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monchandtherats's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
More of a character study than a murder mystery, and with unlikeable characters it was hard to get through until the last maybe 2 hours when it all came together.
Some beautiful writing though!
Some beautiful writing though!
aliecarter's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
debtat2's review
5.0
My first review of 2019, and I couldn’t have asked for a better book than this to start the new year off with!
I have read a fair few of Gillian McAllister’s books and throughly enjoyed every one but this one is her best one to date. The only reason it took me this long to finish was down to a pretty nasty flare up of my ME and I am still recovering so I will leave a much much better review once I am fully back on my feet so to speak!
For now all I will say is – This book is her best one yet! If you have read her previous novels then you will know that that is saying an awful lot!
I will come back and leave a proper review once I am back on my feet so to speak!
The Evidence Against You will be released on April 18, 2019 can is available to pre-order now
Many thanks to the author Gillian McAllister, publishers Penguin UK – Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.
https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/the-evidence-against-you-by-gillian-mcallister/
I have read a fair few of Gillian McAllister’s books and throughly enjoyed every one but this one is her best one to date. The only reason it took me this long to finish was down to a pretty nasty flare up of my ME and I am still recovering so I will leave a much much better review once I am fully back on my feet so to speak!
For now all I will say is – This book is her best one yet! If you have read her previous novels then you will know that that is saying an awful lot!
I will come back and leave a proper review once I am back on my feet so to speak!
The Evidence Against You will be released on April 18, 2019 can is available to pre-order now
Many thanks to the author Gillian McAllister, publishers Penguin UK – Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.
https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/the-evidence-against-you-by-gillian-mcallister/
indoorg1rl's review against another edition
3.5
Izzy English’s father, the man who gave her a childhood filled with happy memories, was about to be released from jail after serving seventeen years for the murder of her mother. Now, he wanted to talk to Izzy, to claim his innocence and defend himself against each evidence. Was he not guilty, or was he dangerous and luring her into a trap?
The premise of this was good - I had a high expectation from the synopsis alone. Unfortunately, it had a very slow start. It took a very long time to get to the suspense. The whispery narration style was also not my preference. Not sure if it was due to production quality, but I had to listen hard even with the audio cranked up to maximum volume.
Having said all that, the ending made up for it. When Izzy finally got over her inner uncertainties, I finally felt a connection. I noted down that chapter 60 onwards finally hooked me, and the story turned into something I really enjoyed.
achi1's review
5.0
Thrilling, emotional, and bitter-sweet.
I fell in love midway through Chapter 1. You can tell Izzy is anxious that her convicted father is about to be released from prison, but you don't quite know the full extent of what happened. Telling it from Izzy's perspective is interesting because she was withdrawn back then and thus has a limited view. I loved the bits with rotating timelines, going between the present and 18 years ago as we slowly unfold the relevant key moments.
Loved the writing style. Keeps you guessing but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger which I find annoying sometimes. At times I was certain (a certain character) was the actual killer, and reading another chapter or two, I became convinced (that certain character) was innocent and (another character) was to be blamed when key info was revealed.
Love, love, love the ending and how all loose ends are tied up. My guess wasn't even close, but I can't think of a better way to end this. Love to re-read this again sometime.
I fell in love midway through Chapter 1. You can tell Izzy is anxious that her convicted father is about to be released from prison, but you don't quite know the full extent of what happened. Telling it from Izzy's perspective is interesting because she was withdrawn back then and thus has a limited view. I loved the bits with rotating timelines, going between the present and 18 years ago as we slowly unfold the relevant key moments.
Loved the writing style. Keeps you guessing but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger which I find annoying sometimes. At times I was certain (a certain character) was the actual killer, and reading another chapter or two, I became convinced (that certain character) was innocent and (another character) was to be blamed when key info was revealed.
Love, love, love the ending and how all loose ends are tied up. My guess wasn't even close, but I can't think of a better way to end this. Love to re-read this again sometime.
nickmasters's review
5.0
Another great novel by Gillian McAllister! Once again we take a wild journey through the grey areas of human nature, being asked the difficult question in life on morality, love, trust, faith, and redemption.
Gillian’s way of portraying a characters emotions and thoughts is really something special. Mix that in with a heavy dose of suspense and you have yourself a great read.
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK for a review copy.
Gillian’s way of portraying a characters emotions and thoughts is really something special. Mix that in with a heavy dose of suspense and you have yourself a great read.
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin UK for a review copy.
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for one of the best books I’ve read this year! Massive thanks to Livvi Thomas and Penguin for having me on the tour and sending me a beautiful proof copy!
Izzy’s father is sweet and supportive. Izzy’s father is charming. Izzy’s father is a convicted murderer. Or is he? Maybe he’s just an innocent man convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? Izzy isn’t sure, and neither was I. I went from being absolutely certain that Gabe English killed his wife to being not that sure at all, from really liking him to really distrusting him, all in the span of a chapter.
With her father out of jail, Izzy starts remembering things, events, actions, that she had forgotten about, like her parents rowing all the time. And there are inconsistencies and discrepancies between what she’s remembering and what her father is telling her about the weeks preceding her mother’s murder. Who is right? While Izzy is trying to make sense of everything, going through boxes filled with old documents, bank statements and receipts, going over the evidence used against her dad, trying to find out if there might be evidence to exonerate her dad, I was right there beside her, doing the same. The thing is that there is just so much evidence against Gabe. It made me wonder whether there was too much evidence, that it was wrapped up too neatly, that maybe was Gabe framed. On the other hand maybe all the evidence just pointed to the obvious: that Gabe was guilty as sin. It drove me to madness, it did! I could not for the life of me make up my mind, guilty or not guilty. (I would be the worst person to sit on a jury, I’m sure 😂)
What got to me and made me incredibly sad was the tragedy of Izzy’s life that I read between the lines of the thriller: Izzy did not only lose her mum but also her dad and she could never even properly grieve for him because she blamed him for having no mum. And so she has no real family. And so she’s become obsessed with the idea of family, a random American family she’s following on Instagram, the family next door, the family she’s denying herself because how could she ever be a mum after all that’s happened. Izzy has been stuck for years, incapable of living her life to the fullest, much like her dad was in prison. The Evidence Against You also made me think about the justice system and its flaws, how can we be sure justice has been served, how can one prove a miscarriage of justice, how are long-time convicts supposed to cope on the outside? I actually learned quite a lot, and it had me googling the Belgian legal system as well.
I was hooked very early on, counting the minutes until I could continue reading, thinking about Izzy in between reading sessions, wondering about Gabe. Rather short chapters tell Izzy’s story, interspersed with Gabe’s account of the last weeks of his wife’s life and lead to a finale that had me in tears. Reading The Evidence Against You was like waiting for a thunder storm to hit, the air crackling with tension. When lightning finally hit, it had me scurrying for cover. And a handkerchief.
A dramatic, thought-provoking thriller with a heart, highly recommended.
Izzy’s father is sweet and supportive. Izzy’s father is charming. Izzy’s father is a convicted murderer. Or is he? Maybe he’s just an innocent man convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? Izzy isn’t sure, and neither was I. I went from being absolutely certain that Gabe English killed his wife to being not that sure at all, from really liking him to really distrusting him, all in the span of a chapter.
With her father out of jail, Izzy starts remembering things, events, actions, that she had forgotten about, like her parents rowing all the time. And there are inconsistencies and discrepancies between what she’s remembering and what her father is telling her about the weeks preceding her mother’s murder. Who is right? While Izzy is trying to make sense of everything, going through boxes filled with old documents, bank statements and receipts, going over the evidence used against her dad, trying to find out if there might be evidence to exonerate her dad, I was right there beside her, doing the same. The thing is that there is just so much evidence against Gabe. It made me wonder whether there was too much evidence, that it was wrapped up too neatly, that maybe was Gabe framed. On the other hand maybe all the evidence just pointed to the obvious: that Gabe was guilty as sin. It drove me to madness, it did! I could not for the life of me make up my mind, guilty or not guilty. (I would be the worst person to sit on a jury, I’m sure 😂)
What got to me and made me incredibly sad was the tragedy of Izzy’s life that I read between the lines of the thriller: Izzy did not only lose her mum but also her dad and she could never even properly grieve for him because she blamed him for having no mum. And so she has no real family. And so she’s become obsessed with the idea of family, a random American family she’s following on Instagram, the family next door, the family she’s denying herself because how could she ever be a mum after all that’s happened. Izzy has been stuck for years, incapable of living her life to the fullest, much like her dad was in prison. The Evidence Against You also made me think about the justice system and its flaws, how can we be sure justice has been served, how can one prove a miscarriage of justice, how are long-time convicts supposed to cope on the outside? I actually learned quite a lot, and it had me googling the Belgian legal system as well.
I was hooked very early on, counting the minutes until I could continue reading, thinking about Izzy in between reading sessions, wondering about Gabe. Rather short chapters tell Izzy’s story, interspersed with Gabe’s account of the last weeks of his wife’s life and lead to a finale that had me in tears. Reading The Evidence Against You was like waiting for a thunder storm to hit, the air crackling with tension. When lightning finally hit, it had me scurrying for cover. And a handkerchief.
A dramatic, thought-provoking thriller with a heart, highly recommended.
naomi_jewitt's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
chloerebecca974's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0