Heather has a terminal diagnosis and wants to leave with a clear conscience. She throws herself a “farewell party” to not only say goodbye to everyone but announce that she knows who killed Simon Eyre many years ago. By doing this, is she freeing herself from guilt or putting many of her loved ones at risk? Guilty had me hooked from the beginning – I couldn’t wait to see who had killed Simon Eyre and all Heather’s friends and their connections. There were so many lies and betrayals in this book it was hard to keep up with all of them – I read this one in two days! It was a quick read and you will learn how Heather is bound together with all her friends! I had never read any of Ruby Speechley’s books – this was a good one, and I will look for more of her books! #NetGalley #RubySpeechley #BoldwoodBooks #Guilty

"You're invited to a farewell party. I've got something to tell you before I die....! Heather wants to leave this world with a clear conscience. One confession. One secret. Two scores to settle. Heather accepted the fate of her terminal diagnosis long ago, but now the time is nearing, she arranges a huge farewell party for her nearest and dearest. She wants to say goodbye to everyone personally, but there's another reason she wants the people in her life together. She knows who killed young Simon Eyre all those years ago, and she needs to tell. The boy deserves justice. But she doesn't realise that by releasing her inner demons, she's unleashing much worse secrets, and putting everyone at risk.... Heather has only months to live after receiving her terminal cancer diagnosis. With Martyn's (her boyfriend) help. Heather plans a farewell party where everyone she has known will be invited. She wants to tell them of her diagnosis and a secret that she has been keeping for decades. This story is told from Heather's point of view. At first, Heather comes across as kind and caring. She wants to unburden herself of a secret she's kept from her friends and family for the past twenty-seven years. But before the truth is revealed, more people have died. The tension and suspense builds throughout. This is a gripping and twisted read. The pace is steady. I loved this book. I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #RubySpeechley for my ARC of #Guilty in exchange for an honest review.

Heather sends out invitations to all her family members, friends, acquaintances and even her enemies as she wants to say goodbye to everyone personally. She has a secret she needs to reveal to them but she doesn’t have much time left to do it. Just as she’s about to tell them her partner Martyn persuades her not to say anything but it may be too late as she’s already getting threatening messages from an unknown number. ‘Guilty’ is the first novel I’ve read by this author and it’s one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. From the first page to around a third of the way through I couldn’t stop reading as I sobbed and got through a box of tissues, but then it seemed to lose its spark and got bogged down with family dynamics, Heather’s secret and the part her friends played in it. It’s well-written with dramatic twists and turns that had me enthralled and nicely described characters, and I can definitely recommend it. From now on I’ll be looking for more novels by this author.