Friends Like These: A Novel

A group of friends has stuck together, bound by a shared secret that could ruin everything. With the pretense of going away for Jonathan’s bachelor party, the group heads to his new house in the hopes of getting Keith into rehab. Maeve and Stephanie know it’s time to try again, as Keith stands to lose his livelihood. However, Keith is in over his head, and the drug lords have started threatening his friends. Add to this mess a contractor who wasn’t paid in a timely manner and an angry, bereft mother and there’s a recipe for murder in there somewhere. A reunion unlike most, this group of friends isn’t leaving until someone is dead. Detective Julia Scutt, who has her own tragic past, has to comb through the twisted vines of their poisonous friendship to solve a convoluted murder.

This group of friends is difficult to like––spoiled rich kids who choose to further (and protect) their own interests above all others; the detective is a refreshing break in the narrative. They all have secrets, and as unreliable narrators taking turns sharing their story, nothing is as it seems. It’s an excellent thriller for readers who love Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, and JP Delaney.