#nora murphy

[godzilla-reads]

November 20, 2021

I haven’t read much for Nonfiction November, but it’s never too late to start!

[sheepyhollows]

[freshfarmhouse]

[sheepyhollows]

Nora Murphy Country House Holiday 2015

[bookstothrivecom]

Ours Is a Tale of Murder Summary, Book Review: A Chilling Metafictional Thriller

Introduction to Ours Is a Tale of Murder Summary & Review What happens when you realize the story you’re reading is not the story you thought it was? Ours Is a Tale of Murder follows Klara, a thirty-five-year-old attorney who falls into what seems like a fairy-tale romance with Troy, a charming commercial lawyer. But the fairy tale curdles quickly. Klara begins noticing small things—a coffee that…

Ours Is a Tale of Murder Summary, Book Review: A Chilling Metafictional Thriller

[siriuslygrimm]

Protective Pains

#BOOKREVIEW - Protective Pains - #TheNewMother #blog

In a new house and with a new baby, a first-time mother struggles with doing her best; when a friendly neighbor offers some respite she thinks nothing of it but the neighbor has his own plans for which the mother would be helpful in The New Mother by Nora Murphy. A new mother, Natalie is happy that her son, Oliver, is here, but she worries about doing everything right as she cares for him. With…

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[jolieeason]

The Favor by Nora Murphy

The Favor by Nora Murphy

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books Date of publication: May 31st, 2022 Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | B&N | WorldCat Goodreads Synopsis: A gripping debut domestic suspense novel, The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands. Staying…

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[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: The Favor by Nora Murphy

What an emotionally compelling domestic thriller! Definitely the kind of story you're tempted to devour in one sitting. Leah and McKenna are strangers with parallel lives. They're educated, wealthy, attractive, live in beautiful neighborhoods, and are married to handsome and successful men who know how to charm. On the outside, everything looks perfect. Cookie cutter. Like a suburban fairy tale. On the inside, however, something far more sinister roams. Though the women have never met, they're both trapped in the same physical and psychological prison of abuse, with both of them suffering at the hands of their domineering husbands who have slowly smashed their peace and happiness to smithereens, having crumbled away their sense of dignity and independence until it's black and blue. When Leah sees McKenna one day at a liquor store, she is gripped with an unsettling sense of familiarity. A bone-deep knowing. A siren call that seems to shout "all is not what it seems." So she follows her home. Watching from the street, she decides to keep an eye out for her, until, one night, things take a turn for the worse...and she intervenes. What happens next will bind these two women, these two strangers, together forever. This was such an addictive read! Not only is it fast-paced and engrossing but it reveals the insidiousness of abusive relationships: the slow, sweet slide of coercion, the gaslighting that can muddle clarity of mind, the loss of sense of self, the isolation, the anger, the "walking on eggshells" fear and terror, the helplessness that can make a cry for help seem crazy, hopeless, dangerous, or impossible. The plot is predictable, I grant you that, but the characters' mutual trauma and psychology is what holds readers in its thrall. You can't help but empathize with all Leah and McKenna go through with their monstrous husbands. You can't help but hold your breath at all the ways in which their lives parallel, and then later, intersect because of a favor that was bestowed without request. So, so good! A lot of great insights here about domestic abuse and manipulation that'll give book clubs much to discuss. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4/5 stars

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