The Favour
‘A thrilling debut – I couldn’t put it down!’ - Shari Lapena
-
-
4.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- €3.99
-
- €3.99
Publisher Description
‘Taut, compelling and deliciously dark’ – B. A. Paris, author of The Prisoner
An unputdownable domestic suspense, The Favour is the bold, compulsive debut from Nora Murphy.
Leah Dawson and McKenna Hawkins had a lot in common, but they had never met.
They are smart, professional women living in the same sunny, prosperous neighbourhood in lovely houses with picket fences and beautiful gardens. And they were both married to successful, good-looking men who both seem bent on having ‘the perfect wife’.
They don’t – ever – find themselves in the same train carriage or meet accidentally at the gym or in the coffee shop. And they don’t – ever – discuss their problems and find common ground.
But they do cross paths. And they see something each recognizes in the other.
That they are living in hell.
Neither narrator is unreliable. They always tell us the truth. And their truth hurts. A lot. Because these two attractive, intelligent professional women are living in a hell of their husband’s making. And there is no way to get out of hell. Is there?
'A thrilling debut – I couldn’t put it down!' – Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In a debut novel that’s as illuminating as it is chilling, Nora Murphy tells a story of domestic abuse, desperation and female solidarity. The two women at its heart are strangers—both suffering behind closed doors at the hands of ultra-controlling husbands while leading lives that would appear idyllic to the casual observer–but as they learn of each other’s plights, they find themselves driven to make shocking decisions. Writing almost entirely from the perspectives of the women, in their voices, Murphy is able to create a nuanced account of experiences that are under-discussed and often misunderstood. That she does so in the form of a thriller—an incredibly tense, propulsive one—never takes away from the sensitivity of this work.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lawyer Leah Dawson and pediatrician McKenna Hawkins, the protagonists of Murphy's claustrophobic debut, appear to have idyllic lives, but both are trapped in abusive marriages. Nine months earlier, Leah's husband, Liam, got her fired so she could concentrate on being a perfect wife. McKenna's husband, Zack, made her quit working after she miscarried so she could focus on starting the family she no longer wants. Leah and McKenna are strangers, but when Leah sees McKenna in the liquor store one afternoon, she senses a kinship and tails McKenna home to an upscale neighborhood near her own. Liam is away, so Leah spends several evenings watching through windows as Zack menaces McKenna. Leah's anonymous 911 call accomplishes nothing, so when Zack's threats turn to violence, Leah intervenes, altering both women's fates. Though the men in Murphy's story lack dimension, Leah and McKenna are fully realized characters whose anger, fear, and despair are palpable. A kaleidoscopic narrative amplifies tension and imparts nuance by examining the two households from inside and out. Murphy paints a powerful portrait of domestic abuse.
