3.5 stars. Meet Ciara, Lauren, and Mishti. Ciara is the queen bee of the small Irish village where all three women live, with her perfectly-filtered blond family and influential Instagram account. Lauren is Ciara's exact opposite: A crunchy and disheveled mother of three, she has strong opinions about Ciara that she isn't afraid to share. And Mishti is an immigrant whose friendship with Ciara is one of the only bright spots in her cold, lonely life. When Ciara is found dead at the bottom of her grand staircase, there's no shortage of suspects. Self-preservation is the name of the game, and if that means airing the neighbors' dirty laundry, then so be it.

Dirty Laundry is a devious domestic suspense novel that kept me engaged from start to finish with its unique take on the "behind closed doors" trope. Beginning with Ciara's murder then stepping back to dissect the events leading up to it, and told from the points of view of all three women, its propulsive narrative makes it a difficult book to put down. Debut author Disha Bose uses her three central characters to explore topics like the toxicity of social media, cultural differences, the complexities of female friendship, and how personal histories can affect relationships of all kinds, and she had me hanging on every word.

There isn't a lot of nuance to the characters; it's obvious from the beginning who we're supposed to hate and who we're supposed to like (and really, Mishti was the only character I liked or sympathized with). This is also one of those books where all the male characters are THE WORST. These two factors would usually turn me off, but it didn't bother me so much in Dirty Laundry. If done right, books about horrible, self-absorbed people being dysfunctional and terrible can actually be kind of fun -- and for me, this one was definitely done right. I think a lot of readers will enjoy the voyeuristic glimpse it provides into the unfiltered lives of seemingly well-adjusted families. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance reading opportunity.

This was most definitely not for me. I would say reading this was the equivalent to watching a bad episode on bravo where literally nothing happens, you just learn about the characters. I kept waiting for the tea to spill but there was nothing, it’s called Dirty Laundry insinuating there must be secrets to be aired. The title is the most interesting part of the book. Without spoilers basically something very “C-list” happens in the first 10% of the book, the next 80% is nonsensical background that barely carries the plot, last 10% it’s finally over. Dirty Laundry? More like a shirt you wore for 3 hours.

GMA book club April pick. This is a gripping debut novel.

The storyline focuses on three couples who are neighbors in a small village in Ireland:

Ciara and Gerry live in the biggest home on the block where Ciara spends her days creating the picture perfect images of her seemingly perfect family to upload for her Instagram followers. Gerry is a successful workaholic.

Lauren and Sean who are not married, but have three kids together. They are the outcasts of the neighborhood and struggle to fit in with the cliques.

Mishti and Parth are married due to an arranged marriage. Mishti is not happy in her marriage, but truly loves her daughter. She also happens to be Ciara's best friend.

Things are not always as they seem. Ciara seems to have the perfect life and have it all together. Except that she is found dead in her own home. The book starts out with the details and then gives a backstory and delves into the lives of each of the three couples. The author did a great job brining the characters to life. The characters for the most part are unlikeable which seems to be the author's intent. My favorite character is Mishti even though I felt bad for her. She is constantly putting her own happiness aside for the sake of others.

This one is a slow thriller and does not have a huge twist at the end. The highlight of this book lies in the character development.

I can see why this one is a GMA pick!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This isn't normally my kind of book so I was really surprised when I actually liked it a lot! It wasn't like, the world's greatest piece of literature, and it was kind of silly, but also captivating.

This book is definitely not a thriller. I was terribly bored from start to finish and the characters were absolutely awful.

Ciara Dunphey is the picture of perfection. She's Instagram famous and is married to well-to-do Gerry and they have two children together. She's also the most popular woman in their village and she always has an entourage of kiss ass women following her around. *smooch smooch*😚

One of her entourage is Mishti, who recently moved here from Calcutta with her husband of arrangement, Parth. They have a loveless marriage but a beautiful daughter that Mishti loves more than anything. She isn't sure why the popular Ciara has taken her under her wing but she'll do whatever it takes to stay there. Better to be part of the clique than the outcast.

Speaking of the outcast, that would be Lauren. Lauren is a bit bohemian with her long flowing skirts and disheveled appearance. Married to an older man and with three kids that can often be seen running naked through the yard. Her and Ciara have never seen eye to eye and Ciara makes sure that no one she's friends with will ever befriend Lauren.

Now one of them is dead and their dirty laundry is about to be aired out and exposed.

There isn't enough bleach to cleanse these lost souls. Talk about terrible people. Mishti is the only exception. Ciara and Lauren are just awful and the husbands? Oh boy, they're even worse. It's one of those books that you just can't look away from. It's a spin cycle of secrets that will have you feeling much better about your own life. Trust me.

Sharp writing and short chapters make this a page-turner. So I say pop some popcorn, pour some wine, and settle in for some gossip galore. Your laundry can always wait until tomorrow. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.

After reading the first few chapters of this book, I thought this would be a DNF. Problem was I could not stop reading this book!!
It's a compilation of women living their lives on social media, competing to always be the best wives, mothers, and women.
A fictional idea for the Real Housewives of Dublin! Yet I couldn't stop reading!
I wanted the main character to have an unhappy ending. So I kept reading!
Yep! It's a 5 star read!
This book was sent to me by NetGalley for an honest review.

Good story line and characters. I enjoyed the book. It was really well written. Loved the story line and like how it all came together. And it was really good.

2⭐️

Influencer Ciara Dunphy has a picture perfect life. At least that’s what her mommy-blog, Instagram followers believe. But in real life, she’s constantly arguing with her daughter and a disinterested mother to her toddler. She has a feud with the neighbor Lauren, belittles her “best friend,” Mishti, and thinks her husband is a deadbeat. Oh, and she’s having an affair.

As time goes on, Ciara starts showing her true colors and everyone in her inner circle has a reason to want her dead.

Literally nothing happens in the book. I got to the 85% point before anything even remotely exciting happened and then everything was rushed for the last 15% of the book.

It was an easy read which is the only reason I finished it. None of the characters were likable. There were several side plot points that didn’t get a resolution. Biggest example-what was the point of bringing the foot fetish into the story if it doesn’t have anything to do with the main plot?

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine books for providing this ARC on exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book. I read 56% and still wasn’t very invested in the story and didn’t find myself excited to pick it up. I appreciate the opportunity to read it but it just wasn’t for me.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Everyone has a secret and everyone is selfish. The characters were really unlikeable. It was difficult the switching of narrators. I did appreciate the interesting look a female friendships. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Even in suburban Ireland, stay-at-home wives with young children hide behind their Instagram filters while their real home life falls apart. Ciara and Lauren are neighbors—but certainly not friends. Lauren’s life is chaotic but is based on love. Ciara, an important, at least in her own mind, Instagram influencer, has an enviable life from the outside. But inside her home, the Dirty Laundry is both physical and metaphorical.

Some people just deserve to die.

When Ciara is found dead, there are plenty of suspects. Was it Lauren? Was it the husband that Ciara had married for his money with little, if any, love between them? Or could have Ciara’s best friend, Mishti, an Indian ex-pat, done it? And if so, why?

The entire book is a flashback. While I normally abhor those types of plots, this one kept my interest. Almost everyone in this small cul-de-sac has a secret. Their lives are driven by selfishness. I read Dirty Laundry in a one-day frenzy because I just couldn’t wait to find out what the next twist would reveal. If you like twisty slice-of-life domestic thrillers with an unusual setting, don’t miss this book. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

It' has been quite a while since I read a book in which every single character was despicable in their own unique way. Dirty Laundry has unreliable, unlikeable characters in spades. Will recommend to neighborhood suspense-drama fans with the caveat that there is no one to root for in this book!

I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would from the blurb. It is a really slow, slow-burner as a thriller but an interesting look at female friendships. Of all the characters, Mishti is the most likeable though I wished she would start standing up for herself much sooner.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A Darker Turn in New Motherhood

In this debut novel, Disha Bose, created diverse, young mothers. The main characters are Ciara, a beautiful woman who I would call the Influencer. She resembles the Mean Girl that we all know in one façade or another. Ciara is beautiful, toned and a master of using social media to cajole and retain her leadership. She is sexually attractive using men at her will.

Mishti, Ciara’s questionable best friend, is the product of an arranged marriage. She is from Calcutta and married a handsome, cold professional doctor. She is more profound and smarter than her husband or other women realize.

And then there’s Lauren who grew up in a dysfunctional home and lived amongst her peers as a the girl no one wanted as a friend. Lauren is the most complex. She has three children and lives with the father of these children.

The narrative, not always flawlessly, switches from one narrator to another. Bose’s writing is sometimes disjointed and left me questioning the characters’ morality and allegiances. The children are interesting and the author provides sharp differences among the three boys and three girls. Including the diversity of the children enhances the story.

Although the setting is in Ireland, the story is universal for most women. The action takes place in one single month. The males are significant but none as strong as the women. There is a murder, an excellent climax and we have no doubt the difference among the characters are important to the climax and Bose’s literary choreography.

My gratitude to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

Right from the beginning, the story set me on edge. Nothing about Ciara's life seems ideal and starting off with a struggle with her child and then looking for a fight with her husband didn't help matters. Even after reading the entire book, I still do not understand why these women put up with the men without having killed one of them. Other than Mishti, the excuses were rather thin. I felt like the whole book's purpose was to aggravate the reader instead of build suspense. If that was the goal, it was successful. But it isn't why I read a book.

What happens when the mean girl in a small Irish village is murdered? That's the question here because Ciara, who seems to have it all is also the queen bee who is rotten to the other women until....Mista has her issues- she's in an unhappy marriage, as does Lauren, and both of them were tormented by Ciara. But is there someone else out there as well? This moves between perspectives and while it's extremely trope-y, it's a nice debut that did keep me turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, I'd like to see more from Bose.

I got 60% into this book and have decided not to finish it. It’s not necessarily a bad book, it just isn’t for me. Here’s a breakdown of what I liked and didn’t like as much:

LIKES
-The setting of a small Irish village was great. Everybody knows everybody, and everyone’s “dirty laundry” eventually comes out.
-The story follows three female protagonists who are all extremely different, but dealing with similar domestic problems. I liked seeing both the contrasts and similarities of their lives.

DISLIKES
-Every character is so unlikable. The main reason I decided to stop reading was that I just did not care what happened to any of them. I felt irritated with nearly every character, and wasn’t inspired to live on their POVs any longer.
-Parts felt really repetitive. I started feeling like I was going in a circle with these characters without getting much plot out of them. By 60%, I need a little bit more to go off.

I think this could be a great book for the right reader - if you enjoy slow domestic tales with a hint of suspense, this could be a good pick for you!

Big thank to the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was no different from the suburban Instagram families it criticized: hateable, lacking substance and cleverly hidden behind a pretty cover. The book dragged on and on for the first 60 percent. If the "influencer" trope were new, perhaps a reader would find it interesting. I, however, was bored and just nodding along to plot lines that have been written and rewritten dozens of times. We get it: some women marry for money; some women marry from unrequited love; and some women marry abusers out of self-hatred. This was a forced read for me. Finally, as we all know already, nothing is what it seems on Instagram or Facebook. This book, sadly, falls into that category.

Sometimes murder happens to the most deserving of people. An Irish village of adult mean girls and mothers just trying to survive their days comes to a head and the fun is in trying to figure out exactly what happened. Like a fish on a hook Bose reeled me in and let me loose time and again until all the details came together. A well done mystery that has you cheering, but not necessarily for who you’d think.