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The Favour
In this twisty new stand-alone novel from internationally bestselling author Nicci French, a young woman agrees to do a favor for an estranged former boyfriend—but when things go horribly wrong, one small task turns into a murder investigation that completely upends her life, ensnaring her in a deadly web of secrets and lies.
It’s a simple enough favor.
Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. All Jude has to do is pick Liam up at a country train station—without telling anyone. So what if she has to lie to her fiancé? Jude is still committed to him and their imminent wedding, even if she and Liam were in love once.
She owes him.
After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam. Meanwhile, he never fully recovered from the dark stain the accident left on his record.
Now he’s gone.
When the police show up at the station instead of Liam, Jude realizes that she knows nothing about the man he’s become. Now she’s tangled up in his life, the last person to have seen him, and maybe the only one who can uncover the truth about what went wrong—even if she destroys her own life in the process.
It’s a simple enough favor.
Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. All Jude has to do is pick Liam up at a country train station—without telling anyone. So what if she has to lie to her fiancé? Jude is still committed to him and their imminent wedding, even if she and Liam were in love once.
She owes him.
After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam. Meanwhile, he never fully recovered from the dark stain the accident left on his record.
Now he’s gone.
When the police show up at the station instead of Liam, Jude realizes that she knows nothing about the man he’s become. Now she’s tangled up in his life, the last person to have seen him, and maybe the only one who can uncover the truth about what went wrong—even if she destroys her own life in the process.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2022
478 people are currently reading
7485 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
80 books3,635 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,007 reviews
October 5, 2022
Jude makes her living as a geriatric nurse working the night shift. One day, as she's getting ready to leave, she's informed that she has a guest waiting for her in the lobby. Imagine her surprise when she see's that it's Liam, her boyfriend for a summer when she was 18 years old, the one she has thought of often throughout the years wondering what happened to him.
It's been eleven years since they last saw each other but Liam has come to ask a favor and Jude agrees, how could she not? Part of this favor has her lying to her fiancé so she can travel for hours to a cottage to await Liam's arrival and this is when and where he'll explain more.
However, Liam never arrives because Liam has been murdered and Jude is now suspect numero uno.
Turns out shortly before his murder he chose Jude as the executor of his will which has everyone baffled including Jude herself. He also left her his favorite bowl. Yup, a bowl, and his girlfriend is not too pleased about this because she loves that bowl. 🥣 = 😡
It's implied that Jude is an incredibly intelligent woman though you'd never guess that by reading this book. First of all, YES you can say NO to this favor. I know as the novel progresses we do learn the reason as to why she helps him but even with this information I still think she should have walked away.
Then we're introduced to Liam's housemates, an eccentric cast of characters, and Jude is mesmerized by these lunatics. Like, what? She finds them all so mysterious and intriguing, and tall - apparently they are all so tall that they make her feel like a tiny little girl. I can't make this shit up. This is mentioned several times.
All of the housemates are beyond rude. To her and to one another and none of it makes even a little bit of sense. Yet, she returns time and time again. Then somewhere in the middle of the book, after attending the wake, she gets trapped in the house for no other reason except people keep calling her back - Just leave already. You are a grown woman that moves of her own volition. Tell these people to suck it and just get out. Seriously this was probably 100 pages long of her trying to get out of this house and guess what? Instead of leaving she sleeps with one of these weirdos and spends the night after all. Seemingly intelligent woman is mostly a huge idiot.
Can she say no to anyone ever? Nope! She'll help anyone that asks for no compelling reason whatsoever. The only person she doesn't help is herself.
The detective in charge was a hot mess too. She spoke and acted like no other detective ever and I'm a little surprised she carries a badge at all.
What's your plan? I don't know.
What are you up to? I don't know.
Why are you here? I don't know.
Why did Liam get ahold of you? I don't know.
Those are not direct quotes per se but these same questions are asked of Jude by EVERYONE in the book. The same questions and the same answers over and over again. 😵
This was my first Nicci French novel and unfortunately it was not a success. Future readers, if you are okay with preposterous and illogical plots then you'll have a better time than I did. 2 stars!
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, NetGalley, and William Morrow for my complimentary copy.
It's been eleven years since they last saw each other but Liam has come to ask a favor and Jude agrees, how could she not? Part of this favor has her lying to her fiancé so she can travel for hours to a cottage to await Liam's arrival and this is when and where he'll explain more.
However, Liam never arrives because Liam has been murdered and Jude is now suspect numero uno.
Turns out shortly before his murder he chose Jude as the executor of his will which has everyone baffled including Jude herself. He also left her his favorite bowl. Yup, a bowl, and his girlfriend is not too pleased about this because she loves that bowl. 🥣 = 😡
It's implied that Jude is an incredibly intelligent woman though you'd never guess that by reading this book. First of all, YES you can say NO to this favor. I know as the novel progresses we do learn the reason as to why she helps him but even with this information I still think she should have walked away.
Then we're introduced to Liam's housemates, an eccentric cast of characters, and Jude is mesmerized by these lunatics. Like, what? She finds them all so mysterious and intriguing, and tall - apparently they are all so tall that they make her feel like a tiny little girl. I can't make this shit up. This is mentioned several times.
All of the housemates are beyond rude. To her and to one another and none of it makes even a little bit of sense. Yet, she returns time and time again. Then somewhere in the middle of the book, after attending the wake, she gets trapped in the house for no other reason except people keep calling her back - Just leave already. You are a grown woman that moves of her own volition. Tell these people to suck it and just get out. Seriously this was probably 100 pages long of her trying to get out of this house and guess what? Instead of leaving she sleeps with one of these weirdos and spends the night after all. Seemingly intelligent woman is mostly a huge idiot.
Can she say no to anyone ever? Nope! She'll help anyone that asks for no compelling reason whatsoever. The only person she doesn't help is herself.
The detective in charge was a hot mess too. She spoke and acted like no other detective ever and I'm a little surprised she carries a badge at all.
What's your plan? I don't know.
What are you up to? I don't know.
Why are you here? I don't know.
Why did Liam get ahold of you? I don't know.
Those are not direct quotes per se but these same questions are asked of Jude by EVERYONE in the book. The same questions and the same answers over and over again. 😵
This was my first Nicci French novel and unfortunately it was not a success. Future readers, if you are okay with preposterous and illogical plots then you'll have a better time than I did. 2 stars!
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, NetGalley, and William Morrow for my complimentary copy.
August 17, 2022
Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
Writing: 5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 4/5
THE PLOT
Jude hasn't seen Liam in years, not since he took the fall for a drunk driving incident that could've ended her career prospects. When he pops back up asking for a favour, Jude has to say yes. But it will be a choice she regrets after Liam is found murdered and Jude becomes a suspect.
MY OPINION
I always seem to have an unpopular opinion, but this time it's because I seemed to enjoy the book more than the other reviewers.
This is my first Nicci French book, and I'm excited to read more. I loved the writing. A perfect example of less is more. The result: spooky af, poignant, rhythmic. The writing was akin to Iain Reid, who evokes emotions with limited, fragmented prose. The storytelling was also giving me major Sharon Bolton vibes, but without the thriller aspect.
I can understand why many people won't like this. The plot was basically non-existent, and the thrills were more like a small side of ketchup to the main dish—which was a character-driven story. You may ask yourself why TF would Jude do such a suspicious favour, but you'll learn that Jude is just a shell of a person. She followed the path lain out for her entire life. She doesn't have a strong identity. Then she enters Liam's adult world, his weird ass house that reminds me of a circus, with unsavoury, sexually aggressive, lost people, and develops her first singular opinion.
The life lesson Jude learned is sad. We've all been there. We wear rose-tinted nostalgia glasses and then realize the prince is actually an ogre.
I don't expect this to be a very popular read because it's marketed as a thriller, when it isn't. Like Good Husbands by Cate Ray, readers may be disappointed by the "false advertisement" of sorts. I enjoy a character-driven story, so having to 'adapt" to the content wasn't a negative for me. An enjoyable yet melancholy, poignant tale.
PROS AND CONS:
PROS: beautifully written with unique, fragmented prose, loved the strange caste of characters, strong exploration of memories vs reality
CONS: advertised as a thriller, but the thrills are very light...
Writing: 5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 4/5
THE PLOT
Jude hasn't seen Liam in years, not since he took the fall for a drunk driving incident that could've ended her career prospects. When he pops back up asking for a favour, Jude has to say yes. But it will be a choice she regrets after Liam is found murdered and Jude becomes a suspect.
MY OPINION
I always seem to have an unpopular opinion, but this time it's because I seemed to enjoy the book more than the other reviewers.
This is my first Nicci French book, and I'm excited to read more. I loved the writing. A perfect example of less is more. The result: spooky af, poignant, rhythmic. The writing was akin to Iain Reid, who evokes emotions with limited, fragmented prose. The storytelling was also giving me major Sharon Bolton vibes, but without the thriller aspect.
I can understand why many people won't like this. The plot was basically non-existent, and the thrills were more like a small side of ketchup to the main dish—which was a character-driven story. You may ask yourself why TF would Jude do such a suspicious favour, but you'll learn that Jude is just a shell of a person. She followed the path lain out for her entire life. She doesn't have a strong identity. Then she enters Liam's adult world, his weird ass house that reminds me of a circus, with unsavoury, sexually aggressive, lost people, and develops her first singular opinion.
The life lesson Jude learned is sad. We've all been there. We wear rose-tinted nostalgia glasses and then realize the prince is actually an ogre.
I don't expect this to be a very popular read because it's marketed as a thriller, when it isn't. Like Good Husbands by Cate Ray, readers may be disappointed by the "false advertisement" of sorts. I enjoy a character-driven story, so having to 'adapt" to the content wasn't a negative for me. An enjoyable yet melancholy, poignant tale.
PROS AND CONS:
PROS: beautifully written with unique, fragmented prose, loved the strange caste of characters, strong exploration of memories vs reality
CONS: advertised as a thriller, but the thrills are very light...
January 23, 2024
Hard working doctor and engaged to be married Jude felt that her ex of ten years ago(!), Liam, was her 'great love', but even she was perturbed when he turned up out of the blue to ask her a huge favour, one that he asked that she tell nobody about. Jude doing this favour for Liam turns her once stable and content life upside down and inside out.
The wife and husband writing team that makes up 'Nicci French' are just so good at contemporary world building and setting up scenarios, their one failing is that hey write to realistically so no matter how engaging their stories are, they feel a tad mundane when taken from an overview. This book is like that, great concepts, great world building, lots of nice mystery, but all a bit underwhelming by the end. Still a firm 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2024 read
The wife and husband writing team that makes up 'Nicci French' are just so good at contemporary world building and setting up scenarios, their one failing is that hey write to realistically so no matter how engaging their stories are, they feel a tad mundane when taken from an overview. This book is like that, great concepts, great world building, lots of nice mystery, but all a bit underwhelming by the end. Still a firm 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2024 read
March 26, 2023
I was lucky enough to hear the writers talk about this book before I read it, which gave me a better insight into the way they write together, and how they arrived at the premise of The Favour. If someone who once did something special for you suddenly turned up in your life again and asked you to do them a favour - not knowing beforehand what it was going to be - would you say yes?
When Jude's first love contacts her out of the blue and asks her this very thing she does say yes. She owes him and it seems a simple request, but of course she has no idea what lies behind it, and the outcome turns her whole life upside down. I enjoyed the whole story, got lost in who was doing what with who, believed every red herring for at least a moment and was suitably shocked at the eventual finale.
I thought it was well written, tense at times, frustrating at others (I was mentally begging Jude to get out of that house!) and it still managed a shock at the end. Five stars for me.
When Jude's first love contacts her out of the blue and asks her this very thing she does say yes. She owes him and it seems a simple request, but of course she has no idea what lies behind it, and the outcome turns her whole life upside down. I enjoyed the whole story, got lost in who was doing what with who, believed every red herring for at least a moment and was suitably shocked at the eventual finale.
I thought it was well written, tense at times, frustrating at others (I was mentally begging Jude to get out of that house!) and it still managed a shock at the end. Five stars for me.
March 25, 2023
EXCERPT: A scream ripped through the air. She didn’t know if it came from her, or from him as his hands flew up to cover his face, or from the car itself as it left the road with a screech of tyres on tarmac. Then silence, the tree filling the windscreen, its leaves black in the headlights. A crunch of metal and the lights went out. Her face rammed hard against something, pain flowered in bright colours inside her skull. She tilted her face and opened her eyes, seeing blues and reds and nasty purples. There was a silence in the car. Terror washed through her, and the terror was bigger than the pain.
‘Please help me,’ Jude said to no one at all.
ABOUT 'THE FAVOUR': It’s a simple enough favor.
Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. All Jude has to do is pick Liam up at a country train station—without telling anyone. So what if she has to lie to her fiancé? Jude is still committed to him and their imminent wedding, even if she and Liam were in love once.
She owes him.
After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam. Meanwhile, he never fully recovered from the dark stain the accident left on his record.
Now he’s gone.
When the police show up at the station instead of Liam, Jude realizes that she knows nothing about the man he’s become. Now she’s tangled up in his life, the last person to have seen him, and maybe the only one who can uncover the truth about what went wrong—even if she destroys her own life in the process.
MY THOUGHTS: Our first love - that person always occupies a special place in our hearts. If my first love turned up and asked me to do him a favour, would I? I don't honestly know, but then it's over 50 years since I last saw him. If he had turned up after eleven years I may well have done it.
Jude's life has gone to plan. She's a geriatric doctor, about to be married. Liam's life has not gone to plan, but then Liam never had a plan. Until now . . .
The premise of The Favour immediately drew me in and intrigued me. Just what was Liam up to? What did he want? Unlike Jude - oblivious, indebted and confident - I was a little less trusting and I soon began to detect a few red flags. But still I didn't know why Liam had asked Jude to do this favour. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch. It consumed me. I had to know.
The police put forward several theories, none of which satisfy Jude, and make even more accusations. But it is the final theory that is the most chilling and absolutely feasible.
I loved the scenes where Jude is trying to escape Liam's wake - talk about Groundhog Day!
I consumed The Favour in two sittings, fascinated by the ambivalence of many of the characters, Liam's housemates in particular. They are a colourful and unconventional bunch but perhaps not quite as unconventional as they believe themselves to be.
If you like a storyline to be tied up neatly at the end, then this may not suit. Me? I loved it and still can't stop thinking about it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheFavour
I: #niccifrench @simonandschuster
T: @FrenchNicci @simonschuster
Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple are married and live in Suffolk.
‘Please help me,’ Jude said to no one at all.
ABOUT 'THE FAVOUR': It’s a simple enough favor.
Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. All Jude has to do is pick Liam up at a country train station—without telling anyone. So what if she has to lie to her fiancé? Jude is still committed to him and their imminent wedding, even if she and Liam were in love once.
She owes him.
After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam. Meanwhile, he never fully recovered from the dark stain the accident left on his record.
Now he’s gone.
When the police show up at the station instead of Liam, Jude realizes that she knows nothing about the man he’s become. Now she’s tangled up in his life, the last person to have seen him, and maybe the only one who can uncover the truth about what went wrong—even if she destroys her own life in the process.
MY THOUGHTS: Our first love - that person always occupies a special place in our hearts. If my first love turned up and asked me to do him a favour, would I? I don't honestly know, but then it's over 50 years since I last saw him. If he had turned up after eleven years I may well have done it.
Jude's life has gone to plan. She's a geriatric doctor, about to be married. Liam's life has not gone to plan, but then Liam never had a plan. Until now . . .
The premise of The Favour immediately drew me in and intrigued me. Just what was Liam up to? What did he want? Unlike Jude - oblivious, indebted and confident - I was a little less trusting and I soon began to detect a few red flags. But still I didn't know why Liam had asked Jude to do this favour. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch. It consumed me. I had to know.
The police put forward several theories, none of which satisfy Jude, and make even more accusations. But it is the final theory that is the most chilling and absolutely feasible.
I loved the scenes where Jude is trying to escape Liam's wake - talk about Groundhog Day!
I consumed The Favour in two sittings, fascinated by the ambivalence of many of the characters, Liam's housemates in particular. They are a colourful and unconventional bunch but perhaps not quite as unconventional as they believe themselves to be.
If you like a storyline to be tied up neatly at the end, then this may not suit. Me? I loved it and still can't stop thinking about it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheFavour
I: #niccifrench @simonandschuster
T: @FrenchNicci @simonschuster
Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple are married and live in Suffolk.
October 15, 2022
The Favor by Nikki French started off as an interesting thriller…but it quickly got super boring. I seriously considered just not finishing. It was just way to long, especially for how it turned out. I kept telling myself, “ok there’s so much build up, there has to be a big twist.” There was no big twist.
I’m giving it 2.5/5 because it started off with an interesting storyline.
I’m giving it 2.5/5 because it started off with an interesting storyline.
January 6, 2023
I felt like this book was just one giant mess. The main character was a doctor, whom you expected to be somewhat intelligent. Instead, she was so idiotic throughout the story. It was hard to read this book. All the characters were unlikable.
April 5, 2023
Masquerading as crime fiction, beneath the facade is a covid/lockdown novel (despite the text making never a mention of either) which, at heart, thinks about who we are when all our usual support structures and routines disappear.
The main character acts out an existential crisis: Jude's engagement collapses, she's left her home, she's been put on stress leave from her job, and a dark secret from her past re-emerges. Who is she, the book asks, subliminally, when all these factors that tether her to her social self are untied and can she re-forge an identity for herself?
The central part of the book is a long and almost surreal funeral and wake, which feels like a recurring nightmare for Jude: she's constantly trying to find her handbag and leave, constantly being drawn back to another confrontation - the whole piece almost like a fluffier version of Sartre!
The actual crime elements feel somewhat perfunctory but the absurdist underpinnings make this more interesting than the usual psychological thriller. Written during lockdown, this reflects a strange time when stability was fractured and we weren't quite sure how to navigate the present - and that sense of being unmoored creeps through this book to give it an uneasy edge: 3.5 stars rounded up.
The main character acts out an existential crisis: Jude's engagement collapses, she's left her home, she's been put on stress leave from her job, and a dark secret from her past re-emerges. Who is she, the book asks, subliminally, when all these factors that tether her to her social self are untied and can she re-forge an identity for herself?
The central part of the book is a long and almost surreal funeral and wake, which feels like a recurring nightmare for Jude: she's constantly trying to find her handbag and leave, constantly being drawn back to another confrontation - the whole piece almost like a fluffier version of Sartre!
The actual crime elements feel somewhat perfunctory but the absurdist underpinnings make this more interesting than the usual psychological thriller. Written during lockdown, this reflects a strange time when stability was fractured and we weren't quite sure how to navigate the present - and that sense of being unmoored creeps through this book to give it an uneasy edge: 3.5 stars rounded up.
April 4, 2023
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the readalong hosted by Tandem Collective UK.
The Favour is about a doctor, Jude, who gets an unexpected, out of the blue visit from an old flame, Liam. Liam hasn't been in Judes life for over eleven years and pops up asking her to do a suspicious favour for him. Trusting him that it's nothing dangerous and is just a simple, straightforward favour, Jude agrees. My alarm bells were going off straight away at this strange favour request, and my mind whirled as to what the motive could be behind it. Jude then receives a visit from the police and her world unravells around her. I found Jude to be a very frustrating character, and I wanted to shake her numerous times and shout at her to stop going found to 'that house'. This book left me feeling unnerved and queasy from the unlikeable characters and situation in the story as a whole. I did hope for more of a shock at the end of the book as I did manage to piece together who the killer was at just over halfway through. Overall, it was a great read, and I'd love to hear your thoughts upon reading it, too.
The Favour is about a doctor, Jude, who gets an unexpected, out of the blue visit from an old flame, Liam. Liam hasn't been in Judes life for over eleven years and pops up asking her to do a suspicious favour for him. Trusting him that it's nothing dangerous and is just a simple, straightforward favour, Jude agrees. My alarm bells were going off straight away at this strange favour request, and my mind whirled as to what the motive could be behind it. Jude then receives a visit from the police and her world unravells around her. I found Jude to be a very frustrating character, and I wanted to shake her numerous times and shout at her to stop going found to 'that house'. This book left me feeling unnerved and queasy from the unlikeable characters and situation in the story as a whole. I did hope for more of a shock at the end of the book as I did manage to piece together who the killer was at just over halfway through. Overall, it was a great read, and I'd love to hear your thoughts upon reading it, too.
April 29, 2022
Zelfs de review vind ik moeilijk. Want wat heb ik nou gelezen? Als dit boek door een andere schrijver was geschreven, was ik er al in het begin van het boek mee gestopt. Maar ik bleef lezen en hopen op de onderhuidse spanning van de eerdere boeken van dit schrijversduo. Het was allesbehalve spannend. Erger nog het hele verhaal is zéér onwaarschijnlijk. De karakters zijn vlak en karikaturen. De schrijfstijl is nog steeds goed en daarom vind ik het extra jammer dat dit boek zo tegenvalt.
May 14, 2023
The Favour is the sixteenth stand-alone novel by British writing duo, Nicci French. It’s over eleven years since Jude Winter has seen Liam Birch, but what they shared when they were eighteen has never left her. Life moved on for both: Jude qualified as a doctor and is about to marry Nat; Liam tells her he has a young son, Alfie. But Liam has a favour to ask, nothing big, no worries if you can’t, tell you what it is when we meet in Norfolk.
Jude agrees. She goes along with his plan without asking too many questions, and without telling her fiancé. She follows Liam’s instructions, and waits. And then the police turn up, telling her that Liam has been found dead, in London. Why does Jude have his car, his bag, his wallet, his mobile phone, in a cottage in Norfolk? Jude’s explanation doesn’t really satisfy DI Leila Fox.
Leila later tells Jude that she’s already performed the favour, in the form of providing Liam with an alibi, using his car, his credit card, taking his phone to Norfolk. But for what had Liam needed an alibi? That is a mystery. Liam’s murder would have looked like a mugging, except for Jude’s involvement.
Jude’s intention to go home to Nat and say nothing is scuppered when someone leaks her role in this strange crime to the press. Her fiancé is even less convinced than DI Fox, and suddenly, that one decision turns her life upside down. And if Jude thinks that’s the worst that can happen, she’s got another think coming…
As Jude gets herself more and more enmeshed in what was Liam’s bohemian life, do her choices stretch the bounds of credibility? Most decidedly. But, a bit like a train crash, it’s hard to look away.
In true Nicci French style, each chapter adds another wrinkle to the plot, ensuring that the reader is kept guessing at every turn. Even readers who settle on the right perpetrator from the start are unlikely to deduce motive, and will likely be distracted by some convincing red herrings. And just when everything seems to have been revealed, there’s a chilling, jaw-dropping twist in the final pages. Another well-written Nicci French page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
Jude agrees. She goes along with his plan without asking too many questions, and without telling her fiancé. She follows Liam’s instructions, and waits. And then the police turn up, telling her that Liam has been found dead, in London. Why does Jude have his car, his bag, his wallet, his mobile phone, in a cottage in Norfolk? Jude’s explanation doesn’t really satisfy DI Leila Fox.
Leila later tells Jude that she’s already performed the favour, in the form of providing Liam with an alibi, using his car, his credit card, taking his phone to Norfolk. But for what had Liam needed an alibi? That is a mystery. Liam’s murder would have looked like a mugging, except for Jude’s involvement.
Jude’s intention to go home to Nat and say nothing is scuppered when someone leaks her role in this strange crime to the press. Her fiancé is even less convinced than DI Fox, and suddenly, that one decision turns her life upside down. And if Jude thinks that’s the worst that can happen, she’s got another think coming…
As Jude gets herself more and more enmeshed in what was Liam’s bohemian life, do her choices stretch the bounds of credibility? Most decidedly. But, a bit like a train crash, it’s hard to look away.
In true Nicci French style, each chapter adds another wrinkle to the plot, ensuring that the reader is kept guessing at every turn. Even readers who settle on the right perpetrator from the start are unlikely to deduce motive, and will likely be distracted by some convincing red herrings. And just when everything seems to have been revealed, there’s a chilling, jaw-dropping twist in the final pages. Another well-written Nicci French page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
February 6, 2024
Weird story. Addictive writing as always when it is comes to this author couple, but why not use the skills on something a bit more substantial, a bit more meaningful?
January 12, 2023
This book was like listening to the lyrics of Hotel California, she just couldn’t stay away and kept getting sucked in. The main character for being a doctor isn’t very clever. Maybe you don’t need common sense to be a doctor? Why she just couldn’t walk away constantly just was annoying. LIKE STOP! GO HOME. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
And it’s repetitive and too deceptive on parts that aren’t necessary. I call them fillers for when the author wants to make the book longer. Unnecessary and boring.
I’ve not read anything else by her. Seems I may not moving forward.
SPOILER HERE:
Did the husband having an affair needed to be added in? It was unnecessary. Was it to make us hate him and feel bad for Jude more? Because I didn’t feel anything for anyone except the poor toddler at the end. Or Jude’s mom. I liked her. Past that, this book was madness.
And it’s repetitive and too deceptive on parts that aren’t necessary. I call them fillers for when the author wants to make the book longer. Unnecessary and boring.
I’ve not read anything else by her. Seems I may not moving forward.
SPOILER HERE:
Did the husband having an affair needed to be added in? It was unnecessary. Was it to make us hate him and feel bad for Jude more? Because I didn’t feel anything for anyone except the poor toddler at the end. Or Jude’s mom. I liked her. Past that, this book was madness.
March 16, 2023
After finishing this title I looked up the reviews on GR. I discovered I’m not the only person being disappointed with this book. Yes, it’s ‘a Nicci French’ so I wanted to read it. No, it didn’t live up to the reputation of the authors.
Jude may be a geriatric doctor, so we know she must be rather clever, but she knows absolutely nothing of the world. She lives through her work and her bland fiancée Nat. How stupid can you be to go to a cabin in the woods without telling your loved one?
There are a lot of characters in this novel, and even Liam, who dies almost immediately after we read about him, plays an important role. For the rest of the housemates I couldn’t care less. I think the idea of living with friends long after you’ve graduated and found a job is quite silly.
I was disappointed in the story and the characters and only the unique writing style of ‘Nicci French’ kept me interested.
Jude may be a geriatric doctor, so we know she must be rather clever, but she knows absolutely nothing of the world. She lives through her work and her bland fiancée Nat. How stupid can you be to go to a cabin in the woods without telling your loved one?
There are a lot of characters in this novel, and even Liam, who dies almost immediately after we read about him, plays an important role. For the rest of the housemates I couldn’t care less. I think the idea of living with friends long after you’ve graduated and found a job is quite silly.
I was disappointed in the story and the characters and only the unique writing style of ‘Nicci French’ kept me interested.
November 14, 2022
This one was a little ridiculous. The main character is a doctor, but she makes one stupid decision after another, making it very difficult to like or understand her. Also, her actions were so absurd that the book lost any credibility early on. A host of side characters were also very unbelievable.
Still, I did finish it
Still, I did finish it
May 18, 2023
Life is going pretty well for Dr. Jude Winter. She has a rewarding job in the geriatric division of a London hospital and is looking forward to her wedding to fiancé Matt in two weeks time.
Then, out of the blue, after an absence of eleven years, her first serious boyfriend, Liam Birch turns up to meet her with a strange request. He wants her to drive up to a remote cottage on the Norfolk coast, using his car and paying with his credit card, and then wait for him to arrive by train the following evening. For some reason we are not initially aware of, Jude agrees to this suspicious proposition.
However, when Liam doesn’t arrive on the train as promised, Jude finds her whole life thrown into utter turmoil and she is in danger of becoming another casualty of others’ sinister plans. Yet, before she can resolve the present crisis, she has to take a painful journey back into her own past.
This is a very original and well-constructed thriller which keeps the reader guessing right until the end.
Then, out of the blue, after an absence of eleven years, her first serious boyfriend, Liam Birch turns up to meet her with a strange request. He wants her to drive up to a remote cottage on the Norfolk coast, using his car and paying with his credit card, and then wait for him to arrive by train the following evening. For some reason we are not initially aware of, Jude agrees to this suspicious proposition.
However, when Liam doesn’t arrive on the train as promised, Jude finds her whole life thrown into utter turmoil and she is in danger of becoming another casualty of others’ sinister plans. Yet, before she can resolve the present crisis, she has to take a painful journey back into her own past.
This is a very original and well-constructed thriller which keeps the reader guessing right until the end.
October 3, 2022
Dr. Jude Winter hasn’t seen her high school boyfriend in over a decade, since that one heady summer night when a car crash changed everything. She’s never forgotten her first love, and when he suddenly reappears after all these years asking for a favor, she finds herself not only saying yes but also lying about it to her fiancé. When Liam is murdered, Jude finds herself in a tangled web that seems to pull more tightly around her at every turn.
I think other types of readers will like this book, but sadly it wasn’t for me. Rather than the twisty thriller that I was expecting, “The Favor” is a character-driven story with a slightly sinister edge but a pretty thin plot. The entire premise hinges on the reader believing that this intelligent young woman (a doctor!) would continually put herself in peril for a high school boyfriend. When Jude’s motivation is revealed, it makes sense that she might have felt compelled to do the initial favor, but it was unbelievable to me that she would keep going down a path where she is likely to end up behind bars or even dead. The ending is quite good and makes up for the fact that both Jude and the plot meander around for far too long.
The writing quality is excellent and atmospheric, so if you don’t mind suspending disbelief (a lot!), then give this one a try. Many thanks to Scene of the Crime and William Morrow via NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book.
I think other types of readers will like this book, but sadly it wasn’t for me. Rather than the twisty thriller that I was expecting, “The Favor” is a character-driven story with a slightly sinister edge but a pretty thin plot. The entire premise hinges on the reader believing that this intelligent young woman (a doctor!) would continually put herself in peril for a high school boyfriend. When Jude’s motivation is revealed, it makes sense that she might have felt compelled to do the initial favor, but it was unbelievable to me that she would keep going down a path where she is likely to end up behind bars or even dead. The ending is quite good and makes up for the fact that both Jude and the plot meander around for far too long.
The writing quality is excellent and atmospheric, so if you don’t mind suspending disbelief (a lot!), then give this one a try. Many thanks to Scene of the Crime and William Morrow via NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book.
August 15, 2022
Since Nicci French’s engrossing Frieda Klein series, I’ve found their standalone novels a little more unpredictable quality-wise. ‘The Favour’ begins promisingly. Junior doctor Jude is on the cusp of marriage; after a night shift she finds that Liam, her ‘bad boy’ first boyfriend, whom she hasn’t seen since she left school, is waiting for her to ask a favour – and a very strange favour it is too. Jude accepts and, from then on, her predictable safe life becomes anything but.
Given the moral hold that Liam has on Jude, revealed later in the novel, it’s possible to accept that she might decide to grant his request. However, ‘The Favour’ fails to engage when Jude becomes more and more caught up with Liam’s housemates. That these odious, and yet quickly forgettable, characters seem to have a hold on Jude is very hard to believe. It’s also clear pretty quickly that Jude has been used poorly by Liam so why she has a burning desire to comply with his legal instructions, particularly when her kindly, supportive family is encouraging her not to, is puzzling.
As always, Nicci French has written a page turner but this story did not work for me on a psychological or emotional level.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
Given the moral hold that Liam has on Jude, revealed later in the novel, it’s possible to accept that she might decide to grant his request. However, ‘The Favour’ fails to engage when Jude becomes more and more caught up with Liam’s housemates. That these odious, and yet quickly forgettable, characters seem to have a hold on Jude is very hard to believe. It’s also clear pretty quickly that Jude has been used poorly by Liam so why she has a burning desire to comply with his legal instructions, particularly when her kindly, supportive family is encouraging her not to, is puzzling.
As always, Nicci French has written a page turner but this story did not work for me on a psychological or emotional level.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
September 29, 2024
Услугата може да разруши живота ви: https://knigolandia.info/uslugata/
Зловещо ли звучи? Ами такова си е. Джуд е тази, която е имала всички възможности на света – и до голяма степен се е възползвала от тях в кариерен и личен план, станала е лекар и е сгодена за правилния мъж, с когото планират да градят заедно бъдещето си. Но от миналото внезапно изплува призрак – Лиъм, нейно бивше гадже от гимназията. И нещо повече – човекът, в когото е била лудо влюбена, типичното лошо момче, което може да завърти главата на доброто момиче, разхайтеният бродяга, с когото е била готова да иде до края на света. Връзка, която се е разпаднала внезапно след опасен инцидент с кола и пиян шофьор. Тя е продължила по пътя си нагоре, той по пътя си насам-натам, и само един спомен за пламенна страст все така е мъждукал някъде в сърцето.
AMG Publishing
https://knigolandia.info/uslugata/
Зловещо ли звучи? Ами такова си е. Джуд е тази, която е имала всички възможности на света – и до голяма степен се е възползвала от тях в кариерен и личен план, станала е лекар и е сгодена за правилния мъж, с когото планират да градят заедно бъдещето си. Но от миналото внезапно изплува призрак – Лиъм, нейно бивше гадже от гимназията. И нещо повече – човекът, в когото е била лудо влюбена, типичното лошо момче, което може да завърти главата на доброто момиче, разхайтеният бродяга, с когото е била готова да иде до края на света. Връзка, която се е разпаднала внезапно след опасен инцидент с кола и пиян шофьор. Тя е продължила по пътя си нагоре, той по пътя си насам-натам, и само един спомен за пламенна страст все така е мъждукал някъде в сърцето.
AMG Publishing
https://knigolandia.info/uslugata/
May 24, 2023
Complete and utter balderdash! A highly intelligent Doctor taking such a stupid risk just weeks before her wedding - forget it.
Got 12% in and could have thrown it out of the window. Will NEVER read a Nicci French again.
Got 12% in and could have thrown it out of the window. Will NEVER read a Nicci French again.
April 22, 2023
What would you do if someone very special from your past turned up and asked you for a favour?
The beauty and skill of the writting makes this a character driven story with a very thin plot.
The Favour is it go to a cottage and then pick up your past love from the station. Except the police turn up instead. A Murder investigation is lauched and your life unravels at an alarming rate. Enter a number of colourful characters who all play a part in this story.. It did at times feel a lengthy story with no clear route to the end. There were moments i didnt believe what i was teading. It took a long time to get to the conclusion and even then there did seem to be a few loose ends. This was good because as a reader i felt it was good to leave something to my imagination. I liked the unravelling just wanted it to go on for longer
I really felt for the main chatacter the skill of writing made me get pulled into the story.
Highly recommended you do need to stick with the story. Thank you netgallery and the publisher for my arc
The beauty and skill of the writting makes this a character driven story with a very thin plot.
The Favour is it go to a cottage and then pick up your past love from the station. Except the police turn up instead. A Murder investigation is lauched and your life unravels at an alarming rate. Enter a number of colourful characters who all play a part in this story.. It did at times feel a lengthy story with no clear route to the end. There were moments i didnt believe what i was teading. It took a long time to get to the conclusion and even then there did seem to be a few loose ends. This was good because as a reader i felt it was good to leave something to my imagination. I liked the unravelling just wanted it to go on for longer
I really felt for the main chatacter the skill of writing made me get pulled into the story.
Highly recommended you do need to stick with the story. Thank you netgallery and the publisher for my arc
April 10, 2022
Jude is een succesvolle arts en is gelukkig met haar verloofde Nat. Maar dan duikt opeens haar eerste liefde, Liam, op in het ziekenhuis waar ze werkt. Hun relatie was, jaren eerder, op dramatische wijze beëindigd en sindsdien hebben ze elkaar niet meer gezien. Liam vraagt haar om een bijzondere gunst: zou ze hem in het weekend willen ontmoeten in een cottage in Norfolk?
Jude twijfelt, maar stemt dan toch toe. Ze verzwijgt dit echter wel voor haar verloofde. Maar als het zover is, komt Liam niet opdagen... Jude besluit te wachten en niet veel later krijgt ze een telefoontje van de politie. Dit zet haar leven totaal op zijn kop.
Ze probeert uit te zoeken wat er precies is gebeurd, maar hierdoor wordt ze steeds verder in Liams wereld gezogen. Het lijkt alsof zijn familie en vrienden allemaal wat te verbergen hebben. Komt Jude achter de waarheid?
'De gunst' is het nieuwe verhaal van dit bekende schrijversduo en ik was zeer benieuwd. De proloog begint met een fragment dat elf jaar geleden plaatsvond. Daarna springen we naar het heden en lees je vanuit Jude. Ze is arts in een ziekenhuis en op een dag staat Liam in de hal op haar te wachten. Niet veel later vraagt hij haar om een bijzondere gunst.
Het moment dat Jude op hem staat te wachten in Norfolk en Liam niet op komt dagen vond ik best spannend. Is er misschien iets met hem gebeurd of heeft hij zijn trein gemist?
Het begin vond ik dan ook ijzersterk en ik wilde snel verder lezen.
Toch ben ik niet super enthousiast over dit verhaal. Het ging een hele andere richting op dan dat ik had gehoopt en ook vond ik sommige keuzes een beetje vergezocht en raar. Desondanks is het geen onaardig verhaal en zeker leuk om eens gelezen te hebben.
Doordat het begin zo goed was had ik misschien ook te hoge verwachtingen voor het verdere verloop. Helaas kwam dit dus niet helemaal uit. Wel is de schrijfstijl weer super prettig!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
Jude twijfelt, maar stemt dan toch toe. Ze verzwijgt dit echter wel voor haar verloofde. Maar als het zover is, komt Liam niet opdagen... Jude besluit te wachten en niet veel later krijgt ze een telefoontje van de politie. Dit zet haar leven totaal op zijn kop.
Ze probeert uit te zoeken wat er precies is gebeurd, maar hierdoor wordt ze steeds verder in Liams wereld gezogen. Het lijkt alsof zijn familie en vrienden allemaal wat te verbergen hebben. Komt Jude achter de waarheid?
'De gunst' is het nieuwe verhaal van dit bekende schrijversduo en ik was zeer benieuwd. De proloog begint met een fragment dat elf jaar geleden plaatsvond. Daarna springen we naar het heden en lees je vanuit Jude. Ze is arts in een ziekenhuis en op een dag staat Liam in de hal op haar te wachten. Niet veel later vraagt hij haar om een bijzondere gunst.
Het moment dat Jude op hem staat te wachten in Norfolk en Liam niet op komt dagen vond ik best spannend. Is er misschien iets met hem gebeurd of heeft hij zijn trein gemist?
Het begin vond ik dan ook ijzersterk en ik wilde snel verder lezen.
Toch ben ik niet super enthousiast over dit verhaal. Het ging een hele andere richting op dan dat ik had gehoopt en ook vond ik sommige keuzes een beetje vergezocht en raar. Desondanks is het geen onaardig verhaal en zeker leuk om eens gelezen te hebben.
Doordat het begin zo goed was had ik misschien ook te hoge verwachtingen voor het verdere verloop. Helaas kwam dit dus niet helemaal uit. Wel is de schrijfstijl weer super prettig!
Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️
January 3, 2024
DNF bei 50 %
Das Buch fängt ganz gut an, wird dann aber immer abstruser. Sowohl die Protagonistin Jude als auch die seltsamen Nebencharaktere sind mir mehr und mehr auf den Wecker gegangen. Jude verhält sich immer weniger nachvollziehbar und teilweise nicht plausibel. Die Handlung dreht sich außerdem schon gefühlt ewig um sich selbst und es wiederholt sich vieles. Ich habe keine Geduld für sowas, leider....
Das Buch fängt ganz gut an, wird dann aber immer abstruser. Sowohl die Protagonistin Jude als auch die seltsamen Nebencharaktere sind mir mehr und mehr auf den Wecker gegangen. Jude verhält sich immer weniger nachvollziehbar und teilweise nicht plausibel. Die Handlung dreht sich außerdem schon gefühlt ewig um sich selbst und es wiederholt sich vieles. Ich habe keine Geduld für sowas, leider....
October 13, 2022
The Favor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/18/22
Author: Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 432
GR: 3.35
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
My Thoughts: This book is labeled as a thriller, but I feel like it is more like fiction with an element of mystery, this is not a bad thing, as I throughly enjoyed this book. The author does an amazing job at simplifying the descriptions, not over indulgent, but perfect as you can be there in the moment. Jude is a complex character that is independent and strong, yet brilliant. Liam’s world was woven as this strange world that brings more questions than answers initially. The supporting characters really add that extra element to the storyline. The life lesson Jude had to learn was heartbreaking, but at some point in our lives, we all have hard lessons to learn. The experience grew her character expeditiously. The characters were well developed, fleshed out, were mysterious, and creatively inspired. The author’s writing was complex, poignant, an element of suspense, and the flow/pace was brilliantly done. This book publishes next Tuesday and I would highly recommend picking up. Having said that, I know this will not be a book for everyone, I may be in the minority on this one, but I did love the storyline.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/18/22
Author: Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 432
GR: 3.35
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
My Thoughts: This book is labeled as a thriller, but I feel like it is more like fiction with an element of mystery, this is not a bad thing, as I throughly enjoyed this book. The author does an amazing job at simplifying the descriptions, not over indulgent, but perfect as you can be there in the moment. Jude is a complex character that is independent and strong, yet brilliant. Liam’s world was woven as this strange world that brings more questions than answers initially. The supporting characters really add that extra element to the storyline. The life lesson Jude had to learn was heartbreaking, but at some point in our lives, we all have hard lessons to learn. The experience grew her character expeditiously. The characters were well developed, fleshed out, were mysterious, and creatively inspired. The author’s writing was complex, poignant, an element of suspense, and the flow/pace was brilliantly done. This book publishes next Tuesday and I would highly recommend picking up. Having said that, I know this will not be a book for everyone, I may be in the minority on this one, but I did love the storyline.
May 14, 2022
Eigenlijk 2,5 ster vond hem niet geweldig. Hij begon wel oke maar het middenstuk is uiterst vaag en raar. Iemand wil een huis verlaten en een flink aantal hoofdstukken verder is ze nog niet weg. Toen haakte ik wel een beetje af. Nee, geen aanrader
August 26, 2023
The question is
If your first love was to turn up and ask for a favour .... would you?
When Jude's first love Liam who she has not seen in years, shows up at her work asking for a favour she agrees, even if it means having to lie to her fiancé.
The favour is for her to travel to a cottage, wait for Liam's arrival
and then he will explain more. It sounds like a simple request from someone she used to love unbeknown to Jude this decision will turn her life upside down. The police turn up instead and things go downhill from there.
I loved this thriller which kept me guessing until the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
If your first love was to turn up and ask for a favour .... would you?
When Jude's first love Liam who she has not seen in years, shows up at her work asking for a favour she agrees, even if it means having to lie to her fiancé.
The favour is for her to travel to a cottage, wait for Liam's arrival
and then he will explain more. It sounds like a simple request from someone she used to love unbeknown to Jude this decision will turn her life upside down. The police turn up instead and things go downhill from there.
I loved this thriller which kept me guessing until the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2023
It’s no secret that the Nicci French duo are on my favourite writers’ list, so as soon as I heard they had a new book out I had to read it! I loved the premise of agreeing blindly to a “favour” a person you owe something to asks of you, without knowing any details, and then having to reap the unforeseen circumstances – this had so much potential to be tense and even a bit creepy (like one of their earlier novels SECRET SMILE).
That said, THE FAVOUR unfortunately turned out to be one of my least favourite books by the author team, partly because believing the main character’s actions and motivations stretched my ability to suspend disbelief way past its limits. Maybe it would have worked better for me had Jude not been a doctor. How did this indecisive, insecure and naïve person ever get through medical school? Medicine is a science, it’s about trouble shooting and problem solving, and it involves logical thought processes. But here is Jude, bumbling her way from one disaster into the next and making one terrible decision after another. I think the only way I could have believed Jude’s actions would have been either a) if there was an implicit threat to Jude if she didn’t agree to the “favour”; or b) if Jude was a totally different personality type (i.e. an arty / spiritual person believing in karma or a person undergoing a deep personal crisis such as substance addiction / bereavement etc).
Whilst I struggled with Jude as a main character, I still appreciated the author’s writing style, which I always find refreshing and a bit dreamy and which makes the images come to life in that blurry, slow-motion aspect nightmares are made of (perfect for a mystery). As soon as Jude made contact with the Liam’s houseguests, the atmosphere turned slightly sinister and took on an air of “groundhog day”, with tensions escalating. Will Jude ever get out of here? None of the characters were likeable, and yet characterisations were spot on, one of the hallmarks the author team is known for and what keeps me coming back for more every time. So whilst I have mixed feelings about THE FAVOUR, feeling that it lacked something for me, I also know that I will be lining up to read French’s next novel as soon as it comes out.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
That said, THE FAVOUR unfortunately turned out to be one of my least favourite books by the author team, partly because believing the main character’s actions and motivations stretched my ability to suspend disbelief way past its limits. Maybe it would have worked better for me had Jude not been a doctor. How did this indecisive, insecure and naïve person ever get through medical school? Medicine is a science, it’s about trouble shooting and problem solving, and it involves logical thought processes. But here is Jude, bumbling her way from one disaster into the next and making one terrible decision after another. I think the only way I could have believed Jude’s actions would have been either a) if there was an implicit threat to Jude if she didn’t agree to the “favour”; or b) if Jude was a totally different personality type (i.e. an arty / spiritual person believing in karma or a person undergoing a deep personal crisis such as substance addiction / bereavement etc).
Whilst I struggled with Jude as a main character, I still appreciated the author’s writing style, which I always find refreshing and a bit dreamy and which makes the images come to life in that blurry, slow-motion aspect nightmares are made of (perfect for a mystery). As soon as Jude made contact with the Liam’s houseguests, the atmosphere turned slightly sinister and took on an air of “groundhog day”, with tensions escalating. Will Jude ever get out of here? None of the characters were likeable, and yet characterisations were spot on, one of the hallmarks the author team is known for and what keeps me coming back for more every time. So whilst I have mixed feelings about THE FAVOUR, feeling that it lacked something for me, I also know that I will be lining up to read French’s next novel as soon as it comes out.
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October 14, 2022
This book started out so intriguing when Jude’s old boyfriend, who she hasn’t heard from in many years, contacts her for a favor. Jude is a doctor and in many ways an intelligent woman. However, when she becomes the prime suspect in Liam’s murder, she makes one foolish decsion after the other which make her look even more guilty and put her life in danger. The middle of the book seems to go in circles for a bit and I guessed one of the plots twists very early on. There are several very unlikable side characters in this book, but for some reason Jude seems to be drawn to these horrible people. Although I didn’t care for a lot of the characters, the vivid descriptions of the characters are very well done. For this reason, I did become engrossed in the story, even when I became frustrated with Jude. I am still a fan of Nicci French even though I preferred other books she has written more than this one, which I would rate 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
November 6, 2022
Another book featuring a complete idiot female main character, yay. Is this woman COMPLETELY incapable of saying no? Up until the very last page she was just determined to go out of her way to do things she didn’t want to do because she couldn’t figure out how to use her voice. I hated her, and disliked this book.
April 24, 2023
I like Nicci French, but I really didn’t enjoy this. Premise felt ridiculous, even when you understand what Jude felt she owed Liam. The occupants of the house gave me the icks. It didn’t convince me on any level and the motive felt flat too considering none of these characters felt like anyone I’d remotely care about.
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