"Great book! Whenever we go on vacation, I may be a little suspicious of new friends! Highly recommended, quick read, be careful—it could happen!"
-Books and Pens on Green Gables

Books and Pens on Green Gables thoughts-This was the first book by Daniel Hurst I have read and it was great! It never got dull, stayed fast-paced, realistic (unfortunately), well-written, and a satisfying ending. What could be better than that? Highly recommended! 5 stars!

About The New Friends by Daniel Hurst-
Jamie and Becky have saved for their vacation. They work hard and save as much money as they can, but life is expensive! They feel like vacations are a big luxury, but the time away is so rejuvenating, they get away as they can. Jamie, a warehouse worker, and Becky, a teaching assistant, live a pretty frugal life and they both keep in mind their hope for a baby soon. Without Becky knowing, Jamie has been saving for when they do start a family and he wants to surprise Becky about the money he has saved up.

On their last night of vacation, they decide to splurge and go out for drinks. The table next to them is celebrating with champagne! They invite Jamie and Becky to join them for a drink. The four have a lot in common, except for one big thing. Phil, around Jamie's age, is already retired! He did well with investments and now he and Mel travel and enjoy an amazing life. They have great time getting to know each other and really hit it off. They share lots of laughs, and champagne! Phil and Mel even invite them back to their extravagant hotel for one last drink. As they say goodnight, they exchange phone numbers and hope to see each other again soon.

Phil and Mel, are not the fun-loving new friends that Jamie and Becky think they are. Instead, they carefully chose Jamie and Becky to join them for champagne that evening. They also had a script they followed the whole evening to get Becky and Jamie feeling exactly as Phil wanted them to feel. What will happen the next time they are together? Will Phil proceed with his plan to destroy them-and why has Phil targeted this hard-working young couple? Will Jamie and Becky realize what is happening before it's too late?

I was given a free copy of this book to read and review. Thank you.

The New Friends is a great book! Five stars! Highly recommended!

In checking out Daniel Hurst's website, ALL OF HIS BOOKS LOOK AMAZING!!! I would read any of them based the cover alone! And, there's a free book available on his website, too!

Superb book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

A proper page turner with plenty of twists and turns.

Full of jaw dropping moments that made my eyes pop and my heart beat faster.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me

A great read which I couldn’t put down Mel & Phil are professional con artists befriending couples to scam them into parting with their life savings with the promise of making them money !! Becky & Jamie on a well earned break in Spain become their latest victims and are soon sucked into the promise of the get rich quick scheme, however Mel has an attack of the guilts and actually wants to befriend the couple and so things unravel. Loved this book and it has made me want to look at more by this author

This was a enjoyable read. Sometimes making new friends is not all yu wish to be. Here you will meet Jamie & Becky a hard working couple looking forward to enjoying a few days away. In Spain they meet Phil & Mel a couple to seem to have it all. But it isn't all as it seems, one couple will do their best to take advantage of the other. It is a light read but you will be anxious to see who gets the live a happier life.

Thanks to netgalley and Inkubator for the advanced ebook to review.
A fairly quick read. I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters. It's more of a reminder that it's not just the elderly that get conned.

New Friends has me questioning if I ever want to make friends again… Spine tingling and fast paced.. I am almost speechless at how good this book makes me consider a stranger’s motives? A quick read that leaves the reader breathless..

The Prologue warns us about a couple’s new friends who turn out to betray them in the worst way.

British couple Becky and Jamie, who’ve been married for ten years, go off on a short budget holiday in the off-season to Spain. There they meet fellow Brits, Phil and Mel, who live a charming lifestyle, having retired after making some savvy financial investments. Jamie is intrigued and wants to know more so he and Becky can also set their financial troubles aside and plan for a baby.

Becky and Jamie are working class people who enjoy their lives but hope for better days. They will learn soon that not all friends have your best interests at heart.

The book, written in the first person present tense PoVs of Becky, Jamie, Mel and Phil, is a quick read.

There are 46 chapters, with the perspective shifting in each chapter from one character to another, moving the story along and keeping us engaged. Unfortunately, each perspective is firmly mired in long narration and indirect speech.

There’s a big lesson here on being wary of scamsters and of get-rich-quick schemes.

I found Becky and Jamie very naïve. Neither one bothered looking Phil or Mel up on social media, or even asking for their full names, falling for their lines completely. Also, it was odd that Jamie would transfer money to another person rather than opting to invest in stocks in his own name.

I began to warm more to Mel than even to Jamie or Becky. She was in a conflict situation, willing to make a huge change in her life but unable to.

This is the second Daniel Hurst book I’ve read, the first being The Promotion. The style of writing is very similar. Both plots were interesting, but I felt let down by the long passages of indirect narration. Dialogue is brief, and all the action is swallowed up by the indirect narration. Also, none of the characters have surnames, which I find annoying.

The repeated foreshadowing becomes a drone when it comes once too often.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Inkubator Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I found this to be a fun of the mill thriller, it didn’t disappoint though.

I had high expectations for this book but it turned out to be an average thriller. The twists were rather predictable and it did not grip me as much as it should. I was disappointed overall.

Hmmm… I read this novel (quite literally) thinking I was going to be reading an entirely different book. The publishers seem to have mistakenly placed a blurb from a completely different novel, by an entirely different author, on NetGalley.

So, I can honestly say I was confused when I began reading a story that did not at all match the book description. Furthermore, it probably isn’t a book I would have chosen to pick up had the description matched the actual content. That said, I did read the full novel and somewhat enjoyed the story and the writing.

This novel, set primarily in northern England, presents the story of a con-artist couple and their victims. Told through the alternating perspectives of all four directly involved in the con, it fully fleshes out Phil and Mel, who have been preying on unsuspecting victims for years, befriending gullible working class couples strapped for cash, and primed to accept a get-rich-quick investment scam from their new “friends”.

Jamie and Becky are one such struggling couple. Eager to start a family and hoping to grow their modest nest egg, they fall hook, line and sinker for an offer to invest their savings.

In the end, while not my usual genre, it was still interesting to read an entirely different novel than what I normally read. While not as layered as stories I generally enjoy, there were fairly well-fleshed out characters and the story and pacing keep the novel moving along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

The New Friends is an engaging thriller that serves as a cautionary tale: be careful of who you befriend – especially while on vacation.
While it is a good rule of thumb to follow, it feels like it is a little too simplistic in the telling of the actual story. In that regard, the first half is better than the second half.
The setup of the story is excellent. Jamie and Becky are “every people.” They work hard at their jobs, scrimp to save for a vacation, and make the best out of the situation they are in. In other words, relatable for many people.
Unfortunately for them, this also means that they are easily intrigued by what they want but can’t have.
Enter Phil and Mel.
You can guess the overall arc of the story from the blurb. But there are a few subtleties to mention as well.
Everybody wants something they don’t have in this book. Jamie wants a comfortable lifestyle where he doesn’t have to work as hard. Becky wants a family and stability. Mel wants friends. And Phil wants bigger marks.
In this regard, Phil and Jamie are very similar in their desires, as are Becky and Mel. It is interesting that the men seem to be more interested in the material while the women focus on the emotional/personal.
I did not put that together while reading, however. It only occurs to me as I am writing this review.
Another thing I am realizing is that there are many more parallels between the characters than I originally thought. Phil will stop at nothing to continue his con, but Mel also will stop at nothing (including sacrificing herself) to stop Phil.
Where everything is a little unclear is in the character motivations. I am still uncertain as to why Mel has an attack of conscience. Why now? Why this couple?
Jamie and Becky seem happy with their lives and give no indication of desiring more prior to meeting Phil and Mel, so Jamie’s insistence also seems to come from left field.
These are a few reasons that I think the first half is better than the second. The author seems to have given more thought to the build-up than to the aftermath.
The second half of the book is rushed, and nothing is fleshed out as well as in the first half. The moments that are supposed to be the most thrilling fall flat.
Actually, one of the most compelling scenes occurs without the reader seeing it at all. We only learn the details from what a character tells us. This is a huge misstep. Action should be in “real-time.”
It also all wraps up very quickly with (again) a narration of events instead of full scenes that the reader gets to experience.
Ultimately, this is repeated often enough that it became disappointing. It is also what kept The New Friends from being four stars or higher.
However, there are some good moments, and I still recommend the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley for sharing this free digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Phew! That was a heavy read.

Becky and Jamie lead a simple life in a small town in England. They decide to go to Spain on a budget holiday, where they meet another British couple. Jamie is fascinated by their lifestyle and wealth. He too wants a taste of it. But Phil and Mel are not the sweet and friendly couple they seem on the surface. You know what they say, "Be careful what you wish for".

This book is exceedingly dark, suspenseful, and disturbing, a true nail-biting read. I definitely recommend it to the readers who love engaging, gripping, twisty plots! It’s the best dark thriller I've read in a while. The entire time I was reading this, I was terror-stricken but also extremely curious, all at the same time.
I still have so many questions spinning in my mind after reading this. You know when you are watching a thriller/horror film, and you know something is about to happen and suddenly you just get hit by a lofty twist? This book did the same to me.


I loved this book way too much than I expected! It never got boring, was quick-paced, and had played out deliciously. The heart-pounding, tension-peak mind games dragged me mercilessly into the story. Well done, Daniel Hurst!

I have read and enjoyed several of Daniels books and this was no exception. I like the way the story is told from the 4 different perspectives..The story went a bit slow in the middle of the book but picked up again towards the end. It goes to show how easily people can be scammed which is a scary thought especially in todays society. It wasn’t really a thriller but I enjoyed it and would recommend for a quick easy read.

New Friends
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one doesn't quit for 2 seconds. It throws you straight in almost instantly.

I did feel incredibly sorry for Becky and Jamie, but also at the same time got irritated at how nieve they were. I don't want to say too much more, as I don't want to give it away. Thought it was brill face paced book, so give it four stars.

The New Friends by Daniel Hurst was an entertaining book. Told from the perspectives of four main characters made for an interesting presentation. The pace slowed down a bit toward the middle of the book, but picked up again as it neared the end. I would recommend it to a friend.

This book is a warning to one and all about how not everyone wants to be your new friend. Maybe they have some other ideas during that converstation they just struck up while waiting for a coffee. The story is told in four view points, from the unsuspecting couple about to be scammed to the two bad guys. In the current times, it seems a lot of people are out to make a buck, and if it is your buck they make, all the better. It is also a reminder that not only can senior citizens be scammed, but young up and coming couples just trying to make their life a little better.

The New Friends by Daniel Hurst Interesting premise. With friends like Phil and Mel, who needs enemies. Story told in four POVs which did tend to get repetitive at times. A quick, easy read.

Thank you to the author, Inkubator Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I really found this book very run of the mill . It had a beginning which I could see happening then the story went a bit off , the partner ended up helping the couple and a very bland ending . Softy I wouldn’t recommend this book at all

I received this book from NetGalley/publishers!
I thought this looked very good..
I was not disappointed in the story, I couldn't put it down. I hope his next book as good as this one..

I expected a rollicking, sinister mystery about psychotic new friends who wreak havoc in the lives of an unsuspecting couple, but unfortunately, this was not that.

The plot is fairly simple. Becky and Jamie live a simple life in a small town in England. They go to Spain on a budget holiday, and meet another British couple there. Jamie is enamored by their lifestyle, and wants to know how he too can get in on some of the action and make a ton of money.

When they get back, they invite the rich couple, Phil and Mel, to their place where Phil convinces Jamie to invest money with him. Soon enough they find out that Phil and Mel are not what they seem, and their money might be gone forever.

They receive help from unexpected quarters to catch Phil, but will that be enough to get their money back, and make the conman pay for his crimes?

This story had a lot of potential for intrigue and edge-of-the-seat moments, but unfortunately, it was too flat and simple- the writing, as well as the plot.

The characters were very one-dimensional, and there were a few times when the twists and turns (if you can even call them that) were too convenient. A story like this requires more crises, in my opinion.

Why, for instance, does Mel behave like this particular couple is the best thing since sliced bread? There's nothing special or intriguing about them, and yet Mel is willing to go all out for them. Some things just don't add up and are not convincing at all.

Overall, this book felt very 'flat' to me, and I ended up giving it 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Inkubator Books and Netgalley for a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.