With a premise that instantly intrigues—an anonymous funeral invitation, a hidden identity, and a powerful secret—The Funeral (The Other Alice) starts off strong. Helen H. Durrant crafts a compelling setup that had me turning pages quickly in the beginning. As the story unfolded, the pacing slowed a bit and the twists became less grounded, but the atmosphere of mystery and tension held steady. I especially enjoyed the dramatic family dynamics and the theme of reinvention. A good pick for fans of psychological thrillers who appreciate layered secrets and a slow-burn unraveling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ARC.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I kept thinking, “It’s going to be her!” and while I was partially right, the twists kept me guessing. I couldn’t stop reading until I had all the answers. The ending was satisfying, and I’d absolutely read more from this author!

There’s lots of intrigue - who exactly is Alice Anderson, who sent the email invite and why? The timing of events seems a little unrealistic/out of whack but storyline keeps drawing the reader in.
The narration of the audiobook, done by Sarah Durham, is clear, well paced and very easy to listen to.
Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this ARC.

This book felt that it started with a lot of questions, why would you turn up to a funeral if you are trying to hide. Once I got about halfway through it and got around all the questions had about how it wasn't a realistic physiological thriller I did enjoyed the story. When I read psychological thriller, I enjoy not having to see too many holes or have too many questions about the story, so this tripped me a up a little. I enjoyed Sarah Durhams narration on this book, and she helped keep me interested. I feel as though I would've stopped if I hadn't been listening to this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance audiobook copy of The Funeral by Helen H Durrant from netgalley.

I enjoyed the narration of The Funeral. Easy to follow and understand.

The Funeral is a twisty thriller, you may have figured out. But you won't be able to guess the ending.

Every single character is suspicious and acts oddly. It's impossible to know who to believe. It's even harder to figure out why they are doing the things they do. And is anyone really safe?
I enjoyed the weirdness of this book, though you must suspend disbelief at some of the choices that people are making to get past the beginning of the book. I definitely feel it was worth sticking through to the end, what a ride in between.

thank you NetGalley, the author Helen H. Durrant, and Bookoture Audio for my ARC of this audiobook.

An anonymous funeral invitation...a stolen name...an unturndownable job offer...a dramatic wealthy family with lots of secrets...what could go wrong? With this premise I was immediately drawn in. The tension was building and I was fully invested. But then things kind of took a turn and the pace slowed and the storyline became, well even more out there. Nevertheless, this was a fun tale of intrigue with twists and turns...just nothing shocking or over the top. It is worth a read for fans of psychological thrillers. The narrator (the author's daughter) did a good job with expression and the full cast of characters. It's always enjoyable to me to listen to the British accent, so I'm in!
Thanks to NetGalley and Audible Audio for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

I liked this but didn't absolutely love it. There were times that I was scratching my head trying to figure out how I got to where I was because it didn't feel like I should be there. It seemed like it just sort of blended together too quickly. It was also a bit hard to wrap my head around why the main character did what she did right from the start.
All that said, the writing is very good. The characters are strong characters, and the mystery/thriller stuff was good. There were twists and turns and the ending wasn't bad.
I did get the chance to listen to the audiobook of this book, and I liked it. The narrators are very good and bring a bit of life to the story.

This very well narrated psychological thriller has an unbelievable plot set in a leafy village in affluent Cheshire, England, and has a cast of unpleasant people with few redeeming features. The plot moves along quickly with so many ridiculous events that I had to stay with it in order to discover the outcome. But the ending, although solving one mystery, raises at least another two, which was slightly unsatisfactory. I shall probably not be tempted to read any sequel.

The Funeral is a solid, serviceable crime novel with a compelling premise and a few well-placed twists. Helen Durrant knows how to build suspense, and the opening pages hook you quickly.

That said, the pacing feels uneven, and some character arcs don’t quite land. The plot delivers, but the emotional depth is a bit thin, which makes it hard to fully connect with the stakes. It’s a decent read if you’re after a quick, gritty mystery, but it doesn’t quite rise above the pack.

A middle-of-the-road thriller—reliable, but not especially memorable.

3.5/5 ⭐️- Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC copy of ‘The Funeral’ by Helen H. Durrant. Holy dysfunctional family. The psychological mind games were intense! Honestly, if I were in Donna’s shoes, I would’ve bolted and never looked back. I found myself constantly wondering why she chose to stay in that house with such unsettling people.

As an audiobook, it was an enjoyable listen. The narrator delivered a solid performance and kept me engaged. I appreciated the suspense and the mystery around who the true “villain” was—it definitely kept me guessing.

That said, parts of the plot felt a bit far-fetched and somewhat predictable, which is why I’m giving it 3.5 stars. While the ending did tie up most of the loose ends, I was left wanting more insight into the characters’ motivations. Their behavior and treatment of one another were never fully explained, and that lack of depth detracted from the overall impact for me.

I found the way the story unfolded in this one interesting. There’s a lot of unlikeable characters. It was easy to point fingers at the whole family that Donna works for. Their behavior and gaslighting is all questionable. And who actually killed Alice? And who really was Alice? Donna knew working for Max and Tara was the way to figure out the truth about Alice, but how dangerous was it to do so?

I enjoyed listening to this one. It was such a quick listen I finished it in one day.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copies of this book.

Alice receives an invitation to a funeral. She doesn't know who has died or why she has been invited but her curiosity gets the better of her.
As she looks down on the coffin she stares at her name on the plaque. It can't be coincidence that she's there.

Next thing she is at the wake. Hanging with the rich in a beautiful house. Trying to put together pieces. Next thing she is being offered Alice's old life. Her job and the chance to get out her dingy room share and live in this house. Stepping into the dead Alice's shoe's will give her a chance to find out what happened to the woman. But is she putting herself at risk by doing so.

Loved this book. Yes there is a hint of Hannibal towards the end. And i loved the way that the story was wrapped up but it also gave the potential of a follow up book. The narrator had a voice that was engaging and easy to listen to.

I normally just can get straight into books by this author and totally escape into the story. At the beginning I struggled a little engaging with the story and had to stop and start a little About half way through I was in and then fully engaged with the story and had to keep listening.

I really enjoyed this book! The twists just kept coming and I ran through this one so fast to see what would happen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my ARC. This book was a solid 3.5 ⭐️. The timeline was a bit too rushed for me, which made everything seem unrealistic. I think it might have been more relatable or believable if there would have been more relationship development between the characters and a significant increase in the time Donna/Alice was at the home before all the craziness started happening.

Despite the above, the book still had me hooked, wanting to know what was going to happen next. I liked the storyline and trying to figure out where it would all lead!!

Well this was a pretty gripping book! Wasn't sure how it was going to go to be honest but once I got into it I couldn't put it down! Some of the twists and turns I didn't see coming which is always a green flag in this type of book! My main frustration was that while I really got to like the main character, I felt she was a little naïve and overly trusting at times, but I guess she doesn't know she's the main character in a book so isn't looking for what could go wrong like me. With that ending... I really hope there'll be another book as I would love to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for letting me read this treat of a book!

A very implausible story but nonetheless I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version. I guessed the ending which made me very proud! But I did enjoy it.

Imagine getting an invitation to your own funeral! When Donna receives an invitation to a funeral, she is stunned to discover that the funeral is for none other than her own true identity. Hell bent on solving this mystery, she begins her own investigation and she knows it starts with getting close to the family this mystery woman worked for.

The story immediately draws you in, and started with a great premises. Although I did enjoy the story, it didn’t keep the momentum through the entirety of the book. I am still interested in more from this author. Great narration in the audiobook. Overall an enjoyable story that is worth the read!

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was an excellent choice for this one, perfect with the voices and portraying emotions. I read a lot and rarely am I surprised by twists but this one got me! Highly recommend and I will definitely be looking for more by this author.