The Favor by @NoraMurphyBooks was a book that I read in three days. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I will be telling anyone who will listen to read this book.

A little over the crazy husband storyline but this was So good! Really enjoyed the plot and characters and kept me guessing throughout the story. Definitely recommend to any thriller lover! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

A definite page turner. Great storyline that keeps you up wanting to read and finish it.. well worth losing sleep over. So we'll planned or not planned it all came together in a way I didnt see coming.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This was a lot of fun. For me it worked well as a palate cleanser in between a few serious books. Full of twists, turns and great surprises! Thank you so much!

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are my own and freely given.
WARNING:
Scenes of domestic violence

A chance encounter leads to a woman taking matters into her own hands.
When Leah sees McKenna at a liquor store one Friday afternoon, she recognizes that she is the woman she used to be. Leah follows her home and watches her interactions with her friends and how her demeanor shifts when her husband comes home. Leah continues to watch her and one night, things get out of hand, and she takes matters into her own hands. Then McKenna sees Leah and without knowing it, does the same thing. These two women have never officially met and have no links to each other.
I really liked this book. It was a different take on how to rid a life of an abusive husband. I would recommend this book. Fast and easy to read.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

What a great, modern reimagining of the classic thriller plot. I loved this book and all the characters— even those I loved to hate. Amazing debut novel for Nora Murphy— her writing style was skilled and polished, I was so surprised to learn this was her debut and can’t wait to see what she does next. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you enjoy a well written suspense novel, pick this one up today. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The description for Nora Murphy's novel, The Favor is as follows - "A gripping debut domestic suspense novel, The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands." I literally could not put this book down! If you liked Behind Closed Doors or The Couple Next Door, you are going to love this book! WOW! I can hardly wait to read more of Ms. Murphy's novels!!!! Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is just the book that I needed at this point in my life. It was a thriller and therapy at the same time.

The Favor by Nora Murphy

Published: May 31, 2022
Minotaur Books
Pages: 289
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Nora Murphy attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. During law school, she participated in two clinics through which she represented and studied the issues facing survivors of intimate partner violence. A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone for brief moments when the inspiration strikes. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, young son, and five rescue pets. The Favor is her first novel.

“As it turned out, I’d never been so wrong about anything.”

Leah used to be a lot of things. But now she is a scared housewife with a secret. McKenna was a pediatrician who, after suffering a miscarriage, felt as though her life had fallen apart. Her husband made her quit after only a year in practice. Leah notices a pretty blond one afternoon and follows her. Little did either of them know, but their lives were about to become entangled in a deadly way.

Oof. This was a heavy read. I enjoyed how this story unfolded. And I enjoyed the main characters. There was intensity from page one, and it didn’t let up.

This story is such a tragic way of life for many people. That is what makes this body of work so good. We all know a Leah or McKenna.

While the results of this tale are fictionalized, it leads to a consequence that affords both characters a somewhat happy ending.

I enjoyed the writing style, and it is clear that Norah Murphy is an intelligent woman who has seen her fair share of devastation.

This novel will linch you in the gut and will leave you speechless. This novel will make you angry. But it will also be impossible to put down.

Leah and McKenna are living what seem to be parallel lives, yet they do not know each other personally. But what happens when they inadvertently get involved with each other? This domestic suspense is a fabulous debut! I thought I was so over it with the slightly unreliable narrator bit, as well as the domestic violence angle, but this book was written so well and it kept my attention throughout. This is a raw and real journey of two women and the detective who is determined to not let go until he finds the truth. I really appreciated the resources provided at the end of the book as well. Nora Murphy is definitely an author to watch out for!

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

Woa! I could not do anything else but read this! I was captivated.

Leah and McKenna are married women who don’t know each other. But they have a huge thing in common- their lives aren’t what they seem. No one on the outside knows their husbands are possessive and abusive. Both husbands made sure their wife wouldn’t work and would be confined to the home, living up to their standard. This story was so eye opening. It reminded me of BA Paris’s Behind Closed Doors. You never truly know what’s going on in anyones home.

One of the abusive husbands wind up dead and shortly after so does the other. How is it connected? Are the women involved?

I had to know who did or didn’t do what. These poor women were leading such sad lives. One an educated doctor, the other a prominent attorney yet they were held captive by the person they thought loved them. I can only imagine just how often this happens. Not one ounce of me felt bad when the husbands were murdered. These women were free and it seemed that it was their only way out. I also enjoyed the detective in this case. Soemtimes I had to think about which women was which when reading but that’s only because their lives were similar.

Excellent story by Nora Murphy!

My reading mojo is back with a vengeance this year (finally!!!!) and I've been racing through page after page and gobbling up books. So maybe it's the fact that we got rid of cable and went to internet TV only (which just doesn't seem worth it most of the time) that has helped open up more reading time...but I'm more than happy about that. I seem to be favoring thrillers/suspense and after a while, I think it's hard to present something that's different. The Favor definitely held my interest and took me along for a wild ride. This isn't one of those where have to figure out what is going on. It's very clear what happened from the start. The only question is how it's going to turn out. Will they get found out? Are you, the reader, okay with what happened and why? There's definitely a moral question with this one...but I can say, as I closed the book, I'm more than satisfied!!

A simply brilliant debut … albeit with some trigger warnings for domestic violence. What do you do when the people that are supposed to love you simply want to control you? Do you lose complete control of your life? Leah and McKenna are both stuck in relationships that are quite high maintenance. And then they get worse…. This one had me on the edge of my seat … and simply marveling how some people treat others. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. Put this on your TBR list!

4.5*****
A psychological domestic thriller delivered by a debut author with enough talent to convince me Nora Murphy is one to watch!!!! This is not just another book about wives being abused by controlling husbands and succumbing to their demise with alcohol. The writing is incredible and I wanted to finish it in one day! The description of the book doesn't give anything away other than the two women do not know each other.

Leah and McKenna have never met, but they live parallel lives with "perfect" husbands. They have both left their jobs recently and feel trapped within their homes. They are accomplished women: One is a doctor; One is an attorney. Their husbands are just as successful: One is a doctor; One is an attorney. They are both professional abusers....husbands that are professionals but abuse their wives either physically, emotionally or both. They both have violated the relevant professional code of ethics.

I was confused at first, when Leah sees McKenna in a liquor store and stops in her tracks with the thoughts "It was like seeing myself." So the guess work was out when Leah began following her home, parking down the street and watching from her backyard. She sees and instinctively knows that they have similar home environments by watching the couple's interactions. They become linked in a most unusual way in which a detective tries to connect the dots.

There are so many fantastic reviews that if I can't convince you to read it maybe they can!!
The unfortunate reality is that many women and men suffer physical and mental abuse and can't find a way out of it. They are links for help at the end of her book. Staying is not an option. :(

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read this if...you liked “Strangers on a Train.”

Leah and McKenna’s lives are eerily similar although the women are complete strangers. Both are just trying to survive living in abusive relationships with their controlling husbands. No one knows what these women endure behind the doors of their nice houses. One night, Leah witnesses an unsettling argument between McKenna and her husband that feels all too familiar. Sensing that McKenna may be in danger, Leah decides to do what she cannot do for herself and sets off an irreversible chain of events.

I knew about 3 chapters in that I had found a new author I was going to love! This story gave me both “Rear Window” and “Strangers on a Train” vibes. The first half of the book flew by and the while the second half slowed down a bit, it was interesting being in the detective’s mind as he tried to figure these women out. I can’t go into much detail because I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say I went back and forth between the audio and ebook because I just had to see how this was all going to end. I was either reading or listening every chance I could get!

I thought Murphy did an accurate job portraying how abusive partners slowly isolate their victims from the rest of the world. They carve away at their lives until their victims can’t possibly imagine leaving their abusers. The author’s note at the end about domestic violence was a thoughtful addition to give more information to readers who may not know as much about it. If you are a fan of domestic suspense, you should definitely check out The Favor!

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for a gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Favor is a debut novel by Nora Murphy. It’s being published by Minotaur Books and is set to release on May 31, 2022. It’s a story of suspense involving 2 women, Leah and McKenna. These two women do not know each other, they have never met, never talked, but they live the very same type of life. Both are married to controlling husbands. Their husbands want the upper hand, they won’t be happy unless they have the perfect arm candy by their side. As time goes on, the abuse starts. This was a story that really grabbed my attention. I loved the way the storyline played out. Two strangers who can relate to each other, who risk it all to do a favor for the other. Was it right what they did, probably not, but for them it was the only way. It was the safest. I thought this was a great read and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading suspense. I’d like to thank Danielle Prielipp, Assistant Director of Marketing @ St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the invite and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. I loved reading this, they were 2 gutsy, courageous ladies and I’m giving it a 4 star rating!

This book really brings so many thoughts to mind. First and foremost, when you walk past a stranger do you ever wonder, if only for a few seconds, what type of life that individual has? Have you taken that thought even further as to follow this stranger home to see where they live or how they live? No, you say? Well, Leah was that inquisitive type of person. When she saw someone that looked interesting, she decided to follow them. Sort of creepy right? In any other circumstance I would be inclined to agree, but for this one instance, Leah did a good thing.

Now that Leah knew where her stranger lived, she became so intrigued to learn more about this pretty woman she passed in a liquor store. You might be saying to yourself what kind of work did Leah do that she had this kind of time to be following anyone? Well, to tell you that would give away a major clue, but what I can tell you is, you’ll have to read to find out. On one particular visit, Leah was sitting outside doing her usual sleuthing when she noticed a very expensive sports car pull into the garage. An extremely handsome man got out of the car with his briefcase and headed into his home. As Leah continued to watch as the man went to his bedroom and changed clothes and then came back to the kitchen where he met his (she assumed) wife to plant a kiss upon her forehead, it soon became very obvious that something wasn’t quite right.

The stranger woman recoiled at the sight of her husband. She not only recoiled but visibly looked ill at the very thought of her husband touching her. It appeared that one thing led to another and the husband began physically assaulting his wife and Leah knew in that instance something had to be done. And Nerds when I tell you this story takes off like a rocket, it just soars and soars and soars!

OMG! What an incredible story. There is so much more I’d love to tell, but I can’t without giving away too many spoilers and you already know I don’t do spoilers over here. This is one of those stories that will stick with you for many years to come, or at least it will with me. I loved the way the author bent the story and the narrative to suit each character and you’ll enjoy investing your time in getting to know each of their thoughts. She didn’t overdo it nor did she add so many characters that it’s hard to keep up. You have three main characters you’re going to follow and each of their stories add layers upon layers of the bigger picture. I’d actually love to see this book turned into a film. I could just see this streaming on Netflix or Hulu, possibly Amazon Prime. Yasss, I would definitely tune in to watch. This novel was like a soap opera on steroids. I absolutely loved it. And the ending was so spot on. It turned out just like I knew it should have and it was truly amazing!

The Favor by Nora Murphy is an intensely delicious page-turner. I found this book rather easy to read and an incredibly enjoyable way to spend three hours. Please be advised, this book contains themes of domestic violence and I understand how that is a no go for some.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have very little to say about this book. While I thought the story itself was fine it didn't do much for me. I was waiting for something suspenseful to happen but it never did.

What this book did do was provide an insight to the different way abuse can take place besides physical along with the different fears victims face when making the decision to knave or stay. The husband's behavior in this book can be very triggering so I think you should take that into consideration.

A solid debut thriller from Nora Murphy. Fans of Woman in the Window and a Simple Favor should absolutely check this out. Murphy did an excellent job depicting the gaslighting that occurs in abusive relationships, and the multiple POVs added to the suspense. Interestingly, Murphy has a background in law, specializing in domestic violence. Certainly her expertise in this area shines through in this book. This is absolutely worthwhile domestic-suspense read, and the ending is very satisfying and clever.