The Funeral by Helen H. Durrant

The premise was intriguing but I found it hard to feel engaged with the story as the characters were so unlikable; none were redeeming.

The ending was a cliffhanger which makes me think there may be a part 2. If not, I think an epilogue would be fantastic!

The Funeral by Helen H. Durrant is packed with tension, secrets, and a sense of creeping dread that builds with every chapter. The mysterious funeral invitation, the shocking name on the gravestone, and the unraveling of a long-buried identity all make for a truly addictive read. Who stole Alice's identiy?And why? Secrets unfold at the perfect pace, and you never quite know who to trust. An absolutely compelling psychological thriller.

Thank you Helen H. Durrant, Bookouture Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

It is best to go into this story believing anything will happen, even though it might be farfetched (and it really gets crazy!). I do believe the other title this book used to be (The Other Alice) was more fitting but it all starts at the mysterious funeral that Donna/Alice is invited to so it works okay. Now be prepared for a wild ride into the depths of a totally batty family with bipolar tendencies, secrets, outright lies, and even pigs in the backyard. Though Donna also has her share of crazy and secrets too (case in point she is on the run from a loan shark). I do like how she stood up for herself, even as other characters tried to beat her down into submission. Donna was still not someone I liked very much (I actually did not like any of the characters) and some of her decisions were quite iffy, even if it finally got her to the answers she was looking for in the other Alice that died in an "accident" and revealed even more surprising things. There are lots of twists and plot lines heading off into the totally whacky part of space and be warned that it ends with a very big cliffhanger that definitely suggests there will be a next book.

The narrator did a great job with this crazy thriller and really brought the characters to life. It kept me listening so I could see where this would end up and how many bodies would be uncovered and see who had the biggest secrets and what they would do to keep it hidden. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook for review.

Oh my days this was a ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this messy quick listen, scrap me thinking they should've stuck with the initial title but yes the funeral scene is only mentioned in the beginning then everything  starts to unravel-- as a reader I'm not too critical towards titles and taglines but some people are so it's worth mentioning-- anyway with that aside, this was such an intriguing story despite the unravelling being a tad slow for my liking I couldn't pause the audio till I found out what happens with Donna

Wasn’t sure what to expect, the summery of this book really drew me in and I wanted to see where it would take me, and it definitely took me on a twisty ride!
Some of it I felt like it dragged out a bit but overall it kept me intrigued to keep going and figure out how it would play out. It gave me some vibes of a Frieda McFadden book, who I love!
I listened on audio and the narrator was absolutely wonderful and made it easy to listen.

A tricky little psychological thriller, The Funeral is really "unputdownable"

Alice is living under an assumed name, and today- she attends a funeral and sees that very name on the deceased. Clearly someone knows that Alice is hiding, but now she is rather stuck. Taken in by the family she meets at the funeral, this book will take you on twists and turns.

A good story that keeps you on your toes!

Just wrapped up The Funeral by Helen H. Durrant and… I’m still trying to untangle how I feel about it. It kicks off with a mysterious funeral invitation that completely hooks you — who died, and why was she invited?

From there, things get unsettling fast. The vibe is tense and suspicious, especially with Hannah, the creepy daughter who had me side-eyeing every page she was on. Everyone in this story feels a bit off — no one is fully honest, and I genuinely didn’t know who to trust. That kept me reading, but also made it hard to fully connect with anyone.

It’s a solid read if you like twisty, unreliable narratives. Not a standout for me, but a decent, eerie thriller that kept me guessing.

3.5 star thriller read for me. I enjoyed the story line but the characters were all so odd it was hard to connect and like any of them. Loved the twists and turns of the book.

I find myself in limbo on how I feel about this book. Absolutely love the storyline in theory and how the book begins. Part of me wanted the invitation and funeral itself to play out more. The appeal was there but the execution lacked. Mildly seems like I you are dropped into the middle of a movie or starting on season 2 of a series. Felt it was missing details and storyline early on.

Not quite what I expected, but a fun ride!

Premise: Alice receives an anonymous invitation to a funeral and when she attends she realizes she’s the woman being buried - or, rather, the victim was living under her old (real) identity. She goes undercover with the dead woman’s acquaintances to try to figure out what on earth is going on.

From the description I expected more of a Mr & Mrs Smith anonymous assignments situation, somehow related to regularly crashing funerals… that’s not this book at all. Pick this up for:

- messy family dynamics
- found family
- the banal lives of psychopaths
- long lost secrets coming to light

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sarah Durham. She’s lovely to listen to and delivered a really dynamic, enchanting read. I highly recommend this format for the book!

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine getting an invite to a funeral and you have not idea who it is from or who died!

The protagonist is up for a whirlwind when she shows up to her own funeral! Or did she? The gravestone has her name, Alice Anderson.
She looks over at the attendees who are all well dressed and does not recognize any of them!

What is she hiding? Who knows her secrets! Get ready for a crazy ride. Thank you Bookouture for this audiobook which is out May 14, 2025. The narrator captured the characters well.

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller a relative easy listen, easy to follow audiobook that flowed well and was also well narrated. It was a bit of a slow burn however I was invested in the characters from the beginning.

We meet Donna who received an email inviting her to a funeral an email address she hasn’t used in a long time and due to her circumstances being that she in-fact is not Donna at all and is called Alice but left behind her old life for a new one she feels compelled to attend. When she gets there she doesn’t recognise anyone surely this must be some mistake then she sees the name of the deceased is her name Alice so who sent her this invitation and why?

When she is invited to attend the wake her need to know pulls at her and before she knows what has happened she finds herself taking a job in place of the deceased Alice in her new name of course as Donna for Max and his wife where Alice who had passed away had been his assistant. When she meets their daughter Hannah she soon starts to unravel some of the backstory to this home and tries to work out her place in it all….

It does keep you invested with a few other characters, twists and turns throughout that I didn’t anticipate at times some things seem obvious and you think you have it worked out then plot twist something else is added in which was well done!

With thanks and gratitude to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ELC in return for an honest review. Best wishes for publication on 14th May 2025 📚🙏🏽❤️