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Deadly Ambition #1
The Price of Honey
When a tech billionaire’s widow and ex-wives gather for his funeral, they witness a final reversal of fortune in this razor-sharp short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty.
In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett still can hardly believe that Barney is actually dead. Granted, he was more than twice her age. But he was Barney Beckett, visionary tech genius, full of surprises—by turns romantic, inspirational, and controlling. Always in control. At the service, she impulsively goes to sit with the three ex-wives: practical Rita, fiery Svetlana, ambitious Meredith. Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.
Liane Moriarty’s The Price of Honey is part of the Deadly Ambition collection, stories about greed, control, and the sinister side of making dreams come true. They can be read or listened to in one bingeable sitting.
In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett still can hardly believe that Barney is actually dead. Granted, he was more than twice her age. But he was Barney Beckett, visionary tech genius, full of surprises—by turns romantic, inspirational, and controlling. Always in control. At the service, she impulsively goes to sit with the three ex-wives: practical Rita, fiery Svetlana, ambitious Meredith. Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.
Liane Moriarty’s The Price of Honey is part of the Deadly Ambition collection, stories about greed, control, and the sinister side of making dreams come true. They can be read or listened to in one bingeable sitting.
34 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2026
11333 people are currently reading
11418 people want to read
About the author
Liane Moriarty
64 books77.2k followersLiane Moriarty is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret, and Truly Madly Guilty; the New York Times bestsellers Apples Never Fall, Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,666 reviews
April 30, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
Book one in the Amazon Deadly Ambition collection. At just 34 pages, it’s a quick read, but aside from the ending, which was the highlight, it didn’t really grab my attention.
Book one in the Amazon Deadly Ambition collection. At just 34 pages, it’s a quick read, but aside from the ending, which was the highlight, it didn’t really grab my attention.
April 13, 2026
Touché
In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett’s discussion with her driver is our first clue that this short story is set some time in the future…
Barney Beckett, a visionary tech genius was more than twice her age, and in addition to his current wife, Honey, he leaves behind three ex-wives: his first, practical Rita, his second, ambitious Meredith, and his third, fiery Svetlana. Honey decides to sit with them at the funeral ignoring the seating plan.
Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.
Most short stories leave me wanting more, but despite the very mixed reviews, I thought it was pretty CLEVER and it fell in the middle of the pack for me.
3.5 rounded up!
Liane Moriarty’s The Price of Honey is the first novella in Amazon’s Deadly Ambition collection, stories about greed, control, and the sinister side of making dreams come true. Each can be read or listened to in one bingeable sitting.
A quick 34 page read or about an hour if you listen at 1x speed on Audible
In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett’s discussion with her driver is our first clue that this short story is set some time in the future…
Barney Beckett, a visionary tech genius was more than twice her age, and in addition to his current wife, Honey, he leaves behind three ex-wives: his first, practical Rita, his second, ambitious Meredith, and his third, fiery Svetlana. Honey decides to sit with them at the funeral ignoring the seating plan.
Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.
Most short stories leave me wanting more, but despite the very mixed reviews, I thought it was pretty CLEVER and it fell in the middle of the pack for me.
3.5 rounded up!
Liane Moriarty’s The Price of Honey is the first novella in Amazon’s Deadly Ambition collection, stories about greed, control, and the sinister side of making dreams come true. Each can be read or listened to in one bingeable sitting.
A quick 34 page read or about an hour if you listen at 1x speed on Audible
March 2, 2026
Besides a few interesting references to AI that were very brief, this felt pointless. Very underdeveloped plot-line that felt pointless. This seemed like a rough draft. I would say this needed about 50 more pages of plot development to be a good short story.
Thank you to Amazon first reads for the free copy.
Thank you to Amazon first reads for the free copy.
April 10, 2026
AI will eventually take over the world, if it hasn’t already. Honey's husband Barney is obsessed with keeping his body young and youthful at all costs. On the way to his funeral, she meets an Uber driver and has a meaningful, eye opening conversation with her. At the funeral, a discovery pushes her to do the unthinkable.
I found the ending the most compelling part. The rest felt quite dull, and for such a short book, it dragged and felt really long.
I found the ending the most compelling part. The rest felt quite dull, and for such a short book, it dragged and felt really long.
March 18, 2026
The Glitch
THE PRICE OF HONEY
by Liane Moriarty
3 1/2 stars. Honey caught an Uber to her husband Barney's funeral. This Uber was manned by a human driver, not AI...
On their way...
The two women discussed the difference between dating a real man and an AI hologram...
Honey prefers the real deal...
She had signed an NDA, promising she would never say a word about her marriage to multimillionaire computer tech Barney to anyone...
Barney's best friend Mac had introduced them and later had even come along on their honeymoon...
Barney was a genius, so whenever Honey made a mistake, Barney would lovingly say she was a glitchin' again...
Arriving at the funeral...
Honey upset the cart by changing the seating arrangement so that all four of Barney's wives could sit together...
But the seating chart wasn't the only glitch that would happen at Barney's funeral...
This is my second book by this author. Both were short stories. I rated both 3 1/2 stars for the same reason: they were both too short to adequately tell the story. The setup was good. It was interesting, but it ended too soon for me to rate it any higher.
I guess I'm going to have to try one of this author's full-length novels to gauge her work.
This was an Amazon First Reads selection for this month.
THE PRICE OF HONEY
by Liane Moriarty
3 1/2 stars. Honey caught an Uber to her husband Barney's funeral. This Uber was manned by a human driver, not AI...
On their way...
The two women discussed the difference between dating a real man and an AI hologram...
Honey prefers the real deal...
She had signed an NDA, promising she would never say a word about her marriage to multimillionaire computer tech Barney to anyone...
Barney's best friend Mac had introduced them and later had even come along on their honeymoon...
Barney was a genius, so whenever Honey made a mistake, Barney would lovingly say she was a glitchin' again...
Arriving at the funeral...
Honey upset the cart by changing the seating arrangement so that all four of Barney's wives could sit together...
But the seating chart wasn't the only glitch that would happen at Barney's funeral...
This is my second book by this author. Both were short stories. I rated both 3 1/2 stars for the same reason: they were both too short to adequately tell the story. The setup was good. It was interesting, but it ended too soon for me to rate it any higher.
I guess I'm going to have to try one of this author's full-length novels to gauge her work.
This was an Amazon First Reads selection for this month.
Review of advance copy
Short and sweet, a fun take on the present wife at the funeral of her billionaire tech expert husband with his three ex wives present. Reminiscent of Sally Hepworth's Ex Wives, but with more of a twist at the end. Lovely uber ride conversation on her way to the funeral.
April 9, 2026
I picked this up because it only consist of 34 pages and l was intrigued.
Beautiful and stylish Honey was in her twenties when she met handsome Barney, the big shot famous owner of a big tech company. Barney was a teck genius and was in his fifties when he met Honey.
They got married and this was Barney's fourth marriage.
It was on the public record that he was a cheat, and still Honey had thought she was somehow special to him, but she soon found out that he was cheating on her too with other women.
"Sweetie, l lead a complicated life, l need distraction. The other women are for medicinal purposes only". It was the price Honey had to pay for the vast amounts of money she hadn't earned.
There is a big twist at the end, one l never foresaw. Shock factor!
To me the moral of the story is "The best laid plans are the ones destined to fail".
Beautiful and stylish Honey was in her twenties when she met handsome Barney, the big shot famous owner of a big tech company. Barney was a teck genius and was in his fifties when he met Honey.
They got married and this was Barney's fourth marriage.
It was on the public record that he was a cheat, and still Honey had thought she was somehow special to him, but she soon found out that he was cheating on her too with other women.
"Sweetie, l lead a complicated life, l need distraction. The other women are for medicinal purposes only". It was the price Honey had to pay for the vast amounts of money she hadn't earned.
There is a big twist at the end, one l never foresaw. Shock factor!
To me the moral of the story is "The best laid plans are the ones destined to fail".
April 19, 2026
This was rather entertaining that I wish it was longer.. The ending was lowkey satisfying lol 😂💅🏻
Plot Summary
On the way to her husband Barney’s funeral, Honey Beckett is still struggling to believe he’s really gone. Charismatic and controlling, Barney had always dominated her life despite the age gap between them. At the service, Honey unexpectedly joins his three ex-wives—Rita, Svetlana, and Meredith—women tied together by a chain of past betrayals; little do they know one final betrayal awaits
My Bookstagram
Plot Summary
On the way to her husband Barney’s funeral, Honey Beckett is still struggling to believe he’s really gone. Charismatic and controlling, Barney had always dominated her life despite the age gap between them. At the service, Honey unexpectedly joins his three ex-wives—Rita, Svetlana, and Meredith—women tied together by a chain of past betrayals; little do they know one final betrayal awaits
My Bookstagram
March 1, 2026
This is the short story that’s included in Amazon first reads for March. I LOVED it. I would’ve read a full story with this plot. Also my first Liane Moriarty read and I understand why she’s had such a steady career.
April 2, 2026
the setup…
Honey Beckett takes an Uber to her tech billionaire husband’s funeral instead of a fancy hired car. Barney Beckett was larger than life and widely lauded as a genius in the AI development. She can’t believe he’s gone even though he was twice her age. When she reaches the funeral, she’s in for a few surprises and the inevitable encounters with his three ex-wives and business partners.
the heart of the story…
I really liked how the Uber ride was used to get most of the background about Honey and Barney’s relationship and his backstory. It had me (and Honey) questioning whether Barney deserved her devotion and whether she really had “the good life” with this man. And, yes, that funeral provided some interesting layers and more.
the narration…
Anthea Greco was excellent in giving voice to Honey and all the secondary characters, vividly bringing them to life. Loved her performance.
the bottom line…
I enjoyed the story and was quickly drawn in. Using the Uber ride was a clever way of developing the characters and the ending was the ultimate sendoff to Barney. It just needed a little more to deliver that final blow. This had the makings of a really good full length story. 3.5 stars
Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)
Honey Beckett takes an Uber to her tech billionaire husband’s funeral instead of a fancy hired car. Barney Beckett was larger than life and widely lauded as a genius in the AI development. She can’t believe he’s gone even though he was twice her age. When she reaches the funeral, she’s in for a few surprises and the inevitable encounters with his three ex-wives and business partners.
the heart of the story…
I really liked how the Uber ride was used to get most of the background about Honey and Barney’s relationship and his backstory. It had me (and Honey) questioning whether Barney deserved her devotion and whether she really had “the good life” with this man. And, yes, that funeral provided some interesting layers and more.
the narration…
Anthea Greco was excellent in giving voice to Honey and all the secondary characters, vividly bringing them to life. Loved her performance.
the bottom line…
I enjoyed the story and was quickly drawn in. Using the Uber ride was a clever way of developing the characters and the ending was the ultimate sendoff to Barney. It just needed a little more to deliver that final blow. This had the makings of a really good full length story. 3.5 stars
Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)
March 19, 2026
i love it when the arrogant, cheating man loses in the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
March 13, 2026
Needed a quick palette cleanser and I’m convinced that books about AI that are not sci-fi shouldn’t be made.
If this was just about four ex-wives at their ex-husband’s funeral (who happens to be a billionaire), duking it out to decide who was the worst wife, I would’ve loved this short story.
If this was just about four ex-wives at their ex-husband’s funeral (who happens to be a billionaire), duking it out to decide who was the worst wife, I would’ve loved this short story.
April 28, 2026
I normally love Liane Moriarty, but I think this short story may have been slightly lost on me. I listened to the ending twice and still came away feeling like I didn't fully understand it. I have a strong feeling this is a me thing, and a lack of focus thing mid-book slump. Either way, it is a fun, very quick story perfect for breaking up some longer, heavier reads.
Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the advanced copy.
Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the advanced copy.
April 1, 2026
The Price to Pay
A review of the Amazon Original Stories eBook read in advance through Amazon First Reads (March 1, 2026) and officially released in Kindle/Audio on April 1, 2026.
Saying very much about this one would be a spoiler. It takes place in a future where holograms pilot driverless cars and various other innovations are possible. Honey Beckett is being driven to the funeral of her late husband tech billionaire Barney Beckett, where she will meet up with Barney's previous wives (one of whom is likely portrayed on the cover) and various business associates. So it is the drive, the funeral and an aftermath with a twist reveal.
It was short but I thought it was clever and parts of it were rather fun. Some might recognize the subject of this exchange for instance:
Anyway, for an Amazon Original I rather enjoyed it. So a 4 star rating from me.
Soundtrack
It's not really related to the short story, except for the sort of witchy vibe given off by the cover, but since I am also currently reading both bassist Melissa Auf der Maur's 🍁 memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A '90s Rock Memoir (2026) & 33&1/3's Live Through This (2015), I couldn't help but think of the Hole cover of Donovan's Season of the Witch (orig. 1966) from their rarities album My Body, the Hand Grenade (1997) which you can listen to on YouTube here.
Trivia and Links
Australian author Liane Moriarty is a novelist whose most popular book (based on current GR ratings and reviews) is Big Little Lies (2014) which was the basis for the TV-series Big Little Lies (2017-2019) and which has been recently confirmed for at least one additional season. Liane Moriarty's next novel is the sequel Big Little Truths (various international release dates August 25-27, 2026).
The Price of Honey is the 1st of 6 stories in the Deadly Ambition anthology collection from Amazon Original Stories released on April 1, 2026. The promo for the collection reads:
A review of the Amazon Original Stories eBook read in advance through Amazon First Reads (March 1, 2026) and officially released in Kindle/Audio on April 1, 2026.
She asked if there was a universe where they never met, and he said there wasn’t one. They met in every universe. He was a romantic.
“Barney,” she’d say if he went on for too long about the multiverse, “I can feel my engagement levels dropping.”
Saying very much about this one would be a spoiler. It takes place in a future where holograms pilot driverless cars and various other innovations are possible. Honey Beckett is being driven to the funeral of her late husband tech billionaire Barney Beckett, where she will meet up with Barney's previous wives (one of whom is likely portrayed on the cover) and various business associates. So it is the drive, the funeral and an aftermath with a twist reveal.
It was short but I thought it was clever and parts of it were rather fun. Some might recognize the subject of this exchange for instance:
Honey says, “My mother’s name was Taylor.”i.e. it is set in a world a few generations removed from our present day.
The girl beams. “After that old-timey singer, right?”
“That’s right,” says Honey.
Anyway, for an Amazon Original I rather enjoyed it. So a 4 star rating from me.
Soundtrack
It's not really related to the short story, except for the sort of witchy vibe given off by the cover, but since I am also currently reading both bassist Melissa Auf der Maur's 🍁 memoir Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A '90s Rock Memoir (2026) & 33&1/3's Live Through This (2015), I couldn't help but think of the Hole cover of Donovan's Season of the Witch (orig. 1966) from their rarities album My Body, the Hand Grenade (1997) which you can listen to on YouTube here.
Trivia and Links
Australian author Liane Moriarty is a novelist whose most popular book (based on current GR ratings and reviews) is Big Little Lies (2014) which was the basis for the TV-series Big Little Lies (2017-2019) and which has been recently confirmed for at least one additional season. Liane Moriarty's next novel is the sequel Big Little Truths (various international release dates August 25-27, 2026).
The Price of Honey is the 1st of 6 stories in the Deadly Ambition anthology collection from Amazon Original Stories released on April 1, 2026. The promo for the collection reads:
What drives someone to keep reaching for all that glitters, no matter the price? It’s easy to believe that more is better: more acclaim, more control, more wealth. But when dreams are fueled by greed, they can quickly twist into nightmares. These six propulsive short stories explore what happens when the true cost of ambition comes due.You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here and see the Deadly Ambition collection here (links goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
April 14, 2026
Hmm that was an interesting concept. I liked the ending and it's a good setup for a mini series (which is what I think this is)
April 4, 2026
3.5 stars
April 28, 2026
Amazon first reads pick
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Called the last twist at the end but the last part still kinda surprised me.
This one had me smirking at certain parts and was the best part. Although
This author's books are hit and miss with me but glad I gave this one a chance. Something to get my brain in gear after a so so day with a new health issue 😕.
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Called the last twist at the end but the last part still kinda surprised me.
This one had me smirking at certain parts and was the best part. Although
This author's books are hit and miss with me but glad I gave this one a chance. Something to get my brain in gear after a so so day with a new health issue 😕.
March 3, 2026
Kindle bonus read. Short story at 34 pages, different from what I normally read but i really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2026
Hmm, I thought this would turn into something confusing. Haha. But it was actually pretty interesting—AI, control, and immortality.
I didn’t quite understand the Uber driver’s significance, though. Her scenes felt boring and unnecessary. The latter part was my favorite. Luisa Long, you sly devil.
This was okay.
I didn’t quite understand the Uber driver’s significance, though. Her scenes felt boring and unnecessary. The latter part was my favorite. Luisa Long, you sly devil.
This was okay.
April 2, 2026
1.83
This story didn’t quite land for me. It felt drawn out without much progression, only picking up near the very end. While I understand it’s a short story, I found it hard to stay engaged. There was a lot of information packed in at once, which made it feel a bit overwhelming and unfocused. I do think it had potential…if expanded into a full-length story, it could have been much stronger. That said, the ending did give me a good laugh.
This story didn’t quite land for me. It felt drawn out without much progression, only picking up near the very end. While I understand it’s a short story, I found it hard to stay engaged. There was a lot of information packed in at once, which made it feel a bit overwhelming and unfocused. I do think it had potential…if expanded into a full-length story, it could have been much stronger. That said, the ending did give me a good laugh.
April 29, 2026
3.5 🚕🚕🚕
April 9, 2026
That plot twist at the end finally made this one interesting.
March 21, 2026
Clever little read on Amazon First Reads.
March 11, 2026
Oh, this was fabulous! Sadly, I think that imagined future is less than a decade down the road…
April 1, 2026
This one was a total miss for me!
April 26, 2026
3⭐️-For such a short read, this really packs in a lot of thought-provoking ideas 💭. It definitely gives you something to chew on, even after you’ve finished it.
That said, I couldn’t help but wish it had been developed into a fully fleshed-out novel 📖. The concepts are strong, but they deserved more space, depth, and character exploration to really land.
Interesting and clever, but left me wanting more…
That said, I couldn’t help but wish it had been developed into a fully fleshed-out novel 📖. The concepts are strong, but they deserved more space, depth, and character exploration to really land.
Interesting and clever, but left me wanting more…
April 3, 2026
Entertaining 3.5
April 13, 2026
A short story about a young, beautiful woman attending the funeral of her older, brilliant, multi-millionaire husband. She reflects on their relationship: the good (money, sex) and the bad (most of the rest). Then there’s a surprise sting in the tale.
It didn’t particularly float my boat, but it’s not a bad way to pass a half-hour or so.
It didn’t particularly float my boat, but it’s not a bad way to pass a half-hour or so.
April 26, 2026
A fun little diversion while working out or doing chores. I enjoyed hearing Moriarty, know for her domestic suspense books, add a little soeculative/sci-fi flair to her tale.
Not much to say without spoiling it - just a fun little short story with the signature Moriarty drama and a nice little twist at the end.
Not much to say without spoiling it - just a fun little short story with the signature Moriarty drama and a nice little twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,666 reviews