KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE

3.5 stars out of 5

Of a similarly themed book, I once wrote that it would be hard to find more dysfunctional, unlikable characters. Well, apparently it's not that hard. 

Put another way, it took about a third of the way through the book for me to decide that it didn't matter whether any of these folks were friends or foes - I didn't want them anywhere around me, let alone held close. But that said, it was kind of fun to watch as Mary Haywood, a journalist-turned mom who's in the middle of a divorce from her needy, greedy, domineering husband George, tries to make a life in Brooklyn away from him with their young son, Alex. George, of course, isn't making things easy - and with a mother and sister too far away to help, Mary sure could use a friend. She finds one at a local park in Willa, an unmarried stepmom to a boy near Alex's age - and the connection was so immediate and strong that for way more than a New York minute I suspected they'd end up as a romantic couple.

But no; in fact, not long after they meet and seriously bond - and Mary reveals some dark thoughts about her hopefully soon-to-be ex - Willa disappears from the face of the earth; no return phone calls or texts and no park visits. Some friend, huh? But wait, there's more; not long after Mary relocates to a small town she hopes to call her new home, who to her wandering eyes should appear? You guessed it - Willa. Only now there's a complication; when Mary confronts her with the intent of learning why she was ghosted, Willa claims she's not Willa, but Annie - and she's never laid eyes on Mary before.

Mary's head was full of confusion and doubt before the encounter, but readers ain't seen nuthin' yet. Now, she's questioning her own sanity and why such a once-close friend would fail to respond. It gets worse; her husband George, who tracks her down with the intent of convincing her to return to him despite all the abuse he heaped upon her, shows up. And wonder of wonders, he's close to succeeding as Mary starts brain-waffling yet again (still). That is, until there's no more need; suddenly, George turns up dead. And now, Mary has a whole host of other issues to waffle over - like will his parents try to gain custody over their beloved grandson, or will George's nasty brother Henry try for retribution, or is Willa avoiding her because she's a murderer, or will the police, who she thinks think she's the killer, arrest her?

By now, my own head is starting to spin, so you can imagine that Mary's is whirling like a school playground merry-go-round at recess. The real happenings are eked out to readers as chapters shift perspectives and time frames from Willa to Mary - complete with little "surprises" that lead up to the big reveal (and a little bit beyond, which those who finish the book will understand). Overall, I'd call it a fun romp rather than a nail-biting journey with things working out in the end. For that, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2024); 380 pp.