Norman has written a novel of considerable power: deeply human, compelling because of the characters, but also with a plot that keeps you eager to know what happens next. I loved it, and found it unputdownable.

Livia has an ordinary, but very happy life. She and her husband both have decent jobs, they’re raising two good kids, and they’re a happy and respected part of their community. Then the death of her brother in law sets in motion events that spin so far out of control that Livia finds herself sitting in the dock, charged with attempted murder, her family shattered. How did she get there?

Norman’s novels are deeply rooted in character, and this is no exception. Livia is a strong and empathetic character, and most readers will quickly engage with her. She’s both vivid and ordinary – it’s not just that we understand her, it’s that plenty of us could be her.

Livia is the heart of the novel, but her husband Scott is no less responsible and drives a good bit of what happens in the novel. He’s less empathetic, partly because we’re on Livia’s side and rather horrified by some aspects of his changing behaviour. But we do see where it’s coming from, and he garners a good deal of sympathy and understanding as well.

The plot is strong, and doesn’t involve “shock twists”. It builds to a tense climax, but rather than a twist, it feels like each event grows naturally out of what’s gone before. It feels as though both Livia, and we, should have been able to see it coming. We’re fully invested in what’s happening, and just as devastated and shocked as Livia is.

This is a very contemporary novel, mentioning many recent events, and with COVID lockdowns playing a part. This helps to make the events of the plot more vivid, as they’re in a time and place most readers will not just remember, but also feel, very strongly.

I really loved this novel. It is the closest thing to an unputdownable novel I’ve read in ages – I kept deferring other things to keep reading this. It is both compelling and moving, as well as chilling and just a little frightening. Complex themes are rendered in a way that’s personal and vivid.

I have enjoyed all of Charity Norman’s novels, but this is perhaps the best of them. Strongly recommended.

I WILL PUBLISH THIS REVIEW ON OTHER PLATFORMS CLOSER TO PUBLICATION DATE, AND WILL RETURN TO ADD LINKS THEN.

Award winning New Zealand crime author Charity Norman’s Home Truths declares itself as a crime novel from its cold open. A woman is on trial, the jury are returning to deliver their verdict, there has been a murder, perhaps. But once the narrative begins it is clear that what Norman is interested in is not the crime itself but the insidious social disease that led to it. And in doing so, she revisits the traumatic and uncertain times that accompanied the COVID epidemic.
Home Truths opens with a tragedy. It is the morning of Heidi’s 13th birthday in late 2019 and she wants her father Scott to himself. This desire will inadvertently lead to the death of Scott’s brother Nick who had an intellectual disability and diabetes. In trying to make sense of Nick’s death, Scott will go down the conspiracy theory rabbit-hole, joining a group of Truthers who believe the world is run by a secret cabal. The advent of Covid supercharges his belief and leads him down a dark path. Much of the book is narrated in hindsight by his wife Livia, who struggles to accommodate Scott and his shifting belief system, but there are point of view sections from Heidi and Scott himself.
Home Truths tackles the insidious nature of the internet, conspiracy theories and the way people can be drawn in and manipulated. Norman explores the ways in which influencers draw people in and then lead them further and further away from reality. While the focus here is on health conspiracies and the impact of Covid, the story could just as easily be about the QAnon phenomenon or the insidious nature of influencers like Andrew Tate.
The thing that Norman always does well is depicting ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances. Scott is not a bad person, he is struggling to come to terms with the death of his brother and that makes him vulnerable. Livia wants to believe that this is just a phase but does not have the language or knowledge to counter the influence on Scott. And Heidi is a teenager racked with guilt, going through her own personal hell.
The idea of the cold open is to hold readers in suspense – when is the crime coming? What is the story? And Norman does get there, more than justifying this book’s tag as crime fiction. But by then the court case is less about the justice system and more about what happens when the power and methods of internet influencers are exposed to the light of day.
Home Truths is a chilling reminder of how easy it is to manipulated into believing. How the internet can be used to lead people slowly away from reality particularly when the world seems to be out of their control. Norman effectively takes readers into this modern scourge, exploring how influencers prey on the fears of otherwise rational people and how hard it is for loved ones to battle once the belief has taken hold.

I was not aware from the synopsis this would be covering the Covid pandemic so for me it’s a no thank you.

For fairness I’ll be rating this 5 stars as I did not read it.

This book left me speechless! I've been sitting here for a few hours trying to come up with something to say without it becoming an essay on how good books should be written!

Home Truths is set in England and covers the time period of 2019-2022. And rather than create an idyllic English countryside setting Charity Norman confront the reality of those years we'd rather forget face on.

The plot is well thought out, using this timeframe is perfect as all of us can relate to the panic, the worries, and yes, the theories that came with that unknown time.

It shows us how unstable our lives can be even when we think we are secure. It is terrifying how realistic it is that people are quickly influenced by the internet.

The plot and character development made me read on in horror. The fear and shock faced within the pages were felt just as much by me! This is a great book if you want to see the views of conspiracy theories from both sides because honestly at times I felt for both sides! A definite read for everyone when it is released!

The story starts with Livia Denby heading back into court to hear the jury’s verdict in her murder trial. How did she get here? Let’s start in August 2019, daughter Heidi is celebrating her 13th birthday and her wish is to go on a bike ride with her dad, Scott. Cycle to a tavern have lunch and head back. mum and 6year old Noah will hold the fort at home. On returning home they are met with terrible news. Scott’s brother Nicky has died, a type 1 diabetic with an intellectual disability, he had allowed his blood levels to drop too low and in a confused state couldn’t find his way inside his home. To Scott’s great horror he finds that Nicky had tried to call him several times before he died. Scott couldn’t find his phone before the bike ride and didn’t worry about it. Now he feels wracked with guilt. All he had to do was make an effort to find his phone and Nicky would probably still be alive. Now Scott’s world begins to implode. He starts watching internet theorists and soon finds himself totally immersed in all the conspiracies floating about, the weirder the theory the more he believes. Livia is desperate to help him and relies on an old Uni friend of Scott’s, Anthony Tait whom has recently made contact again. But things are going from bad to worse and when Scott tries to stop students at his school from being vaccinated he loses his job as teacher.
It’s an amazing piece of storytelling and shines a light on the internet trolls and their vitriol and crazy crazy ideology. How a person in the depths of despair can grab one of these ideas and become obsessed with to it, so much so that it can cost lives..
This lady’s writing is first class and each book gets better and better, you need to read everything she writes, she is that good!

#HomeTruths #NetGalley

Yet another superb book by Charity Norman. I am a huge fan of her , her writing and her books and this one did not disappoint. I loved it. This is a story of family, love and the mystery of Livia Denby and her trial for attempted murder.

This is such an intriguing and interesting read where the internet and people we don't know can interfere in our lives and even take over. This is a very dramatic and heart-wrenching story. It shows just what can happen when so called online experts take control of your mind and lead you down dangerous paths.

This is a gripping read that will make you think, the emotions will get right to your head and heart and you won't be able to put it down. This is yet another fantastic book by this author and one I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Charity Norman, Home Truths, Allen & Unwin, June 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Charity Norman has woven together a domestic tragedy, a public catastrophe, and the influence of online figures whose claims to be experts is shaky at best. In this case, the ‘expert’s’ behaviour, rather than being widely targeted, is directed to the destruction of an individual. Dr Jack’s behaviour is deliberate and targeted. However, Norman cleverly demonstrates the way in which less personally targeted online activities can draw vulnerable people into a morass of untruths, erratic behaviour, and danger. At the same time, Livia and Scott and their children Heidi and Noah, while under threat, behave as a family, giving the novel a feeling that is purely domestic.

The prologue prepares the way for a dramatic conclusion to the story, but the tension mounts slowly as Livia painstakingly describes the last day on which she believes that she, Scott, and the children functioned as a family. They are happily preparing for birthday celebration, father and daughter will be riding out to lunch, mother and son will be happily ensconced at home. Scott’s brother, Nicky, has sent a birthday card that suggests his mental fragility, and he has been placated by a phone conversation with Heidi and Scott. They leave, the absence of Scott’s phone a minor glitch to their departure. Or is it?

The story revolves around Nicky’s desperate message that is ignored because the phone is missing, the guilt experienced by Scott, and the distress felt at varying levels by the other family members over the ensuing medical emergency. Scott is alert to the possibility that his brother’s mental state has been instrumental in the medical attention he received. He begins researching medical treatment, doctor’s behaviour, the role of drug companies and ambulance services, and finds them wanting. He decides that there must be more to what he sees as targeted neglect, and in Dr Jack he finds it.

This is a thoughtful narrative about a family dealing with death and its aftermath, in this case the obsession with a figure of authority whose intention is personal and destructive. The larger story, including that of the Covid pandemic and the impact of people such as Dr Jack on the willingness to accept its serious nature and the way in which it needed to be medically confronted is instructive. However, central to the story, and informative about a serious social phenomenon is the way in which a person of integrity, warmth and intelligence can be manipulated. Both strands make a story that is sensitive while revealing personal and social shortcomings.

Home Truths is an important novel, with its impeccable characterisation, interesting and impactful story line, and connection to significant social issues.

I discovered Charity’s books a couple of years ago and eagerly made my way through her backlist. I was keen to read her latest offering. This was a gripping and thought- provoking examination of conspiracy theories and their impact on a person and their family. Scott, Livia, Heidi and Noah are the main focus of the novel and are a typical family unit. It was interesting to see how an average, educated person can so easily be lured into this world.

It was quite frightening to see how Scott changed over the novel and to see him trying brainwash Noah, his young son who has quite serious asthma into not accepting help from medical professionals. Scott’s beliefs ended up costing him his family and job and nearly more. It was quite a balanced look at the issue and I enjoyed getting the different points of view from Scott, Livia and daughter Heidi on how they ended up where they did and the impact on the family unit. Without giving spoilers I would have liked to seen the person behind Dr Jack perspective to see what his motives were.

The novel starts and finishes with a court case. You are hooked immediately and then as you read through are constantly trying to work out how it got to the hearing. I was blindsided by how things played out. But with some hindsight I could see that there were several clues dropped along the way. Setting it just before the Covid pandemic was brilliant as you knew what was going to come and could just see what impact that would have on Scott. The writing was amazing, taking you through a roller coaster of emotions from sadness, disbelief to anger at different events. The difficult topics, family and court room drama reminded me a lot of a Jodi Picoult novel.