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Lesley Sanderson
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The Birthday Weekend: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller (Totally gripping and compelling psychological thrillers by Lesley Sanderson) Kindle Edition

by Lesley Sanderson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 709 ratings
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‘Impossible to put down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Omg, omg, omg!!!!!... Spectacular’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Absolutely amazing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I was hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old college campus, a chill runs down her spine.

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. They’ve not met as a group since. Until now.

As the party gets underway, it becomes clear her friends knew more than Louise did about what happened to Hannah. The secret she knew that could ruin someone. The bad break-up. The threatening texts she'd been receiving. Perhaps it’s time for Louise to admit to herself that maybe someone wanted Hannah gone – and that maybe that’s why Amy has brought them all back together.

When a game of truth or dare is proposed, the question arises: how far will someone go to keep their darkest secret buried?

A gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages, for fans of Gillian Flynn, Teresa Driscoll and Ruth Ware.

Readers are loving The Birthday Weekend:


‘Omg, omg, omg!!!!!... This book was spectacular. Oh my what a twisted read this was… I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. I had to know what was going to happen next before I could even eat or sleep. I just love a book that has so many juicy secrets that they are ready to explode off the pages.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this book. It was mysterious and creepy and I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. Characters were incredibly believable to me. They made the story even scarier.’ Washington Life Mag ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh how I loved this book. I love it when books are set in a holiday home or a getaway, old friends invited and secrets spilled over drinks – just great! … I read this book in two sittings, such a page turner. … This is a cracking read which I am thoroughly recommending!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An epic psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!… A complicated dynamic of friendships and secrets that will surpass the limits of your wildest imagination! Lesley Sanderson has cleverly written a remarkable suspenseful mystery where every character has something to hide… I read it all in one sitting because I just HAD to find out what happened!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Thrilling. Tense. Suspenseful. Addictive. An absolutely amazing, brilliant, fast paced stunner of a story. Another wonderful thriller from this versatile, incredibly talented author. Highly recommended’ Renita D’Silva ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. It has been difficult to predict and impossible to put down, hence writing this review currently at 3am.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A book I enjoyed from the first line all the way through… It was well set-up, and well executed. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. The ending definitely had me surprised… Sanderson has found a way to develop a thriller that is both addictive and challenges the mind as you go through the twist and turns to reach the conclusion.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This author never disappoints, very twisty and addictive.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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  1. Part of series
    Totally gripping and compelling psychological thrillers by Lesley Sanderson
  2. Print length
    222 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 18, 2020
  6. File size
    1950 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08JQF4T9Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (December 18, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 18, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1950 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 709 ratings

About the author

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Lesley Sanderson

Lesley Sanderson

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Lesley attended the Curtis Brown Creative 6 month novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017. Her debut novel The Orchid Girls (then On The Edge) was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize.

Lesley is the author of seven psychological thrillers for Bookouture and is always working on the. next one

Lesley lives in London and since leaving school librarianship to write full time spends her days writing in coffee shops. Lesley discovered Patricia Highsmith as a teenager and has been hooked on psychological thrillers ever since. When not reading or writing she enjoys running and swimming and watching thrillers on tv.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
709 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Hannah
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
They were a group of university students who became close friends!! Hannah, Louise, Amy, Kat, Daisy and Sam . Hannah and Sam fell in love and everyone was so happy for them until suddenly they broke up and Sam started dating Daisy. Hannah takes the breakup very badly. One day she goes to class and disappears!! Her body is found and the cause of death is ruled suicide.

The group breaks up, each one blaming themselves for not realizing how bad Hannah was really feeling.

One of the girls, Amy is about to have her 35th birthday and she wants all her friends to share it with her. Amy's aunt left her a cottage that was near the university they attended. ALSO near the wooded area where Hannah's body was found!! Amy decides this will be the ideal place for them to remember Hannah and try to put an end to the guilt they share.

A game of Truth or Dare will being out everyone's hidden secrets!!

This book was a "totally unputdownable thriller" and would be enjoyed by any true mystery lover.
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N. Shaw
4.0 out of 5 stars The Frenemy Weekend
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2021
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Reading Between the Wines book review #74/115 for 2021:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: The Birthday Weekend
Author: Lesley Sanderson
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on December 18, 2020!!!
Recommended to readers who like a good frenemy mystery thriller.

Sipping thoughts: This book was a quick, easy but good read. I loved the “friendship” dynamic. I liked the fact that we knew there was a secret and that everyone was not being honest about what they knew and what happened. This book gave me a little bit of Pretty Little Liar vibes. I do not think it was a stretch to guess what happened, but I was happy with the how and why. There are characters that were so unlikable that you wanted to slap them around. I definitely think you should pick this book up if you are looking for a quick thriller mystery based off of friendship, secrets, lies, and jealousy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2021
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Bought the book on a whim. Did not see the ending coming! Loved the book. Will definitely buy more from this author.
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SandyJ21
3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2020
EXCERPT: I go back downstairs. Daisy is in the kitchen with Amy. They both look startled to see me, as if I've disturbed something.

'What's up?' Daisy's posture is rigid and Amy is twisting a curl around her finger.

'You tell her,' Daisy says.

'It's Sam,' Amy says. 'He's going to be arriving much later than he said.'

'That's okay,' I say. 'We already knew that, and it doesn't really matter -'

'No, it isn't okay.' Daisy's sharp tone takes me by surprise, makes me flinch.

'Sorry.' I hold up my hands. 'Nothing to do with me.'

'It's not that,' Amy says. 'It's the reason he's late. He isn't working, like he said he was.'

'I don't understand.'

'He's at the police station.'

'Oh no.' I sit down with a bump on the hard wooden chair. Images of police cars, ambulances, a broken body flash into my mind. 'Has he had an accident?'

'He's been called in to answer some questions.' Amy looks at me as she says this, and a chill envelops my body. I know what she's going to say. Hannah. The journalist. Blackwood Forest. My mind is on fast-forward, willing her to spit it out. 'About what he was doing the day Hannah disappeared.'

ABOUT 'THE BIRTHDAY WEEKEND': Dear Louise. It’s time we all put the past behind us. We’re meeting for my birthday. I want you there. Love, Amy. X

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old university campus, a chill runs down her spine.

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. They’ve not met as a group since. Until now.

As the party gets underway and old grudges are uncovered, a game of truth or dare is proposed. It’s clear one person has questions about their friend’s death – and now they want answers. And nothing will stop them.

When everyone has buried secrets, digging for the truth is going to get dangerous.

MY THOUGHTS: Better than average, but not great.

Amy, Kat, Louise and Daisy were a tight bunch at university, along with Hannah whose death was ruled a suicide. For Louise, going to university was a big adventure. For Kat, it was the chance to escape a miserable home life. Amy had a passion for knowledge. Daisy wanted to be on stage, the star of the show. All Hannah had ever wanted was to be loved. These five gravitated towards one another and formed a tight knit group until Hannah's death. Although her death is ruled a suicide, and this suits each of them for one reason or another, none of them have ever really believed it.

The thing that I had most difficulty with was that if they were all so close, wouldn't they have turned to each other for support after Hannah's death? 'They've never met as a group since.' I find that more than odd. And they've never talked about it together? Really? That is just downright strange! Even stranger, Louise has never told her husband Theo about Hannah's death. This is a major life event! Could you just blithely sail on through the rest of your life and never mention your friend's name again? I couldn't.

Then there's a journalist who is introduced into the story and then . . . nothing. What was the point?

I guessed reasonably early on who was responsible for Hannah's death, and I was mostly right, but there was an unexpected twist to the denouement.

I mostly enjoyed The Birthday Weekend, but it doesn't measure up to the two other books I have read by this author.

The Birthday Weekend was originally to have been released as Our Little Secret but has undergone a prepublication title change.

⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheBirthdayWeekend #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Lesley attended the Curtis Brown Creative 6 month novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 The Orchid Girls (then On The Edge) was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize. (Amazon)
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Dianna M.
4.0 out of 5 stars Twists & Turns
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2020
The Birthday Weekend won't be a secret for long! At least, not if I have anything to say. It was a well put together plot with a surprising ending, revealed at just the right time. The characters were such an interesting bunch of unique and divergent personalities, I couldn't wait to hear about each one's role in Hannah's death. A game of truth or dare was a clever pretext to get each of the girls and Sam to tell the story of their last conversation with Hannah, which led to the conclusion.

Lou had to be my favorite character, seeming to be the glue that held this group together many years after university and the tragedy of their friend's death. She was a loyal friend and kept Daisy's secret until the end, even though Daisy didn't reciprocate with the same loyalty.

TBW reminded me a bit of some of Liane Moriarity's work. A compliment, if you ask me. I enjoy LM's work also and for some of the same reasons - nice plots, great characters and usually a surprise reveal at the end. I urge you to pick up The Birthday Weekend and see if you can determine the secret before the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my opinion.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, loved it
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2020
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This book was a crazy ride. Twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. So many surprises and shocks. Fantastic!!!
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Top reviews from other countries

Blue
5.0 out of 5 stars I would give a thumbs up
Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2021
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Good book to read on a rainy day
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SarahC1985
5.0 out of 5 stars What a brilliant read! Don't read at night if you plan on sleeping!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2021
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I couldn't put this down. Set over the course of one weekend, it's claustrophobic and had my nerves jangling. I had to get to the end. I could only put it down for a few hours purely to try and sleep and then I was back to it!! One of the best thrillers I've ever read and highly recommended if you like thrillers about friends with secrets to hide... Really well done Lesley. Can't wait for your next book!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in Australia on November 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
OMG. I got to chapter 10 Tuesday night and then started at 9.00pm last night but couldn't stop myself from getting to the end, hanging on every word said. 4am this morning, I finally finished reading the story. I thought I knew who did from the start, but what a twist it ended up being that I didn't expect. A MUST READ.
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Jean W
4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2023
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Really gripped to this book ,all these friends
with secrets to keep ,I never guessed the ending .
Which is a way to keep me reading and not bored
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Marianne
4.0 out of 5 stars Truth or Dare?
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a fast-paced thriller with a surprise ending. I enjoyed it.
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