Complex but slightly unrealistic story. A determined main character tries to find out why so many friends are dying/committing suicide. A secret girls club or something more sinister.

In this twisty legal thriller we’re following Cassandra Harlow, a high-achieving lawyer who wants nothing more than to be made partner at the prestigious law firm where she works. She is shocked and in disbelief when she learns that Sara, her friend and colleague, has killed herself.
Cassandra immediately starts to investigate her friend’s apparent suicide, only to find out that Sara was a member of a secret women’s society called “Inside”. Inside promises to help advance their member’s careers significantly, and Cassandra tries to join in order to find out what really happened to Sara.
Unfortunately, Inside isn’t what it claims to be…

Overall I found this to be a successful debut novel. Rhiannon Barnsley gives us a peek into an overachieving and massively misogynistic legal company in which women are trying to find their space. I was definitely entertained throughout the book, and some of the twists in the second part really surprised me (especially the ones near the very end!)

Around halfway in the book gets a little slow, but the pace picks up again and I almost read the last half in one sitting. I also really enjoyed the romance subplot, Cassandra’s romantic relationship and her friendships felt realistic to me.

The characters are not necessarily memorable, but I’ll probably remember the story as a whole for a while. I would love to read more from Rhiannon Barnsley!

Thank you to One More Chapter for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Really enjoyed it this book! A good story with alot of unexpected twists and turns along the way. First time reading this author and definitely a 5 star book!

Good book that was very well written. Loved the main characters and how well they interacted and fit together the whole story.

This was an entertaining thriller. Cass was an enjoyable MC and despite having to suspend my disbelief with certain plot points, I liked the pacing of the novel. All of the characters were well fleshed out, especially Nat. I had no idea where the ending would take me, but it made for a shocking ending.

Cassandra Harlow is a lawyer working in a high paced job. She works long hours to get herself noticed and hopefully get in line for a partnership. One day she see's her friend fall from the building to her death. Obviously the pressure was to much. After closing a deal she suffers an incident. After this she realises that the big boys club soon closes ranks.
So when she gets the opportunity to join a new clique she realises that the girls may have power too. However, are they as they seem or are they more dangerous to be involved with. Cass must discover who is involved to solve a crime and hopefully save her life.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

Thank you Netgalley, and One More Chapter for the ARC.

There’s only one way to join their society. If someone leaves, or dies…

High-flying lawyer Sara O’Neil had it all; the career, the money, the prestige.

And then she jumped to her death.

Cassandra Harlow never expected to see her friend fall from their office rooftop. Someone knows what really happened. But the only people who might know the truth are a secret women-only society, Inside, whose promise is to fast-track your career.

But if Sara was part of it and they helped facilitate her rise to the top, could they also be the reason she came crashing down to earth?
I enjoyed the book. However there just seemed to be something missing for me. Maybe more character development would have helped?

3 out of 5 ⭐️

What would you do to move ahead in your job? What is you were blocked at every angle by the old boy's club? Cassie is in that very situation after working long long days at her law firm. Worse yet, a mentor/friend of hers seems to have jumped to her death. When another colleague mentions a secret club of women professionals, Cassie decides to apply.

She finds out very quickly that her recently deceased friend Sarah was a member and the club is no joke. There are multiple interviews and clandestine meetings - very cloak and danger, very impressive and very intimidating.

Cassie begins to wonder exactly what happened to Sarah - was it a suicide, or was it something else that had to do with the Clique! Thrilling and fast paced, this is one you don't want to miss.
#harpercollins #onemorechapter hiannonbarnsley

this had everything that I was hoping for from this type of book, it had that mystery element perfectly and I enjoyed how strong the concept was. The characters had a great overall feel for this book and I thought the Clique worked perfectly in this story. It had me on the edge of my seat with this book and cared about the characters in this world. It had a strong overall feel and was written perfectly. Rhiannon Barnsley has a great writing style and it left me wanting to read more and thought this was well written.

Publication date: Jun 6th, 2024
Page count: 337
Genre: domestic thriller
Setting: London
POV: Cass

Law firm, multiple “suicides” of women, a secret society. Cass wants to figure out who is doing the killing, and why are they doing it?

A fun fast paced read!


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

Cassandra is a female lawyer in a typically macho law firm. Her colleague, mentor and friend Sara dies after falling from the office roof. Nat, another colleague suggests they apply to Inside, an exclusive women's only networking group which has a vacancy following Sara's death. Cassandra and Nat go through the elaborate recruitment process. Cassandra gets mysterious messages and suspects that Inside may not be all that it seems. She tries to find evidence of this with the help of her new boyfriend George. A good read but there was a long build up with most of the action in the later part of the book. It wasn't really explained how Inside actually helped any of the women with their career.

I found this to be a very slow starting story. The plot is intriguing- a secret society that may not be all it seems and a couple of unexplained deaths, written off as suicides but for me the main character Cass is put into a series of situations where you are either screaming out at her for not seeing the obvious or left wondering why a situation has been shoehorned into the plot with introduction or explanation.
Overall an OK read.

This was almost at the point of being a farce.

The novel starts with Cass explaining her life. Until 40% all Cass does is tell you how stressful, terrible and awful her life is. To be fair there appears to be nothing in her life that is good but while having all the self awareness in the world to her troubles she just keeps plugging to make things worse.

Then! An event happens at her work (not related to the main plot) and what the author has chosen to do here is impossible to recover from. You cannot put a woman in a predatory situation and elicit sympathy as a work around for character development, it’s poor and it’s really bad form. I’ve finished reading this on international women’s day and I’m appalled we use sexual assault as an easy anchor rather than writing better.

Luckily for us the plot continues and Cass is told very clearly to “Trust no one”. Reader she ignores this. She trusts random people who come in to her life.

This is just not a book that shows how intelligent women can be.

The Clique was a fast paced thriller with that tells the story of Cassandra along with other staff ( attorneys/friends) that work at the same law firm. This one is full of drama, lies, and mystery that keeps you hooked until the very end.
While some of this book is a little unrealistic, it is well written. It is full of unlikeable characters and won't know who to trust.

Ooooof! If you ever had to endure working in a patriarchal office with not only rampant misogyny but vile cliques of women, then this is absolutely the book for you! There are a number of TW's but all are conducted in context and not glorified in any way

The Clique by Rhiannon Barnsely is and utterly blinding psychological thriller that is right up my street. There is a belting twist in the tail and as such, it is difficult to get too far into the synopsis but for to say, The Clique is an exclusive club, with very strict entry requirements. It is only for those who really wish to succeed and more often than not, it is women who are put upon in high-octane vocations

Rhiannon Barnsley has a blistering intellect and it shows in this incredibly fast paced thriller. Cleverly woven with intricate detail, this is a must if you like a nailbiting thriller

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter and the author Rhiannon Barnsley for this stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This was a lot more sinister than I thought it was going to be, and all the better for it. I was hooked. I loved the investigative angles and the way it got more and more disturbing and dangerous the more you learnt.

Loved Loved Loved this book!
An original story with great characters that had me completely hooked
One of the best books I've read for a while

This book focuses on what the lives of high level lawyers are really like and what they have to endure to achieve their career ambitions and goals. It initially starts off a little slow but then the pace soon really picks up.

On the surface it seems that Sara O'Neil has it all, a prestigious life as a high flying lawyer and supposedly the world at her feet, that is until Sara jumps to her death from the rooftop of the company's office. An absolute tragic event for all that knew her and worked with her. Life as a lawyer in this environment is not easy, burnout, constant fears of not being good enough and a job that takes over these employees lives, they literally breath work twenty four hours a day. Why did Sara feel this was the only avenue she could take, was it just because of the constant stress and pace of her life while trying to make partner with the organisation?

Her close workmate Cass cannot comprehend this situation and does not believe that Sara would have taken her own life, she then begins to investigate what she feels are suspicious circumstances. Cass then has her own issues, a very wealthy client of the firm bails her up in a woman's toilet at a meeting and makes sexual advances towards her, she reacts by slapping him in the face, well deserved but now she has huge problems, he takes his revenge by telling her company partner's lies about her. Cass is not believed when interviewed by the firm as to why she behaved in this manner, this then leads to her employment being terminated. While all this is going Cass discovers that Sara was involved with a secret group who supposedly are able to enhance the careers of these highly intelligent women. she then decides she must endeavor to become a member as she feels the answers regarding Sara's death may lay with them.

An absolute page turner, I was immediately taken in by the story and found it really hard to put this book down. Mystery, suspence and outright danger keep the book moving along and the reader hangs on every page waiting to see how this will resolve, will Cass find evidence of what has contributed to Sara's loss of life and will those involved face consequences?

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Five stars.

Doesn’t reinvent the wheel but does give you a well paced and tense read!

The premise is a bit out there but if you suspend belief the author will run with it and you’ll enjoy!

Despite the inequalities within the workplace, high-flying lawyer Sara O'Neil has it all. She has the money, the power, and the career; and is on track to make partner in a prestigious firm. That's why everyone is confused when seemingly out of nowhere, she climbs to the terrace rooftop and jumps to her death. Her co-worker and friend, Cassandra, doesn't believe that Sara would end her life and decides to find out what really happened to her. Cass discovers Sara was part of an elite networking club for professional women and plans to infiltrate the group to reveal the secrets behind Sara's death, and there begins a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.

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The Clique was certainly a fun read. Although originally I struggled to get into the book due to its slow start, it really picked up in the last half of the book and I devoured it in one sitting. There were a few predictable twists but also some that I didn't see coming. Overall, it was a fun read I just couldn't get over how unrealistic the ending felt. I also found there weren't really any characters that I found memorable or relatable which is another factor that let it down as there was nobody to really root for or care about. Still, it was an enjoyable reading experience and I can see people liking this book if they're into the genre.