When this suggestion popped up from netgalley I thought it sounded intriguing so was delighted to be accepted for a copy.
Muriel lives with her friend Ruth. They have been best friends since they were small and have shared everything, even things that shouldn’t be shared. Muriel was a best selling romantic novelist but her declining health means she no longer writes and Ruth has to act as her carer. When Muriel makes a shocking announcement Ruth realises that her life will never be the same again.
This was a really compelling read that I absolutely loved. This tale of two friends was one that I thought about a long time after it had finished. There were bits where I had to go back and reread to try and see if what I thought was the case had been signposted before and often it had but equally often I was completely off track.
The Final Hours of Muriel Hinchcliffe MBE was a great portrayal of how friendship can go sour and shines a light on how many friendships are products of history and circumstance rather than desire and respect. They were two people who have been so focused on each other in an unhealthy way to the exclusion of all others that they couldn’t see anything beyond their toxic relationship.
I really enjoyed the dynamic of the story, it was told through the view point of Muriel and so it is a very one sided tale. This gives the reader a sense of how trapped she feels whilst you also get a feeling of menace hidden underneith as you know you are getting a biased tale yet can’t work out exactly who is telling the truth. I thought this was really well written novel, the story was utterley absorbing and I felt like I was a fly on the wall observing a private relationship.
The story flits backwards and forwards as the friendship starts to fracture under pressure, whilst the background that led them to this situation is gradually revealed. The ending seemed to be incredibly sad yet somehow it was fitting. It was one of those endings where you close the book (or put the kindle down in my case) and just stop and sit for a moment.
I would definitely recommend reading this.
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