The Things We Do to Our Friends

A Novel

By: Heather Darwent

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • She’s an outsider desperate to belong, but the cost of entry might be her deepest secret in this intoxicating debut about a clique of dangerously ambitious students, “perfect for fans of dark academia stories like The Secret History and If We Were Villains” (Cosmopolitan).

“One of the best suspense debuts I’ve read in years . . . Heather Darwent delivers one artful tease after another until you are completely lost in this labyrinth of clever women and obsessive friendship.”—Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All the Same in the Dark

Edinburgh, Scotland: a moody city of labyrinthine alleyways, oppressive fog, and buried history; the ultimate destination for someone with something to hide. Perfect for Clare, then, who arrives utterly alone and yearning to reinvent herself. And what better place to conceal the secrets of her past than at the university in the heart of the fabled, cobblestoned Old Town?

When Clare meets Tabitha, a charismatic, beautiful, and intimidatingly rich girl from her art history class, she knows she’s destined to become friends with her and her exclusive circle: raffish Samuel, shrewd Ava, and pragmatic Imogen. Clare is immediately drawn into their libertine world of sophisticated dinner parties and summers in France. The new life she always envisioned for herself has seemingly begun.

Then Tabitha reveals a little project she’s been working on, one that she needs Clare’s help with. Even though it goes against everything Clare has tried to repent for. Even though their intimacy begins to darken into codependence. But as Clare starts to realize just what her friends are capable of, it’s already too late. Because they’ve taken the plunge. They’re so close to attaining everything they want. And there’s no going back.

Reimagining the classic themes of obsession and ambition with an original and sinister edge, The Things We Do to Our Friends is a seductive thriller about the toxic battle between those who have and those who covet—between the desire to truly belong and the danger of being truly known.

©2023 Heather Darwent (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Quick, smart, and satisfying.”—The Wall Street Journal

“[A] hair-raising debut.”—PopSugar

“Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her.”—Sunday Times

Not at all what I was expecting and very weird

if it's a cute group of friends who are there for each other and solve a mystery that you think this book is .. well it's not. everything about the book is weird on a serial killers mindset without much explanation.

Reminiscent of dry humor

A motley crew young adults get in over their heads in curated scandals for profit. The friendship of this group is largely supported by deceit, manipulation and blackmail so ofcourse its going to go down in flames. This was an interesting read but very bland. If it were a dish I'd say it needed some salt to enhance what was already there.

No One To Cheer For

A lot of unlikable characters populate this book. The more I read, the less I liked them. The narrator did a fine job. I’m glad I’ve finished and plan to choose something with more heart for my next listening adventure.

Enjoyable

The Things We Do to Our Friends, a mystery/thriller, was a good and interesting story. The narrator did an excellent job.

kept hoping it would get better

The book just never really got interesting at any point. I kept thinking there’d be some twist or breakthrough in the boring story but it was just disappointing. The narrator was wonderful.

Had to keep reading in hopes something was going to happen…

I did not enjoy this book at all. It was slow, extremely confusing to follow and felt like there was really no plot. It was very jumpy and all over the place. I was so hoping for a plot twist and some exciting turn.

Waste of time, performance held me

Performance was outstanding! The only reason I kept listening. I kept waiting for something to happen- which took forever, and then I guess something did happen but it was a total let down. Very boring. One of the worst books.

Started off strong but couldn’t finish

I found the first half of this book to be captivating, but around the middle it lost me. I had to give up with a quarter left. The plot became confusing and it started to drag. The narrator was excellent!