I've read and enjoyed most of Ruth Ware's previous novels -- some more than others. But I believe The It Girl is the one I've enjoyed most.

At some point in our lives most of us have belonged to a group of friends similar to that which she describes and around which the novel revolves -- if not in school then perhaps in the military, at work or in some other communal faction.

And, at the center of this group there was likely a person similar to April Clarke-Cliveden, a person to whom everyone turned for fun, for advice or just as the de facto leader. This group may not have been an exact copy of Ware's group, and the April character might have lacked her beauty, money and other attributes. But there will have been sufficient familiarity for you to relate, as I did, to the characters in this novel and their history.

This is so especially if that central character (or perhaps one of the others) suffered a tragic death or disappointed everyone in a significant manner.

The story alternates in chapters from past to present, introducing the characters -- Hannah, Will, Ryan, Emily and Hugh -- and how their friendship and April's murder affects them over the years.

A decade after the murder, as Hannah and Will are anticipating the birth of their first child, the man convicted of killing April dies in prison, resurrecting the horror of their loss for the group of friends and has Hannah questioning the evidence she gave at the murder trial.

The It Girl is a gripping tale that kept me flipping pages to see what happens next. The final twist wasn't a complete surprise but is neatly handled.