Monday 13 November 2023

My Best Friend's Secret by Danielle Ramsay

Dear friends. Welcome to another book spotlight post. This time it's psychological thriller My Best Friend's Secret by Danielle Ramsay.

Synopsis

Five women; pretty, privileged, perfect, and ultimately protected… but not for long…

It was ‘their’ dark secret. For twenty-two-years they kept it buried. Time hasn’t healed my wounds. Instead, they’ve festered. Their actions went unpunished. Until now…

Shamed, scarred, and shunned, I watched, waited and plotted how to shatter their enviable lives. Now, finally, they will suffer as I did in their cruel hands that fateful night.

Time’s up. I am here for you, Dr Claudia Harper. But first, you’ll witness your childhood friends, one by one, beg for mercy.

And I’ve saved the best ‘til last, so watch your back; I’m closer than you think. I’m here to expose your best friend’s secret. The one you’ve all kept hidden...until now.

A tale of betrayal, dark, twisted lies and long-awaited retribution. Perfect for the fans of Claire McGowan, Shalini Boland and S. E. Lynes

My Thoughts

It was a little slow to get going, but boy, once it got going it was a veritable roller coaster of thrills.

We start with the funeral of Jasmine, Claudia's best friend. Unfortunately they had grown apart in the run- up to her death, which had been ruled suicide. Claudia is hurt and volatile as her relationship with Jas comes under scrutiny. She's already tormented that her husband is not telling the truth about how he helped a drunk woman to get home, and ended up covered in scratches and bites.

Over the course of the book I totally veered away from my original thoughts about Claudia. For a woman with a good career, she initially infuriated me by refusing to believe anything her husband said, and then getting petty revenge.

But it became clear she had somehow been set up, and her three other long term friends were hiding something. Then she witnesses a hit and run, seriously injuring one of the friends she was about to meet with.

It wasn't too difficult to guess who the perpetrator was, but I would never have guessed the complex reasons for that person's anger and need for revenge in a million years.

Thanks to Rachel Gilbey from Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and the author for the advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

About the Author, Danielle Ramsay

Danielle Ramsay is a Scot living in a small seaside town in the North-East of England. Always a storyteller, it was only after completing a First Class (Hons) Degree in Media Production that she then went on to follow an academic career in literature. She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger in 2009 and 2010, and appointed a New Writing North Read Regional author in 2011.

She is the author of five DI Jack Brady crime novels and The Last Cut, a dark thriller with DS Harri (Harriet) Jacobs. Danielle fills her days with horse-riding, running and murder by proxy.  She is also the proud Patron of the charity SomeOne Cares, which counsels survivors of domestic violence, rape and child abuse.

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