About Last Night - Adele Parks

For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There's nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything.

'I need you to say that I was with you.'

Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she's desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family.

Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she's normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?

Steph and Pip – Stephanie Amstell and Phillipa Foxton when they are feeling more regal – have been friends since Steph was eight and three quarter years old. From the prologue, you get a sense of just how much Steph and Pip go together. They’ve been friends through everything – Steph’s perfect life with a wonderful husband, fantastic children and decadent lifestyle. Pip’s failed relationships and marriage, divorce and single parent stage. Enough problems along the way to ensure any friendship is tested. Steph and Pip would do anything for each other. Or would they?

I found About Last Night thoroughly entertaining and engaging from the beginning. The story is a little dark in relation to Adele’s other books but the writing remains the same – witty, charming and effervescent. The concept was so intriguing that as each plot twist revealed itself and you realised what was coming, I found myself saying ‘oh’ and ‘oooh’ and ‘oh no’ with a squirm.

About Last Night is set over five days and during this time, Steph and Pip’s friendship is tested to the limits. At one point I agreed with Pip’s actions. At other’s I didn’t. Should Steph have done this? Should Steph not have done that? I constantly asked myself when reading, ‘what would I have done?’ And what would I have done? No, not going to tell you that!

Adele has such a way of taking themes and issues that test each of her character’s morals and embellishing them with a little bit of her Parks’ magic to create a story full of personality. I really enjoyed this book and flew through it during a weekend.

About Last Night – Well, how far would you go for your best friend?

You can also read about me meeting Adele here. Many thanks to Headline for my review copy. The pleasure was mine, as always.