The Sandal by Nicola Marsh is an exciting psychological thriller page turner. This book has more twists and turns, and I had to keep reading until I found out the truth. I can't say that I really liked any of the characters, but the book was so well written I wanted to know what happened, and with who. Looking forward to reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy this genre.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

I don't know how to explain it except I couldn't pick the book down. It has everything from secrets and lies (and the coverups) to murders. While this is technically a 'thriller,' it read like women's fiction. The writing itself is not particularly ground-breaking and it is actually pretty basic but it didn't bother me too much because I kept wanting to read on to see what would be uncovered next. Since every character had a secret, I found myself guessing repeatedly throughout the book. I also did find parts of predictable.

A fantastic, emotional, brilliantly written tale of friendship, secrets, life and love. Adored this amazing book. Will definitely be reading more from this wonderful author. Very highly recommend this book to everyone.

Friendship, murder, secrets, and betrayal are my favorite words while reading a book. Nicola Marsh's book is one such goodie which made me want to keep reading and not allow the story to end. But the book ended with goosebumps... Omg... Omg I have to shriek it out... OMG!!

Friendship between three ladies Elly, Marissa, Claire had its own ups and downs, but there was one who was hiding the biggest secret which could destroy their relationships. Enter a fourth one, Jodi, and the equation changed. One lone woman made someone so insecure and scared that they had to bring everything to status quo.

Nicola Marsh has done it, written a fabulous book. There were twists upon twists. Even the last chapter did not allow me to take a deep breath. It was just a massive rush of adrenaline, as if I was freefalling. What I thought to be a domestic thriller turned out to be so much more darker.

Initially the warmth and the secretive way the characters revealed their story caused a wicked emotion to bubble inside me, knowing I was on to something forbidden. But later, the secrets that rushed out were like the flames of fire, burning everything down its path.

This book was nothing but a twisted vine which gripped me from the beginning to the end. I was in a state of absolute euphoria after reading it. A rocking unputdownable thriller. What a rush!!

This is a great thriller which centres around a close group of friends.
Marisa, Elly and Claire are such an unlikely friendship group as they couldn’t be more different. But somehow it works.
We soon realise that not everything is as it seems as each one of them has a secret that they don’t want to share.
When a pregnant young woman turns up on Marisa’s doorstep she does all she can to help one of her friends with adopting the baby.
Things don’t go to plan and soon all their lives start to unravel.
The story is told from the perspectives of the various characters so we gradually find out more about them as book goes on.
There’s lots to get your teeth into with this book and it has a fantastic ending.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Secrets, lies, affairs, murder, coverups.... I loved this book. I think there were more twists and turns in it than in any other book I've ever read. I was able to figure out two of them, but there were many more that shocked me.

There is a slight mystery/thriller element to this, but it read more like women's fiction. It's the story of 3 female best friends who are very different from one another. Two are married. One has kids. One wants kids. One never wants kids. One is a huge flirt. One is a do-gooder. One is a cop. But everything they think they know about each other explodes when a young woman is murdered in their town.

What’s not to love about this book ....... set in the Hamptons with three women who have become unlikely friends and many many secrets !!

Marisa, Elly and Claire are such an unlikely friendship group, as they couldn’t be more different but the friendship works and they are all there for each other. But not everything in the ladies lives are as they seem, each one of them has a secret that they don’t want to share.

When a pregnant young woman turns up on Marisa’s doorstep the ladies secrets start to unravel and the truth is gradually discovered.

I don’t want to say too much as this is really a book you need to read without knowing too much. The story is told from the perspectives of the various characters so we gradually find out more about the ladies as the story unfolds. There are plenty of lies and secrets which will have you doubting everyone at some point in the book. A great summer read !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Based in the exclusive Hamptons area, Marissa, Elly and Claire are best friends. They are all hiding their own secrets though and when a young pregnant woman turns up, the father of her baby being someone all three women know, it looks like their secrets are going to be blown out into the open.

This was my first book by this author. I usually prefer to read books based in the UK, but I really liked the sound of this one from the blurb so decided to give it a go. I have to admit, I did love the location of the story, based in The Hamptons in New York the writing showed off the exclusivity of the area and the obvious wealth of its three main characters. I initially thought the story would be more of a dark psychological thriller, but after reading it the first thing that comes to mind is that it has all the makings of a ‘Jackie Collins’ book with plenty of suspense, tension and mystery thrown in!!

I couldn’t ever imagine the three women as being friends as they were so completely different to each other. The one thing that connected them all was that they were all hiding secrets to maintain their glamourous images. You get the impression that whilst they profess to be friends, they don’t really like each other and they would do anything to keep their secrets hidden from the others. The story was gripping and it had me reading it from behind a cushion it was that full of tension! It did though also have its more light-hearted parts which raised a smile in an otherwise nail-biting thriller.

This was completely different to what I had expected, and yet I really enjoyed reading it! It gave me a little bit of escapism looking into the lives of how the wealthy live, but told me that money can’t buy you everything. Full of twists and turns, tension and suspense, I’ve no doubt that this book will get your heart beating just that little bit faster! Would definitely recommend!

This book is a whirlwind of thrilling twists and keeps you until the last page. I caught myself sneaking in a page or two at a time during small breaks at work just to keep going because I couldn't think about anything else.

This is the first Nicola Marsh book I have read but it certainly won't be the last. I absolutely loved the book and the writing style. Such a quick beach read. Thank you for the advanced copy. I have recommended to all I know!

I received a free advanced copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I've never read any Nicola Marsh, I'm a first timer. And I was NOT disappointed.

This book blew me away.

My favourite thing about this book was how Marsh kept me guessing for at least 75% of the book about who was playing which role. There were certain personality traits that the key men in the book shared and as soon as I felt that Avery was the guilty party, something came in from left field that suggested that Dane was a bit off.

There are so many lies and secrets in this book it will keep you guessing until the bitter end.

At the point of everything coming together, it's just twist after twist. I was thoroughly gripped. The only reason this wasn't a five star for me was that it lagged slightly about two thirds of the way through - but it's totally worth working through to find out what happened.

Fans of thrillers - you will not be disappointed!

This is my first read by Nicola Marsh and consider me a new fan!

The Scandal centres around five women- Marisa, Claire, Elly, Maggie and Jodi. Marisa, Claire, Maggie and Elly seem to have it all- big houses in the Hamptons, fancy clothes, rich husbands...But each woman's life is not what it seems and when Jodi arrives, pregnant and alone and determined to find the father of her child, the complex web of lies surrounding their perfect worlds begins to unravel.

Marsh does a great job creating suspense between the characters and their families, drawing you in and letting you get to know each woman. While I found the ending a bit rushed and predictable, i thoroughly enjoyed the book I flew through the second half, eager to find out if my predictions were correct.

If you enjoyed Big Little Lies, The Party, Necessary People and One Little Secret, this is the next read for you!

Thank you to #netgalley, Bookoutre and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you're a fan of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, you'll enjoy this book. Right off the back, I noticed plot similarities to Big Little Lies. The story centers around a small town in Long Island where three women hold secrets. A young pregnant lady, Jodi, arrives in town and the secrets of the town dares to be uncovered.

The story is told in four perspectives: Marisa, Claire, Elly, and Jodi. The reader is let into their minds and secrets. The story went fast-paced and was an easy read for the summer. I thoroughly enjoyed it because I really enjoyed Big Little Lies. However, this was not as good. I was waiting for a real shocker but it fell short and I was left disappointed.

POTENTIAL SPOILER***
I think a word of advice for the author would be: if you're planning for a plot twist or real shocker, the culprit shouldn't be the most obvious person.
********

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author Nicola Marsh, for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Wow. Blown away with this book. Started with a slow burn then pow. The story is told by five women. Marisa, Claire, Ely,, Maggie and Jodie.
Jodie arrives in the Hamptons. Pregnant and looking for the father. We know it’s one of the men in the book but who. What lies are being hidden and who’s lives are about to be torn apart.
A total gripping book with many twists and turns. High five to Nicola Marsh.

Marisa, Elly and Claire are best friends with seemingly perfect lives, but they all have secrets. Marisa is married to Avery. She's a trophy wife who's dedicated to raising her children. Claire's a local police detective who's desperate to start a family with her husband, Dale. Elly has a secret lover no one knows about, not even her best friends. Jodi is pregnant after a one night stand.

This story is well crafted, twisted and thrilling all rolled into one. The story is told by the four women's point of view. You have no idea who the father of Jodi's baby is until the big reveal. It's another one of those stories you can't say too much about. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley Bookouture and the author Nicola Marsh for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the synopsis of this story, I was quite intrigued. However, I'm sad to say that I was quite disappointed. I honestly expected more, especially as I kept seeing 5* ratings on Goodreads.
The book was very slow to start and I found it difficult to really get into it. None of the characters were very likeable which made it seem quite tedious to read. Then along comes a character who seems interesting and I start to wonder how her storyline is going to pan out. Well, of course that doesn't work out but by this point I feel obligated to finish the book.
The plot twists are predictable and I honestly find it difficult to like this book.
Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

Three women friends, Marisa, Claire and Elly may live in pampered luxury in the Hamptons, but each of them hold traumatic secrets that they have not shared with anyone.
Then a young woman arrives in town and their carefully controlled facades are blown away.
This is a stunning, emotional, dark, twisty and deeply engaging domestic suspense novel from an author on top of her game.
Prepare to stay up late turning the pages!

The Scandal was written by the wonderful Nicola Marsh and published by my Bookouture besties. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This book was released 07/25/19.

Marisa seems to have the perfect life-a brilliant husband, a giant mansion, and beautiful twin girls, but she has a secret. She tries to hold her life together by taking care of her best friends Claire and Elly, but they each have secrets of their own they're struggling to hide. When pregnant stranger Jodi magically shows up at Marisa's door, she is eager to help her with her "situation." The father of Jodi's child is someone all three ladies know, and the truth will turn everything upside down.

I couldn't put this book down. I would silently prop my kindle up in bed next to my sleeping fiance, so that if I fell asleep and dropped it there would be no damage. Marisa, Claire, and Elly are all so wonderfully flawed, each one of them so interesting in their own right. I found myself identifying with parts of each of them. I felt the stress on Jodi's shoulders being pregnant, poor, and floundering. As for the ending, it was truly perfect. It had me guessing until the very end. I would swear up and down I had it figured out, only to change to another view and swear that was the ending. This was a truly wonderful thriller. It was impossible to put down and the ending kept me guessing right up until the last page. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for another brilliant 5 star thriller!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars

The threads that run throughout this thriller are incredible - you’re always left second guessing which character is involved with who and what, and the different chapter perspectives really help facilitate that. I particularly enjoyed the last 20% of the book when the truth began to come out and unravel for the reader. The writing style of this book really reminds me of Jodi Picoult and Lianne Moriarty, so if your fans of them (as I am) then I would recommend this book for you.