The Favor by Nora Murphy may just be one of my favorite thrillers this year, if not ever.
It’s not that it is thought-provoking in a groundbreaking manner, nor is it anything that hasn’t been addressed before.
However, it IS an excellent look at a very real problem that is often “not talked about” and it is approached so cleverly that the reader feels the emotions of the two main characters in real time.
As always, I don’t want to give too much away. But the reader knows right from the start that Leah is in a really bad place. She is instantly sympathetic.
And as we meet McKenna, the author wisely allows the reader to assume they know what the story will be about through Leah’s actions.
Chances are, you will guess wrong about this.
The story is told in two parts, from Leah’s and McKenna’s points of view. But roughly halfway through, the author pulls a trick that is so sly that you almost miss it.
It is one of the cleverest devices I have seen in recent memory.
I keep using the word “clever” (or variations of it) because I think it covers the gamut of things that this book is.
The author is never preachy about a touchy subject and handles it with grace and enough emotion that the reader feels it but doesn’t feel overwhelmed by it.
I’m going to start talking in circles to avoid plot points, so I’m going to stop here.
But seriously, do yourself a favor and read The Favor by Nora Murphy. I guarantee you’ll find it to be amazing.
