Book Review: “Truly Madly Guilty” by Liane Moriarty

Feb 1

Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of Liane Moriarty’s Truly Madly Guilty; a domestic psychological thriller about the burden of guilt, the weight of secrets, and the power of forgiveness.

This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.

Click on the tags at the bottom of this post to see all reviews with the same tags in the Mystery bookshelf.

Spoiler-Free Plot Summary

Erika and Oliver are accountants living in the suburbs. They are logical, practical, and have spent years focusing on their careers. Erika has been best friends with Clementine since they were little girls. If Erika needs help, she is going to ask Clementine.

Clementine and Sam have a happy family with their two young daughters. She put her career as a cellist on hold to have their girls. Now she is preparing for an opportunity of a lifetime: an audition with a Sydney orchestra. Erika’s tremendous request could not come at a worse time.

Tiffany and Vid are neighbors with Erika and Oliver. And one of the best ways to get to know your neighbors is with a welcoming backyard barbecue! They invite Erika and Oliver who bring Clementine and Sam. Tiffany and Vid have a daughter, so Clementine and Sam’s daughters are more than welcome too.

After the barbecue, Clementine and Sam’s marriage is under threat, Clementine and Erika’s lifelong friendship has been irreparably damaged, and Vid and Tiffany are traumatized by what happened in their own backyard.

My Thoughts on Truly Madl, Guilty: 4.25 stars

Truly Madly Guilty is the first novel I have read from Liane Moriarty. And it has stuck with me in the six years that have passed since I first put it down. This slow burn story of the interactions between three couples explores the complexity of human relationships, the long-term effects of childhood adversity (visible and not so visible), the consuming weight of guilt, the harm caused by keeping secrets, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

Set in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, Truly Madly Guilty follows Clementine, Erika, and Tiffany as they sort their lives into two parts: before the barbecue and after the barbecue. Liane Moriarty uses a then/now time-jumping style to layout important background information while building intense suspense between current events and the barbecue. The majority of current and past/background events are told from the perspectives of Clementine, Erika, and Tiffany—with a few chapters told from the perspectives of other characters—giving the reader direct insight to the secrets each woman keeps from each other and their families.

Liane Moriarty beautifully illustrates the nuanced relationships between Clementine, Erika, and Tiffany. Clementine is a cellist who put her professional aspirations on hold to have her two daughters, 5 year-old Holly and 2 year-old Ruby. Now she is preparing for the audition of a lifetime with a Sydney orchestra. Erika is an accountant and childhood friend of Clementine. She has prioritized her professional goals up to this point and now is ready to try to start a family with her husband Oliver. Tiffany is a socialite housewife—taking care of her husband Vid and 10 year-old daughter Dakota—and the neighbor of Erika. She has a sordid past that not even her husband is fully aware of.

So who is guilty? All of them! They are all guilty. Clementine is guilty of not being honest with Erika about how she has felt about their friendship. Erika is guilty of putting a tremendous responsibility on Clementine by making her request. Tiffany is guilty of not being honest with anyone about her past. And all of them (plus all their husbands) are guilty of being so caught up in their own drama that they do not even notice tragic things until it is too late. Their collective inability or choice not to see what was going on around them would result in the tragic harm of others.

Who is in need of forgiveness? All of them. It was not Clementine’s fault that she was coerced into “playing nice” with others, sacrificing her own agency and freedom of choice in the process. It was not Erika’s fault that her mother was a hoarder, sacrificing her sense of safety and right to be a child. It was not Tiffany’s fault that she was in a certain situation years ago, forcing her to accept a deal she may not have even considered otherwise. But it was their individual responsibilities to be honest about these things. And if they are able to face these responsibilities and forgive themselves, then maybe they can forgive each other.

My overall rating of Truly Madly Guilty is 4.25 stars. I was immediately struck by Liane Moriarty’s skill at cohesively weaving together multiple dynamic storylines. The characters are complex yet relatable, the past and present events cause your heart to ache, and the aftermath once everything is out in the open is sad but believable. I appreciate the contentious and difficult topics that Liane Moriarty features through her characters as well as the note they are left on by the end of the story. I must mention that this book moves at a SLOW pace. The big reveal of what took place at the barbecue does not happen until very late in the book. That may be a turn-off for many, but I enjoyed the experience. The reason Truly Madly Guilty has stayed in my mind for six years was not the horrible thing that happened at the barbecue, but the entire suite of complexities that exist before and afterwards. Your heart breaks for the characters as the tension builds, but you are left with a sense of hope at the end.

Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty.

Rating Cheat Sheet

4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.

Post Date: 13 January 2025