Imperfect Women
On sale
18th March 2026
Price: £10.99
Genre
**NOW A MAJOR APPLE TV SERIES!**
‘Love this book’ Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid’s Tale
‘Rare and complex’ Marian Keyes
‘A dark, delicious thriller. I loved it.’ Louise O’Neill
FRIENDS TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING. OR DO THEY?
Everyone wants perfection.
But there is no such thing.
Nancy has the perfect life.
She is bright, beautiful and rich with an adoring husband and daughter.
At least that’s what it seems on the outside to her two best friends.
But then Nancy is murdered.
And as the lies start to unravel, they realise they never knew their perfect friend at all.
She clearly had as many secrets as they do…
*This novel was previously published as Perfect Strangers in paperback, eBook and audio*
More praise for ARAMINTA HALL:
‘Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing’ LISA JEWELL
‘Absolutely thrilling!’ LISA TADDEO
‘A dark, dazzling shock to the system’ CHRIS WHITAKER
‘Immersive and unsettling’ SARAH VAUGHAN
‘An excellent twist’ DOROTHY KOOMSON
‘Beautifully written’ SAMANTHA DOWNING
‘Immersive, intelligent and gripping’ S.E. LYNES
‘Love this book’ Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid’s Tale
‘Rare and complex’ Marian Keyes
‘A dark, delicious thriller. I loved it.’ Louise O’Neill
FRIENDS TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING. OR DO THEY?
Everyone wants perfection.
But there is no such thing.
Nancy has the perfect life.
She is bright, beautiful and rich with an adoring husband and daughter.
At least that’s what it seems on the outside to her two best friends.
But then Nancy is murdered.
And as the lies start to unravel, they realise they never knew their perfect friend at all.
She clearly had as many secrets as they do…
*This novel was previously published as Perfect Strangers in paperback, eBook and audio*
More praise for ARAMINTA HALL:
‘Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing’ LISA JEWELL
‘Absolutely thrilling!’ LISA TADDEO
‘A dark, dazzling shock to the system’ CHRIS WHITAKER
‘Immersive and unsettling’ SARAH VAUGHAN
‘An excellent twist’ DOROTHY KOOMSON
‘Beautifully written’ SAMANTHA DOWNING
‘Immersive, intelligent and gripping’ S.E. LYNES
Reviews
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.
The story of three female friends and the equally imperfect men in their lives. It's about deception, disappointment & murder. It's also about female friendship and platonic love, which cuts through the darkness. Gripping stuff!
A dark take on friendship and festering secrets that had me turning pages well into the night.
A cracking read.
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
A dark, delicious thriller which holds the complexity of female friendship at its heart. I loved it.
A psychological page-turner of a story that deftly explores the dark and confronting dualities of womanhood. I read hungrily it in a day.
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.
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
Toxic relationships, crushed hopes & rebuilding yourself from rock bottom... a fabulous novel.
A slow-burning, tense build to a furious conclusion. Female friendships and the compromises women make are explored in stark detail, and through three different perspectives the story develops to a pleasing and very just ending. It's great.
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.
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.
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.
The story of three female friends and the equally imperfect men in their lives. It's about deception, disappointment & murder. It's also about female friendship and platonic love, which cuts through the darkness. Gripping stuff!
'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.
A psychological page-turner of a story that deftly explores the dark and confronting dualities of womanhood. I read hungrily it in a day.
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.
Dark, visceral, proper psychological thriller with a powerful feminist agenda.
A dark, delicious thriller which holds the complexity of female friendship at its heart. I loved it.
A tense psychological story about female friendship and bad choices.
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.
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.
Rare and very refreshing ... a novel where middle-aged women are represented in all their wise, sensual, flawed complexity. I enjoyed it SO much
A tense psychological story about female friendship and bad choices.
Not only a deeply satisfying psychological thriller but an insightful and sometimes disquieting exploration of relationships, families and the challenges and pressures confronting women today.
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.
Beautifully written and expertly structured - a masterclass in psychological thriller writing.
'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.
A cracking read.
Not only a deeply satisfying psychological thriller but an insightful and sometimes disquieting exploration of relationships, families and the challenges and pressures confronting women today.
A perfect slow burning thriller that beautifully dissects the complexities of female friendship and the choices women make.
Dark, visceral, proper psychological thriller with a powerful feminist agenda.
A brilliantly unsettling exploration of secrets and lies.
Beautifully written and expertly structured - a masterclass in psychological thriller writing.
A dark take on friendship and festering secrets that had me turning pages well into the night.
Toxic relationships, crushed hopes & rebuilding yourself from rock bottom... a fabulous novel.
A perfect slow burning thriller that beautifully dissects the complexities of female friendship and the choices women make.
A brilliantly unsettling exploration of secrets and lies.
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.
A slow-burning, tense build to a furious conclusion. Female friendships and the compromises women make are explored in stark detail, and through three different perspectives the story develops to a pleasing and very just ending. It's great.
Rare and very refreshing ... a novel where middle-aged women are represented in all their wise, sensual, flawed complexity. I enjoyed it SO much