The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 16th April 2023
Published: 18th April 2023
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
The Birthday Reunion: A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with twists by Claire Seeber
Four friends. One dream getaway. But who will make it out alive?
When the gold-rimmed invitations arrive through the doors of best friends Simone, Hannah and Vicky they’re instantly taken aback. Their ex-friend Jodie is inviting them to a lavish Mediterranean villa to celebrate her birthday. They haven’t spoken in years since she betrayed them in the worst way. So how did they make the guest list?
They all have their reasons for saying yes. Stay-at-home mum Simone had her dream job snatched away. Hannah lost the love of her life. Café-owner Vicky wants the chance to help a wronged friend. Is the reunion a chance to confront Jodie and the past once and for all?
Arriving at a villa that looks straight out of a movie set, the friends relax by the sumptuous pool as they wait for the other guests to arrive. But as the chilled wine is poured and the three friends reminisce, they see Jodie walking towards them with a look of shock on her face.
Because Jodie didn’t invite them here.
But by the end of the weekend it will become clear who did. Someone else has a reason for revenge. Who will make it out alive?
An absolutely addictive and twist-filled psychological thriller that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and T.M. Logan.
MY THOUGHTS:
Four friends. One dream getaway. But who will make it out alive...?
When the gold-rimmed invitations arrive through the mailslots of Simone, Vicky and Hannah, the friends cannot believe it. After all she has done to them, has taken from them and thrown back in their faces, their ex-friend Jodie has the audacity to invite them to an all-expenses-paid four day weekend on a remote island in the Mediterranean to celebrate her birthday...when they all knew her birthday was in November. The four friends have not spoken in two decades since Jodie betrayed them all in the worst way. So why is she inviting them to this weekend escape? And why now? And more importantly, what does she want from them?
The journey to the island takes somewhat longer than expected, drawing out the journey and the story a little. The three friends have to spend the night in an old near-abandoned farmhouse villa which is reminiscent of the forties horror movie sets. But as soon as daylight comes, the friends are down at the jetty awaiting their boat to the island. And when they get there...they discover it just as deserted as the old villa from which they've come. But on a much grander scale. Far more luxurious, each with their own room and ensuites, a fully stocked pantry and fridge, all with gorgeous turquoise views and a mosaic infinity pool. There was just one thing missing: the birthday girl herself, Jodie.
But when Jodie does arrive, she is just as shocked and surprised by the presence of her three former friends. So who invited them all here? Who has orchestrated this entire weekend? And to what end?
With no WiFi, weird messages, missing knives and no way off the island...each begins to wonder if any of them will make it out alive. But one of them is hell bent on revenge...but who? And why?
The concept of this story was intriguing but I think for me the telling of it fell a little flat. It takes almost 30% of the book before they even reach the island and the rest of it to remain as confused as ever as to what is really going on. I am all for multiple narratives but even I got a little confused with the constant changeover between the four friends that I had to keep checking back as to which one of them was narrating at times. Particularly as every chapter was in the first person and somehow I always felt it was Simone's voice I heard every time, even if it was one of the others.
The story is also a slow burn of which I'm not particularly a fan generally unless it is done in a way that does hold my interest. This one hovered between doing so and not. And once they got to the the Isle del Diablo (Devil's Island), all they seemed to do was bitch and moan and argue all the time.
It's an OK read for me and I wasn't totally satisfied with how it all ended. Although it was nicely done in the epilogue, I was left somewhat confused as to where everyone stood and what the whole endgame really was. I was left shaking my head in the end, and somewhat puzzled. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me in the end.
I would like to thank #ClaireSeeber, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBirthdayReunion in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Claire has been CWA Dagger-nominated, also writes for stage and screen, and today studies psychotherapy, as well as (trying to) manage a home of slightly feral children and animals. Luckily her very nice partner helps too.
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