About the Book
"Guilty" by Ruby Speechley
"You're invited to my farewell party. I've got something to tell you before I die…"
Heather wants to leave this world with a clear conscience.
One confession. One secret. Two scores to settle.
Heather accepted the fate of her terminal diagnosis long ago, but now the time is nearing, she arranges a huge farewell party for her nearest and dearest.
She wants to say goodbye to everyone personally, but there's another reason she wants the people in her life to gather.
She knows who killed young Simon Eyre all those years ago, and she needs to tell. The boy deserves justice.
But she doesn't realise that by freeing her own inner demons, she's unleashing much worse secrets, and putting everyone at risk…
My Review
After a terminal diagnosis leaves her with months to live, Heather's focus is on getting her affairs in order. She updates her will to protect her grown sons and her business. And with the help of her boyfriend Martyn, she plans her farewell party. Everyone will be invited, including friends, former friends, co-workers, and even those who might not like her too much. She wants to gather everyone together to announce her impending death. She also wants to reveal a secret she's been keeping for decades -- one that's tied to the death of her six-year-old brother Alex and the murder of a young man named Simon Eyre.
Some people at the party deserve to finally know the truth. Others want her to keep quiet to save their own necks. But Heather's determined to die with a clear conscience, even if it means putting the lives of those near and dear to her in jeopardy. That's okay, though. Those near and dear have secrets of their own which could be even more deadly.
Emotionally charged and fraught with twists, "Guilty" by Ruby Speechley is a dialogue-driven psychological thriller that is reminiscent of a murder mystery dinner theater. In the chapters where Heather's dinner party takes place, that is. Questions are flying around about some of the guests. When a body turns up, everyone tries to piece together whodunnit, including you.
Told exclusively from Heather's first-person point-of-view, you are instantly drawn to her and think of her as this deeply likeable character who's sadly, yet stoically facing her own demise. She frets over her friends and family, loving them and wanting the best for all of them after she passes on. But as the story continues, Heather's facade slips a bit. Not necessarily an unreliable narrator, she is not totally honest either. She's not being completely honest about the big secret she's keeping with her friends -- or the one she's keeping from them.
"Guilty" is a fast-moving book that doesn't slow down long enough to give you a chance to check the page or chapter number -- or to take a break. It's an ultra-compelling read with an ending so explosive, you'll smell the smoke rising off the pages. It's another brilliant job by author Ruby Speechley. I can't wait to read what's next.
Thank you to Ruby Speechley, Boldwood Books, and Rachel's Random Resources for the complimentary eARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
About the Author
Ruby Speechley is a bestselling psychological thriller writer, whose titles include Missing and Gone, published by Boldwood Books. Her new novel, Guilty, will be published on 7 June 2024.
Ruby loves to weave real-life dilemmas into her domestic based stories, often focussing on mother and child relationships.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Ruby came to the UK as a baby and has lived here ever since. She moved to Cheshire during lockdown in 2020 with her husband and two of her three children (and two Springer spaniels) to be near her eldest son and daughter-in-law and their two children.
You can contact her on X (formerly Twitter): @rubyspeechley
Facebook: Ruby Speechley Author
Instagram: @rubyjtspeechley
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