My Sweet Friend by H A Leuschel

MY SWEET FRIEND

by H A Leuschel 

A stand-alone novella from the author of Manipulated Lives

A perfect friend … or a perfect impostor?

Alexa is an energetic and charismatic professional and the new member of a Parisian PR company where she quickly befriends her colleagues Rosie and Jack. She brings a much-needed breath of fresh air into the office and ambitiously throws herself into her new job and friendships. 

But is Alexa all she claims to be? 

As her life intertwines with Rosie and Jack’s, they must all decide what separates truth from fiction. Will the stories that unfold unite or divide them? Can first impressions ever be trusted?

This is a great read - short, well paced yet thought provoking and thoughtful. The two characters are intriguing and the dual narrative works well to raise the tension and drama. It has a slight literary feel to it but is equally very readable and engaging, I like the understated threat that lingers behind each line and gradually builds to something more sinister over the short course of the plot.  

I found it very refreshing to read a novella - it's great to take a break between novels and enjoy something shorter but not necessarily lighter. This novella is a great length which has allowed the author to develop two characters in enough detail to make them convincing and for the reader to respond to and engage with each of them, but also short enough to enjoy in a day or a one sitting read.

I haven't read any other books or short stories by Leuschel but I have read plenty of the reviews about her. A novella is a great way to get a flavour of an author and now I am keen to read more of the author's work. 

Leuschel is a writer who loves words, her prose is polished and thoughtful, she is able to explore real themes in enough detail to do them justice but also with enough skill to make it a thriller. My Sweet Friend is unnerving enough to leave the reader reaching for their jumper even in all this sunshine !

My thanks to Rachel and the publisher for inviting me to join the blog tour - don't miss any of the other stops on this blog blitz!