3.5

I really liked the way this book was split into three separate stories, all with their own twists. I did find some of the book predictable and it was a bit longer than necessary, but overall enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

So so good. I am continuously impressed by Nora Murphy. Have loved her books but this might be my favorite. Half way through I was completely thrown and flipping back to see what I missed. Ending was perfect. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley!!

Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy is a smart, suspenseful domestic thriller that pulled me in right away. This was my first time reading anything by Nora Murphy, and I found her writing style both engaging and enjoyable. She has a way of blending tension with strong character work, which made this a standout read for me.

The story is layered with secrets, betrayals, and shifting perspectives, all of which kept me hooked and eager to see how things would unfold. The pacing felt tight, and there were plenty of twists and turns that made it hard to put down. I especially enjoyed how Murphy explored the complexities of relationships and the hidden darkness that can exist beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives.

While not every reveal completely shocked me, the storytelling was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages quickly. Murphy’s ability to build atmosphere and draw out tension made the book feel immersive from start to finish.

Overall, this was an excellent domestic thriller with plenty of drama and suspense. I am glad to have discovered Nora Murphy’s work and will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

Thank you to Nora Murphy, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own and completely unbiased.

This is an all around solid thriller. Suspenseful, bingeable, and just the right amount of gas lighting. Short chapters, decent characters, good twists. Really, just a great book!

Loved this!! Super short chapters, a bunch of POVs that don’t seem to tie together until they do, family drama, and a twist I did not see coming at all = a recipe for my fave kind of thriller. the writing was super easy to follow and the characters felt really distinct. Def recommend!!

Ours Is a Tale of Murder is a slow-burn, chilling suburban thriller that kept me hooked. Nora Murphy weaves together the lives of three households: a picture-perfect couple hiding cracks, a grieving mother ready to move on, and a lonely man with unsettling habits— that is, until their stories collide in violence. The characters are deeply flawed and fascinating, each perspective adding to the tension and sense of dread. Henry’s chapters in particular made my skin crawl in the best way. The twist hits hard, and the ending leaves you unsettled, questioning how trauma and desperation can push ordinary people into darkness.
4.25 ⭐️

I liked it well enough, I thought it was a little slow at first but really enjoyed the stories weaving together that happened in the second half! The major twist made it a little difficult to keep up but it was pretty cool as a literary device lol. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

3.5 Star review
Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy is a quiet yet unsettling domestic thriller that peels back the layers of suburbia to reveal the darkness simmering just beneath the surface. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives. Klara and Troy appear to have the perfect marriage, though the reality is much more fractured. Mary, a mother preparing to sell her family home, is haunted by regrets and the weight of her past. And Henry, recently laid off and back living with his parents, spends too much time watching his neighbors and sensing that something is off. As their lives slowly intersect, betrayal, secrets, and an unexpected murder begin to unravel the neighborhood’s calm veneer.

Murphy writes with a steady hand, creating an atmosphere that feels deceptively calm while hinting at the chaos to come. The alternating viewpoints keep the story layered and compelling, and her characters feel authentic in their flaws and hidden fears. However, the pacing leans slow at times, with sections that feel more like quiet character study than suspense. While this adds depth, it also occasionally dilutes the tension. Some readers may also find the ending more understated than expected for a murder centered novel.

Still, Murphy delivers an engaging exploration of fractured marriages, regret, and the darkness that can creep into ordinary lives. It is a thoughtful domestic thriller that will resonate most with readers who appreciate slow-burn tension, layered characters, and a more nuanced take on neighborhood suspense rather than a twist-heavy ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy is a chilling, intricately woven thriller that explores the dark undercurrents of suburban life. Set in a quiet neighborhood, the novel follows three seemingly unrelated households: Klara and Troy, a couple whose picture-perfect exterior hides unsettling truths; Mary, a mother haunted by past mistakes as she prepares to sell her home; and Henry, a recently laid-off man living with his parents, whose voyeuristic tendencies lead him to suspect something sinister. As the narrative unfolds, Murphy masterfully builds tension through shifting perspectives, drawing readers into a web of secrets, suspicion, and slow-burning dread.

The characters are deeply flawed and psychologically rich, each carrying emotional baggage that shapes their choices and perceptions. Klara’s discomfort with domestic life contrasts sharply with Troy’s obsessive need for control, while Mary’s grief and guilt cloud her judgment. Henry, isolated and increasingly unstable, becomes a disturbing lens through which the neighborhood is observed. Murphy’s strength lies in her ability to make each character’s voice distinct and compelling, while gradually revealing how their lives are bound together by a shared, violent fate. The twist when the threads of their stories collide in an unexpected act of murder is both shocking and satisfying, reframing everything that came before.

The conclusion delivers a haunting sense of inevitability. Rather than relying on a single culprit or tidy resolution, Murphy leans into the psychological complexity of her characters, showing how trauma, denial, and desperation can lead ordinary people to extraordinary darkness. The final pages are mesmerizing, leaving readers with lingering questions about complicity and the masks we wear.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

Ours is a Tale of Murder is dark, atmospheric, and definitely kept me guessing. Nora Murphy writes really well, and there’s no shortage of tension or complicated relationships here.

That said, I did struggle a bit with the shifting perspectives. The constant switches sometimes made it hard to stay grounded in the story, and I found myself needing to reread sections to keep track of who was who. Once I got into the flow, though, the mystery itself was engaging and the twists were worth it.

Overall, it’s a solid, moody thriller — not perfect, but definitely one that fans of layered, character-driven mysteries will appreciate.

Nora Murphy's Ours Is a Tale of Murder is a suspenseful thriller that promises a unique narrative structure and shocking twists. The story weaves together three seemingly separate lives in a quiet neighborhood: a couple with a seemingly perfect facade, a mother haunted by her past, and a man who spends his time watching his neighbors. As their individual stories unfold, a murder begins to connect them in ways no one could have anticipated. This novel is a perfect choice for readers who love a good mystery with deep psychological undertones and a finale that will leave you reeling.

I made an attempt to continue reading, but I had to dnf at 59%. The narrative structure presented challenges due to frequent shifts in perspective without clear chapter delineations. This made it difficult to fully comprehend and engage with the storyline. While certain segments of the book were compelling, others seemed extraneous to the overall plot.

Thank you net galley for the arc !! 🤍

3.75 ⭐️

What started as quiet suburban life quickly unraveled into a chilling story of obsession, betrayal, and murder. This was my second read by Nora Murphy, and once again she delivered a slow-burn psychological suspense—where fractured families, buried secrets, and shifting perspectives converge in a haunting exploration of hidden motives and dark truths.

This story took place in a quiet neighborhood where three families were each grappling with their own private struggles—buried secrets, lingering regrets, and unspoken tension. As events unfolded, their lives began to intersect in surprising ways, pulling them into a tangled web of hidden motives and unsettling truths.

There were several elements I really enjoyed about this unconventional mystery. The relationships between family members and neighbors felt almost like a character themselves—worn down by secrecy, strained loyalties, and buried resentments. These fragile, tension-filled bonds created the perfect backdrop for psychological suspense. What I appreciated most was how the story subverted expectations. Rather than following the pattern of a traditional whodunit, it focused on the emotional reasoning behind the crime. The mystery unraveled gradually—not through detective-style clues, but through the deepening psychological insight into the characters. By the end, there was closure, but it left behind a haunting chill that was more unsettling than comforting. I also enjoyed the multiple points of view and shifting timelines. While this approach might feel disorienting to some, I found it added momentum and depth. The layered perspectives enriched the narrative, keeping me engaged as I pieced the full story together.

As much as I enjoyed this sharp and haunting novel, one element didn’t work as well for me. While I typically love the dark, unsettling tones that psychological suspense delivers, the mood here was unrelentingly heavy—rooted in grief, dysfunction, and unease. At times, that weight tipped from atmospheric into oppressive, making parts of the narrative feel more draining than engaging.

All in all, Nora Murphy has a gift for crafting psychological suspense that lingers. Her writing is elegant and deliberately paced, she draws her readers in with a haunting atmosphere and richly layered characters. She builds tension gradually, tightening it page by page, until it breaks with sharp, chilling twists. Fans of Nora Murphy and fans of chilling, slow-burn thrillers with character-driven psychological suspense will most likely enjoy Ours Is a Tale of Murder too.

Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark, thank you for gifting me a complimentary advance copy of Nora Murphy’s newest publication in exchange for my review.

Ours Is a Tale of Murder was such a quick read! I was sucked in from almost page one! I love a twisty book and this one had turns I did not see coming!!

Yes a great thriller from Nora Murphy that kept me guessing until the end. I was hooked. To start I thought it lagged a bit but once it got going it really was well written, the characters were relatable and the storyline was unpredictable. I loved the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Plot:
The book is in a few different POVs, a toxic couple, Klara and Troy, a worrisome mother who wants the best for her son, Mary, and a man who has a bit too much time on his hands who is freshly laid off living with his parents, Henry. While they are three separate homes on the same block, they are bound together by one thing, Murder.

My Thoughts:
First of all, I'm so glad I got to read this as an eARC on net galley!! Now regarding the book. Honestly, I was expecting a little more. Now this isn’t to say this isn’t an amazing book. I really enjoyed reading it. However, the twists weren’t really twists to me. I was able to predict most of the twists that were in the book (this is probably because I read a lot of mystery and thriller). But the plot and storyline is unlike any other book I’ve read. So engaging and unique. I loved it and was unable to put it down, despite it being a bit predictable on my end. I also liked how fast paced the book was.

Final Thoughts:
All in all, this is a great book! I definitely recommend it if you enjoy mystery/thrillers. It is currently said to be published on February 10th, 2026.

Overall I enjoyed this one but had a little tough time following. The way the story switches more than halfway through where some parts were about the story the gal was writing but others were in her real life made it hard to follow. I think there was a big twist at the end but I didn’t catch it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my copy.

Three families on one street told by members of each family's point of view, I didn't catch on to that at first but then you start to really get to know these families and their secrets and you keep wanting to know what's going to happen next with each one of them. My emotions went wild, there are some that you totally can't stand, there are those that make you angry and those that you feel kind of sorry for and sometimes you feel all of the above for all of them. It's a twisty whodunit, you think it may be one then you think it may be another and I wasn't surprised at who it was but getting there was quite the experience.
It's a tale of love, it's a tale of relationships, it's a tale of heartache, it's a tale of secrets, it's a tale of murder and you will enjoy reading it.

I always love a good mystery and Nora Murphy knew how to do that exactly! It was phenomenal! I loved every part of it!