I was thrilled to find a new debut thriller writer in Nora Murphy! I liked this book a lot - def un-put-down-able. It tells the story of two women in the same town both dealing with domestic abuse from their spouses. An event unfolds and the two are irrevocably linked. An excellect thriller by a new author!

This book was SO good!! I couldn’t put it down.

Brief Synopsis:
Leah and McKenna lead similar lives. Parallel lives. Controlled by their husbands. Dangerous to stay but dangerous to leave their husbands. They are strangers. Leah drives by McKennas home and see and feels what McKenna is going through. They have never met but they will when McKenna needs a favor….

My Thoughts:
-This was so fast paced and suspenseful. I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened!
- McKenna and Leah are strangers until they are brought together because of their similarities in such a brilliant shocking twist!
-This would make such a great movie.
- If you enjoy a domestic suspenseful thriller with resilient female characters then this book is for you

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this eArc in exchange for an honest review

I have seen that woman before, but where?

That is the question McKenna asked herself when she saw Leah shoot her husband.

Why would she do that? She did say she is the same as me, but what did that mean?

What it meant is that she was an abused wife too and was happy one of them was safe now, but how did Leah know McKenna was abused?

Leah just knew by the few times she passed her home and from what she saw. That still didn’t explain why she would shoot a stranger.

McKenna was actually relieved and was most likely the prime suspect…the spouse always is.

Then something happens that brings these two women who didn’t know each other together again. What could that be?

Ms. Murphy did an amazing job of keeping you guessing and writing a fantastic thriller. I couldn’t put the book down.

THE FAVOR vividly pictures domestic abuse that these two women are going through and the difficulties of staying in the marriage and the difficulties of leaving no matter what your social status was.

It also addresses to what extremes an abused wife would go to escape, but still keep what really goes on a secret.

Fantastic debut…this is a book thriller fans won’t want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This will be a popular book. "Strangers on a Train" mixed with "Girl on the Train". It is nothing new. The author uses the characters' abuse to show how alike they are. It really just made the story lag and feel repetitive. So much of what was exposed in the past chapters could have been explained in the present ones.

I found myself skimming to get through it before just giving up.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Really enjoyable read! Kind of a twist on Strangers on A Train. Clever and easy to read. The two main characters have commonalities, but each character is well thought out and unique.

It’s a testimony to the prowess of the author when, as a reader, I’m cheering for the “bad” guy to win. In this case, two domestic abuse victims each unknown to the other, cross paths as they contemplate their own dire circumstances and how, as educated women, they found themselves in this situation. The Favor is a wonderfully written story that delves into domestic abuse through the very detailed emotions of its victims; how control and isolation precede physical violence and the extreme blow it delivers to self confidence.

McKenna and Leah are two successful women; one is a pediatrician and the other a lawyer. They each meet, date and marry successful, charming men who, by their own admission, have big personalities. Shortly, however, and little by little , their Jekyll and Hyde personalities begin to chip away at the freedoms and lifestyle most married women take for granted. Eventually trapped, they each realize there is no evidence they can produce to prove what is happening to them. The significance of this, that they cannot defend themselves even legally, leads to them being bonded forever.

Thank you NetGalley for introducing me to this author.

Who knows the life of a stranger.....
Lea and Mckenna have never met, yet live similar lives! Through this intense, gripping tale, find out what happens when one woman tries to help stranger..... loved this book! Hard to believe this is a debut novel! Definitely will watch for this author!!!!

HOLY GUACAMOLE! This was a wild one! I love the fresh take this book had and the uniqueness of how the plot unfolded. Two women who don't know each other, yet they are so intricately connected. Brilliant. It was written very well and I finished it- cover to cover- in a matter of hours. I feel like if I say more I will give it away, but I definitely will be recommending this one. I am now a Nora Murphy fan and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next. BRAVO!

Survivors of domestic violence come together to protect one another; neither knowing the other. This is a great twist on The Burning Bed type of redemption for women surviving spousal abuse. I really liked both women and even the detective was a cool character. This was an easy read and enjoyable.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Leah spots a woman who she thinks is having the same crisis as hers. When Leah's husband leaves to visit his mom, Leah is thinking of leaving but knows that her husband will not stop until he finds her. This book kept me interested from the first page.

This thriller is about 2 women who are very much alike in their lifestyles but do not know each other, yet! Leah and McKenna both have nice homes, new vehicles, and professional husbands.. They also share something that they try to keep secret - spousal abuse. They are both in a store at the same time and Leah notices McKenna and something tells her that they share the same secret. Leah becomes curious and decides to find out more about McKenna and see if her intuition is correct. From then, their lives collide with devastating results.
I did find the beginning a bit slow, but then the story got interesting.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this was a good thriller. I enjoyed reading it but it didn't make me stop everything to finish it

Thank you St.Martin’s Press and NetGallery for the ARC ebook. This book started out too slow for me.The subject matter has been done before in novels,movies such as Girl on the Train,Strangers on a Train..Alcoholics,abused women by husbands,partners,bad marriages,etc.Plans are made between strangers to kill off unwanted spouse(s).Too much focus on alcohol,boring.

This book was good but it wasn't great. I finished it, I'm not mad that I read it but it was just... Good/meh. If someone asked I would say it's an easy beach read, put it on your list but don't be upset if you never read it. Pretty predictable and the cop storyline with his partner in the hospotal was unnecessary and didn't add anything to the book.
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read!

✔️ 3 POVs - two women who are in controlling and abusive relationships and a detective trying to solve the murders of not one but two prominent and successful men ! I loved reading all three POVs⁣
✔️ watching two successful women end up in these situations was hard to read but I think can also help educate us so we can watch out for signs with our friends and family

This is a different take on the domestic thriller, two women similar in many ways both being abused by their husbands, two women who seem to have it all, wealth, beauty, handsome husbands, theirs path overlap and if they can't save themselves, how can they help someone else. It is a well written fast and enjoyable read.

In writing about domestic abuse, Nora Murphy explores the options women have in taking matters into their own hands, especially when staying is dangerous, but leaving could be worse.

The challenge with victims, Leah Dawson (legal career) and McKenna Hawkins (pediatrician), is fabrication; they are trapped in their homes and relationships because they emulate perfection. They live a fake life, carefully curated by money and prestige. One of the women notices ‘signs’ in the other when the strangers pass in the aisles of a liquor store and decides to follow her home. Obsessed with protecting her because she is a victim herself, this woman keeps watch over her daily until she sees something and is forced to act.

It was an eye-opener for me and, although I didn’t identify with either woman or their issues, I felt saddened for all women who are trapped. Here we have two educated and successful women who are victims of their husbands’ ego. Their status and education didn’t make it any easier to leave their relationships. The success of this book will be the author’s legal background and the authentic characters. I truly felt like I was there and feeling the desperation. Fairly naive, I was blown away by the mind-games the husbands initiate to make their wives powerless. Zach Hawkins and Liam Dawson are downright evil in their interactions behind closed doors; belittling and withholding access to finances. Murphy’s notes include statistics and information about offering support to those we suspect are in danger as well as informing us that leaving isn’t as easy as it looks.

A fast-paced, genre-hopping debut, this one contains triggers that should be investigated prior to reading.

I was gifted this advance copy by Nora Murphy, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

OMG I couldn’t put this one down!! This was my first time reading this author, and I’ll definitely be reading more. The way she depicted these characters was fantastic. Even though I’ve never been in this situation at all, the women were very relatable and I totally resonated with both of them. This book did a great job and showing that it is truly so hard to escape an abusive partner. I loved the suspense and that twist right at the beginning! My jaw literally dropped. And the ending was perfect. This was everything I could want in a thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for a review. This title will be published May 31, 2022.

Wow. This one is really good, guys!. Gripping, riveting with a storyline that keeps you guessing until the end- I read this one in one sitting. I really loved both Leah and McKenna. The two main characters made poor choices when it came to the controlling, successful men they married. But you can't keep a good girl down in these two cases! It is surprising that the author made two characters who were doing bad things still so inherently likable! If you liked The Last Mrs. Parrish, Behind Closed Doors and The Woman in the Window, this is one that you need to move to the top of your stack. It is a fun, twisty ride!

I think The Favor was a thrilling and tightly wound story. The two main characters Leah and McKenna sometimes became confused in my mind as I read because they were so alike. I think that is the point-alike in their experience but... dissimilar in their personal heart break they experienced in their marriages. I highly recommend to anyone who likes domestic suspense stories. I hate to admit that I cheered when a thoroughly evil thing like murder happened. I could not help myself. The only detractor in the story to me is the detective's point of view. He was dogged in his pursuit but seemed he was clutching at straws and knew he was. It did not add to the tension for me because I guess I really did not want the murderer caught. I still loved the writing and though it is hard to understand domestic abuse behind closed doors I am so thankful to Nora Murphy for bringing it out in the open.

Thank you to Net Galley for a chance to read and review.