartys books but due to the reason above it did ruin it for me a little. I would recommend this book and hopefully the issue was just with the kindle version rather than the way it has been written.

I love Liane Moriarty, this was such a clever story. Interesting characters with unique stories and I loved how it all sort of linked up at the end.

My only niggle was there were no chapters or breaks, so it took a minute to work out that the person had changed. Not sure if it was Netgalley thing or book is actually written like that.

It has been a while since I read any Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies being the last) so I was delighted to receive this ARC.

Here One Moment is quite a disturbing novel that I almost stopped reading because of the nature of the plot (I am notorious for not reading blurbs properly). However I am glad I didn't stop.

The plot begins on an airplane where an elderly lady suddenly begins to give predictions to the captive passengers. Unusually though she is only predicting the manner and age of death for all the passengers she comes across.

The narrative then follows a select number of those passengers and also the life story of the psychic passenger, who comes to be known as the Death Lady once the first predictions come true.

The question is what would you do if you knew when and how you would die? Would you change your life or just accept fate? The story of the passengers is eye opening and I got engrossed in their lives.

Liane Moriarty has produced another addictive story. The characters are all very believable and their reactions fascinating. I liked the juxtaposition of the passengers' stories set against Cherry's (the Death Lady) life story. It certainly held my interest.

Recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Penguin for the advance review copy.

I have read some other books by this author so was delighted to get a copy of her latest novel, Here One Moment. Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for my advance copy.

This book has a pretty cover and that, along with the author, drew me to the book. A group of strangers are on a short flight from Hobart to Sydney when an elderly lady predicts everyone’s cause and age of death. Most people think it’s nonsense of a dottled old lady, until the predictions start coming true.

It didn’t take me long to get into the story, but I found the number of characters and constant changing of points of view made it difficult to follow at times. There are a good mix of characters and I grew to like Cherry, and felt so sad for her at the tragedy she had suffered. The story makes you think if you knew when and how you were going to die, would you change your life? The moral of the story is no one knows how long they have left so enjoy every day.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and wanted to find out what would happen, but I found it was too long for me and I think it could easily have been at least 100 pages shorter. That, along with the constantly switching points of view spoilt it a little for me.

3.5 stars rounded to 3.

This is a difficult one. At the start I wasn't convinced I was really liking Here One Moment, even though the premise and the writing style appealed to me. I thought it was very slow, and that there were just too many characters. I think that may be my ultimate feeling, but did get quite invested in the way it was all unfolding. It made me think a lot about the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies and fate. An interesting read.

I always like this authors work, and this story was no different. It was a really captivating story along with really interesting and engaging characters. Very well written. Definitely recommend.

I've been a fan of Liane Moriarty for some time now and I mostly always enjoy her books. There is always something comforting about her stories (even when they're more on the thriller side) and this book was no exception for me.

The concept of the story was super interesting and I was intrigued right from the beginning. It's a question I've thought and talked about many time; if you could know how and when you're going to die, would you want to? Personally, it's a no from me. However this book did make me think about it from a different angle. It added the possibility of knowing, but being able to change it. What I really liked about this story was how different people reacted to having their "fortune" handed to them.

Cherry the main character was a complicated character I thought. She was a very logical and straight thinking woman, but even the most rational of us can be derailed by life events and our emotions. I felt a lot of sympathy for Cherry as she was carrying so much grief and heartbreak and all of that spilled out of her without her wanting/meaning for it to.

I had a great time with this book and particularly enjoyed following the story arcs of each other characters from the plane. I was so invested in where there lives were going to go and how each of them followed a different approach after that flight. If you're a fan of Liane Moriarty already, I think you'll definitely enjoy this one.

I loved this what if/sliding doors type novel from Liane Moriarty. What would you do if you found out how and when you would die? Would you change anything, or accept your fate? This is what a plane full of travellers are forced to face when told how long they had left to live. Loved this one, highly recommend

If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Here One Moment begins with an ordinary domestic flight, where passengers settle in for what promises to be a routine journey. However, the arrival of an unremarkable older woman named Cherry sets in motion an extraordinary event.

Cherry disrupts the tranquillity of the flight by revealing to each passenger their predicted age and cause of death. While the majority of the passengers learn they have many years ahead—prompting laughter and disbelief—six individuals are faced with alarmingly imminent predictions.

The story unfolds from the perspectives of these passengers as they come to terms with Cherry’s unsettling prophecies and the enigmatic woman behind them. Though the initial introduction can feel somewhat abrupt, the narrative soon gains clarity and becomes deeply engaging.

Cherry’s background and the events leading up to her predictions are explored in depth, painting her as a compelling and multifaceted character. As the story progresses, the focus shifts to the passengers' responses to their foretold destinies and the subsequent impact on their lives.

The tale evolves into a profound exploration of how people confront their mortality and the effects of such revelations on their perceptions of life.

A few months after the flight, when the first passenger dies precisely as predicted, followed by two more, the gravity of Cherry’s predictions becomes undeniable. No longer a mere conversation starter, these predictions turn into a source of profound reflection.

@lianemoriarty_official masterfully examines themes of free will versus destiny, grief, and love, while also delving into the struggle to maintain control in an unpredictable world. With sharp social observations and a compelling narrative, Moriarty crafts a story that not only entertains but also prompts readers to consider how they might live differently if faced with their own foretold end.

Thank you so much to the author - @lianemoriarty_official as well as the team at @tandemcollectiveuk for running this read-along as well as the publishing team - @michaeljbooks.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

I couldn't put this book down, I found myself so invested in the characters, I needed to know how it unfolded.

I enjoyed the interconnecting stories and how they were slowly unveiled.

★★★☆☆ (3 stars)

Moriarty is legendary when it comes to writing character, so I knew I was in safe hands when it came to being invested in the various stories within the novel.

Cherry, of course, had my whole heart, and I found myself desperately rooting for several other characters too. Each personal story was touching and presented an honest, thought-provoking, and deeply human component that I found oddly comforting.

I did find my heart breaking a little in places, and there were several times this book made me giggle too. Here One Moment offers a beautiful sentiment, reminding us to make the most of our life and appreciate the beauty of what we have - something which so easily falls by the wayside amongst the ever present stresses of adult life.

I did have to knock this one down to 3 stars though because this was a seriously slow read. I’m a sucker for a slow burn, but the stakes need to be higher to keep me invested. I did possess a desire to follow each character to the bitter end, and was pleased with the resolution; however, I felt the build-up was far too slow and found myself struggling to push through up until around 70%.

I think the main problem was that the entire novel is essentially a recounting of various events; there is a LOT of telling and very little showing which did cause me to lose focus quickly. With a plot where the highest (and seemingly likely) risk is death, I was surprised by the lack of urgency and drama I felt when reading this. Faster pacing and heightened drama would have definitely been more captivating.

In conclusion:
Am I glad I read this? Yes! I loved these characters and the valuable lessons they (and I) learned throughout.

Would I read this again? Probably not. It’s just a little too slow for me unfortunately. That said, I will be picking up another Liane Moriarty, for sure.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! The above opinions are entirely my own.

I've read and enjoyed several of this author's books and the synopsis for this one really whet my appetite and I was so eager to delve into it but sadly, this just didn't hit the mark for me. I always struggle with multiple characters in books and there were a LOT in this one. I found it really confusing and a struggle to read. I think it might just be a case of right book, wrong time for me so I may well return to it at a future time but at present it just feels like hard work keeping track of all these people and not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. I thought the synopsis sounded really interesting but I just found the plot to be quite boring & the whole thing unnecessarily long and could have been at least 100 pages shorter.
I found the multiple povs confusing, I think there’s at least six points of view which I found confusing and difficult to keep track of whose perspective I was following.
——

A normal, short flight becomes something unusual for a group of passengers, when they are predicted their deaths by an older lady on board. When some of these predictions start coming true it makes others start to question their own fates.

I found the premise of this one fascinating and it came across as a powerful, original story, which raises questions, providing lots of opportunities to reflect. I love the author’s writing style, which comes across as rich, poetic but with humour. I also enjoyed that this focuses on a group of different characters and we get to understand their thoughts and feelings. This made it more interesting for me.

This seemed slightly different to her other novels but in a good way. It managed to provoke a lot of different emotions, which proves to me what a good story this was. Overall a beautiful, clever story which I will be recommending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I finished this book late last night and I still don’t really know how I feel about it.
I mean, it’s definitely not the best read for anyone with a serious phobia of dying or someone we love dying (not that I imagine anyone being thrilled with the idea!). I think most of us worry about dying young and hope that we will go in our sleep at a grand old age. Imagine someone literally pointing to you and predicting the cause and age of your death. That would most definitely freak me out!
Imagine being the woman who did this and having no recollection of it. Equally terrifying. There is no doubt she is a fascinating character.
There are lots of fascinating characters throughout this story, many of them affected by this lady’s predications.
It was interesting to see how they are all connected and how their lives pan out despite having differing reactions to this woman’s actions.
I can’t say there is any one wow moment though and I think that’s what I was waiting for.
There are many significant moments throughout the story though, some happy, some sad, some funny. All add up to a good psychological thriller that many people will love. Many people already have judging by the early reviews. I imagine it will be one that I will often think about. There just seemed to be something missing for me, but I can’t put my finger on what.
I guess the point is, do you believe in fate, or do you believe you could challenge fate by changing your life to swerve danger if you knew exactly what the risks were!?
A thought provoking read undoubtedly.

This didn’t read well to me, I’m not sure if it was because it’s an uncorrected proof copy, or because it switches POVs much too quickly. I thought this was a great idea, but not pursued to the perfection it could have been. I have loved all the author’s previous books, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark.

Buddy read with the lovely @thishannahslifeandhome it felt strange not reading a Heidi book together 🫣 but it was nice having something different and in sync with our thoughts an opinions! Not sure if anyone else has read the ARC version but we both had an absolute nightmare with the layout of it as it didn't show chapters throughout but we got through it.

Another book I've struggled to review if I'm honest. This is classed as another thriller and honestly maybe I've just read too many and expect too much but this just didn't do it for me unfortunately! The first half was very boring in a way, and I just wanted to understand where it was going. I actually thought it was just me that was confused and had no idea what the whole point was - but luckily Hannah felt the same and we were both anticipating more!

I really liked the characters and found myself getting quite involved with them and wanting to know more! I loved following their story especially as it went along and you start to understand!

The second half of the book massively picked up, and honestly if all the book was like that, it would've easily been more up my street! I was hooked and kept wanting to read more! I loved how all the characters eventually linked together along the way!

I enjoyed the ending as that character (no spoilers) I was wondering about so I was happy to learn the outcome and the near - miss.. However I did hope for more answers with the others!