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In distinction, another reviewer lauded the guide as “phenomenal” and asserted: “If you read one book before the year ends I 100% recommend this one!”, reviews the Express.

A 3rd esteemed critic wrote: “A BRILLIANT dark and twisty psychological thriller and hands down one of my top reads of the year. Such an intriguing hook, masterful plotting, and an eclectic array of characters who get under your skin and will have you constantly changing your mind. Also loved the creeping sense of unease that builds to a tense and shocking finale.”

Meanwhile, a fourth reviewer awarded the novel a excellent 5/5 stars, headlining their review: “Hooked, gripping page turner!” They continued: “The final twist has me very much looking forwards to what’s more to come from this wordy, on trend author!” Another hailed it as an “excellent read” and famous: “The only problem with this book is that it’s impossible to put down! ! Totally hooked from the first page. Great plot. Loved it.”

J.D. Pennington’s The Othello Club arrived in bookstores in October 2025 and follows a group of bitter divorcees plotting revenge for their damaged hearts. The six strangers, introduced together through a divorce assist group, come from utterly different backgrounds, each bearing their own emotional wounds with only their pain binding them together.

What begins as harmless pranks, including rodent infestations and pretend tarot card readings, quickly escalates into a lethal accident, leaving the group with blood on their fingers. The members grow to be more and more daring in their plots as the road between revenge and insanity begins to blur – and somebody would possibly just go too far.

Paramount+ has tailored the novel into The Revenge Club, that includes a star-studded solid that contains Douglas Henshall from Shetland, Martin Compston of Line of Duty fame, Aimee-Ffion Edwards from Peaky Blinders, Meera Syal of Goodness Gracious Me, Sharon Rooney from Black Mirror, Chaneil Kular of intimacy Education, Amit Shah from Happy Valley, and Niamh Walsh of Jamestown.

Speaking about the journey from guide to screen, writer and govt producer Pennington said: “Obviously there was a divergence from the book and the TV series which is inevitable in the adaptation process. But the way I see it is the readers of my book will get one experience out of it, and then they’ll get a new experience out of watching the series, which is still true to the book, but there’ll be some new, unexpected twists and plot points that they can enjoy through that as well.”

Pennington added: “Then of course anyone who hasn’t read the book it doesn’t make any difference, they can just enjoy the series.”

Screenwriter Gabbie Asher shared her ideas on adapting the guide for the small screen, stating: “I kept the brilliant central concept from the book, the six divorcees meeting and making a revenge pact. But beyond that, everything was created specifically for TV: the characters, the relationships and the way the story evolves because it does become something else and if anyone reads the book it’s fantastic, it would have been very difficult to take it as it is, for various reasons – I don’t want to do spoilers – but that would have been quite challenging.”

She continued: “So we tried to take as much of the essence as possible, and so rather than faithfully adapting every element it just used the concept as a launching pad to explore the themes of pain, betrayal and what people are capable of when they’re pushed to their limits.”

Asher also disclosed how she effortlessly penned the script after studying the novel, finishing the screenplay for the pilot episode in a mere three weeks.

The Revenge Club is set to make its debut on Paramount+ UK & Ireland on December twelfth.