The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent

 

The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent.

Published 1st February 2024 by HQ.

From the cover of the book:

Something bad happened last night. My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

But after last night, I can’t remember a thing…

***********

Molly Monroe wakes up with the mother of all hangovers the night after her work Christmas party to find a strange man in her bed... and to the news that she has gone viral as the star of a horrific, x-rated Tik-Tok Live video. The day only gets worse when she discovers that the reason she has been unable to contact her flatmate and best friend Posey, is because she has been lying dead in the bath only feet from where Molly has been hiding out in shame. 

The police believe that investigative journalist, Posey, died as the result of a tragic accident, but Molly is not convinced - especially when she finds out that her friend was digging into the murky case of a missing teenager that nobody seems to want to talk about. It is time for Molly to cast aside her own troubles and find a killer...  

The Murder After the Night Before is a fast-paced, murder mystery that touches on a host of very timely themes. Curiously, the story almost begins in rom-com country, with Molly waking to find a handsome stranger in her bed and no memory of the night before, but even though there are well-played elements of dark humour and love, this is actually a very different kind of beast.

The novel unfurls in two threads - one following the fall-out of the events of the 'night before' that have made Molly a target on social media; and the other, her quest to complete Posey's investigation and find her killer. They soon become enmeshed in a way that sends a chill up your spine, careering towards a multiple twist conclusion with more than a few surprises.

This is just the kind of story that keeps the suspense going nicely, and has you looking at all the characters with a suspicious eye, and I loved that Brent leaves you with an unsettling ending that leaves potential for an interesting sequel - even if there is perhaps a twist or two too far on the way there.

I really enjoyed the way Molly finds a sense of purpose by taking up the brand Posey leaves behind, and uses this as a way to not only deal with her long term problems, but also the impact of the way she has been taken advantage of in the present - especially the way she channels her inner journalist after too long dulling her edge with fluffy stories at pre-teen mag Girl Chat.

But what Brent does in absolute style here is to flood her story with themes about how women are treated in relationships and the workplace, and the shocking way they are pilloried on social media - delving into abuse, control, and consent to thought-provoking effect.

An entertaining read that will leave you with lots to ponder upon...

The Murder After the Night Before is available to buy now in paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

Thank you to HQ for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Katy is an author and award-winning journalist from the UK. She has worked on newspapers, magazines and websites since 2005, writing about popular culture. How To Kill Men and Get Away With It was her first novel.