The Friend Request: A BRAND NEW addictive domestic thriller for 2026

by A.J. Carter

Do you know this person?

Kim has a marriage she’s quietly losing grip on, so when Ross – her first love who vanished without a word twenty years ago – sends a friend request out of nowhere, she tells herself it’s just closure. One short dinner and a chance to finally understand why he left.

But that one night reopens everything, exposing her family to danger. As messages turn to threats and the line between obsession and danger disappears, Kim discovers that the truth about Ross is far darker than the love story she’s been telling for twenty years.

A gripping domestic thriller full of shocking twists, obsession, and buried secrets – perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, and The Woman in the Window.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2026

About the author

There is more than one author named A.J. Carter.

A.J. Carter (2 spaces), author of thrillers, can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Christian]

I hope you’re hungry…for nothing. If you’re looking for shocking surprises, keep looking. I was waiting for at least a satisfying ”why” in the end, and the author straight up said ”I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” There is but one actual twist, and it contradicts everything without making any kind of sense.

[Samantha]

I’m frustrated

[Joy]

Wow didnt see that ending coming at all!!

[P]

Bad. And bad AI. Just so bad. And so repetitive, down to the adjectives, context, and chapters. So bad. And very clearly AI written. And weak plot, weaker backstory, and a waste of time. Boring one-dimensional characters and FMC is annoying and self-serving. THIS BOOK IS SO BAD. I would not recommend this novel nor would I call it a thriller. I personally won’t read more of this author because of the use of AI. Boo.

[Hayley Rodriguez]

This pissed me off in more ways than I can explain

[Escape Reality]

Disappointing

What could have been a good book, spoiled by the use of AI. I won't be reading any more by the author

[Mike Shockley]

Very quick, a little repetitive but a good domestic thriller as it says. Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned in this one. Or is she?

[Ashley]

Wow, what a frustrating read!

2 stars overall. *Almost* considered bumping my rating to 3 because the epilogue made reading this book worth it.

[eli]

I had so much fun with this one, very hard to put down!

[Erika]

What did I just read? It was okay- and initially seemed intriguing. However, way too many slow parts especially towards the middle/end.

The ending felt rushed and didn’t answer everything clearly.

Felt a bit let down… also looking back after the reveal, reveals? I was still left with a lot of questions... 3/5

[LC]

waste of time

I barely leave reviews, but this book isn’t worth reading and if I can save you from it, this is worth it.

SPOILERS:

The twist is that the story you read is basically made up as it’s an unreliable narrator - this isn’t a clever twist no one can see coming, it just allows everything to make no sense at all. Absolute waste of time

[Aja]

Actual garbage.

[Helana Starr]

Complete waste of time, so repetitive and dull. The backstory has absolutely nothing interesting and neither does the story told in present tense other than a *slight* bit of excitement at the end (if you’re not bored to death by that point). The ‘twist’ makes zero sense and is impossible to guess but not in a good way.
Plus this book reeks of AI writing (not ____, not ____, but ____) once you notice it you won’t be able to stop seeing it everywhere in the book. Would not recommend.

[Once Upon A Spine]

I know… I know.. I hate leaving yucky reviews but in all honesty? Just not good. I was very underwhelmed and didn’t like characters at all. No emotion, no real ties there. But the end? That just left me agitated..😣

[Charlotte Lack]

Not my favourite of AJ’s, but still a decent read. Another example of an unreliable protagonist. I did enjoy the twist at the end, but I wish there were some more one-liners that hinted the protagonist’s true nature throughout the book, either through Kim or Ross. I only clocked this a third of the way into the epilogue, but maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough for clues!

Spoiler below ******

Also, the timeline did not add up. How did Ross know about the brick, if he was meant to already be dead? Pretty sure he only found out about the brick at the school, and the video was recorded before this!!!!!!!!

[Vanessa Rousseau]

I’ll be honest, I’ve had a hard time to keep reading this book, not because it wasn’t good, but because it kept repeating in most chapters. The story itself was great, I was sitting on the edge of my seat during the last few chapters where everything went down and then followed up with an unexpected twist. It has great potential, but the writing was what threw me off a bit. Although I would still recommend this book!

[Nicole]

This book started off right and had me hooked, but it dragged on and on, replaying the same ideas again and again. It only started to ramp up in the last chapters but then it started to unfold. Why would they be comfortable allowing their daughter to be kidnapped for an entire night and day?
There were no real answers as to what Ross wanted, the twist wasn’t a twist. I was more annoyed with the book than anything.

[Lauren]

I would have rated it higher but the twist at the end didn’t make a lot of sense. There were way too many plot holes there. Also, the author repeats a lot throughout the book. How many times can a character lay their hands flat on the table? Or on their lap? Irritating!

[That Girl Liz]

3/5 ⭐️ This might be generous..

The premise of this story seemed promising, but the execution was so bland and repetitive. I was hoping the twist would make up for it, but boy was I wrong! The twist unraveled the entire story and caused many plot lines to make no sense at all. As I’m writing this, I’m beginning to think 3 stars is too kind, but oh well.

[Michelle Dunn]

Too many questions.....frustrating

[Tabitha]

Started off strong, then just got a bit bored and the twist felt disjointed

[Diane Merritt]

wowwwe this book, that ending still reeling... loved!!

[Holly Cerutti]

What an absolutely twisted and shocking ride! I went into this story thinking I had a pretty good idea of where things were headed, but I couldn't have been more wrong. There was one particular character who it thought may be mentally unstable from early on, but even with that suspicion, I never—not for a second—saw the ending coming. The twists and revelations completely caught me off guard!

The atmosphere throughout this book is incredibly tense and unsettling. The author does an amazing job creating such vivid, detailed scenes that you can practically feel the tension building around you. The descriptions are so immersive that you'll feel like you're right there alongside the characters, experiencing every disturbing moment with them.

This is a seriously gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller packed with jealousy, obsession, manipulation, and psychological tension. The deeper I got into the story, the more anxious I became to uncover the truth. Just when I thought I had figured things out, another twist would pull the rug right out from underneath me.

What really stood out to me was how the suspense never seemed to let up. The story keeps you questioning who you can trust, what is actually happening, and just how far someone can go when jealousy and obsession take control. There is an underlying sense of dread that follows you from page to page, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

And that finale? Absolutely heart-stopping and heartbreaking! It was the kind of ending that leaves you staring at the page for a moment, trying to process everything you just read. I honestly didn't see it coming, and that's exactly what I want from a good psychological thriller.

Dark, twisted, suspenseful, and completely unpredictable, this is a story that will keep you turning the pages long after you should have gone to sleep. If you love books filled with secrets, obsession, unreliable characters, shocking twists, and endings that leave you speechless, this one deserves a spot on your reading list!

I would love a sequel!!!

[Gem Woodroofe]

4.5

A.J. Carter very quickly became one of my favourite thriller authors, and The Friend Request is another gripping read that kept me hooked from the very first chapter. The story is packed with suspense, plenty of twists, and just enough red herrings to keep you constantly second-guessing yourself.

The pacing was spot on, making it incredibly difficult to put down, and I found myself racing through the pages to find out the truth. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, the story took another unexpected turn.

The only reason this isn't a full five stars is because I found the ending a little too open for my liking. After such an exciting and tense build-up, I was left wanting just a little more closure. I closed the book with a few unanswered questions and couldn't help wondering what happened next.

Despite that, this is an addictive psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you enjoy clever twists, tension, and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read.

[Lisa Caddick]

Do you ever really know anyone?

Where do I start with this book? Let's just say that the ending was not what I had expected all along. What I thought I knew, I didn't. It just goes to show that you can never really know anyone, only the face that they want you to see. When she was only a teenager, Kim had believed herself to be in love with Ross. When he left her life unexpectedly, she was hurt, badly. The scars people can leave behind aren't always visible to the eye, but they can still be there. She let this shape her future life, and ended up in a place where she no longer saw reality. Her husband Alex, and their daughter Olivia, are unknowingly brought into this situation, and the outcome is one that you would never expect. I loved the characters and their story. Read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

[Vicki]

This book was one of my first from this author! And it was good, easy read it got very interesting at the very end.

Kim has a marriage she’s quietly losing grip on, so when Ross – her first love who vanished without a word twenty years ago – sends a friend request out of nowhere, she tells herself it’s just closure. One short dinner and a chance to finally understand why he left.

But that one night reopens everything, exposing her family to danger. As messages turn to threats and the line between obsession and danger disappears, Kim discovers that the truth about Ross is far darker than the love story she’s been telling for twenty years.

A gripping domestic thriller full of shocking twists, obsession, and buried secrets – perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, and The Woman in the Window.

[Ellie]

Very disappointing and repetitive writing. Some sections literally said the exact same things with minor wording changes that made me wonder if I accidentally went back on my kindle. The protagonist was frustrating and not likeable, and the book contained some errors and inconsistencies that an editor should have really picked up on. The twist at the end came too late to add any excitement and was poorly executed as it left a lot of holes and did not really make any sense.
How did Ross even know she threw a brick with a note through the window to mention it in an advance recording?? Kidnapping a child to have a conversation with a clearly deranged woman instead of going to the police with his evidence also makes no sense at all. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll read another book by this author.

[Lama]

One Click, One Creepy Descent

The Friend Request by AJ Carter is a fantastic read, I finished it in a single day.

The story follows Kim, who feels bored and unfulfilled in her marriage, until one day she receives a friend request from someone out of her past. Will she accept it? And if she does, where will it lead?

Told across dual timelines, present and past, the pacing never feels rushed, giving the story room to breathe. But as you get deeper in, things take a genuinely creepy turn. Kim finds herself fighting to save not just her marriage, but her daughter Olivia too.

Carter's writing is beautiful, and the way he builds his world and characters is truly inspiring. If you love thrillers that hook you from the first page and don't let go, this one's a must-read.

[Amy Heyliger]

It’s rare that I DNF a book and I kept trying to push through but couldn’t take it anymore. I’m on page 165 and the story is dragging painfully slow. An event will happen for a brief moment and then it’s basically the main character going over it… and over it… and over it again in her head. Most of the book so far feels like it’s her in her kitchen in the mornings getting either tea or coffee and her daughter with a messy ponytail comes down and her husband leaves for work. Then she sits at her computer to do her work but hardly ever does because she’s thinking about an interaction with the guy from her past that popped up. Or she’s just checking her phone. Very repetitive and doesn’t feel suspenseful.

[Darren]

almost perfect!

The reason I sent the book was almost perfect, is because everything seems to fall in place, except for the very end. In typical, psychological thriller fashion, we are not disappointed with the surprise twist at the end, but unfortunately, there are many questions left unanswered. This is the only reason I did not give it five stars. Otherwise, you will be addicted from the first few pages. Your curiosity will be in a very high level! You will definitely be surprised by what happens at the end, but you will also be left with many questions unanswered. I know some authors think it's OK to let the reader use their imagination and in the book the way they want. I am not one of those readers! I would rather them finish the book to the end.