The Fifth Letter

By: Nicola Moriarty

Narrated by: Candice Moll

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

A fun vacation game turns destructive, exposing dark secrets, deeply buried grudges, and a shocking betrayal in Nicola Moriarity's intriguing debut.

Four friends...

Joni, Deb, Eden, and Trina have been best friends since high school, sharing a bond that has seen them through their teenage years and into adulthood. But now time and circumstance are starting to pull them apart as careers, husbands, and babies get in the way. As their yearly vacation becomes less of a priority - at least for three of the women - how can Joni find a way to draw the four of them back together?

Four secrets...

During a laughter- and wine-filled night, the women dare one another to write anonymous letters, spilling their deepest, darkest secrets. But the fun game turns devastating, exposing cracks in their lives and the friendship they share. Each letter is a dark confession revealing shocking information. A troubled marriage? A substance abuse problem? A secret pregnancy? A heartbreaking diagnosis?

Five letters...

Late on one of their last nights together, after the other three have gone to bed, Joni notices something in the fireplace - a burnt, crumpled, nearly destroyed sheet of paper that holds the most shattering revelation of all. It is a fifth letter - a hate-filled rant that exposes a vicious, deeply hidden grudge that has festered for decades. But who wrote it? Which one of them has seethed with resentment all these years? What should Joni do?

Best friends are supposed to keep your darkest secrets. But the revelations Joni, Deb, Eden, and Trina have shared will ripple through their lives with unforeseen consequences, and things will never be the same.

©2017 Nicola Moriarty (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Oh so disappointing.

I read a LOT— 5-7 Audible/kindle selections per month. I LOVE Liane Moriarty, so was thrilled to find her sister’s book. Frankly, it is nothing. No story, no characterization, nothing. After 10 chapters, there was still no sense of who was whom. I kept on. What a boring, vapid book. So stupid and the dialogue was so lame. I only finished the book out of respect of Liane. Kept wishing there would be some redeeming quality. Nothing.

Btw, narrator’s voice was ok but the sameness of it all distracted. The voice inflection of the priest was a mistake. Should have sounded male.

Great Book about a group of friends with secrets.

What made the experience of listening to The Fifth Letter the most enjoyable?

I loved the narrator. She did a good job with all the voices. Her Aussie accent wasn't to strong it was perfect.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Joanie. She was flawed and real. I could see her in my group of friends.

What does Candice Moll bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mrs. Moll brings excitement and a great Australian accent. This book was meant to be about Australian friends and I was glad it wasn't an American narrator. Listening to Candice Moll made it feel authentic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!!! I was walking around the grocery store with my ear buds in. I didn't want it to end. I wanted these girls to be my group of friends.

Any additional comments?

Great character development. Very easy read. The book kept me guessing all throughout. I can't wait to read more from this author. I hope audible will acquire her books soon.

Torn

I'm torn in how to rate this book. There were parts that were very entertaining ... And parts that seemed more juvenile. If you're looking for a light breezy story, then this book is for you. I never really connected to the characters but maybe that's just a "me" thing. :)

Keeps you guessing until the end.

The narrator was great! She was able to put voices on individual characters. Nicola Moriarty writes in a similar fashion as her sister, Liane Moriarty. Both have a way of keeping a reader wanting more.

Started off good...

Any additional comments?

This book started off good and the throughout kept my attention however the end completely fell apart for me; did not like the ending.

Hooked from the beginning

I was hooked from the start of this book. I didn't like the main character Joni at first...was not rooting for her. But by the end I felt for her and desperately wanted things to work out for her. This story took twists I didn't see coming. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. All I can say is the Moriarty women know how to write fantastic stories.

Such mixed reviews...but I liked it!

This was a nice change from my normal murder/mystery genre. The story was entertaining and when it got a little...high schoolish, the narrator's beautiful performance carried my right through it. I liked the way the story moved seamlessly between past and present, leaving me wanting more of both! Glad I didn't listen to the poor reviews. It was worth a credit!

Annoying!

This book was annoying from the very first page, especially the main character, Joni. The story, the characters, nothing was convincing, I felt no emotional connection to anything in this book. I kept waiting for the reveal of the fifth letter hoping it would save the book....not so much. The only scene that held my interest was the dinner party, finally a little excitement. I listened to the whole book in its entirety, just because I can't stand wasting anything and I PAID for this book. Please save your hard earned cash and don't waste it on this one. Two thumbs down.

easy read, funny with a dash of intensity

Any additional comments?

This was a quick, easy read that was light and funny with some heavy issues thrown in for measure. It was insightful and interesting and dealt heavily with lies and how they affect us and our relationships with other people. I listened to the audible version and I think I would have preferred to read it instead. The narrator wasn’t horrible but it was difficult at times to follow the story because the transition between some scenes and voices was often unrecognizable. All around enjoyable though and I would recommend it under the category of some light beach reading.

Entertaining light read

Good story. Easy listen. Not outstanding, but kept my interest. A nice wholesome story. Sometimes need a break from intense books, or too much sex and graphic images. Worth the the time if you are looking for an interesting wholesome story.