Author: Lucinda Berry
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A group of women from an exclusive mommy and me group gather for a night off from the responsibilities of motherhood, only for one of them to end up dead. The police don't think it was an accidental drowning and it doesn't take long for fingers to start pointing.
Brooke is despondent in the face of her friend's death, visibly too calm that she becomes suspect number one. Her wife Abby has left her for someone half her age and she's never fit in with the other moms in the group from the start. Slowly, her sanity is called into question, as is her ability to parent while she begins a downward spiral of rage and depression.
Whitney, the best friend of victim Kiersten, seems wholly dependent on her. They have been friends since Kindergarten, more like sisters, and do everything together. But when the police start digging into her talent business, things are not as rosy as they seem and Whitney has been hiding secrets, even from her best friend.
Mother of two, Jade, is also having marriage problems though she refuses to leave her husband who can't keep a job. Her life isn't what she thought it would be and she is becoming desperate as money dries up. With few options, Jade will come face to face with her mistakes and parts of her life she'd rather keep hidden.
The story takes us through the twists and turns of the police investigation into Kiersten's death, and it soon becomes clear that murder isn't the only secret these privileged women are keeping. Like a ton of bricks, the end comes barreling down at you and while some revelations aren't exactly out of nowhere, answers to questions I didn't even think were being asked are also exposed.
Keep Your Friends Close was entertaining, though I had a much better ending in mind (see below). There were so many lies uncovered, that I don't know if anyone in the West Hollywood Moms’ Club was truly innocent. Yes, some places were exaggerated and overboard, but after reviewing this book I'd still highly recommend it.
Tropes and Themes: Thriller, Affairs, Infertility, Mystery, Crime, Murder, Police
SPOILERS AHEAD
The alternate ending we deserved:
Brooke finds Colin trying to seduce Abby while she is staying at his at Whitney's home. He is convinced he has the power to change her sexuality with his charms. While they are distracted, Brooke takes her baby and scoops up Colin's one-way ticket to Costa Rica and his phone, which conveniently contains the bank instructions for the stolen $300,000.
You shouldn't ever take a baby from their mother.
Blurb
When Kiersten McCann, president of the West Hollywood Moms’ Club, turns up dead in her own pool, it quickly becomes clear this wasn’t an accident. And the party guests—all members of the exclusive club—are now key suspects in her murder.
Accusations fly, and three mothers find themselves at the center of the investigation. Whitney, Brooke, and Jade all have heavy secrets to bear…and possible motives for their friend’s murder. But as the police look closer, more secrets, betrayals, and sinister plots are revealed than the women could ever imagine.
With everything at stake, deceit threatens to shatter their illusions of the perfect life. West Hollywood will never be the same.
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