I’m not sure I can put my thoughts on this book into words. I found it slightly bonkers.

Sophie Hannah is undoubtedly a great writer, clever, witty and superb with words. But unfortunately I just didn’t get this one. I’m hoping it was a bit satirical, a bit tongue-in-cheek. But I found it bizarre. I didn’t like the main character Sally Lambert one bit I’m afraid and felt very little sympathy (empathy?) for her plight.

The twist in the middle with the narrator was unexpected and although it did make things click into place, I thought it felt a bit unhinged.

An easy read but I don’t know that I’d come back to it again.

Ok so this is rare for me as I enjoy allllll of Sophie’s novels for the most part however for me this didn’t really grab me ,I wasn’t invested in the characters or drawn in . I did feel for the dog lol and I did follow their plight a bit but just didn’t find it gripping or any intrigue and that was really missing throughout , Sophie does write wonderful novels full of mystery and where you ask a lot of questions and feel real feelings for her characters but this just fell flat for me.it is a good idea on the run with the dog etc but somehow it was also a tad dull and repetitive
I am sorry .i am grateful got a opportunity and i thank the publishers amd of course Louise and I promised I’d review honestly
it’s still a three star as louise never fails and it’s was moving in parts , this just wasn’t her usual heig

I think Sophie Hannah is a great author as, no matter how strange her stories are, they always keep me reading. However, I did find this one a bit too strange. I kept reading hoping it was going to make more sense, and it never really did. It is interesting and quirky and, as I said, it kept me reading, but it wasn't really for me. I definitely prefer Sophie Hannah's Poirot books.

I am at a loss to know how to start my review, or indeed what to say. It is one of the most random and bonkers books I have ever read, the fact I stuck with it and read to the end, is why I have awarded three stars rather than two.

I spent the whole book waiting for the explosive action that 'only the Lamberts would do'. Similarly, for the reason the Lamberts and the Gaveys were at war with each other, prior to the event that caused the Lamberts to do what no one else would do. The book description gives absolutely nothing away, it's definitely not the tale I was expecting. Difficult to explain my comments without dropping numerous spoilers.

Agatha Christie has never appealed to me, I've never read her books and only watched one film. I do wonder whether this is the reason for my antipathy towards this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for my draft copy in return for my honest and unbiased review

Sadly this book really did not work for me. I found this very confusing and I couldn't get into the story so everything then fell a bit flat. I would give this author another go though - reading other reviews her other books seem to be very good.

I was so late with the review because at first, I could not get in the story. I don't know if it was me, usually I love Sophie Hannah's books.At the end, I quite enjoyed it.
I'm glad I kept trying.

I’m usually a big fan of Sophie Hannah’s writing but this one missed the spot for me .
A very confusing and discombobulated read , I was hoping that it all came together at the end but I’m afraid it didn’t .
I found the story hard going and wanted to enjoy it , but I found it fell short of Hannah’s usual calibre of story telling.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers.

A masterclass in head f*ckery! I'm still not entirely sure wtf was going on and have more questions than answers. I think this would make for some very interesting book club discussion. ‘No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done’ is a bit of a change of pace for Sophie Hannah and very different from her Culver Valley crime fiction series (which I highly recommend).

Sophie Hannah is a must read for me, and that was before she took over the Poirot series and since then it’s a MUST read haha. But all her books are such well crafted and captivating stories, i highly recommend

I found this to be a well written book but very bizarre at the same time! It is a great novel with the twists and turns of a thriller. I followed the story through until I got to the end, which totally threw me and had me completely puzzled, as it went off in a completely different direction, to what I was expecting. I thought I had it all worked out!

The book uncovers just how far a family is willing to go to shield one of their own (in this case their dog Champ) and I completely get this. I may not have a dog of my own, but I deeply understand the unconditional love they give and the way they become an inseparable part of a family. I understand why the Lamberts made the choices they did, but as to how far they took it, I am not so sure! But in moments of sheer desperation, you would do whatever it takes, wouldn’t you?

It is filled with humour and great characters and definitely made you think what would you do in the same situation.

I really enjoyed the Agatha Christie inspired elements of the book. I thought that they added a lovely touch, as Sophie Hannah is the author of the Poirot novels. I loved the discussion over whether the Agatha Christie's romance novels counted as real Agatha Christie novels.

I found the book completely bonkers, but I enjoyed the storyline about the family going on the run to save Champ, although the ending left me feeling ... well, I am not quite sure! I did not have a clear ending and I finished the book questioning what did actually happen at the end? I was totally and utterly perplexed! I am pretty certain the clues are there but I did not work them out. However, maybe this is what the author was actually intending as it was certainly very puzzling. I have been left with so many questions about the ending, including what happened, who did it, and whether any of it was real at all!?!

Thank you to Bedford Square Publishers for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

EXCERPT: 'We'll laugh about this one day.' <i>That's what Mark often says, to snap me out of a fuss I'm making about nothing. Will I laugh. at some point in the future, at how horrified I was to discover Tess Gavey had typed the words 'a neighbour's Welsh Terrier' into her Snapchat box, or whatever you call it, in the hope of persuading God knows how many people to hate and blame and fear Champ?</i> Only if I'm standing over her decomposing dead body at the time - <i>that's my honest answer. No one who sees my smiley face as it trots around the village knows I'm capable of thinking anything as violent as that, and I want to keep it that way. I certainly don't want my family to know. </i>

ABOUT 'NO ONE WOULD DO WHAT THE LAMBERTS HAVE DONE': The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read?

A story about a family that does the unthinkable in order to save the life of one of its beloved members?

Both? Or something else altogether?

You'll have to read until the very last word in order to find out…

You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the policeman on the doorstep. What he says traps you in a nightmare that starts with the words, 'I'm afraid…'

Sally Lambert is also afraid, and desperate enough to consider the unthinkable. Is it really, definitely, impossible to escape from this horror? Maybe not. There's always something you can do, right?

Of course, no one would ever do this particular something – except the Lamberts, who might have to.

No one has ever gone this far. Until Sally decides that the Lamberts will…

MY THOUGHTS: <i>A novel should operate a bit like an advent calendar: you save the best and most tempting goodies until the very end, the last page - the last paragraph . . . </i>

Bonkers, but entertaining.

I suspect Sophie Hannah has written this very much 'tongue in cheek'.

I can't say a word about the plot because I am at a total loss to explain it other than bonkers, entertaining and verging on the absurd in places, as are the characters. Plus, I don't want to give anything away and I'm afraid that anything I may say will do just that.

Did I understand what was going on? Sometimes (well I thought I did), but not always. I spent more time laughing and eye-rolling than understanding. Is it necessary to understand? Probably not. Well not until the end anyway and that went completely over my head. So I just went along for the mostly enjoyable ride.

⭐⭐⭐.1

#NoOneWouldDoWhatTheLambertsHaveDone #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR - SOPHIE HANNAH writes crime fiction, contemporary psychological thrillers, self-help books and, at the request of Agatha Christie’s family and estate, the new series of Hercule Poirot novels.
She lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bedford Square Publishers via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I was sent a proof copy of No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah to read and review by NetGalley. At first I thought this was a really bizarre novel, and I suppose in a way it is! Once I got into the style of writing and the essence of the story I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and the actual premise of the story is so bonkers it couldn’t be anything but entertaining. Not what I was expecting at all, but well worth reading nonetheless.

This is a strange book in sense that it goes backwards and forwards and no one is sure who has written the book within the book.
It starts when Sally Lambert has a visit from the Police who have been told that her dog, Champ, has bitten the daughter of a family that her family are at odds with.
The story gets stranger and stranger when Sally decides to leave the village in the middle of the night with her dog with the help of another villager, Corrine. The whole family decide to come, leaving their phones and cars behind.
Meanwhile a social media viral story about Champ's innocence is building and Sally is unaware of this until her children tell her what is happening.
The story jumps narration from several people involved, some for only brief times and is a bit disconcerting at times as you're not always sure who is the narrator. Despite this I liked it a lot.

I absolutely love this book from start to finish! I always love a Sophie Hannah novel, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint! I’ve never known an author Wright such complicated plots that do make sense eventually. Bring on the next one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah in return for my honest review.
I have enjoyed reading books by Sophie Hannah previously but I’m afraid this one just wasn’t for me, I really struggled to finish as it was quite a confusing read.

This is a hard book to review. Firstly it's a book within a book. A cop purportedly finds a box containing a manuscript. It was out of order he tells his boss, but he puts it together and discovers it's about a recent tragedy in the community. One the cop and his boss thought was resolved. However, the manuscript raises a number of questions.

At its most simple, it's about two neighbouring families - the Lamberts and the Gaveys. Not even warring families, though we learn the daughters didn't get along. It kicks off with a police officer knocking on the door of the Lamberts following an accusation that the Lamberts's dog - Champ - has bitten the Gavey's daughter (Tess).

Sally Lambert comes across as an eccentric character, as devoted to Champ (and Champ's predecessor Furbert), as she is to her husband and son and daughter... well perhaps more-so. In fact, so much so that she decides to go on the run rather than risk anyone taking Champ away. I'm not a pet owner or animal lover so found it hard to relate to the extreme reaction (hence the title of the book also I guess).

What comes next is Sally dragging her family along with her despite the fact that Champ has no history of anger-issues and Sally was in fact walking Champ at the time of the alleged incident. Her husband Mark attempts to have her stay and rebut the accusations but is unable to get through to her.

We then delve into the town of Swaffham Tilney and learn a little more about its residents and their history - including the implosion of the local bookclub. Needless to say residents take sides when it comes to Champ and the accusations.

Complicating factors (which are never explained) is that the Gaveys and Lamberts moved in as neighbours around the same time (relatively recently). And... the two mothers (Sally and Lesley) had a run-in of sorts at the Lamberts's previous house when it was on the market. It meant I was waiting for some past connection that drew Lesley to the Lamberts - stalking them almost.

The resolution of this is somewhat farcical if it wasn't also tragic. It involves an online smear campaign and a confession which goes viral. And then... some of the characters get to live happily ever after.

And we return to the manuscript. We learn it's not exactly accurate and that the author hid certain facts from readers, including their own identity.

Ultimately this felt like a bit of a mish-mash of genres and ideas. There were elements I liked and others that didn't feel resolved. The level of animosity between some characters was never explained. Having said that it'll appeal to those who enjoy a twisty read and don't necessarily need complete closure.

3.5 stars.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this! It’s a unique take on the crime fiction genre.

Sally Lambert and her family go on the run to protect their dog Champ after he is accused of biting one of the neighbours.

As a dog lover and mum to two fur baby’s, I can completely understand Sally’s reaction and need to protect Champ.

The story is mainly told through a mysterious narrator in the form of a novel and although it does contain a murder, the victim is not revealed until late in the book. The main mystery is the identity of the author.

Interesting and well written.

I have never read a more confusing discombobulated book in my life I did not enjoy it at all
Thank you for giving me the arc.

This book is an example of when someone is successful in their field they should be forever grateful for that success and not fall into the trap of believing everything they do is wonderful. It was a dire and childish tale that should never have been published.

I think the word that sprung to mind when I finished reading this was smug. This book is just really pleased with itself. Personally, this didn't make for a satisfying reading experience. I persevered but the payoff just wasn't there. Unfortunately, not one for me this time.