Elizabeth Day's characters both fascinate and repel. Her attention to detail allows us to gain a clear picture of their entitlement and assumptions, of their extraordinarily flexible moral code - if one can even call it such.
This was a good follow up to ‘The Party' but readers do not have to be familiar with the latter to understand the former. Indeed, the author ensures that we are aware of how Ben and Martin's relationship has developed from childhood until the present day right from the outset of this novel.

One of Us is a sequel to The Party which I haven’t read and it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Day revisits the characters from the previous novel- Martin, once best friends with Ben has been ejected from Ben’s circle and now teaches at a minor university in Cambridge. Ben is the Conservative energy Secretary standing to be the next Prime Minister. After the death of Ben’s sister, Martin re enters Ben’s world and soon takes the opportunity to enact his revenge,
This was such a compelling read, I raced through it over the course of 24 hours and was completely caught up in the lives of the cast of mostly unlikeable characters. It’s fiction but it could easily be a factual representation of the lives of a group of Tory MPs and their appalling behaviour. It reminded me of the best of Jonathan Coe’s work and Day writes in the same effortless style that completely captures the details of the characters and their lives. A superbly written novel exposing the truths about the moneyed class that I would highly recommend. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Raised in a world of privilege and entitlement, Ben and Martin have been friends since they were very young. That is, until things went horribly wrong at a birthday celebration some years ago.

Martin now receives an unexpected invitation from Ben that he perrceives as an olive branch of sorts. He is unaware that the invitation did not originate from Ben.

Once apparently back in the good graces of his old friends, Martin finds that he does not quite see things in the same way. Though his sense of alienation is not in the same league as Ben's daughter Cosima, whose opposition to her parents' lifestyle is both obstinate and outspoken.

Day undertakes a forensic examination of the lifestyles and moral flaws that often result from excessive advantages of birth. If her characters aren't particularly likeable, they are nevertheless remarkably well-observed. An interesting look at contemporary society and the age old privileges taken for granted by some, this gets 3.5 stars.

‘One of Us’ is the sequel to Elizabeth Day’s ‘The Party’ but readers do not have to be familiar with the latter to understand the former. Indeed, the author ensures that we are aware of how Ben and Martin’s relationship has developed from childhood until the present day right from the outset of this novel.

Yet again, the focus is on ambitious, former public school and Oxbridge men, now with political clout, whose only desire is to increase their standing with their peers, their power and their wealth, whilst caring less than nothing about the ways in which they do so. Sounds familiar?

Ben is at the centre of this world and aiming for the top. Meanwhile, Martin, a lecturer in art history, is leading a quiet life in Cambridge until he receives an invitation to attend Ben’s sister’s funeral service. He accepts without knowing that the invitation has been sent by Serena, Ben’s long-suffering wife, to spite her husband after yet another of his unfaithful episodes.

Martin, back in the fold, but now viewing everyone and everything from a jaded perspective, begins to understand that the layers of toxicity run deep. Marriage and friendships are not as presented in the colour supplements and the generations are doing a grand job in passing down a blend of selfishness and callousness which permeates this wealthy clique. Except for one – Ben’s eldest daughter, Cosima, is determined to fight against her sheltered destiny.

Elizabeth Day’s characters both fascinate and repel. Her attention to detail allows us to gain a clear picture of their entitlement and assumptions, of their extraordinarily flexible moral code – if one can even call it such. Do the men at the centre eventually learn what really matters, what is truly of value? Possibly; only time will tell!

My thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

In spite of covering up his friend's drunken behaviour and taking the rap for the death of a young woman, Martin Gilmour has never really been accepted by the Fotzmaurice family. When they turn forty he is expelled from their privileged coterie forever. However an unexpected invite to the funeral of one of the family brings him back into their orbit and when the chance comes to wreak revenge he grabs it.

This is a fascinating novel about power and privilege and how class, even in this day and age, still holds sway. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

As soon as I received the email inviting me to read this novel, I jumped straight into it and only just come up for air! Elizabeth Day has the ability to suck me into the characters and the plot immediately and One of Us certainly didn’t disappoint. From the minute I met Martin, an art lecturer in mandatory therapy, my intrigue around his life and circumstances was piqued. This was aided by the narrative style which spoke directly to his reader. What followed is a tale of betrayal, class divides, complex relationships and all centred around potential PM Ben Fitzmaurice.

I am a big fan of plots revealed through multiple POV, and this has plenty of voices to hear. From Martin, Ben, his wife, sister and daughter, there was never a lapse in pace or drama. Although none of the characters are particularly likeable, they are all strong yet damaged and make you question whether revenge or delivering “just desserts” is ever worth pursuing in the end.

Gripping, tense, emotional and sometimes disturbing (trigger warnings needed) this was a book I literally could not put down.

Thank you to the 4th Estates Team, author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the latest Day offering and I eagerly await the next!

This was a fabulous multi perspective read featuring different characters in MP Ben Fitzmaurice’s life - his wife, his sister, his daughter, his disgraced colleague and his former university friend whom he cast out of his life around 7 years ago. This offers many viewpoints of privilege and politics and the power both afford you as well as the negative impacts relationships can have too and what that in turn can lead to. It’s quite slow going but builds up a very multifaceted picture of both Ben and the current political state of affairs. None of the characters are quite likeable and no one benefits from their actions in the way they’d anticipated at the start, nor do any of the characters improve as the book progresses which suits it’s understandably cynical approach to the political world and the acolytes seeking power.

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I loved it!! Brilliant storyline with excellent characters. I didn't realise it was a follow on from the party, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This enjoyable novel from the reliable Elizabeth Day adopts the viewpoint of several individuals each of whose lives are linked in various different ways. We meet Serena, a semi-aristocratic beauty, all too conscious that her looks are fading as she enters middle-age and unhappily married to Ben Fitzmaurice, the minister for Energy and a rising Tory star who has set his sights on Downing Street. But Ben may face trouble from Martin, a university lecturer who has recently been cancelled after being accused of racism. Martin and Ben were once close friends, to the extent that Martin once took the wrap to save Ben from criminal prosecution over a tragic accident for which Ben was, in fact, completely to blame for. Then, there is Cosima, Ben and Serena's teenaged daughter who is secretly an active member of an underground environmental movement, basically a cross between Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. Finally, there is Felicity or Fliss, Ben's sister, bohemian, somewhat troubled and often treated as an outsider by the rest of the wider, powerful wealthy Fitzmaurice family.
Elizabeth Day weaves these lives together expertly, producing a story which only proves dramatically satisfying but which satirises many aspects of British society in the 2020s.

One of Us is a gripping and intricately woven tale of power, betrayal, and the quiet destruction wrought by privilege. With the tension of a psychological thriller and the precision of a social satire, Elizabeth Day delves into the dark heart of Britain’s political elite through the lens of one family’s unravelling.

At its core is Martin, a man once on the inside, now exiled from the dazzling world of the Fitzmaurice family after a mysterious fallout at Ben Fitzmaurice’s 40th birthday. Years later, he is unexpectedly drawn back into their lives just as Ben stands on the cusp of becoming the next Prime Minister. Martin’s return isn’t just about reconciliation; it’s laced with bitterness and a thirst for truth.

The story expertly dissects the inner workings of a family built on status and secrecy. Serena, Ben’s disillusioned wife, their activist daughter Cosima, the scandal-shadowed Richard Take, and Fliss, the family’s troubled outlier whose death casts a long shadow, all bring complexity to the narrative. Day handles each perspective with nuance, showing how personal fractures mirror a broader national discontent.

What sets this book apart is its unflinching look at the cost of power and the cracks that privilege often tries to paper over. Day is a sharp observer of class, legacy, and the masks people wear in public life. The writing is controlled and elegant, building suspense slowly and deliberately until it culminates in a quiet yet impactful reckoning.

One of Us is thoughtful, layered, and compulsively readable. It questions who really holds the power in our society, and what happens when the truth finally slips through the cracks. A perfect read for fans of slow-burn drama and literary suspense with a political edge.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

One of Us is the gorgeous follow up to The Party. Elizabeth Day has done it again! She has steadily become on of my favourite authors and I can't wait for what comes next from her.

I love Elizabeth Day's books - Magpie for me was one of the best books I have ever read - that twist! And I read The Party years ago and loved it but unfortunately this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I found the pace really slow and the voice slightly grating after the first few chapters and I was willing something to happen. It definitely has Saltburn vibes though. I am sure that those who read The Party will love this follow on but I am not sure it will work as a standalone. I was so sad not to enjoy it because I think Elizabeth Day is an amazing writer - this just felt a bit lazy for me.

Thank you for the early arc.

So I requested this arc not knowing it was a follow in so for me this book wasn’t the one! I did read it to the end and I can see if you had read the previous book it could and would be a fantastic read so for that reason I’m still giving a 4 star rating.

Follow up to the chilling simmering The Party. This was Saltburn before Saltburn. Fans of Day's twists and wit will not be disappointed with this. I would read the first outing The Party before reading this as it will help it flow. Very good follow up