Publication Date: October 18, 2022
In this twisty new stand-alone novel from internationally bestselling author Nicci French, a young woman agrees to do a favor for her first love—but when things go horribly wrong, one small task turns into a murder investigation that completely upends her life, ensnaring her in a deadly web of secrets and lies.
It’s a simple enough favor.
Jude hasn’t seen Liam in years, but when he shows up at her work asking for a favor, she finds she can’t refuse. All Jude has to do is pick Liam up at a country train station—without telling anyone. So what if she has to lie to her fiancé? Jude is still committed to him and their imminent wedding, even if she and Liam were in love once.
She owes him.
After the car crash that changed everything years ago, bright, ambitious Jude went to medical school, back on the path she had planned before meeting moody, artistic Liam. Meanwhile, he never fully recovered from the dark stain the accident left on his record.
Now he’s gone.
When the police show up at the station instead of Liam, Jude realizes that she knows nothing about the man he’s become. Now she’s tangled up in his life, the last person to have seen him, and maybe the only one who can uncover the truth about what went wrong—even if she destroys her own life in the process.
Eleven years ago, a drunken car crash leaves Jude with recurring migraines and an abrupt breakup with her teen boyfriend, Liam. Fast forward to the present, where a happily engaged Jude is living her dream as a doctor when a face from the past seeks her out.
Author Nicci French delivers a thrilling tale of suspense in The Favor. Unresolved feelings lead to Jude making a poor choice that threatens her chance for happiness. The dilemma she faces is set up perfectly by the author as a seemingly innocent favor.
When the police end up involved, Jude’s perfectly put-together life is shattered. Her situation serves as a cautionary tale about how small lies can snowball into bigger ones. As a character, Jude is obviously very intelligent, given her profession, but her judgment is colored by the past.
Warnings are common for people to never agree to deliver packages for others without knowing the contents. Authorities typically don’t accept ignorance as an excuse. In Jude’s case, her explanation sounds ridiculous. When all the details surface, the storyline provides an unexpected psychological twist.
As always, the writing duo behind the Nicci French pseudonym have created an edge-of-your-seat thriller that leaves readers ready for more. The Favor will leave you wondering about ulterior motives.
Nicci French is the pseudonym of English wife-and-husband team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Their acclaimed novels of psychological suspense have sold more than 16 million copies around the world.
