This was a great book! I kept thinking that I would hate it if my friend did that to me.

This book balanced very well its limited cast of character against the mystery elements. I kept reading to find out the missing pieces of the mystery and the motives behind the actions, even though I figured out what happened. The flawed main characters kept their secrets until the end, and I thought that the ending was appropriately chilling.


( )

🌟🌟🌟🌟STARS
Now never having read anything of Sue Fortin before I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this.
Well, Wow, this certainly didn't disappoint.
I read this in practically one sitting, it was such addictive reading that I struggled to put "The Birthday Girl" down I was so engrossed.
This story tells the tale of four best friends, Carys, Zoe, Andrea and Joanne, all in or approaching their forties.
All Bogged down with the usual life dramas, petty jealousies and rivalries that usually come with groups of girls of all ages.
So when one of the girls, Joanne to be exact, decides to throw a very different fortieth party.
The other Girls half-heartedly accept her invitation.
Straight from the get-go, I loved how the scene was staged, Johanna lulling her friends into a false sense of security, outwardly not portraying her anger, but showing her game face and going in for the long con.
So there you are, You think you know where This tale is going, who the baddies are, when suddenly and without warning "The birthday girl" changes directions on you leaving you floundering in the wake of the upheaval.
And you're left there scratching your head in total confusion.
The Birthday girl will seriously confound your expectations and have you questioning everything that happens, nothing will be taken on face value and nobody is above suspicion.
On top of all this, there is also the mysterious voice that seems to hate Carys so much, I was so wrong on all fronts with this when attempting to use my sleuthing skills to unmask, brilliantly done indeed.
So the story that unfolds here drew me in straight from the beginning.
It manages to build layer upon layer until gradually a bigger overall picture is finally revealed.
This was so well done and it actually helped make the Birthday Girl such a page-turner.
this has all the ingredients of a five-star read and it wasn't until the last chapter that for me this lost some of its star quality.
I just really didn't like the ending, I've never really been into self-sacrificing or cutting off my nose to spite my face and that is what the last chapter to me stank of.
So Sorry to be so cryptic, but needs must as I really don't want to spoil this experience for others.
So there you have it, in a nutshell, this was such a good solid read, it flowed brilliantly, kept the reader guessing till the final pages and overall just pulled you right in.
So yes I would most certainly recommend this if you like a good psychological thriller, this is hands down, definitely one of the best I have experienced for a while.
So All that's left is to say thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with an ARC of The Birthday Girl this is my own honest and unbiased opinion.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

🌟🌟🌟🌟STARS
Now never having read anything of Sue Fortin before I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this.
Well, Wow, this certainly didn't disappoint.
I read this in practically one sitting, it was such addictive reading that I struggled to put "The Birthday Girl" down I was so engrossed.
This story tells the tale of four best friends, Carys, Zoe, Andrea and Joanne, all in or approaching their forties.
All Bogged down with the usual life dramas, petty jealousies and rivalries that usually come with groups of girls of all ages.
So when one of the girls, Joanne to be exact, decides to throw a very different fortieth party.
The other Girls half-heartedly accept her invitation.
Straight from the get-go, I loved how the scene was staged, Johanna lulling her friends into a false sense of security, outwardly not portraying her anger, but showing her game face and going in for the long con.
So there you are, You think you know where This tale is going, who the baddies are, when suddenly and without warning "The birthday girl" changes directions on you leaving you floundering in the wake of the upheaval.
And you're left there scratching your head in total confusion.
The Birthday girl will seriously confound your expectations and have you questioning everything that happens, nothing will be taken on face value and nobody is above suspicion.
On top of all this, there is also the mysterious voice that seems to hate Carys so much, I was so wrong on all fronts with this when attempting to use my sleuthing skills to unmask, brilliantly done indeed.
So the story that unfolds here drew me in straight from the beginning.
It manages to build layer upon layer until gradually a bigger overall picture is finally revealed.
This was so well done and it actually helped make the Birthday Girl such a page-turner.
this has all the ingredients of a five-star read and it wasn't until the last chapter that for me this lost some of its star quality.
I just really didn't like the ending, I've never really been into self-sacrificing or cutting off my nose to spite my face and that is what the last chapter to me stank of.
So Sorry to be so cryptic, but needs must as I really don't want to spoil this experience for others.
So there you have it, in a nutshell, this was such a good solid read, it flowed brilliantly, kept the reader guessing till the final pages and overall just pulled you right in.
So yes I would most certainly recommend this if you like a good psychological thriller, this is hands down, definitely one of the best I have experienced for a while.
So All that's left is to say thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with an ARC of The Birthday Girl this is my own honest and unbiased opinion.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

This book gives truth to the saying "with friends like this who needs enemies." I found it rather odd that with the history between these women they would so willingly take off on a trip planned by the "birthday girl" that they didn't know the destination...they were made to give up their cell phones...they were led to participate in activities that they were not very good at and all this in the middle of nowhere Scotland. I really didn't like any of these ladies and liked them even less by the end of the book. So why the 4.5 stars? The plot was unique and kept the pages turning. I read more than half the book in one setting just to see what stupid thing they would do next. There were lots of surprises in the story and just when you think you have sorted out who is telling the truth another block is presented. Some of the things they allowed to happen made no sense but I had already decided that these women were not the brightest bulbs in the package. I'm going to defidently try something else by this author. I think she has a lot of promise. ( )