#BookReview The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent #TheMurderAftertheNightBefore #KatyBrent @HQstories

The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent was published by HQ stories on 1 February 2024. 

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.

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I’ve not read Katy Brent‘s first book but I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Murder After the Night Before. I loved our lead character Molly from the off – the opening chapter made me laugh out loud – and I found her to be completely relatable and sympathetic. Her narration is really funny throughout the book – even at the times she is upset or scared. I felt so sorry for her situation and that she seemed to have no one to turn to for help or support. The twitter abuse she suffers is sadly all too believable.

There’s a lot of tension at the start of the book with Molly on the back foot with her hangover, strange man visitor and lateness for work. It only gets worse for her from here on in and I felt mortified and devastated for her as she catches up to her viral infamy and flatmate’s death. The book has a lot to say about ‘trial by social media’ and how women in particular are treated on X/Twitter or TikTok and the like and in real life.

I was completely invested in the murder mystery side of the book and with Molly all the way in her investigation. I liked the way she pushed on when everything seemed against her, managing to rise above her notoriety and what people thought of her. The supporting characters were all three-dimensional but it was difficult to know who she could trust. There are a few twists and turns before the ending and, although I guessed one tiny part, I did not work out whodunit. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from Katy Brent.

A big thank you to the publisher for my copy of The Murder After the Night Before.

If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book:

Shelve on Goodreads | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Waterstones