The Fifth Letter by Nicola Moriarty

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.




Hey! Here's my review.

It seemed like the universe was speaking to me when within a few days, two of my friends recommended that I read Nicola Moriarty. That was enough of a prompt to check out her books. I discovered that one was being released within a couple of days, so I used my handy US Audible credit to preorder the audiobook. I downloaded my copy a couple of weeks before it became available to my Aussie friends and devoured it within two days. 

I loved the Aussie setting and the relationships between the friends. I was intrigued to find out their secrets. The method of storytelling was unique - via a narrator who often slipped into the background. The majority of the story was told by one of the four friends via a confession to a minister. 

The narrator was a great match to the book. She spoke clearly and was easy to listen to. I look forward to reading from Nicola.



★★★★★

  • Where: Audible
  • Format: audiobook