Molly Monroe wakes up with the worst hangover of her life and a man she's never seen before in her bed. She sets off for work - as a writer for a tween girls' magazine - only to be greeted with the news that she has gone viral - and it's not for her piece on the difference between llamas and alpacas. She has been caught on camera performing oral sex on an unidentified man, in the middle of a busy London street. Feeling mortified and violated, with no memory of the incident, Molly is sent home by her boss and is desperate to talk through what happened with her flatmate and best friend, Posey. There’s just one problem though: Posey has been dead since the night before. Molly is convinced that Posey has been a victim of foul play, but no one will take 'Mucky Molly' (as she has been christened by the tabloids) seriously, least of all the police. Molly sets out to find out who killed Posey, and why, while trying to piece together her lost night. Could it all be connected?

The Murder After the Night Before is an energetic gallop of a novel, which drags the reader along at breackneck pace, snatching up clues en route before unceremoniously dumping them in a heap in the final chapters. It is the type of mystery which relies on the main character to be chronically inobservant and the police totally incompetent, both parties taking an inordinate amount of time to join the dots even when they might as well be numbered. The book weighs in at 336 pages, but would've been half that had the protagonist not been so unbelievably slow on the uptake.

The viral video which sets the plot in motion looms large over the narrative - an unlikely premise which made me deeply uncomfortable. The author has chosen to open each chapter with a tweet aimed at the protagonist - most of them crude and/or threatening, and I found this device totally off-putting, though I suppose this is the point.

I commend the author for trying to write a thriller with a conscience, highlighting the persistence of slut-shaming and the way 'women's sexuality is still used to shame us into submission and obedience'. She calls out the gleeful way in which the media seizes an opportunity to put a woman in her place and the misogyny which still runs rife in our culture; the man's face was not captured in Molly's video and the internet's vitriol seems entirely focused on her. There are allusions to the phenomenon of Missing White Woman Syndrome, and the Madonna-Whore Dichotomy which dictates that the woman who writes about narwhals for preteen girls cannot be the woman performing a sex act in the street. However, at times these themes feel rather forced, with female characters taking the most unlikely moments to start spouting half-baked feminist rhetoric in a very inorganic way.

Molly as a character didn't really work for me. She is gullible and trusting in a way that doesn't jibe with her being a woman in her 30s living in London; she reads more like 22 than 32. She is quick to allign herself with a man she has just met, and, once her investigation gets underway, she merrily shows her hand to anyone who takes an interest, and casually leaves crucial evidence lying around unattended. At one point, Molly proclaims, 'I'm a complete idiot,' and this is by far her most self-aware moment. The author doesn't seem to know how to establish character and backstory so resorts to a rambling inner monologue, topped up with an exposition-heavy chapter at the end of the book, which answers some of the reader's questions about Molly but at such a late stage that it's difficult to care. Meanwhile, I found it hard to be invested in Posey's death because I didn't have the chance to get to know her while she was alive.

Molly's investigation unfolds through a series of extremely clunky exposition devices, whereby crucial evidence pretty much falls into her lap. The convenient device of having her grieving brain keep Posey alive to aid her in her investigation means that Molly does vanishingly little thinking herself, and when she does have her own ideas, they lead to preposterous scenes - one in the chapel of rest springs to mind.

The conclusion is rushed, with big questions just quickly explained away, ridiculous contrivances propelling the plot to its denouement and lazy exposition packed into a couple of chapters.

I am sure that this book will be well received by many, but for me the main character and the plotting were too much to overcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

3.5⭐

I went into this thinking it would have some dark humour and witty elements to it, but it was actually a pretty deep thriller with difficult yet important subjects at the core.

** Make sure you check trigger warnings with this one.

Molly wakes up with a stranger in her bed, not having any memory of what happened the night before. She heads into work feeling like everyone is acting weird around her and finds out something awful happened. It just keeps getting worse from there.

I felt deeply for Molly's situation and felt that as the book progressed, we got to experience a journey of her moving from giving up to fighting back.

I really enjoyed the twists and connections, some I didn't see coming, but overall I didn't feel shocked in the way I want to be when reading a thriller.

That said, I still recommend this for people who enjoy thrillers that include relevant topics and that popcornesque feel! I'd definitely read Katy's books in future!

Thanks to HQStories and Netgalley for providing this ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Something bad happened last night. My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

But after last night, I can’t remember a thing…

From the author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, don’t miss this wickedly witty and utterly addictive novel, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Dawn O’Porter and Killing Eve.

Katy writes in a way that draws you in to a story immediately. There's no slow build up, no superfluous and drawn out detail and this makes for an exciting read from the get go.

A viral video. A missing teen and a murdered flatmate. How are they linked? Molly wakes up the morning after the night before feeling worse than she ever has. And who is the handsome stranger in her bed?

As she gets to her office, she feels paranoid, why are people acting so strangely? When she finds out why, her whole world comes crashing down. But things are only going to go from bad to worse.

Fast-paced, and a definite page-turner, I enjoyed this book, but I did feel a bit disconnected from the plot as it became more and more convoluted.

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

Sassy, smart and entertaining whilst also discussing the dark side of social media with a fabulous main character - a great read!

Once again, Brent has created an entertaining read, a wild ride of a book that somehow manages to combine mystery and plenty of twists with some interesting social commentary as well as a generous sprinkling of (often dark) humour.

Molly Monroe wakes up one morning with the mother of all hangovers and a strange man in her bed to discover a video of her she has no memory of has gone viral - and not in a good way! As if that wasn’t bad enough, she finds her flatmate and best friend Posey dead in the bath.

This is a fast paced read as the somewhat chaotic but loveable Molly takes a somewhat chaotic approach to proving that Posey’s death was not the accidental death the police seem to think it is. You’ll find yourself rooting for Molly, flawed but relatable and determined to get justice for her friend. With no shortage of suspects, there is plenty going on and the twists and turns keep coming. With the tension relieved thanks to some laugh out loud humour, this is one of those books you will read in a couple of sittings keen to know how it ends.

Just when I thought Katy discussed everything there is about the dark side of social media, she strikes again (with a BETTER plot!) HTKM will always remain my favorite but this one JUST hit the right spot (I had to wait till the paperback is released in my country and go through again before writing this) and I love EVERYTHING about TMATNB! It almost felt like *I* was in Molly's place. The subtle humor, the twists and turns, the cliffhangers at the end of every chapter...I'm telling you, this book has it all

The humor, the mystery, the darkness and the drama: all - on point. 😙🤌🏽
From ‘just one chapter’ to binge read. I devoured this book!
Although I was already laughing out loud the first chapter, there were also super serious and emotional topics. In my opinion this was all well balanced.
The main character Molly Monroe is a hot mess but oh so likeable, the other characters are divers and felt real.
Super gripping, fast paced, fun and unpredicatable: I absolutely LOVED ‘The Murder After the Night Before.’
Favorite book of the year (so far) and maybe even one of my favorite books, ever. Katy Brent, applause 👏🏽
— Rating: 5★

Thank you @hqstories @harpercollinsuk for providing this book for review consideration via @netgalley. All opinions are my own. 🩷

I LOVED this book! Katy Brent's writing is so immersive, engaging and most of all entertaining! I could not put it down and read it all in one day. Molly carries a lot of trauma from her past and even though her decision making can at times be questionable, I warmed up to her straight away and really liked her. Posey was a very interesting character as well, and I felt that I got to know them both very well. I also enjoyed how even though the funny bits make this a laugh-out-loud kind of book, the actual mystery is well thought out and the societal issues explored are very real and relatable. I was definitely left thinking a lot about young girls today, cancel culture and the immense pressure social media put on us and how so many people jump to judge without considering the gravity of their words just because they are hiding behind their device screens.
I am a big fan of the genre, so I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I am looking forward to reading How to Kill Men and Get Away with it next!

Synopsis

Something bad happened last night. My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.
I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.
There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.
But after last night, I can’t remember a thing…

My thoughts ….

Molly Malone narrates the novel she has become an internet sensation for all the wrong reasons .
Her friend Posey is also found dead .
Molly tries to piece together her downfall and that of Posey’s death . What was Posey the journalist working on ?
A fast paced novel that unfolds well placing pieces together .
The book has humour , emotional trauma and sadness as the story unfolds.
The author writes about manipulation, wealthy privilege,and the power of social media .
The twists and turns throughout give an enjoyable novel a first for me from this author

Katy Brent does it again! Read my full 5 star review on Instagram. Thank you so much Katy and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

An enjoyable read - I enjoyed the author’s debut so was familiar with the style of writing. This was an easy read and an intriguing plot, however there were some plot holes that I felt made the storyline a little far fetched and unrealistic which made it difficult to be completely gripped by the mystery. Some slightly underwhelming reveals led to a disenchanting ending for me where it felt the victims didn’t get the resolution they deserved. I did enjoy it overall and would recommend if you enjoyed the first book it’s a decent follow up and I would read more from the author.

Molly awakens after a drunken night out, to a strange man in her bed and her the star of a sexually explicit video. Then things get worse and now she's solving a murder. Can she figure out the truth from the lies.

This was a fast burn, short read. It doesn't hang about which is good. The plot is interesting and has some clever twists along the way. It also touches on the ways media handles certain things. Mostly the discrepancy of men and women. Would Molly have suffered the way she did had it been the other way round? That aside, the murder was interesting though I did figure out the killer. I liked how the connections came together. Molly has a lot of issues and makes some really questionable decisions yet I did grow to like her in the end. A quick read murder mystery.

What a ride this book was! I rattled through this in 2 days, I couldn't sleep as I needed to know what happened so ended up finishing it at about 5am.

We meet Molly Monroe, she's a journalist working for a tween mag and firmly stuck in a rut of her own making, lacking in the drive and self-confidence to go after what she really wants. She lives with her best friend from uni Posey, also a journalist at a local paper and recently promoted. She seems like she has her life together and is making a success of things in all the ways Molly feels she is not.

Molly attends her works Christmas night out and things unravel pretty spectacularly from there - she celebrates a bit too much, ending up as a trending topic on social media for all the wrong reasons. Before she finds this out though she's already looking for answers to other questions, like who is the guy she woke up beside? Where's Posey gone and why is she not getting in touch?

This book is incredibly well written with a dark humour throughout which I found incredibly relatable. The pace doesn't let up the whole way through and I enjoyed the way we got to see a bit of the aftermath and what happens next for Molly.

This is the first book I have read from this author, I will definitely be looking for her debut and keeping an eye out for any future releases.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Murder After the Night Before follows Molly starting the morning after her work Christmas party. She’s hungover, can’t remember anything about the night before, and a video of her has gone viral. Molly’s day keeps getting worse when she later discovers her roommate and best friend, Posey, dead in her bathroom. Molly is sure that Posey’s death was not an accident but the police refuse to investigate so Molly decides to find out the truth for herself, and Posey.

I was really excited about the concept of this book but was ultimately disappointed with the execution. The cover and description made me think this book was going to be a romp following Molly trying to retrace her steps from the night before to get answers in the same vein as The Hangover. However, I was disappointed that this book is barely about the night she can’t remember and instead is about her trying to solve the mystery of the missing person's case Posey was writing an article about. It also bothered me that Molly would just conveniently start to remember parts of the night before, without anything jogging her memory, when it was necessary to move the plot along.

Another issue I have is the fact that nowhere in the book synopsis is sexual assault mentioned or given a trigger warning, but the reason Molly goes viral is that someone posted a video of her performing a sexually explicit act on the night she can’t remember. This storyline was very dark and while I thought it was handled well it surprised me and I don’t think topics of this nature should be a surprise to readers. Nothing about this book was light-hearted or funny. Even before the start of the book Molly has very low self-worth, doesn’t like her job, and is deeply unhappy. There’s nothing wrong with covering these topics, it just wasn’t what I was expecting from this book.

However, I did think this book had a few redeeming qualities. I thought it was charmingly British and had well-written supporting characters that were interesting and integral to the plot. I was also impressed that I didn’t guess the plot reveals and was surprised by the ending. This book deals with a lot of hard topics like grief, alcohol abuse, and sexual assault. Readers who are looking for a mystery that is equal parts character-driven and plot-driven covering more hard-hitting topics should check this out.

I listened to this one after release day on audio and had a wild time - our main character wakes up after a works party to an embarrassing video online of the night before and also her friend has been murdered

This one although dealing with a hard subject was written with funny undertones and a lot of humour - it definately put me in mind of if you like Finlay Donovan, Four Aunties series and also Vera Wong.

Loved it and would recommend

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley, HQ and Katy Brent for providing me this ARC.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I was accepted to read this book. I heard so much about it! 🍷

This story is so absurd, but so well thought about. It's so weird, but I absolutely love it! I've gone through a lot of emotions. There are fun parts, creepy parts, cringey moments... Just imagine having such a bad hangover 😅
I loved the tweets at the beginning of the chapters and the length of chapters.
I gave it four stars because I missed the 'I couldn't put it down feeling'. Overall I loved the book and I can't wait to read the next book by Katy Brent.

4⭐️

A contemporary dark comedy with an embedded thriller and mystery twang! 🩷

I enjoyed this novel. I found it very different to How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, but Brent’s unique dark humour and writing style made a very engaging read.

I liked the chapter length, the tweets at the beginning of the chapters and I think the plot was clever. This book follows Molly Monroe who wakes up with no recollection of the night before, to find that she’s gone viral and is trending on social media for all the wrong reasons. She then finds out her flatmate and best friend Posey is dead and is determined to find the killer when the police deem the death as a tragic accident.

This read was hilariously witty and easy to speed through. I didn’t gel with Molly to begin with, but at around the halfway point I started to and really liked her from then on. Going viral like Molly did must be awful and Brent really painted, what seems to be, a very accurate picture of the effects this has on individuals, but especially women. The fact that Molly could put her own problems aside to try and help provide justice for her bestfriend really showed you the type of person Molly was.

Brent has explored many important topics in this book, such as sexism, friendship and grief and I found this worked incredibly well with the underlying mystery aspect. It was great how the comedy elements also didn’t mask these topics.

What I loved most about this read was the revelations Molly found out and how this book firmly places the question of whether you truly know somebody. From the outside things always look perfect, but things may be different underneath, and I found this idea also very engaging.

If you like a dark comedy, a mystery and a bunch of suspicious characters, then I recommend you check this out. I found myself laughing throughout.

Many thanks to @hqstories, @netgalley and @but_katy_did_it for this ARC of The Murder After the Night Before, which is out now! 💕

⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️

This book was such a fun ride! While the premise was a bit more sinister than Katy Brent’s first work, I still absolutely loved it. It couples bone chilling murder with lighthearted comedy in just the perfect combination. Molly was a fabulous FMC and I loved her character arc!