The Birthday Reunion: A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with twists
Claire Seeber
331 pages
Bookouture
published April 18, 2023
About the book
Four friends. One dream getaway. But who will make it out alive?
When the gold-rimmed invitations arrive through the doors of best friends Simone, Hannah and Vicky they’re instantly taken aback. Their ex-friend Jodie is inviting them to a lavish Mediterranean villa to celebrate her birthday. They haven’t spoken in years since she betrayed them in the worst way. So how did they make the guest list?
They all have their reasons for saying yes. Stay-at-home mum Simone had her dream job snatched away. Hannah lost the love of her life. Café-owner Vicky wants the chance to help a wronged friend. Is the reunion a chance to confront Jodie and the past once and for all?
Arriving at a villa that looks straight out of a movie set, the friends relax by the sumptuous pool as they wait for the other guests to arrive. But as the chilled wine is poured and the three friends reminisce, they see Jodie walking towards them with a look of shock on her face.
Because Jodie didn’t invite them here.
But by the end of the weekend it will become clear who did. Someone else has a reason for revenge. Who will make it out alive?
An absolutely addictive and twist-filled psychological thriller that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and T.M. Logan.
My Review
An interesting book. There are all kinds of missing information and hints about the information that slowly unravels as you read. And I do mean slowly. This is very much a slow burn book. Nothing is as it seems. Told from multiple points of view in the present and the past. I definitely had no idea where this one was heading and never knew what would happen next.
I loved the short chapters, but wasn’t really a fan of any of the women. There were many cliffhangers at the end of the chapters, but some of those were the same cliffhangers over and over. That ended up being a con for me. While I didn’t like any of the women, I was curious who could go to all this trouble to bring them together and wreak havoc on them. Also a con for me was that while the chapters in the present were labeled as to the point of view character, the chapters in the past were not and I was often confused trying to figure out the point of view character
All in all, it was a quick entertaining read. If you’re a fan of slow burn psychological thrillers showcasing former friends, you should give this one a read.
Author bio
Claire Seeber is the author of bestselling psychological thrillers that shine a light onto the simmering resentments and past secrets that exist amongst seemingly ordinary lives. She has been published in more than twelve different languages and is CWA Dagger-nominated.
She started her professional life as a (bad) actress and went on to become a documentary maker, before becoming a newspaper feature writer. When she had her first baby in 2004, Claire started writing psychological thrillers and now also works as a psychotherapist.
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