The Best of Enemies: The darkly hilarious 2026 thriller from the million-copy bestseller

by Julie Mae Cohen

Gwen keeps a list of enemies. Not that she'd ever hurt any of them - she just likes knowing if karma catches up.

So when her childhood bully drowns in sewage, Gwen's quietly satisfied. But then another foe dies. And another. Soon, everyone who's ever crossed Gwen - from sworn enemies to obnoxious strangers - is meeting a bizarre end.

The police think Gwen's involved, but she's terrified. Someone's turning her private grudges into a murder spree, and if Gwen doesn't stop them, her newly rebellious daughter could be next . . .

Audible Audio

Published August 20, 2026

About the author

I love talking with readers - for 1:1s and Book Club visits, find me on Skolay: http://www.skolay.com/writers/julie-c...

Julie Mae Cohen is the darker side of author Julie Cohen, a million-copy bestselling, award-winning author of book club fiction.

Her first thriller, BAD MEN, was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick, and was shortlisted for the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award.

She grew up in the USA and lives in the UK with her family and a terrier of dubious origin. Her Google search history is very weird.

Reviews

[Camilla_Reads]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a highly entertaining thriller read this was! The Best of Enemies is darkly funny, with a few twists I never would have guessed at (and a couple I did!). I really enjoyed Gwen as a main character, and it was interesting seeing her grow and develop as the book went on. She's definitely in a bit of a rut at the start, and weirdly this string of murders end up being the very thing she needed to jolt herself into reality again. Family dynamics, motherhood and how difficult adult friendships can be are all central to the story, making this a pretty excellent entry-level domestic thriller for anyone thinking of dipping their toes into the genre.

[Basha]

Funny but dark thriller with few twists. Really enjoyed this book

[Denis Wheller]

Gwen made a list of her ‘enemies’ (and how they should die) as a joke, but someone has read the list and decided to kill them on her behalf; and she has no idea who or why. Gwen was adopted as a baby after her mother died. Although her adoptive family had been excellent and she had many brothers and sisters, she had always been somewhat alone, one of those quiet, intellectual, artistic children with no friends, who grows up to be the same person. The best thing in her life is her daughter, Raven, product of a hopeless relationship with her Professor while she was a law student. But Raven is approaching sixteen, a difficult age in a mother-daughter household. Gwen runs a fairly successful online garment business from home, but spends much of her time sketching ideas while drinking coffee in her local café, and it is in this sketchbook, which she takes everywhere, that she started idly drawing up a list of those who had ‘ruined ‘ her life, starting with the school bully. She finds the first death of only mild interest, although the method is quite close to the one she had written in her list, but by the fourth she is worried. She has no real friends so who can she turn to for help? The police would initially think she was mad and then think she was a serial killer.
“I’ve got a little list” features in several comic songs (The Mikado, Family Gut, Count Fang) echoing the fact that in everyone's life there are people who cause us grief. Statements like ‘I could kill him’ are not uncommon. But acting on such thoughts would mark you as a psychopath. It is even more psychopathic if someone else takes you at your word. This is a dark scenario – but not in this book, which is written in a humorous style, mainly because it is written in Gwen’s dry, wry, acerbic, witty language. It flows along quite swiftly, to the dramatic, slightly overwrought, dénouement. It isn’t too difficult to work out who the killer is in principle, but somewhat harder to spot a psychopath hiding in plain sight. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read, a 4.5 which will round to 5.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

[Books By Your Bedside]

Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I have read three of Julie's books, Bad Men, Eat Slay Love, and Body Count, and I own another - Louis and Louise - so I've really come to love her books.

The female-killer-who-only-kills-people-who-deserve-it is such a saturated genre, but I do love them. But there is something different about Julie's books that make them a bit special, and unhelpfully, I cannot specify what that is.

This isn't a spoiler as it's right there in the synopsis. What I loved about this book, and where it differs, is that the accused isn't even the one who is guilty. Instead of killing people and trying to act innocent, she is actually innocent but all evidence points to her. That puts a different spin on it.

This had me hooked straight away and kept me company when I couldn't sleep because of the heat. It's really funny (I struggle to find books funny), it's quick to read, it's explosive, the characters are brilliant, it has an exciting plot, twists and turns, important messages - just everything about it is wonderful.

It's full on but not overwhelming. It's not a short book at nearly 400 pages but it just zips by. It's fast paced but not too quick, slow enough that you have time to focus on the individual characters. The characters are all fantastic - even if not all goodies - and I loved reading about them all. The messages spoken are very important but never too in your face. The twists are brilliant. The storytelling great. I just loved everything about it.

I am notoriously terrible at working out whodunnits but I usually have the odd suspicion. With this, everything is so well hidden that whilst I had the odd though, none of them were strong enough to pick a suspect. And the reveal! How to talk about this without spoilers? Near the end, when the pieces start to come together, just moments before the big reveal, I got it. It had been set up so well, and I would never have got it before that moment.

This might be the best of her books so far; I cannot say anything negative about it.

[Lorraine]

Another brilliant read that is impossible to put down. It is such an honour to read a Julie Mae Cohen book, she never fails to keep me hooked from the very first chapter.

Here we have Gwen, battling her way through life as a single parent, trying to avoid the pressures of society, also known as, the Marvellous Mums! chat.

I think Gwen is kind of a loner, not entirely by choice and she's trying to make the best of her life. When she started to think about people from her past, some people she wrongly considered friends, she made a list of the guilty ones. All she wants for her daughter, Raven, is for her to be happy and have good friends. But then, people on Gwen's list start meeting their end and she's left wondering if her list is becoming a hit list...but by who and who has even seen it? Who will be next and can Gwen keep her daughter safe?

In true Julie Mae Cohen style, this has all the moments - laugh out loud, breath-holding, heartwarming, shocking and an end I just couldn't quite guess. And starting off with a fast-paced opening chapter, you find yourself reading nonstop until you've reached the end!

There are some lovely parts highlighting family dynamics and I felt Gwen was a character you couldn't help but like, as well as her brother and their parents. There are also some characters that had me doubting their motives in some interesting ways.

There is something in this style of writing that is comforting and familiar and keeps me turning the pages. If you've never read any Julie Mae Cohen books before, it's time to start, she's a definite go to author for me.

The Best of Enemies is a brilliant read and I can't recommend it enough.

Very grateful to Bonnier Books for sending through an early copy to read and review.

[Lynn P]

I think we all have a few people we secretly wish karma would catch up with. Gwen has taken this idea a little further than most of us, though. She keeps a list of people she thinks deserve some bad karma, along with exactly how she thinks it should happen.
So when the people on Gwen’s list begin to die in precisely the ways she had imagined, she is understandably terrified. She never really intended any of them to come to harm, and certainly never expected (or wanted!) them to die. What starts off seeming like a series of coincidences soon becomes much more sinister.

I was intrigued by the mystery of who could possibly be behind the deaths. At first, it really does seem as though the deaths are just unfortunate coincidences, but as more and more people from Gwen’s list turn up dead, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that there isn't something much more deliberate going on.

I have to admit that I struggled with Gwen as a character. I didn't particularly like her, and at times I found it difficult to connect with her, which made the book a little harder to get into. However, I persevered and I'm glad I did because the story became more and more intriguing as it progressed.

And then came the twist! The ending completely caught me by surprise, and I definitely didn't see it coming.

Overall, although I had some reservations about the main character and found parts of the book a little difficult to get through, the mystery kept me reading and the unexpected and gripping ending made it worthwhile.

[Hannah]

Gwen doesn’t want to actually hurt anyone, but has a kill list of enemies of those who have crossed her before. So when one of her childhood bullies drowns in a sewage, she is secretly satisfied. But when another on the list meets an untimely end, followed by another, she realises that her private grudges seem to have turned into a murder spree. Could it be connected to her list?

I enjoyed the last book by I read by this author, so was looking forward to this one. I liked that she managed to make the female vigilante/revenge familiar trope feel fresh and was drawn to the premise of this one. What really made this stand out from similar books, was the well written, engaging cast of characters. I enjoyed Gwen as the lead, especially with her flaws, as she felt authentic and easy to connect with.

I couldn’t fully predict where this one was going and was keen to find out. It was a lot of fun getting there. I especially liked how the lightheartedness and humour worked well in this story, helping to build the narrative in an amusing way. I do feel that it slightly dragged in places and pacing was on and off, however this didn’t impact the story too much, and overall this was an entertaining, enjoyable read. I would be interested in seeing what else the author writes. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review

[Annette]

A deliciously dark and humorous thriller that I raced through in a few days.
Gwen is a single mother to Raven who is 16 years old and sitting her GCSEs. When Gwen hears that her old school nemesis and bully, Liz Cutter-Sharp, has been murdered, she is not sorry as the woman had made her teenage years a misery. However when someone else whom she hates winds up dead, Gwen begins to suspect she might be the connection! She has written a list of her worst enemies and gradually they are dying off! She knows she isn’t committing murder so how is it happening?
This is such a fun read with a cast of glorious characters- I particularly liked the relationship between Gwen and her daughter who seems old beyond her years.
Gwen’s enemies are mostly horrible but even Gwen thinks they don’t all deserve to die so she feels compelled to warn them to take care leading to some very humorous encounters!
This was definitely a five star read for me- I thoroughly enjoyed “The Best Of Enemies “ and will certainly be recommending it to friends and family!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

[Lynda]

What a fun engaging read. Gwen is a single mother with a 16 year old daughter Raven. They live in Reading and Gwen just about earns enough by embroidering used clothes and selling them online. She and Raven have a very close if argumentative life.

Briefly, Gwen is a rebel in every sense with a somewhat dysfunctional family and for fun has written a list of people she hates and how she would like them to die. However, the fun stops when some of these people die in the manner she prescribed. Now fearing for the rest of the people on the lists she tries to warn them but not always in time.

Gwen is a great character, flawed, brilliantly sarcastic and annoyingly annoying! I loved her and her fight to clear herself as a murder suspect. The mystery around the actual killer was so well done and kept me guessing until the reveal. Cleverly written, with an entertaining and humorous antidote to the dark parts, this is a very enjoyable thriller. 4,5⭐️

[Mark]

I just loved this dark yet very funny at times read

We meet Gwen who decides on impulse to write down a list of people she dislikes and would like to die and how……….of course she doesn’t mean it………….. it’s therapeutic………nothing else

And then quite quickly the people on the list DO start to die and in the ways she fantasised over

But no one has seen the list,have they?

Gwen is fabulous,what a great character to get to know and have this strange experience with,the other cast members are all entertaining too,even the bad ones

References ‘Carrie’ and some vague similarities in character feelings to that story

Deals with topics such as pyromania,adoption and bullying and handles all well

This was brilliant from start to finish,a book really pleased read and characters wont/cant forget

[andshe.reads]

We have all wished karma on someone but imagine having wrote a list of everyone who has ever wronged you & ways you wish karma to catch up with them only for them exact scenarios to start happening.

Gwent has exactly just that, an enemies list, she doesn't actually wish harm to come to any of them but then one by one they start dying.

The premise is completely bonkers but I loved it. It was just so fun. Amongst the wit, banter & mayhem was an ebbing tension throughout that never failed to dampen.

Gwen was a superb main character. She was incredibly chaotic & relatably flawed. Her relationship with her daughter was a highlight for me. It was highly entertaining.

I could not figure out who the murderer was & had the shock of a lifetime when the culprit was revealed.

If you enjoy murder served with humour this is one waiting to be added to your tbr.

[lj]

Cohen does it again! I was a little sad that we were not going to be following the killer in this book, however, it did not disappoint! Gwen made a list of all of her enemies and then she noticed that they were getting killed one by one in ways that she wrote in her sketch book. She teamed up with an unlikely ally in a mom from her daughter's school to figure out who was behind the killings. It was a wild ride and so fun. Gwen was hilarious! This book was also a cautionary tale to never have a teenager because her daughter left a lot to be desired! Ha! I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

[Dogeared]

4.75 stars rounded up. This is hilarious, wacky and makes you wonder who you’d put on your own list… just kidding 😉.

Gwen has made a list of all those who’ve hurt her or done her wrong, and the ways in which she’d like to see them humiliated… with several people, this is because they bullied her at school, and at times that point gets a little overdone, but I get that we needed to understand why she’s got the list, and why she is so neurotic about her and Raven. It’s the only reason I marked it slightly off 5 stars, because this is pretty close to top drawer for me. It’s funny, and I sped through the book pretty quickly. I’d definitely recommend it (and I half guessed whodunnit, so yay!).

Read if you like quirky, funny, snarky and a fast paced read. Julie is one of my favourite authors and delivers yet again with this one!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

[Sarah Katie]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another fantastic book by Julie Mae Cohen. I love Gwen she's so realistic and if I was bullied like her I'd right an enemies list too. Her enemies were actually pure evil and karma comes around. However the rate and way they were dying definitely put Gwen as the number suspect.

As i went along I had my own suspicion of who it was (I was very wrong)!

I love Gwen and Raven relationship yes teen years are trouble to navigate and feel like Julie did thay justice and the squabbles between mum and daughter felt real.

Throughly enjoyed this book and will read it again.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting advanced copy of this book

[Cara bunnypop_bookstagram]

I’m a big fan of Julie’s books and this one is no exception.
It’s a combination of how she writes and the characters she creates but I just can’t get enough.

I loved Gwen and her list, the ways she fantasised about people she disliked dying 😂 she just wasn’t expecting them to come true!!

The humour in this was brilliant and I loved the focus on relationships between Gwen and a lot of the other characters in this book. How well you got on with Gwen kind of determined if you stayed alive in the book!!

I absolutely did not work out the killer until right before the reveal. There’s a good clue if you pick up on it!

Julie is definitely on my go to author list and she should be on yours too if you like death and witty banter!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Helen]

Another fantastic book. A slightly different twist to previous books but will still make you smile and rush to turn the pages. A good makes you rush to read as you want to know what happens next but sad when you finish it and this is how I feel about this book.
Writing a list of people who have upset her Gwen can never imagine that they will all start turning up dead in the manner she wrote about. Who is doing it? The only commonality is Gwen. Trying to navigate life, a business rival who is copying her designs and life with her teenage daughter as a single mum.
Enjoy I did

[Chrissie]

This is a brilliant book ,the concept is one of the most original thriller premises of the year and has the potential to be an outstanding psychological thriller. Gwen keeps a private list of everyone who has ever wronged her but when those people begin dying in increasingly bizarre ways the Police suspect Gwen .The stakes become personal when her rebellious daughter may be the next target .Fast paced I loved this book can't wait for the next one .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

[Tiffany (areyoutellingstories)]

A dark and funny mystery that I raced through! Gwen is a single Mom just trying to get by and so what if she keeps a list of those who've wronged her? When the first person in her list dies, it just a coincidence, right? But when others on the list begin dying, it seems someone is helping Gwen take them to task. As Gwen races to figure out who's behind this, she'll not only involve herself in a mystery, but also find the community she's always wanted. 4.5 stars

[Tricia Dance]

This was so much fun!
Someone is turning Gwen's karma list of grudges into a hit list but she didn't mean for them to actually die!
Now she must find out who is killing them before the blame lands with her!

I'm not sure what it says about me as a person to have found the premise of a serial killer so wickedly amusing, but I loved it! 🤪

Such an easy read, good flow and pace, and the characters were great, I would definitely shop at fkoffdesigns.com! 🪡🧵 iykyk

[Joo]

This was a fun easy read. Gwen is a bit miserable with her life so writes The List of people who have wronged her and how she's like them to die. Unfortunately they start dying in similar manners to her list. She has no idea who is doing this so turns sleuth to try and find the killer before even more people die or she gets put away for their murders.
I had no idea who the killer might be in this one and read it in 2 days I was so eager to find out.

[Shanice Williams]

Another great read by Julie Mae Cohen! This was a nice easy read with a sprinkling of murder. Loved Gwen and Raven as the mother-daughter duo and the dark humour was well balanced with the mystery. Who knew writing a list of people you have grudges against could end so badly!

Thanks to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Zaffre for this ARC.

[Kirstie]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was quite a ridiculous but fun read, and a little bit predictable at times, though that is totally okay! I flew through this book and only really had one real problem:

As a Brit, reading a book about a group of Brits living in Britain.. they were FAR TOO AMERICAN! This irked me, a lot, and is the reason for the lower rating.

[Liv]

I wasn't too sure about this book to begin with, as I didn't really connect with our main character. However, the more twists we experienced together, the more I was completely drawn in and absolutely could not put the book down. I was still thinking about the ending for days! Definitely will be recommending it to friends.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Grace Ribeiro]

3.5! not entirely my thing but must be good writing if I only started to like the main character when she started liking herself a bit more
very millennial which makes sense - julie cohen is either exactly like the main character or she has mastered writing that generations bullied kid turned goth/snarky adult who is probably a really nice person

[Ramtico]

6

[Annette Edwards]

Great, read, enjoyed

[Kelly Jane Motamed]

This was such an easy, fun read! Really enjoyed it! Loved the themes and characters, Jason was my favourite!