If you like domestic thrillers set in a small town or neighborhood, then Dirty Laundry could be the book for you. When a woman ends up dead, which of her neighbors was responsible? Check out my review of Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Published on April 4, 2023 by Ballentine. Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Synopsis: Ciara Dunphy has a loving husband, well-behaved children, and a beautiful home. Her picture-perfect life is easy money on Instagram. But behind the filters, reality is less polished.
Mishti Guhta is Ciara’s best friend. Ciara welcomed Mishti into her inner circle for being… unlike the other mothers in the group. But, discontent in a marriage arranged for her through her parents back in Calcutta, Mishti now raises her young daughter in a country that is too cold, among the children of her new friends who look nothing like her.
And there’s earth mother Lauren Doyle, born, bred, and the butt of jokes in their village. With her disheveled partner and children who run naked in the yard, they’re mostly a happy lot, though unsurprisingly ostracized for being the singular dysfunction in Ciara’s immaculate world. When Lauren finds an unlikely ally in Mishti, she decides that her days of ridicule are over.
When one of these women is found murdered, everyone seems to have something to gain. If the rest of them don’t want the blame, it may be the perfect time to air their enemies’ dirty laundry.
Review of Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
In many ways, Dirty Laundry reminded me of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. It had the same narrative structure, in which a murder is revealed at the beginning of the book and the rest of the story is spent unraveling the why and the who.
Several things about Dirty Laundry made it stand out for me from the typical domestic thriller. I loved the Irish setting. I also though the three women, Ciara, Lauren, and Mishti, were completely different personalities.
Ciara was blond and perfect. Married to a busy, successful man, she hides her influencer income from him to live a secret life.
Lauren is a free spirit who has three children with a guy who still seems to spend a lot of time at the pub. And Mishti gave up her true love to marry a man her family chose for her, a man she still struggles to connect with.
As you read, you see that many people had motive to kill the victim. Who was it and why?
Some of my Goodreads friends found all the characters unsympathetic, and I can understand that point of view. But a book like this emphasizes the fact that all of us have our petty enemies, our small grievances, our jealousies. In real life, these don’t lead to murder. But in a book like this, they can.
I’d recommend this to fans of Big Little Lies, as I feel like the structure and vibe is very similar.
Dirty Laundry is also a Good Morning America Book Club pick for April 2023.