Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - One of the Girls

Thank you to the author, publishers Harper Collins and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

To be honest I was a little bit worried before I started this book. There’s a trope of secrets from the past leading to death and drama during a weekend reunion of old friends (normally women) in an isolated location, that I’ve read a lot of versions of, most of them disappointing. This book certainly leans heavily on that premise. Old friends and new, plus her future sister-in-law join bride-to-be Lexi on a hen weekend in a cliff top villa on a beautiful Greek island.

There’s the charismatic, but acerbic best friend, the one with the drinking problem, the new mother feeling guilty for leaving her baby for the first time, the incomer who may have more of a history with the group than they think, the one who doesn’t feel they fit in and the one who can’t let go of how they were as teens. All of these characters are ones I’ve seen before in very similar circumstances.

But, Lucy Clarke manages to takes this very familiar premise and create an engaging thriller that manages to surprise and hit home emotionally. One of the things which really sets it apart from the pack is the well-roundedness of the characters. Yes, there’s the hurt feelings and snippy comments that are often a feature of people whose lives have grown apart trying to pretend they’re still the same friends they were as teens, but if a character lashes out we understand why. That’s much better than many of the books of this type I’ve read where the popular and charismatic yet uncaringly cruel character remains so fundamentally unlikeable throughout that it seems impossible any of the others would ever want to spend time on her company let alone go on a weekend break together.

A really enjoyable, fast-paced thriller.

Content Warnings

meyreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

booksbytheglass's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

THE GUEST LIST WHO!

move over other remote location domestic thrillers, there’s a new one in town and it’s one you don’t want to miss!!

a bachelorette party ends in murder. that’s it. that’s the synopsis. LOL all six women have something to hide from someone else, even the ones that don’t even know each other, and you just know all of those secrets are going to come out eventually. because what’s a bachelorette party without drunken confessions? oops.

first of all, I lived vicariously through this book because it is my dream to visit greece. I’ve been almost everywhere else in mainland europe but not greece and it sounds so beautiful. can I be invited to the bachelorette? pls

I have to say, while I predicated the death at the end, I did NOT see half of the plot twists and secrets coming. it was a wonderful surprise to turn the page and see the newest POV ready to reveal something to the reader. which brings me to my next point -

we got a POV from every single one of the six ladies which makes me so happy!!! nothing I love more than conflicting POVs and thoughts to keep me confused!!

I definitely would recommend this thriller to anyone who loves lucy foley, megan miranda & alice feeney. I flew through this one so much, I was reading it any chance I could get!!!

thank you to netgalley and penguin house for the arc in exchange for an honest review. june ‘22 cannot come soon enough!!!!

wine pairing: beaujolais
rating: 4.5 stars

Content Warnings

More...