The Birthday Girl is easily in my top 5 reads of 2018! Pure brilliance!
Sue just has this natural way of building genuine, hair-raising tension that I rarely come across - and I read A LOT!
I’ll be recommending this book for a long time to come.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publishers for this review copy. Also thank you to Emilie from Harper Collins for organising the Blog Tour.

This is my second book by this author, and I was keen to get started on this one as I really enjoyed the first one, Sister Sister. I was definitely NOT disappointed with this one. I could not put it down, and finished it in just over a day!

The story begins with 3 friends – Carys, Andrea and Zoe - who are invited to their mutual friend, Joanne’s 40th birthday weekend. They don’t really want to go, but they all eventually agree to it. Expecting to meet Joanne for the journey to the secret weekend place, they find that she isn’t there but has given notes, explaining each part of the journey, to their drivers. She’s also instructed the drivers to take their mobile phones off them so they don’t know where they are going. The tension builds as they arrive at a small croft in the middle of nowhere where Joanne awaits their arrival!

From the blurb for the book, you can tell that this is going to be no ordinary birthday weekend. One of the three women has a secret, and Joanne is planning to reveal all over the weekend. Obviously, the three of them don’t know anything about this, but you can feel the atmosphere building slowly over the course of the first day. I won’t give any more away from there for fear of spoilers, but as the story goes on the suspense builds up quickly and had me absolutely gripped.

It’s a story of secrets, lies, deceit and mistrust. It’s told mainly from Carys’s perspective but you get an insight into the lives of each of the women. I’m not sure whether I actually liked any of the women for one reason or another (you’ll understand when you read it), and whilst they had all been friends for a while, none of them seemed to behave like they even liked each other.

It is a brilliant gripping thriller of a book. It’s creepy, exciting and so intense it will keep you on the edge of your seats right to the very end. Full of twists and turns, you don’t get to find out what is going on until the very end! Fantastic!!!

Highly recommended!! Five big fat stars!

What an absolute cracker of a read this was! This book has a wonderful sense of chillingness throughout it and so many twists and turns that left me stunned at various points throughout it.
This book is around a group of friends who get a birthday invitation from their mutual friend, Jo. It is a weekend away with promises of mystery and revelations. Are the secrets they'd rather keep hidden about to be exposed with terrible consequences?
This is a really fantastic read. I was hooked all the way through the book and by the end I was thoroughly unnerved- no mean feat for me! The suspense just builds and builds throughout to an epic climax.
I don’t think I will ever look at a birthday invitation the same way again.

The birthday girl

I now realise that when I pick up a book by Sue Fortin that I should prepare myself for a very bumpy ride.
No sooner had I started reading it I became engrossed in a highly suspenseful plot and I have not moved from my spot with the sun shining on me through the window apart from to make a cuppa.
The main narrator of the story is a lady called Carys and she is intrigued as her and two other friends called Andrea and Zoe are invited away on a mystery weekend by another friend Joanne.
The weekend starts weirdly when they are picked up in a car and end up in the middle of nowhere They quickly begin to suspect that Joanne has an ulterior motive and soon start to feel uncomfortable.
It seems there are a lot of Secrets being kept and it quickly transpires that none of them know who they can trust.
I would say none of the characters were particularly likeable but I did find myself rooting for Carys and felt every bit of fear that she did.
It reminded me of horror stories where a group of people find themselves in a remote place and they begin to feel hunted.

I was swapping and changing my opinions of who the baddy was constantly.
This will certainly get the blood pumping around your body and a word of warning don't pick it up if you should be doing something else because once you start it you won't be able to stop.

Thanks to Sue Fortin and Harper Collins for the arc which I've reviewed voluntarily.

I love reading a book where you have no idea how it's going to go. Sue Fortin is one of my top ten thriller writers. She knows how to grip the reader from the start and never let go. You think the story is going one way and then it flips to yet another twist.
Four friend, two birthdays and one murder. This book is full of secrets between so called friends. The past haunts them all and each one has their own secret.
Place them in a holiday home in a remote village in Scotland and watch the drama unfold.
This is one of the books that doesn't need much said, read the blurb, check out her past book and you will know this is one fantastic read.

Wow! This book blew me away! I loved Sister Sister so it was a no brainer to request this book on Netgalley when it came up. Once you start this book it is very hard to put it down.4 friends go away on a birthday weekend... a weekend that will change of of their lives forever. So many lies and twists.. this book was fantastic. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for a copy of this book to read and review

Having read a couple of Sue Fortin’s books before I was looking forward to this one and it didn’t disappoint.

Joanne, Zoe, Andrea and Carys are friends, although at the present time relations between them all are tense so when Joanne invites them to a 40th birthday weekend away, they are reluctant to go but decide that maybe Joanne is trying to make amends and accept the invitation..

The story takes us on a journey to an isolated croft in Scotland, they are asked to give up their phones as it will be an adventure weekend. From the start things begin to awry when Joanne’s idea of fun leaves the other women feeling unsettled and unhappy with the way things are progressing but hoping that the weekend will get better. When Joanne ends up dead, they find that she was going to reveal something about each of the women, did one of them kill her to keep her quiet or is there something more sinister going on.

The story is told from Carys’ perspective but throughout the book it is clear that someone else has an axe to grind. This is an excellent well written book which has plenty of twists, the final one you don’t see coming. Highly recommended.

Finished #reading THE BIRTHDAY GIRL by Sue Fortin
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Joanne is turning 40 years old and wants to have an adventurous weekend with her three best friends: Zoe, Andrea, and Carys. She plans an elaborate weekend getaway in the secluded countryside of Bonnie, Scotland. The trip is long and takes three means of transportation - an MPV picks them up and drives them a few hours away to an airfield where an airplane awaits their arrival. The airplane then flys them an hour or so longer to a crop field in the middle of nowhere where a van is waiting. The van then takes them to their final destination - a beautiful cottage miles away from everything and everyone.
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Four friends - all with secrets. BIG secrets! Secrets that each of them think are their own - but are they??? When one of them ends up dead how will the other three escape? With no means of transportation and no cell phones available this weekend getaway quickly turns into a nightmare.
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I read this book in two days and I really enjoyed it. It was easy to read and fast-paced. Chapters weren’t too long and I liked all the characters. A psychological thriller with a lot of drama and suspense. Thank you HarperCollins, Bookouture, Sue Fortin, and Netgalley for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I love Sue Fortin's books and was looking forward to reading The Birthday Girl. I have to say she didn't disappoint. In fact I think this is her best book so far.

Although Joanne, Carys, Andrea and Zoe are friends, there have been recent rifts. When Joanne sends the other three and invitation to her 40th birthday adventure weekend Carys, who is the narrator of this story, believes it’s an opportunity for new beginnings. Travelling by car and small plane, they eventually arrive at an isolated croft on the edge of a Scottish forest. It's clear from their location and the clothes they have been told to back that this really will be an adventure weekend full of outdoor activities. Joanne’s idea of fun and the practical jokes she plays on her guests is at times quite spiteful and although not happy, all three go along with it, humouring her and hoping the weekend will get better.

Then a murder is committed but who is the perpetrator? Is it one of the three remaining women or is someone else lurking unseen in the forest ready to strike again? As the story progresses it seems everyone has something to hide.

Sue Fortin takes the reader on a journey of twists and turns where just as you think you’ve worked it all out, something else happens to throw you right off course. All through the book it’s clear someone is looking for revenge, but their identity is cleverly hidden right until the end. It’s a skilfully written gripping read. If you like psychological thrillers, you’ll love this.

4 friends set off on a suprise birthday weekend away. Joanne arranges it all for her 3 friends. What a lovely friend she is. Or is she? Is there a motive behind the weekend away? What exactly has she got planned. Almost from the word go the women feel uneasy with how things are playing out. Then things start to take a nasty turn. I loved this book. Good mix of characters. Well written book with lots of twists and turns. Was hard to put down once you started. Highly recommended

When friends Carys, Zoe and Andrea are invited to join friend Joanne for a weekend of 'mysteries and surprises' to celebrate her fortieth birthday, little do they imagine what is in store. Certainly, a lot more than just cake and champagne. Right from the start, it is clear that the foursome share more than simple friendship, with dark secrets and betrayals at the heart of the story.
I thought this book was well-written, gradually revealing its twists and turns, leaving the reader unsure of where it will lead. I didn't particularly warm to the female characters, but that didn't spoil my overall enjoyment and surprise at the ending. The descriptions of the various outdoor activities that form part of the weekend were detailed and convincing, and there are sufficient shock moments to ratchet up the tension.

Dear Carys, Zoe and Andrea
Come and join me for my fortieth birthday adventure weekend, full of mysteries and surprises
the like of which you can’t imagine.

When Joanne’s friends reluctantly accept an invitation to her birthday party, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this weekend than they are expecting.
One of them is hiding a secret.
And Joanne is planning to reveal it…

A weekend away in a cottage in the woods sounds like fun – until no one can hear your cries for help.

Four friends.
A party to die for.
Who will survive?

I loved this book. 4 friends meet up for a birthday party. Great I thought. But things do not go as planned. Or perhaps they do! This is a twisted, mind blowing book. Just as you thought yep, I've got it now another twist happens. I held my breath for so long, I was gasping for air. And the last page ... I was absolutely shocked.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I am now on the lookout for others. A truly gripping read. 5*

when sue fortin writes a book it always a top notch read this book gets you gripped what a storyline you think you solved it but no always the same with this author keeps you thinking till the end highly recommend this book and all the other ones buy this author

Wow. This book is a enthralling psychological thriller.
The story is exciting, intense and leaves you unclear about what is actually being played until the end. While reading, you constantly change the potential offender. Even if you have a guess towards the end, you still remain in the dark for some time and puzzling in silence.
The reflection of the friendship of the four women is also interesting. Trust is changing in distrust. Secrets cause suspicions and conjectures. A family drama turns into a nightmare. Friends become enemies.

Dear Carys, Zoe and Andrea Come and join me for my fortieth birthday adventure weekend, full of mysteries and surprises the like of which you can’t imagine.

When Joanne’s friends reluctantly accept an invitation to her birthday party, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this weekend than they are expecting. One of them is hiding a secret. And Joanne is planning to reveal it…

A weekend away in a cottage in the woods sounds like fun – until no one can hear your cries for help.

Four friends. A party to die for. Who will survive?

Wow,Omg,I absolutely loved this well written,gripping,intense,fast paced,twist packed thriller.The story is mainly voiced by Carys whose narrative isn't exactly reliable.Interspersed throughout the book are parts that are voiced by a unknown person whose identity when it was revealed took me totally by surprise.I thought I had worked out who the person was but I was 100% wrong.The story hooks you in from the very first page,the sense of unease building as Carys,Andrea and Zoe travel to their mysterious destination where Joanne is waiting for them.Once they get to the cottage that's where the fun and games begin,all four of the women have secrets,could one of them have revenge on her mind? or is someone else playing sick games and terrorizing the four women for their own personal reasons?.All the characters are realistic and believable,Andrea was definitely my favourite,if she had something to say,she said it whether you like what she said or not.The setting was perfect for some intense,gripping action scenes that had me holding my breath,frantically turning the pages and snarling at anyone who dared to interrupt me while I was reading.

I absolutely loved this riveting psychological thriller,the plot is compelling and intricate and has more twists and turns than the river that flows near the cottage.I would love to give this book far more than 5 stars.Highly recommended by little old me.