The New Friend

by Rona Halsall

She seems too good to be true…

When Meg meets Tina, it’s like the most perfect meeting of minds. Their friendship feels naturally joyful – like they’ve had a space waiting in their lives for each other. And, with both being survivors of the same illness, there is an instant bond.

But Tina’s not all she seems to be. She has another name. And secrets that are destined to find their way to the surface, creating a danger that Meg could never have predicted.

In Meg’s world, Tina isn’t the only person who is lying. And someone is about to become an unwitting pawn in a complicated – and deadly – game.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2026

About the author

Rona is the #1 best selling author of twisty psychological thrillers and loves to create mayhem in her characters' lives to keep her readers guessing. She lives halfway up a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales with her three dogs - Maid, Evie and Sandy who are the writing support team.

She is an outdoorsy person, who loves nothing better than stomping up a mountain, and wandering round forests and woodlands while she's plotting her next book. Outside is where the ideas are!

The peak of her writing career was being short-listed for the International Thriller Writers Awards 2024, for THE BIGAMIST. The translation was also shortlisted for an award in Holland.

For the latest news and information on all her books you can check out her website: https://ronahalsall.org/

You can also sign up to her newsletter here:
https://bit.ly/RonaHalsallNews

Also...If you follow her Author page on Amazon, you'll get notifications when a new book is out. You can have a look here:

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Reviews

[Tonya]

If you don't have trust issues before reading The New Friend, you’ll definitely have them afterward. Deception is the name of the game and red flags are everywhere. Who can you trust when everyone is shady and questionable? The plot is perfectly paced with building suspense and unexpected reveals. Entertaining, intriguing, emotional, and twisted describe this addictive thriller. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor]

Think you could never be scammed? Rona Halsall’s latest thriller will make you second-guess everyone in your life

I went into this knowing I'd be getting a brilliant read and came out completely wrung out, in the best way.

Rona Halsall does something clever with Meg and Tina's friendship, it feels so real and easy at first that you almost forget you're reading a psychological thriller, which makes the fallout hit even harder.

What really got me was watching Meg start to unravel right alongside the plot. Every conversation, every small inconsistency, you can feel her second-guessing people she trusted completely, and I found myself doing the same thing, side-eyeing every character on the page. That slow creep of paranoia, where nobody feels safe anymore, is where the book really earns its tension.

There's also something quietly important underneath all the twists, about how easily someone can exploit trust, especially when that trust is built on something as vulnerable as shared experience. It never feels preachy, and it really stuck with me.

And then there's the ending stretch, where the women who've been wronged stop being victims and start pushing back together. I was rooting for every one of them. It's satisfying in a way that a lot of thrillers don't bother earning.

Twisty, tense, and genuinely hard to put down. One of Halsall's best.

My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. All views are my own.

[Wanda]

A quite good story. An unexpected ending. A cat and mouse game in the middle. 3 🌟. Actually a 3 1/2 ⭐️ read. This was one of Rona’s better books.

[Lucy C]

Who can you trust???

What a fab read, I love all of Rona's books so gripping!

[Lyd]

Really enjoyed this one! Was well written & kept me wondering what was happening with Tina & who was actually the baddie! Little disappointed with the ending but still a fab read 📚

[Anisha]

Unpredictable

Held my interest....not all together predictable like some of the similar books. Entertaining and well written. I'll be reading more of the author's books.

[Teresa Nikolic]

Meg comes to the rescue of a young woman after witnessing an incident in the street and takes her back home where they bond over a coffee, she and Tina have much in common, not least that they are both survivors of the same illness and they become friends but, not everything is as it seems, because Tina is hiding a big secret that will impact not just on Meg's life but others that Tina has been associated with too and the outcome of her game becomes deadly.

The New Friend is the latest thriller by Halsall amd this one hits the ground running, told in four parts from the perspectives of three of the characters. Meg and Tina's friendship starts off well and they quickly form a tight bond but, alarm bells started ringing quite early on for me and the old saying 'if it seems too good to be true, it usually is' was certainly right on this occasion and pretty soon poor, naive Meg began to learn the truth about her 'new friend' when, the two women she saved Tina from, came knocking on her door and revealed what Tina had done. Realising that she too had become a pawn in Tina's game she was determined to find her before it happened again. This story has a great premise, with fantastic characters created by Halsall and some great twists along the way, the underlying message here is that it's very easy to be taken in by people that appear genuine on the outside but equally, to then become suspicious of everyone around you, because you don't know who to trust anymore, I know this from personal experience. This is a fast paced tale with short chapters, just how I like them and all culminates with a very satisfactory ending, another hit for me from Halsall which had me totally invested from start to finish.

I'd like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

[Helen Ashley]

I TRUSTED ABSOLUTELY NOBODY 😂

Meg. Tina. Liam. At some point I think I had suspicions about pretty much everyone. Who’s lying? Who’s telling the truth? Who’s working with who? And what the hell is actually going on?! 👀

When Meg meets Tina, the two quickly form a friendship, but it wasn’t long before my suspicious little brain started working overtime. Something didn’t feel quite right and from that point onwards I was questioning EVERYTHING.

I love that Meg is as curious as a cat and needs clarification on everything 😂 That is exactly how my brain works. I need to know the far end of a fart even when it’s absolutely none of my concern 🤭 But there were also moments when I wanted to give her a little shake because GIRL… can we please acknowledge some of these red flags! 🚩😂

And I LOVE a short, snappy chapter. They always make me feel like I’m reading so much quicker because what’s one more chapter when it’s only a few pages? And then suddenly you’ve read another ten 🤭

As the story unfolded, I had theory after theory about what was really happening. Every time I thought I might have worked something out, something else had me questioning it again. By the final part of the book I could actually feel my anxiety rising because I genuinely wasn’t sure which way things were going to go.

This is one of those books where I can’t say too much without risking spoiling the plot or one of its twists. What I CAN say is that it had my brain constantly wondering what the hell was going on, who was bad, who was good and who might be in it together. I was suspicious of almost everyone at one point or another 😂

The New Friend is an easy, page-turning psychological thriller packed with twists, secrets and plenty to keep you guessing. If you like a thriller that has you constantly changing your mind about who you can trust, this one is for you 👀

[Gary]

When Meg meets Tina, it feels like the ultimate meeting of minds. Their connection is effortless and joyful, almost as if they had each been saving a spot in their lives for a friend just like this. Shared experience as survivors of the same illness creates an instant, unbreakable bond between them.

However, Tina is hiding a dark truth. She operates under another name, harbouring secrets that are bound to rise to the surface and bring unforeseen danger straight to Meg’s doorstep. Yet Tina isn’t the only one weaving web of deceit in Meg’s circle. As hidden motives collide, someone is about to be drawn into a complex and lethal game without even realizing it.

This is a fantastic psychological thriller that completely grabbed hold of me right from the very beginning. The plot builds tension effortlessly and keeps you hooked as the web of secrets starts to unravel. It was so completely absorbing that I ended up reading the entire thing in a single sitting! The relationship between Meg and Tina feels wonderfully grounded at first, which makes the growing sense of unease even more effective. Watching the multi-layered deceptions play out among the cast makes for an addictive, suspenseful read.

The New Friend is a gripping, fast-moving thriller that is nearly impossible to put down. If you love a story full of secrets, twists, and high-stakes drama, this is definitely one to add to your reading list. A solid four-star read from me!

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Boldwood Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[GracieBee_Reads]

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, we follow Meg, who witnesses a brutal two-on-one attack in the street. Being the good Samaritan that she is, she steps in to help the girl, Tina, who is being assaulted, and even takes her home for a nice cup of tea.

Once Meg discovers that they are both cancer survivors, an instant bond forms and a friendship begins to blossom. But who really is Tina? Can she be trusted? In fact, can anyone in this story be trusted as each character carries an air of suspicion that will have you questioning their motives left, right and centre.

Now, perhaps it’s because I’m not a particularly trusting person to begin with, but I really struggled to get on board with just how naïve Meg was and later in the story, when she begins to take her power back, some of the events felt a little far-fetched, which did take away from my enjoyment somewhat.

That being said, I have to give the author credit because I didn’t feel like everything fell into place until around the 80% mark. There were some clever surprises along the way, and the constant uncertainty over who could and couldn’t be trusted certainly kept me on my toes.

While I did have some issues with Meg’s character and found some of the later events a little hard to believe, I still enjoyed trying to piece everything together and working out who was really pulling the strings. A solid 3 stars.

[Louise Wilson]

When Meg meets Tina, It's like the most perfect meeting of minds. Their friendship feels naturally joyful - like they've had space waiting in their lives for each other. And with them both being survivors of the same illness, there is an instant bond. But Tina's not all she seems to be. She has another name. And secrets that are destined to find there way to the surface, creating danger that Meg could never have predicted. In Meg's world, Tina isn't the only person who is lying. And someone is about to become an unwitting pawn in a complicated - and deadly - game.

When a lonely woman helps out a stranger who was being attacked, soon becomes wrapped up in a web of deceit and lies. Meg takes the woman home with her. The two women quickly become friends.

This story covers what most of us fear - being scammed and manipulated - by someone you trust. I was instantly pulled into this story. The more I found out about Tina, I knew I didn't trust her. There's so much I want to say about this book, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. All I will say is, grab yourself a copy, you won't be disappointed.

Published 7th September 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC of #TheNewFriend in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah]

When Meg meets Tina, it feels like it was meant to be and is the friendship she’s always wanted. With lots in common there is an instance bond. But Tina is not all she seems. She has another name and secrets that are destined to come to the surface, creating a danger Meg could never have imagined.

I love a Rona Halsall thriller and was really drawn to the bold, colourful cover of this one, as well as the description. This ended up being another entertaining, twisty read, with a simple, engaging premise. Although slow to get started, by the 20% mark it started to speed up and I was really keen to see where it would go, unsure who to trust. I enjoyed that there were lots of red herrings and some of the twists were fun to discover.

The characters were well written and although I didn’t completely connect to all, it was interesting seeing how their dynamics would play out. Even though this wasn’t my favourite book I’ve read by this author, it was still an enjoyable, quick, easy read and I can’t wait for more! Thanks to a NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Eva Edge]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 mind-bending stars
"The New Friend" by Rona Halsall is a sneaky, jaw-dropping, and expertly crafted psychological thriller that turns every expectation on its head.

The narrative begins on deceptively quiet footing, slowly dropping readers into what appears to be a straightforward story before completely pulling the rug out from under them. As the tangled web of secrets unravels, Halsall masterfully manipulates perspective and trust, making it impossible to pin down where the true danger lies or who is actually pulling the strings. The genius formatting and pacing force you to question every character's hidden motives, building a suffocating layer of suspense where nobody is innocent and everyone feels like a potential villain.

Ultimately, the book delivers a masterclass in psychological misdirection, completely reversing early doubts and exploding into a series of shocking revelations. It serves up a dizzying payoff that proves Halsall is operating at the absolute top of her game. A brilliant, unpredictable ride, earning a solid 5 mind-bending stars.

[Roz]

A quick read started and finished in one day as the plot was well written, interesting and with characters that made you want to keep turning the pages to find out what was happening.

What starts as a lonely woman helping out a stranger being attacked becomes the centre of a web of deceit and lies so complex that it is difficult to see the wood from the trees. Many interspersed stories featuring false identity, fraud, coercion and even murder show how easy it is to fall for someone who looks like they need help or are offering it.

Very well written and easy to keep turning the pages to unfold more layers of the complex plot and see exactly who is coming who and how.

Very enjoyable read with characters who are not who or what they seem, which keeps the reader guessing right to the end.

Great thriller with a visually appealing cover to entice the reader in.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanessa]

The New Friend by Rona Halsall was another excellent psychological thriller and once you read any of Rona's books you know you are going to be in for a rocky roller coaster ride and this book was no different! it was full of brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you hooked from the very beginning till the end, I could not turn the pages over on my kindle to find out what happens next especially to the main two characters Meg and Tina. they were great. Tina is not all she seems to be, and she has another name she goes by. Plus, she has so many dark secrets that are slowly coming to the surface which is creating a danger that Meg could never have predicted.

WoW, this book was so good I ended up reading it all day until I had finished.

Another superb read by Rona Halsall and I recommend this book.
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

[Mark]

Great cover as always for this authors books

The title kinda tells you the ‘new friend’ is bad news but Meg doesn’t realise when acting as a good samaritan and neighbour to Tina just how much ‘badness’ she is inviting in…..Meg will pay dearly for involving herself with Tina

The book shows how easy someone who appears to be doing good can actually be doing evil and get away it under the guise of helping those less fortunate and how easily, surprisingly easily people can be manipulated and fooled

But then when the manipulator becomes a victim too and the tables turn the whole story takes to another level

It’s a look a trust, friendship, scams and vulnerability and how when one thing leads to another before you know it your whole life is/can be ruined

Good characters, well written, food for thought and a emotive story ( stories )

[Sarah Bloomfield]

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and Boldwood Books for approving my request to read this book.

Meg is returning home from her night shift dreaming of her breakfast when she sees a woman being viciously attacked by two others. Stepping in to help Meg saves the day and sends the other two women on their way and takes the other in to her home to help her. The two quickly become friends after their chance encounter but is Megs new friend all she seems?

This is the first book I've read by this author and I loved it with it relentless pace and multiple twists that really kept me guessing, I had no idea who could be trusted in this book if anyone. I found this book impossible to put down and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I'd highly recommend this one to my fellow psychological thriller fans.

[Michelle]

When Meg plays good Samaritan and helps rescue a woman that is being attacked by two women. It is a start of a beautiful friendship or so she thinks. The pair come very good friends until Meg finds out how Tina really is and taking her life savings with her.
I am a big fan of Rona Halsall, and I read all her books yet again she doesn’t disappoint with her new novel ‘The new friend’ This is an exciting, gripping read that kept me gripped through out to find out where Tina is and her missing money. This such a good entertaining read that I read to the small hours of the morning because I didn’t want to stop reading. I kind of guessed what was going to happen at the end, but it didn’t spoil the enjoyment of this. I highly recommend.
Thank you Boldwood for a copy of My New friend. 5 stars from me.

[Joan Jordan]

Meg is very much in need of a friend when she meets Tina. They are both cancer survivors and that helps deepen their bond. Meg soon learns that Tina is not all that she appears to be, and that causes Meg to also question the fledgling relationship with her boyfriend, Liam.

Meg, a weakling, at least at first, made a lot of mistakes and was not an admirable person. That made it difficult for me to enjoy the book. The pace of the book picked up some as Meg closed in on Tina's true identity. The book had a natural ending when Tina, and another fraudster, were taken into custody but unfortunately there were several more chapters that were didn't seem very realistic and left a lot of loose ends, perhaps for a sequel? I don't know, but the book would have been better had it ended sooner.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Nessa]

Wow, this was an absolute corker of a story, I was captivated from start to finish.

The storyline was unique and kept me engaged, not to mention kept me guessing when trying to finish out how everything fitted together. The whole story was brilliantly written, not predictable in any way, really quite cleverly done.

The characters were believable and bought to life within those pages. I enjoyed getting to know Meg and all of the other characters, there were a couple of characters whom I literally wasn’t sure if they could be trusted or not. This story certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat in eager anticipation of what will happen next.

So another great story from Rona, who really does know how to tell a story and leave her readers wanting more and more.

[Kirsten]

Review of avanced copy received from NetGalley.

A fun read!

The New Friend by Rona Halsall will have you feeling as though you have been deposited right in the middle of an episode of Cluedo.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the shifting goalposts. Halsall has the reader suspecting every character of deception and duplicity. With so many conflicting dubious events it becomes impossible to know who to trust.

I liked the way the novel explored confidence tricksters, romance scams and misleading identities. It raises questions about how vulnerabilities can be manipulated and exploited. Meg is a warm and likeable character and, by the end of the novel, the reader is firmly rooting for her.
This will appeal to readers who enjoy twisty whodunnits with an emotional dimension.

[MarylineD]

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me access to this book.

I was hooked from the start, what a page turner!

The story is fast paced, gripping, intense
.
In this era where we all fear being manipulated and scammed, this felt scary real.
People pretend to be who you want them to be to get close to you, gain your confidence...

I felt scared reading the story because this is the type of thing that could happen to be, being naive and always there to help others...

I loved the cover and the fact that the story was with female leads.

This was my first time reading Rona Halsall and certainly won't be the last.

[Alijo]

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Meg is walking home and encounters two women mugging another woman. When she helps she ends up befriending the women she helps, Tina. As she helps Tina with what she believes is her being stalked, she begins to learn that things may not be what she’s being told.

This was overall a fun popcorn thriller but nothing really stood out. The characters all fell flat for me and I didn’t really connect with any of them. Meg seemed too weak minded as to what her history was to make her out to be.

I was side eyeing a lot of the characters the whole time because everyone seemed suspicious.

[Karen]

Wow, what a beginning! I was immediately hooked and desperate to find out more about Tina and why she was attacked, and admired Meg's bravery in helping her. Meg and Tina soon hit it off and become firm friends, but can Tina be trusted? As the story unfolds with intrigue following intrigue more characters are introduced that leave you wondering who you can trust. The story is told in three pacey parts and I couldn’t read it fast enough. I thought I’d guessed the end but I was wrong! A recommended read by one of my favourite authors.

[Sue]

Meg rescues a woman from a street fight, and recognizes her as a woman that came to her door collecting for a Cancer Charity.
They have a lot in common and form a bond.


I enjoyed this book from the first chapter. I could hardly bear to put it down. I have an interest in the subject matter, as it is so easy to trust the wrong person.

I don't want to give away the plot, but it is fascinating.
I certainly didn't blame Meg for not trusting anyone after her ordeal.

A very solid 5 star read.

[Trina Dixon]

When Meg rescues Tina from 2 women attacking her a friendship starts to grow. With so much in common Meg really feels she can trust Tina with her life. But when she meets the 2 women who instigated the attack, they tell a different story. Meg then spirals as she's not sure if she's being fed lies by any of the women.
This latest novel from Rona Halsall is yet another page turner Meg is quite naive and very trusting. It's cleverly spun as I did have suspicions about another character as well. It's twisted and full of red herrings.

[Maja]

Say what you want, in my opinion, Rona Halsall books can not disappoint. If she writes it, I will read it! I do enjoy the writing style and the short chapters, and her stories always have just the right pace to keep it interesting and to hold my attention.

When Meg rescues Tina, she thought she had found a new friend in the other woman. But some things do not add up. Can Meg really trust Tina? And what about the two women who did attack her new friend? A read full of twists were you never know whom you can trust. But trust me when I tell you to go and read the book! I can recommend it!

[Victoria]

Title: The New Friend
Author: Rona Halsall
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Publication Date: September 7, 2026

If you're looking for a quick, easy read, then this is the book for you! If you're looking for a crafty piece of literature that challenges your mind, then keep looking.

The storyline felt familiar and even the "good" characters were unlikable. I found it to be very predictable, yet it was still entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

[Ann]

Great! It was a little slow to get going but there was enough intrigue to keep me invested, and I’ve enjoyed other titles by Rona Halsall so I knew to keep reading. The story keeps adding layers and twisting; the chapters read quickly and easily. I quite enjoyed this one! (3.5/5)
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rona Halsall for the opportunity to read and enjoy an ARC of this title.

[Britney Ireland]

4 stars for this suspenseful novel. I really enjoyed the beginning when the two friends find each other and come into each other’s lives. Throughout you start to realize one may not be as she seems and the ending is how I expected it to be. Other characters in the story have you questioning roles and other things. Very mysterious and highly satisfied with the ending.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC