I LOVE discovering a debut from a promising new author! And, with “The Favor”- I have done just that! ❤️

ARC Review: The Favor
Author: @noramurphybooks (twitter)

The Favor asks a compelling question -- is a crime ok if it's justified? If the victim deserved it? In the name of saving yourself?

Two women who've never met but are living the same life. Two women who look alike, but aren't the same. Two women who make selfless decisions that ultimately benefit themselves anyway. Is it all worth it?

McKenna and Leah are both blonde, pretty, successful professionals. Their husbands are well-paid, well-respected professionals as well. They live in the perfect homes with perfect yards and perfection is the primary hashtag. These are the women you see at the gym at 10am, at lunch at 2pm and drinking wine from stainless tumblers at well, all hours probably. But we never know what goes on in a marriage. We never know what happens behind closed doors. For McKenna and Leah both, this is where perfection turns to something less Instagram-worthy.

I loved the premise of this, taking 1 part Girl on the Train, 2 parts Woman in the Window, a couple sprinkles of various other domestic thrillers with alcoholic and unreliable narrators, and you've got The Favor. But there was enough here to make me keep reading. Namely, this wasn't a totally anonymous crime. Nor was it a planned crime. There was no major twist or reveal, which in some ways was a letdown, but also made it fresh.

We learn early on that both women are relative newlyweds, are learning their husbands are not the men they thought they married, and that someone ends up dead. We also know exactly who the killer is. Are we rooting for or against that person? How far does your moral compass swing? Then the second murder happens. Again, we already know who did it, and why, and how. It's more about finding out if the "good guy" prevails.

I was rooting for both Leah and McKenna. I was invested in their storylines and desperately wished for happy endings for both of them. I was grateful the storyline contained no children or pets to worry about. I understand the need to have the police storyline given the two murders, but I am not sure I felt like we needed to get to know the detective, or have his personal storyline as a backdrop. I just assumed it gave a plot device for him working out his thoughts and feelings as he investigated.

Overall, this was a good beach/patio read. The subject matter is heavy, and far too real for too many people, so overall I appreciated the "light" touch with the story. Meaning, it didn't need the crazy twists and turns that earmark some thrillers. It became simply a story of two women starting their lives over. And yes, in this context, I'm glad it turned out the way it did!

Beach Rating: ☀️☀️☀️☀️
Recommended: Fans of domestic thrillers, unreliable narrators, fast-paced reads
Drink in my Hand: Vodka Soda with Lime

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #arcreader #arcreview #netgalley #thrillerreads #thrillerbooks

THE FAVOR is the epitome of a “popcorn thriller!” I went into the book “blind” and got sucked in so quickly! Had I not had work (or any responsibilities for that matter), I’m confident I would’ve finished the book in one sitting - yes, it’s that addictive! I haven’t read a good domestic suspense / thriller in a while so this was such a treat. Also, as a Washingtonian, I love any books set in the DMV!🙌🏼

I’m so impressed that this is Murphy’s debut novel. I thought the writing and character-building were excellent. I love that Murphy’s background working with survivors of intimate partner violence (DV) translated so well into her writing. I thought she addressed the DV aspects with great care and thoughtfulness. The DV-heavy parts of the book were super emotional and hard to read, but based on Murphy’s experience working with DV survivors, I can only imagine how accurate those scenes were.

I really appreciate the underlying message that DV does not discriminate and can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race, financial status, etc. In the book, Leah’s and McKenna’s lives looked perfect on the outside - they were highly-educated, intelligent, successful women that were married to handsome, well-respected men. But unbeknownst to everyone, their husbands were abusive monsters.

Thanks so much, @netgalley and @minotaur_books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. THE FAVOR pubs on May 31!💕

What a treat of a book? Leah and McKenna have never met, but their lives intertwine in a way that they must never meet. They both have a lot in common, but mainly controlling husbands and isolated lives. So when one takes action to help the other, the other returns the favor!

This story is told from three different perspectives - two women who are married to controlling, abusive husbands and the detective investigating the murders of their husbands. The dynamic between the two woman who are virtually strangers to each other and the similarity of their lives made for an interesting plot. It's a page-turning domestic thriller.

I enjoyed the book but I’m having a hard time articulating why. I think it was just a satisfying story. The tensions for the narrators in their home life are difficult but the way their stories unfold are uplifting, somehow.

The only thing that gave me pause was midway through when the detective joined the narration. It seemed out of place and I thought it would ruin the pacing of the book. But it worked. I don’t think anything was lost by adding his voice. I think it could have been told without him too but I think the added perspective made sense.

What a fantastic debut novel! The narrative is told from the points of view of two women, McKenna and Leah, both suffering from domestic abuse, with some parts narrated by the detective who is trying to solve the murders of the women's husbands. Both of the women are richly and sympathetically drawn and the story is compelling, and while not particularly suspenseful in the usual sense, I always wanted to get back to reading the book in hopes that Leah and McKenna would come out on top. I loved how there were several scenes where one of the women observed the other from a distance and could see, but not hear, what was going on inside the house. In the next section, the same scene would be told from the point of the view of the other woman, so you found out what dialog went along with the action described. Although the overall premise isn’t entirely original—I happened to listen to a book simultaneously with some of the same elements—there are original aspects that set this apart. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators were excellent. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

📖 The Favor
✍️ Nora Murphy
🔪 Thriller
#️⃣ 288 pages
🗓️ 03/31/22

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Leah and McKenna are perfect strangers, but they have more in common than anyone would think. And no, it’s not a perfect marriage, although their lavish homes, increasingly distant friends and successful, handsome husbands would have you think otherwise. When a chance encounter brings one woman into the other’s life, will it be her saving grace or her undoing?

My short little synopsis above is purposefully vague, because I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of this novel if you go in mostly blind! I really enjoyed the pacing of this novel, although I will say that I felt like the ending was a little anticlimactic… maybe because there was a constant flow of action throughout. I loved the plot and the character development was so well done - by the end of the book, I cared so deeply for Leah and McKenna and were rooting for them so hard. It blows me away that this was a debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from Nora Murphy!

🤝🏿 Domestic thriller
🤝🏿 Multiple POV
🤝🏿 Investigation storyline
🤝🏿 Range of pacing throughout
🤝🏿 Explores feelings of victimization + guilt
🤝🏿 Mini epilogue
🤝🏿 TW are spoilery - DM me!

#caitsquietplacereviews #caitsquietplace #cqpthrillers #thefavor #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks #netgalley

I can't believe this was a debut! Trigger warning: this book is all about domestic violence.

This book did all the things I want in a thriller - it gripped me from the beginning, made me want to stay up late to read more, and I finished it quickly.

Two women happen to be in line next to each other at the liquor store. Their lives are not intertwined, but eerily similar. When one woman sees signs that the other is headed down a dark path she is all-to familiar with, she decides to do the woman a favor, even though they have never spoken. This favor binds them together, and what was supposed to help a person in need just my backfire on both of them.

Overall, a great, entertaining read!

This book started off a little too “vague for the sake of mystery” for my liking and it became wildly far-fetched, but it was definitely gripping and interesting.
The basic concept/question is: how far would you go for a stranger… a stranger you know is “like you” and struggling.
I don’t know that I believe this book would ever happen in real life- especially with the selfishness of today’s people in a posh, suburb- but I love the idea that this book *could happen. Described as “domestic suspense,” The Favor deals with the all-too-real topic of domestic violence and the general loss of control these women face in their marriages. It’s somewhat vague on the gruesome details, but no less hard to swallow that this is a reality for probably far more people that anyone realizes: maybe even one’s own next door neighbor.
It’s a good, quick read.
TW for fat-shaming, alcoholism, and domestic abuse.

This is a great re-imagining of Strangers on a Train.

Two women are trapped in similar circumstances. And Leah knows what's happening to McKenna, because it's happening to her. Two professional women, slowly losing their personalities and self concept to the controlling and domineering men in their lives. And before they know it, they are trapped. Unless, they can save each other.

There are definite triggers for domestic abuse (psychological and physical) but it is not gratuitous. This debut author skillfully lays out the circumstances that lead to a harrowing state of affairs, and the relentless police officer who tries to unravel the mystery.

I thought having the officer's partner as a comatose sounding board was a little unnecessary device and broke up the flow of the women's stories, but as it was kept to a minimum at the end of the book. I read this in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a great debut novel by Nora Murphy!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an advanced reader's copy.

First off, thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to review the digital ARC (also HC received)

I really enjoyed this novel, not only was it a great story line and well written, I found the characters to be relatable and I could empathize with them too. It flowed great and easy to get fully engrossed in. I love plots where two people come together in a common theme - this one - MURDER :) Present tense writing with glimpses into the past as we get ot better know our MCs Leah and McKenna. Though they both have some commonalities in their separate lives its beautiful to watch their stories come together as they help each other with their problems.

Highly recommend .

This was an excellent debut novel from Nora Murphy. I couldn't put the book down and counstantly found myself thinking about the characters. Great read! I just reviewed The Favor by Nora Murphy. #NetGalley

I absolutely could not put this book down! It has been my favorite read of 2022 so far.

Leah is shopping when she spots McKenna, a woman who could almost be her. She is inexplicably drawn to this stranger and follows her home.

McKenna was once a pediatrician, but is now a housewife to Zackary, a charming psychologist working in an upscale neighborhood.

In a twist of events, both Leah and McKenna’s husbands end up dead. But who is the killer?

I could barely put this novel down and it was the perfect cure to my “reading hangover.” Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow!!! A possible trigger warning before the book starts seems necessary, but the story of these two women was incredible. The writing was outstanding, the ideas were realistic, and the empathy felt for McKenna and Leah was palpable. A great twist on the thriller genre for sure!

The Favor follows two different women who are in abusive and controlling marriages as they struggle to reclaim their identity and individuality. It was an emotional read for me, seeing the women slowly lose their independence and realizing that anyone could become a victim. The characters were interesting. I loved most of the book except for the ending. It felt too unfinished to me. But I suppose life doesn’t always have neat conclusions either.

I LOVED the concept of this book, and I'm always down for a good thriller. I loved the alternating perspectives, but I didn't feel that the story was all that suspenseful or thrilling. It was pretty straightforward, and once the first "twist" happened, there wasn't much else that happened in the story that I couldn't predict. I also felt that the book became repetitive as it described the abuse each woman faced, which while important to understand for the storyline, became a bit tedious to read. I found myself anxious to just finish this one, which is never a good feeling while reading. Since I enjoyed the concept and the multiple POVs, I'm giving three stars - it was okay, but I don't know that I'd necessarily recommend this one.

4.5 stars

This book grabbed me right from the beginning. Two women, at one time successful in their careers but now carry a secret neither can share.

It wasn’t long before I was engulfed in the story of these 2 women. There is a fair amount of jumping through time to know their past and what transpired to get them in this current situation and to understand what happened and why.

For me it was a pretty quick read, not just because of the short chapters but I was genuinely intrigued. Though it isn’t hard to figure out what is going to happen it’s the ‘what happens next’ question I kept me going.

I really liked the Detective, and fingers crossed that maybe I will see more of him in future books.

This is Nora Murphy's debut, great job, can’t wait to see what comes next.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital arc in exchange for honest review. You can find The Favor on books shelves May 31, 2022 and it is available for preorder now.

Another page turner guys! Debut novel by Nora Murphy and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her next book. The synopsis was very vague, so I feel like I went into this one blind. I wasn't too sure what was happening at the very beginning but I was intrigued! The more I read, the faster I read and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. If you like domestic thrillers you should definitely keep your eye out for this one. I don't want to say too much more about the plot. It's best to just jump in.

I enjoyed this gripping, suspenseful book, and the way the two lead characters’ lives mirrored and intertwined with each other. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit abrupt, and ambiguous. I would have preferred a more definitive outcome. Nonetheless, this is a very entertaining read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.