Wow. Just wow. When Molly finds her best friend Posey dead, her life takes on a whole new angle. Who did it? How? No one wants to investigate... it had to be an accident. Right? If you want to have a really fun, roller-coaster of a ride, you have to read The Murder After the Night Before. Simply fabulous.

The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent is without a doubt one of the most unique, brilliantly written books I’ve ever read. The suspense in this one is insane….. Someone should have told me I would physically be glued to this book until the end. And we even get some humor sprinkled throughout - what a combo! Absolutely love the characters in this book - run get this one!!!

Thank you NetGalley & Harper 360 for an ARC copy of this book.

This one was great! I definitely enjoyed it, especially the tone and the writing.

Molly wakes up after a holiday party completely blacked out and hungover with no recollection of the night before.
There is a strange man in her bed, and a video of her caught in a compromising act that she did not consent to from the night before has gone viral (and unfortunately she’s become the victim of extreme online bullying because of it)

Later in the day Molly discovers the body of her roommate Posey. The police don’t think it’s suspicious, but Molly is convinced that it is murder.

While searching for clues about what happened to Posey, Molly also falls into investigating a missing teen that Posey was in the middle of writing an investigative piece about .

This book addresses how women are treated in society- About how there is a double standard and about how women are ignored when they try to avocate for themselves or for something they believe in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what a horrible, dangerous place the world was through her eyes.”

**Actual Rating: 4.75!!

Do you like to be gaslighted by authors? Well, apparently I do since I have committed myself to being a life fan of Katy Brent. This story was just….I don’t even want to describe it because I need my fellow readers to experience the same rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts I have experienced LOL.

The Murder After The Night Before follows Molly Monroe whose world just COMPLETELY comes crashing down around her after partying with coworkers at the company’s Christmas Party. Katy does an amazing job centering women in her stories and naming very real societal issues without watering down anything. I also appreciate the bits of humor that are laced throughout the story to help balance out the anger you’re likely to feel.

The story was fun to read, engaging, will keep you turning pages, and have you feeling like Sherlock Holmes just to turn around and say “B**ch you thought! LOLOLOLOL”. I absolutely enjoyed the experience of reading this book and it definitely had me talking out loud to myself which is nothing but praise in my eyes.

Side Note: The last 7% of this book was W-I-L-D! There was information (not important though) that I needed to know earlier in the story!! LOL

Thank you to Harper 360 and Netgalley for the arc read!!

Thank you, NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me early access to this book. I am a sucker for thrillers and it’s a bonus that it also had some humor in it. This book was fast paced and very entertaining. I mean, look at the cover, it’s beautiful and eye-catching lol.

The first word that came to mind when describing the plot to a friend was "unhinged." While I still feel that is a fitting adjective to describe it, I am blown away by the uniqueness of this story. To not give too much away, I will describe the plot as vaguely as possible.

A viral video. An empty wine bottle. A secret cell phone.
After a drunken night out beginning at her company's week-night Christmas party, Molly wakes up with a stranger in her bed and no recollection of the night before. The entire day almost passes by without Molly hearing from her best friend and flat-mate, Posey. That is, until Molly checks Posey's bathroom to see if her toothbrush is gone, but finds Posey's body. This propels Molly into working through her drunken memories to find out what happened to Posey. During her investigation, Molly eventually uncovers the answers to a decades-old missing child case that Posey had been investigating herself, and discovers Posey was murdered to keep the truth from coming out.

This story is funny, fast paced, and full of twists you don't see coming.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Not a bad book, but not a great one either. The main character, Molly, feels more than a bit disaffected from life, from her job, and from her friends. On a night out drinking she ends up an internet sensation (and not in a good way), then later discovers her roommate's body. The police say it was an accident, but Molly thinks otherwise. As the book progresses, so does Molly's unofficial investigation and the many revelations that come as a result. The last third of the book did redeem it a bit in my eyes.

I loved this book for the first bit, and then it just felt really slow. I had some theories about how it would wrap up, and the ending wasn't as twisty as I had predicted myself, so what actually played out felt a little ho-hum after what I'd plotted in my head. The main character, Molly, felt a little off to me, she felt helpless and clueless. This is somewhat explained by her past (we're told right away that she "has QUITE the backstory"), but it wasn't explained until the second-to-last chapter so I wasn't maybe as sympathetic to her as I could have been had I know what happened in her childhood.

Also I had a question about the gift she receives at the end - how did she get it through security at the airport?! Also where was she staying for the past 9 months when she says she couldn't stay in the apartment any longer? Also she rents this place for what I presume to be a low rent but her neighbor is a powerful well-respected lawyer in London... so that didn't make sense to me. I can see what Brent was writing about - crimes against females - and some of it was really well-done. But the book just didn't give me that can't-put-it-down drive to finish.

Thank you for the chance to read and review! The scenario of piecing together the night before and the murder was quite interesting and compelling.

I liked the first half of this novel. Molly is a mess but the video and the murder definitely humanized her. The other half of the book became about her roommate's secret life, and I couldn't distinguish who was a friend or foe. There were some chapters that felt redundant, but I still pulled into the mystery.

A twisty, thrill ride that starts with a social media disaster and public shaming but somehow evolves into a devoted friend trying to deal with grief. The journalism aspect was definitely an added dimension I didn't see coming but tied the story together perfectly. Brent is an excellent writer; she instantly reeled me in and I couldn't finish fast enough!

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Murder After the Night Before
By Katy Brent
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Harper 360

MY RATING:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE 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 REVIEW:

I am starting to see more people talking about this book, but not nearly enough! We should ALL be talking about this book!! This was, by far, the most fun thriller I have ever read!! Katy Brent, I am A FAN! I'm sure I'll age myself a bit with this statement, but here goes: This is what I imagine Bridget Jones would have been like as the heroine of a murder mystery in the age of Insta and Twitter.

This book was so much more than just a thriller! It was a real, unexpectedly funny (at times), character-driven mystery with the most lovable, flawed (dare I say, kinda fucked up) and endearing female lead you could ever imagine. I absolutely adored the fact that she ultimately became the unsung hero of the entire story, overcoming every mishap imaginable (and then some!) until the book's end. I often don't see the ending coming, but this time I literally screamed "WHAAAAAAAATTTTT?!?!" when I read it. I wanted to stand up and applaud. Really. It was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I can't wait to tell everyone I know that this is a MUST-READ to add to their TBR list. A top ten book of 2024 and just a joy to read!

The physical book doesn't come out till June 11th, but that's far too long for you to wait. Thankfully, you can request it on NetGalley. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. You need to request this book right now. Seriously, like right now. Go on then! You can thank me later when you come back to tell me how much you loved this bo I will probably re-read it, then buy the book in June, and re-read it again then too. Yes, it's THAT good.

#TheMurderAfterTheNightBefore #katybrent #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #fivestars #thrillerbooks #thrilleraddict #booklover

Absolutely loved this! Molly Monroe is a 30 something writer for a teen magazine who woke up after her company Christmas party with the hangover from hell, a strange (but gorgeous) man in her bed, and has gone viral for the all the wrong reasons. When life can’t get any worse, she turns to her best friend, Posey, for encouragement only to find Posey dead in their apartment. The police rule her death an unfortunate accident, but Molly isn’t sure that’s the case and is determined to uncover the truth- even if it makes her look like a lunatic. If you’re looking for a thriller with a bit of dark comedy thrown in and some good twists, you will love this one! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a fantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book!. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!
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!!

This book starts off humorously with a witty main character then quickly adopts a more serious tone and provides social commentary on the toxicity of social media, the disparity between sexes when it comes to sexual assault and broaches the topic of misogyny. The topics covered are extremely relevant but are presented in a way that is accessible to readers.

Molly is an inspirational character. She starts off witty, quickly devolves into brokenness once she wakes up and discovers what has been posted about her on social & discovers her best friend, but then grows into a strong character by the end of the book. She is not without flaws, but she is truly herself. She is fighting personal battles from her past and her present, but that doesn’t stop her from being charming & saying exactly what she thinks. Her flaws are not hidden from the reader and the reader is able to see Molly as a whole person with struggles & triumphs.

This was a great thriller with multiple “who-dun-its”. Molly had to try to resolve her own personal drama all while trying to solve the murder of her best friend and while investigating the disappearance of teenage girl that her friend had been looking into prior to her death. There are several twists and turns that keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes to play armchair detective.

SO FREAKING FUN!
Grab this crazy book!

When Molly wakes up she learns that she is a social media sensation - in the worst way possible. A man is in her bed, and he claims he just assisted her. While she tries to make sense of all that has gone wrong in her life, and what has led to this moment she discovers that her best friend in the entire world is dead.

Thus starts a wild ride, a crazy story, an awesome tale - a novel that could be ripped from the headlines to be honest.

Who killed her best friend? Molly is sure it was murder. What is the deal with Josh? Is he really For-Real and a good samaritan. And after all of that has been dealt with, what can Molly do about her insane social media presence?

Would love to see this on tv, and hope that happens ! If you love a thrilller-type story, a who done, and a underdog heroine, this is a fabulous novel for you! #harper360 #katybrent #themurderafterthenightbefore

Molly Monroe, a cautionary tale of how badly drunken nights can go. After a drunken night with plenty of bad decisions, molly wakes up to a unknown man in her bed. The story goes to show how many terrible people there are in the world and the power of the online world. ""While we're all trying to be #kind, at least outwardly, the pack mentality of a public pile-on is a compulsion too tempting for many to ignore." I would NEVER depend on someone I barely know the way Molly clings to Jack after finding her flatmate murdered. I'm sure there's some psychological mojo about this but it gives me the ick. I understand being alone and how terrible it would be after your best friend died to be alone, but I'm not latching onto the nearest person and having them there will I'm sleeping or trying to kiss said person. I'm not sure how I felt about this book. The ending was not satisfying and Jack/Josh was an empty side character in my opinion.

This book was a fast paced read and delivered the overall message about slutshaming and the treatment of women online quickly. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. Molly as a character is unlikeable and makes ridiculous decisions. The plot leaves everything to be desired and has so many holes it cannot stand up on its own. The ending attempts to throw out twists as a hail mary to save the story but it misses completely. None of it redeems the poorly written characters or adds anything to the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for this arc

Molly just had the worst night of her life & she can’t even remember any of it. Thanks to a viral video though, soon everyone knows. Things are about to get a lot worse. The next day, all she wants is to talk to her best friend, Posey. She can’t seem to reach her though, until the unthinkable happens. The police think it was a tragic accident, but Molly firmly believes Posey was murdered. She starts investigating on her own & finds that Posey was keeping a lot of secrets. Hey, but at least it’s keeping her mind off that video! I really like Brent’s writing style & the humor she puts into her books. Definitely an author that I will keep reading.