A tale of 3 forty-something women, friends since university who find themselves living quite different lives from each other - yet still remain close friends. One of them is found dead after trying to end an affair and then the story unfolds told from the viewpoint of each of the women, leading up to who was responsible for the death.
Imperfect Women is an enjoyable read with relatable, although not necessarily likeable characters, that will have you eager to keep reading. The husbands are terrible, the children suspicious and the women all have their own individual struggles. An enjoyable read that wraps up nicely at the end.
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Imperfect Women: The blockbuster must-read novel of the year that everyone is talking about Hardcover – 27 October 2020
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Araminta Hall
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Araminta Hall
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Product details
- Publisher : Orion; 1st edition (27 October 2020)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1409196089
- ISBN-13 : 978-1409196082
- Dimensions : 15.2 x 2.6 x 23.4 cm
- Customer Reviews:
Product description
Review
Rare and very refreshing ... a novel where middle-aged women are represented in all their wise, sensual, flawed complexity. I enjoyed it SO much ― Marian Keyes
A psychological thriller in the truest sense of the word: a thoughtful examination of the psyche of three credible women with baggage and flaws. So much will resonate: not least Hall's exploration of gender politics and motherhood. At points I was folding pages repeatedly. Deeply unsettling. Recommended. ― Sarah Vaughn
A brilliant exploration of the secrets and hidden lives womn create for themselves as they try to navigate their way through life. The friendships are real and touching, the relationships are consuming and passionate. I read this in no time and really enjoyed the pace, flow and insights Araminta writes about. A fabulous novel of modern love, life and people, with an excellent twist. ― Dorothy Koomson
Imperfect Women is a painfully honest, haunting portrait of friendship, betrayal, marriage and disappointment. While Hall is able to keep you on the edge of your seat (and awake much later than you should be) she can also make you weep, such is her insight and lack of judgement of the human condition. A beautiful book that will stay with me for a very long time. ― Dolly Wells
'A stunning, dark novel about who women want to be and the reality of who they are. Beautifully written, thought-provoking and should not be missed. ― Samantha Downing
It's been clear from the start that Araminta Hall has a talent for telling unpalatable truths and Imperfect Women is no exception. Expertly peels the layers from the everyday lies we tell each other, and ourselves ― Sarah Hilary
Dark, visceral, proper psychological thriller with a powerful feminist agenda. ― Laura Wilkinson
Beautifully written and expertly structured - a masterclass in psychological thriller writing. ― Simon Lelic
An immersive, intelligent and gripping exploration of the deep wells of female friendship and what it means to be a woman in a world made by and for men. Hall gives us three flawed female characters and shows how their expectations of life are thwarted in different ways, exploring their relationships and enticingly messy behaviour with compassion, even in the darkest of deeds. ― S.E. Lynes
A stunning example of the new breed of "psychological thriller" with a deep dive into the conflicted worlds of three brilliantly-drawn female characters, irradiated by a terrible crime. A pitch-perfect, meticulously-observed and utterly absorbing novel. ― Philippa East
A psychological thriller in the truest sense of the word: a thoughtful examination of the psyche of three credible women with baggage and flaws. So much will resonate: not least Hall's exploration of gender politics and motherhood. At points I was folding pages repeatedly. Deeply unsettling. Recommended. ― Sarah Vaughn
A brilliant exploration of the secrets and hidden lives womn create for themselves as they try to navigate their way through life. The friendships are real and touching, the relationships are consuming and passionate. I read this in no time and really enjoyed the pace, flow and insights Araminta writes about. A fabulous novel of modern love, life and people, with an excellent twist. ― Dorothy Koomson
Imperfect Women is a painfully honest, haunting portrait of friendship, betrayal, marriage and disappointment. While Hall is able to keep you on the edge of your seat (and awake much later than you should be) she can also make you weep, such is her insight and lack of judgement of the human condition. A beautiful book that will stay with me for a very long time. ― Dolly Wells
'A stunning, dark novel about who women want to be and the reality of who they are. Beautifully written, thought-provoking and should not be missed. ― Samantha Downing
It's been clear from the start that Araminta Hall has a talent for telling unpalatable truths and Imperfect Women is no exception. Expertly peels the layers from the everyday lies we tell each other, and ourselves ― Sarah Hilary
Dark, visceral, proper psychological thriller with a powerful feminist agenda. ― Laura Wilkinson
Beautifully written and expertly structured - a masterclass in psychological thriller writing. ― Simon Lelic
An immersive, intelligent and gripping exploration of the deep wells of female friendship and what it means to be a woman in a world made by and for men. Hall gives us three flawed female characters and shows how their expectations of life are thwarted in different ways, exploring their relationships and enticingly messy behaviour with compassion, even in the darkest of deeds. ― S.E. Lynes
A stunning example of the new breed of "psychological thriller" with a deep dive into the conflicted worlds of three brilliantly-drawn female characters, irradiated by a terrible crime. A pitch-perfect, meticulously-observed and utterly absorbing novel. ― Philippa East
Review
A psychological thriller in the truest sense of the word: a thoughtful examination of the psyche of three credible women with baggage and flaws. So much will resonate: not least Hall's exploration of gender politics and motherhood. At points I was folding pages repeatedly. Deeply unsettling. Recommended. - Sarah VaughnA brilliant exploration of the secrets and hidden lives womn create for themselves as they try to navigate their way through life. The friendships are real and touching, the relationships are consuming and passionate. I read this in no time and really enjoyed the pace, flow and insights Araminta writes about. A fabulous novel of modern love, life and people, with an excellent twist. - Dorothy Koomson
Book Description
Three women. Three best friends. Three tragic deaths.
The new novel from bestselling writer, Araminta Hall, author of OUR KIND OF CRUELTY.
From the Publisher
Araminta Hall has worked as a writer, journalist and teacher. Her first novel, Everything & Nothing, was published in 2011 and became a Richard & Judy read that year. Her second, Dot, was published in 2013, and her third, Our Kind of Cruelty, in 2018.She has taught creative writing for many years at a variety of places, including New Writing South in Brighton, where she lives with her husband and three children. Contact Araminta on Twitter at @aramintahall
About the Author
Araminta Hall has worked as a writer, journalist and teacher. Her first novel, Everything & Nothing, was published in 2011 and became a Richard & Judy read that year. Her second, Dot, was published in 2013, and her third, Our Kind of Cruelty, in 2018.She has taught creative writing for many years at a variety of places, including New Writing South in Brighton, where she lives with her husband and three children.Contact Araminta on Twitter at @aramintahall
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Customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
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456 global ratings
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Lynda Kelly
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too Much Guff
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2020Verified Purchase
This was a mistake of a purchase as my phone screen jumped so I hit Buy It Now as opposed to dumping it in my wishlist but it sounded interesting so I kept it.
It was totally overhyped as far as I'm concerned, though. I don't get all the accolades its being afforded myself.
I didn't understand what Nancy's mum meant when she said "If she could have waited a few more years I could have been gone as well" since Nancy was murdered, she hadn't done herself in !! As far as it was going with Eleanor, it was all me, me, me all the time and I was finding her extremely tiresome.
The author did one of those appallingly twee things Americans do of having all the same initialled names, so Mary had Marcus, Maisie and Mimi....stop doing this, it's ridiculous, America !! At one point, Eleanor is watching a body being removed in a body bag and she is ruminating as to whether this was how Nancy had left the riverbank where she was found.....well, she hardly skipped to the ambulance, did she, so that was a totally needless thing to have written !! When we hear of Davide, and Eleanor plans to meet him, she has to go to him cos' he still wasn't up to making long journeys.....why ? He isn't crippled !!
I noticed the odd misused apostrophe and she wrote tusked and not tsked and another TERRIBLE mistake writing freind and not friend !!
I packed it in when I got fed up with all the superfluous stuff she includes. Sentences like "She felt her muscles harden and knew that movement would soon feel jagged and clumsy".....are just guff and I got to "Her legs felt heavy and she let them buckle" and packed it in !! Ridiculous stuff.....
I'd reached 39% and there was no hint of this supposed investigation by Mary and Eleanor so I gave up on it altogether. They're both so wrapped up in themselves, Eleanor especially, that I don't see them ever being interested enough to learn what happened to Nancy, and I didn't care enough to finish it !
It was totally overhyped as far as I'm concerned, though. I don't get all the accolades its being afforded myself.
I didn't understand what Nancy's mum meant when she said "If she could have waited a few more years I could have been gone as well" since Nancy was murdered, she hadn't done herself in !! As far as it was going with Eleanor, it was all me, me, me all the time and I was finding her extremely tiresome.
The author did one of those appallingly twee things Americans do of having all the same initialled names, so Mary had Marcus, Maisie and Mimi....stop doing this, it's ridiculous, America !! At one point, Eleanor is watching a body being removed in a body bag and she is ruminating as to whether this was how Nancy had left the riverbank where she was found.....well, she hardly skipped to the ambulance, did she, so that was a totally needless thing to have written !! When we hear of Davide, and Eleanor plans to meet him, she has to go to him cos' he still wasn't up to making long journeys.....why ? He isn't crippled !!
I noticed the odd misused apostrophe and she wrote tusked and not tsked and another TERRIBLE mistake writing freind and not friend !!
I packed it in when I got fed up with all the superfluous stuff she includes. Sentences like "She felt her muscles harden and knew that movement would soon feel jagged and clumsy".....are just guff and I got to "Her legs felt heavy and she let them buckle" and packed it in !! Ridiculous stuff.....
I'd reached 39% and there was no hint of this supposed investigation by Mary and Eleanor so I gave up on it altogether. They're both so wrapped up in themselves, Eleanor especially, that I don't see them ever being interested enough to learn what happened to Nancy, and I didn't care enough to finish it !
6 people found this helpful
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Justine
4.0 out of 5 stars
Explores the many roles women play and how they shape their lives
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2020Verified Purchase
Three friends meet at University.
Eleanor – she’s never been married or had children but has always had a secret crush on her friend Nancy’s husband. When she first met him she believed him to be interested in her, but he contacted her as a route to get to Nancy. She’s never found serious love and concentrated on her career.
Nancy – the beautiful, glamorous one who gave up her career to bring up her family. She has a daughter Zara and a husband who loves her, but she’s bored with her life and looking for excitement.
Mary – mother of three who gave up her career to bring up her family. She met her husband, a married university professor, when she worked for him as his assistant. She was younger than him and fell for his charms. When she got pregnant he left his wife for her. She is treated badly physically and emotionally by him and it is rumoured that he has had many extra-marital affairs.
One night Nancy is found dead. Mary knows that she was having an affair but believed it to be over. Neither of her friends knew who it was with but believed it to be with an author, Davide. There are twists and turns which surprise us all the way through.
After Nancy’s death Eleanor starts a relationship with her husband, who she’s always had feelings for. She has to battle her feelings of love for him with her feelings of guilt over her friend’s death. She is also battling feelings of guilt over the death of an elderly neighbour she felt responsible for.
The book explores friendship, betrayal, breakdowns of relationships and the guilt all women feel every day trying to juggle work and family life and the many roles women are expected to play. All the characters are relatable and you love, dislike and empathise with them all at different points in the book.
This is a brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to all.
Eleanor – she’s never been married or had children but has always had a secret crush on her friend Nancy’s husband. When she first met him she believed him to be interested in her, but he contacted her as a route to get to Nancy. She’s never found serious love and concentrated on her career.
Nancy – the beautiful, glamorous one who gave up her career to bring up her family. She has a daughter Zara and a husband who loves her, but she’s bored with her life and looking for excitement.
Mary – mother of three who gave up her career to bring up her family. She met her husband, a married university professor, when she worked for him as his assistant. She was younger than him and fell for his charms. When she got pregnant he left his wife for her. She is treated badly physically and emotionally by him and it is rumoured that he has had many extra-marital affairs.
One night Nancy is found dead. Mary knows that she was having an affair but believed it to be over. Neither of her friends knew who it was with but believed it to be with an author, Davide. There are twists and turns which surprise us all the way through.
After Nancy’s death Eleanor starts a relationship with her husband, who she’s always had feelings for. She has to battle her feelings of love for him with her feelings of guilt over her friend’s death. She is also battling feelings of guilt over the death of an elderly neighbour she felt responsible for.
The book explores friendship, betrayal, breakdowns of relationships and the guilt all women feel every day trying to juggle work and family life and the many roles women are expected to play. All the characters are relatable and you love, dislike and empathise with them all at different points in the book.
This is a brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to all.
2 people found this helpful
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Steven
3.0 out of 5 stars
Imperfect Women
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2020Verified Purchase
this is quite a hard book for me to review. I've previously read and loved Our Little Cruilties by the same author but struggled a little with this one.
The book is about 3 friends nancy, Mary and Eleanor who have known each other since university. When one of them is murdered, the 2 remaining friends are left to pick up the pieces. The book is split in to 3 parts for each of the 3 women ana, as we read on, secrets and lies are revealed.
the biggest problem for me was I struggled to identify with any of the characters and really didn't like any of them very much with the exception of one of the women who I felt sorry for. they all seemed to make poor and selfish decitions and had very little to redeem them. I also think the structure of the book didn't help in terms of building the suspense, i guessed who the murderer was pretty early on and was proved right.
The book is about 3 friends nancy, Mary and Eleanor who have known each other since university. When one of them is murdered, the 2 remaining friends are left to pick up the pieces. The book is split in to 3 parts for each of the 3 women ana, as we read on, secrets and lies are revealed.
the biggest problem for me was I struggled to identify with any of the characters and really didn't like any of them very much with the exception of one of the women who I felt sorry for. they all seemed to make poor and selfish decitions and had very little to redeem them. I also think the structure of the book didn't help in terms of building the suspense, i guessed who the murderer was pretty early on and was proved right.

Lolly130612
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2020Verified Purchase
All of the women in the book were incredibly relatable and so, so real.
I most certainly didn't see the twists coming but it's more than just a domestic thriller, or whatever genre it's supposed to be, it goes deeper than that in , that it teaches us to look deep down in psyche.
I most certainly didn't see the twists coming but it's more than just a domestic thriller, or whatever genre it's supposed to be, it goes deeper than that in , that it teaches us to look deep down in psyche.
3 people found this helpful
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Lilo
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 December 2020Verified Purchase
I don't often find reading a chore, but reading this certainly made it feel like one. As someone who feels the need to finish a book once I have started it, I felt as though I were punishing myself.
I love a good mystery, however, this was terribly predictable. Filled with dreadful stereotypes and characters that were so unlikable it was hard to believe how any of them were friends. None of the characters felt like they could be real people, or even spoke to each other in a realistic manner.
This book also would have benefitted from the use of chapters, without them, the book feels even longer. Do yourself a favour and skip this one.
I love a good mystery, however, this was terribly predictable. Filled with dreadful stereotypes and characters that were so unlikable it was hard to believe how any of them were friends. None of the characters felt like they could be real people, or even spoke to each other in a realistic manner.
This book also would have benefitted from the use of chapters, without them, the book feels even longer. Do yourself a favour and skip this one.