Well now... This was one crazy twisty story that kept me on the edge throughout! with friends like this, who needs enemies?This was a fast paced intense story that I finished in a matter of hours... and it’s a good thing I did, because I think I was holding my breath throughout this entire book! Shalini Boland you never fail to amaze me! and if I’m being honest frighten me a bit as well, I can only imagine what goes on in that brain of yours!Luisa has a lovely life, a loving husband, an adorable...

"How can all this be so close to our house, and yet feel so distant"?The Best Friend by Shalini BolandThe Best friend is compulsively readable. It does get your attention and if one wants a solid psychological thriller this could be your book. The writing is very good. It's the story itself that did not do it for me.I just found myself shaking my head and disbelief. I truly did. At the WIFE. I mean, could she not tell what her friend was all about?And she’s worried about her husband and the frie...

The Best Friend is a new mystery by Shalini Boland (the author the Girl from the Sea, which I liked a lot). Louisa meets beautiful, chic Darcy at her son Joe's new school. Darcy seems to have the perfect life: a great life, a well adjusted son, a successful husband and beautiful home along with an amazing blog. In comparison, Louisa (a newspaper columnist who is happily married with a child of her own) can't help but feel like her life is less than glamorous. When Darcy befriends her, she can't

I loved the start. New school for Louisa’s little boy. Worries about fitting in; the other parents; making friends. Louisa’s feelings at this point are relatable to any parent. So far, so normal - but then, the ripples of ooh-err-what-hmm, start to come into play. Are they warranted? Or, are we buying into some sort of paranoia? I loved how this book just lured me in and I couldn’t decide. Then the heat was turned up to the point of no return, but for who? The lovely new friend Darcy, or Louisa....

I have been reading all of Shalini Boland's books in recent weeks, and this was the last one available. Like the others, it is fast paced and engaging, a good holiday read (which is what is was for me). However, I did feel the story was a little predictable and repetitive at times. I would probably recommend her other books over this one, though it certainly wasn't bad.Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com

An exciting psychological thriller by author Shalini Boland.The book starts when Louisa meets Darcy and makes an instant friendship. Darcy is full of class and lives with her husband Mike and son Tyler in a world Louisa can only dream of, but they bond and a friendship is made. Louisa and her husband Jared live close by with their seven year old son Joe. Having just moved to the area everything and everyone is new so a new friend is very welcome. Times are difficult for Louisa and her family, an...

First of all, I want to thank the author for contacting me to see if I wanted to read and review her book. After I read, The Girl from the Sea, and absolutely loving it, I didn't hesitate to say yes!Although I didn't like this one as much as the other, I still enjoyed it and have become a fan of Shalini Boland. After Louisa's son begins going to a new school, she befriends one of the other mom's, Darcy. They soon become fast friends but something seems off. Its not obvious at first but then Loui...

When Louisa enrols her son at private school she feels out of place until she is taken under the wing of the glamorous Darcy. In Louisa's view, Darcy has the perfect life and everything that anyone could want. Darcy uses her money and influence to help Louisa and her Husband, but then the cracks start appearing and Louisa feels wrong-footed at every turn.Is Darcy everything she seems?This was a hard book to rate. It's a little silly and overblown. Louisa is incredibly naive and her husband is an...

If you like reading about toxic people and harmful friendships, you will love this book. The author describes the main traits of a toxic woman perfectly and also the isolation and fear felt by her victim. Besides it has a satisfying ending that will please anybody who has unfortunately been in contact with high levels of toxicity and frenemies. I read it in no time, holding my breath and exhaling in relief at the end.I strongly recommend it to those toxic people who think they can get away with

Oooo! I loved this! Very good thriller. I have begun to believe I could and would enjoy anything written by Ms. Boland. The opening (preface) states this (which grabbed my attention right away): "They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer...Wrong."Also adding: "Louisa's new friend has it all - the house, the status, the money - But she's also hiding a dark secret. And, as Louisa is drawn deeper into her friend's life, events take a chilling turn..."I'll say! Louisa's son starts

Louise having just moved to the area is delighted to make a new friend in Darcy. Over time though, like Louisa, I found myself questioning just how good a friend Darcy actually is.This is one of those stories where the build up of tension is just electrifying. I could hardly sit still as I waited for things to unfold before me. The more I got to see, the more I became to dislike Darcy and not trust her one bit. Just like Louisa, sadly though even her own husband doesn’t believe her when she star...

A gripping stand alone novel after the success of The Girl From The Sea. I couldn't put this one down and finished it in less than a day. When Louise is introduced to the stunning, successful Darcy Lane she is in awe of her beauty, her beach side home and her family. Darcy and her husband can't be more welcoming to Louise and her partner. By comparison, the Lanes have it all. Or do they...?I enjoyed the character of Louise and felt she was a well developed character. Her thoughts and actions wer...

Kid: Mom, can I spend the night at this complete stranger's house?Mom: Well...I guess it's ok. After all, she's got $500 highlights. Maybe your dad should start running with her...alone...in the evenings...for three hours. Where could it go wrong?

I love books that start off with a bang. It keeps you interested at the beginning and wanting more. And so this book by Boland (not the first time I read her, or the last) started off with Louisa, her husband and son Joe, living a great life now that Joe is in a good school. They are not rich, but comfortable and then along comes Darcy, Tyler's mom, (Tyler is in the same class as Joe). They become friends, very quickly, maybe too quickly and then things go south.Darcy and her rich friends welcom...

One of my favourite story plots is the unequal friendship. Two I have enjoyed are Harriet Lane’s Her and Joyce Maynard’s Under the Influence, and that was why I chose The Best Friend for my travelling audible. Louise’s son Joe was quite happy in his state school but his mum was concerned they weren’t teaching him how to read and write so sends him to a private school she and her husband can barely afford. At the school gates - the favourite place for mums to meet - Louise encounters the wealthy