“Emily had the perfect life – the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect husband – before she was blindsided and betrayed and lost it all. Now she’s sitting in a divorce counselling group wondering how she’ll ever feel okay again. What she wants is her old life back, and these group sessions seem to be the only way she’ll be able to move on – past the jealousy, the hurt, and the daydreams of getting revenge.

And it seems everyone in the group is in the same boat: jilted by an ex-partner and struggling to cope. So over post-therapy drinks, the six divorcées come up with the brilliant idea to get a little payback of their own – Strangers-on-a-Train style, with each getting even on another’s behalf. Nothing serious – just enough to disrupt their former partner’s picture-perfect lives.

Emily is hesitant at first, but the more her old life spins away from her, the less she worries about her morals – plus, they agreed no one would get hurt.

But just when the group think they’ve pulled off the perfect petty crimes, one of the exes is found dead… and then another… and another…

With DI Rosa Hawkes on their case and the plan spiralling out of control, Emily doesn’t know who she can trust, and if divorce taught her anything, it’s that you can’t trust anyone, even the people you love. Especially the people you love. Let alone perfect strangers like these.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Othello Club by J.D. Pennington. The Othello Club is published by Datura Books today (that’s Tuesday, 14th October 2025) and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free ARC of The Othello Club but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Christiana at Datura Books for sending me a finished copy.

Emily had a life that many of her friends envied. That was until her husband, Dan, had an affair and broke her heart. She lost everything: her house, her job, her husband, and the hope of a happy, contented future. Feeling like she’s starting over again, she finds herself in a divorce support group, surrounded by five other newly single, angry, heartbroken people. One night after a counselling session, the group end up in the pub. Slightly tipsy, they agree to exact revenge on their exes. Nothing too serious, just mess with them a little. Cause a little chaos in their lives. They all agree to it on one proviso: no one gets hurt. And it was all going so well. Until the first body turned up…

The Othello Club is a cracking read! An accomplished debut thriller that has the reader on the edge of their seat from the moment Emily discovers the truth about her marriage, all the way through to the cinematic denouement. It’s a little bit bonkers, but oh my gosh, I was 100% there for it. Loving every twisted moment, every shocking reveal. I’ll be completely honest with you, I did read a book with a similar plot earlier this year, but The Othello Club is so much better. More assured in its delivery, a more engaging plot and the characters in this book I found more interesting. This is a book that I struggled to put down. And when I did have to walk away from it, I was desperate to return to the story.

Emily’s world is turned upside down by the discovery of her husband’s affair. That in itself sounds traumatic, but you don’t really know the half of it! She joins the divorce support group, an eclectic group of people led by Malcolm, the counsellor, in order to start rebuilding her life. Each member of the group has their own story, a tale of heartbreak and sorrow. They’re all undeniably angry, jealous of their exes’ new partner and unable to move forward with their lives. Each of the main characters is well-written, they all add something to the story, and it’s easy to keep track of who everyone is, along with their exes and new beaus. I found Emily a little naïve but I think her naivety, her desire to do the right thing, helps build the story. I didn’t particularly warm to her but I did feel a lot of empathy for her. She is a GREAT lead character.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent with The Othello Club, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more by this author in the future. I was delighted to see the book is being made into a Paramount+ series. I, for one, will certainly be tuning in. The Othello Club is a dark and engaging revenge thriller that kept me captivated from start to finish. I really enjoyed the fast pace of the book, with something always happening. The twists and turns were shocking, and I certainly wasn’t able to guess who was behind it all. The reveal was drenched in tension, and the denouement was beautifully cinematic (I hope Paramount+ do it justice – it’s glorious in the book!). All in all, The Othello Club is an addictive read with plenty of tension, thrills, and a premise that will have you hooked. A blisteringly good debut from an author to watch. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of The Othello Club. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Othello Club by J.D. Pennington was published in the UK by Datura Books on 14th October 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

J.D. Pennington is an award-winning creative director and copywriter with over twenty years of experience in film and television advertising, creating campaigns for major studios and leading independents.

A native of Merseyside, he lives in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, with his wife, two children and a mischievous Patterjack terrier. The Othello Club is his first novel. It has been developed and adapted for television by Gaumont for Paramount+, and is currently filming.