My Partner's Friend: A gripping psychological thriller

by Mark Hurst

Should you trust the people closest to you?

A well-deserved weekend away in the English countryside, a time to catch up with friends and have fun. Martin and his wife Tanya, meet up with friends Melissa and her husband Craig, in a luxury barn conversion outside the small village of Brambleside, in the tranquil Lake District in the north of England.

Four close friends, each with very different professional careers, enjoy their collective time together, reconnecting after Martin’s recovery from a recent illness. Within forty-eight hours, two are dead, one is unconscious in the hospital, and the fourth is charged with double murder and attempted murder.

With unexpected twists and revelations, who can be trusted? Is everything as it seems?

Would you trust your partner more than your friend?

Genres: Thriller

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2024

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 by this author and have enjoyed all 3…..but have to say this one leapt ahead as my favourite so far
We meet 4 friends, 2 couples, friends for decades who are having a relaxing weekend away but of course that doesn’t happen and in fact only 2 of them survive the weekend…. What follows is a story of deceit and lies and ‘whodidit’ where the author dispensed with any easy guesses for me and until the last surprising chapters I honestly hadn’t a clue who had…this for me was a success, the author fooled me and then doubly so with the unseeable ending
Characters that had me guessing at their honesty, a fast moving story and a set of circumstances that had the reader wondering what was going to happen next all the way through made this a nifty, enjoyable and at times very tense read, if you haven’t tried this author yet then give this one your time and if you have you will already know it will be a good read 🤗

[Donna Mallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Mark writes differently from his son Daniel, I find his books equally as good. I also await his next book. Like Daniel, his books are easy to read so you keep going until the end! This one has some nice twists and turns to it!

[Susan Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this third book by this author. Undoubtedly his best yet. I was engrossed from start to finish. The two couples, Craig and Melissa Tyler and Martin and Tanya Nicholson have been friends for years. They're having a weekend break in Fell View Cottage . I had no idea how this was going to evolve but evolve it did in an extremely surprising way. The dilemma of who to believe and who not to believe changed from one moment to the next. A thrilling read with unexpected revelations throughout. Looking forward to the next book by this author

[Mafalda Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not entirely surprising...

[Carol Drinkwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read with an interesting storyline and characters, all friends with their own stories to tell but who can you trust!

I can recommend this book.

[Michael Duane Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and fast paced story

I never put much stock in the reviews where the person brags about how quickly they figured out the mystery. Reading for me is all about a good narrative with a fun storyline. Mark Hurst has a talent for moving evenly through his narrative. His chapters are not overly long and that makes the story fast paced.

This is an exciting, and fast paced tale with people I wouldn’t want for friends. The ending leaves the thought that a follow up tale is possible.

[Phyllis Fried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Hurst really knows how to write a twisted story. The book starts out on a very happy note. Two couples are spending a weekend in a cabin at an Inn. One husband and his friend's wife are having an affair but have agreed to be very discreet. Martin is awakened the next morning by loud banging on the door and he notices his wife Tanya never came to bed. There are police at the door and what they find is truly shocking. The rest of the story follows Martin, and his story is as twisted as it gets deeper and darker. This book is absolutely unputdownable, and I read it in one day. The twists are jaw dropping and there are so many ups and downs leading to a fantastic ending.

[lesley bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I have so enjoyed this book I was surprised when it came to the end I was so invested in it.
It would be nice to read about the brothers again in the future.
One of my favourite books to read it read so well.
Unfortunately everything got put on hold the dogs glaring at me the washing has been in the drum to long I need to find the pooper scupper I dont know how many cuppas have just sat there going cold.
You see its that kind of read where your not wanting to put it down
I would highly recommend it

[Rose Marie Ouellette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read Thriller!!

Awesome read, especially if you love psychological thrillers. It is a page turner for sure. Did not expect the ending. A twist I did not see coming. There needs to be another book to bring this story to its just conclusion. Justice needs to be served and a final judgment brought to an end. Mr. Hurst has written an awesome, engaging story. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves this genre.👍

[Irene Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To date this has to be the most clever storyline of any Thriller I have read. I never wanted to put this book down and read often when I should have been doing other things. It kept me intrigued to the very last page.
I normally would not choose a Thriller for a book club pick as too many who dunnit experts LOL in the group. This one however would be interesting to hear what others take on it is. My first Mark Hurst read.Hope thread more.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I'm the odd person out on this one. I didn't like this book at all. I would have enjoyed it more, I think, if there had been more time on the front end with everyone still alive. That way the characters would have been developed more and would have cared a bit about what happened. And tbh, I saw the ending from the start so I was frustrated when the police were clumsy about it and ultimately fumbled the resolution. Just not for me.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long-time friends, Melissa and husband Craig and Tanya and husband Martin go on a weekend vacation to get away from it all. They begin the weekend drinking and partying and everyone is having a great time. The next morning, two people ard dead, another one is in the hospital in serious condition and the remaining person is charged with murder. This book is a real page-turner and I was kept guessing until the very surprising end. This book is full of surprises and will not disappoint!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW My Partner's Friend: an exciting psychological thriller by Mark Hurst was an amazing read.

Melissa, Craig, Martin and Tanya both married couples and friends are staying at The Wild Boar Inn in Bramblehurst for a week-end break.

Who has murder on their minds will it be Melissa and Craig or Martin and Tanya we are going on a roller coaster read to discover who will be the last man/woman standing at the end of their week-end break.

[Sharon Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this one was relatively fast-paced and I breezed through it. Each chapter was from a different viewpoint, but the author did a good job of keeping that straight.

Things did get a little bogged down in the middle and I thought the ending was a little contrived, which was why this is 4 stars instead of 5.

My other complaint about this one is that the time didn't flow smoothly. Difficult as a reader to understand how much time had passed between events.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another WOW!

Mark Hurst has done it again. Just when you think
I thought I knew who the killer was, it goes another way and I have to think more about it. Then, just when I am sure I know who it is…bam…nope. Mark Hurst is an amazing author. His way with words keeps the reader totally involved!

[Marj Hall-Venmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing

Good but not brilliant,don't misunderstand me it was enough to keep me really interested, come the end it's just seemed like a long way round to reveal is true identity I can not say it came as a surprise to me for some strange reason especially given everything happens that night.given he and mel!is a had been upstairs drugged

[Christine Abruzzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars !!!

This book was fabulous! Two couples.go away for a weekend, as they have many times over the years, and before the end of the weekend, 2 are dead and one is in the hospital! I was never quite sure who was guilty and the twists and turns just kept on coming. Almost every chapter had something new. I highly recommend this book to everyone who reads!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

Thrilling twists and turns. Trying to figure out who killed a cheating couple….was it the spouses of the couple? They were all together for the weekend. Or was it someone involved with the cheating husbands law firm that he worked for. Seems pretty cut and dry….but things keep popping up to dispute claims of guilt.
Great book!

[Natalie Auld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel kept me guessing the whole way through. When what I thought would be the climax of the book happened about 30% or the way through, I wasn’t sure where it was going to go but the plot just kept on coming! Ending with a massive twist, I’d never have guessed! Fab book!

[Jo Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book is brilliant. So many twists you think you have it figured out and then bang another twist. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book 📖 x another new favourite author added to my list 😀 x

[Bonnie]

Very Good

A lot of twists and turns. I am a big fan of Daniel Hurst and wonder if Mark is any relation. In any case, his style was similar and I found myself glued to this suspenseful tale.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an ending!! I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I couldn’t wait to read more. I loved the two other books but I really loved this one and the way it kept me in on my toes wondering what was next. Brilliant, can’t wait for another one.

[Patricia A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, fast paced thller

Wow, what a great read! This book had so many twists and turns that had me totally gripped I literally could not put it down and eventually finished reading it at 200 am..com

[Denise Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two couples enjoy a weekend away in the countryside. Within 48 hours, two are dead, one in hospital and the other charged with murder. But did he really do it? I was on edge, dying to find out what would happen, this is a great thriller!

[Pamela Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read- captivating

One of those books you can’t put down and yet are desperate to stretch out as long as you can. Full of unexpected twists and surprises.

[Jools Brooksbank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Another fantastic book by Mark Hurst. I stayed up all night reading this one, I couldn't put it down. Definitely 5/5.

[Ann Cralidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic with a twist at the end that you will never see coming. I have read all of Mark Hurst’s books and look forward to the next. His son Daniel is equally as talented as a writer.

[Insanity47 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The last few chapters will tell it all.
Excellent in everyway. Haven't read on yet I haven't liked. Keep it up

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Partner's Friend

I enjoyed this book. It had some nice twists. I would recommend this book. Telling me 6 more words required. Nope!

[Mrs Susan Bickerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

Not a bad story,, but this is not one that will stick in your mind. Some good characters, that will keep you guessing till the end.