A domestic thriller. A new author for me. Both make for a good read. Just the kind I like.

Two women who have never met. Both in abusive relationships. What can they do to help each other. How can they escape alive. These are the things that will keep you wanting more. Keep you turning the pages.

A fairly well written debut novel. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was very surprised to find out that The Favor was the author's debut novel. Honestly, I thought it was part of a series with the same detective. The Favor really helped me get out of my book slump. McKenna and Leah were great narrators and I loved that the story is told mostly through their POVs. I found their past and present very engaging and interesting. Midway, it becomes part police procedural and I mostly skimmed those chapters. I did find a lot of the book reminding me of past novels I read such as Girl on the Train and The Housemaid, but the author did bring some new twists to the table.

A relatively well-written thriller that uses domestic abuse as a plot line. There was a lot of promise to the story that didn’t get matched. Interesting characters but not very compelling.

Two women who don't know one another, but lead similar lives in similar neighborhoods. Leah and McKenna know that they are both in marriages that are not only unhealthy but risk their lives. So how can they help one another out? This domestic thriller answers the question of how far would you be willing to go for someone you'll never meet.

I am a big fan of domestic thrillers and blew through this one because I needed to know what would happen with Leah and McKenna. I'm looking forward to more from Nora Murphy!

A gripping domestic suspense for fans of Behind Closed Doors and The Girl on The Train, Nora Murphy's The Favor had me invested though whole time. I did find it really hard to hear how terrible and gaslight-y these husbands were at all times. And the ending was fairly predictable (I didn't find myself waiting to know WHAT happened a much as just hearing HOW it all played out.) But I enjoyed it still.

Thank you Minotaur Books for my copy.

Leah spends an ordinary Friday stopping by the liquor store to get her fix. In line she sees a woman who reminds her of herself, when she was happier, healthier, ignorant of the world. So she follows her home. What unfolds is a domestic thriller reminiscent of strangers on a train. But the unasked favor that Leah does for McKenna cannot go unanswered. What will two, desperate women do to escape the men they thought they knew? And can they keep each other's secrets?

The Favor is fast paced and pulls you in almost immediately. The characters are real, and the author does a great job at demonstrating how even the strongest women can find themselves in abusive relationships. The abuse starts out subtle, but escalates quickly as McKenna and Leah's husbands gain control over their wives. The emotions ran high but the ending was satisfying. Great quick thriller read!

This is one of my many ARCs I’m working through on NetGalley this year. It published back in May.

I really enjoyed this high-intensity thriller - it especially impressed me as a debut. I remember thinking that the journey was a little predictable, but still a fun ride to be on. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Murphy!

3.5 stars!

THE FAVOR is a gripping debut domestic suspense novel that explores the compassion and depth of what can happen when women, pushed to the limit, take matters into their own hands.

I love supporting a debut author, and I was excited to read The Favor by Nora Murphy. Leah and McKenna are living similar lives, and have a lot in common, but have never met, until one day Leah sees McKenna in a store and decides to follow her.

I enjoyed both the physical book and the audiobook, which was narrated by a cast, including Dylan Moore and Leon Nixon, and Sarah MolloChristensen.

*many thanks to Minotaur and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

I was shocked this was a debut. Her writing is fantastic. I thought the plot moved along at a great pace and the characters were intriguing. Can’t wait to read her again!

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC (even though I read it afterwards).

This was a great, twisty turn-ey book and hard to put down. While there are difficult scenes of domestic violence portrayed as well as murder, I had to keep reading to find out what happened to the main characters. At times, I was angry and sad for them.

The story was well told and well written. Look forward to more book by this author!

I always enjoy when an author brings up domestic abuse, and helps the reader to understand why it's not so easy to just leave or understand why they can't just stop the abuse.

The book starts with a bang, and ends with a bang, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute in between. While there wasn't a big plot twist that I wasn't aware of while reading, I thought the writing was great and was an awesome debut.

It was TOO slow. That's the review. It was too slow and the story line was just a little bit too unbelievable.

I struggled with writing a review for this because even though the book was very well written I couldn’t get over the far fetched storyline. I’m still giving it a good rating though.

This was not a fast-paced thriller. It was however a slow read. I did like the whole storyline, but I wished it had been faster, more edge of your seat. It took so long to get to the point. We get 3 POV’s in this one with Leah, McKenna and a police officer. I did enjoy the writing from this debut author and look forward to her next book.

Leah understands that what’s inside a home can be far more dangerous than what’s outside. So when she notices someone else who may be starting down the same path she’s on, she pays attention. She watches over McKenna from afar. Is she trying to spy on McKenna or is she trying to save her.

Leah and McKenna have never met. But they will.

Who can save who? Great book. New author for me will read more of her books.
Check her out with this stunning book.
Thanks to the author, netgalley, and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.
Published May 31st 2022

4 stars! The Favor is a domestic thriller that does not disappoint! Recommend!!!
Thank you to Nora Murphy, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on May 31, 2022.

Very edgy book including vigilante justice. Kept me up late at night with the lights on! Excellent debut for this author.

This was an amazing book. I definitely recommend this. It’s not a lighthearted read. It’s a dark subject, but we’ll handled and we’ll written.

The Favor by Nora Murphy was easily one of my top books of the year and being a debut, I'm excited to see more from this author! Leah and McKenna are both stuck - in life, in their careers, in their marriages. They live very similar lives without knowing it. All they know is they are stuck, and they don't want to be. When Leah catches a peek into McKenna's home one night and sees the secret McKenna and her husband keep, she decides to intervene. I really don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil it, but this was such a good, unique concept. There's definitely some content warnings I could give for this book - domestic violence, alcohol, etc. Either way, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who like to read dark twisty novels.