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Dead Lovely #1
Dead Lovely
Krissie and Sarah had been best friends since they were children. But cracks start to appear when Sarah and her husband Kyle who have been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby and Krissie accidentally becomes pregnant following a drug-fuelled dalliance in a Tenerife toilet cubicle. Then one night friendship turns to betrayal, and to murder.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
12 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Helen Fitzgerald
20 books345 followersHelen FitzGerald is the second youngest of thirteen children. She grew up in the small town of Kilmore, Victoria, Australia, and studied English and History at the University of Melbourne. Via India and London, Helen came to Glasgow University where she completed a Diploma and Masters in Social Work. She works part time as a criminal justice social worker in Glasgow. She's married to screenwriter Sergio Casci, and they have two children.
Follow her on twitter @fitzhelen
Follow her on twitter @fitzhelen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
July 30, 2019
I loved this so much! I had discovered this book on Amazon and as I was in the process of adding it to my shopping cart I stumbled across it in my new favourite library on a rainy, cosy Friday evening. I started it on that same friday night and was up bright and early on Saturday morning to finish it - so invested in the characters was I.
Krissie and Sarah are best friends and have been for a very long time. One bone of contention however is that Sarah has always wanted to have a baby, and she and her husband Kyle have been trying for a long time. At the same time, Krissie finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with someone she meets in Tenerife. Sarah is devastated, considering Krissie doesn't seem to be responsible in the slightest, and would rather be downstairs in her neighbour's house jamming away and getting drunk than looking after her child. It is only when Krissie suggests that they all go on holiday together to mend their rift does she slowly come round. But does Sarah have a darker agenda? And Krissie and Kyle have also always been close, having lived together during university, and one night, boundaries are crossed, and murder is committed. Will any of them last the holiday?
This was such a fun read. I loved the characters, and although it was sort of chick-lit genre, it was also full of humour, drama, noir and crime too! I am eagerly on the hunt for another of Helen's books!
Krissie and Sarah are best friends and have been for a very long time. One bone of contention however is that Sarah has always wanted to have a baby, and she and her husband Kyle have been trying for a long time. At the same time, Krissie finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with someone she meets in Tenerife. Sarah is devastated, considering Krissie doesn't seem to be responsible in the slightest, and would rather be downstairs in her neighbour's house jamming away and getting drunk than looking after her child. It is only when Krissie suggests that they all go on holiday together to mend their rift does she slowly come round. But does Sarah have a darker agenda? And Krissie and Kyle have also always been close, having lived together during university, and one night, boundaries are crossed, and murder is committed. Will any of them last the holiday?
This was such a fun read. I loved the characters, and although it was sort of chick-lit genre, it was also full of humour, drama, noir and crime too! I am eagerly on the hunt for another of Helen's books!
July 19, 2009
This is a beautifully written book, which started out tremendously well, but which ultimately lost its way for me. I was completely gripped by the set up, and stayed with it right until the fated camping trip. But then it all started falling apart. Unfortunately, I didn't believe a word of the final sequence of the book, and it seemed to me that all the characters had had personality transplants. But the prose itself is exquisite, so I would look to the next book with hope...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2013
My first encounter with Helen Fitzgerald was a group read of The Devil’s Staircase for the Goodreads Kindle English Mystery Club. I thought it one of the most unusual mysteries I’ve read. Everything that happened was totally unexpected but perfectly in character.The book could be subtitled Bridget Jones Meets Fred West. So I read Helen Fitzgerald’s Bloody Women (the plural is in fact a kind of clue) which was almost equally dotty but not quite as much fun. And then my copy of the British paperback of her debut novel Dead Lovely arrived a couple of days ago and I found it unputdownable. Do read the first page on Amazon.co.uk. Yes, the rest of the book is almost equally outrageous and funny. Dead Lovely is drop dead funny!
The bizarre occurs constantly but logically follows from the nature of the characters, whom I found totally off the wall but completely believable. But Krissie the part time narrator should have paid more attention as a Roman Catholic schoolgirl in her religion classes. She’s obsessed with guilt for “murdering” her best friend
Sarah. An appropriately formed traditional Roman Catholic conscience (any offers for mine?) would easily have absolved her of any guilt for killing Sarah—it’s a clear case of innocent self-defence. (Of course Sarah found Krissie committing adultery with her husband Kyle, but that’s a different sin.) And knowing it wasn’t murder would have stopped her from doing something silly like trying to hide her body. If you find yourself accidentally killing somebody—or even deliberately killing somebody if it might look like an accident—fall all over yourself assisting the police in their enquiries. Having read Alex Marwood’s The Wicked Girls and Tana French’s Broken Harbour, I’m sure that the police and the prosecution will still try to stitch you up for a murder, but you’ll look a lot better to the jury.
Though I loved the book, I award only four stars because the conclusion involves an awkwardly introduced back story which is necessary to explain psychological make-up of Krissie and Sarah but which feels like an add on. And the ending seemed rushed and arbitrary. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope Helen Fitzgerald will find lots of readers this side of the pond.
The bizarre occurs constantly but logically follows from the nature of the characters, whom I found totally off the wall but completely believable. But Krissie the part time narrator should have paid more attention as a Roman Catholic schoolgirl in her religion classes. She’s obsessed with guilt for “murdering” her best friend
Sarah. An appropriately formed traditional Roman Catholic conscience (any offers for mine?) would easily have absolved her of any guilt for killing Sarah—it’s a clear case of innocent self-defence. (Of course Sarah found Krissie committing adultery with her husband Kyle, but that’s a different sin.) And knowing it wasn’t murder would have stopped her from doing something silly like trying to hide her body. If you find yourself accidentally killing somebody—or even deliberately killing somebody if it might look like an accident—fall all over yourself assisting the police in their enquiries. Having read Alex Marwood’s The Wicked Girls and Tana French’s Broken Harbour, I’m sure that the police and the prosecution will still try to stitch you up for a murder, but you’ll look a lot better to the jury.
Though I loved the book, I award only four stars because the conclusion involves an awkwardly introduced back story which is necessary to explain psychological make-up of Krissie and Sarah but which feels like an add on. And the ending seemed rushed and arbitrary. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope Helen Fitzgerald will find lots of readers this side of the pond.
March 1, 2010
I like soccer/football and books about soccer/football like Fever Pitch or The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick. And here is another one which I can recommend to all football fans. For instance page 144:
“We ate steak pie and the like and started watching Germany v. England on the telly. It was an extremely important qualifying match, and the place was filled with an equal number of Germans and Scots, and a few Aussies and English. When England scored, there was light applause and the Germans looked bewildered. This was Britain. Why was the place not erupting? Then the Germans scored and the place exploded. Bloody Scotland, I thought to myself, the alcohol having touched a less jolly part of my thinking. “What the hell are we doing in a country that derives its only pleasure from the failure of its neighbors?”
Well, I can remember that match (Wembley, 22 August 2007). I watched it on telly in a pub in Linz/Austria. It was an extremely important qualifying match, and the place was filled with an equal number of Aussies (=Austrians) English and some Poles. When England scored they gave me a beer out of pity, laughed at me and had the time of their life. When Germany scored they told me there was no beer for me anymore, and I felt slightly out of place. When Germany scored to the final “2:1” the Aussies beat me and broke my legs, the English began a fight with the Austrians (probably they thought they were Germans) and the Poles took my wallet.
Ok. Sorry. Nothing of that really did happen (except the 2:1, of course). And the quote is the only reference to soccer/football in this book. But it is still worth reading. Can you imagine a book that begins like a Kinsella-novel and ends like a thriller by Stephen King? No, you can’t. Read “Deal Lovely” and you can.
“We ate steak pie and the like and started watching Germany v. England on the telly. It was an extremely important qualifying match, and the place was filled with an equal number of Germans and Scots, and a few Aussies and English. When England scored, there was light applause and the Germans looked bewildered. This was Britain. Why was the place not erupting? Then the Germans scored and the place exploded. Bloody Scotland, I thought to myself, the alcohol having touched a less jolly part of my thinking. “What the hell are we doing in a country that derives its only pleasure from the failure of its neighbors?”
Well, I can remember that match (Wembley, 22 August 2007). I watched it on telly in a pub in Linz/Austria. It was an extremely important qualifying match, and the place was filled with an equal number of Aussies (=Austrians) English and some Poles. When England scored they gave me a beer out of pity, laughed at me and had the time of their life. When Germany scored they told me there was no beer for me anymore, and I felt slightly out of place. When Germany scored to the final “2:1” the Aussies beat me and broke my legs, the English began a fight with the Austrians (probably they thought they were Germans) and the Poles took my wallet.
Ok. Sorry. Nothing of that really did happen (except the 2:1, of course). And the quote is the only reference to soccer/football in this book. But it is still worth reading. Can you imagine a book that begins like a Kinsella-novel and ends like a thriller by Stephen King? No, you can’t. Read “Deal Lovely” and you can.
February 2, 2020
This book is amazing. It’s been a long time since I finished a book in hours and this is one I finished in 6 hours. I couldn’t put it down. It’s twisted. Dark. Fast paced. Got the heart pacing. Holding my breathe throughout. Parts made me absolutely angry and sick! I loved how gripped I was by the book but hated the characters, all of them! Mixed feelings. Wound me up. But I loved it! Not read a book that made me feel like that for a long time…
Krissies character where do I start? She is a horrible mother and person. Raa. She should know better especially with the job she has. Parts had me raging at what she did. As a mother myself I know how hard it is and all about post-natal depression but my god she just didn’t care did she? That poor child. She really needed a wake up call and I think she got that towards the end.. I didn’t agree with anything she did throughout the book. Then…
Sarahs character. Hmm. Another psycho. Not much of a best friend really is she? Jealousy is a horrible thing. She got what was coming to her in the end. Parts made me feel sick. Throughout the story I just kept thinking about that poor child.
It has to be five stars from me. I mean it’s brilliant. Devoured it. Enjoyed it. Highly recommend. Amazing. Brilliantly written. Easily readable in one sitting. I’ve been telling everyone about this book!
Krissies character where do I start? She is a horrible mother and person. Raa. She should know better especially with the job she has. Parts had me raging at what she did. As a mother myself I know how hard it is and all about post-natal depression but my god she just didn’t care did she? That poor child. She really needed a wake up call and I think she got that towards the end.. I didn’t agree with anything she did throughout the book. Then…
Sarahs character. Hmm. Another psycho. Not much of a best friend really is she? Jealousy is a horrible thing. She got what was coming to her in the end. Parts made me feel sick. Throughout the story I just kept thinking about that poor child.
It has to be five stars from me. I mean it’s brilliant. Devoured it. Enjoyed it. Highly recommend. Amazing. Brilliantly written. Easily readable in one sitting. I’ve been telling everyone about this book!
February 23, 2019
Helaas viel dit boek tegen. Ook vind ik het geen thriller, ondanks dat er wat doden vallen. Er wordt een hele aanloop genomen voor er echt wat gebeurt. Op zich is een beetje inleiding noodzakelijk, om de personages te leren kennen. Toch duurde dat voor mijn gevoel te lang. Wat erna gebeurt is redelijk ongeloofwaardig. Ook vond ik geen van de personages echt interessant. Jammer, ik had meer van het boek verwacht.
August 3, 2022
4 sterren- Nederlandse paperback
Recensie volgt later.
Recensie volgt later.
July 16, 2010
This book must have the greatest opening page ever written. Its not the type of opening page that will be quoted in the classics, but an opening page where the main character has just fellated the husband of her best friend whilst she is in the same tent and then hides her body certainly gets your attention.
The book is mainly a black comedy - but a very, very dark one, where peadophillia, adultery, single parenthood, drugs, alcohol are all the punch lines.
In the main female character - and from her actions on the first page - she is less than sympathetic - which is a bit unusual in fiction.
So - the story - wild woman gets pregnant in an Ibiza night club, her best friend has been trying for a baby with her husband who used to share a flat with wild child. Tensions mount. Wild child doesnt take to parenthood - the ill fated hike along the west highland way is where things get out of control.
There is a lot of backstory about the friends relationship and another flat mate from university is in jail for a crime that is relavant to the story. Ultimately, this is a comedy and its all secondry to Fitzgeralds yarning skills.
A very promising debut and she does seem to have a high output, so I will be reading others.
The book is mainly a black comedy - but a very, very dark one, where peadophillia, adultery, single parenthood, drugs, alcohol are all the punch lines.
In the main female character - and from her actions on the first page - she is less than sympathetic - which is a bit unusual in fiction.
So - the story - wild woman gets pregnant in an Ibiza night club, her best friend has been trying for a baby with her husband who used to share a flat with wild child. Tensions mount. Wild child doesnt take to parenthood - the ill fated hike along the west highland way is where things get out of control.
There is a lot of backstory about the friends relationship and another flat mate from university is in jail for a crime that is relavant to the story. Ultimately, this is a comedy and its all secondry to Fitzgeralds yarning skills.
A very promising debut and she does seem to have a high output, so I will be reading others.
March 13, 2015
I received this yesterday and was just going to read the first page or chapter and then leave it (because I have a lot of other books on my priority list at the moment). But it has such a clever opening chapter, so shockingly full of promise, that I couldn't let go. I finished it in two sittings (interrupted by the need to sleep and get the children ready for school). A strong, original voice, even though the main characters act in infuriating ways at times. There are many uncomfortable themes addressed here (child protection, adultery, abuse and graphic violence), albeit with an offbeat humour which is at times wonderfully apposite, and at other times just slightly inappropriate.
A wild ride of a book, quite different to the later books I've read by this author.
A wild ride of a book, quite different to the later books I've read by this author.
January 29, 2012
Once I picked this up, I couldn't stop reading until I was finished – I even cooked my dinner and brushed my teeth one-handed so I could keep reading. The plot is twisty and great, although it loses a star for pandering to stereotypes in the conclusion. Still, I'll certainly be reading more from Helen Fitzgerald.
October 14, 2017
I read this in one day. This is how good Helen writes....she can keep you in the story, wanting to finish.
April 27, 2016
Witty, thrilling. Great beginning. Love this author's writing style. This story descended into farce, becoming a tad unbelievable towards the end, I thought.
August 7, 2021
Goed verhaal, maar soms best wreed en minder spannend dan ik had gehoopt.
April 7, 2017
Finished it quite fast. It was entertaining. A bit over the top, but that made it more entertaining and I think this book needed it.
August 29, 2013
Time taken to read - 2 days
Publisher - Faber and Faber
Blurb from Goodreads
Krissie and Sarah had been best friends since they were children. But cracks start to appear when Sarah and her husband Kyle who have been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby and Krissie accidentally becomes pregnant following a drug-fuelled dalliance in a Tenerife toilet cubicle. Then one night friendship turns to betrayal, and to murder.
My Review
The book starts with Krissie and an admission of adultery with her best friends husband and the murder of her best friend Sarah. How is that for an opening first page! The story then bounces back to when Krissie, our main character, finds out she is pregnant and it is Sarah who helps her through it. This leads to an opening on Sarah's story and her husband who is also Krissie's friend of old. we get a background on their relationships then back to what is happening and reverting back to relevant history. Sarah has problems conceiving which leads to issues with her husband Kyle and they are all dealing with issues. They decide to go on a camping trip together, which is where the story starts initially and then goes back to a chunk of the book later, where everything takes a dark turn.
This could be one of the most bizarre books I have read or at least up in the top ten. It starts off with dark humour, a build up of their friendship and all the carry on in between. It then just takes a crazy turn where it stretches the imagination to be believable, body excretions are involved in a graphic and stomach turning way and everything goes crazy.
You can't help but keep going as you want to know where the story will end up, I honestly couldn't see where this was going to go. It is incredibly crazy, over the top with it's madness although only after the camping trip really as before that it was just a story laying foundation between the characters. I have an author event in Waterstones which is why I bought this book to see the way the author writes. As this is her first book I can't wait to see how her writing has progressed and what the new book is like. This one I would say if you don't go for a tale that goes a bit over the realms of believability with mentions of body excretions and are easily offended avoid this one. Sex is mentioned a few times throughout and again I can't stress enough about body fluids also there is a pedophile story branched in as well, just an fyi. I am not sure how her other novels compare but this one I feel is a 3/5, certainly for the bulk of the story.
Publisher - Faber and Faber
Blurb from Goodreads
Krissie and Sarah had been best friends since they were children. But cracks start to appear when Sarah and her husband Kyle who have been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby and Krissie accidentally becomes pregnant following a drug-fuelled dalliance in a Tenerife toilet cubicle. Then one night friendship turns to betrayal, and to murder.
My Review
The book starts with Krissie and an admission of adultery with her best friends husband and the murder of her best friend Sarah. How is that for an opening first page! The story then bounces back to when Krissie, our main character, finds out she is pregnant and it is Sarah who helps her through it. This leads to an opening on Sarah's story and her husband who is also Krissie's friend of old. we get a background on their relationships then back to what is happening and reverting back to relevant history. Sarah has problems conceiving which leads to issues with her husband Kyle and they are all dealing with issues. They decide to go on a camping trip together, which is where the story starts initially and then goes back to a chunk of the book later, where everything takes a dark turn.
This could be one of the most bizarre books I have read or at least up in the top ten. It starts off with dark humour, a build up of their friendship and all the carry on in between. It then just takes a crazy turn where it stretches the imagination to be believable, body excretions are involved in a graphic and stomach turning way and everything goes crazy.
You can't help but keep going as you want to know where the story will end up, I honestly couldn't see where this was going to go. It is incredibly crazy, over the top with it's madness although only after the camping trip really as before that it was just a story laying foundation between the characters. I have an author event in Waterstones which is why I bought this book to see the way the author writes. As this is her first book I can't wait to see how her writing has progressed and what the new book is like. This one I would say if you don't go for a tale that goes a bit over the realms of believability with mentions of body excretions and are easily offended avoid this one. Sex is mentioned a few times throughout and again I can't stress enough about body fluids also there is a pedophile story branched in as well, just an fyi. I am not sure how her other novels compare but this one I feel is a 3/5, certainly for the bulk of the story.
November 3, 2022
Setting: Scotland, UK.
Krissie Donald has been best friends with Sarah since they were six years old - but they couldn't be more different. While Sarah has settled into married life with her G.P. husband Kyle, Krissie has a more prosaic approach to relationships, which are transient to say the least. Sarah has been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for some time - so is not best pleased when Krissie falls pregnant as a result of a drunken encounter on a foreign holiday.
After giving birth to her son, Robbie, social worker Krissie finds herself struggling as a single parent and starts to see parenting from a different point of view, now finding herself in the same place as many of the parents who she reports on. With Robbie constantly crying and Krissie diagnosed as suffering from post-natal depression, she jumps at the opportunity to go on a camping holiday in the Highlands with Sarah and Kyle. But the holiday exacerbates the strain in Kyle and Sarah's marriage and leads to sexual tension between Kyle and Krissie - with unexpected and violent consequences....
This was a quick read - read it in about a day - but with several themes running through it, including child abuse. At times it read like a dark comedy but none of the characters were particularly likeable. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it overall although a bit bemused by the ending as far as Sarah was concerned - 8.5/10.
Krissie Donald has been best friends with Sarah since they were six years old - but they couldn't be more different. While Sarah has settled into married life with her G.P. husband Kyle, Krissie has a more prosaic approach to relationships, which are transient to say the least. Sarah has been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for some time - so is not best pleased when Krissie falls pregnant as a result of a drunken encounter on a foreign holiday.
After giving birth to her son, Robbie, social worker Krissie finds herself struggling as a single parent and starts to see parenting from a different point of view, now finding herself in the same place as many of the parents who she reports on. With Robbie constantly crying and Krissie diagnosed as suffering from post-natal depression, she jumps at the opportunity to go on a camping holiday in the Highlands with Sarah and Kyle. But the holiday exacerbates the strain in Kyle and Sarah's marriage and leads to sexual tension between Kyle and Krissie - with unexpected and violent consequences....
This was a quick read - read it in about a day - but with several themes running through it, including child abuse. At times it read like a dark comedy but none of the characters were particularly likeable. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it overall although a bit bemused by the ending as far as Sarah was concerned - 8.5/10.
January 25, 2010
Okay. I read this book in just a little over two hours because I. simply. could. not. stop.
This morning, my colleague Stefan told me about the books he read during the last couple of days. He mentioned two, and then ended with, "And there's one I really need to give to you... oh, we have a proof copy here." And he handed me this book.
I was a bit sceptical at first, because the blurb didn't exactly inspire courage, but he is trustworthy when it comes to good books (especially books I wouldn't normally read), so I started reading it during my break. And then while waiting for the bus. And then while in the bus, sitting in a bad spot for reading because there hardly was any light. And then I finished the damn thing in one go. It's that good.
It's not an easy book to describe, because it starts out very differently from what it finally turns out to be - there are so many twists and turns and I was left breathless. It starts out with a love triangle - Krissie and Sarah are best friends. Sarah is trying to get pregnant, but for some reason she can't, and her marriage to Kyle (who also happens to be a very good friend of Krissie) suffers from that. The three of them then go on a camping trip together, and that camping trip changes things. Oh boy, does it ever change things.
This was really a very cool read, and I can't wait to check out the rest of Stefan's recommendations.
This morning, my colleague Stefan told me about the books he read during the last couple of days. He mentioned two, and then ended with, "And there's one I really need to give to you... oh, we have a proof copy here." And he handed me this book.
I was a bit sceptical at first, because the blurb didn't exactly inspire courage, but he is trustworthy when it comes to good books (especially books I wouldn't normally read), so I started reading it during my break. And then while waiting for the bus. And then while in the bus, sitting in a bad spot for reading because there hardly was any light. And then I finished the damn thing in one go. It's that good.
It's not an easy book to describe, because it starts out very differently from what it finally turns out to be - there are so many twists and turns and I was left breathless. It starts out with a love triangle - Krissie and Sarah are best friends. Sarah is trying to get pregnant, but for some reason she can't, and her marriage to Kyle (who also happens to be a very good friend of Krissie) suffers from that. The three of them then go on a camping trip together, and that camping trip changes things. Oh boy, does it ever change things.
This was really a very cool read, and I can't wait to check out the rest of Stefan's recommendations.
February 5, 2015
This book went from unbelievably boring for the first 150 pages and then things started picking up and got some crazy going on. I was not expecting the craziness this book had in parts. When I say crazy...I really mean "gross" crazy to "what the what" crazy.
I can pretty much handle reading all sorts of crazy and rather enjoy it but when we got the "poop" crazy....that was way too much for me!! NASTY!!! I know it is part of life but I don't care to read about it and I really don't care for that scene where it was "used" as revenge!! NO NO NO!!!!!!
This book overall for me was 2.5 stars. The ending justified the 2 stars! Not much else to say! I hope others like it more than I did.
July 20, 2017
A three star rating is actually quite generous as only one person really enjoyed this debut novel. The blurb on the back and the quotes on the front promised much more than it delivered. We were expecting a hilarious black comedy but we thought that some of the themes (child abuse, child being removed by Social Services) didn't lend themselves to a supposedly comic treatment. Most of us just couldn't get involved with the characters at all, which led us to ponder how some authors can interest you in even the horrible characters, and other authors don't quite manage it. The events became more and more unbelievable as it got nearer the end, and the ending itself was a bit too neatly tied up. We tried to imagine the same story written by e.g. Diane Chamberlain or Jodi Picoult. ' Bridget Jones's Diary' with murder and mayhem but without the laughs.
August 13, 2016
Hemel.. Het begon lekker, las vlotjes en was veelbelovend. Maar eens de actie begon, begonnen ook mijn tenen te krommen. Wat slécht. Hele personages veranderen compleet van karakter, het ene moment is A de grote liefde, het andere B, er wordt nog even een hele geschiedenis aan incest opgerakeld in amper 2 pagina's waar dan ook nog de titel op gebaseerd blijkt te zijn en pfff, ik zou zo graag meer zeggen maar dan geef ik spoilers. Hoe dan ook, je leest beter de spoilers dan het volledige boek, geloof me. De tweede ster is voor de vlot lezende eerste helft waarin ik de schrijfster nog wilde vergeven dat haar verhaal rammelde, tot het uit elkaar viel van belachelijkheden.
December 24, 2012
Tracked down Dead Lovely by Helen Fitzgerald after attending a session at the Melbourne Writer's Festival that featured her. The book is described as a crime thriller and it was absolutely amazing. There were lots of laugh out loud moments. If you're a girl I'd recommend a panty liner if you're in public because you will come close to pissing your pants laughing.
I found out that Dead Lovely is the beginning of a series and I'm so wrapped. Can't wait to see more of this character and her adventures. Can't recommend this book enough. Loved it and will be reading anything Fitzgerald writes.
I found out that Dead Lovely is the beginning of a series and I'm so wrapped. Can't wait to see more of this character and her adventures. Can't recommend this book enough. Loved it and will be reading anything Fitzgerald writes.
November 25, 2013
Amazing... It caught me in the first page and lured me to keep reading!! Just as you hit a dull sentence you are uplifted with something enticing. An excellent, well written thriller.
You can love and hate the main character and sympathise with the psycho star of the book. The back story was just enough to gain some insight but not so much that it bores you to death. The story itself is a twist in itself and I loved it so much I shared it with my fiancé who couldn't put it back down either.
You can love and hate the main character and sympathise with the psycho star of the book. The back story was just enough to gain some insight but not so much that it bores you to death. The story itself is a twist in itself and I loved it so much I shared it with my fiancé who couldn't put it back down either.
July 23, 2015
I loved this psycho-thriller-esque story. It must be painful to imagine that, had it come out around now, it would have been likened to Girl On A Train and Gone Girl. And probably made into a movie.
It's a gripping read of a likeable gal, Krissie and her annoyingly perfect best friend Sarah. But things aren't as they seem (are they ever?) and gradually the past is revealed alongside the present storyline's wild ride!
It's a gripping read of a likeable gal, Krissie and her annoyingly perfect best friend Sarah. But things aren't as they seem (are they ever?) and gradually the past is revealed alongside the present storyline's wild ride!
December 9, 2018
It was a great book, full of twists and suspense.
I read it in 4 days, because i just couldn't put the book down, it had some very intense parts all along with a very dark humour.
I didn't know this author so i gave it a search on google and find out that this was her first novel and also her most successful book to date.
I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good mystery book.
I read it in 4 days, because i just couldn't put the book down, it had some very intense parts all along with a very dark humour.
I didn't know this author so i gave it a search on google and find out that this was her first novel and also her most successful book to date.
I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good mystery book.
August 24, 2014
What a brilliant first page - seriously,. this book nails it on page 1 and the rest doesn't disappoint either. A really different voice & refreshingly crass & funny in a way that makes u feel bad.for being amused but u can't help it. The characters are wholly awful people but u gotta like them!
March 21, 2017
I thought this book was ok & I wanted to finish it to find out what happened but I thought that it was a bit over the top with it's madness. But an easy read.
April 2, 2024
I have a complicated history with this book. When I was a teenager I happened to randomly find it in a library thinking it was a YA novel and despite the simplistic prose, I wasn't quite prepared for all the sex and murder in it. But certain lines of it haunted me for years:
"I felt like an alien was sucking on my tit."
"When Marco answered the door, she said, 'I haven't got my tambourine, can I rattle something of yours?'"
"You're the worst mother I've ever known, AND you're a whore!"
Love it or hate it, Helen Fitzgerald knows how to write lines that are memorable - I managed to track this book down after over a decade just from recalling some of these.
Anyway, the novel is about two women, Krissie and Sarah. Krissie is a bit of a slut, it can't be denied. Social worker by day and irresponsible party girl by night, Krissie has no interest in settling down in her twenties until she accidentally ends up pregnant from a fling in a toilet cubicle in Tenerife. (Classy. Her other sexual escapades include some random guy in she met while hiking, her best friend's husband, and as a schoolgirl she used to regularly let boys shove their tongues in her mouth or more.) Meanwhile, Sarah is a neurotic control freak from a trouble background who incorrectly thinks life will all be okay if she marries a "good man" and has a baby, but her inability to do so results in her becoming obsessive, emotionally abusive and mentally unstable.
What better way to resolve all these problems than a camping trip? Anything else, really.
The thing with this book is that it's fun to read, but also frustrating, because all the characters act like idiots. Krissie is a terrible parent - she may have postnatal depression but she has no idea how to raise a child, has to rely on her retired parents for help and can't seem to control her base urges for five minutes. The third act of the book only happens because Krissie didn't think to check on and she withholds this information for way too long. Dr. Kyle is a doormat ground down by years of emotional abuse from Sarah, yet he won't leave Sarah for...reasons. Cost sunk fallacy, I guess? Instead he starts lusting over Krissie because she's easygoing and sexually adventurous. What could go possibly wrong? Sarah meanwhile is driven crazy by her inability to conceive but instead of getting therapy she just doubles down on being a raging bitch even though she knows she's only making her husband more reluctant to have sex with her. We also have Chas, a mutual friend of theirs who claims to be madly in love with Krissie, who doesn't give a shit about Chas and mostly sees him as her silly little pal. The idea that anybody could fall madly in love with someone as dumb and self-absorbed as Krissie is kind of laughable in of itself tbh.
I will say that all this is a great firestorm for mind-fuckery and the build-up of growing resentments and rage between the characters is believable, and Fitzgerald also throws in some comedy with Krissie's boredom at dealing with the insufferable women in her prenatal classes, and the confrontation between Sarah and Krissie is genuinely thrilling with all the heartbreak of best friends betraying each other...
Unfortunately, once , the book goes off the rails and goes from a slightly basic thriller to something increasingly ridiculous. We have one character going on this rage-driven bender over everyone who ever wronged her, another's life falling apart because of her inability to take responsibility for her actions and then the author throws in this child abuse/grooming storyline that felt like it was more there for shock value and because the author needed to pad out the wordcount. The climax of this book was deeply unsatisfying,
I'm glad to finally know how this book ends after so long of it being a vague memory, but god, what a stupid ending. Also this might seem a bit nitpicky, but why is the title "Dead Lovely"? It takes like two thirds of the book to get to anybody dying and none of the characters are lovely alive and dying doesn't improve them in that regard.
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
"I felt like an alien was sucking on my tit."
"When Marco answered the door, she said, 'I haven't got my tambourine, can I rattle something of yours?'"
"You're the worst mother I've ever known, AND you're a whore!"
Love it or hate it, Helen Fitzgerald knows how to write lines that are memorable - I managed to track this book down after over a decade just from recalling some of these.
Anyway, the novel is about two women, Krissie and Sarah. Krissie is a bit of a slut, it can't be denied. Social worker by day and irresponsible party girl by night, Krissie has no interest in settling down in her twenties until she accidentally ends up pregnant from a fling in a toilet cubicle in Tenerife. (Classy. Her other sexual escapades include some random guy in she met while hiking, her best friend's husband, and as a schoolgirl she used to regularly let boys shove their tongues in her mouth or more.) Meanwhile, Sarah is a neurotic control freak from a trouble background who incorrectly thinks life will all be okay if she marries a "good man" and has a baby, but her inability to do so results in her becoming obsessive, emotionally abusive and mentally unstable.
What better way to resolve all these problems than a camping trip? Anything else, really.
The thing with this book is that it's fun to read, but also frustrating, because all the characters act like idiots. Krissie is a terrible parent - she may have postnatal depression but she has no idea how to raise a child, has to rely on her retired parents for help and can't seem to control her base urges for five minutes. The third act of the book only happens because Krissie didn't think to check on and she withholds this information for way too long. Dr. Kyle is a doormat ground down by years of emotional abuse from Sarah, yet he won't leave Sarah for...reasons. Cost sunk fallacy, I guess? Instead he starts lusting over Krissie because she's easygoing and sexually adventurous. What could go possibly wrong? Sarah meanwhile is driven crazy by her inability to conceive but instead of getting therapy she just doubles down on being a raging bitch even though she knows she's only making her husband more reluctant to have sex with her. We also have Chas, a mutual friend of theirs who claims to be madly in love with Krissie, who doesn't give a shit about Chas and mostly sees him as her silly little pal. The idea that anybody could fall madly in love with someone as dumb and self-absorbed as Krissie is kind of laughable in of itself tbh.
I will say that all this is a great firestorm for mind-fuckery and the build-up of growing resentments and rage between the characters is believable, and Fitzgerald also throws in some comedy with Krissie's boredom at dealing with the insufferable women in her prenatal classes, and the confrontation between Sarah and Krissie is genuinely thrilling with all the heartbreak of best friends betraying each other...
Unfortunately, once , the book goes off the rails and goes from a slightly basic thriller to something increasingly ridiculous. We have one character going on this rage-driven bender over everyone who ever wronged her, another's life falling apart because of her inability to take responsibility for her actions and then the author throws in this child abuse/grooming storyline that felt like it was more there for shock value and because the author needed to pad out the wordcount. The climax of this book was deeply unsatisfying,
I'm glad to finally know how this book ends after so long of it being a vague memory, but god, what a stupid ending. Also this might seem a bit nitpicky, but why is the title "Dead Lovely"? It takes like two thirds of the book to get to anybody dying and none of the characters are lovely alive and dying doesn't improve them in that regard.
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
August 14, 2025
Krissie und Sarah sind seit ihrer Kindheit beste Freunde. Ihre Freundschaft ist für die Ewigkeit gemacht. Oder zumindest bis zu dem Ausflug in die schottischen Highlands, bei dem Krissie zuerst mit Sarahs Mann schläft, ihre Freundin dann eine Klippe hinunterstürzt und sie anschließend in einem Graben versteckt.
Die beiden Frauen könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein. Wo Sarah perfekt ist, ist Krissie schlampig. Der einen gelingt alles, der anderen nichts. Trotzdem halten sie zusammen und so kümmert sich Sarah rührend um die Freundin, als sie an postnataler Depression leidet. Ihr Mann Kyle und sie nehmen sie auf den West Highland Way mit, damit Krissie wieder zu sich selbst finden kann.
Helen Fitzgerald lässt alle Protagonisten erzählen. Ihre Geschichten klingen sehr unterschiedlich und genau das macht Furchtbar lieb so interessant. Es ist kein gewöhnlicher Krimi, sondern einer der mit viel Humor erzählt wird. Aber nicht nur das: durch die unterschiedlichen Blickwinkel wird die Geschichte erst richtig rund. Jeder Erzähler für sich malt ein schwarzweißes Bild und die anderen ergänzen die vielen Schattierungen dazwischen. Dabei stellt sich heraus dass nichts so ist, wie es scheint.
Langsam kommt ein ernster Unterton dazu und man muss aufpassen, um die ersten Töne nicht zu verpassen. Allmählich schlägt die Stimmung um. Je länger die Geschichte dauert, desto mehr hinterfragt man die Dinge, die man am Anfang gelesen hat. Der Spagat zwischen humorvoll und ernst ist der Autorin sehr gut gelungen. Ich habe nichts gefunden, was ich an dem Buch aussetzen könnte.
Die beiden Frauen könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein. Wo Sarah perfekt ist, ist Krissie schlampig. Der einen gelingt alles, der anderen nichts. Trotzdem halten sie zusammen und so kümmert sich Sarah rührend um die Freundin, als sie an postnataler Depression leidet. Ihr Mann Kyle und sie nehmen sie auf den West Highland Way mit, damit Krissie wieder zu sich selbst finden kann.
Helen Fitzgerald lässt alle Protagonisten erzählen. Ihre Geschichten klingen sehr unterschiedlich und genau das macht Furchtbar lieb so interessant. Es ist kein gewöhnlicher Krimi, sondern einer der mit viel Humor erzählt wird. Aber nicht nur das: durch die unterschiedlichen Blickwinkel wird die Geschichte erst richtig rund. Jeder Erzähler für sich malt ein schwarzweißes Bild und die anderen ergänzen die vielen Schattierungen dazwischen. Dabei stellt sich heraus dass nichts so ist, wie es scheint.
Langsam kommt ein ernster Unterton dazu und man muss aufpassen, um die ersten Töne nicht zu verpassen. Allmählich schlägt die Stimmung um. Je länger die Geschichte dauert, desto mehr hinterfragt man die Dinge, die man am Anfang gelesen hat. Der Spagat zwischen humorvoll und ernst ist der Autorin sehr gut gelungen. Ich habe nichts gefunden, was ich an dem Buch aussetzen könnte.
December 21, 2020
Hat meine Erwartungen nicht erfüllt
Der Klappentext hörte sich so viel versprechend an. Drei Tage Wandern. Zwei Frauen wie Tag und Nacht. Ein Mord, der alles auf den Kopf stellt.
Bitterböse und clever, so stellte ich mir dieses Buch vor.
Nun habe ich es fertig und warte immer noch darauf, dass sich bei mir das Staunen einstellt. Schlecht geschrieben ist das Buch zwar nicht; trotzdem wird´s von mir keinen Lobgesang auf Helen Fitzgeralds ersten Roman geben.
Mein größtes Problem war wohl, dass mir die Hauptperson Krissie so unsympathisch und fremd ist. Sich völlig von Drogen benebelt auf einer versifften Toilette auf Teneriffa schwängern zu lassen liegt (zum Glück) eben nicht in meinem Erfahrungsbereich.
Als Krissie dann im Laufe der Geschichte ihr Leben immer mehr vermasselt und dabei auch noch komplett ungescholten daraus hervorgeht, schreit bei mir der Gerechtigkeitssinn gequält auf!
Kurzum: Die Charaktere lernen nichts bzw. entwickeln sich nicht und die Story ist zwar komplex und hat einige überraschende Wendungen, aber leider keinen roten Faden.
Wer auf ein schnelles Buch für Zwischendurch Lust hat, bei dem es um (Mutter-)Liebe, Beziehungen und Mord geht, der greife zu. Alle anderen: Lieber nicht lesen!
PS: Die Hörbuch-Vertonung war sehr gut umgesetzt von Britta Steffenhagen!
Der Klappentext hörte sich so viel versprechend an. Drei Tage Wandern. Zwei Frauen wie Tag und Nacht. Ein Mord, der alles auf den Kopf stellt.
Bitterböse und clever, so stellte ich mir dieses Buch vor.
Nun habe ich es fertig und warte immer noch darauf, dass sich bei mir das Staunen einstellt. Schlecht geschrieben ist das Buch zwar nicht; trotzdem wird´s von mir keinen Lobgesang auf Helen Fitzgeralds ersten Roman geben.
Mein größtes Problem war wohl, dass mir die Hauptperson Krissie so unsympathisch und fremd ist. Sich völlig von Drogen benebelt auf einer versifften Toilette auf Teneriffa schwängern zu lassen liegt (zum Glück) eben nicht in meinem Erfahrungsbereich.
Als Krissie dann im Laufe der Geschichte ihr Leben immer mehr vermasselt und dabei auch noch komplett ungescholten daraus hervorgeht, schreit bei mir der Gerechtigkeitssinn gequält auf!
Kurzum: Die Charaktere lernen nichts bzw. entwickeln sich nicht und die Story ist zwar komplex und hat einige überraschende Wendungen, aber leider keinen roten Faden.
Wer auf ein schnelles Buch für Zwischendurch Lust hat, bei dem es um (Mutter-)Liebe, Beziehungen und Mord geht, der greife zu. Alle anderen: Lieber nicht lesen!
PS: Die Hörbuch-Vertonung war sehr gut umgesetzt von Britta Steffenhagen!
November 30, 2022
Dieses Buch war der "Rollercoaster", eine absolute Achterbahn der Ereignisse und voll mit Plottwists.
Die Figuren sind teils sehr unsympathisch - vor allem die Männer wirken alle etwas oberflächlich. Krissie ist eine interessante Protagonistin, da sie zwar Sozialarbeiterin ist, die sich auf Kinder in problematischen Familien spezialisiert hat, doch ihrem eigenen Kind überhaupt keine gute Mutter ist. Ihren inneren Konflikt, den man im Lauf der Geschichte mitverfolgt fand ich wirklich spannend.
Spannend ist auch die Handlung an sich, jedoch ist dieses Buch nichts für folgende Personengruppen:
- Menschen, die gerne beim Lesen essen
- Personen, die nur ungerne Sexszenen lesen
- Menschen, die schnell etwas eklig finden und zu Übelkeit neigen
An einigen Stellen ist "Furchtbar lieb" echt etwas "over the top" - doch genau das macht die Geschichte interessant. Wenn man im Bezug auf schockierende und eklige Szenen bereits abgehärtet ist, kann man es durchaus mal lesen.
Die Figuren sind teils sehr unsympathisch - vor allem die Männer wirken alle etwas oberflächlich. Krissie ist eine interessante Protagonistin, da sie zwar Sozialarbeiterin ist, die sich auf Kinder in problematischen Familien spezialisiert hat, doch ihrem eigenen Kind überhaupt keine gute Mutter ist. Ihren inneren Konflikt, den man im Lauf der Geschichte mitverfolgt fand ich wirklich spannend.
Spannend ist auch die Handlung an sich, jedoch ist dieses Buch nichts für folgende Personengruppen:
- Menschen, die gerne beim Lesen essen
- Personen, die nur ungerne Sexszenen lesen
- Menschen, die schnell etwas eklig finden und zu Übelkeit neigen
An einigen Stellen ist "Furchtbar lieb" echt etwas "over the top" - doch genau das macht die Geschichte interessant. Wenn man im Bezug auf schockierende und eklige Szenen bereits abgehärtet ist, kann man es durchaus mal lesen.
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