Member Reviews
As I'm writing this I am at work suffering from exhaustion, because instead of catching up on sleep, I stayed up til midnight finishing this book. I could NOT stop reading it.
Hannah's first husband was murdered. Hannah was there, but she doesn't remember anything-- only the details fed to her by the cops that got someone else arrested for the murder. Years later Hannah and her daughter have moved on, until a podcast by the name of Conviction reopens the case, and aims to prove that the person in jail for Graham's murder was not the one who did it.
As an avid listener of true crime podcasts and someone who watches Snapped all the time, it was thought provoking to see things from the other side. We speculate wildly about crimes and the people who are accused of committing them, not once thinking about how that may affect them or their lives-- especially if they really ARE innocent. I was hooked on the story and had to find out what was going to happen next . The ending I thought was really fitting, even if it wasn't necessarily the HEA I might have wanted.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to thriller and true crime lovers, and look forward to reading more books by Katie Lowe.
Possession has pretty much all of my favorite things - an (extremely) unreliable narrator, a dark and twisty mystery, and a wee bit of creepiness here and there. Hannah has started over, following the murder of her husband, building a new life for herself and her daughter, with a new and wonderful man in her life, when a true crime podcast, Conviction, threatens to destroy everything she’s worked for, and in fact, Hannah herself. I really liked the format, and the use of the podcast to fill in the background story. Even very near the end of the book, I wasn’t completely sure who or what I should believe. Katie Lowe has given us a great thriller and mystery with this book.
I think I really need to steer clear of alternating timelines for a bit, or maybe it was just that it was not executed well in this book. The book started off really strong with lots of potential, and got muddied really fast for me. There was too much going on...too much to keep up with...too many "really?! I don't know..." type moments for me. There was suspense that kept me reading towards the end of the book, which ended stronger than the other 75% of the story. Otherwise, not something I would pick up again to read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!
The cover of this book is simple but eye-catching.
I really liked the storyline. The twists won't be what you thought they were, that's for sure.
Definitely check this book out. You won't regret it.
I'd definitely purchase a copy and check out other books by the author.
Possession by Katie Lowe is a psychological thriller that will have you questioning your sanity as you delve deeper and deeper into the mind of Hannah, the main character and narrator.
What I Loved
This story's intensity first creates a suspense level where I couldn't put the book down and even go to bed. Then it ramped it up a couple of notches more, leaving me in a situation where I had to step back for a minute to collect my thoughts before plunging ahead. It is so twisty and turny that I even doubted my sanity at points. And I loved every intense, twisty-turny moment.
Possession is a story that has so many potential spoilers, and in a psychological thriller, this is a mark of a delightfully disturbing tale. That also means there is not a lot that I can include in my review for fear of ruining your reading experience. What I can say is that this story is a noteworthy representative of its genre. It will pull you in, hold you tight, and never completely let you go.
There are no favorite characters for me in this story, not really. There are potentials, sure, but the characters that I loved to hate far outshone potential favorites. All the characters thrilled me with complex layer after complex layer, as I rarely see that level of complexity in a story told through first-person narration. Hannah's layers are peeled away, in an emotionally tragic tale, slowly and methodically. But, the character I most loved to hate is Sarah. I can't tell you why you will have to read the book to find out.
Lastly, the ending is jaw-dropping, which should come as no surprise. I felt pretty confident that I knew who did it, and I was right, but there are a few twists at the end that I can't imagine anyone would see coming – I know I didn't.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love psychological thrillers, you will miss out if you don't read this novel as it has it all and ramps it up in a way that merely unimaginable.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book started out strong for me. The first chapter was pretty exciting and had me looking forward to the rest of the story. Hannah's husband, Graham, was murdered in 2008. She has no memory of it, even though her knife was found in his throat. The police found and convicted a man of the murder saying that it was a burglary gone wrong.
Now, ten years later, a popular podcast called Conviction will be having their newest season on the murder of Hannah's husband and on the man who was convicted--if he really did it.
Though I loved the first chapter, the rest was just okay for me. I didn't care for the back and forth of the then and now, though I did like seeing what type of man Graham had been. Hannah's was definitely an unreliable narrator and her descent into losing her mind is well portrayed. The ending did get better and I was invested to read to the end as I wanted to see what actually happened to Graham. It was a little messy to get to that point, though.
This book was very suspenseful and thrilling. I enjoyed the way a podcast was used. It kept me reading late into the night.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and St Martin's Press in return for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me to read this book for free. The story had good potential but I did not like the narration style so it was hard for me to follow and get lost in the book. I wanted to love the book but I did not unfortunately. I would read another book from this author. There is always a chance I might like it.
The possession was amazing. The writing was beautiful and it tied everything up in a big fat bow. All the characters were suspicious, Hannah was an awesome character to decipher from the beginning. Mental illness might be at play, crazy twists and turns I did not see coming! Plus a creepy house, and ghosts might be involved? This book had me intrigued from the beginning.
If you love true crime podcast stories, then you'll love love love this book!! Very chilling and suspenseful!! A up all night read!!
Psychiatrist Hannah McLelland doesnt remember anything about the night her husband was murdered. Fortunately, the police found his killer and he was sentenced cedar to life.
Fast forward 10 years, and Hannah has moved on. She is remarried, her daughter, who was six when her dad was murdered, is now 16, and Hannah is successful in her work.
Enter a true crime podcast "Conviction ". This podcast is casting doubt on the validity of the guilt of the man convicted for the murder, and worse, is questioning the innocence of Hannah!
Hannah seems to be losing touch with reality with all the stress of the podcast, and the judgement of her friends, family and colleagues, who are all listening to this podcast.
Who really killed her hu@band?
Is Hannah innocent?
Great book! It kept me guessing what the truth was, and I like that!
I bet you will like this book too!
This book just didn't do it for me at all. I tried hard to like it but it was just not that good to me. It started out strong and I thought it was going to be so good. Then it jumped ahead ten years and started dragging. It seemed to jump around all over the place. It also took way to long to get into the podcast, Conviction. That part was a bit interesting but to me it was also sort of predictable. Not completely but somewhat.
I did not like any of the characters in this book. I found Hannah to be boring and just not likable at all. Her daughter, Evie, was ok but just a kid so what do you expect. She was a pretty resilient young lady in parts though. Toward the end I rooted for her to be ok. I kind of liked Dan, but he too was a bit boring. I just could not connect with any of the characters. Not one. That is important in a book for me.
The plot of this book was good but it just took too long to get there. I was starting to skim through and I don't do that. I ended up finishing it but just didn't like it. I hate when this happens. I know I'm in the minority on this one but have to be honest about my feelings.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #KatieHowe, #stmartin'spress for this ARC. These are my own true thoughts about this book.
2/5 stars for me and I can't recommend this one.
Hannah’s life is moving along with her boyfriend Dan and her daughter Evie. She’s a psychiatrist working for her best friend. Then the highly popular podcast Conviction delves into the death of her husband and if the right man is in jail.
Have you noticed the uptick in books about podcasts? I think I’ve read 3 or 4 in the past year. And while I’ve never listened to a podcast, I seem drawn to these books, especially if they are about reviewing a conviction or solving a cold case.
This one drew me in with the podcast and with the creepiness of Hannah’s dead husband whispering to her. You throw in the closed mental asylum down the road and you have a gothic feel. I wouldn’t call this to the point of horror, but I was creeped out a few times.
I really like when there are many options for the outcome and I was guessing on Hannah’s mental capacity, who really killed her husband and even who she could trust. And while I did figure out a story point or two, there were so many twists I didn’t see coming.
Anyone who likes true crime podcasts, psychological thrillers and unexpected twists, will enjoy this book.
Haunted by her past.......Tortured by her present...... Scared fro her future...........
Oh my !!!
Got to wonder how a psychiatrist can be so detached - disconnected - from her own mind
Possession by Katie Lowe is a psychological thriller.. Hannah's husband Graham was murdered many years ago and she has no memory of the event. A man has been convicted and incarcerated. Hannah has moved on with her daughter and boyfriend. All is well until the podcast Conviction comes along and reopens the case of Grahams murder.
At times this book is all over the place, but then so is the main character. I felt it dragged out the story a little more than necessary, but still a good book overall.
Thanks to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc
This book centers around Hannah, a widow who suffered amnesia the night her husband was murdered in their home. Already I was worried this was just too typical of a setup, we have heard/seen this story many times before. The author Katie Lowe does try to make this stand out and apart from similar setups. That comes in the form of a true crime podcast that suddenly relitigates the case in the court of public opinion, meaning Hannah and her daughter have to deal with all the fallout all over again as people begin to think that the man who was convicted of the crime didn't actually do it. While this is a clever and VERY timely way to put a twist on the old amnesia-murder trope, it only partially works. We follow as Hannah slowly begins to descend into a type of mania or madness. This is the best part of the story, IMHO. But the problem I had is that some events that change the story are a bit too convenient or contrived. It's almost like the writer choose her ending and then wrote the story to meet the ending but somehow didn't connect all the dots. I got confused a few times and it was very frustrating. But finding out what really happened to her husband kept me reading on, and it will likely keep you reading as well.
Ten years ago, Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered in their home, and she (conveniently) doesn’t remember a thing about that night. But the police charged someone else—a stranger—and put him away for life. And Hannah packed up her six-year-old daughter and left London behind.
But now her hard-won countryside peace is threatened. Conviction, a viral true crime podcast known for getting cases reopened and old verdicts overturned, has turned its attention to Hannah’s husband’s murder for its new season.
Seems like all new mystery's are now including a podcast in the story - seems tired but this story does it well. Hannah characters' life changes thanks to a podcast researching her late husbands murder. In the beginning it felt a little Steven King-ish and very scary. The middle it started to wane, a bit too much of the story I felt repeated over and over and it could have been shortened to the ending which was fantastic. Overall this being the first time I read anything by Katie Lowe I would highly recommend. It would be a great movie or Netflix series. It has mystery, creepy characters and locations and a story that only gets better towards the end.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC for an honest opinion.
Possession is the latest book by Katie Lowe. Very difficult to describe this story as I certainly don't want to give anything away. Ms Lowe takes us back and forth in our "heroine's" timeline to tell her story. So intense at times I actually had to put my Kindle down and walk away, as I was afraid of what came next. Can't wait to read more by this author. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.
I was captured at the beginning of this story and couldn’t wait for the ending. Hannah is a mess though, and I wanted to shake her at times. There is a lot going on in this book and I did get bogged down in a couple of spots, but it was worth the finish.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Hannah is living a quiet life after the murder of her husband ten years ago. An intruder is in jail for the crime, case closed. Then comes along Convictions, a true crime podcast that creates a series based on the murder, along with investigations that are digging through Hannah’s past and present. Week after week Hannah spirals with the revelations and everything around her suffers. Her job, her fiancé, her daughter and her sanity. What does she have to hide? Is she the victim?
My Thoughts: Wow! This book grabbed me from the start and never let go. It felt like an experience as I learned revelations about Hannah and her deceased husband leading up to a heart pounding ending. I would have rated it a 5, but Hannah did seem repetitive at times. Still a great read and one I will be recommending.