I had no trouble getting into this book as the premise is clear: a man, Heydon has been missing for years and his car was parked on the bridge over the Thames but no body was discovered. Now sister Bobbie hires Mr. Lynch to find him and gives him a teardrop tattoo under his eye as he looks so much like Heydon. But it's also clear Heydon was paranoid as his messages were "read" and he made notes to himself to change his passwords. But then things get wildly confusing as Lynch looks into his family life and there are hints of extortion. I ended up skimming the 2nd half as I had trouble following the convoluted plot line!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Imposter Syndrome is fast-paced and exciting. Throughout the entire thing I felt like I was missing some important information about many of the characters. I kept thinking that this must be a sequel and there was something more about Lynch I should know. It gave the impression that I should be getting some inside jokes about him. Without this information, it seemed like there were huge jumps in the story and I was missing how the connections were made.

Imposter Syndrome was a pretty original concept that you don't see in many mystery books. Some of the concepts seemed to jump around and I spent time trying to figure out how we got from point A to point B. Even with the trials of trying to figure out how we got to a certain place, I still wanted (needed) to finish the book or I would have wondered how it ended.

The pacing of this is slow for a thriller and couldn’t hold my attention. I was able to get about 30% through for now but will be putting it down. I hope to go back to it at some point.

I do wish Joseph Knox would have stuck with the mixed media as was the case in True Crime Story, I believe that could have added a lot to the pace of the story and made it feel more exciting.

I was really hoping to love this book based on the premise and the title of the book, however, it took me awhile to really get into the story line.

The main character is a con artist who was on the run from something, his character wasn’t relatable and he was very chaotic in his thoughts and decision making.

I felt like the story was a bit hard to follow at times, but once it hit the 40% mark, it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. It was written so you were just given enough information to form an opinion on what was going on, just to be wrong.

The big reveal wasn’t as jaw dropping as I was hoping for, but I still enjoyed it. This book will definitely get your heart racing and the pages turning. It’s another book that shows rich people getting away with anything because of their money.

I enjoyed the fast paced mystery of it all, just wish I could have connected or cared more about the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook ARC, always appreciative!

This is the first book I have read by Joseph Knox, and I had a great time! I will definitely be seeking out other work by Joseph, and I thought this was really intriguing, but also intense and kept me guessing.

When Lynch is mistaken for Heydon Pierce, the missing son of a wealthy family, he’s asked to take on the con of his life - pretend to be Heydon and find out what happened to him.

This was a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists that kept me guessing. Lynch (is that even his real name?) is an enigma and an absolutely fascinating character. The chapters are divided into sections, so even at almost 400 pages I found this to be a quick read. There are lots of characters, all seemed suspicious to me, and I had a hard time putting the book down until I knew what was going on. Mystery and thriller readers will enjoy this one!

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Con artist Lynch is on the run from his shady past. Arriving at the airport in London without a phone or money he's trying to figure out what to do when he runs into a young woman named Bobbie who mistakes him for her brother, Heydon Pierce, who disappeared 5 years ago without a trace.

At her suggestion, Lynch goes to the Pierce family home, posing as Heydon to try and con some money out of them. But instead of trickimg them they quickly see right through him. . He strikes a bargain with them. In exchange for their silence he will help find out what really happened to Heydon.

Lynch’s investigation uncovers the fact that Heydon Pierce was tangled up with some dangerous and powerful people in London. Everyone has their own motives to keep Heydon well buried in the past and Lynch can trust no one.

You have to suspend belief for the story. It's long and complicated, not a great combination. The author's writing makes things a little better but my attention wandered from the beginning. I had a hard time understanding the main character and why he was acting the way he was.

Imposter Syndrome isn't a typical thriller. There is a dark feeling throughout. Overall it wasn't for me.

To start off the cover 👀 it is so pretty and matches the story so well!! The characters were written wonderfully and the plot was quite enjoyable!

This book has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next!

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox tells the story of gifted con man and grifter Lynch and his later involvement in discovering what happened to the troubled son of a wealthy family.

Lynch, is on the run after a different con fell apart and while on the move, meets Bobbie, the sister to the missing Heydon Pierce. By means explained in the novel, Lynch is then pulled into an expansive scheme to enter what he soon learns to be a strange byzantine world filled with a wide range of powerfully dangerous people and plenty of mystery.

Knox goes to great lengths to introduce Lynch and the other characters and spins quite a complex tale many should enjoy. The novel then follows Lynch and others, as Lynch attempts to determine whether Heydon is dead or alive and if dead, whether was he murdered.

Upfront, and not to dissuade others from reading the novel, Imposter Syndrome is a very good novel. Though this was not my favorite Joseph Knox novel, I have no desire to negatively review it because my reaction was simply a matter of taste. In the past, I have greatly enjoyed Knox’s Aidan Watts novels and highly recommend those to fans of gritty crime fiction.

Imposter Syndrome is recommended to those who enjoy complex, wide-reaching tales with more than above-average character development.

Netgalley provided an ARC in return for a fair review and the novel is set to be released in December 2024.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this title.

So let me start by saying that if you bought this book based on the blurb, you're about to be upset. This book was NOTHING like the blurb! Okay maybe the first two chapters hinted at it but that's it. There was nothing good about the book but there wasn't anything inherently bad either. Sad to say I'm not a fan of this book.

Joseph Knox’s books are always well-written and they are always wild rides! This one was no exception. In this book, a con artist meets a socialite, with whose long-lost brother he bears a startling resemblance. The socialite proposes that he enters the family house in London and pretends to be the prodigal son to her mom, dad, and older sister. The premise is intriguing and the plot is twisty and unpredictable. As usual for Knox’s books, there are some grisly deaths and underworld dealings. Even though I enjoyed the book, this was my least favorite of Knox’s five novels. I managed to figure out the mystery at some point, the main character was too much of a cypher, and one of the emotional beats on which the plot hinges did not work for me. I wish we had gotten more insight into the emotional life of the family. A rare miss from Knox, but still enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for letting me read an ARC of this book.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I could not finish this one. That's the first time I've said that about a Joseph Knox story, and it stunned me too. I could NOT get into this one at all though... From the opening pages, it seemed to be missing that magical element of immersive reality that I've found in each of his previous novels. It felt like it was written by someone with an entirely different voice...

This story is about a guy who gets himself stuck in some sticky situations. There were so many scandalous people and situations. It was suspenseful because I was wondering what he’d get into next! There were a lot of characters and I got a little confused on who was who sometimes, but overall it was a good book! If you like not-so-dark books, this one’s for you.

First of all, the book is absolutely nothing like the blurb. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t even have picked this one up based on what it’s really about. The first chapter maybe but after that? It turned into an entire different story.

Also, it felt extremely convoluted and none of the characters felt authentic. It actually made it feel unbelievable at some points. I could connect to any of the characters, even the main one.

It just felt so slow for me, with not enough action, plot movement, or payoff. I’m sure there are some good moments and things about this book some people may like (especially if you like the mob-style crime stuff), but it just wasn’t for me 😅 But to be fair, had I known that’s what it would be going in, I wouldn’t have picked it. I think a more realistic description of the book would help a ton!

I dove into Joseph Knox's new novel without even reading the blurb. The title and cover promised a wild, entertaining adventure involving a con artist. Was I right? Well, partially.

I expected a con story (which I love), and the first few chapters delivered on that promise. The main character, Mr. Lynch, bears a striking resemblance to Heydon Pierce, the missing son of a wealthy family. His sister convinces Lynch to impersonate Heydon and profit from the deception. At this point, I was thinking: Highsmith meets Hitchcock, and I was thrilled.

However, when Lynch meets the family, the plot takes a turn. It shifts from a con-artist narrative to an action-packed noir featuring mysterious and dangerous organizations, dubious enterprises, contract killers, sinister entrepreneurs, and a family with more secrets than they care to admit.

The plot was intricate and often complex, with Lynch moving from one place to another, uncovering new clues, meeting enigmatic characters, and trying to unravel the mystery while becoming suspicious of everyone.

Overall, this was a fast-paced action thriller that I could easily see adapted into a film or TV series, though it wasn’t what I initially expected. I was amused and entertained throughout, but I couldn't help wondering why Lynch would go to such extremes for someone he didn't know or why the plot had to be so convoluted.