I loved this book!

Thank you, once again to Netgalley and HQ Stories for the advanced reader copy.

I discovered Katy Brent earlier in the year, but hadn't actually read her first book until recently. Her titles just scream with appeal to my twisted sense of humour, and it sounded like How to Kill Men and Get Away With It would be my perfect cup of tea. I was right! I was hoping for something along the lines of How to Kill Your Family or My Sister the Serial Killer - this was so much better!

So, when I saw Brent's second novel on Netgalley I was quick to put in my request.

Meet Molly Monroe - journalist for preteen girl magazine and a bit of an all-round disaster zone. Molly has found herself in a whole heap of trouble following her office Christmas party which she can barely remember, but worse than that, her beloved flatmate and best friend is lying dead in the bath. Police have ruled it as a tragic accident but Molly is certain that there is something far more sinister afoot here. Molly must use all her wits and journalistic skills to uncover the mystery of what Posey was investigating, whilst also trying to steer her own life back onto a better course.

Whilst I'm not one who is really bothered about trigger warnings, this book should come with a number: murder, suicide, sexual assault, addiction, trauma, misogyny.

The plot is well-written and I managed to read this in a day (I'm by no means a quick reader, I just could not put it down). You need to keep reading due to the incredibly fast pace. The main characters are well drawn out and it is impossible not to feel extreme sympathy for Molly.

I particularly liked how Brent interwove the story with Twitter (X) posts reflecting the awful society we live in with regards to criticising and judging the actions of others, particularly women. Brent's books do seem to have a theme running through them with regards to hammering the patriarchy and the misogynistic treatment of women, particularly in the wake of the #metoo movement.

I felt that this book did not contain as much of the black humour as Brent's previous book, but Molly's narrative (particularly her thoughts spoken aloud when she thinks they're in her head!) to be refreshing and entertaining.

I am definitely on the lookout for future Brent books!

I enjoyed this book, it was well written and liked the narrative. I enjoyed some of the humour within the novel as well.

This is dark humour at its best and I was a million percent there for it. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting

I loved this book and read it in one sitting.
It’s d never read anything by the author but will every time I see anything by her from now on. It was one of those I couldn't put down and totally gripping.

Molly is a journalist for a girl's magazine and wakes up one morning with no recollection of the previous night although there is a stranger in her bed. As the morning progresses she finds out what happened on that night and it is horrifying.

Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley,HQ Digital and Katy Brent for my Arc in return for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley,HQ Digital and Katy Brent for my Arc in return for my honest review.

This was a brilliant read from an author I have never read before and I will definitely be buying her other book. It was one of those I couldn't put down and totally gripping.

Molly is a journalist for a girl's magazine and wakes up one morning with no recollection of the previous night although there is a stranger in her bed. As the morning progresses she finds out what happened on that night and it is horrifying.

highly recommended.

I was not sure I had downloaded the right murder book when it starts off with Molly getting massive coverage all over social media after having being filmed doing something naughty that she has no recollection of whatsoever during a boozy Christmas night out.
Just when she thinks her life can not get any worse she discovers a body!
She then gets involved into looking into the disappearance of Lulu which was what her best friend Posey had started investigating. I thought that the book might be too farcical after such a dramatic start but it settles down to be a very good read. Molly is someone it is easy to like and identify with as she has had a traumatic past but is loyal and only too aware of the mistakes she makes. The characters in the book are all very believable in shades of nastiness and deceit and Molly is never sure who to trust.
But she is tenacious and finally gets to the bottom of everything and there is a nice twist in the final chapter.

Thanks Netgalley and HQ for an ARC of this book.

I loved loved loved this book!
I couldn’t put it down!

Something bad happened last night.
But I can’t remember a thing…

What a ride this was!
It’s funny and dark with enough twists to give you whiplash. Contemporary with a classic who done twist.

I loved Molly as the main character, and her growth throughout the story. The situation that she finds herself in is that of nightmares and if I’m honest, she deals with it much better than I thought she would.

I read Katy Brent’s first book ‘How To Kill Men and Get Away With It’ and loved it. Second books for me, can sometimes be hit and miss, but this one is even better! Cannot wait to see what else she releases! definitely getting added to my tbr straight away after these two fantastic reads

Pub Date 1 Feb 2024
Get it pre ordered, add it to your tbr!

A brilliantly written psychological thriller. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last. Try as I might i could not guess the murderer. The beginning sets the scene many of us have experienced -the dreaded Christmas party and we cringe at Molly's behaviour. we've all heard that one person take it to far! That's before we see the savage and brutal release of the video on the internet. From this point onwards we chase down the culprits alongside Molly, turning pages as she jumps hurdles and meeting some pretty unsavoury characters along the way. We see how the wealthy are protected by their friends in high places and how the manipulation of social media can have seriously damaging effects.
Brent is a master at character development and skilfully brings to life Posey despite her never appearing. Through fast paced action and topics that are relevant you have a perfect read. Highly recommend this and thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity.

This is a must-read for anyone who likes dark humour and mystery.

The book follows Molly, a teen magazine journalist, who gets drawn into a murder mystery after her works Christmas party. Suffering from the shame of a viral video, Molly throws herself into investigative journalism to discover a murderer and solve a missing person’s case.

There are plenty of examples of dark humour throughout the book, whilst also delving into more serious issues. I couldn’t put it down and really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the eARC of this book.

I LOVED this book!
I really enjoyed Katy Brent’s first book ‘How To Kill Men and Get Away With It’ and was really excited to get an opportunity to read this ARC on NetGalley and it didn’t disappoint!
‘The Murder After The Night Before’ follows Molly, a journalist who after a Christmas party night out she wakes the next morning to find her best friend and roommate Posey is dead. Molly feels like there’s more that meets the eye and starts to investigate what happened to Posey and along the way uncovers more than she expected.
I couldn’t put this book down! I read this in one sitting and loved every twist and turn. I will definitely be waiting and then reading the third book from Katy Brent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

“ I am Molly Monroe, I’m 32 and a writer for a preteen magazine and I’m very definitely not okay. It’s the morning after the Sparkle magazine Christmas party and I feel like I’m dying. Can you die from a hangover? However, what’s even worse is there’s a stranger in my bed and I’m so confused, although he hastily assures me he just wanted to get me home safely because I got so hammered. I’m horrified, embarrassed and rather sick… Turns out this is Jack and the story he tells me about last night makes no sense whatsoever. There are a few other things that are odd too, and those bad feelings I have just won’t go away but it’s all a total blackout. What happened last night?? What I learn when I eventually stagger into work shocks me to the core. It’s bad people, very bad, the absolute worst. Only this is just the start as things are set to deteriorate very rapidly when I discover my flatmate and best friend Posey is dead. The authorities believe it’s a tragic accident but things don’t add up and so it seems it’s up to me to prove that Posey has been murdered. As to why that’s another story.”

This latest novel from Katie Brent starts off humorously, it’s witty and irreverent until it’s not, I’m actually really glad the author adopts a different tone in this one, as here we have a valid social commentary which becomes justifiably heavy at times. There’s a lot going on to keep you interested as just for starters Molly is on the receiving end of social media toxicity, which is deeply unpleasant to say the least. It also looks at sexual assault, the disparity between the sexes and misogyny,. It’s very current and extremely relevant but is presented in a very accessible way via Molly.

The characterisation is very good, especially of Molly. I like her, she is most certainly flawed, (who isn’t!) and she sure blunders about a bit, but she’s a good person who is prepared to go the extra mile for her journalist friend, Posey. The Posey storyline is a really good one, and there are numerous anomalies in the investigation that Posey is undertaking before her death. There’s a building intriguing mystery surrounding her death and there several surprising twists and turns. What Molly uncovers is that there are many secrets and lies being concealed, and there are multiple shocks in store for her. Parts of this are emotional, sad and dark, but Molly pursues the truth relentlessly and bravely.

I enjoy this novel, however, I’m not too sure about the ending as there’s a lack of resolution, hence the 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to HQ for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was easy to read and well paced. Whilst there is some dark humour there is also a lot of social commentary on serious topics. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers I felt the mystery/plot was just okay. Would read from this author again though.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Katy Brent’s previous novel so was thrilled to be able to read this one. It was everything I’d hoped for – an intriguing murder mystery that kept me gripped, with twists and turns and laugh out loud moments throughout. The only reason I couldn’t quite reach 5 stars was that I was slightly disappointed with the ending. That said, a fabulous read that I would definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and I’m waiting with baited breath for Katy’s next book.

A very dark story, definitely of our time, with a video gone viral, in the worst possible way, and a murder within hours of each other and the victims being best friends. Molly is a 30 something going through the motions of working and playing hard but not really enjoying either side of her life. I liked her sense of humour, bringing lots of smiles as I read, but also making me feel a bit sad for her. It’s well written, at a good pace, just slightly too dark for me. I’m not the target audience but I can appreciate it will appeal to loads of readers out there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a real page-turner, which kept me enthralled from the first page. The story is pleasantly unpredictable, and the characters are appealing. I would definitely recommend this book.

REVIEW
cw: grief, bereavement, death, murder, trauma, anxiety, SA, cheating, misogyny
When Molly wakes up extremely hungover after her office Christmas party, she has no idea of the shocks waiting for her.
While The Murder After The Night Before doesn't share the dark humour of Katy Brent's first novel, Molly, the main character, is just as compelling. Without spoiling anything, Molly wakes up to two horrific situations, sending her on a mission to discover the truth about her best friend, while enduring abuse after a video of her goes viral. It was impossible not to empathise with Molly, while becoming more and more enraged by how she was treated. Once again, Katy Brent accurately examined the contrast between how women and men are treated in the court of public opinion, how mental health issues are used to stigmatise and often discredit vulnerable people, and how often the burden of non-consensual SA is placed on the victim.
I did find myself shouting at Molly occasionally (particularly towards the end) because she didn't always think about the bigger picture, or potential dangers, but at the same time I liked that she was fallible and made mistakes. For me, the biggest twist turned out to be related to her father, and it definitely kept me engaged right until the end.
Despite guessing a couple of the twists, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended but please read the content warnings.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Emotional Rating: 💓😂🤔🙄😬💔🤬💔💓💔😢💔🙄👏🏻💓💔🤔😢💔🤔😒💔😢👏🏻🤬💓😬💔😢💓😡😉💓😬💔😢💔😮🤔😢🙄😮😬💔👏🏻😢👏🏻😬🤦🏻‍♀️🤬😒🤬😏💓

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. The Murder After the Night Before is released 1st February 2024 in the UK*

Favourite Quotes:

I’m beginning to realise that a lot of the language around death skims the truth, skates over it like blades across ice.

"The bad stuff will keep coming, Molly, no matter what you do. But the good stuff, the moments that take your breath away, the moments when you can’t see anything bad because you’re so dazzled by happiness, those moments you’ve got to work for."

"The Murder After the Night Before" by Katy Brent is a captivating blend of murder mystery and comedy, delivering a rollercoaster of intrigue and humor. Set in a small English village, the story revolves around Agnes and her unforgettable quest to uncover a murder mystery. Brent's writing exudes charm, with a witty narrative and quirky characters that make you laugh out loud. The juxtaposition of a seemingly mundane setting with unexpected mayhem adds to the story's appeal. With its clever plot twists and eccentric cast, this novel is a delightful and entertaining read, offering a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre.

I havent read anything by the author before but really enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of intensity and twist for me.

Rating: 4.6/5

I really enjoyed Katy Brent's debut novel, "How to Kill Men and Get Away With It", so there was never any doubt that I was going to be coming back for her next offering. And I am so glad that I did, because this one is even better!

Once again this book contains some highly entertaining dark and acerbic humour as well as highlighting some very well observed social issues as the narrative progresses. However, those elements are merely very welcome bonuses in this gripping thriller. The story gets off to an intriguing and novel start when central character, Molly, wakes up with the mother of all hangovers following her work Christmas party. But life is about to take an even more unpleasant and discombobulating turn for Molly when she finds out that an explicit video of her has gone viral!

As with her previous novel, Katy Brent once again incorporates elements from a number of genres. This story is part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, part rom-com (sometimes at the spicier end of the genre), part comedy (often dark) and part social commentary. Combining such a mixture of genre tropes could easily go badly wrong and end up in a shambolic mess, but Katy Brent handles it wonderfully well. The balance she strikes between serious drama and comedic relief is spot on. There are times when the storyline does become nail-bitingly tense and the skilled use of humour not only offers some relief, but actually amplifies the impact of the tension.

The characterisation is impressive too, with each of the key players being credible and relatable. At the heart of the story, Molly is certainly not without her flaws, but she is drawn in such a way that the reader cannot help but empathise with her. As you might expect, there are twists and turns along the way as the narrative unfolds - some of which you may see coming and some you almost certainly will not - but they are all dealt with in a legitimate fashion without cheating the reader.

Katy Brent has made a fantastic start to her career as an author with her first two novels and there is no question that I will be back for book three.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow, this book was absolutely BRILLIANT!

I enjoyed ‘How To Kill Men And Get Away With It’ and so I knew I was in for a treat, but wasn’t necessarily expecting this to become one of my favourite reads of the year… It 100% did.

Katy Brent is a genius, blending hilarious observational comedy, sharp social commentary and an intriguing mystery into one huge rallying cry for all women who are shamed, disrespected, called hysterical or not believed.

The main character, Molly Monroe, is so well portrayed as a talented, determined, flawed and resilient woman. Her reactions to the worst night of her life being followed immediately by her finding her best friend Posey dead were believable and affecting. As I reader, I immediately felt protective of her and was cheering her on as she uncovered more and more of the truth. I felt like I was investigating journalist Posey’s last story with her and could barely put my kindle down!

The format and pacing of the novel was perfect, with each chapter beginning with a topical tweet from a different random internet person (very emblematic of our current world where everyone feels entitled to an opinion on everything) before lurching into Molly’s inner thoughts, memories and conversations. Brent skillfully kept me guessing throughout the book about who could be trusted and #WhatHappenedToLuluLawrence, and impressively the revelations continued right up until the epilogue’s post credits scene.

I implore you to pick up this book whenever you get a chance. If you’re anything like me you’ll be intrigued, outraged, heartbroken and thoroughly entertained by this memorable story.

I received a free advance review copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.