This is a must-read for anyone who likes dark humour and mystery.

The book follows Molly, a teen magazine journalist, who gets drawn into a murder mystery after her works Christmas party. Suffering from the shame of a viral video, Molly throws herself into investigative journalism to discover a murderer and solve a missing person’s case.

There are plenty of examples of dark humour throughout the book, whilst also delving into more serious issues. I couldn’t put it down and really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the eARC of this book.

I LOVED this book!
I really enjoyed Katy Brent’s first book ‘How To Kill Men and Get Away With It’ and was really excited to get an opportunity to read this ARC on NetGalley and it didn’t disappoint!
‘The Murder After The Night Before’ follows Molly, a journalist who after a Christmas party night out she wakes the next morning to find her best friend and roommate Posey is dead. Molly feels like there’s more that meets the eye and starts to investigate what happened to Posey and along the way uncovers more than she expected.
I couldn’t put this book down! I read this in one sitting and loved every twist and turn. I will definitely be waiting and then reading the third book from Katy Brent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

“ I am Molly Monroe, I’m 32 and a writer for a preteen magazine and I’m very definitely not okay. It’s the morning after the Sparkle magazine Christmas party and I feel like I’m dying. Can you die from a hangover? However, what’s even worse is there’s a stranger in my bed and I’m so confused, although he hastily assures me he just wanted to get me home safely because I got so hammered. I’m horrified, embarrassed and rather sick… Turns out this is Jack and the story he tells me about last night makes no sense whatsoever. There are a few other things that are odd too, and those bad feelings I have just won’t go away but it’s all a total blackout. What happened last night?? What I learn when I eventually stagger into work shocks me to the core. It’s bad people, very bad, the absolute worst. Only this is just the start as things are set to deteriorate very rapidly when I discover my flatmate and best friend Posey is dead. The authorities believe it’s a tragic accident but things don’t add up and so it seems it’s up to me to prove that Posey has been murdered. As to why that’s another story.”

This latest novel from Katie Brent starts off humorously, it’s witty and irreverent until it’s not, I’m actually really glad the author adopts a different tone in this one, as here we have a valid social commentary which becomes justifiably heavy at times. There’s a lot going on to keep you interested as just for starters Molly is on the receiving end of social media toxicity, which is deeply unpleasant to say the least. It also looks at sexual assault, the disparity between the sexes and misogyny,. It’s very current and extremely relevant but is presented in a very accessible way via Molly.

The characterisation is very good, especially of Molly. I like her, she is most certainly flawed, (who isn’t!) and she sure blunders about a bit, but she’s a good person who is prepared to go the extra mile for her journalist friend, Posey. The Posey storyline is a really good one, and there are numerous anomalies in the investigation that Posey is undertaking before her death. There’s a building intriguing mystery surrounding her death and there several surprising twists and turns. What Molly uncovers is that there are many secrets and lies being concealed, and there are multiple shocks in store for her. Parts of this are emotional, sad and dark, but Molly pursues the truth relentlessly and bravely.

I enjoy this novel, however, I’m not too sure about the ending as there’s a lack of resolution, hence the 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to HQ for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was easy to read and well paced. Whilst there is some dark humour there is also a lot of social commentary on serious topics. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers I felt the mystery/plot was just okay. Would read from this author again though.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Katy Brent’s previous novel so was thrilled to be able to read this one. It was everything I’d hoped for – an intriguing murder mystery that kept me gripped, with twists and turns and laugh out loud moments throughout. The only reason I couldn’t quite reach 5 stars was that I was slightly disappointed with the ending. That said, a fabulous read that I would definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and I’m waiting with baited breath for Katy’s next book.

A very dark story, definitely of our time, with a video gone viral, in the worst possible way, and a murder within hours of each other and the victims being best friends. Molly is a 30 something going through the motions of working and playing hard but not really enjoying either side of her life. I liked her sense of humour, bringing lots of smiles as I read, but also making me feel a bit sad for her. It’s well written, at a good pace, just slightly too dark for me. I’m not the target audience but I can appreciate it will appeal to loads of readers out there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a real page-turner, which kept me enthralled from the first page. The story is pleasantly unpredictable, and the characters are appealing. I would definitely recommend this book.

REVIEW
cw: grief, bereavement, death, murder, trauma, anxiety, SA, cheating, misogyny
When Molly wakes up extremely hungover after her office Christmas party, she has no idea of the shocks waiting for her.
While The Murder After The Night Before doesn't share the dark humour of Katy Brent's first novel, Molly, the main character, is just as compelling. Without spoiling anything, Molly wakes up to two horrific situations, sending her on a mission to discover the truth about her best friend, while enduring abuse after a video of her goes viral. It was impossible not to empathise with Molly, while becoming more and more enraged by how she was treated. Once again, Katy Brent accurately examined the contrast between how women and men are treated in the court of public opinion, how mental health issues are used to stigmatise and often discredit vulnerable people, and how often the burden of non-consensual SA is placed on the victim.
I did find myself shouting at Molly occasionally (particularly towards the end) because she didn't always think about the bigger picture, or potential dangers, but at the same time I liked that she was fallible and made mistakes. For me, the biggest twist turned out to be related to her father, and it definitely kept me engaged right until the end.
Despite guessing a couple of the twists, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended but please read the content warnings.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Emotional Rating: 💓😂🤔🙄😬💔🤬💔💓💔😢💔🙄👏🏻💓💔🤔😢💔🤔😒💔😢👏🏻🤬💓😬💔😢💓😡😉💓😬💔😢💔😮🤔😢🙄😮😬💔👏🏻😢👏🏻😬🤦🏻‍♀️🤬😒🤬😏💓

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. The Murder After the Night Before is released 1st February 2024 in the UK*

Favourite Quotes:

I’m beginning to realise that a lot of the language around death skims the truth, skates over it like blades across ice.

"The bad stuff will keep coming, Molly, no matter what you do. But the good stuff, the moments that take your breath away, the moments when you can’t see anything bad because you’re so dazzled by happiness, those moments you’ve got to work for."

"The Murder After the Night Before" by Katy Brent is a captivating blend of murder mystery and comedy, delivering a rollercoaster of intrigue and humor. Set in a small English village, the story revolves around Agnes and her unforgettable quest to uncover a murder mystery. Brent's writing exudes charm, with a witty narrative and quirky characters that make you laugh out loud. The juxtaposition of a seemingly mundane setting with unexpected mayhem adds to the story's appeal. With its clever plot twists and eccentric cast, this novel is a delightful and entertaining read, offering a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre.

I havent read anything by the author before but really enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of intensity and twist for me.

Rating: 4.6/5

I really enjoyed Katy Brent's debut novel, "How to Kill Men and Get Away With It", so there was never any doubt that I was going to be coming back for her next offering. And I am so glad that I did, because this one is even better!

Once again this book contains some highly entertaining dark and acerbic humour as well as highlighting some very well observed social issues as the narrative progresses. However, those elements are merely very welcome bonuses in this gripping thriller. The story gets off to an intriguing and novel start when central character, Molly, wakes up with the mother of all hangovers following her work Christmas party. But life is about to take an even more unpleasant and discombobulating turn for Molly when she finds out that an explicit video of her has gone viral!

As with her previous novel, Katy Brent once again incorporates elements from a number of genres. This story is part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, part rom-com (sometimes at the spicier end of the genre), part comedy (often dark) and part social commentary. Combining such a mixture of genre tropes could easily go badly wrong and end up in a shambolic mess, but Katy Brent handles it wonderfully well. The balance she strikes between serious drama and comedic relief is spot on. There are times when the storyline does become nail-bitingly tense and the skilled use of humour not only offers some relief, but actually amplifies the impact of the tension.

The characterisation is impressive too, with each of the key players being credible and relatable. At the heart of the story, Molly is certainly not without her flaws, but she is drawn in such a way that the reader cannot help but empathise with her. As you might expect, there are twists and turns along the way as the narrative unfolds - some of which you may see coming and some you almost certainly will not - but they are all dealt with in a legitimate fashion without cheating the reader.

Katy Brent has made a fantastic start to her career as an author with her first two novels and there is no question that I will be back for book three.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow, this book was absolutely BRILLIANT!

I enjoyed ‘How To Kill Men And Get Away With It’ and so I knew I was in for a treat, but wasn’t necessarily expecting this to become one of my favourite reads of the year… It 100% did.

Katy Brent is a genius, blending hilarious observational comedy, sharp social commentary and an intriguing mystery into one huge rallying cry for all women who are shamed, disrespected, called hysterical or not believed.

The main character, Molly Monroe, is so well portrayed as a talented, determined, flawed and resilient woman. Her reactions to the worst night of her life being followed immediately by her finding her best friend Posey dead were believable and affecting. As I reader, I immediately felt protective of her and was cheering her on as she uncovered more and more of the truth. I felt like I was investigating journalist Posey’s last story with her and could barely put my kindle down!

The format and pacing of the novel was perfect, with each chapter beginning with a topical tweet from a different random internet person (very emblematic of our current world where everyone feels entitled to an opinion on everything) before lurching into Molly’s inner thoughts, memories and conversations. Brent skillfully kept me guessing throughout the book about who could be trusted and #WhatHappenedToLuluLawrence, and impressively the revelations continued right up until the epilogue’s post credits scene.

I implore you to pick up this book whenever you get a chance. If you’re anything like me you’ll be intrigued, outraged, heartbroken and thoroughly entertained by this memorable story.

I received a free advance review copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Ever woken up with the hangover from hell? Well, Molly Monroe (not Munro) has. With her life beginning to spiral, Molly puts her journalistic skills to the test to uncover the truth...

Coming in 2024, The Murder After The Night Before tells the story of possibly the worst hangover of all time. After Molly Monroe goes through some traumatic experiences, she has to pick herself up in order to untangle a web of lies.

After reading Katy Brent's debut novel How To Kill Men And Get Away With It and now this one, it's clear to see Brent's writing style. Her witty approach to darker themes make the books so fun to read, almost like the character is your friend. I found that the book differed to any other detective-style novel as the protagonist was an everyday woman trying to muddle her way through a bit of a mess.

"I have a narrator now? How very Gossip Girl of me."

The Gen Z references to TikTok, an off-handed remark about a 16 year old account not wanting a Facebook account and a quick nod to the TV show 'Gossip Girl' appeal to a younger audience. However, Molly is 32, working a job she doesn't hate but also doesn't love, having wild drunken nights out and who isn't able to relate to at least one of those things?

"I can't believe you've known me less than twenty-four hours and you've already seen me vomit, ugly cry and fellate a stranger on the internet."

Although the main character, Molly, ends up discovering the truth about a lot of different crimes, the book has a really coherent flow and it doesn't feel like she's jumping from one thing to the next as it does so often when authors try to over complicate a murder mystery. This felt like everything was leading to something else and at the end everything gets wrapped up nicely at the end (I'm someone who hates open endings).

This book also does a social justice by perfectly summarising what shaming and misogyny on social media looks like as well as commenting on ambiguity surrounding sexual assault. Even in the way some of the male characters speak to Molly, exerts a sense of dominance over her which is really interesting to read.

"Grief isn't a thing. It's a nothing. It's a universe before creation."

I love moments like this in books, especially in this one. The way that Molly describes herself is quite negative as we all do to ourselves from time to time (some more frequently than others) and it often feels like Molly is naive and actually a bit thick. So when wise sentiments like this are expressed throughout, it provides more depth to Molly so it's like we, the reader, can see beneath all her self-pity but Molly is almost blind-sighted by it.

If you love murder mystery's or detective novels or just witty stories, then this book is a great read for you.

Molly Monroe wakes up the morning after her work Christmas party with the hangover to end all hangovers. Her head is pounding, her memory is a blank, and there is a strange man in her bed. And unfortunately, that's just the beginning. Because whatever happened the night before, Molly is now trending on social media and her best friend is dead.

The Murder After the Night Before, as you would expect from that title, had me laughing out loud from the first page. The writing is smart and funny, with a larger-than-life main character, a bang-up-to-date setting, and plenty of black humour. I loved how real the characters and settings felt, as Katy Brent shows an attention to detail that I also loved in her debut, How to Kill Men and Get Away with It. This eye for detail is put to good use in The Murder After the Night Before, as Brent keeps the reader on their toes trying to piece together Molly's missing memories. I loved the way that I never quite knew who I could trust, as Molly's investigation into the night before reveals more questions than answers.

This book is much more than its premise suggests, dealing with some incredibly heavy themes, including sexual assault, suicide, alcohol abuse, social media threats, and the loss of a loved one. Brent writes thoughtfully, offering fresh perspectives on the issues that become relevant to the story, and never invoking dark themes gratuitously. I liked that this entertaining read also has some emotional heft, and I think exploring these issues feels appropriate for the book's contemporary setting. The Murder After the Night Before was very nearly a five-star read for me, but I felt like the amount of ground the book tries to cover makes it a little messy and perhaps a little unresolved. But this is a book that I couldn't put down, and can't stop thinking about. Katy Brent is definitely a new favourite author.

This is a good book- it is well written and it deals with a lot of current issues. I didn’t really find the “mystery” too mysterious- it was predictable and I felt like it was aimed more at young adults. An entertaining read overall though.

I said earlier this year when I listened to ‘How to Kill Men and Get Away With It’ by Katy Brent, that I just knew she would be one of my new favourite authors. I received an ARC of her new book after requesting it on NetGalley, and after inhaling the whole thing in one sitting, I just knew my earlier statement was completely correct. Her debut book was one of my favourite reads so far this year, and this one may or may not have topped it. Once I saw that I had a chance to read this book early I just had to have it, but now I’m gutted that I’ve already finished it and have nothing else to read from this author :(

This book was SO GOOD. The story was gripping, dark and hilarious and I was totally here for it. It’s not often that I find an author with a similar sense of humour to me, but Brent has hit the nail on the head with laugh-out-loud moments and hilarious lines spread out perfectly between the dark and ominous. Whilst there were many sensitive topics brought up, and moments that left me on the edge of my seat, the sprinkling of humour really tied this book together and made it the perfect one-sitting-read.

The main character, Molly, wakes up with a wicked hangover, a man in her bed and no recollection of the night before. Checking her phone to see that she has gone viral for one of the worst reasons, the only person she wants to speak to and seek comfort from, is her best friend, Posey. However, unfortunately for Molly, she finds out the next day that her best friend is dead. Whilst the police decide that it was a tragic accident, Molly is positive that she was murdered, and now she has a killer to find.

This story unfolded rapidly, a fast-paced murder mystery that you simply cannot put down. The balance between the humour, emotion and mystery is absolutely perfect. And that ending? My jaw literally dropped, the twist was absolutely insane and I will not forget this book in a long time.

Katy Brent is a superstar! I love her writing and this book is simply fabulous! The Murder After the Night Before is clever, dark, funny, gripping and delightful! Keep writing, Katy, because your stories are so refreshing and unique! 5 stars!!!

4.5 for me! Oh my god so so so good. Thank you NetGalley and Katy Brent for letting me read this book. It was absolutely incredible. My heart ached for Molly so much. I can’t wait for publication day to get me own physical copy to read it alllll over again

Having read this author's previous novel and loved it i had a feeling this would be good and i wasn't disappointed Well written characters and a story full of exactly what a murder/thriller should be with some funny content thrown in. I really found myself unable to put this down as it truly was edge of your seat stuff. The ending was a real shocker!

Keep them coming please Katy Brent we need more author's like you.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This book is a captivating journey through the depths of imagination. Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish. With its thought-provoking themes, it transcends genres and offers something for every reader. A must-read for anyone seeking a literary adventure.