*Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

I couldn't finish this, I got bored. I hate not finishing books but I just couldn't. I don't even know what it was about it but I just couldn't get into it.

This was a dark and harrowing read. Three main characters - Irish Garda officers Laura and Niamh are interviewing Jenny - a 14 year old who they are convinced holds the key to the disappearance of her stepfather Stuart. Jenny is being held in a psychiatric ward. and has obviously suffered years of trauma which has, understandably, left her with a raft of mental health issues. The pace of the book was extremely slow and coupled with the harrowing storyline, I was unable to finish this book. I may return to it in the future but at this moment in time, it wasn't the book for me.

Thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for the review copy.

A fab debut that packs a punch!
Gripping & gritty.
Deals with some horrific subjects but in a sensitive & justified way.

I'm intrigued to see what Perdue brings us next.

Thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for ARC.

Laura Shaw works as a special Garda, interviewing victims of sexual crime. When a 14 year old girl is found, covered in blood and mute, she and her partner Niamh are determined to find out the truth without further traumatising young Jenny or compromising any future court case.
But this one has got under Laura's skin and her objectivity is compromised. Can she get to the truth of Jenny's case, and uncover the reality of her own past, without things unravelling?

Oh wow, surely this isn't a debut?
The writing is assured, the grasp of subject matter is superb, and the sense of place, suspense timing and emotional connection to the reader are excellent.

Loved this

Emotional and compelling. It was hard to put this one down. Gill is a fantastic new voice in Irish crime fiction.

A story explored from the perspectives of 14 year old witness Jenny and guards Niamh and Laura.
Niamh and her senior Laura are drafted in when Jenny presents at the emergency department injured and carrying the scars of physical and mental abuse.
Jenny speaks in riddles and spins an elaborate tale to rival Hans-Christian- Andersan, when she does eventually open up and the guards are challenged to unpick what she is telling them.
Laura, in particular, struggles as she has concealed secrets from her own past that this case bring to the fore.
A difficult read because of the subject matter, stunningly told by the author.

I read this relatively easily, however didn't easily connect with one of the main characters who was supposed to have been an Irish Gardai specialised in dealing with children in trauma...she had too many issues herself, went off grid herself towards the end of the book...it just seems to be way too common in this type of book...the subject matter is not the nicest, however dealt with in a measured and respectful way...not yhe best, not the worst. Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk for yhe opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Psychological Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

The blurb to this sounded promising. Successful detective Laura who is now one of the top interviewers in her team helping victims have a voice. Everything is going well until 14 year old Jenny is found covered in blood and her stepfather missing. Laura is tasked with interviewing Jenny to get to the bottom of what's happened.

As the interviews continue and the abusive background that Jenny and her family is uncovered this seems to trigger Laura's buried secret of her own abuse. Both parties then realise they have to face up to their truths and deal with the outcomes.

Although it was a good storyline I felt that the actual story telling was slow and confusing. Once all the bombshells were discovered it all wrapped up into good ending.

Chilling and disturbing psychological thriller. Not for the fainthearted.

When Jenny is found in the street covered in blood that is not her own, the race is on to discover what happened and find her missing stepfather. But Jenny is so deeply traumatised she is uncommunicative and her mother is unconscious with serious injuries.

Laura and Niamh are the special investigators tasked with trying to get Jenny to open up, but in the process Laura's own trauma resurfaces as she desperately tries to hold herself together.

A harrowing but compelling read.

Apologies, I liked the premise of this book but is was too much of a slow-burner for me so haven't find reading it.

Enjoyable I enjoyed the way all the characters had their own background story and how they interacted . Slightly predictable at times but a good read .

The Interview is a fantastic debut, A taut and descriptive thriller that keeps you guessing from beginning to end as you try and work out the plot.

This psychological thriller is not for the faint-hearted but well-worth overcoming your reluctance to explore some of the issues from a different perspective..

In Ireland, Jenny, is found covered in blood. Her mother and younger brother are fighting for their lives in hospital and her stepfather is missing. Something of magnitude has obviously occurred but Jenny isn't speaking.

The interview of the title is that carried out by Detective Laura Shaw and her colleague, Niamh who are in charge of persuading Jenny to talk. The only problem is, as Laura digs deeper into the current crime, she is confronted with memories from her past.

This is a gripping psychological thriller peopled by exceptional characters, particularly those of Laura and Niamh.

I was not a massive fan of this book, I like the premise and aspects of it were interesting but really I just kept reading for the sake of finishing it. Laura's character was aggravating and while I can sympathise to an extent I really didn't like how her behaviour had no consequences at all and wasn't dealt with. Even Niamh disappointed me by the end and Jenny's rambling inner thoughts made entire sections of the book difficult to read. While I get that this is because of her issues and possibly a good reflection of how someone in that position would be processing/thinking, at times it was just too much, too convoluted and the use of "bitch" so often was jarring.
I hate to give any book a low rating but while I wouldn't avoid this author in future I definitely wouldn't read this book again, and I would hesitate to recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book

I loved the concept of this book and how it was written! The writing style was fabulous and really we got to see 2 stories unfold which was good especially because they were both so gripping which really helps when you want a book to draw you in!

This book was un-put-downable! I kept thinking “I’ll read one more chapter” then hours later and a cold cup or tea later I was still reading.

The story was captivating and one of the most gripping books I have read this year.

The characters were brilliant, at times I found Jenny annoying but she’s a teenager so that goes without saying really ha!

A fantastic read which will keep you gripped until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars for the rating.
This is a tough one, I liked the idea and parts of it were done really well but I also had a lot of annoyances that detracted from my overall enjoyment. It actually took a long time to finish as I kept putting it off and picking other books up instead.

The last third of the book is all action and had a great ending for a couple of reasons. I also liked the way Jenny was portrayed as a sufferer of PTSD from her assault - the way she escaped to her "fairytale" and had to have her trust earned.

My biggest bugbear was Laura - I have no idea how she is still in her job, she is so unprofessional and needs help herself. Additionally, she treats her husband horribly - generally I just found her annoying. The book is very slow for over 50%, and repetitive which is why I almost gave up.

Overall, I both struggled and enjoyed bits - but Laura was just too frustrating (and incompetent). I'll look for other works by Gill as I'd like to see her writing in a different story.

Detective Laura Shaw is the Specialist Victim Interviewer for her team, when 14-year-old Jenny, an assault victim, is brought in with blood on her that is not her own, her stepfather missing and will not talk, Laura is asked to interview her. Jenny starts communicating only in fairy tales. Will they find the stepfather and find out what happened before it’s too late?
This was a difficult book to read at times, with Laura and Jenny’s stories very similar. The way that Jenny told fairy stories that were actually real-life happenings. Jenny’s background is very heart-wrenching, and I felt for her so much (yes, I know this is fiction, but it does happen in real life more than you would even think!)
Overall, this book was captivating, from the start to the very end. It was written very well with the entanglement of fairy tales and real life and was a fantastic crime thriller.

The Interview by Gill Perdue is a riveting, disturbing read. We are taken down a fairy tale rabbit hole by Jenny, the young girl at the centre of the police investigation, and quickly realise this young girl is very damaged. The storyline is complicated when Laura, the main investigator, identifies too closely and personally with this suspected victim. Jenny and Laura are great strong and complex characters but Niamh, Laura’s colleague (& also her subordinate) is the character who stands out for keeping things on track and recognising when to push, cut some slack and rigorously follow up! A brilliant riveting read Four stars