Well... that was full on! What a beginning and that ending as well.... speechless really.!

I can't believe I had this book for so long before I read it... started it this afternoon and between Australian Open matches I have just finished it. NetGalley tells me that publication date in Jan 25th but I saw this at the shops this morning.

Reading this book you know who the murderer is.. which I am not used to. What you don't know is why. The story goes back in the lives of the main characters.. Harry - the victim., Julie - his wife and JP - the murderer. I read this in a few hours so that tells you how engrossing the story is.. definitely one that I could not put down.

My first read by this author... certainly won't be the last.

Thanks to NetGalley via Quercia Books for a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions. I can't recommend this book more!!!

Right from the first page I was hooked. A stranger walks into your home, brutally stabs your husband, whispers in his ear as he leaves and then walks into the near the nearest police and turns himself in.
Full of secrets and lies, this gripping psychological thriller makes a satisfying read. Never sure who to believe, the reader is kept wondering right up until the final paragraph.
Excellent plot, well written and thoroughly recommended. With thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review

The Confession opens in shocking fashion: Harry and Julie McNamara are watching TV at home one evening when a strange man enters the house and brutally attacks Harry with a golf club. Harry's traumatised wife Julie, frozen in shock, is the only witness.

Some time later John Paul Carney walks into a police station, still covered in his victim's blood, and confesses to murdering a stranger during a temporary psychotic episode.

There's no doubt that JP is Harry's attacker. But neither he nor Julie are telling the whole story.

DS Alice Moody isn't convinced the case is quite as open-and-shut as it appears. Harry is a well-known figure - a wealthy banker recently cleared of fraud charges in a high profile court case. Is it really plausible that JP's attack was as random as he claims?

I found The Confession to be an incredibly intriguing and compulsive read. (I stayed up far too late trying to finish it!) In unravelling the truth we delve back into the complex history of Harry and Julie's marriage, and the troubled past of JP. Despite constant speculation, even by close to the end I had no real idea where the story was going... but was desperate to find out.

Highly recommended - this was my first book by Jo Spain, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

Review will also be posted on Amazon and my blog http://atickettoeverywhere.blogspot.co.uk.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this fabulous book.

Well-paced and brilliantly written – the book starts with a brutal attack in a wealthy couple’s home and then the story begins to unfold chapter by chapter and has you hooked after the prologue. I don't want to say too much as it will spoil it - just read it!

I will definitely be recommending to everyone to read.

I still prefer books without excessive swearing, so that spoiled it for me to some extend, but I did find the storyline intriguing. In particular wondering why he would go and confess straight away.

As soon as I read the blurb for this book it grabbed me - I was intrigued as to how the book would run and if I knew who did it, would it keep me gripped and entertained to the end- well now I have read it - yes- it definitely did!!

I loved the characters and the way the book was laid out with going from past to present with the different characters was easy to follow and I loved that was the way we got to see the story unfold.

I had mixed feelings about Julie's character, sometimes I felt sorry for her, sometimes I wanted to shake her, others I was angry with her, vary rarely does a character get my back up so much (so great writing there!!) and Harry, well he made my blood boil!

4.5 stars from me, loved the concept, loved the characters and plot - loved it - I am having a great start to 2018!! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads and Amazon

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a book of 3 parts - first it starts strong, hooks you in.

Then it lags a bit in the middle and one or two of the characters you started to like, suddenly you don’t and the story slows a bit.

Also I felt the chapters from the police perspective didn’t quite fit or we didn’t need so many of them.

Then the last third the book picks up again with the odd twist and turn and I sped read to the end.

Overall a steady ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Jo Spain, Quercus and Netgalley for an advance read copy.

Right from the beginning we know who the murderer was but not what his motive was - was it as he said a random attack? The story unfolds being told in chapters through three different people: the killer, the victim’s wife and the police officer. By reading it we build up a picture of the lives of the killer and the victim & his wife and also, to some extent, of the police investigation.

I was blown away with this book and gripped from the very start. Twists and turns throughout and even when you thought you had sussed it out another curve ball was thrown. Keeps you guessing right up to the end.

If going to work hadn’t got in the way I would have devoured this book in one sitting it was that good!!!

I was blown away by this book. It is set in post Celtic-Tiger crash Dublin and is an ingeniously plotted and carefully crafted psychological thriller where we find out whodunit on the very first page. What follows is a wonderful game of cat and mouse where we discover what links disgraced banker Harry McNamara and JP Carney and what led to JP appearing in the home Harry shares with his wife, Julie and attacking Harry with a golf club.

The Confession is a novel which is told backwards, first we have the attack then we learn the back story. There is mystery at the heart of this book; not only in the crime but in the secrets that Julie is keeping. Jo Spain writes a slow building narrative that explores the relationship between Julie and Harry and the many facets of their marriage. He is a successful banker who is seen as being partly responsible for the economic crash in Ireland whilst she is his beautiful and glamorous wife, but scratch the surface and things are not as perfect as they seem.

Jo Spain uses some of my favourite narrative devices in The Confession with both a dual timeline and dual narrative showing us JP and Julie’s viewpoints and their histories. Both techniques are excellently executed and the pacing is wonderful allowing their stories to unfurl slowly. I tried very hard to second guess what was going to happen and in the end decided to let Jo Spain weave her magic and enjoy the ride.

This is an ingeniously plotted novel with some clever twists and perceptive insights into relationships and humans. It is sad in places and I applaud Jo Spain for writing these sections so sensitively and she is unafraid to explore dark subject matter to get to the heart of the human psyche. The Confession examines darkness, crime, love and loyalty in 400 breathless pages where the tension built so wonderfully it had me on the edge of my seat.

I really enjoyed The Confession, it is a clever and classy psychological thriller which raises lots of questions about love and loyalty and I think it is going to be huge. I loved that it was told in reverse as I enjoy a book that opens with questions and I spend the time reading it trying to find the answers. I also thought it was very clever that we only ever meet Harry through the eyes of others – who is the real Harry? Shrewd businessman? Machiavellian? Loyal husband? This book is a wonderful read which I would highly recommend,

The Confession is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit. We know from the start who beat Harry McNamara to death, as JP Carney has confessed to the crime, but this is very much the psychology behind the incident and a look into the lives of the people involved.

The book is well written and compelling with realistic characters and a chilling plot. The narrative switches between Harry's wife Julie, Alice (the detective investigating the crime) and JP. The description of the attack is vivid and violent, setting the scene for a gritty psychological thriller with plenty of depth. I was intrigued from the start and wasn't sure which way the book was going.

Secrets were clearly bubbling underneath the surface. So I wondered if there were links between the main characters, though I had no idea how, what or why - or whether maybe I was just reading into everything too much. Then gradually the layers were unpicked one by one, like a game of Jenga, and the blocks came tumbling down around the characters, revealing the truth.

The Confession is a book of revenge and betrayal, family secrets and tragedy. It's filled with twists and turns. My feelings for the characters changed throughout the book, as I delved into their lives. Highly recommended!

I read the opening scene on the bus on the way to work and it is to the author's credit that the scene was so vivid and horrifying. However, that was sadly its undoing for me. The opening scene is so sickeningly brutal and disturbing that I wanted to get away from any book that had the possibility of making me revisit that distressing scene. It's very good writing- I felt like I was there, but it was too violent and bloody for me and I couldn't read anymore.

I like suspense, but my stomach is not strong enough for scenes like this.

Well this was a little different. We start with a heinous and brutal attack on disgraced financier Harry. We know from the start whodunnit as the perpetrator, Carney, hands himself in and confesses. We know he is telling the truth about that as the crime was performed with the wife, Julie, as witness. What isn't clear though is the motive although, if you can believe Carney, it was just a random attack whilst he was mentally unwell and there simply isn't one.
And so our story really begins. Through the narration of three of the characters; Julie, Carney and investigating office DS Alice Moody, we get to learn what actually happened both on that fateful night and the time leading up to it. We unearth secrets, lies and connections and expose all kinds of duplicitous behaviour as we peel back the layers to get to the core truth. We see how Harry met Julie and how their relationship bloomed and changed. We delve into Carney's sad childhood that left him looking after his younger sister. All the while Alice is herself digging as she is not sold on the coincidence/mental lapse defence.
This book is very tightly and expertly plotted and, for the majority, I couldn't really say for certain where it was going and, as things started to clear for me, I was completely gobsmacked as to what I was reading. It was also quite thought provoking and indeed a bit poignant at times too. Definitely gave me quite a bit of food for thought.
The characters were what really made the book. They were very well described and came across as very realistic making this definitely a character driven book. I think the fact that it is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit means that the characters HAVE to be good as it is the psychology and motive that are in play more than following the evidence to find out who.
All in all, an neat concept with an impressive plot, played out by great characters, leaving me completely satisfied at the end. Shocked but satisfied. This is a stand alone book (I believe) but I see from her back catalogue that the author has a series of books too. Another one to add to my TBR methinks!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Excerpt:

'It's the first spray of my husband's blood hitting the television screen that will haunt me in the weeks to come - a perfect diagonal splash, each droplet descending like a vivid red tear. That, and the sound of his skill cracking as the blows from the hold club rain down. '

That's the first paragraph that had my attention in that instant.

[IMG=ABT]

"The Confession" by Jo Spain

is a psychological thriller that has it all. Good story line. Mysterious murder. Well developed characters both - main and side ones. The authors skilfully intertwines the nature of human feelings with the the complexity of the relationships.

I loves how the author doesn't overload the reader with the backside stories and information but gradually page by page reveals the real story. Few small plot twists I haven't seen coming.

It's not just thriller with a murder, victim and investigation going on. We have all the grey areas of the crime when not everything is so white and black.

My rating:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
(4,5 stars out of 5) but considering to changing it to 5 stars)

I will gladly check other books by Jo Spain. "The Confession" definetely worth giving a try.

Book sent to me by Netgalley for an honest review. I'm so glad I requested it.

#jospain #theconfession #arc #arcreview #bookreview #netgalley #review #NewRelease

This is a superb read. It is full of surprises but is brought together very cleverly towards the end. It is well written and the characters are believable. At times emotionally demanding, it is a very sophisticated piece of work.. Don't plan to do anything else until you have read it all as you won't want to be interrupted! I particularly liked the detective's ploy of waiting and watching.

Jo Spain has changed direction and written her first psychological thriller. I have to admit, it’s good. 'The Confession' - a ‘whydunit’ focuses on the themes of revenge, addiction and the Irish class divide. You’ll find out who did it on the first page and why on the last! The writing is frank and the three separate narratives believable. As far as a page turning, commercial thriller, which would appeal to my book club and most of my friends sunning themselves on a beach, Jo, has nailed it.

So, to the synopsis . . .

Late one night a man walks into the luxurious home of disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie. The man launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as a horror-struck Julie watches, frozen by fear. Just an hour later the attacker, JP Carney, has handed himself in to the police. He confesses to beating Harry to death, but JP claims that the assault was not premeditated and that he didn’t know the identity of his victim. With a man as notorious as Harry McNamara, the detectives cannot help wondering, was this really a random act of violence or is it linked to one of Harry’s many sins: corruption, greed, betrayal?
This intriguing psychological thriller will have you questioning, who – of Harry, Julie and JP – is really the guilty one? And is Carney’s surrender driven by a guilty conscience or is his confession a calculated move in a deadly game?

I have read so much in this genre last year – over 50 books — so I am getting used to the format and the twists and turns. I am also getting a little blasé and yawn noisily when I read headers on covers such as ‘ the must-read psychological thriller,’ the best twist ever, and I hate to admit, (or maybe I don’t) that I am usually disappointed at the ‘obvious’ twists and a plot line that my friend’s five year old could guess. However, the unique format of this book and the questions asked throughout, keep you reading and interested and this is what sets it apart from your average read.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a triple-stranded story taking in three separate narratives – Julie, the wife who witnesses her Husband brutally beaten and murdered, JP, the attacker and Alice, the detective determined to solve the case. The Confession slowly and intelligently reveals the plot line leading inevitably to the brutal murder. Spain dissects her character’s secrets with perfect timing, meaning you are constantly saying that fatal sentence as your eyes close in bed, “just one more chapter.” I was fascinated by the structure of the book and the pace and flew through it in two sittings.
I can’t give too much away; this book has twists of character so beautifully done that I would not want to risk revealing anything before you read it yourself – but you’ll delve deeper into Julie and Harry’s lives through the lenses of others. This is done very well.
This book is viewed through a dark veil, it's not a fluffy read! However, the true nature of the themes in this cleverly executed drama slowly emerges, revealing characters lives and the consequences of decisions made. Jo weaves her magic of beautifully constructed sentences and descriptions and takes you right into the action.
I would highly recommend this as an engrossing read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

I was slightly unsure when I started reading this - new author for me and written from the viewpoint of three protagonists, two of whom are telling their stories - but I am so glad I stuck with it as the narrators' lives were revealed and the reason for the nominal confession is revealed. Loved it.

The premise of this story sounded exciting, and certainly reading about Harry and Julie’s relationship was interesting. However, much of the story dragged with irrelevant information. Much of J.P.’s background could have been left out, and It wouldn’t have affected the story. I didn’t feel DC Moody added much to the book either.

The most interesting parts of the story to me were on, growing up in Ireland, the global crash and its effects. The thriller part just wasn’t thrilling enough when you already know who the killer is.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I'm an early morning person but I stayed in bed long after what I call reasonable, to read a good chunk of this page turner in one sitting, that said I didn't want it to end. A totally different suspense thriller than I've read before. In the first pages you know who the victim and murderer are, what you don't know until the last pages, is why and numerous plot twists will lead eventually to the darkest and most sinister answers. I could not put this amazingly well written book down.

Fast paced and full of intrigue. The reader follows three main characters, Harry's wife Julie, JP and Alice, the latter is the detective who refuses to give up on solving the murder if Harry. Very interesting the way it is written and it keeps the reader wanting more. Good ending !