This is my first Nicci French and Frieda Klein book. It is #5 in the series, but it was the first one I spotted, so I grabbed it. I was able to enjoy the story and follow it as it is a different problem Frieda, but there is some history about Klein that is built in the previous three books that I didn't know about. Frieda is an interesting main character. She is hard-hearted and keeps her distant emotionally from people making it hard to connect with her. At the same you can see she cares about her loved ones and will risk a lot to help them. The fact she is the one convicted of being the murderer and the victim is her Ex lover adds to the tension of Frieda needing to figure out who actually murdered him. She has an eclectic group of allies who are very loyal to her. I liked Josef and Ileana and Mira. Ethan is adorable. It is fast paced and an exciting read. I hope my library has the other books.

En dan komt nu de crisis, ik heb de volgende niet klaar liggen

Friday On My Mind is the fifth in Nicci French’s series that features psychotherapist Frieda Klein as our amateur sleuth, set in London. Frieda is not the most likeable character, to be honest, but I adore her. She is pretty much incapable of lying to anyone, which isn’t always the best tack, especially when someone is trying to kill you. It is helpful, but not totally necessary, to have read the previous four books, because there is a lot of backstory, especially about her Scooby gang of friends and helpers. While Frieda can alienate a lot of people with her abrasive personality, her friends are fiercely loyal to her, and they are wonderful in all kinds of ways.


In Friday, a bloated corpse is found floating in the Thames, unrecognizable except for a hospital band around his wrist with the words “Dr. F. Klein”. The dead man is eventually identified as Sandy, whom readers of previous books will remember as an ex lover, and Frieda soon becomes the main suspect in his murder.


While she maintains her innocence, she has lost some credibility with the London police. I won’t get too far into it, but there is a running story line where a man is stalking Frieda that everyone believes is dead… so the police are a little tired of answering her wolf cries. When she believes the police are closing in while ignoring other clues, Frieda goes on the run to solve the mystery herself.


This is a fun series that I really enjoy. There is a psychological aspect that in always interesting. Also, London! I recommend them if you enjoy mystery series that are more bloody than cozy but still not disturbing or overly graphic.

This is the fifth book in a crime series about Frieda Klein, a psychoanalyst in London. I would suggest reading them in order to get the most out of the recurring characters' development plus the thread that runs through all of these. However, there are no cliffhangers, and it would work as a standalone thriller.
In this one, Frieda becomes the prime suspect in a murder case and decides to go on the run and find out who the true culprit is. I love this series, but Frieda is an acquired taste. She can come across as terribly aloof, is exceptionally calm and collected at all times and fiercely independent. However, she has a great circle of friends, such as Joseph, a Croatian builder, and DCI Malcolm Karlsson, who help her. Fast-paced and engaging, this is a really enjoyable story. The audiobook narration is fantastic. Looking forward to the next one.

Friday on my Mind by Nicci French is a 2015 Penguin publication.

This is the fifth book in the Frieda Klein series.

This book started off with a real shocker! Frieda’s former lover is found murdered and so naturally, Frieda becomes the prime suspect in his death.

Instead of going through the due process, Frieda goes AWOL, sliding just under the radar and one step ahead of the cops, while she investigates the murder. But, it soon becomes clear that Frieda could be a target, and must tread very carefully.


The developments that took place in the book four was the segue into book five, but I never could have imagined things turning out like this.

I thought Frieda did the right thing by avoiding arrest and taking the risks she did. Once the police hone in on her as a suspect, they were like a dog with a bone, refusing to open their minds to other possibilities. If something like this happened for real, Frieda would probably have been sent up the river, innocent or not.

However, her actions do cause some problems for her friends, and for Karlsson, who gets stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The revelations that came out during the investigation totally blindsided me! Wow, who could have seen THAT coming!!

I read this installment at warp speed, so I guess I was really into it this time around. The ending was truly chilling and literally sent a shiver down my spine.

Overall, I thought this chapter in the series was a lot better than the last. Now if I could only find a copy of the sixth book somewhere, I’ll be set to go.

4 stars

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

This is the best book of the Frieda Klein series thus far. Frieda is still a cold unlikeable character but thankfully we got POVs from other characters in this book so we got a break from her.

As with the previous books, the plot lines are very farfetched, some character development of secondary characters made no sense, and elements of the story were unbelievable but it was an entertaining thriller.