4.81k reviews for:

Truly Madly Guilty

Liane Moriarty

3.45 AVERAGE

mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Liane Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty is a gripping domestic suspense novel that effectively uses multiple perspectives and a non-linear timeline to build tension. The story centers on a single, pivotal event and its fallout, with Moriarty thoughtfully exploring themes of guilt and perception through the eyes of several characters.
While the central mystery's resolution may be predictable, the journey to get there is what truly entertains. The narrative’s strength lies in its interesting characters and their backstories, which kept the plot engaging and the emotional turmoil of the protagonists both authentic and compelling. This book is a testament to Moriarty's skill at blending a captivating mystery with a deeper look into the complexities of human relationships.
dark funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Complex situation, complex couples, brilliantly portrayed.  Moriarty’s technique of alternating chapters with “The Day of the Barbecue” narrative is a great device.  Eventually, we find out what happened, of course.  Wonderful how she tied it all together.

This is not about what happens, but the very imperfect people we are and who we affect with our imperfect decisions. I love a good character-driven novel. Gone Girl, this is not. And I mean that in a good way (and I liked Gone Girl too!).

I really liked Big Little Lies, but this book went on far too long. By the midpoint, we still don't know what happened at the fateful barbecue, and, when it's finally revealed, it's an anticlimax. The characters also weren't well-developed, and so I didn't care much about them. Sigh.
emotional tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was my least favorite book by Liane Moriarty
Erica and Oliver felt flat to me, I understand it is due to their trauma from childhood, I honestly just wanted more from them as people as the book went on, especially Oliver.
Clementine and Sam seemed like every couple you know, frazzled but great looking in, cracks in the foundation that are easily repaired with a little work and focus on each other.
Vid and Tiffany were honestly my favorite, they seemed the most real couple to me, even with his over the top attitude towards life, he was a breath of fresh air to be honest.
Harry was a grumpy old man and when his story came out it was truly heartbreaking and I hurt for him.
The story line had promise, and I did want to finish to know what really happened the day of the BBQ, overall the story was drawn out and there were many unnecessary details in my opinion. Based on previous books I have read/listened to I just wanted more.