The favour by Nicci French

Jude is now living her life as a successful doctor, engaged to be married and so when Liam appears in her life after 10 years of no contact, having ghosted her after a terrible accident and asks her for a favour, she is shocked, but compelled to help. After she completes the favour, she is contacted by the police, who inform her that Liam has been found dead - leading to her being caught up in a murder investigation. The more Jude becomes involved in Liam's life that he has now left behind, the more caught up she gets in the mess of everything, and the more it looks like she was involved in whatever Liam had planned...

Given the popularity of Nicci French's books, the writing was simpler than was expected. That being said, the story was still immersive and given the contemporary nature of the novel, readers will find it plausible the way she gets tangled in the whole mess. They may however think it's questionable character choices, though this is explained later on in the book. The book attempts to build suspense throughout the novel but lacks the normal urgency that suspense and thriller books usually have. Leaning towards a psychological thriller with all the characters and relationships, the twists and the way the characters are set up, readers may enjoy the darker aspects of the book that creates tension and emotions in the reader.

Themes: Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Murder, Relationships, Contemporary, UK, Past Relationships, Past Mistakes, Guilt.

Melanie Pages