THE FAVOR is a domestic suspense debut that follows two women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Behind the veneer of a polished life with successful husbands, Leah and McKenna find themselves trapped in abusive marriages. Although the women have never officially met, they recognize a kindred spirit in the other when their paths cross.

I appreciated the thoughtful author’s note that discussed the prevalence of intimate partner violence as well as the dynamics of domestic abuse when the abuser is a prominent member of the community. While the trope of an alcoholic female protagonist often feels overdone to me, it didn’t play out the way I anticipated and it fit well within the storyline.

The audiobook performance was great as there was a different narrator for each woman which helped set each character apart. It was a quick listen and easy to follow in audio format.

I found myself holding out for a jaw-dropping twist, but THE FAVOR just isn’t that type of book. If you’re interested in thought-provoking domestic suspense, do yourself a favor and pick up THE FAVOR. This was a solid debut by Nora Murphy and I look forward to seeing where her talents lead her!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: May 31, 2022

A big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

The Favor by Nora Murphy

This is Nora Murphy debut suspense novel. This a story about women who are pushed to extremes and they take matters into their own hands to survive the abuse of men who they are married too.

Leah and McKenna never met each other but they sure know what the other one is dealing with. They both understand what happens in a home is more dangerous then what is outside. This is a story that is similar to meeting on a train but they don't actually meet or communicate.

They are both successful educated women who marry successful men but the men change after they marry these intelligent women. This is a book that dives deep into abuse that it does not always take place in poor families it also happens in very successful wealthy families as well. I find myself angry at the behavior of the men in the story but I also was surprised how easily these women who are educated broke down and gave into the demands of their over domineering husbands.

This book can trigger people if you ever been through an abusive relationship.
Leah drives by McKenna house and sees what she knows so well for herself and this is were the story takes off.

You find yourself asking why is it so easy for men to get away with abuse and police being dismissive of women who seek help. Men know they have this power and they wield it at will and women fall victim most of the time they find themselves dead in these type of abusive relationships. Education does not make this problem any easier it covers so many dimensions of families it is a plague by men who think they can be so insecure by women so they use these tactics to control.

I did cringe at times in the book from the behavior of the men. It was empowering for these women to take back their lives but how they get their is how this story rolls out these characters to a very emotional powerful book of fighting back.

The narrators where Dylan Moore, Leon Nixon, Sarah Mollen-Christiansen they brought the characters to life and gave each character a voice to bring this powerful moving story to life.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for a free audiobook for an honest review of this story.

I’m not sure about my feelings after finishing this book. It started out great! Then it just gradually went downhill continuously. I think it had a good idea that was just played out poorly and then drawn out. On a sidenote, if I were playing a drinking game while listening to this audiobook, I would be trashed if I took a drink every time the word emphatic was used.

Audiobook: I didn’t like the narrator of Leah, I loved the narrator of the detective, and the narrator of McKenna was good.

Makenna and Leah are so alike they could be twins. They’re both college educated, live in large suburban homes with fancy vehicles, they have unlimited money and abusive, controlling husbands that aim to transform their once professional wives into perfect characters of themselves. Makenna and Leah don’t know each other, until they do and the lead up to their meeting marks the exact moment where The Favor takes a turn for the predictable, unrealistic story.

If you can suspend belief about police procedures, alcoholism and the ability to smash a gun with a sledgehammer, then this may be a novel you’d enjoy. I struggled to see past the glaring errors.

Also, I disliked the addition of the detectives POV. First, his previous partner and his experience added nothing to the story and took up space. Second, his lack of intelligence. In the end, he figured it out but it took entirely too long. He went from missing everything to knowing everything in a blink. I groaned when it switched to his POV.

Last, and my strongest dislike, is the overused and tired woman in mental health crisis trope. I understand that part of this plot was to drive these women insane but the alcoholism didn’t fit. It felt too much.

For a debut novel I admire Murphys skills in writing. I just think the plot needed to be fleshed out with more research. I also appreciated the author’s note with information and resources on domestic violence.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Nora Murphy for allowing me this eARC to review.

This debut novel is a gripping domestic thriller.

A young couple marries and the husband starts controlling her slowly. He wants her to be in the perfect shape for a baby and keeps her away from others. He even gets a home gym so she does not have any reason to leave home and socialize.

Two well accomplished, well educated women are married to powerful men. One is a doctor and the other an attorney. They live similar lives.

Leah sees McKenna at a liquor store and starts following her. Leah finds out where McKenna lives and basically starts spying on her interactions with her husband. She realizes their lives are similar with some kind of abuse.

What happens next is part of what makes this novel twisted and powerful.

Abuse is not okay. What would you do to walk away from your life? What would you do if someone accused you of things you are not responsible for?

I cannot wait for this authors sophomore novel. The writing is haunting and powerful. The narrator in the audio makes this audio intense and accurate.

Triggers: Mental, Physical, Alcohol Abuse, Stalking

Thank you @netgalley, @macmillionaudio and author @noramurphy for this advanced audio.

This one had me hooked almost immediately. Different than other books in this vein. I wasn't expecting some of the turns in the plot, and that's a really unusual experience for an avid reader. Thoroughly enjoyable!

4.25 stars

Oooh, yes. I’m not sure if this story describes the perfect crime (crimeS, really), but it was certainly close! I enjoyed both protagonists and hated their husbands, who were some of the worst kinds of men. I seriously couldn’t stand them…as intriguing as the back-and-forth narrative was, it was an actual relief once the husbands were dead because of how awful they were. Ugh. I also didn’t like or hate the detective figure (I didn’t realize this one had a cop co-protagonist), but I was a bit confused as to the relevance of some of the backstory with his partner. Anyway, this book had elements of classic thriller/mystery surprises as well as some new ideas, and as a whole, I definitely enjoyed it.

I probably am looking at this story the wrong way, but I love it when women help women. This is the ultimate story of fixing crowns. McKenna and Leah have simultaneously going through horribly, traumatic experiences at the hands of the people that are supposed to love and care for them. Violence is not usually the answer, but sometimes its the only answer...This is an EXTREME case, but love thy neighbor when they can't love themselves.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut thriller by Nora Murphy, perfectly narrated by Dylan Moore; Leon Nixon; Sarah Mollo-Christensen. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lea and McKenna are perfect strangers; however, they are leading almost identical lives. Both have perfect lives and perfect husbands - but nothing is as it seems for either of them.

This was a wonderful debut about a topic that is all too common for too many women - domestic abuse. Having lived through this before, I can say that this book rang very true and its portrayal of both the husbands' behaviors and those effects on their partners was spot on. You could feel the desperation of both women as their husbands exerted more and more control of them and their lives. Told from both women's perspectives as well as a police detective, I raced through this book to see how it would all end. I listened to the audiobook whenever I was away from my kindle and loved the narration. I think it was a huge help to have different women narrate Lea and McKenna to help keep things clear. Highly recommended - can't wait to read more from this author!

Whoa, this is a great domestic suspense by the debut author! While life may appear perfect; it’s far from it for Leah and McKenna, who are living similar lives. I loved the constant build with this fast-pace book. The second half of the book was more of a police procedural plot but I loved how it was all tied together. It has so many dark and sinister events behind closed doors. However, be aware of the domestic control/abuse triggers.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrators were great. While the ending was a bit anticlimactic, it was a great novel by the new author! I can’t wait to see what Nora Murphy comes up with next!

***** Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Nora Murphy, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

Will be posted to instagram (thriller_book_sisters) in the near future.

Rating: 3.75
Author: Nora Murphy
Publication Date: 5/31/22

This was a solid/good thriller but was a little too long. I absolutely loved the first half and couldn’t listen to it fast enough. All three narrators did a wonderful job and I could literally feel the tension and emotions from the characters. Unfortunately, the second half fell flat for me and while it still held my interest it seemed too much like the first half repeating itself without the thrilling aspects. I love the idea behind this book, two women living very similar lives who are both trapped in their abusive relationships. Only someone who went through or is in a similar situation truly knows what it's like. That’s why these two strangers connected without even interacting with one another.

This book frustrated me so much, which is exactly what the author wanted. The reader is supposed to connect with Leah and McKenna. I absolutely hated how the husbands acted and while this is fiction it felt all too real. I was so upset with how they were being treated and how much gas lighting went on. One character chooses to drink an excess of alcohol to cope with her situation and I never judged her for that. Both women are supposed to be extremely smart so it’s easy to judge them for the decisions they made or for not removing themselves from the relationship but nothing is ever that easy.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book but please make sure you look at the TW’s first. It was a good thriller that will keep your interest till the end. While it’s not one that will keep you guessing it will have a couple surprises here and there.

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio & @minotaur_books for the #gifted copy on #netgalley and the physical book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Favor is a formidable debut! Even though it's a haunting story of domestic abuse, I really enjoyed this book. I could hardly breathe until I got to the end, but I also couldn't put it down.

Leah and McKenna don't know each other, but they are living parallel lives. Both are intelligent, affluent women who see things that are eerily familiar in each other. The story switches points of view and goes back and forth in time to reveal different aspects each time an event is replayed. The author's note at the end really adds to the book as well - it mentions her experience as a lawyer, working with survivors of intimate partner violence, emphasizes that domestic abuse can happen to anyone, and even lists some places to turn to for help.

I was lucky to have access to both the ebook and the audiobook, and it was a great story in either format.
The audiobook is really well done, with 3 separate narrators. Dylan Moore and Sarah Mollo-Christensen convey well how fearful and on edge the women are, and Leon Nixon fully embodied the character and frustration of the detective on their cases.

Two Women. Similar circumstances. Two Perfect husbands. Control.

I listened to the audiobook today while doing a long drive and enjoyed every second of it! Two women, Leah and McKenna, are married to Jerk 1 and Jerk 2 respectively, they have something in common, have never met and yet....

This was a great listen and I loved how things unfolded. I found myself rooting for the two women, booing, and hissing at other characters, and thoroughly enjoying myself. This book deals with very difficult subjects - domestic abuse being one and the author addresses that in the author's note. I also appreciated that she showed that this can happen to anyone and how it may start gradually and evolve from there.

I enjoyed the narrators and enjoyed the detective in this book. I thought his narrator did a great job.

I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Addictive, hard to stop reading/listening and thought provoking.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book.

From the beginning of this book, you are thrown into the story and engulfed by these characters and their lives.

This author is one to watch. I will definitely be looking for the next book by this debut author.

The writing brought me into this world and the intense situation kept me listening until the end.

5 out of 5 stars for this great book by a debut author. I highly recommend this book.

In a super-solid domestic suspense debut by Nora Murphy, Leah and McKenna are strangers in the same town leading paralell lives, married with high-paying careers. But they both know that what's seen on the outside of a home isn't really the whole picture.

I really enjoyed how this storyline unfolded, as told from multiple points of view. It was fun to see Leah and Mckenna's POVs train of thought for some of the same scenes, and then see the detective work back through what he thought was happening. This book deals with some very difficult situations, so check trigger warnings, but also be sure to read the afternote from the author, which was very well written. The audio for this is excellent, with full-cast narration by Dylan Moore, Leon Nixon, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. I can't wait to see what Nora writes next!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the copy of this book and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Strangers on a Train and The Girl on the Train collide in an entertaining thriller that thankfully doesn't mention trains! A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where the genre is popular.

I liked both Leah and Mckenna's characters. There are so many simliarities, and I did not want to stop reading. I wondered if what we were being told was true, or what either one of them perceived due to alcohol consumption. I liked the easy to follow timeline and multiple perspectives. I will say I did find myself closing my blinds at my house earlier a few nights so no one could look in from afar while I was reading this book! ha!

This is a great book! Look for this one out at the end of May 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio, for the early copy of this fantastic audiobook. The narration was perfect! ..

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this audiobook. This is my honest review.

This one was not for me, but I definitely know readers that will love it and I will recommend it to them. The suspension of disbelief must be at its highest level for this story. A few issues I had:

-Research needed to be done regarding basic banking law and transactions. No firm would fire someone with lack of proof and the bank could have easily traced the transaction.

-The trope of violence being the one and only solution to domestic violence is tired and overdone.

-The female narrators sounded bored and the overly dramatic male detective voice was giving off Roscoe P. Coltrane vibes. They all had lovely voices, but when you say “she put her hair in a bun, “ it really doesn’t require the same alarm in your voice that something far more dramatic does.

-That gun appearing out of thin air and the accuracy of an inexperienced shooter just didn’t pan out with all of the other very far fetched “facts.”

There is an audience for this one, it’s just not for me.

I was lucky enough to win a physical copy of The Favor in a giveaway but also got an audio ARC and went back and forth reading and listening. ⁣
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‘It was like she was my friend, my ally.’⁣
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Leah and McKenna are educated, intelligent, professional, poised women; who live in high class neighborhoods, but their circle of friends are small, and their sophisticated, wealthy husbands are silently lethal.⁣
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This story follows two women, who look pristine on the outside but are suffering from domestic violence at home. ⁣
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Their stories are heart breaking, they feel trapped and you feel their pain. This was a tough read because it was so well researched - domestic violence and how difficult it is to leave wealthy, educated men; no matter how educated and intelligent you are as a person. ⁣
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I started and finished this book so quickly, it gripped me from the beginning. ⁣

I also really enjoyed the narration and felt I could tell the difference when the different characters were talking. I felt the unease in the characters.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @minotaurbooks for an ARC for my honest review.

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