I Confess

I have been waiting and dreaming about a perfect thriller. This is hands down the absolute best thriller I have read in MONTHS! Page turning, edge of your seat, read until you eyes blur, amazing read!

This is my first Alex Barclay book and I requested it based on all of the social media coverage it has received over the past few weeks, and I am so glad that I did.

Edie and Johnny are from a small town called Beara in the southwest of Ireland. Having relocated back from the States, they buy the old convent/industrial school in the town and do it up as a five star hotel/leisure resort. They invite their lifelong friends, Helen, Clare, Laura, Patrick and Murph, over for dinner to celebrate Helen's birthday. With a storm raging outside, the electricity goes plunging the room into darkness and little by little, long held secrets come out into the light...

What an absolute cracker of a read. It is set in Ireland, where I'm from, so instantly I knew I would like it from the get go! I also knew this book was going to be amazing from all the fantastic social media coverage and reviews it has received up to and around the publication date (22 August last). It is a read so full of surprises, twists, turns and brilliant characters, who we meet as 11 year olds, 16 year olds and later as 46 year old adults, that you can't help but become attached to them and understand their connection to and bond with each other. Murph though was my favourite and I think everyone should have a Murph in their life - that Irish wit was brilliant and had me laughing out loud on my commute. Having said that, actions of other characters in the book also had me gasping aloud on the commute as the story took turns I truly didn't see coming.

I can't give this book any less than five stars as I read it in 2 days, went through a gamut of emotions from empathy, sympathy, shock, revulsion, sadness and total lolz, it is a fantastic read and I highly recommend reading it as soon as possible, if you can. 5/5*

This was an enjoyable, fast paced thriller, which had me wondering until it was time for me to find out who was the guilty party. Tense, chilling, shocking, and full of twists and turns, this book is sure to shake you up in a few spots! It was hard to put down, because the author seemed to have a formula that kept you glued to the pages to learn more! Highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!
Will make sure I buzz it up on the different platforms!

I am a big fan of Alex Barclay and couldn’t wait to try this one. Wasn’t disappointed and I can’t wait to read more!

The story starts with a group of old schoolfriends meeting to celebrate. it is Helens birthday and Edie and Johnny are running a new hotel so invite everyone to the hotel as a house warming.and a birthday party. Edie and Johnny have come back to the Beara Peninsula with their son and bought the old convent to convert into a hotel. All their old friends have returned too. The night begins well until a body is discovered. Everyone in the party has their own secrets, some are known to others but not all. This is the night where the truth unfolds and we discover the evil that lurks within the group.
I loved the tension in this story, helped of course by the environment, an old convent on a stormy night. The story begins with a bang but the friends' history unravels slowly!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Alex Barclay for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Never a bad word to say about Barclay. He knows how to Write a fluid novel, keeping readers glued to the pages.

What a page turner! I Confess really caught my attention from the start and I was intrigued until the very end. I'll definitely keep an eye on this author for the future!

I loved this book.

From the descriptions of the area in which it is set to the characters and thier intertwining stories.

The story takes on a kind of Agatha Christie feel but in a modern manner and keeps you hooked throughout.

This was one book that when life go in the way of reading, screamed at me to come back to it.

This is my first read by Alex Barclay and when a friend recommended that I read it, I was intrigued, safe to say I wasn’t disappointed, I could not put this book down and I have to admit she was right, this book was so up my street!!!

Set in a rural town called Beara in Cork, Edie and Johnny have just moved back from California having bought the local convent that they planned to renovate into a luxury 5 star hotel. They invite their childhood friends for dinner to celebrate their long time friend Helen’s birthday. Laura, Patrick, Murph, Claire and Helen arrive and are wowed by the place, settled down to dinner, the electrics go and they are thrown into darkness…. Things go awry after that with them all reminiscing both good and bad about their past, but your past can sometimes catch up with you!!!! The body of the electrician, Terry Hyland is discovered under tarp outside and the night spirals from there….. who dunnit?

The story is told both in the present and from each of the characters in the past which gives you an insight into their own personal pasts and secrets….. this will certainly be a night none of them will forget!!!

This was a belter of a read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the banter between them, as my friend says “everybody could do with a bit of Murph in their lives”, I loved his character… a gripping thriller of a read which I will definitely be recommending.

I enjoyed this novel very much. The characters were extremely well drawn and sympathetic, and the story line was seamless. Highly reccomend this excellent book.

This is a cracking thriller, with all the marks of a true bestseller. Great plot that builds skilfully, with excellent characters. I really enjoyed this book.

I Confess by Alex Barclay 🖤
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Admittedly, when I first read the blurb of this book I thought it sounded good but also similar to a couple of other books I’d read recently. Namely, Sleep by CL Taylor and An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena, both amazing books. However, this story had so much more. It was a surprisingly unique and suspenseful story. I loved it. The story alternates between a group of Friends now as they are reunited with one another and their pasts, which dredged up some really sorrowful and tragic tales. Absolutely fantastic story. Highly recommend xx
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Good book by a great storyteller who weaves the stories of the many characters together well.

It is gripping and relatable with each chapter revealing just enough to keep you hooked.

#IConfess #NetGalley
A must read.
Edie and Johnny purchase an old building and transform it into a luxury resort in Beara, an area in south-west coast of Ireland. They invited their friends, Clare, Laura, Helen, Patrick and Murph to their new resort. Each character is hiding a gray shade inside them. They're not what they seem to be. This is not a normal'reunion. Something is going on in the background.
Then a body is found.
Told from different POV's, the story is successful in keeping the reader engaged till the end. I really didn't find who the culprit is. Author has done a wonderful job in creating larger than life characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.