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The Book Club
Can you trust the woman next door?
_______________
The book club was her idea, of course. Alice's.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Because Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
_______________
The book club was her idea, of course. Alice's.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Because Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2019
1061 people are currently reading
5913 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Cooper
3 books94 followersClaire Cooper grew up in a small village in south Wales before moving to London as a student. She graduated with a degree in Ancient History and Egyptology and spent seven months as a development worker in Nepal. On her return to Britain she joined the civil service, where she worked for 17 years on topics ranging from housing support to flooding. She hung up her bowler hat when she discovered that she much preferred writing about psychotic killers to Ministerial speeches. She now lives with her husband by the sea in Pembrokeshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,090 reviews
August 21, 2019
Lucy has left her job after an affair with her boss (which she is still somewhat ashamed of), and is living in a village. She has become good friends with the other young people in the village: Maggie, Rebecca and Tom. Into their midst comes Alice, renting one of the cottages. She's the one who suggests the book club of the title. As for Lucy, she's put on edge by Alice, and comes to suspect that Alice is there to get revenge and destroy her life - but what could her motive possibly be?
Another psychological thriller with an emphasis on the "psychology" and not on the thrills! Lucy was a well-rounded character (if TSTL), but the plot was slow-going, and once again relies on an antagonist seeking their revenge in the most silly, elaborate way possible. (We know from the get-go that Alice wants to destroy Lucy's life - the only mystery is what her motive actually is.) Instead of Alice sneaking into Lucy's house and just moving her calendar around and other boring shits-and-giggles things, I ended up wanting Alice to just get on with it and break this story out of its tedium.
Part of Alice's revenge plan is to mess with Maggie, Rebecca and Tom to punish them for being friends with Lucy. So this means we get dumped with a lot of unnecessary information about their lives as well. Tom is an escort, Rebecca is sleeping with Maggie's husband, and Maggie once had an abortion. Alice uses the book club as a way to pick books that reflect the members' own lives and cause bickering among them. Interesting idea, if silly and elaborate as part of a plan that is actually targeted at just one person, but it also makes this more of a soap opera than a thriller.
There is also far too much reliance on coincidence. Isn't it handy that every single part of Alice's plan falls exactly into place the way she wants it, and that her targets never once seem to take the opportunity to actually talk with one another about their suspicions? I could give the book more credit than it deserves by suggesting it's a commentary on shallow friendship and today's society of self-absorption, but I think it was more plot convenience, so that Alice's elaborate plan could go ahead flawlessly, when in reality there was about 1001 ways it would have gone wrong.
Then we get
What finally knocked this down to 2 stars was Lucy's TSTL behaviour. Good grief.
Slow-burn thrills, soap opera dramatics, too many plot conveniences and a revenge plan that falls way too far outside of plausibility means you should probably skip this one for your own book club.
Another psychological thriller with an emphasis on the "psychology" and not on the thrills! Lucy was a well-rounded character (if TSTL), but the plot was slow-going, and once again relies on an antagonist seeking their revenge in the most silly, elaborate way possible. (We know from the get-go that Alice wants to destroy Lucy's life - the only mystery is what her motive actually is.) Instead of Alice sneaking into Lucy's house and just moving her calendar around and other boring shits-and-giggles things, I ended up wanting Alice to just get on with it and break this story out of its tedium.
Part of Alice's revenge plan is to mess with Maggie, Rebecca and Tom to punish them for being friends with Lucy. So this means we get dumped with a lot of unnecessary information about their lives as well. Tom is an escort, Rebecca is sleeping with Maggie's husband, and Maggie once had an abortion. Alice uses the book club as a way to pick books that reflect the members' own lives and cause bickering among them. Interesting idea, if silly and elaborate as part of a plan that is actually targeted at just one person, but it also makes this more of a soap opera than a thriller.
There is also far too much reliance on coincidence. Isn't it handy that every single part of Alice's plan falls exactly into place the way she wants it, and that her targets never once seem to take the opportunity to actually talk with one another about their suspicions? I could give the book more credit than it deserves by suggesting it's a commentary on shallow friendship and today's society of self-absorption, but I think it was more plot convenience, so that Alice's elaborate plan could go ahead flawlessly, when in reality there was about 1001 ways it would have gone wrong.
Then we get
What finally knocked this down to 2 stars was Lucy's TSTL behaviour. Good grief.
Slow-burn thrills, soap opera dramatics, too many plot conveniences and a revenge plan that falls way too far outside of plausibility means you should probably skip this one for your own book club.
September 22, 2020
You will be wary of joining a book club after this read
Lucy has moved to a small Cotswold village to escape her life, she quickly makes friends with Tom, Maggie and Rebecca and over home made bikkies and pub lunches they all lead an idyllic life
Of course every one of them is harbouring a secret about their past or present life
Enter Alice, who moves in next door to Lucy, Alice knows exactly who Lucy is and wants revenge...and if she finds out the secrets of the other 3 in the ‘clique’ then the more the merrier and so via a Book Club where she chooses books to match their ‘crimes’ chaos suddenly arrives, and life will never be the same for any of them
Initially I found the book a tad confusing but then ‘in this current life’ does it take much for any of us to have a wandering mind? once I concentrated and forgot the C word I loved it, the characters are a dream, Alice deliciously evil and with not 1% of a sniff of a redeeming feature, a wonderful ‘love to hate’ baddie, the book goes between present and past and the plot was really cleverly done and the atmosphere well built
The fact that Alice was suspected early on dismissed all the ‘C’mon you must know’ and made the ‘proving it’ even better
A great find
9/10
5 Stars
Lucy has moved to a small Cotswold village to escape her life, she quickly makes friends with Tom, Maggie and Rebecca and over home made bikkies and pub lunches they all lead an idyllic life
Of course every one of them is harbouring a secret about their past or present life
Enter Alice, who moves in next door to Lucy, Alice knows exactly who Lucy is and wants revenge...and if she finds out the secrets of the other 3 in the ‘clique’ then the more the merrier and so via a Book Club where she chooses books to match their ‘crimes’ chaos suddenly arrives, and life will never be the same for any of them
Initially I found the book a tad confusing but then ‘in this current life’ does it take much for any of us to have a wandering mind? once I concentrated and forgot the C word I loved it, the characters are a dream, Alice deliciously evil and with not 1% of a sniff of a redeeming feature, a wonderful ‘love to hate’ baddie, the book goes between present and past and the plot was really cleverly done and the atmosphere well built
The fact that Alice was suspected early on dismissed all the ‘C’mon you must know’ and made the ‘proving it’ even better
A great find
9/10
5 Stars
January 29, 2021
Unfortunately another book that sounded so much better than it ended up being.
Honestly, how none of them worked out Alice was turning them against each other is just beyond belief. I mean, someone new enters the friendship circle, gossip is being thrown about and suspicions are being made that were never there before - and yet they didn't think it could have been because of someone new. It literally took over half the book just for Lucy to begin figuring it out, and the only person after that is Tom and that's closer to the end.
Another thing - why Liz? Liz had sort of recognised her, but the way she said it was that she had a vendetta against Liz. It then turns out she doesn't. So why Liz?
The secrets coming out were pretty good, and there was some pretty good twists. Just not enough that made me really gripped by the book. It's worth a read, but probably not one I would read again.
Honestly, how none of them worked out Alice was turning them against each other is just beyond belief. I mean, someone new enters the friendship circle, gossip is being thrown about and suspicions are being made that were never there before - and yet they didn't think it could have been because of someone new. It literally took over half the book just for Lucy to begin figuring it out, and the only person after that is Tom and that's closer to the end.
Another thing - why Liz? Liz had sort of recognised her, but the way she said it was that she had a vendetta against Liz. It then turns out she doesn't. So why Liz?
The secrets coming out were pretty good, and there was some pretty good twists. Just not enough that made me really gripped by the book. It's worth a read, but probably not one I would read again.
June 22, 2021
I really wish I could have given this book a higher rating. The synopsis was interesting, and at points, I was gripped, but overall I just found myself being bored. Not quite what I would have expected from a psychological thriller (with more emphasis on the psychological - there was nothing particularly thrilling about this at all).
The writing itself was decent, but I found the changing perspectives and the jumping between past and present with no timestamps or clear indication of whose perspective we were getting unnecessarily confusing. None of the characters were particularly likeable, and I found myself not really caring about what happened to any of them. For a group of friends, they were nasty to each other, and they never communicated!
We know who the murderer is from the beginning, so the only mystery aspect is her motive. Granted, the motive was not very predictable (for me anyway), but I found myself cringing when we did find out the motive. It seemed like a lot of build-up for a mediocre motive reveal.
As you can tell, I wasn't a massive fan of this one, but if you prefer a character-driven, slow-burning psychological thriller, then this one might be for you.
The writing itself was decent, but I found the changing perspectives and the jumping between past and present with no timestamps or clear indication of whose perspective we were getting unnecessarily confusing. None of the characters were particularly likeable, and I found myself not really caring about what happened to any of them. For a group of friends, they were nasty to each other, and they never communicated!
We know who the murderer is from the beginning, so the only mystery aspect is her motive. Granted, the motive was not very predictable (for me anyway), but I found myself cringing when we did find out the motive. It seemed like a lot of build-up for a mediocre motive reveal.
As you can tell, I wasn't a massive fan of this one, but if you prefer a character-driven, slow-burning psychological thriller, then this one might be for you.
October 2, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
A new neighbour, Alice, moves into a small village. She's keen to make new friends and arranges coffee mornings and a book group. Alice has a strange fascination with her neighbour, Lucy. Each book that the book club read was aimed at one of the groups individual secrets that Alice seemed to know about.
The lurb for this nook was intriguing. Tom, Rebecca, Maggie and Lucy are all neighbours and friends. When they invited Alice into their group, they didn't expect to feel uncomfortable around her . Alice is not a likeable character. I fact she's a bit creepy. There is some clever twists but the pace is quite slow. Lucynis the main charactrr in the story. She had not long lived in the village herself before Alice moved there. This is quite and enjoyble read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Little,BrownBookGroupUK and the author, #CJCooper for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A new neighbour, Alice, moves into a small village. She's keen to make new friends and arranges coffee mornings and a book group. Alice has a strange fascination with her neighbour, Lucy. Each book that the book club read was aimed at one of the groups individual secrets that Alice seemed to know about.
The lurb for this nook was intriguing. Tom, Rebecca, Maggie and Lucy are all neighbours and friends. When they invited Alice into their group, they didn't expect to feel uncomfortable around her . Alice is not a likeable character. I fact she's a bit creepy. There is some clever twists but the pace is quite slow. Lucynis the main charactrr in the story. She had not long lived in the village herself before Alice moved there. This is quite and enjoyble read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Little,BrownBookGroupUK and the author, #CJCooper for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2020
Lucy moved in the village in the Cotswolds some months earlier and is starting to feel she has made friends, with Tom, Maggie, and Rebecca. Then a newcomer moves into the house next door to Lucy. Though she seems pleasant enough there is something about the newcomer Alice that just seems a bit off. But Lucy’s other friends all think she’s fine. Then Alice comes up with the idea of a book club. But each book chosen seems to be relevant in a specific way to one of the members. As they read each book, secrets of people’s lives come to light. Lucy becomes more wary around Alice as time goes on. But what could Alice’s plan be and why?
Tension exits from the beginning and I was interested. But as the story goes on, the pace is very uneven. After a while it just seemed to be going on and on without much happening and then bang it picks up again. The back of this book declares it to be ‘the most addictive psychological thriller you’ll read this year.’ Sorry, but that’s over hype from the publishers. It is not even close. Added to this that none of the characters were particularly likable. I really didn’t care that much about any of them. Alice is just plain creepy.
The story moves between the present and the past and discussion on the books that result in misunderstandings as the secrets are revealed. And there were certain aspects of the ending that either didn’t make sense or left me cold all together. There was nothing particularly fresh or different about this book to make it stand out. Just an okay read filled with characters and secrets I didn’t care about.
Tension exits from the beginning and I was interested. But as the story goes on, the pace is very uneven. After a while it just seemed to be going on and on without much happening and then bang it picks up again. The back of this book declares it to be ‘the most addictive psychological thriller you’ll read this year.’ Sorry, but that’s over hype from the publishers. It is not even close. Added to this that none of the characters were particularly likable. I really didn’t care that much about any of them. Alice is just plain creepy.
The story moves between the present and the past and discussion on the books that result in misunderstandings as the secrets are revealed. And there were certain aspects of the ending that either didn’t make sense or left me cold all together. There was nothing particularly fresh or different about this book to make it stand out. Just an okay read filled with characters and secrets I didn’t care about.
January 26, 2025
Release Date: 30th May 2019
The book club was her idea, of course. Alice's.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Because Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
Lucy moves to Cotswold village to escape her life in the city after her affair ended with her boss, wanting to start again. She starts making friends with her neighbours, enjoying the idyllic peaceful village and her lunches out, until a new neighbour moves in next door to her... Alice.
Alice inserts herself into the group and suggests the idea of a book club, where she uses this to try to unearth the groups secrets.
.
.
.
I struggled with how the characters in the book dealt with situations, maybe they felt isolated, but I did feel that they would discuss and confront each other more, especially if they were friends.
Good concept and story, with some good twists and turns. I got frustrated with Lucy a lot. I think the book would have benefited from shorter chapters in places to build the atmosphere and named chapters so you knew who's point of view it was, as it did get confusing not knowing who's point of view it was straight away. Overall a good read, especially if you like psychological books, with a bit of thriller.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Fable || Uncover || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
The book club was her idea, of course. Alice's.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Because Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
Lucy moves to Cotswold village to escape her life in the city after her affair ended with her boss, wanting to start again. She starts making friends with her neighbours, enjoying the idyllic peaceful village and her lunches out, until a new neighbour moves in next door to her... Alice.
Alice inserts herself into the group and suggests the idea of a book club, where she uses this to try to unearth the groups secrets.
.
.
.
I struggled with how the characters in the book dealt with situations, maybe they felt isolated, but I did feel that they would discuss and confront each other more, especially if they were friends.
Good concept and story, with some good twists and turns. I got frustrated with Lucy a lot. I think the book would have benefited from shorter chapters in places to build the atmosphere and named chapters so you knew who's point of view it was, as it did get confusing not knowing who's point of view it was straight away. Overall a good read, especially if you like psychological books, with a bit of thriller.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Fable || Uncover || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
September 24, 2020
Review coming soon
April 22, 2021
I purchased a copy from The Works after being interested in how creepy the storyline sounded. Set in a village/small town, a new woman called Alice moves into the neighbourhood with not so good intentions. There's a strong group of friends that have all known each other for years but each one of them has a secret that the others don't know, but Alice seems to be able to figure out and want to sabotage their good bonds. When a new book club is created to discuss popular classic books, it becomes a fight or flight movement that shocks all the locals and ends deadly...
I did enjoy the storyline but for me, the characters were not as relatable as I would have liked them to be. Alice came across as an extremely malicious person and my frustration was that the group of friends were a little bit too naive to fully work out all the happenings going on. A good read to pass the time!
I did enjoy the storyline but for me, the characters were not as relatable as I would have liked them to be. Alice came across as an extremely malicious person and my frustration was that the group of friends were a little bit too naive to fully work out all the happenings going on. A good read to pass the time!
October 2, 2021
So pleased my book clubs are nothing like this one.
I think that says it all.
You learn pretty early in the book what the secrets are of each member of the book club but why Alice wants revenge is just too stupid for words.
I think that says it all.
You learn pretty early in the book what the secrets are of each member of the book club but why Alice wants revenge is just too stupid for words.
July 6, 2022
Although I really enjoyed I was disappointed with the ending🙈
May 4, 2021
I was hooked from the start of this book and read it in two sittings. So good!
February 10, 2021
Honestly one of the worst “thrillers” I’ve read in a while.
Not a lot is “thrilling” about this book and relies on lack of communication between “friends”. If they had all spoken to each other then a lot of drama could have been avoided.
We learn a lot about the friends Tom, Maggie and Rebecca, one by one their secrets are revealed, and you become invested in their stories, however there is never any follow through. Once the secret is revealed the author just moves on with little regard to the fallout.
The story focuses on Lucy and Alice, and the suspense the author builds is tangible, however this ultimately results in a very disappointing conclusion. The ending feels rushed, the “revenge” is pitiful for the vehement hatred Alice supposedly feels, she drugs her and leaves her to burn alive, but doesn’t succeed. It left me with more questions than answers. How could Alice get hold of paralysing drugs and why did she let Lucy go rather than be sure she had succeed with the revenge she had plotted for so long. How on EARTH was Alice allowed to walk free when Tom had so many suspicions about Alice? It just makes no sense. There would have been a trail because the drugs obviously would have been obtained illegally. There isn’t even a passing comment from Alice about having to talk to police, apparently no one suspected anything (even though Lucy was drugged and accelerant was used for the fire) she just moved somewhere new as if nothing happened. Additionally when Lucy opens her eyes at the end I wish there was more of a conclusive ending.
Finally there is the “plot twist” that Alice was never pregnant. This plot point was glaringly obvious very early on - from the instant knowing she had conceived to the reaction from the woman in the baby shop bemused by her behaviour. This in addition to the fact that much of the plot was trivial, the lack of any conclusion and any founding in reality has led to my low star review.
Not a lot is “thrilling” about this book and relies on lack of communication between “friends”. If they had all spoken to each other then a lot of drama could have been avoided.
We learn a lot about the friends Tom, Maggie and Rebecca, one by one their secrets are revealed, and you become invested in their stories, however there is never any follow through. Once the secret is revealed the author just moves on with little regard to the fallout.
The story focuses on Lucy and Alice, and the suspense the author builds is tangible, however this ultimately results in a very disappointing conclusion. The ending feels rushed, the “revenge” is pitiful for the vehement hatred Alice supposedly feels, she drugs her and leaves her to burn alive, but doesn’t succeed. It left me with more questions than answers. How could Alice get hold of paralysing drugs and why did she let Lucy go rather than be sure she had succeed with the revenge she had plotted for so long. How on EARTH was Alice allowed to walk free when Tom had so many suspicions about Alice? It just makes no sense. There would have been a trail because the drugs obviously would have been obtained illegally. There isn’t even a passing comment from Alice about having to talk to police, apparently no one suspected anything (even though Lucy was drugged and accelerant was used for the fire) she just moved somewhere new as if nothing happened. Additionally when Lucy opens her eyes at the end I wish there was more of a conclusive ending.
Finally there is the “plot twist” that Alice was never pregnant. This plot point was glaringly obvious very early on - from the instant knowing she had conceived to the reaction from the woman in the baby shop bemused by her behaviour. This in addition to the fact that much of the plot was trivial, the lack of any conclusion and any founding in reality has led to my low star review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2021
I like how it opened as had me gripped.
Some parts felt quite believable how an outsider can infiltrate a group of friends and cause friction and tension whilst looking quite innocent.
However some negatives did have me rating this lower as two elements I didn't find realistic, one a friendship based one, the other right near the end but don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Did fly through this, I enjoyed the writing style and the plot overall. The ending had me wondering If there would be a sequel.
Some parts felt quite believable how an outsider can infiltrate a group of friends and cause friction and tension whilst looking quite innocent.
However some negatives did have me rating this lower as two elements I didn't find realistic, one a friendship based one, the other right near the end but don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Did fly through this, I enjoyed the writing style and the plot overall. The ending had me wondering If there would be a sequel.
April 10, 2021
I’ve got to say that this one frustrated me no end and I hoped the ending might pull it back, but it didn’t and I remain sorely disappointed.
The premise is great – Alice seeking revenge on Lucy (for an unknown reason at the start) by driving a wedge between friends. Doing so by creating a book club and choosing specific books to highlight and hopefully reveal their secrets. That part of the book is brilliant, the books chosen and how the group of friends react is spot on.
Unfortunately it’s everything else that falls short with the main reason being that it’s all so unrealistic. Throughout the whole book none of the friends actually talk to each other about their suspicions or the rumours that Alice (someone completely new to the village) has suggested to the other supposed best friends – that would NEVER happen in real life. There are other small and not so small bits like this that just don’t make sense – including something ridiculous at the end (all I can say with no spoilers). I was also disappointed with the motive for revenge too.
It was the author’s debut novel so I wouldn’t rule out reading something else by C.J. in the future, as she clearly has good ideas for main plots.
The premise is great – Alice seeking revenge on Lucy (for an unknown reason at the start) by driving a wedge between friends. Doing so by creating a book club and choosing specific books to highlight and hopefully reveal their secrets. That part of the book is brilliant, the books chosen and how the group of friends react is spot on.
Unfortunately it’s everything else that falls short with the main reason being that it’s all so unrealistic. Throughout the whole book none of the friends actually talk to each other about their suspicions or the rumours that Alice (someone completely new to the village) has suggested to the other supposed best friends – that would NEVER happen in real life. There are other small and not so small bits like this that just don’t make sense – including something ridiculous at the end (all I can say with no spoilers). I was also disappointed with the motive for revenge too.
It was the author’s debut novel so I wouldn’t rule out reading something else by C.J. in the future, as she clearly has good ideas for main plots.
July 4, 2025
This is the type of thriller I enjoy; twisty, domestic and unputdownable.
Lucy has just moved to the village of Willowcombe after ending an affair with her married boss. She's still finding her feet and getting settled when Alice moves in next door.
Lucy can't put her finger on it, but she's struggling to warm to Alice who, despite her smiles has a cold demeanor, particularly towards Lucy. Yet, Lucy's friends have all taken to her.
When Alice suggests a book club for the five of them, it sounds like a perfect idea. But, the strategically chosen books are guaranteed to reveal dark secrets amongst the group as each of them is hiding something.
The writing was great and the characterisation kept things interesting too; each character has a distinct personality which isn't always the case with thrillers. The reasons Alice has for doing what she does seem tenuous at the time, but the final chapter reveals more about her.
The ending was one of the best I've read in a thriller, particularly as it was unpredictable in a genre where it feels like everything has already been done.
Lucy has just moved to the village of Willowcombe after ending an affair with her married boss. She's still finding her feet and getting settled when Alice moves in next door.
Lucy can't put her finger on it, but she's struggling to warm to Alice who, despite her smiles has a cold demeanor, particularly towards Lucy. Yet, Lucy's friends have all taken to her.
When Alice suggests a book club for the five of them, it sounds like a perfect idea. But, the strategically chosen books are guaranteed to reveal dark secrets amongst the group as each of them is hiding something.
The writing was great and the characterisation kept things interesting too; each character has a distinct personality which isn't always the case with thrillers. The reasons Alice has for doing what she does seem tenuous at the time, but the final chapter reveals more about her.
The ending was one of the best I've read in a thriller, particularly as it was unpredictable in a genre where it feels like everything has already been done.
July 11, 2025
Wasn't the best thriller I have read. Wouldn't even have thought it was a thriller till the last few chapters. Felt very much dragged out. Lots of characters to the chapters got confusing as you was figuring out who's POV it was and also part way through chapter changes. So was often thinking who each part was referencing to.
September 14, 2020
THE BOOK CLUB by C J Cooper ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Now I knew nothing about this one but the name and premise drew me in:
EVERYONE IS HIDING A SECRET. ONE OF THEM IS MURDER.
The book club was her idea, of course.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
*Spoilers*
Whilst I didn’t dislike this book I just found that it jarred with me all the way along. The main character Lucy was ok but some of her decisions throughout the book make me think – do you want to invite trouble?! For example when faced with the murderer upstairs in her house and knowing she has come to hurt her; instead of leaving she choses to go upstairs and confront her? Really Lucy??! Also the pace of the story is quite slow, at times I was thinking “come on, move along”. There is quite a bit of padding with the stories of the other members of the book club which has little bearing on the final outcome. In fact Lucy’s affair with her married ex-boss is mentioned throughout the story but has little connection, really with the actual revenge. I guess these things are there as red herrings but really I just thought they were annoying. Ultimately I was interested enough in the book to carry on reading and was interested to find out what the murderers motive were – however like the book itself I found when it was finally revealed it was just a bit of a damp squib.
One of the marketing reviews said “Tightly plotted, edge-of-seat gripping” unfortunately for me I cannot agree; it was ok at best.
Now I knew nothing about this one but the name and premise drew me in:
EVERYONE IS HIDING A SECRET. ONE OF THEM IS MURDER.
The book club was her idea, of course.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
*Spoilers*
Whilst I didn’t dislike this book I just found that it jarred with me all the way along. The main character Lucy was ok but some of her decisions throughout the book make me think – do you want to invite trouble?! For example when faced with the murderer upstairs in her house and knowing she has come to hurt her; instead of leaving she choses to go upstairs and confront her? Really Lucy??! Also the pace of the story is quite slow, at times I was thinking “come on, move along”. There is quite a bit of padding with the stories of the other members of the book club which has little bearing on the final outcome. In fact Lucy’s affair with her married ex-boss is mentioned throughout the story but has little connection, really with the actual revenge. I guess these things are there as red herrings but really I just thought they were annoying. Ultimately I was interested enough in the book to carry on reading and was interested to find out what the murderers motive were – however like the book itself I found when it was finally revealed it was just a bit of a damp squib.
One of the marketing reviews said “Tightly plotted, edge-of-seat gripping” unfortunately for me I cannot agree; it was ok at best.
September 30, 2020
This is a great psychological suspense thriller and the tension builds throughout the book.
Lucy moves away from London after being made redundant and is getting to know a new group of friends.
She then meets a new neighbour and instantly dislikes her. She can’t pin point why, but she takes an immediate dislike to Alice.
Alice slides her way into Lucy’s friendship group and soon suggests a weekly book club for the group.
We learn that Lucy had an affair with her boss in London and soon other people’s secrets are being hinted at.
Alice is trying to make Lucy’s life as difficult as possible - but why?
We find this out at the end of the book and I was a bit surprised by the extremes Alice goes go to get revenge, when I found out what happened.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Lucy moves away from London after being made redundant and is getting to know a new group of friends.
She then meets a new neighbour and instantly dislikes her. She can’t pin point why, but she takes an immediate dislike to Alice.
Alice slides her way into Lucy’s friendship group and soon suggests a weekly book club for the group.
We learn that Lucy had an affair with her boss in London and soon other people’s secrets are being hinted at.
Alice is trying to make Lucy’s life as difficult as possible - but why?
We find this out at the end of the book and I was a bit surprised by the extremes Alice goes go to get revenge, when I found out what happened.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
December 15, 2021
Im usually drawn to a good old fashioned “whodunnit”. This book tells you right away who dunnit, and why. Or does it?
Alice moves to a small town and presents the idea of starting a book club with a group of friends, presumably to get to know them better and fit in. But the truth of the matter is… she wants revenge.
Right away when starting this book I had the feeling of “okay, I know what this book is about, not sure if I’m going to enjoy this.” But a little further in I realized what I thought I knew was actually wrong- and then I had to find out what happened.
I really liked this read! I enjoyed most that we got to see the story from each of the characters perspectives, and follow along as the drama and manipulation unfolded- hearing from the person with the secret, and the perception of those around them- without it being too redundant. The story kept me hooked the whole way through, kept up a good speed, and was believable enough to keep it interesting! Definitely a good, quick read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a thriller and some drama.
Alice moves to a small town and presents the idea of starting a book club with a group of friends, presumably to get to know them better and fit in. But the truth of the matter is… she wants revenge.
Right away when starting this book I had the feeling of “okay, I know what this book is about, not sure if I’m going to enjoy this.” But a little further in I realized what I thought I knew was actually wrong- and then I had to find out what happened.
I really liked this read! I enjoyed most that we got to see the story from each of the characters perspectives, and follow along as the drama and manipulation unfolded- hearing from the person with the secret, and the perception of those around them- without it being too redundant. The story kept me hooked the whole way through, kept up a good speed, and was believable enough to keep it interesting! Definitely a good, quick read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a thriller and some drama.
December 3, 2020
Lucy has not long moved away from London to her quiet little cottage in a small Cotswold village with her small group of friends spending their time with coffee mornings, homemade biscuits and pub lunches where she is trying to start fresh and forget what happened to her. Shortly after Lucy has moved in, moves Alice next door to her. She weaves her way into Lucy’s group and suggests they start a book club. Lucy knows she can't be trusted but she doesn't know why. Alice knows who Lucy is and will stop at nothing to expose her secret. Can Lucy find out who Alice is before someone gets hurt?
I don’t think I have hated a character so much as I have in this book. It was written perfectly and I just couldn’t believe some of the stuff that was being done in the name of revenge. There is mistrust for all the characters and their secrets as soon as you start the book but you can't help but read it as you need to find out more!
There were some times at the beginning of the story where I found it difficult to figure out who’s storyline we were reading but after a while I got to know the characters and the way the chapters were written around them.
The characters and their secrets were great, I loved how they seeped out gradually over the course of the book and that the books chosen for the book club would reflect each of them. They were written very cleverly, the atmosphere was built up perfectly and the switching between the timelines made it all come together in the end.
Overall a wonderful thriller, with a nice pace throughout; a perfect read especially for this time of year.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think I have hated a character so much as I have in this book. It was written perfectly and I just couldn’t believe some of the stuff that was being done in the name of revenge. There is mistrust for all the characters and their secrets as soon as you start the book but you can't help but read it as you need to find out more!
There were some times at the beginning of the story where I found it difficult to figure out who’s storyline we were reading but after a while I got to know the characters and the way the chapters were written around them.
The characters and their secrets were great, I loved how they seeped out gradually over the course of the book and that the books chosen for the book club would reflect each of them. They were written very cleverly, the atmosphere was built up perfectly and the switching between the timelines made it all come together in the end.
Overall a wonderful thriller, with a nice pace throughout; a perfect read especially for this time of year.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2019
Sadly, 'most addictive psychological thriller you'll read this year' is not an adequate descriptor. Its one of the many books in the domestic noir genre, but I think there are better examples than this. The villain is identified essentially immediately so the thrill of "whodunnit" isn't part of the narrative, just why on earth she is so psycho. Also, the stakes are a bit out wack, each of the friends in the book club have a secret that they don't want to share but the main character Lucy seems to have very little to lose by telling people her secret, in comparison to the rest of them. She is also the main target for Alice but she refuses to just tell them to resolve the issue. Alice manipulates the group members separately to bring around conclusions to suit her plan but it could all have been thwarted by these people TALKING TO EACH OTHER, you know like friends do.
The ending left a lot of be desired for me. I thought Alice was strange when the book began and it's reaffirmed at the end.
The ending left a lot of be desired for me. I thought Alice was strange when the book began and it's reaffirmed at the end.
May 22, 2021
I had some ups & downs with this, there were parts that were very slow paced & I struggled to get through, & the fact it was from lots Point Of Views without really clearly identifying it for you can be confusing at times (at least for me anyway). It also switched from first person to third often (Lucy's POV is in first, yet everyone else is in third).
HOWEVER, the story did pick up the pace & there were plenty of times where I couldn't just put the book down! Especially when things began to come together. I enjoyed the mystery, as well as the characters, I felt so sorry for Maggie & hated Rebecca!
Overall, when you stick with it, it is an enjoyable read! I'd recommend it but advise to push through the long winded parts, they do add up to the story & sets it up for the mystery twist!
HOWEVER, the story did pick up the pace & there were plenty of times where I couldn't just put the book down! Especially when things began to come together. I enjoyed the mystery, as well as the characters, I felt so sorry for Maggie & hated Rebecca!
Overall, when you stick with it, it is an enjoyable read! I'd recommend it but advise to push through the long winded parts, they do add up to the story & sets it up for the mystery twist!
May 3, 2021
Read this as part of a buddy read. Will hold off my review until after our group chat.
May 25, 2025
This book was confusing and to many characters with their own story being told. Made it hard to keep up with it all in the end I gave up half way 😂
April 22, 2021
A really good book that kept me guessing throughout.
The story follows Lucy who has moved to a cottage in the Cotswolds after an affair with her boss. She moved for a fresh start and has found her feet with a group of friends who all seem relatively close. That is until a newcomer, Alice, moves in next door to Lucy and turns her world upside down. Lucy always knows there’s something she doesn’t trust about Alice, but she can’t seem to quite put her finger on it. Alice finds out secrets about everyone in the friendship group and, after suggesting a book club for them all, manages to suggest or manipulate other people into suggesting books similar to each of the secrets they have hidden from each other.
Alice is out for revenge, and it took me until the last few chapters, just before it was revealed, to work out what exactly she wanted revenge for.
I found the book quite confusing at times, one chapter was from Lucy’s point of view and then the next was always focused on other character or multiple character’s but always in the third person. Because of this, sometimes I had to reread paragraphs because I was confused who it was about. But once I got used to this style, I really did enjoy the book.
Each of the character’s secrets were interesting, and it was easy to see that they didn’t trust their friends completely as they mostly dealt with the secrets they were keeping by themselves. It was also interesting to see just how easy the odd comment from an outsider caused a rift in the friendships and it made me wonder were they really that close in the first place?
This book really did live up the the hype for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that were present throughout. I’m looking forward to reading C.J. Cooper’s next book!
The story follows Lucy who has moved to a cottage in the Cotswolds after an affair with her boss. She moved for a fresh start and has found her feet with a group of friends who all seem relatively close. That is until a newcomer, Alice, moves in next door to Lucy and turns her world upside down. Lucy always knows there’s something she doesn’t trust about Alice, but she can’t seem to quite put her finger on it. Alice finds out secrets about everyone in the friendship group and, after suggesting a book club for them all, manages to suggest or manipulate other people into suggesting books similar to each of the secrets they have hidden from each other.
Alice is out for revenge, and it took me until the last few chapters, just before it was revealed, to work out what exactly she wanted revenge for.
I found the book quite confusing at times, one chapter was from Lucy’s point of view and then the next was always focused on other character or multiple character’s but always in the third person. Because of this, sometimes I had to reread paragraphs because I was confused who it was about. But once I got used to this style, I really did enjoy the book.
Each of the character’s secrets were interesting, and it was easy to see that they didn’t trust their friends completely as they mostly dealt with the secrets they were keeping by themselves. It was also interesting to see just how easy the odd comment from an outsider caused a rift in the friendships and it made me wonder were they really that close in the first place?
This book really did live up the the hype for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that were present throughout. I’m looking forward to reading C.J. Cooper’s next book!
May 10, 2021
It's a shame we can't give half ratings, as it may have been bumped to 3.5.
When I first started I thought I was heading for another 5 star read, so many of my book club loving it so much. However after finishing, for me it wasn't the case.
It's certainly an enjoyable enough read, and it keeps you guessing. But I was frustrated with the ending, and some of the events leading up to it.
Everything went far too smoothly for Alice, for a group of supposedly close friends they were very quick to dismiss each other from a few words from a new comer, and each time one of them was suspicious, they kept it to themselves?!
The ending really annoyed me - why did she go upstairs when she knew what might happen! Then it felt rushed, she was left to die, and then we're back with her in hospital, but not really knowing her fate. And Alice goes back to being herself and now potentially has another victim in her sights?!
I've recently really enjoyed books that have female killers with revenge on their minds, but this didn't fit the bill for me.
When I first started I thought I was heading for another 5 star read, so many of my book club loving it so much. However after finishing, for me it wasn't the case.
It's certainly an enjoyable enough read, and it keeps you guessing. But I was frustrated with the ending, and some of the events leading up to it.
Everything went far too smoothly for Alice, for a group of supposedly close friends they were very quick to dismiss each other from a few words from a new comer, and each time one of them was suspicious, they kept it to themselves?!
The ending really annoyed me - why did she go upstairs when she knew what might happen! Then it felt rushed, she was left to die, and then we're back with her in hospital, but not really knowing her fate. And Alice goes back to being herself and now potentially has another victim in her sights?!
I've recently really enjoyed books that have female killers with revenge on their minds, but this didn't fit the bill for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2023
2.5⭐️
this book was such a three star book for me!! it was good but average, the was the sense of mystery and suspense the whole way through the book which i loved. seeing everyone’s secrets being revealed and trying to work out what alice’s motive was. but the ending ruined the book completely. i can’t believe her motive was because she had to walk down the stairs bc of lucy and then bc she lost her “baby” which wasn’t even real she tried to kill lucy. it honestly made no sense to me at all, alice’s motive was extremely poor and honestly added nothing to the plot. AND the fact she got away with that and gets to know torture someone else like wtf??? i also hate how none of the characters stories were tied up, everything was just left unknown. furthermore the style of writing where it jumped between all the characters was very confusing at points and that could have definitely been made clearer.
this book was such a three star book for me!! it was good but average, the was the sense of mystery and suspense the whole way through the book which i loved. seeing everyone’s secrets being revealed and trying to work out what alice’s motive was. but the ending ruined the book completely. i can’t believe her motive was because she had to walk down the stairs bc of lucy and then bc she lost her “baby” which wasn’t even real she tried to kill lucy. it honestly made no sense to me at all, alice’s motive was extremely poor and honestly added nothing to the plot. AND the fact she got away with that and gets to know torture someone else like wtf??? i also hate how none of the characters stories were tied up, everything was just left unknown. furthermore the style of writing where it jumped between all the characters was very confusing at points and that could have definitely been made clearer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2021
I found this book hard to read there are alot of characters with not much depth so even half way through the book I was still slightly confused as to who was who. The ending was very average. Exactly what you expect. No twist or turn and nothing to make me want to give this book more than 3 stars unfortunately. I did enjoy it up until the end nevertheless
April 18, 2021
Enjoyed this one. Was a bit far fetched at some points - felt that the other characters would have figured out what was going on sooner and everything was going a bit too well for the “villain” - but still a nice easy read and some good twists’
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