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The Three Women
When Beth, Megan and Joanne meet at university, they become inseparable friends who’d do anything for one another — even agreeing to keep what happens one shocking night a secret. Now in their forties and outwardly successful, each of the three has dealt with what happened in their own way. But secrets and lies leave their mark. When Megan decides to tell her fiancée the truth about that night, it threatens to ruin the lives of everyone around her. And someone is prepared to do anything to stop that happening…
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 9, 2020
3939 people are currently reading
2103 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Keogh
44 books811 followersValerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is available now and the second is due in Feb 2019. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 388 reviews
February 15, 2020
THE THREE WOMEN is a psychological suspense thriller by Valerie Keogh. This novel was brilliant and blew me away! I loved it!
The opening chapter will blow you away!
How well do you know your friends?
Three Women, Beth, Megan and Joanne, university students probably never would have been friends but for a chance meeting in a meet at a London university bookshop ana a clumsy accident
Beth -Self-sufficient type with a sense of humor
-Studying criminology to eventually work in police department
Megan-Short dumpy little woman
-Focused and determined
-Studying law to eventually work for the Crown Prosecution Service
Joanne-Blunt and honest
-Studying media studies and sociology
-Tall, blonde, attractive self-confident woman
Beth, Megan and Joanne have a girl’s weekend away to celebrate the end of their University days. But what happens on a night out together will haunt each of them in different ways until the end of their lives.
Their fate was sealed. Their friendship grew for the next twenty- three years. They became inseparable friends who’d do anything for one another — even agreeing to keep what happens one shocking night a secret.
Now in their forties, each of the three has dealt with what happened in their own way. But secrets and lies leave their mark.
When Megan decides to tell her fiancée the truth about that night, it threatens to ruin the lives of everyone around her.
A Lie can set off a chain of events into motion…one of cause and effect.
Megan had started a chain of events with her lie and Beth and Joanne had chosen the paths they followed.
They all had their secrets and lies.
The Three Woman is an amazing novel that will totally grip you from the first exploding chapter to the unpredictable ending. Aside from an intriguing plot what makes this novel stand out is the rich drama that these three characters bring to the table. So well written and an ending I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
The opening chapter will blow you away!
How well do you know your friends?
Three Women, Beth, Megan and Joanne, university students probably never would have been friends but for a chance meeting in a meet at a London university bookshop ana a clumsy accident
Beth -Self-sufficient type with a sense of humor
-Studying criminology to eventually work in police department
Megan-Short dumpy little woman
-Focused and determined
-Studying law to eventually work for the Crown Prosecution Service
Joanne-Blunt and honest
-Studying media studies and sociology
-Tall, blonde, attractive self-confident woman
Beth, Megan and Joanne have a girl’s weekend away to celebrate the end of their University days. But what happens on a night out together will haunt each of them in different ways until the end of their lives.
Their fate was sealed. Their friendship grew for the next twenty- three years. They became inseparable friends who’d do anything for one another — even agreeing to keep what happens one shocking night a secret.
Now in their forties, each of the three has dealt with what happened in their own way. But secrets and lies leave their mark.
When Megan decides to tell her fiancée the truth about that night, it threatens to ruin the lives of everyone around her.
A Lie can set off a chain of events into motion…one of cause and effect.
Megan had started a chain of events with her lie and Beth and Joanne had chosen the paths they followed.
They all had their secrets and lies.
The Three Woman is an amazing novel that will totally grip you from the first exploding chapter to the unpredictable ending. Aside from an intriguing plot what makes this novel stand out is the rich drama that these three characters bring to the table. So well written and an ending I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
February 17, 2020
When you have an opening chapter like the one in The Three Women you need to keep reading!! Holy cow - this is a good book! I finished it this morning after starting it late last night. This is a physiological thriller that will keep you on your toes. Wow Valerie Keogh, just wow!
Lies have a way of coming back to bite you - and this lie takes blood! 2 women meet at university - Megan, Joanne and Beth. When they have a girls weekend away to celebrate the end of their uni days their lives will change forever. A night at the local pub and an event that bonds them more than ever. They never speak of it again, but 20 years later the truth comes out and the repercussions are far reaching for all 3 of them. But it is not just the one secret that comes out. Sometimes it is best keep a secret a secret. The roll on effect is horrific and culminates in a shocking ending. This is a must read book.
Thank you so much to Bloodhound Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Lies have a way of coming back to bite you - and this lie takes blood! 2 women meet at university - Megan, Joanne and Beth. When they have a girls weekend away to celebrate the end of their uni days their lives will change forever. A night at the local pub and an event that bonds them more than ever. They never speak of it again, but 20 years later the truth comes out and the repercussions are far reaching for all 3 of them. But it is not just the one secret that comes out. Sometimes it is best keep a secret a secret. The roll on effect is horrific and culminates in a shocking ending. This is a must read book.
Thank you so much to Bloodhound Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
April 11, 2020
"The world's our oyster, ladies."
The Three Women: by Valerie Keogh
This review maybe long. It maybe to long. But I do not generally give a rating of a 2, to books I not only liked but liked GREATLY. And I did. Like this greatly I mean. I was all prepared to send out recommendations to all my GR pals for this book. So what happened?
Will not be easy to explain without spoilers but..will do the best I can .
Three women. Three friends. So many secrets. So much pain. Deception all over. Could have been handled any which way correct?
And the book gets so much right. The writer is so gifted. Every character..every one..has depth. I felt like I knew many of them. Not just the three women. All of them.
There are few times when I want to talk to a writer to ask this question: why? But I wish I could do that here.
Two words: The End.
Not of this review. Of the end of this book.
OK..Spoilers: there is other way to do this.
Yet, there WERE other ways for the three women to have handled there issues. Alot of other ways.
I do not fault the writer. It took guts to do this. Lots of them.
Coming from a backround, growing up, with two shrinks for parents, having studied a bit of psychology in my college days, and having been in therapy myself (believe me, I KNOW the power of poor decision making), I can say that, for ME..and maybe not for others..I felt that the wrong message could be gleaned from the ending here.
A suicide pact is not what I wanted to read about. It is, for me, almost a glorfication of suicide. That does not sit well with me. I am sure the writer did not intend that.
But what I am I supposed to think? These women all have pain and broken relationships and their decision? Die together. It spoiled the book for me.
There is a description o f something like that happening in the beginning but I had thought the writer was trying to throw us off.
I wanted a confrontation with Beth and her husband. I wanted a resolution between Megan and Trudy. I wanted HUMANITY.
Great writing. Great everything. But an ending that is not only horrific but dangerous to the wrong person. I do not get it. I don't.
The twist at the end. No way. I mean no way was it realistic.
I feel no closure. What happens to all the others? graham? Trudy? And Beth..what a despicable woman. Truly.
Somehow, I do not think that is what I was supposed to get out of the book but that is what I got. Is there an alternative en ding so I can bump my rating up to a five? Id like to.
Sigh. There is the reason for the two stars. Any of my GR friends who have read this, let me know. It is worthy of discussion.
The Three Women: by Valerie Keogh
This review maybe long. It maybe to long. But I do not generally give a rating of a 2, to books I not only liked but liked GREATLY. And I did. Like this greatly I mean. I was all prepared to send out recommendations to all my GR pals for this book. So what happened?
Will not be easy to explain without spoilers but..will do the best I can .
Three women. Three friends. So many secrets. So much pain. Deception all over. Could have been handled any which way correct?
And the book gets so much right. The writer is so gifted. Every character..every one..has depth. I felt like I knew many of them. Not just the three women. All of them.
There are few times when I want to talk to a writer to ask this question: why? But I wish I could do that here.
Two words: The End.
Not of this review. Of the end of this book.
OK..Spoilers: there is other way to do this.
Yet, there WERE other ways for the three women to have handled there issues. Alot of other ways.
I do not fault the writer. It took guts to do this. Lots of them.
Coming from a backround, growing up, with two shrinks for parents, having studied a bit of psychology in my college days, and having been in therapy myself (believe me, I KNOW the power of poor decision making), I can say that, for ME..and maybe not for others..I felt that the wrong message could be gleaned from the ending here.
A suicide pact is not what I wanted to read about. It is, for me, almost a glorfication of suicide. That does not sit well with me. I am sure the writer did not intend that.
But what I am I supposed to think? These women all have pain and broken relationships and their decision? Die together. It spoiled the book for me.
There is a description o f something like that happening in the beginning but I had thought the writer was trying to throw us off.
I wanted a confrontation with Beth and her husband. I wanted a resolution between Megan and Trudy. I wanted HUMANITY.
Great writing. Great everything. But an ending that is not only horrific but dangerous to the wrong person. I do not get it. I don't.
The twist at the end. No way. I mean no way was it realistic.
I feel no closure. What happens to all the others? graham? Trudy? And Beth..what a despicable woman. Truly.
Somehow, I do not think that is what I was supposed to get out of the book but that is what I got. Is there an alternative en ding so I can bump my rating up to a five? Id like to.
Sigh. There is the reason for the two stars. Any of my GR friends who have read this, let me know. It is worthy of discussion.
May 24, 2020
I have been reading a number of crime / mystery / suspense novels this year. ‘The storyline of ‘The Three Women’ and the largely favourable reviews made me pick this up. It however fell far short of my expectations.
Beth, Megan and Joanne meet while at the university, quite by chance. They grow to be close during their years in college. They decide to go on a short outstation break for a couple of days before they move on to their careers. An evening at a restaurant & bar ends on a horrifying note. Megan and Joanne cannot find Megan and learn that she had left earlier. As they reach the place they stay, they find Megan there in bad shape and crying. As she tells them what happened, they are horrified and it is an incident which is to shape the rest of their lives.
The story picks up events after nearly 20 years, by when each of them take up different careers, and get into relationships which are difficult to sustain. As she gets engaged, Megan feels constrained now to reveal to her partner on all that happened that evening many years back, which she has told no-one till date. Her partner is shocked but insists that Beth and Megan should know as well. As the three friends discuss the events of that evening, they find that it has majorly influenced their lives – especially the choices which Beth and Joanne made.
The premise of the story is just about passable. The good thing in the narration is how the impact of a single event can have a cascading effect on many lives. The build-up of the characters and the choices they make is weak in parts, especially the story around Beth’s relationship and Joanne’s career choice. The ending has a twist but the story ends rather poorly.
An average read unlikely to be feel satisfying when you reach the last page.
Beth, Megan and Joanne meet while at the university, quite by chance. They grow to be close during their years in college. They decide to go on a short outstation break for a couple of days before they move on to their careers. An evening at a restaurant & bar ends on a horrifying note. Megan and Joanne cannot find Megan and learn that she had left earlier. As they reach the place they stay, they find Megan there in bad shape and crying. As she tells them what happened, they are horrified and it is an incident which is to shape the rest of their lives.
The story picks up events after nearly 20 years, by when each of them take up different careers, and get into relationships which are difficult to sustain. As she gets engaged, Megan feels constrained now to reveal to her partner on all that happened that evening many years back, which she has told no-one till date. Her partner is shocked but insists that Beth and Megan should know as well. As the three friends discuss the events of that evening, they find that it has majorly influenced their lives – especially the choices which Beth and Joanne made.
The premise of the story is just about passable. The good thing in the narration is how the impact of a single event can have a cascading effect on many lives. The build-up of the characters and the choices they make is weak in parts, especially the story around Beth’s relationship and Joanne’s career choice. The ending has a twist but the story ends rather poorly.
An average read unlikely to be feel satisfying when you reach the last page.
February 17, 2020
Beth, Megan, and Joanne have been friends since they met in college. The night they graduated something happened .... and they are swore to keep it a secret.
The three women are now in their 40s ... successful, happy, and they've all dealt with what happened in their own personal ways. Secrets and lies have left their mark on each of them.
Megan decides to tell her fiancee about what happened .... which sets a ball in motion that cannot be stopped. Her confession has the ability to ruin all the lives around her.
Three women ... three secrets ...three lies ..... leading to a conclusion that will literally knock your socks off.
Wow! I read this in 2 sittings .... so hard to put it down for any reason. Well written with characters that are deftly drawn and memorable. The plot starts toward the end, then pivots to the past, then to the present. The choices that each have made is showcased in great detail. I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The three women are now in their 40s ... successful, happy, and they've all dealt with what happened in their own personal ways. Secrets and lies have left their mark on each of them.
Megan decides to tell her fiancee about what happened .... which sets a ball in motion that cannot be stopped. Her confession has the ability to ruin all the lives around her.
Three women ... three secrets ...three lies ..... leading to a conclusion that will literally knock your socks off.
Wow! I read this in 2 sittings .... so hard to put it down for any reason. Well written with characters that are deftly drawn and memorable. The plot starts toward the end, then pivots to the past, then to the present. The choices that each have made is showcased in great detail. I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
March 28, 2020
I feel like I read a different book from everyone else since there are all these five and four star reviews.
First of all, this book is NOT a thriller. It was horribly mislabeled. It was about three friends who kept revealing secrets, but there was no real mystery. And a big twist at the end does not constitute a thriller.
I never connected with any of the characters. There was no depth and I kind of disliked all of them. I also didn't really get a sense that these women were actually friends. I mean, they barely knew each other and they refused to confide in each other, even about things like relationships. That was very frustrating. Then when secrets came out, there was SO MUCH BLAME! Argh. Megan lied about something pretty awful and both Joanna and Beth made decisions based on that lie. But their decisions were still not Megan's fault. They were grown women and they did stupid things. I still don't get why Joanne made the career choice she did because of it. That is one thing that was never really fully developed. Another one was Beth's relationship with Graham. Why on earth would I care about this guy, this love of her life and the fact that he left her? We NEVER saw him throughout the book. We didn't even hear from him. I found it hard to believe that a guy who had been with Beth for YEARS would just leave with his stuff and yet, he didn't leave a note or respond to any of her texts. He just ghosted her. And Beth alternated between wallowing and not even caring, so it was hard to see it as a major life event for her or care about it at all.
Like I said, the ending had a bit of a twist, but meh. I had to plod through a very slow story to get to it.
First of all, this book is NOT a thriller. It was horribly mislabeled. It was about three friends who kept revealing secrets, but there was no real mystery. And a big twist at the end does not constitute a thriller.
I never connected with any of the characters. There was no depth and I kind of disliked all of them. I also didn't really get a sense that these women were actually friends. I mean, they barely knew each other and they refused to confide in each other, even about things like relationships. That was very frustrating. Then when secrets came out, there was SO MUCH BLAME! Argh. Megan lied about something pretty awful and both Joanna and Beth made decisions based on that lie. But their decisions were still not Megan's fault. They were grown women and they did stupid things. I still don't get why Joanne made the career choice she did because of it. That is one thing that was never really fully developed. Another one was Beth's relationship with Graham. Why on earth would I care about this guy, this love of her life and the fact that he left her? We NEVER saw him throughout the book. We didn't even hear from him. I found it hard to believe that a guy who had been with Beth for YEARS would just leave with his stuff and yet, he didn't leave a note or respond to any of her texts. He just ghosted her. And Beth alternated between wallowing and not even caring, so it was hard to see it as a major life event for her or care about it at all.
Like I said, the ending had a bit of a twist, but meh. I had to plod through a very slow story to get to it.
February 17, 2020
When you are presented with three women standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to end it all, at the very opening of a book… well, it would be difficult to resist being drawn in straight away. This evaluates my experience of this novel as I found I simply could not put the story down – I had to know what circumstances pulled three women into a suicide pact. What had possibly gone so wrong for them that the only answer was death?
Keogh expertly twists the narrative around three women – Megan, Beth and Joanne. We meet them at university and see how their friendship was founded. Only a small section of the novel is dedicated to this era before it jumps to present day. Now, with the women approaching their forties, we discover how one night shaped all of their lives. However, an admission by Megan causes their whole existence to come crashing down – tumbling like a delicate and precarious house of cards.
The theme of deceit is prevalent in this novel. When you think you have found out the final truth, Keogh adds in another layer of lies. I felt like a fly caught in a spider’s web: the more I struggled to find the truth, the deeper the lies went. I enjoyed how Keogh lures the reader into this false knowledge each time, especially as the newest revelations were surprisingly unexpected.
All three women are initially presented as rather likeable characters. However, as the novel develops, traits are exposed which shows they are weaker than what their close friends expected. I thought it was clever how Keogh had established this facade and it really tied in with the theme of deception. Nothing is what it seems, especially behind closed doors.
The final ending of the novel, (I’m talking about the Epilogue here) really stayed with me. Reading this book, I thought it was very good. However, the closing of the story pushed my enjoyment through the roof. I had not anticipated how Keogh would finish this story and, whilst it made sense after I had completed it, enjoyed the roller coaster I had experienced. I do appreciate being surprised in suspense novels and this final revelation made the story even more gripping afterwards.
A pacey, thrilling read, I delighted in the twists and turns of Keogh’s narrative. Who knew how three women could have become so immersed in deceit, that it completely and irrevocably destroys their lives? A lesson to be learnt for all: honesty really is the best policy.
With thanks to Bloodhound books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Keogh expertly twists the narrative around three women – Megan, Beth and Joanne. We meet them at university and see how their friendship was founded. Only a small section of the novel is dedicated to this era before it jumps to present day. Now, with the women approaching their forties, we discover how one night shaped all of their lives. However, an admission by Megan causes their whole existence to come crashing down – tumbling like a delicate and precarious house of cards.
The theme of deceit is prevalent in this novel. When you think you have found out the final truth, Keogh adds in another layer of lies. I felt like a fly caught in a spider’s web: the more I struggled to find the truth, the deeper the lies went. I enjoyed how Keogh lures the reader into this false knowledge each time, especially as the newest revelations were surprisingly unexpected.
All three women are initially presented as rather likeable characters. However, as the novel develops, traits are exposed which shows they are weaker than what their close friends expected. I thought it was clever how Keogh had established this facade and it really tied in with the theme of deception. Nothing is what it seems, especially behind closed doors.
The final ending of the novel, (I’m talking about the Epilogue here) really stayed with me. Reading this book, I thought it was very good. However, the closing of the story pushed my enjoyment through the roof. I had not anticipated how Keogh would finish this story and, whilst it made sense after I had completed it, enjoyed the roller coaster I had experienced. I do appreciate being surprised in suspense novels and this final revelation made the story even more gripping afterwards.
A pacey, thrilling read, I delighted in the twists and turns of Keogh’s narrative. Who knew how three women could have become so immersed in deceit, that it completely and irrevocably destroys their lives? A lesson to be learnt for all: honesty really is the best policy.
With thanks to Bloodhound books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2024
*Friendships and Lies*
This is a story about three women Beth, Megan and Joanne. They meet at university and their friendship continues. They are now in their forties. Whilst they were on a night out in their youth there was one fateful night, something happened to one of them. They all agree to tell no one after some persuasion from the one affected. The truth
was never revealed to two of the women. They were left to draw their own conclusions and were never corrected.
This secret has had a profound impact on their lives. The story soon takes a turn when one gets engaged and she decides to reveal what actually happened on the night in question. Her partner’s reaction is not a pretty one and an ultimatum is made. She must tell her friends the complete truth.
She invites her friends to the very place where it all happened. How will they react when the truth is revealed? There are consequences and two of them have made their career choices based upon a lie, this lie also comes with irreversible consequences and a climax that I did not see coming.
This is a story about three women Beth, Megan and Joanne. They meet at university and their friendship continues. They are now in their forties. Whilst they were on a night out in their youth there was one fateful night, something happened to one of them. They all agree to tell no one after some persuasion from the one affected. The truth
was never revealed to two of the women. They were left to draw their own conclusions and were never corrected.
This secret has had a profound impact on their lives. The story soon takes a turn when one gets engaged and she decides to reveal what actually happened on the night in question. Her partner’s reaction is not a pretty one and an ultimatum is made. She must tell her friends the complete truth.
She invites her friends to the very place where it all happened. How will they react when the truth is revealed? There are consequences and two of them have made their career choices based upon a lie, this lie also comes with irreversible consequences and a climax that I did not see coming.
June 4, 2020
We are forced to make decisions every day of our lives, some are so minor that they have no effect on our lives whatsoever whilst others are so major that they are still causing ripples in our lives many years later.
If Beth hadn't decided to go for a walk on that fateful.Friday night, she would never have met and ended up becoming firm friends with Joanne and Megan. The trio were inseparable throughout their days at university but when they went away together to celebrate their graduation something went terribly wrong one night, something that they swore they would never share with anyone else.
Twenty years later, the friends still talk but are not as close as they used to be so Beth is shocked when she receives a phone call from Megan who says that she and Joanne are planning to go away for a night and begging Beth to go with them.. Beth thinks that it's a lovely idea but the only problem is that Megan wants them to go back to the same place they went too after they graduated, back to where their lives were changed forever.
Two of the women are about to discover that their lives are built on a lie, more than one of them is not who she appears to be and that very often our actions can have far reaching consequences
The chapters of this enthralling thriller alternated between the three friends, starting with how they met, some of their time at university, what happened when they went away to celebrate their graduation. Then the story moved forwards by twenty years where we learnt what was happening in their adult lives and then what happened after they met up again. Each of the women was a believable character and had their own unique personality traits. Each of them was a strong but flawed individual who had hidden secrets and each of their lives had been influenced in some way by the events of the past.
Wow...This is a incredible, well written, intricately plotted thriller where the layers were gradually peeled away until all the secrets, lies and repercussions were laid bare. The twists and turns of the story kept me guessing and frantically turning the pages, there was some unexpected reveals and one hell of a twisted ending. I really really loved this unputdownable page turner, think it's worth far more than five stars and look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future.
If Beth hadn't decided to go for a walk on that fateful.Friday night, she would never have met and ended up becoming firm friends with Joanne and Megan. The trio were inseparable throughout their days at university but when they went away together to celebrate their graduation something went terribly wrong one night, something that they swore they would never share with anyone else.
Twenty years later, the friends still talk but are not as close as they used to be so Beth is shocked when she receives a phone call from Megan who says that she and Joanne are planning to go away for a night and begging Beth to go with them.. Beth thinks that it's a lovely idea but the only problem is that Megan wants them to go back to the same place they went too after they graduated, back to where their lives were changed forever.
Two of the women are about to discover that their lives are built on a lie, more than one of them is not who she appears to be and that very often our actions can have far reaching consequences
The chapters of this enthralling thriller alternated between the three friends, starting with how they met, some of their time at university, what happened when they went away to celebrate their graduation. Then the story moved forwards by twenty years where we learnt what was happening in their adult lives and then what happened after they met up again. Each of the women was a believable character and had their own unique personality traits. Each of them was a strong but flawed individual who had hidden secrets and each of their lives had been influenced in some way by the events of the past.
Wow...This is a incredible, well written, intricately plotted thriller where the layers were gradually peeled away until all the secrets, lies and repercussions were laid bare. The twists and turns of the story kept me guessing and frantically turning the pages, there was some unexpected reveals and one hell of a twisted ending. I really really loved this unputdownable page turner, think it's worth far more than five stars and look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future.
February 17, 2020
The opening chapter of The Three Women hooks you in and leaves you yearning for an answer. That is exactly how I felt. I wanted to know what led these women to this event? and, why go to these lengths?
What follows is a story that flips from past to present about the lives of Megan, Beth and Joanne. We see how The Three Women forge a friendship from their first meeting in university all the way through to the event in the opening chapter.
"Three women: one honest and blunt, one uncertain and suspicious, and the third focused and determined. They’d probably never have been friends but for that chance meeting in a bookshop and the clumsy accident in a restaurant. Whatever the reason, their friendship grew and endured for the next twenty-three years."
I like the use of the different timeline as this builds up each character and also it slowly unravels the mystery. Whilst reading, in the back of your head you have that scene in the opening chapter and are wondering how they got to there?
This is a story of true friendship and how secrets and lies can spiral.
"The law of cause and effect states that every cause has an effect and every effect becomes the cause of something else." No truer word spoken, and this quote encapsulates The Three Women storyline perfectly.
I will be definitely reading more of Valerie's books if this story is anything to go by, then I know I'm in for a treat.
What follows is a story that flips from past to present about the lives of Megan, Beth and Joanne. We see how The Three Women forge a friendship from their first meeting in university all the way through to the event in the opening chapter.
"Three women: one honest and blunt, one uncertain and suspicious, and the third focused and determined. They’d probably never have been friends but for that chance meeting in a bookshop and the clumsy accident in a restaurant. Whatever the reason, their friendship grew and endured for the next twenty-three years."
I like the use of the different timeline as this builds up each character and also it slowly unravels the mystery. Whilst reading, in the back of your head you have that scene in the opening chapter and are wondering how they got to there?
This is a story of true friendship and how secrets and lies can spiral.
"The law of cause and effect states that every cause has an effect and every effect becomes the cause of something else." No truer word spoken, and this quote encapsulates The Three Women storyline perfectly.
I will be definitely reading more of Valerie's books if this story is anything to go by, then I know I'm in for a treat.
February 4, 2021
I loved this book so much and I'm so glad that I found Valerie Keogh's books; I've enjoyed every one and she has fast become one of my favourite authors.
Beth meets Joanne in the University library, they start chatting and go on for a coffee, where upon they meet Megan who is having a bit of a disaster. The three, all from very different backgrounds, become friends and spend the 3 years together until their time at uni comes to an end.
On their departure, Joanne has an offer that neither Beth or Megan refuse, although I imagine that they wish that they had! - For this was the catalyst that helped to define their pathway into the future. Do they all reach the dreams that they set out to achieve? I love this authors imagination and her writing style, the characters are very believable and the settings within her books are always perfect for the story and plot and I could really picture the scenes clearly, in particular the final scenes which were shocking, brilliant and they really brought home to me the reality, that some people actually do feel like this, for whatever reason; their own fault, or not.
We see Beth, Joanne and Megan's lives years later, and see how far they've got in life and the lies, secrets and the deceit are in abundance. It really is a thrilling read and I couldn't wait to find out how it would end for the girls, even though at the very start we are given a snippet of their future. I was just calming down at some points when something else would be revealed. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it - it is worthy of more than 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you
Beth meets Joanne in the University library, they start chatting and go on for a coffee, where upon they meet Megan who is having a bit of a disaster. The three, all from very different backgrounds, become friends and spend the 3 years together until their time at uni comes to an end.
On their departure, Joanne has an offer that neither Beth or Megan refuse, although I imagine that they wish that they had! - For this was the catalyst that helped to define their pathway into the future. Do they all reach the dreams that they set out to achieve? I love this authors imagination and her writing style, the characters are very believable and the settings within her books are always perfect for the story and plot and I could really picture the scenes clearly, in particular the final scenes which were shocking, brilliant and they really brought home to me the reality, that some people actually do feel like this, for whatever reason; their own fault, or not.
We see Beth, Joanne and Megan's lives years later, and see how far they've got in life and the lies, secrets and the deceit are in abundance. It really is a thrilling read and I couldn't wait to find out how it would end for the girls, even though at the very start we are given a snippet of their future. I was just calming down at some points when something else would be revealed. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it - it is worthy of more than 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you
February 17, 2020
Beth, Joanne and Megan are firm friends as soon as they meet at uni. When they graduate, they decide to have a night away full of celebrations. What happens that night is not spoken about again but it steers their careers in different ways.
Twenty years on and things need to come out in the open and all are affected by the lie that was told that night.
I was hooked from the opening page, this story was not what I was expecting at all. The writer has written this with compassion and care, the story deserves empathy and sympathy. Can three friends ride the storm when a terrible lie needs to come out into the open?
An intense psychological thriller that I highly recommend.
Twenty years on and things need to come out in the open and all are affected by the lie that was told that night.
I was hooked from the opening page, this story was not what I was expecting at all. The writer has written this with compassion and care, the story deserves empathy and sympathy. Can three friends ride the storm when a terrible lie needs to come out into the open?
An intense psychological thriller that I highly recommend.
January 5, 2022
Wow! What a storyline , I managed this in one sitting & was gripped from start to finish.
Joanne , Megan & Beth meet by accident in 1997 at uni and soon become inseparable, in 2000 with uni over they embark on a girls night away. This is the night that the layers of lies begin to be laid. Fast forward to 2020 they are all still friends with exciting careers but all still hold massive secrets about what happened 20 years earlier.
This book kept spitting out twist after twist right until the final pages i thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be looking for more by Valerie keogh
Joanne , Megan & Beth meet by accident in 1997 at uni and soon become inseparable, in 2000 with uni over they embark on a girls night away. This is the night that the layers of lies begin to be laid. Fast forward to 2020 they are all still friends with exciting careers but all still hold massive secrets about what happened 20 years earlier.
This book kept spitting out twist after twist right until the final pages i thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be looking for more by Valerie keogh
February 1, 2020
there was three friends who meet at Uni .Megan ,Joanne, Beth. one night changes there paths of there lives each three are different in characters .they all have secrets and lies I must say its a brilliant read the plot is so good I don't want to spoil it for readers will say no more but a few places I had tears a must read
January 25, 2021
2,5/5
Komiczny styl, dziwne bohaterki, zakończenie, które miało zaskoczyć, a tego nie zrobiło.
Nie moja bajka.
Komiczny styl, dziwne bohaterki, zakończenie, które miało zaskoczyć, a tego nie zrobiło.
Nie moja bajka.
December 4, 2024
Really good book with lots of interesting twists and turns. It's about 3 women who meet in college and while out one night, something traumatic happens to one of the women that impacts the lives of all 3 of them thereafter. How they handle the events of that night have major ramifications for themselves and the people around them. I don't want to say too much else because of spoilers.
I recommend this book.
I recommend this book.
July 14, 2020
The Three Women centres around three college friends, Joanne, Beth and Megan. The book is set 23 years after their initial meeting and the three are still friends, however, their friendship is plagued with secrets and lies. One of these lies threatens to destroy the lives of each of them and is a catalyst for the decisions they have all made over the years.
This book was just "ok." I finished it and immediately said to my husband "well that was a weird book!" It all just seemed a little bit pointless and, despite finishing it, I didn't feel fulfilled by it. I know that not every book you read will leave a lasting impression but this one seemed a little bit like a waste of time. To me, it constantly begged the question of "at what point do you stop blaming everyone else for every decision that you've made in your life and start taking some responsibility?"
We have three women who have maintained a friendship for over 20 years and yet, seem to know nothing about each other or share all too much about their lives with one another. To me, this just seemed a bit odd and frustrating at times, especially when they withheld important life changes from their supposed 'best friend's'
I rated this book a 3/5 because I still enjoyed reading it, however, there were many aspects of the book and the characters that frustrated me to no end!
This book was just "ok." I finished it and immediately said to my husband "well that was a weird book!" It all just seemed a little bit pointless and, despite finishing it, I didn't feel fulfilled by it. I know that not every book you read will leave a lasting impression but this one seemed a little bit like a waste of time. To me, it constantly begged the question of "at what point do you stop blaming everyone else for every decision that you've made in your life and start taking some responsibility?"
We have three women who have maintained a friendship for over 20 years and yet, seem to know nothing about each other or share all too much about their lives with one another. To me, this just seemed a bit odd and frustrating at times, especially when they withheld important life changes from their supposed 'best friend's'
I rated this book a 3/5 because I still enjoyed reading it, however, there were many aspects of the book and the characters that frustrated me to no end!
April 28, 2020
I don't get the other reviews for this book. It made absolutely no sense to me - they barely liked each other, let alone were close friends who would have done what they did at the end, surely?! They went to university together years ago, and we are supposed to believe that 20 years later they went on a girls' weekend together. And then in the space of 5 minutes their lives unravelled so spectacularly as to lead them all to the actions alluded to on the first page? I didn't buy it at all, and I thought they were all supremely irritating characters too.
And one more thing, I live in (Royal) Tunbridge Wells - no-one uses the Royal prefix when they are talking about it (other than American tourists) so the constant references to 'Royal Tunbridge Wells' got SO irritating.
I obviously missed something though because it seems to have been well reviewed by everyone else!
And one more thing, I live in (Royal) Tunbridge Wells - no-one uses the Royal prefix when they are talking about it (other than American tourists) so the constant references to 'Royal Tunbridge Wells' got SO irritating.
I obviously missed something though because it seems to have been well reviewed by everyone else!
March 1, 2020
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
This book started out so s-l-ow! (Think? Little Engine That Could?). I plowed through, determined that something was going to happen. Suddenly, the story heated up, sped up. The relationship with The Three Women never really gibed with me, not believable at all. I danced around, trying to figure out who the villains were. Some loose, unsatisfactory ends regarding the love interests of The Three Women. I didn't get closure, that's for sure.
This book started out so s-l-ow! (Think? Little Engine That Could?). I plowed through, determined that something was going to happen. Suddenly, the story heated up, sped up. The relationship with The Three Women never really gibed with me, not believable at all. I danced around, trying to figure out who the villains were. Some loose, unsatisfactory ends regarding the love interests of The Three Women. I didn't get closure, that's for sure.
March 25, 2020
Deadly ending
I enjoyed this very much. Beth Joanne and Megan three best friends all have secrets. It starts with Megan having been raped 20 years before but is her secret real. Didn't expect the ending. Well done Valerie📕👍
I enjoyed this very much. Beth Joanne and Megan three best friends all have secrets. It starts with Megan having been raped 20 years before but is her secret real. Didn't expect the ending. Well done Valerie📕👍
April 29, 2023
I only finished this book for the pleasure it gave me in articulating disliking it. It is dreadful. The need for plausibility is something you can put aside for a thriller, but the plotting and characters are all over the place and the writing is dross. Even the cliches are inconsistent.
June 8, 2021
3,4/5
Nie było złe, pomysł w porządku, trochę źle ograne. Końcówka szokująca i podciągnęła ocenę 🤓
Nie było złe, pomysł w porządku, trochę źle ograne. Końcówka szokująca i podciągnęła ocenę 🤓
May 7, 2023
Was somewhere between a 3 and 4 here so let’s say 3.5. Not sure how I felt about this book. It was so depressing and the teasing of each woman’s secret dragged on but the ending with the plot twists was brilliant. I wish the rest of the book had held my attention and it’s pace the way the ending did.
February 1, 2020
Three women Beth Anderson joanne marson megan reese meet up in the university bookshop cafe london. And find they all in the same student accommodation and become friends for many years to come. Megan suffers a terrible ordeal and puts it behind her for her career is more important. Twenty years on she confesses to her partner Trudy and meets up with the girls again in capel- le- ferne to confess and test their friendship.
This books gives you goosebumps your emotions run wild as you read with lots of massive twists. With a unexpected shocking ending. I loved it right through and was hooked. Would highly recommend this one one of the authors best yet.
This books gives you goosebumps your emotions run wild as you read with lots of massive twists. With a unexpected shocking ending. I loved it right through and was hooked. Would highly recommend this one one of the authors best yet.
October 1, 2020
What an absolutely cracking thriller.
The story follows three friends, Megan, Beth and Joanne who meet at university in the strangest of circumstances and become inseparable.
A night away to celebrate their graduation ends in disaster and the 3 friends hold secrets about what really happened that fateful night.
The writing is absolutely superb, the 3 characters extremely interesting as the author describes perfectly what each of them are going through and just when you think you know how the story ends, BAM, a complete shocker to leave you stunned.
An outstanding, fast paced, exciting thriller that is told beautifully and is complete gripping.
5 huge stars for this wonderful author.
The story follows three friends, Megan, Beth and Joanne who meet at university in the strangest of circumstances and become inseparable.
A night away to celebrate their graduation ends in disaster and the 3 friends hold secrets about what really happened that fateful night.
The writing is absolutely superb, the 3 characters extremely interesting as the author describes perfectly what each of them are going through and just when you think you know how the story ends, BAM, a complete shocker to leave you stunned.
An outstanding, fast paced, exciting thriller that is told beautifully and is complete gripping.
5 huge stars for this wonderful author.
March 1, 2020
I have read all this author's novels, and this is her absolute best work. I love a good psychological thriller - and The Three Women did not disappoint. The story grabbed me from the get go, and didn't let up. You think it's heading in one way, only to be thrown in another direction pretty soon after. This was a story that I devoured. Highly recommended.
April 18, 2020
Far better than I was expecting.
Read it in one sitting. Great to see a book truly go into the repercussions of fake rape allegations...but it would've been better if we'd heard more about the suffering from the man's POV. Would definitely read another book by this author. Good escapism.
Read it in one sitting. Great to see a book truly go into the repercussions of fake rape allegations...but it would've been better if we'd heard more about the suffering from the man's POV. Would definitely read another book by this author. Good escapism.
February 10, 2020
I honestly did not see this coming... The author writes in a way that urges you to keep reading, even though you know very well you should go to bed. Three women, good friends, are confronted with a lie of the past. Can they get past it? Read and find out...!
December 13, 2020
really a 3.5 though Good but not until the very end
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