Arc review 🍀
The funeral by Helen H Durrant (4⭐)

This book immediately pulls you in with its intriguing premise: a woman receives a mysterious funeral invitation with no clue as to who has died. Out of fear that a long buried secret may come to light, she attends only to discover that the deceased is listed as Alice Anderson, her former identity from three years ago. Now known as Donna, she finds herself surrounded by strangers mourning a version of her she thought she had left behind. As the story unfolds, she must keep her secrets safe while unraveling who knows the truth and what they want from her.

The pace of the book was excellent ,it was very fast paced and immersive . While the plot twist wasn’t a massive shock, it was well-executed, made sense within the story, and ultimately felt satisfying to me .
I was really annoyed with Tara and Max throughout the whole book and when things where revealed it didn't make sense to me how they suddenly became normal and kind to Alice or should I say Donna anyways so that bothered me a little but I was definitely making my judgements early because the last part of the book was really satisfying and fulfilling and it tied everything together beautifully.🌸
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC 🩷🫶

Enjoyed this audio book and it had a reality good narrator.

This was a fast paced thriller with surprises in almost every chapter. You don’t know who to trust and you don’t know who the villain is until the very end.

I enjoyed the surprise event in the book and the story ended with the main character solving one mystery and getting ready to start to solve another. So there is potential for a sequel here.


I received a complimentary copy of this title and all opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I was all in for a thriller with some good twists and what I read was not thrilling and honestly not very well written either. The characters where all extremely bland and lacked common sense and any real backstory that I could understand the motivations and choices they made. Our main character The real Alice was very niave in the sense she never believed anything anyone said and assumed ahe knew more about these people she had just met. Also the twists and turns didn't make any sense and the The dynamics between characters where number one laughable and number two I felt I was apart of a soap opera with the dialoge and the constant switches in tone. Also Hannah was written. As a 23 years old but she read far more to a 15 year old with a big mouth and very little brain cells. Everyone fears this man so much and yet no one walks away or leaves and we never truly understand the motivations for the evilness we are told about and rarely see. The story as a whole was trying to hard to be a thriller with high stakes but I felt far more that it was very low stakes and for the main character until towards the end there was never any real reason she should be staying. So much of the twists and writing was to add so much tension to what we find out is more then less not as intense as first assumed ( except the murder part that made sense for the tension). I didn't connect with the writing or any of the characters snd felt they all read very young and honestly all lacking in the common sense department. Also the dialogue was very infuriating and grating and ended up more then once coming across petulant and over the top. This wasn't for me sadly and I can't recommend.

While the narration is perfect, and the premise is interesting, I just did not connect with this book. I did not develop a "relationship" or any compassion for any of the characters, least of all the protagonist.
I did love the weird stuff though. I loved the scene were Tara is tearing up Alice/Donna's desk and yelling at her and Alice is like "um I just started 5 minutes ago." Granted she was late so maybe she should have been on time, but still. It was so weird and it made me laugh a little.
I do love my weirdos and this book is all about weirdos.

Suspense like I haven't read before. A constant creeping dread. First reads by this author and won't be my last!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars (Good)
Setting: Small English setting
Genre: Psychological Thriller

The Funeral by Helen H. Durrant has a premise that grabbed me right from the start: an anonymous funeral invitation, a mysterious grave marked with the protagonist’s old name, and the chilling realization that someone knows her deepest secret. It’s an intriguing setup that promises tension, suspense, and plenty of dark twists — and in many ways, the book delivers.

The opening chapters are strong, pulling you into Alice’s world of paranoia and secrets. Durrant does a great job creating an ominous atmosphere, with the funeral scene especially vivid and unsettling. The mystery of who sent the invitation and why kept me turning pages, and there are definitely some clever reveals along the way.

However, while the plot was gripping, I found the pacing uneven. The middle of the book dragged in places, with repetitive internal monologues and some predictable moments. A few characters felt underdeveloped, and I wish their motivations had been explored more deeply. By the time the big twists arrived, they were satisfying — but they didn’t completely make up for the slower sections.

Overall, The Funeral is a solid psychological thriller with an attention-grabbing premise and moments of real tension. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it kept me entertained, and fans of twisty domestic suspense will likely enjoy the ride. #netgalley #thefuneral #booked_this_weekend

The Funeral by Helen Durrant, is the type of book that keeps you engaged every step of the way. The twists and turns kept you guessing until the end. What happened? Who did it? Why the did it? All of these are questions that stay with you throughout the book and gives you a super satisfying answer.

The narrator did a good job at keeping me immersed in the story

What would you do if you had been in deep hiding, only to be summoned via email to a funeral for your real name? Would you have gone?

In Helen H. Durrant’s The Funeral, Donna is promised that something would be given to her at Alice Anderson’s funeral, which is enough to entice her out of hiding to attend what appears to be her own funeral.

This psychological thriller has so many twists and turns that it’s impossible to figure out what will happen next. Everyone has their own moment (or 5) of crazy and often psychotic behavior. Enough to make the reader never know what happened to whom, nor when.

When everyone lies about nearly everything, it’s crazy how much truth can be unearthed, though. But will justice ever truly be done?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audio ARC!!!

Hooked from the beginning. The story immediately drew me in wanting to know what was going on and who lured her to the funeral. Very good, figured out one of the big twists but it was still an exciting ending.
The narration was pretty good, loved the accent as always.

3.5 stars

Donna receives an anonymous invitation to a funeral but is terrified because it has her old name on it. She attends the funeral to find out who sent it and why they know her real identity. As she tries to keep her secret safe, she realizes she may have planned for this moment and knows what will happen next.

Buckle up, because this audiobook is a rollercoaster of emotions! Step right into the chaotic world of our dysfunctional family, where accusations fly left and right, apologies are as rare as a unicorn, and existence acknowledgments are practically non-existent. It's a family that's hard to love and even harder to understand why anyone would want to work for them.

Our main character may come off as a tad desperate at first, but don't underestimate her. She's a force to be reckoned with, ready to dive headfirst into a new job in a strange place and cut ties with the outside world completely.

The setting is eerie and isolated. The job requires being on call 24/7 and living right where you work. Strange occurrences only add to the suspense and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot takes a sharp turn, and the true culprit is revealed, closer to home than you ever imagined. It's a fast-paced, sometimes frustrating listen, but it's dripping with murder mystery vibes from start to finish. The narrator was well chosen and engaging.

If you're a fan of twisted family dynamics, untrustworthy characters, and dark secrets clawing their way to the surface, this is the audiobook for you. So, grab a cozy blanket, settle in on a rainy day, and prepare to be hooked from the first chapter. You won't want to walk away until the very end.

Thank you, Bookouture Audio, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was an excellent psychological thriller. This was the first book I read by Helen Durrant. I liked her writing style and felt this was a creative and unique plot. I enjoyed the twists and turns.

I enjoyed the narrator. She did an excellent job changing her voice for the different characters and helped me stay engaged with the book.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

While living in hiding under an alias due to a troubled past, Alice receives an anonymous invitation to a funeral - just to find out the name of the deceased is her own.

This was a classic ‘whodunit’ story which I enjoyed, however I felt like all of the characters behavior was so odd and unnatural that I really needed to suspend reality a little bit. I really enjoyed this voice actor and the twist at the end, as well as an open ended conclusion that leaves for more of our MC’s story in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Unfortunately, I ended up not finishing this one. The synopsis really caught my attention, and I was excited to dive in, but the writing style just didn’t work for me. It felt a bit disjointed and hard to follow, which made it difficult to stay engaged. While this one wasn’t for me, I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

I've listened to several of Helen H Durrant's police series but this the the first standalone psychological thriller I have listened to by this author and it was a wild, crazy ride! The storyline is intriguing and addictive meaning I didn't want to stop listening until I'd found out what happened to Alice. Every single character seemed to be hiding something and I had several different theories which changed every time we were given another piece of the puzzle.

I really enjoyed the narration by Sarah Durham.

This story was suspenseful and entertaining. The setting and characters were interesting and the storyline had me eager to learn more. The narration was great too!

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the free ALC of this book.

This book gave me the biggest Freida McFadden vibes, which is an excellent compliment since I inhale her books like a delicious beverage. I love a bingeable popcorn thriller, and this one met its mark.

I was captivated by this story from the very beginning. Alice, who has been in hiding from her past and going by the name Donna, receives an invitation to a funeral of someone she supposedly knows. When she arrives to the funeral, she realizes the gravestone lists her real name, one not many people know. Alice (Donna) is lured into a dark and dangerous web in her quest to discover who was using her name and what is hiding under the surface.

The Funeral is full of wild twists and unhinged characters that had me racing to the end to find out what was going to happen. It’s a highly addictive read, and I highly recommend picking this one up!

🎧 The narrator did a great job, no complaints.

When I first went to leave a review after completing the audio for The Funeral by Helen H.. Durrant I had trouble locating the title and had to use the ISBN number. That is when I learned that there is alternate title and that it is also known as "The Other Alice." Personally, I think that title was much more fitting. The Funeral is a super quick, psychological thriller. The main character Alice, is living in secrecy, using a false name until she is invited to a funeral and the catch is, she doesn't know the identity of the deceased - she quickly realized that the deceased was using her name. Obviously, the person who invited her knows that Alice is not who she says she is and knows her true identity and that's where the twists begin.

I was given the privilege to listen to the audiobook, which is narrated by Sarah Durham, in advance of the release date - thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio. Of course, this is my honest review. I think Sarah Dunham does an exceptional job narrating the story, her voice fits the characters perfectly and the pacing kept you engaged.

You ever get an anonymous funeral invite and think, “Yeah, let’s see where this goes”? No? Because you have common sense? Well, not our girl. Helen H. Durrant’s “The Funeral” kicks off with Donna Slade (real name Alice Anderson, because of course it is) standing graveside, surrounded by rich strangers in designer sunglasses, realizing the woman being buried… is her. Or at least, the name on the coffin is. And she hasn’t used that name in three years.

If you’re already thinking, “That sounds like a trap,” congratulations! You are more self-aware than the protagonist.

Donna’s been hiding from a shady past involving loan sharks and desperation — but instead of running from this wildly suspicious identity mix-up, like literally any sane person would, she accepts a job from a grieving couple at the funeral, and moves into their house like she’s starring in “Behind Her Eyes,” making decisions with the emotional logic of “You,” and the survival instincts of someone who thinks “Big Little Lies” was a how-to manual.

Max and Tara Marsden, the too-perfect couple who offer her this nightmare-on-a-silver-platter job, are radiating more red flags than a Soviet parade. Their daughter Hannah has the personality stability of a shaken soda can, and the whole house feels like one extended psychological trap with throw pillows and a wine fridge. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is acting weird. And Donna’s like, “Sure, I’ll just live here and see how it goes.”

The first act has strong energy — mystery, paranoia, a very “Gone Girl” meets “The Housemaid” vibe. You’re suspicious of everyone. And it’s delicious. But once the funeral flowers start to wilt, so does the plot logic. Around the halfway mark, the pacing dips, characters start making choices that feel more “writer’s room” than real life, and the tension that was once razor-sharp gets a little frayed around the edges.

It’s not that the story falls apart — it just never quite pulls itself together. You can feel the potential for something truly mind-bending, but instead, we get an entertaining mess that never fully earns its own drama. This is one of those books where you keep turning pages, even while thinking, “Okay, but none of this would happen.” And that’s fine! But it’s also why it lands at a solid-but-not-stunning 3 stars.

That said, if you can shut down the logic center of your brain and let the identity-swapping, gaslight-the-gaslighter energy wash over you, it’s fun. Donna isn’t passive — she talks back, asks questions, and doesn’t just roll over when the creepy rich people start circling. There’s betrayal, murder, and enough moral ambiguity to fill a second grave. You might guess the twist early, but getting there still has bite.

If you’re here for realism or layered character arcs, this one’s probably not your vibe. But if you want a short, messy psychological thriller full of unreliable narrators, missing identities, and terrible decisions made in very expensive houses — “The Funeral” will absolutely scratch the itch. This is a solid 3 stars — not because the plot is airtight (it’s not), but because it’s messy, dramatic, and undeniably entertaining. And full credit to Sarah Durham, whose narration injects just the right amount of tension, suspicion, and “what the hell is happening” energy to keep things moving even when the story occasionally trips over its own twists. If the plot is a little wobbly, the performance helps hold it together.

Whodunity Award: For Least Logical Job Acceptance in the History of Fictional Employment

Appreciate the early listen, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio — nothing like a little murder mystery in my ears to kick off the day.

This audiobook wasn’t for me.

I found myself hoping there was more involved with the funeral itself. Being that the title of the book was “The Funeral”, I expected it to be the main focus. Some of the “twists” were odd and felt too hard to believe. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense but somehow it wrapped everything up.

The characters all sucked and behaved bizarrely with seemingly no explanation and the dialogue was odd.

The narrator was great, and I listened at 2x.

This book wasn’t for me despite my initial interest in the premise. I will however read/listen to more by this author.

I really liked the setup here. The concept was cool and unusual and the opening bits grabbed me straightaway. Unfortunately, things devolved rather quickly for me and I started losing the threads and was never able to regain them. It felt melodramatic and convoluted - unnecessarily so - in a way that confused me rather than intrigued me. This one wasn't a good fit for me...