Written during lockdown, this reflects a strange time when stability was fractured and we weren't quite sure how to navigate the present - and that sense of being unmoored creeps through this book to give it an uneasy edge: 3. The author’s writing was complex, poignant, an element of suspense, and the flow/pace was brilliantly done. Of course the police don't believe her at all and it takes some time for them to start looking elsewhere even though she remains a suspect.

The Favour | Book by Nicci French | Official Publisher Page

It’s over eleven years since Jude Winter has seen Liam Birch, but what they shared when they were eighteen has never left her. It’s also clear pretty quickly that Jude has been used poorly by Liam so why she has a burning desire to comply with his legal instructions, particularly when her kindly, supportive family is encouraging her not to, is puzzling. Whilst I struggled with Jude as a main character, I still appreciated the author’s writing style, which I always find refreshing and a bit dreamy and which makes the images come to life in that blurry, slow-motion aspect nightmares are made of (perfect for a mystery). There are several very unlikable side characters in this book, but for some reason Jude seems to be drawn to these horrible people.And just when everything seems to have been revealed, there’s a chilling, jaw-dropping twist in the final pages. Then, out of the blue, after an absence of eleven years, her first serious boyfriend, Liam Birch turns up to meet her with a strange request. As always, Nicci French has written a page turner but this story did not work for me on a psychological or emotional level. e. an arty / spiritual person believing in karma or a person undergoing a deep personal crisis such as substance addiction / bereavement etc). I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

The Favor – HarperCollins The Favor – HarperCollins

I could understand Jude’s frustration at no one believing the truth… that they had no current relationship, but needless to say her world falls apart. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). But after she does the favour, she is contacted by the police, informing her that Liam has been found dead, and suddenly she is caught up in a murder investigation.In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.

The Favour by Nicci French | Waterstones The Favour by Nicci French | Waterstones

Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. Maar ik bleef lezen en hopen op de onderhuidse spanning van de eerdere boeken van dit schrijversduo. After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam.Overall I did think this was a good mystery, quite complex dynamics, but could have had a more interesting premise that grabs til the end. In some ways it’s almost impossible to believe Jude agrees to do a favour – without knowing ANYTHING about the request – for ex high school boyfriend Liam.

The Favour | Book by Nicci French | Official Publisher Page The Favour | Book by Nicci French | Official Publisher Page

I felt that Jude keeps making wrong decisions and cannot seem to help herself but instead get caught deeper into Liam’s world risking her life, her fiancé, and her career.

Some may say this book airs on the lighter side when it comes to the Mystery/Thriller genre and perhaps they’re right it didn’t have me hiding under my bed, but this book has the suspense and at times eerie factor on high. I thought it was well written, tense at times, frustrating at others (I was mentally begging Jude to get out of that house! In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. However, when Liam doesn’t arrive on the train as promised, Jude finds her whole life thrown into utter turmoil and she is in danger of becoming another casualty of others’ sinister plans. She has a successful career as a doctor, engaged, soon to be married when out of the blue an old love of her's, Liam gets in contact with her and asks a favour.