An ok read
Not one of my favourites
But I finished it
Wouldn’t put me off reading more by this author
Thanks NetGalley

Cassandra Harlow doesn’t believe her friend jumped to her death. After all, she had it all: career, money and ambition. So Cass digs deeper and discovers Sara was part of an elite women’s empowerment group. Could they be behind it? When Cass finds out they have a spot opening , she immediately applies in the hopes of getting some answers.

💭 I liked the mystery behind the narrative and it has been a while since I have read a ‘secret society’ subplot. I didn’t love the characters but that was to be expected. They work in a cut throat business where men tend to be the ones in position of power, so they need to be ruthless. Even to each other.Misogyny is rife and this book highlights the inequalities that women face in certain sectors and it really doesn’t matter how many hours you work and the fact you put your life and family on hold for the job.
There was a lot of repetition in this book which did mean that my engagement did wane in places. In other places it was fast paced, if a little over the top.
Some twists I didn’t see coming with regards to the proclivities of the elite group but I think some went too far and were not necessary. Ultimately, I was kept intrigued because I had no idea the direction this book was going to take.

I found it very hard to get into this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me. This may appeal to some people but in my case it didn’t work

A good read, enjoyed the suspense. I'm new to the author but would read more based on this. Good characters and plot.

pretty cool and i loved the vbes of this thriller, though it's a fairly straightforward one. would recommend though!

Thank you for the ARC !
Loved this book! Got me hooked from the beginning ! Definitely recommend this book b

I love when you read a book, and you feel like you are somehow living in the middle of it. This book was like that, so much action, twists, turns and the fast pace never wavered, I really enjoyed this book. The premise and characters and the way it all came together were great.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the Author Rhiannon Barnsley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Clique centers around the story of Sara O’Neil, a successful lawyer, unexpectedly jumps to her death despite her seemingly perfect life. Her friend Cassandra suspects foul play and delves into Sara’s involvement in an exclusive women’s networking club to uncover the truth behind her tragic end.

I’m in my strong powerful women era and found the idea of a secret society of high achieving gal pals who helped each other go places in the corporate world intriguing.
Sadly for me, this book went a whole lot of nowhere. After SEVEN chapters I didn’t know any additional information than what I had learned in the first two. I was bored and found the FMC’s lack of self awareness frustrating and annoying.

The Clique overall was an enjoyable read. Characters that are believable, alongside the usual twists and turns of any good mystery book.I enjoyed the mounting pile of bodies, and the romantic elements.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Cassandra has worked really hard to be part of the prestigious law firm. She works all the hours of the day & sometimes more but she is determined to be made a Partner in the firm. When Sara, a woman she had been friendly with, fell/jumped/was pushed off the roof terrace, Cass doesn't believe it was an accident. Sara was a partner- she had it all going for her. Her friend Nat, who also works for the same firm tells her about a high class club for women, who helps you get ahead in the misogynistic world where they have to work. Sara was a member. They are very elite & an opening only happens when one leaves (dies?) From then on Cass is obsessed by The Clique.

I thought this was a really interesting premise. However I struggled with the actual story. Cass is an intelligent woman although her actions belie that. Showing that plenty of very brainy people have very little common sense! I began to get very irritated with her, as things got crazier & the books showed no sign of finishing.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

The Clique by Rhiannon Barnsley is a fast paced tense thriller by a debut author. High flying lawyer, Sara O’Neil had it all, the career, the money, the prestige, so why then did she jump to her death? Cassandra Harlow never expected to see her friend jump from the office rooftop.
Someone knows what really happened, the only people who could know are a women only society, known as Inside. Cassandra pledges to find out what happens by becoming a member of the society.
A terrific start to a writing career with this first novel. I look forward to reading more books from the author.
Highly recommended

A debut novel is always a great introduction to an author. The Clique was pretty suspensefu. A secret society of woman. Woman lawyers trying to prove their place in firms. When a young lawyer jumps to her death why did she do it. The plot grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go.

This was quite a good debut from Rhiannon Barnsley. I was invested in the storyline throughout and while it did drag on a bit at times, I was still interested enough to keep going until the end. However, the ending was a bit sudden and I did hope for more. The author's writing style is fantastic though and I am already looking forward to reading what she writes next.

How did this main character become an attorney? Don't you need to be able to talk for yourself in that line of profession? She was not the fierce woman I would have liked to read about. I did not enjoy to read about her working days over and over again.

I DNF'd this book at 21%. I was so looking forward to a book about a female led secret society. Somewhere that uplifted women who worked in traditionally male dominated fields, maybe that comes later. I struggled to make it through ten chapters of the main character dealing with misogyny and sexism in the workplace (a workplace that didn't give two hoots about a high level colleague 'falling' out of a window btw). There were a lot of chapters just describing her long work day, my interest was just utterly lost. The main character was so mild that I would have liked being able to see her in action as a lawyer, as a contrast. Instead her character description was more about her expensive garments.
Not for me, I feel this book would put me into a reading slump. So I'm saying goodbye to it
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest reviews

Ooof! I think I might be giving any female networking groups a wide berth after finishing this sinister journey to girlboss status via black envelopes, blindfolded car rides and murder.. Highly entertaining!

Captivating read which is centred on a professional women’s elite club where it appeared all was not as it should be. The club only had one hundred members and a vacancy only opened up because Sara died. Very disturbing consequences for some who were drawn in.

The book set around law firms indicated a knowledge of how the high end of firms expect their staff to give all hours in order to be a success. It was fascinating but at times I wanted Cassandra to act and shape up, particularly when she was fired from her job. Although just when you were sitting back something else happened to hook you in.

The book picked up pace once you went further into the book. I enjoyed it and would recommend to others.

This is a compelling psychological thriller centred around an elite club for professional women. When one of their members falls to her death from the rooftop of her corporate law firm’s office, it is unclear whether she jumped or was pushed. Her death, however, creates a vacancy at this exclusive membership organisation which guarantees career success for its members. Two of her colleagues apply, leading to the emergence of a sinister truth about this club and what it expects from its members. Far-fetched at times but succeeds in maintaining the reader’s interest throughout.

Corporate lawyer Cassandra Harlow is distraught after her friend and colleague Sara falls from the roof of their office building. Although the job is full on, Cassandra is convinced that someone has killed Sara. This wasn't suicide.

She hears from her friend Nat that an exclusive women-only member's club has an opening, she starts putting the pieces together and realises that the spot is open because Sara was a member and they had something to do with her death.

Although this book is slow to start, I really enjoyed reading about Cassandra's work environment. It is clear that there is a knowledge of law firms here and you can feel the stress that Cassandra is under. There were a few moments where it felt a bit unrealistic and I wanted to shake Cassandra for putting herself in dangerous positions, but the twists kept it very entertaining. When the pace started to pick up, I couldn't put it down.