They've never met, but they can set each other free...

Leah and McKenna are perfect strangers, but they are both trapped in the same nightmare. They are both married to seemingly perfect, professional, and wealthy men. Their marriages and lives appear to be idyllic and enviable from the outside, but under the surface, they are far from it. In fact, McKenna and Leah are both living in precarious and dangerous marriages, with no end or escape in sight. On a drive through McKenna's neighbourhood one night, Leah witnesses something that is all too familiar to her. She decides then and there that even if she can't get out, McKenna can. Leah will make sure of that.
I really enjoyed this book, and found it difficult to put down. I was very invested in the characters and really wanted the best for them. There were some parts that felt a bit repetitive throughout the story, but I still found it to be a very engaging and thrilling read. I could easily identify with McKenna and Leah and my heart broke for them. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillers.

Please note that this novel can be triggering to survivors or witnesses of domestic abuse.

The Favor is a quick, easy read that details the paths crossing of two well educated, professional women. They’re successful, wealthy and they have very handsome husbands. What more could they possibly want/need? Although the plot is a little far fetched, the characters situations, unfortunately, are not., Mental and physical abuse of a spouse knows no boundaries.
Thank You to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author, Nora Murphy, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was anxious to read The Favor because of my background & interest in the topic. (During my nearly 30-year career as a litigator, I represented victims of domestic abuse and violence, as well as victims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and sexual assault in the workplace and housing accommodations. I wrote on those topics, and provided training & education on them.)

The Favor represents a missed opportunity to craft an emotionally moving fictional story about a very serious & timely issue. Novels have the power to educate, inform, and inspire. But The Favor does none of those things. Author Nora Murphy's two female protagonists are unlikable and unbelievable, Numerous plot points are ridiculous -- far-fetched and lacking any plausible explanation. Niggling details are never wrapped up in a credible fashion.

Based on her Author's Note, it appears Murphy strove to illustrate that domestic abuse occurs at all socioeconomic levels. While that is true, the choices and behavior of the two main characters -- an attorney and a pediatrician -- defy credibility. In fact, in the first-person narrative from the pediatrician, she discusses her education on the topic, yet behaves as though she has no knowledge of it or appreciation of the machinations to which she is being subjected, much less how easily she could extract herself from the situation. Murphy points out that male professionals like the husbands in this story "may be able to professionalize abuse -- to carry out abuse that is unique and dangerous, through the use of skills and access provided to them through their careers and training." While that is true, the attorney and pediatrician are also professionals with comparable skills, training, and access but fail to fall back on those tools.

That is particularly true as to the contrived storyline about the attorney losing her job. The two women have resources and abilities that so many women can only dream about, yet they are weak, spineless, and simply give up even as they relate how badly they wanted to have careers in law and medicine, how hard they worked to get through school and establish their practices, and how much their work means to them. Murphy overlooks, perhaps for the sake of dramatic license, how such an accusation against an attorney would actually play out. And that the women would so easily allow all of their work and achievements to be taken from them strains credulity and destroys any potential for Murphy to make the point she apparently envisioned about how such persons can become victims. Getting through law or medical school & establishing a successful practice requires fortitude, determination, and inner strength that Murphy's characters inexplicably lack -- until the very deeply problematic and troubling end of the book. It's just not believable.

In contrast, the storyline about Detective Jordan Harrison is well-written and engaging. His devotion to his partner and heartbreak about her circumstances are touching and sympathetic, and the methodical way in which he investigates the two murders is credible and engaging. I would love to read another novel featuring Detective Harrison.

The Favor could have been a powerful, emotionally resonant, and highly informative story about some of the myriad insidious ways in which even educated, savvy, professional women (or men) can become victims of domestic abuse. Sadly, it just isn't and that is a big disappointment.

Have you ever been abused? Do you know someone who has? It seems that abusive relationships nothing typically in common; rich, poor, middle class, it can happen to anyone.

McKenna and Leah are just existing in their lives, they try to stay off their abusive husbands radars and do everything they’re demanded to do. These women have never met. And yet, they have so much in common that’s purely coincidental. The murders of their husbands however, are those pure coincidence?

This story was really good, it was sad but, very cathartic as the men were shot. Abuse is something that’s not spoken about, it’s a hush hush sort of thing. This novel was so good, it was hard to put down. It was riveting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed it and for that it’s getting five stars. Thank you so very much to the author, NetGalley and St Martins Press for the review copy!

This book was such a page turner! And I'm shocked this was a debut. It's definitely very unbelievable at times, but it was easy to look past. I think the book lost me at the end, but I would still recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow! What a great debut! The Favor by Nora Murphy sucked me in immediately. I could not put it down.
Leah has a drinking problem. She has figured out how to visit different alcohol stores, so her frequent purchases don't get too many dirty looks. One Friday afternoon, she runs into someone who could have been Leah in her previous life. Thin, pretty, put together, and Leah becomes obsessed. The other woman drives a similar car to hers. and when she follows her home, she realizes she lives in a similar home. Leah discovers the woman's name is McKenna, and when Leah begins to learn about her life, she discovers she and McKenna have a lot more in common than she could have realized.
I can't wait to read more from this author!

I’m really surprised this is a debut! Such an amazing domestic suspense/thriller, and I think any fan of this genre would enjoy it.

I was engaged from beginning to end, and the writing kept me on my toes and guessing until the end.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a great debut with the writing for me is what made me keep coming back.
I enjoyed the way to the story was plot driven. For me the pacing was a little slow and repetitive. over all this was a fun thriller that I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my copy for review!

The Favor is a fun (that may be the wrong word), little domestic thriller. More suburban drama that true thriller, The Favor follows two women who do not know one another, but they soon will. Their husbands are both controlling, abusive in similar ways, but that is where the similarities between these two women stop. At least, it stopped there until Leah intervened in McKenna's life and a detective began snooping around.

The Favor is a true horror in that it is accurate to events that frequently happen to women in abusive relationships. The storyline is relatable, it isn't farfetched to picture it or see it happening. Nora Murphy captures the events between Leah and her husband and McKenna and her husband perfectly. It's sad the relatability, but then Murphy gives the characters strength. Like the stories we hear of women taking back the power into their own hands, Leah and McKenna must do this too. Of course, there's no detective that wants to let deaths slide, but what will he uncover about these two women who seemingly do not know one another? It's the kind of book where you know exactly what has occurred, you know the who-dun-it, but it's hard to know what comes next. Will it be a happy ending? Will it totally go off the walls? Again, not exactly a thriller, but gripping all the same and the audiobook kept me hooked.

I think this one will be a hit among suburban drama readers and, at a fairly short length, audiobook fans will enjoy the multiple narrators.

Incredibly fast paced book, I plowed through this in a day!

It's the story about two women--Leah and McKenna. We know from the beginning that Leah has a pretty serious problem with alcohol. She sees McKenna at a liquor store and feels like there is something familiar about her, so Leah decides to follow her to see. Where the book goes from here is both familiar and shocking, with some interesting twists and a very fast-paced plot.

Yes, this book is about intimate partner violence, and it gets very real and difficult to read at times. But stick with it, the payoff is great and quite satisfying. The author offers resources in the back and that was very appreciated and helpful. I listened to part of this as an audiobook, and the multiple narrators captured the personalities of the characters.

This is a taut, tense domestic suspense novel that will have you turning pages quickly to find out what will happen.

I love a good domestic thriller! And this one had my hooked from the first chapter. Strong female characters, victimized by men we love to hate. Strangers Leah and Makenna become linked through a series of events, and the police can't figure out their connection. I listened to the audio, and although told from three different voices and a changing timeline, I had no difficulty following and couldn't wait to hear what happened next. Nora Murphy's next book will go to the top of my TBR list!

This book was a winner for me right from the first page. Loved the fast paced plot and the character development was fantastic. I was very invested in the outcome for the main characters. There are some heavy themes here: domestic violence, abuse, alcoholism, miscarriage and murder. It is all approached in a very readable manner and only serves to move the plot, no wasted gratuitous violence. I enjoyed the way the book ended as well. A 5 star read for me. I was surprised this was Nora Murphy's first novel but I'll be following to see what comes next for her. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Have you ever had a friend or neighbor that you feel sure is being abused by her spouse? You feel helpless, right? This interesting fable is about two total strangers who decided not to "do nothing". Now, what they did may not be in strict accordance with the law, but it sure makes for some fun reading!
Leah used to have it together. But since her marriage, she’s lost it, one by one. Now she’s a closet drunk, no job, no friends, and she sleeps in the basement.
As she’s on her daily liquor run one afternoon, she sees someone who reminds her so much of herself. She follows McKenna home and spies on her. What she sees confirms her suspicions. So she decides to do something about it.
If you’re an investigator, you’ll shoot the plot full of holes. But for an everyday Jane like me who doesn’t know how to solve crimes, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Finally, a book about marital abuse with satisfying, yet highly illogical and illegal ends. Just keep reminding yourself that it’s just fiction. For the moment. Grab a copy and enjoy the fantasy for yourself.
Sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 31, 2022.

This is a book of vigilante justice that is so well deserved you will cheer, regardless of your propensity towards violence.

Domestic violence victims often hide what is happening to them. That combined with isolation manipulated by the abuser can work against the victim once they do come forward.

Both Leah and McKenna are professionals; One an attorney and one a doctor. Both are beautiful. Both are being abused. Both feel like there is no way out. These characteristics enhance the reality that domestic violence victims can be of any age, income level, race, or social economic class. Both feel alone until a brief look between strangers causes Leah to recognize herself in the other woman.

This is a fantastic debut novel. I can’t wait to read more from this author. She checks every box – suspenseful, realistic, engaging characters, two perfectly intertwined stories. As for the topic Nora Murphy chose (I have worked with both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence) she nailed it! The narrators, Leon Nixon, Dylan Moore, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen were superb. I switched between the print book and audio book and found both to be excellent.


I received an ARC from both St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Favor

by Nora Murphy

Pub Date: 31 May 2022

This book will absolutely grip your heart and squeeze. It is so emotionally devastating to see these two strong women be controlled and broken by their husbands. The writing was so realistic that it made me want to crawl right into the pages to rescue both Leah and McKenna. Two strangers who happen to be living the same dark nightmare which leads to a "favor"...

Nora Murphy is definitely an author to watch for!

I do like a good domestic thriller, and I appreciated the author's exploration of the "what if" scenario that she uses to help out both women caught in a terrible spiral of abuse. However, the only thing I would improve is that the women's stories are SO similar, I honestly kept forgetting who was who. Both are career-successful (doctor/lawyer) a little too similar. Both have husbands in the same profession as themselves (doctor/lawyer). And then what they go through is soo similar that they could be interchangeable. I would have appreciated a bit more of a variety in their experiences.

The Favor, by author Nora Murphy, is her debut novel. The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands. The two protagonists, Leah Dawson and McKenna Hawkins, are in marriages that look idyllic from the outside, but their wealthy homes and classy cars are only the facades their husbands have constructed. When Leah notices McKenna reacting to her husband, Zack, Leah believes that McKenna is just like her.

“I AM SOMEONE LIKE YOU”

Leah's husband, Liam, is a successful divorce attorney, and created a situation where Leah would be fired, so she could stay home and be a perfect wife. Zack forced McKenna to quit her job as a doctor so she could concentrate on becoming pregnant. These men control every aspect of the lives of their wives, to the point where it is debilitating. Then one night, everything changes when Leah intervenes and sets a series of events into motion. Now, McKenna and Leah are inextricably connected. The question is: will McKenna help Leah with her own domestic situation?

There is a third party involved in this story. After losing his partner to a domestic violence call gone wrong, Detective Jordan Harrison finds himself searching for clues as to what happened to Zachary Hawkins and whether is wife was responsible. After Liam is murdered, Harrison finds himself digging into the lives of both women. Did McKenna kill her husband? Did Leah kill hers? Leah and McKenna are educated, professional, intelligent and sophisticated women who seem to have been abused, coerced, and isolated by their spouses. The more Harrison digs into the cases, the more he realizes there's more than meets the eyes but can he prove what actually happened?

As our understanding of abuse, coercive control and the partners trapped in these dark marriages deepens as a society, fans of the genre are increasingly drawn toward understanding these women and unraveling the lies that their abusers hide behind. The Favor hits at the sweet spot of all of the most popular suspense themes and plots—The Girl on the Train, Strangers on a Train, The Woman in the Window, Big Little Lies and Behind Closed Doors.

But rather than these narrators being unreliable, they tell us their truths all the way through, in all its shocking and compelling honesty, making it a wholly new reading experience rooted in territory that readers are consistently ready for. Murphy brings her professional experience depth and compassion to this novel—as a family attorney specializing in domestic abuse and coercive control, sensitive to the important issues it raises and explores so expertly and thoughtfully through the lens of a compulsive thriller.

Leah and McKenna have much in common. They have a slight resemblance to each other, are both married to successful, professional men and live in beautiful homes. Both have given up their professional lives to be a stay-at-home wife. As similar as they are, they don’t know one another. Sadly, they have one more thing in common – they are both being abused by their husbands. Told by multiple narrators, this is a sad commentary on domestic violence which is often hidden. I was riveted by their stories and couldn’t put this book down. As this is the author’s debut novel, I am looking forward to what she writes next!

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. I only had to read that the premise of this book was similar to Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train and I was hooked! Two women with parallel lives who have never met but have much in common. The various POVs and alternating timelines makes it an interesting thriller, but it also addresses physical and mental abuse from domestic violence .

I'd be interested in future books by this author.

Interesting plot with some twist and turns. I enjoyed both female MCs and it had a satisfying ending. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author.