There are just so many good things I could say about this book. I absolutely tore (pun intended) through this read. Everyone needs to go read it.

I’ had read quite a few Sophie Hannah books before but this one is really weird, yet compulsive. A police officer knocks on the door of the Lamberts saying their dog is accused of biting someone. This causes the family to go on the run to ensure the dog won’t be “put down”

Not sure what to say about this book other than that you’ll either love it or dismiss it in disbelief

I am usually a big fan of Hannah's books so I was excited to start this and get stuck in. Well, my excitement ended there. I will not give details so I do not ruin this for anyone else but this is one of the weirdest books I have ever read, and not in a good way. The narration 'quirk' was silly and to be honest I thought the whole plot was. There are moments of brilliance and excitement but it was few and far between.
I did like the characters, they are quirky and likeable and they made for intriguing reading. Despite not liking this, I did find it oddly readable, I read it quickly.
It is an interesting read and will definitely divide people. Oh and I am still unclear as to what the big twist is at the end, and I read it a few times to try and get it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for an advance copy.

Well Sophie Hannah has provided us with a book which is a real novel read.

At the heart of the story are the Lamberts, whose plight is portrayed with both compassion and a critical eye. Sally Lambert's descent into considering the unthinkable is depicted as a dark yet strangely relatable journey. This really is a modern tale, where being extreme seems to be the only way to be at times. The author takes a relatively benign event and instead of actin rationally we buy into Sally's decision based on social pressure and her own out of control fears and uses this to hold a mirror up to life in 2025!

This psychological thriller is totally unlike any I have read before and I loved the author's trademark cleverness. I am still stunned that on the face of it a simple plot was at the same time complicated by the tension that pervades which is then unexpectedly relieved by tension. There is absolute absurdity in the suggestion who wrote the book.

In short this is a clever, unsettling book which when I read it without any preconceptions, delivered something quite special to this dog lover!

I was so excited to read this latest book by Sophie Hannah after really enjoying “Haven’t They Grown” but unfortunately it was not for me. I didn’t care enough about the plot or characters to get much enjoyment from it and was unengaged for the most part. I did like the relationship of the siblings and the family dynamic. I was mostly confused throughout, I thought there was a lot going on and couldn’t really keep up and I felt the majority of the dialogue within the chapters didn’t add to the plot. I found the POV’s really confusing I was never sure who’s POV I was reading from until getting into the chapter. I can appreciate how unique the storyline is. This one didn’t hit for me but I will definitely try another from this author in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, publisher (Bedford Square Publishers) and Author for this ARC!

This was a very unusual book, not quite what I expected really. But that said, it’s quite quirky and I did want to read to the end.

It’s hard to say much more other than it had an unusual premise. The main characters were not loveable, in fact I would say that the mother might have been a bit mad.

It’s a 3.5 from me- thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the strangest, quirkiest books I’ve ever read. To be perfectly honest this just isn’t one for me I found the style of writing odd and I struggled to follow the story. That’s not saying it’s a bad book I’m sure some people are going to really enjoy this, but it’s definitely a bit of a marmite book in my opinion. Told from multiple POV, much of the narrative is a written report of the thoughts of Sally Lambert as this obsessive dog mum looks to save a member of the family accused of assault. Even the family’s deceased dog has a tale to tell!

Briefly, the Gavey and the Lambert families do not get on. But things escalate when Tess Gavey says that the Lambert‘s dog Champ has bitten her. Sally doesn’t believe it for one minute, but she’s worried that the police will take Champ to have him put down so, with the help of neighbour Corrine, she persuades her family to go on the run! What ensues from there on in you can’t even begin to imagine.

Nearly all the characters in the book are bonkers, and I found the plot very complex, at times disjointed. The actual murder comes very near the end of the story and I was beginning to wonder if there was actually going to be a murder. There is a lot of dark, dry humour in the book and as a person who struggles to enjoy written humour this was probably part of my downfall. I’ve read a number of this authors other books and enjoyed them, but as I said before, this one just isn’t for me. If you enjoy dark humour with an unusual narrative then give it a go. I’ve seen a number of glowing reviews.

Having read several Sophie Hannah books before and enjoyed both her Poirot mysteries and other stories, I didn’t get to grips with this novel. It took a long time to get going and I wondered afterwards whether a few dozen pages could have made this story shorter and an easier read.
This isn’t to say it isn’t good, it is, but I expected better. The twist was a surprise and quite odd. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to guess it.
I’ll return to Sophie Hannah with her next Agatha Christie style book, but hope for a better title next time. I remain, slightly disappointed, but probably only because previous books by this writer were so good.

Honestly I’m not sure what to make of this one! It’s hard to review without giving spoilers, so sorry I can’t go into too much detail!

Things I liked :
- Slightly gripping in parts.
- One of the weirdest and most bizarre books I’ve ever read. (Not sure if this is a positive or not 😂)
- Unexpected twist

Things I didn’t like :
- Average writing. I had to skim read quite a few parts of the book because it was just utter nonsense in my opinion.
- Unlikable character names. Some of the name choices were so cringe 😬😂
- A strange POV - If you’ve read this you’ll know what I’m on about! It was just utterly ridiculous! 🙄
- I’m still unsure what the ‘Levels’ meant in the book. DM me if you’ve read it and can make any sense of this part?
- Things start to make a little bit more sense in part 2, regarding the twist. Having this at the very end of the book though in the last 10%? I think I would have preferred it if the twist was revealed much earlier on, and then had more explanation behind it in the second half. I didn’t DNF but it was such a slog to get to the end! I also found the book ended quite abruptly and didn’t feel wrapped up properly. I’m still confused now as to what actually happened in the end🙉😂

If you’re after something different and quirky you may enjoy this one! It just wasn’t for me sadly.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bedfordsq.publishers for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read and enjoyed most of Sophie Hannah’s books over the years and usually look forward to her new releases (even buy them without reading the blurb), which was what kept me going with this one, even when I found myself struggling.

I made it about three-quarters of the way through before I had to give up. The plot felt disjointed, and while I can appreciate quirky or unconventional writing styles, this one didn’t quite work for me. I found it hard to follow and struggled to stay interested, as little seemed to come together in a way that made sense.

That said, I think this is one of those “Marmite” books — I am sure many people will find it charming, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. I was determined to stick with it, even if just to find out what had actually happened, but in the end I couldn’t get there.

I feel reluctant to give it less than 3 stars, as I’ve really enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s books before, but I came away from this one feeling more frustrated than anything else.

I am still very much looking forward to what Sophie Hannah writes next — not every book will resonate with every reader, and I know this one will absolutely find its fans.

haha. when you start Sophie Hannahs books you know you will be going until its finished. because noone would do what the Lamberts have done but also noone writes books like Sophie Hannah does. she is just mesmerising in her books. her words and themes and story line are in a superb class of their own. you have to suspend everything and just dive right in.
i cant give away too much. infact anything i do say will ruin some of the deliciousness you might get when you stumbled through the pages to reach each new brilliant plot point.
but read this book. the title says it all. and there is so so so much more to come that you would never have seen coming or thought possible. but if you have read Hannah other books you will be joyous and ready for it.

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done is very accurate. No one would. The basic plot is a dog is accused of biting and the family go on the run. That’s it. The mother of the family, Sally, is completely ridiculous and therefore unsympathetic. The teenage children are great. Everyone else including dead dogs are unremarkable. I’ve enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s books in the past but not this one. Two stars - one for each teenager.

Well, that wasn't at all what I expected! I don't feel I can say much about the storyline without spoilers, but overall I found it overly long and complicated. The question mark over who the narrator was made it hard to give them a voice in my head.i like the teenage characters particularly Ree with her one liners, but Sally.....really quite irritating.
I wonder if it's just me, but i did not understand the ending AT ALL. I wouldn't recommend this book. I'm going to see the author give a talk in july so I'll be interested to see what she says!

This is a quirky book. It starts with PC Connor Chantree presenting his superior with a bundle of notes that seem to suggest that a murder has taken place. The question of the authorship and authenticity of those notes remains unresolved throughout the book – but I had some fun reading it.

Once all the pieces are put together, they reveal the Lambert’s story, a family who are on the run to protect their dog who allegedly took a bite out of Tess Gavey’s arm. Although it is a murder mystery, it is much more entertaining than scary, due to the style of narration, which is often a reflection of what is going on in Sally Lambert’s head. It is funny - even weird -but once you start living in someone else’s head, things are bound to get a bit strange. She lives all her emotions to the extreme and that comes with an expressiveness that is evocative, funny and hits the nail on the head.

I appreciated the light-handed and often original turn of phrase as well as the peculiar narrative structure, with parts of the story even told by the Lambert’s dead dog. However, it wasn’t the right book for me, it just didn’t offer quite enough to keep me interested throughout.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done is a definite departure from Sophie Hannah's other novels. It features the Lambert family, who face an impossible decision when one of their family members is accused of assault. Should they stay and face the music or run away until the truth is uncovered?

They decide to run, and what follows is an adventure and a half, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It's always great to read a different take on a murder mystery. This one wasn't my favourite but still an enjoying read.

I’m sorry, I didn’t really enjoy this book, or like any of the characters (except the two teenagers of the family). Confusing and bizarre are two descriptions of how I found this book, as well as way over the top. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dog but this fur mummy character is unbelievable. I also found the last chapter very confusing if it was meant to pull the story together and solve the mystery.

This is a strange one and I can see why it has mixed reviews! It takes a long time to get into the story and only really gets gripping towards the end.

Anyway the Lamberts are a family with a beloved dog, Champ. He is almost the star of the book because, due to their feuding neighbours the Gaveys who lodge a complaint against him saying that he has bitten their teenager daughter., Champ is now in peril.

Here begins a journey away from their home 'on the run' to escape the authorities. Sally, the mom and dog mom is beside herself, uprooting the family and her husband who is not amused. She knows 'Her Champy' is innocent. Their very rich other neighbour helps them seek refuge and off they set on a road trip away from the Gaveys.

It's far fetched and a bit bonkers. However it is also quite complicated and clever - but that bit comes later. You need to keep at it to get the payoff and because of that I have only rated it 3 stars. I did enjoy the book and read it quickly but it's a slow burner at the start. I'm glad I kept on with it and I haven't given much of the plot at all because I think everyone will interpret it differently! Was I confused? Yes!

If you love dogs this will be your bag and you will get it. I'm a cat lady but I still get it. We will do almost anything for our pets, right?!

Thanks to all for my advance copy..

I have read many Sophie Hannah books, some better than others but none as totally off the wall as this one. I did finish it although at times I wondered if I would. I think I just needed to know the outcome. It wasn't an easy read and I'm a dog lover! Once I got to the end I don't think I was any the wiser than I would have been had I given up half way through. The last chapter totally confused me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Bit of a strange read.
Dark humour and a crazy storyline.
I just didn't get it?
Not one for me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

A difficult book to describe - it definitely has a rapidly evolving plot line plus an unsettling way of making you question not only what that plot line is but who is actually narrating it. Vividly depicted characters jolly everything along with lovely moments of humour. Worth reading just for having the experience of this style of storytelling.