Helen H. Durrant's The Funeral plunges readers into a gripping psychological thriller where a past identity becomes a present danger. The protagonist receives an anonymous funeral invitation, with no name, only a chilling directive: "I can't afford to miss it." Despite her initial disbelief, she arrives to find her fears confirmed: the gravestone bears the name Alice Anderson—her own former identity.

Trapped in a crowd of curious onlookers, she desperately wants to flee but knows she must maintain her composure. Someone at this funeral knows the secret she'd "kill to keep," and they've orchestrated this confrontation. However, her unknown tormentor gravely underestimates her. She's not a victim; she's been preparing for this moment. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear she has a plan, and she knows "exactly what's going to happen next." The Funeral is a tense, electrifying read about a woman cornered by her past, forced to fight for her future against an unseen enemy determined to make her pay.

Imagine showing up to a funeral and seeing your name on the gravesite...
For Alice Anderson, this is her living nightmare. After receiving an anonymous invitation to a funeral, Alice's curiosity is heightened. Upon her arrival, the body bears her own name. Distraught and confused, Alice becomes determined to find out who sent her the invitation and why. Alice becomes entangled in a tricky web of lies and comes head on with the past she was so desperately trying to escape.

This was my first book by Helen Durant and the plot teaser really enticed me. Overall, I didn't love the book. It seemed to move a bit slowly and I felt slightly bored at times. I did enjoy the audiobook narration and would be willing to try another book by this notorious British author.

If you're looking for a psychological thriller with a unique concept, this could be the perfect book for you. Be prepared to question everyone, trust no one, and search for the true motive for Alice's invitation to her own funeral.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a twisted thriller with so many twists and turns. I enjoyed the premise of the story and did not see that ending coming! I enjoyed this thriller and how it grabbed my attention from the beginning.

Helen H. Durrant's *The Funeral* is a 4-star psychological thriller that grabs you from its chilling opening and never loosens its grip. When Alice receives a mysterious funeral invitation, she's horrified to discover the casket bears her own name—launching a twisted mystery that blends paranoia and suspense in equal measure.

Durrant crafts an expertly paced narrative filled with clever red herrings and believable character development. While some astute readers might guess a twist or two ahead of time, the journey remains compelling thanks to tight plotting and an atmosphere of creeping dread. Sarah Durham's narration elevates the experience, her performance perfectly capturing Alice's growing unease while maintaining tension throughout.

What makes this thriller stand out is its ability to take a simple, eerie premise and develop it into something truly unsettling. The final revelations feel earned rather than contrived, delivering that rare combination of surprise and satisfaction.

For fans of psychological suspense with strong female leads and unpredictable twists, *The Funeral* makes for an utterly engrossing listen. I'll be seeking out more from both Durrant and narrator Durham.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC. This review represents my honest opinion.

The premise of this book was interesting and had so much potential. I mean, can you imagine being invited to your own funeral?! Unfortunately, the overall execution of this story just did not work for me. I think the narrator did an excellent job with the audiobook and she kept me invested when the pace of the story slowed down and the plot became confusing. Overall, there was nothing memorable about this story when there was so much potential.

Fast paced, twisty thriller that I enjoyed from start to finish! New author for me but may be tempted to read more! Quick, easy and entertaining- thanks for ARC!

This wasn't really for me. It seems really constructed that a family like that would just invite a complete stranger into their house, when they are this dysfunctional. Everyone is behaving so weird I don't know where to start...
The narrator did a good job.

The premise to this story was unique, so I was excited to dive into this audiobook. This gripping thriller begins with a chilling start: a mysterious funeral invitation that leads to murder. A woman receives an invitation to a funeral for a mystery person. Intrigued, she decides to attend the funeral to see who had passed away. When she gets there, she sees Alice Anderson as the name of the deceased. How can that be? She is Alice Anderson, but she hasn't used that name in. years. Who knows her secret? She must stay calm and level headed to find out.

This was a quick listen that was messy and had me doubting everyone. This complex story kept me guessing right up until the end. From the first chapter, the tension is palpable, as secrets from the past begin to surface and a web of deceit slowly unravels. The story follows a group of characters connected by buried trauma, lies, and old rivalries. When one of them turns up dead, it becomes clear that someone wants revenge — and no one is safe. The story cleverly develops from multiple points of view and timelines to help build suspense. Many of the twists and turns were unexpected and had me audibly gasping. This was a very enjoyable story! Sarah Durham did a good job with the narration.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

In this first novel I’ve read by the very talented Helen H. Durrant, I stayed mesmerized in the story! I felt with Donna/ Alice that she was lost in a sort of ‘House of Horrors’ with no one surrounding her that seemed trustworthy. This is a completely addictive page-turner from beginning to end!

With a premise that instantly intrigues—an anonymous funeral invitation, a hidden identity, and a powerful secret—The Funeral (The Other Alice) starts off strong. Helen H. Durrant crafts a compelling setup that had me turning pages quickly in the beginning. As the story unfolded, the pacing slowed a bit and the twists became less grounded, but the atmosphere of mystery and tension held steady. I especially enjoyed the dramatic family dynamics and the theme of reinvention. A good pick for fans of psychological thrillers who appreciate layered secrets and a slow-burn unraveling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ARC.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I kept thinking, “It’s going to be her!” and while I was partially right, the twists kept me guessing. I couldn’t stop reading until I had all the answers. The ending was satisfying, and I’d absolutely read more from this author!

There’s lots of intrigue - who exactly is Alice Anderson, who sent the email invite and why? The timing of events seems a little unrealistic/out of whack but storyline keeps drawing the reader in.
The narration of the audiobook, done by Sarah Durham, is clear, well paced and very easy to listen to.
Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this ARC.

This book felt that it started with a lot of questions, why would you turn up to a funeral if you are trying to hide. Once I got about halfway through it and got around all the questions had about how it wasn't a realistic physiological thriller I did enjoyed the story. When I read psychological thriller, I enjoy not having to see too many holes or have too many questions about the story, so this tripped me a up a little. I enjoyed Sarah Durhams narration on this book, and she helped keep me interested. I feel as though I would've stopped if I hadn't been listening to this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance audiobook copy of The Funeral by Helen H Durrant from netgalley.

I enjoyed the narration of The Funeral. Easy to follow and understand.

The Funeral is a twisty thriller, you may have figured out. But you won't be able to guess the ending.

Every single character is suspicious and acts oddly. It's impossible to know who to believe. It's even harder to figure out why they are doing the things they do. And is anyone really safe?
I enjoyed the weirdness of this book, though you must suspend disbelief at some of the choices that people are making to get past the beginning of the book. I definitely feel it was worth sticking through to the end, what a ride in between.

thank you NetGalley, the author Helen H. Durrant, and Bookoture Audio for my ARC of this audiobook.

An anonymous funeral invitation...a stolen name...an unturndownable job offer...a dramatic wealthy family with lots of secrets...what could go wrong? With this premise I was immediately drawn in. The tension was building and I was fully invested. But then things kind of took a turn and the pace slowed and the storyline became, well even more out there. Nevertheless, this was a fun tale of intrigue with twists and turns...just nothing shocking or over the top. It is worth a read for fans of psychological thrillers. The narrator (the author's daughter) did a good job with expression and the full cast of characters. It's always enjoyable to me to listen to the British accent, so I'm in!
Thanks to NetGalley and Audible Audio for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

I liked this but didn't absolutely love it. There were times that I was scratching my head trying to figure out how I got to where I was because it didn't feel like I should be there. It seemed like it just sort of blended together too quickly. It was also a bit hard to wrap my head around why the main character did what she did right from the start.
All that said, the writing is very good. The characters are strong characters, and the mystery/thriller stuff was good. There were twists and turns and the ending wasn't bad.
I did get the chance to listen to the audiobook of this book, and I liked it. The narrators are very good and bring a bit of life to the story.

This very well narrated psychological thriller has an unbelievable plot set in a leafy village in affluent Cheshire, England, and has a cast of unpleasant people with few redeeming features. The plot moves along quickly with so many ridiculous events that I had to stay with it in order to discover the outcome. But the ending, although solving one mystery, raises at least another two, which was slightly unsatisfactory. I shall probably not be tempted to read any sequel.

The Funeral is a solid, serviceable crime novel with a compelling premise and a few well-placed twists. Helen Durrant knows how to build suspense, and the opening pages hook you quickly.

That said, the pacing feels uneven, and some character arcs don’t quite land. The plot delivers, but the emotional depth is a bit thin, which makes it hard to fully connect with the stakes. It’s a decent read if you’re after a quick, gritty mystery, but it doesn’t quite rise above the pack.

A middle-of-the-road thriller—reliable, but not especially memorable.

3.5/5 ⭐️- Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC copy of ‘The Funeral’ by Helen H. Durrant. Holy dysfunctional family. The psychological mind games were intense! Honestly, if I were in Donna’s shoes, I would’ve bolted and never looked back. I found myself constantly wondering why she chose to stay in that house with such unsettling people.

As an audiobook, it was an enjoyable listen. The narrator delivered a solid performance and kept me engaged. I appreciated the suspense and the mystery around who the true “villain” was—it definitely kept me guessing.

That said, parts of the plot felt a bit far-fetched and somewhat predictable, which is why I’m giving it 3.5 stars. While the ending did tie up most of the loose ends, I was left wanting more insight into the characters’ motivations. Their behavior and treatment of one another were never fully explained, and that lack of depth detracted from the overall impact for me.