The Change: the must read debut feminist fiction novel and crime thriller of 2022!
£4.70
‘A perfect contradiction, existing in the shades of grey that real life is so often painted in . . . A story that’s as furious as it is tender’ Emily Henry
‘A roar of rage, a pacy page-turner, I loved it with all my broken heart. Read it. You’ll love it’ Marian Keyes
‘A propulsive plot and characters that roar off the page, this is a novel that’s unafraid to take on societal misogyny while being satirical and even funny at the same time’ Guardian
‘An addictive, fast-paced crime novel like nothing you’ve ever read before’ Red magazine
* * *
Nessa: The Seeker
Jo: The Protector
Harriett: The Punisher
With newfound powers the time has come to take matters into their own hands…
Widowed Nessa lives alone in her house near the ocean. In the quiet hours, she hears voices belonging to the dead – who will only speak to her.
On the cusp of fifty Harriett’s marriage and career imploded, but her life is far from over – in fact, she’s undergone a stunning metamorphosis.
Jo spent years at war with her body. The rage that arrived with menopause felt like the last straw – until she discovers she’s able to channel it.
Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio discover the abandoned body of a teenage girl. The police have written off the victim. But the women have not. Their own investigations lead to more bodies, and a world of wealth where the rules don’t apply – and the realisation that laws are designed to protect villains, not the vulnerable.
Now three women will avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. IT’S TIME.
* * *
Readers and authors are GRIPPED by The Change:
‘A proper smash-the-patriarchy read with tension and a compelling plot to boot . . . Loved it’ Harriet Tyce
‘An exceptionally well-written, vivid, and powerful piece of work’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Powerful and original’ Tammy Cohen
‘STUNNING! Feminist writing at its absolute best. 10 stars’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Additional information
| Publisher | HQ (18 Aug. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 1601 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 475 pages |
by JoMo
I raced through this book, whilst, at the same time not wanting it to end. Such strong characters and an amazing plot. Buy it and read; you won’t regret it.
by Vik
This was one of those books that just keeps
giving. When you think its winding down to close and you start feeling sad that its over….then whooosh it takes off again! I cannot explain how much I loved this book.
I was skeptical at first – a group of women at a significant point in their lives (my head went yadda yadda yadda!) But its so much more than that. Its a thriller, its about friendships, its about finding your path, its a murder mystery, its just brilliant.
by JS
Where to start…ok, so I’m a post-menopausal 60+ retiree and picked this up as a change to my usual reading matter. Wow…I was hooked from the first page and the energy and sheer pace didn’t let up until the very last one. Loved Harriett (what a mate she would be!) and the mystique that surrounded her. Wildly imaginative and entertaining, this is something every 40+ woman should add to their reading list. Settle down with a drink, shut the door and put your phone on mute, then enjoy the ride!
by Portybelle – Joanne
Well I admit that I thought the start of the book was a bit strange as we were introduced to the women. There’s Nessa who sees and hears the ghosts of murder victims. Jo who has channelled her energies into her Furious Fitness gym business. Then there’s Harriett with her house and garden gone wild. She happily strips off in her garden and doesn’t care who see.
I did get into the book though and was intrigued by the three women channelling their energies to solve the serial killer mystery. I suppose you have to suspend belief a bit to accept the rather strange abilities the women have. In particular I thought that Jo’s ability to do what she does with her rage was amusing. There was an element of what Jo said at one point I completely agreed with when she talks about pure entertainment being made out of dead women’s bodies: “Books, movies, shows, podcasts. They all turn the murderers into super villains with comic book names. It’s all about the killers not the women they kill” . This book certainly redresses that balance.
I was furious at the police chief Rocco in particular for the lies he told. He twisted the whole story for his benefit and made it look like a lot of what happened was the women’s fault. I think the women would have been taken in for questioning when so many men died or disappeared or had an accident after contact with them! Although there were many really awful characters, I felt a lot of the book was overly anti-men. Only Art and Franklin came across as good guys.
I thought the book was maybe a bit longer than it needed to be and there was sometimes a bit too much back story for me. However, overall I found it very entertaining. It’s certainly very different from any thriller I’ve read before!
by Ms C J Robinson
I hadn’t had any prior notice of this book, I took a punt and was pleased I did. I thought it was an original story, well written and captivating. Great characters. Story touches on themes of menopause, murder and mystery!
by Mrs. F. E. Galvin
Because where are we in our power in modern literature? In our joyful own selves? This books and the stories of these women sang to me. They are woven around a whodunit which is kind of secondary to the truth that I recognised on every page
by V. O’Regan
“Yesterday, Nessa had heard something new—a whisper that seemed to roll in with the waves. Here, a girl said. …. she knew it was a message, and she knew what it meant. Someone was lost and wanted to be found.” – ‘The Change’ by Kirsten Miller.
I combined reading Miller’s adult debut with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by January LaVoy.
What a surprise this novel was. From the title and striking cover art, I assumed that this was going to be a literary dystopian novel featuring women who have gone through the change. Well, I was right about its focus upon women facing middle age though they were not living in a dystopian society. What I didn’t expect was a riveting feminist crime thriller with a touch of the paranormal running through it.
The novel focuses upon three women living in Mattauk, New York, each coming to terms with entering a new phase of their lives.
On the cusp of fifty Harriet Osborne has seen her marriage and career implode. She hasn’t left her house in months and her behaviour has become increasingly eccentric, as she develops a new relationship with nature.
Nessa James is a widow now living alone since her daughters have left for college. She has begun to hear the voices of the Dead, an ability that has often manifested in her family. When she was twelve her grandmother had told her: “one day your life will grow quiet, and that’s when you’ll be able to hear them …my aunt used to say, the gift arrives after the curse ends.” The voice she has been increasingly aware of leads her to the Osborne house and a meeting with its owner, Harriet.
Finally there is Jo Levison, who for thirty years has been at war with her body, now she discovers that her hot flushes and rage can be channeled into a powerful weapon. She also has recently opened Furious Fitness, a gym for women only. It’s where she meets Nessa and later Harriet and they strike up a friendship.
When Nessa’s voices lead the trio to the abandoned body of a teenage girl, the police quickly write off the victim. So the women undertake their own investigation and uncover a sinister conspiracy protected by a world of wealth and privilege. Will these three women be able to use their newly discovered abilities to avenge the innocent and punish the guilty?
I couldn’t wait to find out and zoomed through this brilliant novel just loving it.
With respect to the audiobook, American actor January LaVoy has narrated an impressive number of audiobooks. I have enjoyed her reading of quite a few titles across a number of genres. Sometimes I find American accents rather grating, though I found her voice very easy to listen to.
Overall, I found this an engaging read that was almost impossible to put down. I was quite invested in the lives of Harriet, Jo, and Nessa and was cheering on their battle against the ingrained misogyny they encounter. I appreciated Kirsten Miller’s storytelling and her skilful blending of genres.
Highly recommended.
by Amazon Customer
I really enjoyed this! A bit on the nose at points but for me that was part of the book’s charm. Empowering menopausal women, some decent rage and revenge, and elements of the supernatural.