Breathtakingly addictive to read!!!

Opens with a murder and a confession. The plot then thickens and twists and turns to reveal the motive behind the attack and the depth to which some people go for revenge.
I could not put this book down. Great read- seamless storyline!

J P Carney (JP) walks into a Police Station and says he has murdered a man who he professes not to know and says he had no reason for doing so. The man,(Harry McNamara), dies leaving a traumatised wife (Julie). He was a successful, well known businessman not, however, without form. Recently he had been found not guilt of counts of financial fraud when his Company had gone to the wall. Det Sergeant (Alice) Moody's task is to fathom out what happened and why. Could JP really have not known him or is he feigning amnesia? What was the motive for the attack?
The book neatly unfolds the story by devoting successive chapters to the thoughts of the accused, the widow and the detective. The history of a seemingly happily married couple is not entirely what it seems. JP is something of a loner devoted to the care of his younger sister. Alice looks for links, not with total success. 5 years after the event the widow asks to meet the killer, who is detained in a mental institution. Will this lead to a confession, will there be a reconciliation or something else? The book, thoughtfully written encourages the reader to think about what has happened and why as it builds neatly to a climax when JP and Julie meet. What happens? You will need to read the book to find out. I recommend that you do this. .

Fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyed, totally unpredictable. Highly recommend. Will look out for more books by this author

Harry McNamara and his wife are enjoying a quiet night in after a trying and difficult period if their lives when a man unknown to them walks into their home and launches a devastating attack on Harry while his wife Julie looks on in shock and fear. Within a few hours the attacker, JP Carney hands himself into the Garda. Case closed? Nope because this is just the first few pages. this isn't a case of who but why it was done....and it isn't just JP that has things to confess.....

This starts off blindingly well, it literally hooks you right in. The story is told from three points of view, JPs, Julie's and Detective Moody, a woman who doesn't trust the tidiness of the case before he. She's sure there's more to it, and of course she's right. This is a great story from start to finish. There is a little bit of lag in some parts and I'm sorry to say that would be the detectives side of the story. I say sorry to say as I really liked her as a character! But she's superfluous to this story and in fact deserves her own story rather than been a supporting character. A gripping and well written tale.

This book was amazing, it starts with a seemingly motiveless crime and moves backwards to the end. Flipping between narrators, each with their own distinct voice, you quickly realise that 'The Confession' of the title is n it limited to the one individual ,it is all of them with different secrets to unravel. Very clever and intriguing, thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in return for an honest review.

A man walks into the living room of wealthy banker Harry McNamara and his wife, Julie, one evening while they are watching TV and is beaten to an inch of his life, while Julie, frozen with shock, does nothing. Within the hour, the attacker, JP Carney, hands himself into the police and confesses to his crime.

This is the scene set at the very beginning of the book. So, of course, we know who did it. What we, the readers, need to now know, is why.

DS Alice Moody and her team investigate what possible motive, JP Carney might have. McNamara was a wealthy owner of a bank, accused...but cleared...of fraud a few years earlier, one who came out of an economic collapse somewhat unscathed and probably with an arm’s-length list of enemies. Is JP one such embittered enemy that he was forced to commit a life-sentencing crime? What possible other motive could he have?

This is an outstanding psychological thriller…a whodunnit in reverse. Everything about it was on point: the plot (twists, turns, roundabouts right to the end), the writing (sharp, precise, real), the characters (I loved the dynamic of the police team, and Spain has a talent of making you feel a gamut of emotions for characters whom you expect to hate), the dialogue (credible, witty, charged, dramatic, poignant). It was tense, absorbing and faultlessly gripping.

The chapters are shared by three POVs: DS Alice Moody, JP and Julie. And we have to discover how a loyalty stretched to its limit, an abusive and neglectful childhood, grief and dishonesty play their part in a carefully planned murder.

If all Jo Spain’s novels have you hooked from page one like this one, then I’m looking forward to reading more by this talented author.

I loved this book and I envy anyone who has not read it because you have the pleasure to come. It was a rollercoaster of a book that was so well thought out and very clever. It was great that it was written from 3 characters point of view and you knew who had committed the murder at the very beginning but then you went back into the real story. I did not want it to end. An absolute stunner of a book that will have you on the edge of your seat. You will not want to put it down!

This was a great read! Liked reading the story from the various perspectives and had various theories at different points that turned out to be incorrect, raced through this and enjoyed the whole thing - would recommend!

Harry and Julie are watching TV one night and a man walks in and attacks Harry with one of his own golf sticks whilst Julie sits frozen in fear. The culprit hands himself in a short while later - why did he do that and why did he choose this particular house? A twisty story to keep readers intrigued the whole way through as we discover why it all culminated in shocking violence. Disgraced banker Harry and wife Julie who has come to enjoy the luxuries in life are not the most likeable people it has to be said, but then again, neither is J P (John-Paul). Story told by Julie, J P and Alice Moody, the detective. Certainly starts off with a bang and I loved it especially as it was a matter of finding out why and not who, did it. Definitely recommend it!

A brilliant psychological thriller where, unusually, you get to know the culprit right from the beginning. The story is then told by the 3 main characters – the killer, the victim’s wife and the detective investigating the case.. Kept me enthralled right from the first page.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

A very good ‘did he, didn’t he?’ thriller demonstrating that money can’t buy you happiness. Well written plot line but felt a little flat in places. A solid 3.5 stars

We know ‘whodunit’ (Lt Columbo stylee), even the police know thanks to the perpetrator handing himself in. However we don’t know why. Who’s the real baddy? The killer? The victim? The victim’s wife? You’ll have to make up your own mind. An interesting meaty read & I look forward to more from this author. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. Turns the usual thriller premise on its head, by revealing the perpetrator who hands himself in at the start, then unravelling the why through the narrative of the main characters. A really well though out plot that kept me turning the pages. I will certainly seek out more from this author.

A good thriller that keeps you guessing not about who did it, but about why. Skilfully drawn characters and a good read

The Confession is an unusual story in that the reader knows that a banker is beaten to death in front of his wife and the murderer hands himself in to the Garda. But why and what happens next?

I found this quite a difficult read; I wasn't drawn to any of the characters and whilst the plotting is complex, the pace was a bit hit and miss. There were sections where background detail added little to the plot development but interrupted the tension and I found it difficult to care much, one way or another. The dysfunctional marriage and the economic downturn in Eire is well portrayed. The change of narrative between character, past and present was seamless, in the main, but slow. It finished well, but I had little interest.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This book is a extremely, twisted, domestic thriller which grabs the reader from the very beginning. The twists and turns continue throughout until the breath-taking confession at the end. Cleverly written with a well-constructed plot and fascinating characters. My thanks to Net Galley and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Truly compelling murder mystery that got me hooked from the very beginning. Cleverly written from the view of the key characters individually.

Thank you for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review but unfortunately this was a DNF book for me. I found the switching from character to character to character a little annoying so it didn't flow well you didn't really get enough from the first 50% of the book that kept my interest enough to proceed any further.

the confession by Jo spain.
wow what a twister of a read. it was like a rollercoaster. with so many twists.
Harry McNamara is beaten to death. his wife Julie can only watch in horror. up Carney goes to the police to confess. why did he do it? did Julie have anything to do with it? Sergeant Dean Gallagher and Detective Alice Moody are on the case. an absolutely fantastic read. I had my suspicions about why. and I wanted to see if I was right. nope I was wrong. twist after twist. it wasn't what I thought at all. and I certainly didn't see that coming. what a shocker of a read. I liked the ending. 5*.

This is an ok thriller I suppose, except it somehow failed to thrill me. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason why this happened. It’s fairly well written, it weaves a reasonably decent plot and yet at times I felt like I was struggling to pick the book back up.

A well known banker is savagely beaten and left for dead in his own home, in front of his wife. The story is told from the perspective of 3 characters - the wife, the perpetrator and the detective. Normally I do enjoy different narrating voices, but this one fell flat for me. In fact, I failed to see any benefit of the detective’s voice for example. It didn’t add anything to the story.

I couldn’t empathise with any of the characters so I ended up not really caring about their fate.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.