YOU FIND OUT WHO DID IT ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE. ON THE LAST PAGE, YOU’LL FIND OUT WHY…

From the very get go this is a book that will grab hold of your imagination and not let go until you turn that last page.

This is the first book of Jo Spain’s that I have read and I now have her next book ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ on pre-order and if this book is anything to go by I can’t wait.

It is quite hard to review this one without giving anything away and I would hate to ruin it for anyone, it is one of those books that you need to read and discover for yourselves and let the twists and turns make your head spin with no outside influence!

With an opening like this –

“It’s the first spray of my husband’s blood hitting the television screen that will haunt me in the weeks to come – a perfect diagonal splash, each droplet descending like a vivid red tear.

That, and the sound of his skull cracking as the blows from the golf club rain down”

It makes sure it has your attention straight off the bat, or should that be club? 😂

Some brilliantly crafted characters and some wonderfully written intrigue this is one for any fan of this psychological thriller genre. I just wish I had read this one sooner and Jo Spain’s other books will now be heading to my ever-increasing tbr pile!

A big thank you to the author Jo Spain, publishers Quercus Books, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/the-confession-by-jo-spain/ ( )

Very well plotted psychological thriller, that set Jo Spain on a writing spree and fame. This is no whodunnit – we know from the opening scene who has done it (JP), who feels guilty because she did nothing to stop it (Julie, the wife) and who was bludgeoned to death with a golf club ('dirty' Harry, the filthy rich banker who escaped prosecution over the 2008 banking crash). And yet, the thriller is written in such a way as to keep you going, revealing layer after layer of filth, while both the investigating Guarda Police team (Alice and her burly boss), the perpetrator (JP, who brought up his sister so lovingly, only to lose her in a hit and run car accident) and Julie the betrayed housewife, grow on you. The plot is unveiled through a narrative with alternating POVs (that of Alice, the Guarda investigator), Julie and JP. Piecemeal we get the backstory and all leads up to that one moment – JP in a mental hospital, meeting his ‘victim’ Julie, whereby JP tries to explain how he exacted retribution for Harry reneging on his responsibility (by killing him and not being held accountable) and Julie adding the final twist, a confession, which leaves everyone devastated. Well written, fast, cleverly revealing tit bits of clues until the very end (so different from the doctored best sellers where as a reader you know you are being withheld crucial info for the sake of the plot). Definitely will read more by this gifted thriller writer. ( )

Ganska så standard. Vill vara smart och nytänkande men det fungerar sådär. ( )

Talk about an opening. Wow. Julie McNamara witnesses her husband, Harry, being beaten nearly to death in their living room with a golf club. She watches, helpless, and escapes without a scratch. The first question I asked myself is, why? Why was the back door unlocked to an intruder? Why hadn’t Julie tried to save her husband? And what is her connection to JP Carney, the man who turns himself in shortly after the incident? I suspected a love triangle. I figured Julie wasn’t so innocent, but the story unfolds in an unforeseeable way.

Told from the viewpoints of Julie—Harry’s wife, JP Carney—the attacker, and Alice—the detective, who serves to move the plot forward without really getting too procedural, The Confession moves back and forth in time. From Harry and Julie’s first meeting to JP’s childhood with his sister, Charlie, and their neglectful parents, back to present day where Alice struggles to figure out the connection between JP and Harry. I give the author credit for rarely losing me. I knew, mostly, who was who and when was when. It’s a big story. TWO big stories, really, and for as little procedural purpose as Alice and the other detectives serve, I almost could’ve done without the third viewpoint. And therein lies the rub.

The storyline hinges on the past and the writer has chosen a narrative voice that I couldn’t connect with beyond the first chapter. She hangs up on Harry’s banking industry misdeeds, which, sadly, have nothing too much to do with the resolution of the central conflict—why did JP attack Harry?

The business bit is dry and unimportant, other than to prove that Harry is a man who deals in blurred lines. His questionable business ethic, his infidelity… he’s a real SOB, and Julie acknowledges this. Her willingness to stay married to Harry anyway makes me have far less sympathy for her. Julie is no victim, nor is Harry, and had it not been for JP, who is supposed to maybe be the villain, I’d have probably liked this book even less than I do.

Overall, The Confession is a pretty straightforward story. It went where I expected it to, if I was thinking in a linear manner. I concocted several twists I wish had been part of the story if only for there to have been some higher stakes. I just couldn’t invest myself in such an unlikable and uninteresting cast. Julie, in particular, grated on me. Her waffling between independence and privilege—only to ultimately cave to being a drunken housewife… UGH. I’m tired of drunk as a trope. I’m sick of wealthy philanderers. Like I said, I didn’t really feel like I connected with The Confession, and not all stories click with every reader. I’d rate this one a 2.5, but the ending is a slick ode to the double-entendre that is The Confession. It isn’t only JP’s confession to the police, but Harry’s to Julie, and Julie’s to herself… I wish the rest of the book had lived up to its ending. Three reluctant stars.
( )

If you really want to read this book, then do it. I'm in the minority when it comes to my opinion of this book. Personally, I had a hard time getting into the book and I grew more and more frustrated with both the story and the characters. I skimmed half the book just to get to the twist in the story, but they left me cold. I think that one of the reasons for me not liking the book is that I just didn't give a damn about the characters and reading about their past, JP (the attacker) tragic upbringing, and Julie (the wife) naive marriage. I was not enjoying this pity party and I grew more and more annoyed with them. Then, we have the police POV (Alice) to add to the drama, which instead just added one more character that I didn't find interesting to the story.

So, why did I finish the book? I just wanted to know what the BIG thing was. Why he did it. So, I skimmed the book, which worked quite well actually, I got the gist, was not impressed, and can now move on.

As I said before this book is well-liked with a LOT of 5-star reviews, it's just me negative Nancy that couldn't stand the book! ( )