Title: Who Did You Tell?
Author: Lesley Kara
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Women’s Fiction
We said to keep it a secret, that no one needed to know.
Astrid is newly sober and trying to turn her life around. Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and darkness of her previous life , she is focusing on her recovery. She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged. If she fills her days, maybe she can outrun the ghosts that haunt her. Maybe she can start anew.
But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.
Someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected. Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . .
The question is: Who did you tell?
Why This Book
Who Did You Tell? was a fascinatingly strange novel. Half mystery, half women’s fiction, if you don’t know what you’re reading, it feels odd. But, if you really think about it, the combination isn’t terrible. It was interesting to see how these two genres were linked together to follow a young woman who is recovering from alcoholism.
While this novel doesn’t have much alcohol consumption, it is focused around what can go wrong when one becomes an alcoholic. In this case, Astrid is living back with her mother and attending AA meetings, trying to recover from a past that doesn’t want to let her go, and it was all because of her drinking problem.
Reviews
My review: “Overall, I found this to be an interesting mix of Women’s Fiction and Mystery and Thriller. I don’t feel it meshed as well as it could have. But I did appreciate that the story felt like it was unfolding mostly organically. At least, it was driven by a woman who wasn’t completely stable, which made it interesting”
Travelling Book Junkie said “Lesley has this amazing ability to add a twist to the narrative that you never see coming. There are little clues throughout, but it’s the sudden giving of information that shocks you into yet again reflecting on the story so far”
Mrs B’s Book Reviews gave this 4 stars, saying “Punishment, secrets, lies, redemption, broken lives and the pressure to keep yourself above board all gyrate around Who Did You Tell?, a perplexing contemporary thriller”
Book Talk & More with Kathy gave this a B rating, saying “Who Did You Tell? is a riveting mystery with a likable lead protagonist. Astrid’s struggles in her new life are authentic and easy to relate to. With plenty of tension and suspense, Lesley Kara brings this intriguing mystery to a twist-filled yet slightly predictable conclusion”
Emma’s Biblio Treasures gave this 4 stars, saying “Dealing with a central theme of alcoholism and addiction, this is an emotional read in places. The author has clearly done her research and captured the daily battles that are faced by a recovering alcoholic and the devastating effects on their life, friends and family in a way that was honest, real and raw”
Purchase Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Waterstones (UK) | Booktopia (Australia) | Audible | Google Books | Thrift Books | Abe Books | Books-A-Million | !ndigo (Canada) | Book Depository | Blackwell’s (UK) | Fully Booked (Phillipines) | Audiobooks | Dymocks(Australia)
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