Title: The Confession
Author: Jo Spain
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: January 11th 2018
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Finished reading: August 21st 2018
Pages: 288

“But here’s the thing about fairytales. Sometimes they’re darker than you can ever imagine.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

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Fellow book bloggers have been saying I need to try out Jo Spain‘s work for years, but somehow other pending books always got in the way. So when I had the chance to receive an ARC of her newest title The Confession, of course I jumped at it. A lot of people will know this title with a different cover, published back in January, but I actually really like this version and how well it fits the story. Scheduled to be published early next month! I went in with an open mind and found myself really surprised by what I found. The first thing that stands out is the writing style, which is solid, engaging and draws you right in. That and the fact that you find out the identity of the suspect right in the beginning. Talk about unusual! But somehow it The Confession it really works. Because while you know the who, you are completely left in the dark about the why until the very end. Plot twists and false leads will take you on a journey through the lives of both suspect, victim and those trying to solve the case. Very cleverly done! I had my guesses about how it all fitted in, but I definitely didn’t see the final reveal coming. The characters themselves are not exactly likeable, but well developed and feel real. My only problem would be with the cops Moody and Gallagher, who I both found to be arrogant and frustratingly annoying (especially Gallagher). And despite other minor annoyances, this was still a very solid psychological thriller. Well crafted, clever and creative… Three little words will make you want to keep on reading until the very end: WHY? Not your typical psychological thriller, but oh so good.

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The life of the wealthy McNamara couple changes forever when a man walks into their home and brutally attacks Harry while his wife Julie is watching. Not an hour later, the attacker J.P. Carney hands himself in to the police and confesses… Although also claiming he didn’t know the identity of his victim nor was his attack premeditated. But disgraced banker Harry had just been found innocent in a highly sensationalized fraud trial, so can this really be true? Was this an act driven by temporary insanity, or is something more sinister going on?

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Normally, finding out the who behind an attack or murder is one of the main drives of a crime thriller. So how can The Confession work that well if we know who did it right away? It has to do with both the well crafted plot and the also important question ‘why’. We may know the who, but readers are left clueless when it comes to the reason behind this attack. What secrets are J.P., Harry and Julie hiding? What connects them? Why was Harry attacked? Oh yes, you will keep wondering why, why, why as you keep turning pages and encountering the next clever twist. A very solid read indeed!

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