loved this book! super gripping thriller that had me hooked from the start. I couldn't stop reading as I HAD to know how it ended! excellent storytelling

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.
But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.
The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder—did she trust the wrong person?
15 years later, Kit and Laura married are living under new names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

*4.5 stars*

From the get-go, let me warn you - this is a slow-burner. It does take some time to really get going but, believe me, the payoff is definitely worth making it to the end...

There have been a lot of psychological thriller in recent years that claim to be "the best thriller you have read in years..." This one may not necessarily top all those others, but what it does do very well is the following:

* A cast of characters that never really let you settle into thinking you know what they are all about. I never felt comfortable with any of them...and the secondary characters really shone in this story, rather than just being bit players to Kit and Laura...
* The level of discomfort in the storytelling was amazing. Certainly one of the better constructed thriller novels I have come across for a while.
* It made me ask myself questions - what would I do in these situations? How would I react to these things? And that is a real talent. I can be a little closed-off to the intricacies of story-telling sometimes, just wanting to get to the "thriller" bits, but this book did more than that for me and, I guess that is the ultimate compliment, no?

This is a highly-recommended novel, not just for the thriller/suspense crowd, but for those who love a good domestic drama/mystery as well.


Paul
ARH

Outstanding story which kept me captured right till the very last page.

A great read. I really enjoyed the characters, I admired Laura from the start and found her and Kit to be a great couple. I thought it was great how they supported Beth. I disliked Beths obsession with them from the start and felt I knew the characters well. To say I was shocked at the plot twists throughout this book would be an understatement. Definitely an insight into the insane things we do for love. You will not be disappointed in this book, if you love plot twists this book is for you.

This book was a slow burn. The first part was interesting, but then there was a huge reveal that changed the whole premise. Very good.

'He Said She Said' is an engrossing tale of secrets and subterfuge, twists and turns. The story keeps the reader on their toes from beginning to end. If you choose to read this book (and I highly recommend that you do), expect the unexpected! Thanks to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the ARC.

Laura and Kit’s attendance of the 1999 total eclipse at Lizard Point, Cornwall was to change their lives and not in a good way. The brutal attack Laura had witnessed had her reporting it to the police immediately – the ensuing court case affected both Laura and Kit, but also the victim and her accused.

Moving forward to 2015 and Laura and Kit were married, with Laura heavily pregnant and unable to travel when Kit headed off to the Faroe Islands to view another eclipse. A complete “eclipse chaser”, nevertheless Kit was prepared to remain at home if Laura had asked him to. But she didn’t – she wanted him to thrill in the event which caused such awe every time it was viewed.

Was the fear that Laura felt irrational? The impact of the attack some fifteen years prior was still being felt; and not just in the lives of Laura and Kit. But the uneasiness Laura felt wouldn’t leave her – what would happen? Was her paranoia just that?

He Said, She Said by Erin Kelly is a strange psychological thriller. It took me some time to get into – to work out what was happening and I was close to giving up on a couple of occasions, but did read to the end. I couldn’t feel a connection to the characters, which is never good. But there are many high ratings for He Said, She Said so therefore I still feel I can recommend it.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

Kit grew up following solar eclipses around the world with his father and he carries on the tradition with his girlfriend Laura. At one of these events, they witness the rape of Beth and testify on her behalf in court. It is the beginning of an uneasy relationship between all three that takes place in two time zones, one in 2015 and one back in 2000. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Laura and Kit this is an intriguing psychological mystery that holds the reader until the very last page. Kelly fully develops her characters and seamlessly weaves together both the past and present throughout the novel. I often find jumping back and forth in time zones jarring but not in this novel. The story is masterfully plotted with more subtlety than most books in this genre. It's complex but without being overly complicated. There are twists and turns in the narrative but none are gratuitous. A most satisfying and flawless read.

‘We dropped hands, and it was the last time everything was perfect.’

Laura Langrishe and her boyfriend Christopher ‘Kit’ McCall are at a festival in Cornwall celebrating the 1999 solar eclipse when Laura interrupts the apparent rape of Beth Taylor. The police are called, and a man named Jamie Balcombe is arrested. Beth is grateful to Laura and Kit. Once Jamie is convicted, Beth becomes even closer to Laura and Kit and showers them both with expensive gifts. But Beth’s behaviour changes, and Kit and Laura go to great lengths to distance themselves from her.

By 2015, Kit and Laura have changed their names and are living in the shadows. Laura is pregnant, and despite her fear of what might happen if Beth finds them, supports Kit as he travels overseas to witness another eclipse. Surely, Beth cannot find them, now?

’Memory, I was discovering, acts completely differently when you give it a little notice.’

The fifteen-year gap in the story is filled in as the narration shifts between Laura and Kit. Slowly, carefully, the whole story unfolds in stages as though it were phases of an eclipse.

Part way through the story, I thought I knew exactly how it was going to end. I was wrong. A shift in the story took me by surprise, and almost had me put the book down – never to be completed. I was annoyed, but kept reading. A few pages later, I was again engrossed in the story and while the shift still irritated, it took the story in a different (and ultimately more interesting) direction.

There are a number of twists and turns in this novel, obscuring the truth. Until the end. Why do people act the way that they do, and who can be believed?

If you like psychological thrillers, if you don’t mind the improbable as well as the possible, then you may also enjoy this novel. I did.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Book blurb...

Controversial, twisty, thought-provoking and always gripping: He Said/ She Said is the suspense novel for 2017.

Who do you believe?

He said it was consensual.

The woman said nothing.

But Laura saw it...

... didn't she?

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura and Kit interrupt something awful.

Laura is sure about what happened. Later, in a panic, she tells a little white lie - and four lives are changed irreparably.

When the victim turns up on their doorstep, her gratitude spills into dangerous obsession. Laura and Kit decide to run - but Beth knows they have pledged to see every eclipse together. They will never be able to entirely escape her.

As the next eclipse draws near, Laura must confront the fallout from what she saw in the darkness. Confessing will cost her marriage; keeping the secret might prove fatal.

But all secrets, sooner or later, will come to light.

My thoughts…

This story is about how one lie sets many more in motion, to the point that the entire relationship is based on deceit. Each character deceives the others. At first, the plot seemed a little obvious, until the story started unfolding and everything fell apart. No one is left unscathed.

I loved that the author used luna eclipses as they occurred over the years around the world. This was an effective devise that gave the characters a common interest and brought them together.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists in this story about obsession, lies and relationships. Well worth the read.