I listened to this book on audio and I have to give credit to the narrator , it was very good and engaging. This was an easy read about Molly Monroe who is a journalist for a magazine. She gets incredibly drunk one night and can’t remember anything , possibly spiked and she engages in a sexual act that goes viral on social media. Meanwhile her friend is found dead after following a story about a missing girl. What follows is a story about extreme misogyny on social media , which is very apt . It’s a story about grief and loss , it’s a story about friendship and trust. It’s about what is acceptable for men and what’s acceptable for women in society and in the workplace. Having said this it was told in a witty style and I couldn’t help but like Molly Monroe and was hoping she was ok in the end. One criticism I have is the timeframe for some of the events especially towards the end . It seems a lot happens in a small amount of time .

the murder after the night before 🍷🛀

5 ⭐️!!! 🥹💘🌷

Okay, so I was obsessed with How To Kill Men and Get Away with It when I read it as an ARC a while ago (go read it!!!). Like, laugh out loud obsessed, even though it’s a thriller. No surprise that I was sooo excited when Katy came out with another book, the Murder after the Night Before and I auto-bought it right when I saw it in my bookstore (and after that getting approved for the ARC as well, but can’t have too many copies) 🩷

This story follows Molly, a journalist at a preteen magazine in London, who’s had a rather unfortunate situation happening to her during a Christmas party (well, very unfortunate) and is the talk of the town the next morning (like, really, viral on social media style). She, however, doesn’t remember pretty much anything and wakes up with a stranger in her bed, Jack.

Enter Posey, her roommate, who Molly really wants to talk to, since she’s her best friend and this whole situation is definitely getting out of hand. But Posey is not picking up her phone and her office tells Molly she’s not come into work. Molly tries to figure out where the usually very reachable Posey went and checks the bathroom (you know, maybe she’s just left, she would’ve taken her toothbrush), where to her horror, she fins Posey dead in the bathtub 🩸

Molly must figure out what happened to Posey, because right from the start, the whole “accident-scenario” doesn’t sit right with her. There must be more to the story 🔎

This book!!! Again, such a winner. This story deals with many heavy topics, especially how women are portrayed in the media and pretty much treated in life in general, and, well, death too. However, this will definitely make you laugh out loud sometimes. There’s so many fun quotes and the writing style just made me not wanting to put this down. I really loved it and will obviously read anything new Katy Brent comes out with 🩷

also, since Katy Brent is a total auto-buy author for me after HTKMAGAWI, I didn’t read the back of this book. Let me tell you, the way I gasped when I found out Posey died, it was intense, but definitely added to my reading experience, lol 🤍

After reading Katy Brent's 'How to kill men and get away with it', I was anticipating a similar style in this book. However, the murder after the night before had a slightly more believable setup, which created a lot of suspense. Overall, it was a great crime thriller. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by Katy Brent in the future. Thanks for providing me with a review copy!

I adored How to kill men and get away with it so could not wait to read this by Katy. Unfortunately it didn't quite do it for me. I did still find it very witty and an enjoyable read with a good whodunit element. I would certainly recommend both of her books as they are easy fun reads and definitely perfect beach reads.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

While I appreciate what this book was going for, the execution didn’t work for me.

I didn’t find any of the characters likable. Molly grated on my nerves, and her complete trust in a male stranger—one who all but literally bent over backward to cater to her needs—made zero sense.

Don’t even get me started on how stupid the cops appeared. Or the plot holes I could have fallen through.

Pacing was slow throughout most of the story. What we had was a whole lot of drama. And honestly, I’m totally over melodrama and unlikable, messy female characters.

This was amazing! »» 4.5 🌟

As a side note, I listened to the audiobook as I DID receive the arc to read but missed the archive date. Trust me, no one was and is sadder than me about my stupid mistake. I will definitely get a copy for a future reread! ❤️

Nevertheless, this was such an amazing journey! Molly (the MC) is such an inspiration. This does not mean that she is perfect and without any flaws. But she is herself. She is a strong, intelligent, curious feminist fighting her personal battles from the past, the very resent past, and the present. She is charming, funny, and never fails to say what she thinks, which might result in her actually speaking her thoughts aloud without recognizing at some points of the story.

This is an amazing thriller with, yes, your typical "who-done-it," but not only for a murder... Molly, being the strong woman that she is, even though she sometimes may not feel like it, tries to solve the murder of her best friend while battling her own personal drama and discovering some disturbing truths? or not truths along the way. It's so much more than I expected, and a book with a few important messages!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a thriller, murder mystery, and feminist story full of twists and turns from the very beginning to the very end! 🫶🏻

Victoria Morrison did an amazing job with the audiobook! Thank you for making me grin in public with your accents! ❤️

I can't wait to read How to Kill Men and Get Away with It. It's been on my tbr for way too long, and after this book, I just know, that it will be amazing.

Thank you, Netgalley, HQ Digital, and Katy Brent for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Please don't stop approving any future requests. I promise that I will never miss an archive date ever again. 🥺

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I originally requested this book because I’d previously read How to Kill Men and Get Away With It and really liked it so was happy to be accepted.

The story was fun and exciting but also dark and disturbing and it kept me interested throughout the entire book and I loved that there was so many interested twists and new revelations throughout. The characters are interesting and I love that that it’s a thriller/murder mystery but also with comedy. I will definitely be keen to read any other books by Katy Brent.

3.75/5 stars from me!

After the absolute pageturner that was How To Kill Men and Get Away With It, I was super keen to read Katy Brent’s next novel, and I loved this one too!

While the premise is different, this is still very much a millennial whodunnit and the central character Molly finds herself at the centre of an unfortunate media laughing stock, and then subsequently finds her best friend dead. Not ideal by any stretch.
The book follows Molly’s investigation as she refuses to believe the police’s insistence that her friend’s death was accidental, leading her to uncover a web of mysteries and lies.
Although the book deals with crime and murder, it’s fun, bouncy and a hugely enjoyable and addictive read.
I will be jumping on Katy Brent’s next book and love her protagonists; whether murderers or mystery solvers, they’re well-rounded, flawed and brilliantly written.

I loved this one, I was reading from behind my fingers most of the time, I can't imagine what I would do in this situation, I don't think I would leave the house again 😭

I love @but_katy_did_it and I can safely say, I’m a huge fan of her books. This has been a brilliant read. I was immediately pulled in and couldn’t help but devour this in just one sitting.

Molly is a hot mess, but aren’t they just the best characters. I loved the journey through this one with her. I found myself pulled In and unwilling to put this down.

Brent has given me a lot of laugh out loud moments with this one. It’s unique and fun. Brent has transported me with this one. I found myself hooked.

I love how real the characters have felt. Brent has a real talent for making them ooze from the pages.

This is perfectly paced and I didnt want it to end. I loved this book from beginning to end. Absolutely brilliant. I have no hesitation in recommending this one.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

After really enjoying her debut book, I was excited to read this one. I hadn’t read what this was about and was going on the title. It wasn’t what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it.

We meet Molly, who wakes up with the hangover from hell and a stranger in her bed. She thinks her day can’t get any worse but boy was she wrong.

She has gone viral overnight for all the wrong reasons but she is the last the know until she turns up at work.

All she wants to do is talk to her best friend and roommate Posey but she can’t get a hold of her. When she gets home she decides to check her room and en-suite to see if she’s gone away but what she finds is her best friend dead. The police think it’s an accident but Molly isn’t convinced.

Molly decides to investigate herself and see what Posey had been upto before she died. There were some unexpected suspects and plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing.

I really enjoy Katy’s writing and would recommend reading her books. If you enjoyed How to kill men and get away with it, then I think you will really enjoy this one.

Having enjoyed Katy Brent’s debut, I was so excited to read her second and it didn’t disappoint! I loved the mystery throughout the book and how each story weaved its way into each other. I also really appreciated the modernised setting (yes I know I’m writing this in 2024) but the viral video and internet sleuthing was great. I loved Molly’s character, and whilst I wasn’t quite right with my theories, it kept me well and truly guessing - something which I fully appreciated!

A great second book and a real twisty tale!

I hadn't read Katy Brent before and this was such a fun, wild read. The writing was so vivid and snappy, I can really see this as a great film or series. The way she handles all the awful things that happen to Molly are so eviscerating, you really feel them and the horror of everything that happens (and a lot does). The twist was great, but the very final twist was less believable for me.

The Murder After the Night Before

Katy Brent

I am a huge fan of Katy Brent so I was bloody ecstatic when I was approved for this one.

It did not disappoint, following Molly after a particularly bad night wakes up to find her best friend Posey dead in the bath, The police say it was an accident Molly is convinced it is Murder….
We follow Molly as she tries to uncover not only what happened to Posey, but what happened to herself that fateful night. Slowly the truth unravels ….

I love Katy’s characterisation. I fell in love with Molly and felt her vulnerability, her grief and her love for Posey. I love how she felt Posey and her mum were with her every step of the way, I’d call that her intuition and how she felt she had to fight for Posey, in doing this she was fighting for herself aswell. I felt the book showed us a real image of what social media is like and how misogynistic and utterly damaging it can be to a woman's life and career, no one mentions the man in the video…. Until much later anyway, so it was very on topic.
I did not see the end coming at all and was shocked how it all came together.

I think the way Katy deals with such raw, emotive and hard topics such as grief and mental health in a comical way is incredible, her style of writing is so unique and I will never stop recommending her books to friends.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

This was a quirky, witty + fun read, jam packed with twists + turns but also humour, sarcasm and tones of sexism, feminism + grief. I loved Brent’s HOW TO KILL MEN AND GET AWAY WITH IT and this had very similar vibes. Murder, scandal, mystery, dark comedy + a bunch of suspicious characters made for a pacy + gripping read. There was a big focus on the dark side of social media + the violence and judgments women face on a daily basis, which added a lot of depth to the plot. I was also convinced I had the murderer sussed but was shocked!

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝐻𝑄 𝐷𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛. 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐼𝐺 (@𝑟𝑒𝑑ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙), 𝐺𝑅 & 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ.

LOVED LOVED this dark twisty read, just enjoyed how her days unraveled after a night of excessive drinking. Second book by Katy Brent that I have enjoyed immensely!

Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for the copy.

I've not read Katy Brent's first book but I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Murder After the Night Before. I loved our lead character Molly from the off - the opening chapter made me laugh out loud - and I found her to be completely relatable and sympathetic. Her narration is really funny throughout the book - even at the times she is upset or scared. I felt so sorry for her situation and that she seemed to have no one to turn to for help or support. The twitter abuse she suffers is sadly all too believable.

There's a lot of tension at the start of the book with Molly on the back foot with her hangover, strange man visitor and lateness for work. It only gets worse for her from here on in and I felt mortified and devastated for her as she catches up to her viral infamy and flatmate's death. The book has a lot to say about 'trial by social media' and how women in particular are treated on X/Twitter or TikTok and the like and in real life.

I was completely invested in the murder mystery side of the book and with Molly all the way in her investigation. I liked the way she pushed on when everything seemed against her, managing to rise above her notoriety and what people thought of her. The supporting characters were all three-dimensional but it was difficult to know who she could trust. There are a few twists and turns before the ending and, although I guessed one tiny part, I did not work out whodunit. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from Katy Brent.

A good thriller. Perfect for a holiday read. Nothing too heavy or complicated, just a relatable protagonist, real-enough characters and an enjoyable plot. If you find this at the airport, don't hesitate to pick it up. It will provide good entertainment.

Molly Monroe is a 32-year-old woman working as a journalist for a tween magazine. During a work Christmas party, she gets extremely drunk, and wakes up next to a man she’s never met before.

She heads in to work where her boss shows her a video in which she’s portrayed in less than a favourable light. The clip is gaining momentum on social media, so Molly is told to go home and rest.

She’s desperate to speak to her flatmate and best friend, Posey, who is also a journalist. Molly knows that Posey has left for work that morning as she’s heard the front door closing.

She tries to ring Posey to no avail. When she rings her workplace, she is told that Posey hasn’t turned up for work that day. Who was the person leaving the flat?

Molly decides to check Posey’s bedroom and that’s where she finds her best friend’s body… Police dismiss the case as accidental death, however, Molly is adamant that Posey was killed.

Now she needs to find out who killed her best friend.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Molly as a character, she was multi-layered, as she’s suffered trauma as a young girl and never really recovered from it. She was trying to mask all her issues with alcohol, which obviously didn’t help her in the long run.

Despite never meeting Posey, I admired her grit and determination to uncover the truth. Posey was working on a case of a missing girl and she wouldn’t give up until she found out what happened.

The book is laced with humour, however, woven in-between are the issues of consent, sexual assault, and violence against women.

I can’t wait for Katy Brent’s next novel.