Reviews

The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister

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miss_bct's review

5.0

This is the first book I've read by Gillian McAllister and will certainly not be my last. I'm a fan of crime laden, psychological dramas, and have read well over 40 this year so far, and this has been my favourite so far this year.

The way this book is written is fantastic, from deep, complex sentences describing beautifully the pain and torment Izzy and her father both feel surrounding the events of Alex's death. Some of the narrative is so well crafted, and just rolls off the page to the extent that you can feel the inner turmoil. I love the way McAllister writes, and how she describes the simplest of things, movements, motivations in such beautiful language.

The concept behind the book is probably one written about many times - justice, or lack of it, yet this feels a compelling, fresh description of how it would feel to all parties concerned. I didn't at any time feel dragged down by it, I, like Izzy, just wanted to find out the truth. I had my suspects, I had my theories, and in the end none of them mattered - the book was well paced, packed full of twists and turns.

My particular love of this book stems around the ending. For no matter the outcome, there was only ever going to be one thing Izzy's father, Gabe, could truly identify with. Whether guilty or innocent, he belonged in prison. This was written so beautifully - a man worn down by institutionalisation. A man without a future, suspended in time. As Gabe said himself, he lost a third of his life in prison, the prime of his life. And this issue is a very real one - I've studied it extensively, about institutionalisation and how it can impact and increase reoffending. I felt McAllister including this as Gabe's final endgame was beautifully done, and really respects the plight of those who have found themselves in the position of being in prison for whatever reason, guilty or not.

I cannot wait to read more by McAllister, and would thoroughly recommend this book to anybody wanting to read a really well rounded, descriptive crime/psychological drama that focuses on family, justice and love.

hels08's review

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5.0

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wow! Gillian has done it again. Fantastic book. Was gripped, needed to find out what happened. Very twisty. Izzys father has been in prison for 18 yrs for murdering her mother. The day has come when her father is released, tracks her down and wants to prove his innocence to her. Loved how the story jumped from present to past, each time you find another piece of information.

syren1532's review

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5.0

Izzy English lives on the Isle of Wight with her police analyst husband Nick. When Izzy was 17 years old her mother went missing and was found murdered two days later. Her death hit Izzy hard but even harder was the fact that her father, Gabe, was arrested, charged and convicted of her murder. Now, after serving eighteen years in prison, Gabe has been released on license and is back on the island and desperate to see Izzy. He claims he is innocent of all charges. Izzy doesn’t know what to believe - after her mother’s death she lived with her maternal grandparents who never spoke to her about the case and she was not aware of the evidence presented in court which led to Gabe’s conviction. Having met Gabe without her husband’s knowledge Izzy starts her own investigation into her mother’s death and events leading up to it. Along the way she discovers that her parents weren’t all she believed them to be. She struggles to believe whether Gabe is telling her the truth about what happened and her continued determination to find the truth puts her marriage under a huge strain.

Really great read. Nearly every chapter had me changing my mind about whether Gabe was innocent or not and, the same as Izzy, trying to find alternative suspects. Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Gillian McAllister for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

natalier3's review

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4.0

Not as good as her others

Was expecting a courtroom drama so was a little disappointed but still a good book. Lots of characters to get to grips with too, which were a little confusing. But overall I enjoyed it

serendipitysbooks's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

The Evidence Against You begins with Izzy’s Dad, Gabe, being released from prison following a life sentence for the murder of Alex, his wife and Izzy’s Mum. He still proclaims his innocence and, little by little, Izzy comes to believe him. Or is at least open to the possibility that he is not guilty. So the two of them put their heads together, combine their memories and begin investigating.

This novel kept me on edge wondering if Izzy was right to trust Gabe. It had me unsettled and questioning the reliability of memory. Who or what to believe when what he says contradicts her memories or what he has said in the past?

This is perhaps to be expected in a psychological drama/mystery. What stood out to me most from this story is also what surprised me. And that is the nuanced exploration of the issues surrounding the reintegration into society of those who have served a long period of incarceration. Regardless of Gabe’s guilt or innocence his struggles to find a job and to feel like he could cope in the outside world were heartbreaking.

This book kept me interested and left me thinking without necessarily wowing me. Nevertheless a worthwhile read.

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