Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled to get through this book. I only made it about half way through before DNF'ing it. The description was very intriguing to me, but unfortunately it fell flat.

I actually didn't finish this, as the chapters with the stalker narrator kind of creeped me out. I also was disturbed by the gaslighting of Revelle and Eliot. I tried the audiobook, in case this helped, but felt no difference in my reaction. Sorry!

Revelle is a polyglot, even though she only claims to speak ten languages. She puts those languages to use helping others in their time of need working as an interpreter. With all of her experience, she knows when someone is lying, and at times is tempted to misinterpret, after all who would know?? Especially after that one time! In the midst of adopting six year old Elliott, Revelle meets a young woman, a woman that later turns up dead. When she is called in to interpret for an alibi witness, she decides to take things into her own hands. Changing the course of justice might just change the course of her life and with someone in the shadows stalking and blackmailing her, she might have taken things too far this time…way too far!! Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

🔹 My take: 3.75/5

🔸 Revelle Lee works as an interpreter for courtrooms and has to shoulder this very important responsibility of translating the words of her client as is before the audience. Hints of emotions or mistakes in interpreting could lead to dire consequences for her client. She is foster mother to 6 year old Elliott and her application to adopt him is on verge of acceptance; provided no goof ups happen. Revelle gets involved in interpreting a case where the victim is one of her acquaintance. In wake of doing justice; she deliberately mistranslates the alibi of the accused, putting her career & adoption all in danger. Revelle thinks she did the right thing until someone threatens to expose her lie and make her life miserable.

💖 Wows - This was definitely a very taut psychological thriller. I learnt so much about interpreting as a job and career and what kind of significance it has in legal battles. The thriller aspects were written beautifully and the scene where someone barges in Revelle’s home was nail biting.

💔 Ows - I guess the flip side for me was I was not able to relate to Revelle at all. I couldn’t sympathise with her or felt her actions logical. In fact it drove me nuts since I found her intolerable. Also it was a difficult fact to digest that she never had any friend, relative, neighbour or family beside her anytime. Since the story was very character driven and I could not identify with the character; hence the book rating has been botched down. Else this has the potential of 4.25/4.5 stars according to me.

💫 This book gives lots of insights on a new profession of ‘Translation’ in legal parlance. Just for that it’s worth picking up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫

Thanks to @harperperennial @brookewrote and @netgalley for sharing the DRC in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Interpreter started off strong and I had hopes that by the end I would be putting it high on my list of favorite books of the year. Alas, the novel failed to meet my expectations. The author succeeds in making the titular character someone who gradually fails to meet moral standards to do what she thinks is "right," the character's many failings and her underlying character flaws are not fully understandable. She is, in the end, a not fully developed character. It is hard to understand how someone who has few if any close relationships or support systems and who is no psychologically needy can succeed as an adoptive mother to a 6-year-old boy with a troubled past. The ending also just didn't ring true for me. Others will, of course, disagree, and there will be readers who can relate better to the character and the book.

I went to mark this as “currently reading” on Goodreads, and saw the relatively low rating of 3.31. I was worried this book would be a dud, but I personally think that rating is slightly lower than it should be. This was pretty original, and I liked it!

Revelle moved all over when she was a child, and thus she became a polyglot. (Actually, a hyperpolyglot, but she pretends to not know German). Learning these languages has given her a job as an interpreter, for everything from medical cases to criminal cases. She’s also working on adopting her foster son, Elliot, and that adds an extra layer to the book. Her job isn’t to be on one side or another, or to form any judgement or attachment - her job is just to state, word for word, what a person who can’t speak English is saying.

Word for word means exactly that - but sometimes, changing even one word can lead to huge ramifications. Revelle finds this out when she breaks her code of ethics and changes a word in a man’s criminal interrogation. She knows he’s guilty, and she doesn’t want him to get away with this crime. It’s just one word - how much can one word do?

You’ll find out, and it’s good. I think the reason for the relatively low rating is for a few reasons: Revelle can get annoying with how she acts in a hasty and sometimes reckless manner. The ending was pretty easy to figure out (with a slight twist). This was touching at times, but that could have been intensified. Overall though, I thought this was a good story, and one that will have you thinking about the power of words. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Harper Paperbacks, Brooke Robinson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

A thriller about an interpreter named Revelle who falls down a slippery slope mistranslating words to sway the course of justice, only to be quickly overwhelmed by the web of lies she’s created. There’s a lot more going on in this story, with interesting plot lines and character backstory around Revelle’s adoption of a young boy, her absentee mother, and a previous mistranslation with dire consequences. The book was slow at the start but definitely picked up as you learn more about Revelle and she starts weaving a complicated web. There were some heart-pounding scenes and great moments of buildup, but the climax fell totally flat. Endings of thrillers are hard to nail, and this one was so poor that it colored my opinion of the rest of the book. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley.

The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson was one of those books I devoured in a couple of days. She has a knack for keeping the reader interested, intrigued, and moving forward in the story. Each chapter kept me engaged that left me wanting to come back as soon as possible! With spot-on pacing that is neither too slow, or too fast, this psychological thriller kept my rapt attention throughout.
I found the main character, Revelle, to be a compelling and I was immediately drawn to her.
A great debut thriller from Robinson. A taut and chilling story about dark secrets that are trying to stay hidden.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Revelle Lee is fluent in ten languages and uses her expertise to translate in at crime scenes and court hearings. Her position provides her with unique access to a persons most personal details. Revelle is in the process of adopting a young child and aspire to atone for her past sins. When Revelle realizes she might have personal connection to a murder victim she decides to put everything at risk to put the guilty party at risk.

I was fascinated by the concept of this book. It really centers on how one word can make such a crucial difference in translation. One misstep could put an innocent person in prison or let a guilty person run free. While I loved the concept behind this book I found it a bit slow.

Revelle Lee is fluent in 10 languages, thanks to her mom's nomadic lifestyle when she was a kid. She is an interpreter, and often works in court on criminal cases. This often makes her privy to personal details of unsavory people's lives.

Revelle is in the process of adopting a six-year-old boy named Elliot, and she starts getting cryptic messages, which she thinks are from his birth family. When one of her cases involves a victim she personally knew, Revelle starts thinking more about her role as interpreter and how she may be able to put someone behind bars by deliberately mis-translating.

The premise of this book was fascinating to me, as a polyglot and linguist. I was fascinated by the language side of this. The story itself was a slow build thiller, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. If you enjoy slowly savoring your thrillers, you might like this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 ⭐️

ORIGINAL and INTRICATE

Reveille Lee is a polyglot who uses her fluency in 10 languages to “interpret “ testimony at crime scenes and in court cases across London. She is “sworn in” before her work begins, promising to interpret what she hears accurately, no matter what the charge and regardless of guilt or innocence.

Before arriving for a booking, she will not know if she will be translating for the ACCUSED, a WITNESS. a VICTIM or a member of a victim’s shattered family.

But, what if there is an error? Is there a system of checks and balances in place?! One wrong word in court can determine a person’s entire fate-

“WORDS ARE AS VIOLENT AS BULLETS- IT ONLY TAKES ONE”

And, what if your interpreter, decides to take matters into her own hands, and she changes a word on purpose to make sure that justice is served?

YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BECOME EMOTIONALLY INVESTED

Reveille is under a lot of pressure as a decision is about to be made on whether or not she can adopt Elliott as a single mother, and she will be devastated if the 6 year old boy she has been fostering is taken away from her.

She begins to receive anonymous messages, which seem to be threats from someone who is trying to sabotage the adoption. And, when she is called to interpret on a case where she knew the murder victim slightly, things begin to SPIRAL out of control, as for the first time, she risks her career as well.

Would she purposefully MISINTERPRET testimony?

This is definitely more of a psychological thriller, as Revelle is very introspective throughout (we spend a lot of time with her thoughts) which probably explains why early reviews have been less than enthusiastic.

Although I was never bored, I know a slower pace is a deal breaker for many readers, so I needed to mention that it isn’t a fast paced, twisty thriller.

But, I could see it becoming a tense, suspenseful movie if it were ever adapted for the screen though.

I personally LOVED the original premise, the intricate plot, and learning about the fascinating career of an interpreter, so I think if you are as tired of the same, overused plots as I am, and you don’t mind a slower burn, you might enjoy it too! ❤️

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Thank You to Harper Perrennial for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

The Interpreter
Brooke Robinson
Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
Harper
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I went into this book with great expectations. However, I was disappointed. The execution was poor. I felt like the story dragged. I did enjoy parts of the story but not enough to recommend it.
3 stars

Having read The Silent Patient and absolutely loving it, and seeing this in the blurb, "With the taut psychological drama of The Silent Patient and the propulsive storytelling of The Club, a chilling debut thriller about a London-based interpreter with dark secrets—and the enemy determined to take her down." I thought I would absolutely love this book. I also really loved the book, "The Club," however that was not the case.

This did not live up to the drama and twists of the Silent Patient and with that I say if that is what you are expecting, you are sadly going to be disappointed like I was.

However, the book itself is not bad though our main character Reville is not particularly likable. She doesn't really have any friends and only really has her "son" which she is in the process of adopting, I just went in expecting a similar payoff to the Silent Patient.

Our main character Reville is an interpreter and speaks 10 languages. In one of her past cases, Reville mistranslated something on purpose to influence the outcome of a trial she believed would otherwise be a miscarriage of justice. She vows never to do it again, but soon receives messages asking her to mistranslate other cases. Reville must decide what she's going to do - risk everything she's worked so hard for, or do the right thing and ignore the messages.


What this book seriously lacked was a couple good final twists. The author did tie up all loose ends which I appreciate, but I was looking for a jaw dropping twist which never came.


#TheInterpreter #NetGalley @HarperPerennial

Book was interesting, suspenseful, and easy to follow along. Every detail tied together well in the end. Full review on Instagram

Brooke Robinson bursts into the British thriller scene with a unique and fast paced mystery of godlike proportions. In The Interpreter, Revelle is very close to adopting her young ward Elliot. Her knowledge of ten languages keeps Reveille in demand with the London police and courts. But will her busy schedule keep Reveille from securing her brass ring in Elliot?
A headlining court case almost costs Revelle her career and adoption. But when she learns of a friend's murder that might be connected to the case, Reveille plays God with the purposeful misinterpretation of a single word to seal an innocent's fate.
Now someone is on to the interpreter's crime and begins blackmailing her for her future and Elliot.
Robinson tosses in several red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Will a past misinterpretation be Revelle's downfall? Interpret the exciting finale for a surprising showdown.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interpreter struggles with making a life while constantly ruminating about a mistake in her past.

This is an interesting tense story of an interpreter, whose job is to speak word for word what is being said without her own input. What happens when she makes a mistake or decides someone is guilty and affects the outcome. Someone is watching her and making demands she change stuff. the ethics raise many interesting questions.

The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson has an interesting plot, and the topic is engaging. However, I felt the story dragged in several places, and the outcome was not as thrilling as I had hoped. It was predictable.

Revelle Lee is fluent in ten languages, which she uses at crime scenes and in courtrooms across London. Being a court interpreter makes her privy to the most personal and often dark details of others’ lives.

In the meantime, she’s close to adopting a six-year-old boy named Elliot from foster care. R

When one of her cases involves a murder victim she knew slightly, Revelle fears she’s seeing a miscarriage of justice play out. Putting both the adoption and her career at risk, she deliberately mistranslates a Polish man’s alibi to put his accused friend behind bars, even though he insists he’s innocent.

I found it hard to believe that no consequences came to Revelle. Overall, it was an okay read. I would possibly check out more by this author. Three out of 5 stars.

#TheInterpreter #NetGalley @HarperPerennial

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Interpreter.

The premise was intriguing but I didn't find the narrative very engaging, mostly because I didn't like Revelle Lee.

I liked that she was an interpreter and multilingual but she had serious issues, possibly stemming from her nomadic childhood with a mother who resented her existence and not knowing who her father was.

Revelle has no friends, barely any colleagues and her only desire is to become a mother.

The ongoing adoption of her son Elliot is the primary source of all her anxieties throughout the narrative so she is described as neurotic and anxious.

This is expected but then she mentions she wanted to become a mother because she wanted a BFF in the form of a child.

Red flag alert!

Your child is your child; not your BFF, not your confidant, not your colleague.

You set boundaries and rules and restrictions with your child because you are a parent, a caregiver, and your primary goal is to love, guide, and instruct your child so he or she can grow up to be a confident adult.

During an interpretation, Revelle makes an error in translation on purpose (doing bad for a good reason), and her life quickly spirals apart.

It wasn't hard to figure out who was stalking Revelle and most readers will unravel the mystery pretty quickly.

The writing is fine, but the story was mundane, not suspenseful or exciting.

I did like learning about the nuances of certain languages, how you need to hear the full sentence to fully grasp the context or how one word can mean two different things depending on how it's used. Very interesting!

I really enjoyed this! It was a fast paced thriller that had me hooked from the beginning! The concept was intriguing and the flashbacks helped you really understand the entire story. I struggled a bit to like the main character? But that's not always a bad thing in a thriller. It can be hard to trust the narrator and that can help to add to the plot!