Reviews

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

bethl28's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

Eclipse chasers, no one to root for

jolou's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kimblefairy1989's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - it kept me reading right through till the end. I particularly enjoyed the two twists that made up the latter part of the novel. I didn't see either of them coming.

The only reason I've given this book 4 stars rather than 5 is because the first half was a little slow and there were some moments that I picked up on that didn't make any sense e.g. Laura dropped the purse when she witnessed the rape but then a few paragraphs later was surprised to find herself still holding it. Not as surprised as I was I can tell you!

jen_meds_book_reviews's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.25

Well ... this book wasn't what I was expecting. Not really. Well, not at all actually. Another one where I'm definitely kicking myself for taking so long to read it. Having come very late to Erin Kelly's writing, I've come to expect the unexpected, but it's fair to say that this book is packed with tension, misdirection and a whole lot of threat. But not in the way I was expecting at all. It's a tale of obsession and no mistake, but as to who is the one who is obsessed - that remains to be seen. Is what comes to pass the result of a gross miscarriage of justice or is there something far more sinister in play? And will discovering the truth come at a cost for our protagonists, Laura and Kit? Well - you'll have to read the book to find that out, won't you?

I really liked the premise of this book as it plays into some very real and very current themes that could easily have been ripped from today's headlines, never mind those of six years ago when it was first released. The story is quite simple, after a fashion. Laura and Kit are at a festival in Cornwall, hoping to witness a total eclipse of the sun. The weather has other ideas, but it doesn't stop the revellers from enjoying themselves. On their return from watching the eclipse, Laura happens upon the scene of what she believes to be a sexual assault, but is everything quite as it seems? Certainly her decision to get involved is going to derail hers and Kit's lives, and in giving evidence, Laura also makes another decision, perhaps unforgivable, perhaps not. Can the ends justify the means? With what comes to pass, and the benefit of hindsight, perhaps Laura would have made a very different decision and the aftermath of the trial would have had a very different end.

This really is a book that plays into that whole concept of witness testimony and the way in which assault cases have often been played out in the court of public opinion, especially where there is limited forensic evidence to support any charges. Sexaul assualt has typically, and historically, been one of the least reported and least successfully prosecuted offences, evidence often coming down to the word of one person against another, especially in the case of an assault where the victim and assailant are known to each other, however marginally, as in this case. It really does mean that in this case, Laura's testimony is crucial and although it is still not absolute proof, it is a powerful position to be in. As the accused is a person in position of influence and the victim someone whose behaviour - travelling alone to a festival - something that can easily be dismissed as reckless and indicative of someone who might also lie about an assault in a moment of regret, the whole story had an air of believability about it. How many times have we heard that particular headline - where the way the victim has dressed or behaved has been put on trial and judged more harshly than the actions of the offender? 

What follows the trial, something that is sewn up really rather early on the in the book is the real crux of this story though. The unlikely friendship that grows between Laura and the victim, Beth, and the way in which is seems to mutate and turn from something nice into something obsessive and suspect. Add in a determined campaign by the accused to clear his name, professing innocence and backed by an online campaign where Beth and Laura are both accused of lying on the stand, and you get that feeling that nothing is quite so simple. But whose side do we, should we, fall down on. Certainly there is plenty of evidence to suggest things are not as simple as they first appeared, and with a story that moves between the past, the fateful night and the court case, and the present day where Laura and Kit's life is anyhing other than what they first imagined, I did find that I my opinions of what was happening changed so often.

Erin Kelly has done a brilliant job here of highlighting how often a victim's word fails to be enough. of how skewed the judicial system was to try to accuse the accuser as readily as the accused. That is changing, with the official line now to believe the accuser until there is evidence to the contrary, but that too is flawed, opening up the possibility of false accusations and ruined reputations, something we have also seen play out in the media. The whole book opens up a raft of questions and moral dilemmas, backed up by a tension that flows from start to finish and more than the odd moment of jeopardy that really gets the pulse racing. As for the ending - well in true Erin Kelly style she manages to pull a blinder, and with the closing chapters full of drama and surprises left me feeling completely satisfied.

I've a few more books in the author's back catalogue to read but I think, after the evidence of the past few reads, I really need to bump them up the TBR. Definitely recommended for fans of tense, psychological thrillers who love to be kept on the edge of their seat.

jlh77's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I got this book as an advanced reader edition from the publisher. It took a while to get into it, maybe because I thought I knew the plot and what would happen and I thought it was going to be predictable. It really wasn't. I can't say it's the best book I've ever read, but as a mystery/thriller type book, it was pretty good.

sarahbaileyreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

The premise of this book was unlike any others I have read. I was also incredibly surprised by the twists and turns of this mystery! However, I had a hard time keeping up with the jumps in time. It may have been easier to keep track of time if I had been reading an actual book instead of one on my Kindle, it I often times as confused on where in time we were that it would take me out of the story.

sandygx260's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Too much irrational behavior by the main characters had me shaking my head. The writing is great, and the characters compelling, but one super forced plot device made me knock this down to a three star read. I will definitely check out Kelly's other books because I rarely plow through a meaty novel in two days. This novel held my attention until I yelled "oh WTF!" at the too extreme "twist". Errr, no. It felt like a cheat.

philippakmoore's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Now this is how you write a thriller. Tension that builds and builds with each chapter, pulled so tight that the final explosion leaves you breathless; characters that you come to care about; and a twist you genuinely don't see coming. An excellent read.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

tami80469's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Besides that I found both narrators highly unlikeable (I did like Beth though), the ending was way too abrupt for me, like the book has been cut off.
Not sure if I‘ll read another book by this author.

vandermeer's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Die Geschichte ist ganz gut. Aber als ich endlich erfahre, was Beth getan hat, muss ich lachen. Die beiden Protagonisten sind nicht besonders interessant, überreagieren oft und sind die größten Angsthasen der Welt. Vieles ist absurd und an den Haaren herbeigezogen. Bei 71% beschließe ich, mich selbst zu spoilern und lese Rezensionen. Danach lese ich die Geschichte auch nicht mehr zu Ende.