When paramedic Megan Lowe is called to the scene of an attempted murder, all she can do is try to save the victim. But as the man is lifted onto a stretcher, she realises she knows him. She despises him. Why should she save his life when he destroyed hers? Jess Foster is on her way home when she receives a text from Megan. Once best friends, the two women haven't been close for years, not since the night when they were just the teenage girls whom no-one believed; whose reputations were ruined. All Jess can think is, you had it coming. Now Megan and Jess are at the centre of a murder investigation. But what secrets are they hiding? Can they trust one another? And who really is the victim?

Thank you to the publishers and to Anne for sending me a copy of this book and letting me be part of the tour

B M Carroll is now one of my auto buy authors. I’ve loved all of their books that I’ve read so far

This book does centre around grief, rape sexual assault - so a trigger warning there if anyone needs it.

This book is described by Katie Lowe as a page Turner and she is so right.

The book is told through different perspectives, the lawyer, the police investigator, Jess and Megan

I found all three characters to be likeable and routed for them all.

The book is very character driven with short chapters that leave you eager to read more

Without giving too much away, I thought someone’s boyfriend was responsible for what was going on - however the author delivered a twist!

Thank you for another great book

An absolute brilliant twisty thriller. I have read and loved all of BM Carrols novels and this is my new favourite. I guarantee you'll never guess the final twist xx

In the first scene of this book, a paramedic arrives at a shooting and attempts to save the life of a man who she has a compelling reason to hate. Other events follow which suggest that not only is someone trying to take revenge but also wants to stage a confrontation between the victim and the aggressor of an old crime, placing the victim in the controlling position. The story is written from three perspectives - two women who have a back history that connects them to the crimes and one who is the detective investigating them. Reading this book is like peeling an onion, with every layer revealing another suspect or connection that leaves the reader guessing until the very end. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book pre-publication in exchange for an honest review.

When Sydney-based paramedic Megan is called out to a shooting in a well-to-do residential area, she doesn’t immediately realise that the victim is someone she already knows. Megan and her estranged friend, Jess, were raped at a party years ago, and William Newson is the lawyer who helped their attackers evade justice, and who built his reputation defending similar cases.

The incident leads to Megan contacting Jess again, and the action in You Had it Coming is relayed by Megan and Jess as well as Bridget, the detective investigating the case. This is a multiple point of view novel, with chapters alternating between the three women.

There are a lot of characters in this novel, including quite a few potential suspects. Many people had a possible motive for wanting William Newson gone, including Megan and Jess, their families, other victims and even William’s ex-wife. As the story progresses, Bridget’s boss becomes more and more frustrated as the suspect list gets bigger at every turn.

Given the large list of suspects, the novel had a lot of background characters as well, and for me this diluted the action at times and meant it didn’t properly become a page-turner until the later stages. There seemed to be a lot of scenes, for example, showing Megan doing her job as a paramedic, involving different colleagues and different scenarios unfolding in real-time, and I would probably have found the story to be a pacier read without some of these.

I wasn’t familiar with B.M. Carroll’s writing until reading You Had it Coming, and I notice from the author’s notes that she hadn’t previously envisaged writing a book with a detective as a main character. I think the resulting novel is one that falls somewhere between police procedural and psychological drama. Ironically, the character of Bridget worked best for me – it was refreshing to have a detective who was a straight-talking, likeable, thorough, empathic person with no secret hard drinking or other foibles on the side, and I would happily read other novels involving Bridget if the author wanted to write them.

If you were in the same position as Megan, would you save the life of the man who destroyed yours?
Working as a paramedic Megan arrives at the scene of a man who's been shot, its only as they load him on the stretcher she recognises him. When she was a teenager he ruined her, and her friend Jess's life.
Could it just be a coincidence she was the one who ended up treating him ?
When she contacts Jess, after years of not speaking, to tell her what happened they both end up wondering just who was behind it ? And even worse could it have been one of them ?
This is a book that keeps you guessing and wondering just who did what right up till the end.
Another amazing thing is its told from both the perspectives of the girls, and the detective looking in to the shooting.
Something I've never seen before, but it worked amazingly. If you want a great thriller with an ending you don't see coming then this is absolutely the book for you.

4.25*
BM Carroll,a new to me author who was born in Ireland but now lives in Australia.
When William Newson a barrister who defends rapists is shot Megan a paramedic is called to the scene, she recognises him at the scene from when he was cross examining her in court during her rape trial. We have part of the story from her perspective which includes flashbacks.
We also see the book from the perspective of Jess who is Megan’s friend and another rape victim who was at Newson mercy.
Then there’s Bridget providing the police perspective, Bridget provides more detail to the story through interviews with witnesses and suspects. We don’t get bogged down with office based procedure stuff.
I like the way it’s portrayed, it doesn’t feel like a police procedural, it feels like a domestic drama.
The main characters are very well written and I found them very likeable and engaging, Bridget is empathetic with Megan and Jess as she has a daughter the same age as they were when they were raped. I even felt sorry for one of the antagonists. I think Jess is my favourite character through boxing she has found a way of moving on from her traumatic life event.
As it’s very character driven it is slower paced. At times a little too slow for me especially during Bridget’s sections, which is what held my rating back. There are some excellent twists, I never guessed the culprit. I really enjoyed it. It’s an excellent read.

This is an Australian psychological thriller written by an author I had not come across before, B.M. Carroll, but she is certainly a writer I will be looking out for in the future. The style was reminiscent of a Liane Moriarty’s book in that it is a mystery story based on something dreadful that has happened in the past that is now having an effect on present day events. It is told from the point of view of three women. Megan and Jess who suffered a traumatic event 12 years earlier and Bridget, the police officer who is investigating a murder.
When Paramedic, Megan, is called out to a shooting, she realises that she knows the victim as he was someone who had effectively ruined her life several years previously. She cannot stop thinking about him and why he might have been shot as all her awful feelings are suddenly resurrected.
Megan’s friend Jess was also badly affected by the earlier events : she also cannot get over what happened all those years ago and partially blames herself.
This is part mystery and part psychological character study. All three women are interesting, well rounded characters and the book is well constructed, showing events from each of their points of view. Bridget really empathises with Megan and Jess but she cannot show it as one of them might be involved in the murder. Megan wonders about Jess and her boyfriend Alex. She even suspects her own Mother. As feelings run high Bridget has to investigate thoroughly to discover who has committed the crime and whether the victim really “Had It Coming”
This was a compelling read which kept me guessing right until the end. It’s definitely five stars from me and recommended to all psychological thriller fans.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Lowe is in the middle of a long shift as a paramedic when she is called out to a shooting. Trying to stem the bleeding she realises that she knows the victim, and hates him. Can she save his life when he destroyed hers.
Later Megan texts Jess Foster to tell her the news that the man who demolished their lives is dead.
Why now 12 years after the event, it surely can’t be connected to them. But the coincidences keep stacking up.
Can Detective Sergeant Bridget Kennedy find the answers before more lives are lost.
A fast paced read that will keep you reading into the night.
#NetGalley #YouHadItComing #BmCarroll

A very well plotted crime read, totally engaging and a real page turner.

A murder has ties to a 12 year old rape case. A police procedural that keeps you guessing, pointing in so many different directions, and the ultimate who and why managed to surprise me. The difficult subject of rape is handled very well.

Highly recommended.

You Had it Coming was quite a page turner, and although I’d guessed the finer points it was still a read I was keen to get done.
When paramedic Megan is called to a shooting, she knows things might not end well. The man dies later that night, but at the scene Megan realises she knows him. The man who has been shot is someone who she feels has destroyed her life.
What transpires is something of a cat and mouse game. The shooting is linked to historic cases and there’s a long list of characters who might be involved. We follow our investigation as they try to get to the bottom of the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this before publication. Things ended a little more abruptly than I expected, but the overall feeling was of a solid mystery.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Fast paced very enjoyable thriller that will have you hooked from the beginning.

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to be sharing my review of You Had It Coming by B.M. Carroll. You Had It Coming is published by Viper Books today (that's Thursday 13th May 2021) and is available in paperback and digital formats. I chose to read and review a free eARC of You Had It Coming but that has in no way influenced my review.

I couldn't resist this book when I saw it pop up on NetGalley. That striking cover and the blurb grabbed my attention. I haven't read any other books by this author before so I was excited to make a start.

Megan Lowe, an experienced paramedic, is called to attend a shooting. On arrival the victim, William Newson, is unconscious and bleeding out quickly. Megan and her partner, Lucas, do everything they can for their patient. It's only when they're loading him into the ambulance that Megan gets a really good look at the man whose life is hanging on by a thread. And recognises him as the one who ruined her life. Megan contacts Jess and shares the shocking news. She's stunned to hear her ex-friend's bitter, angry words. Surely she couldn't have anything to do with William's attack? Before long, both woman are thrown deep into a murder investigation where everyone is a suspect. Everyone had a motive. After all, William had it coming...

I really enjoyed You Had It Coming and devoured it in the space of a few days. The story is told from three view points: Megan, Jess and Detective Sergeant Bridget Kennedy. I particularly enjoyed hearing from Bridget about the ongoing, ever-widening search for the killer. Bridget came across as an intelligent, dedicated officer but she appeared a little out of her depth whilst trying to reduce the very large list of suspects. Only to add a few more names as new characters were introduced and new links were discovered. I thought the author did an excellent job of making Bridget seem very human. Every avenue has to be investigated to find the truth and Bridget did just that. I loved her determination and doggedness.

Megan and Jess were also very well-written characters. I could feel their pain as the past was once again dug up and gone over with a fine tooth comb. I empathised with both woman as they found themselves slap bang in the middle of a murder investigation as prime suspects. I wanted them both to be innocent but the author cleverly makes you doubt everyone. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold. I thought the author dealt sensitively with the subject matter and the far reaching devastation caused that night.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. You Had It Coming is an intriguing mystery that hooked me in from the get-go. I loved the Australian setting, the characters were all multi-layered and interesting individuals and the plot kept me turning the pages. I was able to work out whodunit in the first half of the book but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. The air of suspicion created by the author amongst family and friends is wonderful. Trust no one. I thoroughly enjoyed You Had It Coming and would happily read more. So much so, I've downloaded another of Carroll's novels which I hope to make a start on soon. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this, and sped through it.
It had be guessing all the way through, and I had no idea who the culprit was! (Which very rarely happens to me as I read a lot of thriller/crime books and so get used to the tropes used.)

The premise wasn't particularly original, but BM Carroll's writing style was really readable and it was the writing that won me over! I will definitely be reading more of Carroll's writing.

This was a really great book. It was cleverly written and was narrated by different points of view to get a balanced story. The characters were interesting and the plot was engaging.

You Had It Coming - B M Carroll

I've been reading a lot of Australian novels in the past year, more the 'School of Liane Moriarty' domestic thrillers, so I was thrilled to discover this one, quite a bit darker, more Police procedural while still having in depth characters and being very emotionally involving.

The story revolves around the murder of William Newson, a defence barrister who specialises in defending men accused of rape and sexual assault.

The novel is told from three character perspectives. Megan and Jess were both victims of rape twelve years ago and William Newson got their attackers cleared. Bridget is a Detective leading the murder investigation.

The characters are extremely well developed, with memories, thoughts and feelings and well-rounded lives, families, careers and histories.

This book does something very original in bringing together a Police procedural hunt for the killer with the nagging human need to uncover the truth of what happened twelve years ago, and I thought it did it brilliantly.

While I chose to read this thinking it might be another Australian sunny domestic thriller it goes deeper and darker, reminding me more of authors like Gillian McAllister and Kia Abdullah.

Deeply involving and very original, definitely highly recommended and I be seeking out B M Carroll's other books as soon as possible. This is a book I will be telling everyone about come publication day.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viper.

This book is an absolutely incredible read. I was so excited to have the chance to read this and review it and it lived up the expectation.
The story is about a lawyer who gets shot down outside his home. He is not just any lawyer, he defends men accused of sexual assault crimes. He has an impeccable success rate. When he gets murdered, the list of people with motive seem never ending. Classic whodunit meets psychological thriller. Well done B.M Carroll.

When paramedic Megan is called to the scene of a shooting, she knows she will do everything she can to keep the victim alive. However when she arrives she is shocked to discover the victim is a man she knows. A man she despises. Why should she save the life of someone who ruined hers?

Meanwhile, Jess is also still trying to come to terms with what happened 12 years ago. When she receives a text message from Megan she is surprised. The two former friends haven’t spoken in years. When she hears of the shooting, she thinks the same thing as Megan – you had it coming.

You Had It Coming was a fast paced, gripping novel. It immediately grabbed my attention and I was keen to know what really happened the night of the shooting.

I liked the three main characters. Former friends Megan and Jess were both realistic characters and I found it interesting how the two women reacted differently when trying to live with their trauma. Bridget, placed in charge of the murder investigation, was also another relatable character. I liked how the author balanced her professionalism with her worry about her teenage children.

The story was well written yet wasn’t full of pretentious prose. It just made you want to read a little bit more. There were a lot of potential suspects, a few too many if I’m being honest but this perhaps makes the investigation that bit more realistic. There were clues and misdirections throughout, however I was disappointed that I predicted the twist quite early on. I thought it was quite obvious so I was hoping I was going to be wrong.

I did like the moral dilemmas the novel presents. Does anyone really deserve to die? Are things ever as black and white as they seem?

All in all, I enjoyed the story. I thought it was a great concept but I was slightly disappointed that I predicted the ending.

You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/you-had-it-coming-by-b-m-carroll-book-review/

This was a great read. I liked the characters and the way it was written from multiple POV's. I really enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this & found it to be a book that I just kept turning the pages on, just to find out who the culprit was. I liked Megan & Jess and the ways they coped with the night that ruined their lives. There's lots of twists & turns in here, and while I suspected the villain, I never guessed how they did it.

A tale of a past friendship and its current “reincarnation” in the face of a sudden crisis - when they are thrust into the path of a man that ruined their childhood. A suspenseful read!