The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson offers an original and intricate premise, following Reveille Lee, a polyglot interpreter who navigates the ethical challenges of translating crucial testimony in court cases. The psychological thriller explores the weight of words and the dangerous consequences of misinterpretation, especially when Reveille becomes emotionally invested in a case that risks her career. While the plot is slow-paced and introspective, with a focus on Reveille’s thoughts and inner turmoil, the unique concept and insight into the world of interpreting are engaging. Although not a fast-paced, twisty thriller, it’s a thought-provoking story that may appeal to readers looking for something different from the usual thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers

Revelle Lee, after a childhood spent traveling the world with her mother, can fluently speak 11 languages. While this may seem like a useless gift to some, it landed her a job as an interpreter. When she is not translating at crime scenes and courtrooms across London, she is with her son Eliot, whom she is in the process of adopting. She puts this process at risk when she deliberately mistranslates in a case she is over-invested in. What has she done, and how will it impact her life and others?

I really like the premise of this book -- court interpreter exercises poor judgement, gets personally invested, and ultimately ends up getting blackmailed. But I think there was a lot of unnecessary fluff that made it difficult to focus on the premise. It is worth mentioning that the audio version was confusing and sometimes difficult to follow, so I am open to reading a physical copy to see if I am able to better connect to the characters/storyline.

What to expect when you're not expecting?

Quite frankly... nothing.

You might think you know what is going on here but I promise you, you'll be DEAD wrong.

This book will have you questioning "How the heck is this a debut?" . Brooke Robinson has hit the ground running with the release of The Interpreter, and I'm here for it.

Check out this teaser:

Innocent or guilty: it all hinges on a single word . . .

Thanks to a nomadic childhood, Revelle Lee is fluent in ten languages, which she puts to use at crime scenes and in courtrooms across London. Being a court interpreter is a stressful job, one that 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. Revelle is determined to be the mother she never had, and to make up for a terrible mistake she made years ago. Though the sweet, loving little boy is learning to trust her, she’s begun receiving disturbing messages which she suspects are from his birth family.

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.

Revelle thinks she’s gotten away with it free and clear. But someone seems to know what she’s done—and about her long-ago error and its terrible consequences. And they intend to destroy Revelle’s life, piece by piece. . .

𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨!

First of all I can’t beleive this is a debut, just wow. Loved this story, the courtroom drama was fantastic, the lies and the suspense. It was gripping, atmospheric, dark and clever.

Thank you Harper Books and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 by Brooke Robinson releases today September 19, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

This is a really good debut novel! Nothing dragged on, things progressed quickly and it was easy to become hooked. And I loved the narrator, she was very good with separating voices, and enfusing emotion intro her characters.
I highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for the pre release audiobook.

This story has the main character, Revelle Lee a foreign language interpreter for law enforcement and court cases, facing multi-layered dilemmas. Nathalie Buscombe and Ayesha Antoine do a fine job narrating the sticky situations that Revelle finds her self creating. Sometimes the book makes you want to scream at her! In the end - just suspend your disbelief and go with it. It's a different and intriguing kind of ride.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Audio for this ARC Audio book.

This was the first book I'd read by the author and was not disappointed. The book is full of twists and turns, some of them a bit forced, but nonetheless a suspenseful page turner.

I listened to the audio version of this novel, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrators did an excellent job. The plot was unique and intriguing and the pace was quick. Revelle's command of 11 languages, her backstory, and the speed with which she slid down the slippery slope of ethical vs. unethical behavior in the world of translators had me hooked from the beginning. It was like watching a train wreck. I could not believe the messes she got herself into--the further it went along the more ridiculous it seemed, but I could not stop listening!

I thought this was an interesting thriller. I never thought about interpreters before and what they do for their jobs Especially was interesting when you think about them translating for criminals. This was a good twisty one that I didn't expect at the end.

audiobook
I really liked this one. The premise of a court interpreter who changes one word to affect the outcome of a case was very interesting. The author created palpable tension as the interpreter was being blackmailed. I could feel her paranoia building as she dug herself deeper and deeper into the situation. At times I could feel her anxiety, stress and terror. This is amazing writing when the author can successfully transfer the character's emotions to the reader.
The tension in this book continued to build and became increasingly intense. This book is intriguing from the beginning and becomes more engrossing as the story progresses. This would make an incredible movie.
Recommended to anyone who likes thriller, suspense, and mystery.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator. I thought the voice really captured the essence of the story. I found the plot a little hard to follow at times and Revelle's character was somewhat confusing. I wasn't sure what her motives were at times. Is she trying to do the right thing, but consistently choosing the wrong way to do it? I'm still not sure, but it kept my attention and I loved that she is a polyglot. I would love to speak 10 languages and I found that aspect of her fascinating. I find being somewhat confused sometimes aids the mystery of the book and I think that's what happened here because I enjoyed the time spent listening to it.

This was an outstanding novel! It raised intriguing ethical questions, the protagonist felt relateable and realistic. The author raises compelling questions about the dangers of inaccurate language interpretation. Good emotional depth as well. Thank you!

Name of Book: The Interpreter
Author: Brooke Robinson
Narrator: Nathalie Buscombe and Ayesha Antoine
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Harper Audio
Pub Date: September 19, 2023
My Rating: 3.7 rounded up
Pages: 320

The novel’s blurb got my attention as I love psychological thrillers as well as courtroom drama.

This story is told from the POV of the Interpreter Revelle as well as an unknown person.
Additionally there are two side of Revelle - her job as well as the adoption process.

Revelle Lee is fluent in ten languages; actually eleven but something happened when she was assigned a German translation which still haunts her to the point where she eliminated German from her list.
She lives and works in London and as a translator goes on assignments where needed to translate for those who do not speak fluent English.
She works with the police, hospitals typically with crime scenes. Often translates witness testimonies in a courtroom. She is a single working woman who is in the process of adopting a seven-year-old Elliot.

Revelle is determined to be the mother she never had. Elliot has been taken from his birth parents who were abusive drug addicts and placed into foster care actually had been in several foster homes. Revelle knows she has to go slow in order to develop Elliot’s trust. As she is getting close to finalizing the adoption she starts receiving disruptive and misleading messages which she (as well as readers) suspects are from his birth mother.

We also learn that her work as a court interpreter can be very stressful; she learns personal and often dark details of others’ lives.
An interpreter’s job is to translate not to edit or judge and required by law to repeat as accurately as possible given that there may not be the exact word in English.
Revelle knows one word can free or find someone guilty or can also result in an innocent person being found guilty. There is an upcoming trial that most are sure a murderer will go free.
She is so fearful that she does the very thing that should never happen ~ she changes ‘one word’ and actually does it in two cases.
She is now being blackmailed.
Are the blackmail calls from the birth mother of little Elliot as she is doing whatever possible to get him back or perhaps it is something altogether different?
(Perhaps she wants to make up for a mistake she made years ago?)

Since I read a lot of thrillers, my armchair expertise had me imagining all kinds of things.
I found myself yelling at Revelle ~ Nooooo don’t do that – or don’t go there or don’t thrust that person. Of course, she didn’t listen!!
This story held my attention. I was listening to this audiobook in my car and as I was getting close to the end as well as close to home- I was ready to drive around the block or pull over to the side of the road. I controlled myself and finished that evening before going to bed ~ then thought about poor decisions half the night.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Day scheduled for September 19, 2023.