The Best Friend
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Narrated by:
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Katie Villa
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Written by:
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Shalini Boland
About this listen
"I can tell we’re going to be the best of friends...."
When Louisa Sullivan takes her little boy to his first playdate at a new friend’s house, she doesn’t realize life is about to change for her family. Because she’s about to meet Darcy Lane.
Darcy is a woman who has everything—a dream house, a powerful husband, and enviable wealth.
She’s the perfect wife.
The perfect friend.
The perfect liar.
From the top 10 best-selling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this utterly gripping psychological thriller will have you up all night. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and The Wife Between Us, this book is for you.
©2022 Shalini Boland (P)2022 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.You may also enjoy...
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The Daughter-in-Law
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From the moment I meet my new mother-in-law in her beautiful country house, she makes it clear I’m not welcome. Lilian Fletcher hates me for marrying her precious boy on a golden beach far away from her. Starting our marriage living in the Fletchers’ family home is a nightmare. Then I discover Seb was married before and his first wife is dead. I wonder why the man I love didn’t tell me the truth. And I wonder what happened to her: the woman who came before me. How did she die?
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A Great Story
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The Millionaire's Wife
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When Anna Blackwell opens an email from an unknown sender, the shocking image attached shatters her perfect world. A woman has been killed. And Anna knows who did it. The past is catching up with her. Is it her turn next? To protect herself and her husband, Will, she must tell him the terrible truth about her first love. But as the secrets of her life unravel, Anna begins to realize that she is not the only one who has been living a lie.
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Wow…. Amazing
- By AFH on 2023-04-04
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The Family Holiday
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- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
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The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find something that shatters everything.... Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded, but I’d recognize him anywhere. The man is my husband.
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What a Suspenseful story!!!
- By AFH on 2023-08-09
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The Secret Mother
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- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
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Story
"Are you my mummy?" Tessa Markham returns home to find a child in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children. Not anymore. She doesn’t know who the little boy is or how he got there. After contacting the police, Tessa is suspected of taking the mystery child. Her whole life is turned upside down. And then her husband reveals a secret of his own. Tessa isn’t sure what to believe or who to trust. Because someone is lying. To find out who, she must confront her painful past. But is the truth more dangerous than Tessa realises?
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Great story but...
- By M. Khan on 2021-12-05
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The Wife
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It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Zoe was sitting in her hotel room, in her perfect white dress, looking forward to the moment when she would make kind, handsome Toby her husband. Then, there was a blank. They said she must have fainted, overcome with emotion. But nothing felt quite right afterward. Did something happen in that missing time?
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Love love love!
- By Susan on 2024-06-27
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Other Daughter
- Written by: Shalini Boland
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- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
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Story
Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink, plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare. Holly is taken by a stranger and never found. Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter.
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Another Good Shalani Boland!
- By Clare on 2021-02-14
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Daughter-in-Law
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
From the moment I meet my new mother-in-law in her beautiful country house, she makes it clear I’m not welcome. Lilian Fletcher hates me for marrying her precious boy on a golden beach far away from her. Starting our marriage living in the Fletchers’ family home is a nightmare. Then I discover Seb was married before and his first wife is dead. I wonder why the man I love didn’t tell me the truth. And I wonder what happened to her: the woman who came before me. How did she die?
-
-
A Great Story
- By AFH on 2023-06-14
Written by: Shalini Boland
-
The Millionaire's Wife
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Anna Blackwell opens an email from an unknown sender, the shocking image attached shatters her perfect world. A woman has been killed. And Anna knows who did it. The past is catching up with her. Is it her turn next? To protect herself and her husband, Will, she must tell him the terrible truth about her first love. But as the secrets of her life unravel, Anna begins to realize that she is not the only one who has been living a lie.
-
-
Wow…. Amazing
- By AFH on 2023-04-04
Written by: Shalini Boland
-
The Family Holiday
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find something that shatters everything.... Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded, but I’d recognize him anywhere. The man is my husband.
-
-
What a Suspenseful story!!!
- By AFH on 2023-08-09
Written by: Shalini Boland
-
The Secret Mother
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Are you my mummy?" Tessa Markham returns home to find a child in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children. Not anymore. She doesn’t know who the little boy is or how he got there. After contacting the police, Tessa is suspected of taking the mystery child. Her whole life is turned upside down. And then her husband reveals a secret of his own. Tessa isn’t sure what to believe or who to trust. Because someone is lying. To find out who, she must confront her painful past. But is the truth more dangerous than Tessa realises?
-
-
Great story but...
- By M. Khan on 2021-12-05
Written by: Shalini Boland
-
The Wife
- An Unputdownable Psychological Thriller with a Breathtaking Twist
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Zoe was sitting in her hotel room, in her perfect white dress, looking forward to the moment when she would make kind, handsome Toby her husband. Then, there was a blank. They said she must have fainted, overcome with emotion. But nothing felt quite right afterward. Did something happen in that missing time?
-
-
Love love love!
- By Susan on 2024-06-27
Written by: Shalini Boland
-
The Other Daughter
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink, plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare. Holly is taken by a stranger and never found. Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter.
-
-
Another Good Shalani Boland!
- By Clare on 2021-02-14
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Perfect Family
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Gemma Ballantine is getting ready for work one morning when her eldest child comes running down the stairs saying the words every mother dreads. The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl. After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law, Diane, finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over. But then her perfect family starts to fall apart....
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WOW!
- By Chelsea on 2022-12-02
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Girl from the Sea
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Mia James is washed up on a beautiful, sun-drenched beach, she has no idea who she is or what happened to her. She doesn’t even recognize her own face–until her boyfriend, Piers, comes forward, providing her with an identity. Piers is handsome and attentive, Mia’s home is huge and stylish, and her friends are eager to help her fill in the blanks. As Mia steps into the perfect life she was living before her accident, she should feel lucky to be alive. But she struggles to adjust, lost for words around people she is meant to know and love, grasping for clues about who she is.
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Dragged on a wee bit
- By Andrea Casemore on 2024-08-10
Written by: Shalini Boland
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My Little Girl
- A Totally Gripping Psychological Thriller Full of Shocking Twists
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seven-year-old Beatrice has gone missing. Her mother Claire’s whole world has been turned upside down in just one moment, and she can’t stop shaking. She’s desperate to find her precious daughter, but nothing about the day she disappeared makes sense.
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The New Wife
- A Totally Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist You Won't See Coming
- Written by: Sue Watson
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
My darling son, Sam, is marrying his childhood sweetheart, and I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s grown into. Walking out on his abusive father all those years ago was the best thing I ever did. And today he stands, tall and handsome, saying "I do" to my dream daughter-in-law. If I hadn’t pushed them together all those years ago, he might never have found a girl as perfect as Lauren. It’s true what they say, mother always knows best.
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Excellent
- By C Koscak on 2024-04-14
Written by: Sue Watson
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The Marriage Betrayal: A totally gripping and heart-stopping psychological thriller full of twists
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Faye Townsend has planned the perfect summer trip for her family. But returning to the small seaside town her husband grew up in does not go to plan - the rain pours, and the long days become stifling. And then the unthinkable happens.... Her husband, Jake, and her six-year-old son, Dylan, go for an early morning walk along the beautiful, windswept clifftops. They don’t come back.
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unsure why there are low ratings - great read!
- By Gigi on 2023-05-22
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Ex
- Written by: S.E. Lynes
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It’s hard meeting your ex after so much time apart. You remember the tears and accusations, the desperate look on his face as he punched the wall, but you try not to show it. You smile politely, even while your heart beats faster. You watch as he looks down into the stroller, at the beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed baby kicking his little legs in the sunshine, whose innocent smile lights up your world. You see his face change. You know what he’s thinking. The next day he calls. His voice is shaking. He wants the truth. Is it his child?
Written by: S.E. Lynes
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The Silent Bride
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Alice and Seth are a perfect love story: the handsome doctor and his beautiful fiancée. They’re wealthy, well liked and made for each other—the envy of all their friends. Alice can’t wait for the day of their dream wedding. But when she arrives at the altar, she doesn’t recognise the man waiting to marry her. When this stranger insists he’s Seth, her husband-to-be, the entire congregation seems to agree. Even her parents try to persuade Alice to go through with the wedding.
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Underwhelming
- By Megan on 2023-09-17
Written by: Shalini Boland
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The Nursery
- Written by: Sue Watson
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Then: Morning light shines into the nursery, casting shadows across the pale pink walls and wooden cot in the middle of the room. She opens the door expecting to hear the soft coo of her daughter, Sofia, stretching herself awake. But the room is silent. The cot is empty. Her little girl has vanished. Now: Twelve years have passed, but Emily will never forget the night her life changed forever, and she’s happy to have her daughter back beside her. A teenager now, Sofia started asking questions about when she was a baby.
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A good listen!
- By Jasndeep Kaler on 2023-05-07
Written by: Sue Watson
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The Child Next Door: An unputdownable psychological thriller with a brilliant twist
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Kirstie Rawlings is jolted awake by a child crying. Racing upstairs to check on her newborn, she is plunged into every parents’ worst nightmare. She hears an unknown voice in the baby monitor, saying: "Let’s take the child - and go." Is someone trying to steal her little girl? In the bedroom, her daughter is safe asleep in her cot. Is the voice coming from a nearby house? But there aren’t any other children living on her quiet country road....
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So anticlimactic
- By Ashley Newbury on 2021-11-08
Written by: Shalini Boland
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Little Whispers
- Written by: K. L. Slater
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Janey Markham is thrilled to be moving with her family to Buckingham Crescent, the smartest address in a desirable suburban town. Worried she’ll be excluded by the glossy local mothers, Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman she has always looked up to. Tanya takes Janey under her wing and her teenage daughter, Angel, is amazing with Janey’s little boy. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind.
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Enjoyable
- By Pamela on 2020-06-19
Written by: K. L. Slater
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The Couple Upstairs
- An Addictive Psychological Thriller with a Gripping Twist
- Written by: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives? All our friends and family were gathered, glasses raised to toast our fresh start. It should have been a night for happiness and celebration. Zac and I had worked so hard for this: our first home together, just minutes from the sea. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
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Wouldn’t recommend, boring read.
- By June on 2021-11-15
Written by: Shalini Boland
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Closer
- Written by: K. L . Slater
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
I know my daughter better than I know myself, and if there’s one thing I know for sure at this moment it's that Maisie is not okay. My ex-husband, Shaun, and I are still friends. We would do anything for our beautiful little girl, Maisie. But now Shaun has moved in with Joanne, and suddenly Maisie has a brand-new family. And there’s something not quite right about it.... I know Joanne isn’t everything she says she is. Yet no-one will listen. I need to discover what she’s hiding. Because if I don’t, my daughter will be in terrible danger.
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Easy thriller for a lazy afternoon..
- By Cat on 2019-02-18
Written by: K. L . Slater
What listeners say about The Best Friend
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- JJM
- 2024-04-05
Good Story
I really like this author, The story was well played out, the narrator was very good except some characters sounded exactly the same. I did not like the character's repeated dialogue either with herself or others Because of that repetativeness the story (in my opinion) was too long. I think it would have been a much better dramatic ending if it hadn't dragged out in the last few chapters
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