The Fifth Letter by Nicola Moriarty
A fun vacation game turns destructive, exposing dark secrets, deeply buried grudges, and a shocking betrayal in Nicola Moriarity’s intriguing debut.
Four friends . . .
Joni, Deb, Eden, and Trina have been best friends since high school, sharing a bond that has seen them through their teenage years and into adulthood. But now, time and circumstance is starting to pull them apart as careers, husbands, and babies get in the way. As their yearly vacation becomes less of a priority—at least for three of the women—how can Joni find a way to draw the four of them back together?
Four secrets . . .
During a laughter and wine-filled night, the women dare one another to write anonymous letters, spilling their deepest, darkest secrets. But the fun game turns devastating, exposing cracks in their lives and the friendships they share. Each letter is a dark confession revealing shocking information. A troubled marriage? A substance abuse problem? A secret pregnancy? A heartbreaking diagnosis?
Five letters . . .
Late on one of their last nights together, after the other three have gone to bed, Joni notices something in the fireplace—a burnt, crumpled, nearly destroyed, sheet of paper that holds the most shattering revelation of all. It is a fifth letter—a hate-filled rant that exposes a vicious, deeply hidden grudge that has festered for decades. But who wrote it? Which one of them has seethed with resentment all these years? What should Joni do?
Best friends are supposed to keep your darkest secrets. But the revelations Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina have shared will ripple through their lives with unforeseen consequences . . . and things will never be the same.
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Author’s Bio
Nicola Moriarty lives in Sydney’s north west with her husband and two small daughters. She is the younger sister of bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and studying teaching at Macquarie University, she began to write. Now, she can’t seem to stop.
My Review
4 stars
Joni, Deb, Eden, and Trina are now in their 30’s but have been friends since an incident in school, Joni is afraid that the group is drifting apart, especially since she is the only one that doesn’t have children. Joni rely believes that if everyone writes down a secret the rest can help them work through it and bring the women closer. But a surprise letter has a confession that could break up the group.
Confessing secrets about yourself to your friends? This is definitely a recipe for disaster. I understand how Joni is trying to get the group close again but they get more than they expect when the fifth letter is discovered. Each has their own personal issues but I do feel that they could have worked through them. But that last letter has to throw a wrench in the works.
This is a great story about the secrets we keep and how they can cause us more trouble bringing them up. The story flows well and was a quick read. I do think if you are a fan of contemporary stories that you will like this one. It has enough of a twist of a mystery to make it that much more entertaining.
I received The Fifth Letter from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
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