The latter half of July is an absolute insane time for me at work, 10-12 hour days usually without a lunch break, and by the time I get home I’m too bleary eyed to read. Luckily, work began to let up right around the time Liane Moriarty released her latest novel. I read all of Moriarty’s novels last year so this was the first time I had to wait for the author to write something new and the year wait was quite painful (it’s probably a good thing I’m not a Game of Thrones fan).
Moriarty has a formulaic writing style but it never fails to deliver results. While time hopping and perspective shifting usually drives me bonkers Moriarty (and Jojo Moyes) do it well enough that I don’t go crazy. Truly Madly Guilty centers around 3 couples who had a barbecue two months ago where something bad happened. There is Sam & Clementine, who have two young daughters, Tiffany & Vid, the hosts of the barbecue and the parents of Dakota, and Erika & Oliver the link between the other two couples.
Oliver was right: the decision to go to the barbecue was of no relevance. It was a sunk cost. She put her head back against the seat, closed her eyes and remembered a silver car driving toward her, surrounded by a swirling funnel of autumn leaves.
The “incident” unfurls from each person’s perspective and big reveal is delivered a little bit quicker than most Moriarty secrets. There are several cracks in each of the three marriages we are witnessing and the “incident” seems to have exposed and stressed them further. It’s an interesting look at how one event can set off a ripple effect. Moriarty continues to drop tiny little bombs throughout the back half of the novel which keep everything surprising and interesting.
It’s difficult to review a thriller because so much of what made it so good would ruin it for a future reader! Just trust me when I say you will love this one. 4.5/5 Stars (I struggle to give anything a full 5!)
Glad you liked it!