The Favor by Nora Murphy
Published: May 31, 2022
Minotaur Books
Pages: 289
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Nora Murphy attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. During law school, she participated in two clinics through which she represented and studied the issues facing survivors of intimate partner violence. A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone for brief moments when the inspiration strikes. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, young son, and five rescue pets. The Favor is her first novel.
Leah and McKenna have never met, though they have parallel lives.
They don’t—ever—find themselves in the same train carriage or meet accidentally at the gym or the coffee shop.
They don’t—ever—discuss their problems and find common ground.
They don’t—ever—acknowledge to each other that although their lives have all the trappings of success, wealth and happiness, they are, in fact, trapped.
Leah understands that what’s inside a home can be far more dangerous than what’s outside. So when she notices someone else who may be starting down the same path she’s on, she pays attention. She watches over McKenna from afar. Until one night she sees more than she bargained for. Leah knows she can’t save herself, but perhaps she can save McKenna.
Leah and McKenna have never met. But they will.
“As it turned out, I’d never been so wrong about anything.”
Leah used to be a lot of things. But now she is a scared housewife with a secret. McKenna was a pediatrician who, after suffering a miscarriage, felt as though her life had fallen apart. Her husband made her quit after only a year in practice. Leah notices a pretty blond one afternoon and follows her. Little did either of them know, but their lives were about to become entangled in a deadly way.
Oof. This was a heavy read. I enjoyed how this story unfolded. And I enjoyed the main characters. There was intensity from page one, and it didn’t let up.
This story is such a tragic way of life for many people. That is what makes this body of work so good. We all know a Leah or McKenna.
While the results of this tale are fictionalized, it leads to a consequence that affords both characters a somewhat happy ending.
I enjoyed the writing style, and it is clear that Nora Murphy is an intelligent woman who has seen her fair share of devastation.
This novel will linch you in the gut and will leave you speechless. This novel will make you angry. But it will also be impossible to put down.