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chelle523's review against another edition
3.0
Hannah is trying to rebuild her life years after the brutal murder of her husband. She has only vague memories of what happened the night he was murdered but those memories were enough to convict his murderer. Now, a decade after the crime, a new podcast is drawing attention back to that dreadful night and evoking serious doubt as to the murderer's guilt and Hannah's own role in the crime. With Hannah's mental health hanging by a thread, she's forced to confront her past and her future as they collide. Is she going mad, or is someone out to ruin her?
The story itself is well written and Lowe builds suspense masterfully. The "twist" is a bit unbelievable but overall, the book was definitely an enjoyable read.
The story itself is well written and Lowe builds suspense masterfully. The "twist" is a bit unbelievable but overall, the book was definitely an enjoyable read.
libbycrews's review against another edition
4.0
This book had me hooked from the first page. It was unpredictable and offered enough suspense to make it hard to put down. Such a great read!
pressed_flower_books's review against another edition
2.0
Man, this book was a fuckin' BUMMER
"Possession" (also titled "The Murder of Graham Catton") follows Hannah, a woman who lost her husband 10 years ago in a grizzly murder. She has been living her life as best she can since then and has found new love and a stable life for her daughter when Conviction, a podcast designed around investigating crimes, begins digging into the murder of her husband all over again. Hannah and her family are thrown into a maelstrom of media attention, accompanied by rising suspicions that Hannah herself might know more than she lets on about the night of her husband's death.
Poor Hannah. Poor, poor girl. The amount of tragedy and horror that this woman has to go through it insane (so insane that by the end I was rolling my eyes a bit). Let's go through them:
Hannah works as a doctor for patients with mental health problems. At her first hospital, a patient in her care is able to commit suicide due to a mistake Hannah made.
That mistake is made because her boss, Dan, was sexually harassing her at work. When she tries to call him on his behavior, he threatens to speak to Graham, her husband, and get her in trouble.
Graham, meanwhile, is abusive to her both mentally and physically. She lives in terror of him.
On her wedding day, Graham's father sexually assaults her by kissing her and sticking his tongue in her mouth. Dan references this incident as common knowledge and mocks her for it.
Her husband is finally killed (which, honestly, is the only good thing that happens to her in this book) but only after he drugged her and left her to drown in the bathtub.
Hannah lives in fear of becoming her grandmother, who attempted to murder who whole family with carbon monoxide (Hannah's mother lived, but died at 39 due to complications from breathing in the CO as a child).
In modern day Conviction reopens the case of Graham's murder, dragging Hannah and her family into the center of the media and making them targets for hateful abuse online.
Hannah's daughter, Evie, grows up to be a massive bitch and doles out casual cruelty throughout the book.
She is temporarily let go from her job because of the media attention from the podcast.
People vandalize Hannah's home with graffiti and call her cell phone to spout hate at her after her information is released online.
Another of Hannah's patients dies while she is away from her job.
It turns out that Sarah, her best friend, was sleeping with Graham behind her back when they were married. Sarah also went to Conviction to give testimony against Hannah, revealing that she was recording their private conversations.
Sophie, the sister of the girl that died, is reveled to be the mastermind behind much of the greif Hannah has been through and kidnaps Evie. She stabs Hannah in the leg with a screwdriver and nearly drugs Evie to death.
Dan, her partner, is murdered by Sophie the Psychobitch.
Hannah ends up in prison for multiple crimes that she did not commit.
So basically, this incredibly intelligent woman is gaslit by everyone around her into thinking that she is insane, then locked up for crimes she did not committ. This book has zero justice and just ends on an incredibly bleak picture of Hannah in prison. This one was a major let down for me.
"Possession" (also titled "The Murder of Graham Catton") follows Hannah, a woman who lost her husband 10 years ago in a grizzly murder. She has been living her life as best she can since then and has found new love and a stable life for her daughter when Conviction, a podcast designed around investigating crimes, begins digging into the murder of her husband all over again. Hannah and her family are thrown into a maelstrom of media attention, accompanied by rising suspicions that Hannah herself might know more than she lets on about the night of her husband's death.
Poor Hannah. Poor, poor girl. The amount of tragedy and horror that this woman has to go through it insane (so insane that by the end I was rolling my eyes a bit). Let's go through them:
Hannah works as a doctor for patients with mental health problems. At her first hospital, a patient in her care is able to commit suicide due to a mistake Hannah made.
That mistake is made because her boss, Dan, was sexually harassing her at work. When she tries to call him on his behavior, he threatens to speak to Graham, her husband, and get her in trouble.
Graham, meanwhile, is abusive to her both mentally and physically. She lives in terror of him.
On her wedding day, Graham's father sexually assaults her by kissing her and sticking his tongue in her mouth. Dan references this incident as common knowledge and mocks her for it.
Her husband is finally killed (which, honestly, is the only good thing that happens to her in this book) but only after he drugged her and left her to drown in the bathtub.
Hannah lives in fear of becoming her grandmother, who attempted to murder who whole family with carbon monoxide (Hannah's mother lived, but died at 39 due to complications from breathing in the CO as a child).
In modern day Conviction reopens the case of Graham's murder, dragging Hannah and her family into the center of the media and making them targets for hateful abuse online.
Hannah's daughter, Evie, grows up to be a massive bitch and doles out casual cruelty throughout the book.
She is temporarily let go from her job because of the media attention from the podcast.
People vandalize Hannah's home with graffiti and call her cell phone to spout hate at her after her information is released online.
Another of Hannah's patients dies while she is away from her job.
It turns out that Sarah, her best friend, was sleeping with Graham behind her back when they were married. Sarah also went to Conviction to give testimony against Hannah, revealing that she was recording their private conversations.
Sophie, the sister of the girl that died, is reveled to be the mastermind behind much of the greif Hannah has been through and kidnaps Evie. She stabs Hannah in the leg with a screwdriver and nearly drugs Evie to death.
Dan, her partner, is murdered by Sophie the Psychobitch.
Hannah ends up in prison for multiple crimes that she did not commit.
So basically, this incredibly intelligent woman is gaslit by everyone around her into thinking that she is insane, then locked up for crimes she did not committ. This book has zero justice and just ends on an incredibly bleak picture of Hannah in prison. This one was a major let down for me.
herheadinherbook's review against another edition
4.0
A decade ago, Hannah Catton woke up to the sound of her husband’s blood dripping on the floor. She has a bump on her head and doesn’t remember what happened last night but she does know one thing - she isn’t sorry he is dead. Police convict someone of Graham Catton’s murder and Hannah tries to move on with her life.
Ten years later, she is settled with her daughter and partner. But not for long because “Conviction” - a podcast infamous for overturning past murder charges - is featuring Graham’s murder and Hannah’s past is about to come back to haunt her.
I really enjoyed this book. The author’s writing style means you immediately engage with the plot and you feel every part of Hannah’s tension and despair as she tries to keep her life together.
I also enjoyed the structure of the story with the past and present timelines, each enhancing and illuminating the storyline.
I guessed quite a bit of what was going on but that didn’t spoilt my enjoyment of the book at all, in fact it make me enjoy the book more and I couldn’t read quick enough to get to the conclusion to see if I was correct.
I would recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense. It’s a gripping, creepy and chilling read that you will struggle to put down.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Ten years later, she is settled with her daughter and partner. But not for long because “Conviction” - a podcast infamous for overturning past murder charges - is featuring Graham’s murder and Hannah’s past is about to come back to haunt her.
I really enjoyed this book. The author’s writing style means you immediately engage with the plot and you feel every part of Hannah’s tension and despair as she tries to keep her life together.
I also enjoyed the structure of the story with the past and present timelines, each enhancing and illuminating the storyline.
I guessed quite a bit of what was going on but that didn’t spoilt my enjoyment of the book at all, in fact it make me enjoy the book more and I couldn’t read quick enough to get to the conclusion to see if I was correct.
I would recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense. It’s a gripping, creepy and chilling read that you will struggle to put down.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
mehva's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very intelligent book, was she an unreliable narrator, being driven by guilt over a murder she committed, brought back to life by a podcast, in which everyone believed she got away with it? was it a ghost story, were there multiple unreliable narrators, almost no one to be trusted, this is a story both of the far past, of her grandmother and her sanity and murders she committed, the past of her relationship with her former husband and the present. was this a ghost story, a haunted house, and the ghost of her former husband still tormenting her
saschadarlington's review against another edition
4.0
Every once in a while, less frequently than I’d like, I start reading a book that I find it very difficult to put down, that I want to read as quickly as possible, because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! Possession by Katie Lowe very much fits that description.
Possession moves through several time periods in the life of narrator Hannah. At the beginning of the novel, I wondered if I really wanted to read about a woman who killed her husband and then somehow managed to get away with it, especially since Hannah seems to doubt her own recollection of what happened. The image of blood on her hands. Telling her little girl to be quiet. Does she really not remember what happened or is she leading us, her readers, on?
The death of Hannah’s husband Graham is suddenly being revisited by True Crime podcast, Conviction. In tandem, Hannah’s life begins to unravel as the case of Graham’s accused killer unravels. Likewise, thanks to social media, Hannah’s daughter, Evie, feels the effects of having a mother who falls under suspicion.
As the novel progresses and author Lowe takes us on a labyrinth of plot, I was captive. There were twists and turns that had my readerly head spinning. And who was this old acquaintance, Darcy? Whoever, she was going to turn out to be, I didn’t trust her from the beginning.
Like many mystery/thriller novels (and movies and TV, for that matter), there is always those moments of wondering how the narrator could be so silly. In Hannah’s case, since she is a relatively smart, psychiatrist, why is everything with her a big secret? Why doesn’t she share more with the utterly lovely Dan whom she’s in love with? But, as we explore Hannah’s life through the years, we begin to appreciate her as a complex character.
In the midst of the mystery, there is a sense of Hannah being haunted, which is extremely well done and which is why I had to stop reading one night. Voices of her dead husband–whom she may or may not have killed–in a dilapidated mental hospital surrounded by woods? Yep, evocatively written. I believe that in one respect this is the possession referred to in the title. Although, with all of the different discoveries in Possession, I believe the title can refer to several aspects besides ghostly possession.
The novel was well-paced, until the ending which seemed to roar by. So many revelations. So many duplicitous people.
Possession mostly worked for me and kept me engaged. There were scenes I thought could have been done in a different manner or perhaps with a little less heavy hand. I would think that many readers of mystery thrillers would find that Possession works well for them.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Possession moves through several time periods in the life of narrator Hannah. At the beginning of the novel, I wondered if I really wanted to read about a woman who killed her husband and then somehow managed to get away with it, especially since Hannah seems to doubt her own recollection of what happened. The image of blood on her hands. Telling her little girl to be quiet. Does she really not remember what happened or is she leading us, her readers, on?
The death of Hannah’s husband Graham is suddenly being revisited by True Crime podcast, Conviction. In tandem, Hannah’s life begins to unravel as the case of Graham’s accused killer unravels. Likewise, thanks to social media, Hannah’s daughter, Evie, feels the effects of having a mother who falls under suspicion.
As the novel progresses and author Lowe takes us on a labyrinth of plot, I was captive. There were twists and turns that had my readerly head spinning. And who was this old acquaintance, Darcy? Whoever, she was going to turn out to be, I didn’t trust her from the beginning.
Like many mystery/thriller novels (and movies and TV, for that matter), there is always those moments of wondering how the narrator could be so silly. In Hannah’s case, since she is a relatively smart, psychiatrist, why is everything with her a big secret? Why doesn’t she share more with the utterly lovely Dan whom she’s in love with? But, as we explore Hannah’s life through the years, we begin to appreciate her as a complex character.
In the midst of the mystery, there is a sense of Hannah being haunted, which is extremely well done and which is why I had to stop reading one night. Voices of her dead husband–whom she may or may not have killed–in a dilapidated mental hospital surrounded by woods? Yep, evocatively written. I believe that in one respect this is the possession referred to in the title. Although, with all of the different discoveries in Possession, I believe the title can refer to several aspects besides ghostly possession.
The novel was well-paced, until the ending which seemed to roar by. So many revelations. So many duplicitous people.
Possession mostly worked for me and kept me engaged. There were scenes I thought could have been done in a different manner or perhaps with a little less heavy hand. I would think that many readers of mystery thrillers would find that Possession works well for them.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ablondebooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
“In the end, the only person you can’t outrun is yourself.”
Thank you to Katie Lowe, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC of Possession in exchange for an honest review!
Ten years ago Hannah’s husband was murdered in their bed. And she can’t remember what happened. The police charged a stranger with the murder, and Hannah packs up her life and flees London with her young daughter to start a new life.
But now the popular true-crime podcast Conviction has decided to make Hannah’s husband’s murder the focus of their next season. Conviction is convinced that the man convicted for the crime is innocent… and that Hannah did it.
Katie Lowe’s writing of Hannah’s unravelling as each podcast episode airs is masterful. You can just feel Hannah’s grip on reality and who she can trust slipping. From the very beginning we know that Hannah has a secret about that night and as the book progressed I found myself questioning Hannah’s guilt or innocence right along with her.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with an unreliable narrator, then I would recommend picking this one up.
cw: domestic abuse; emotional abuse; psychological abuse/manipulation
Thank you to Katie Lowe, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC of Possession in exchange for an honest review!
Ten years ago Hannah’s husband was murdered in their bed. And she can’t remember what happened. The police charged a stranger with the murder, and Hannah packs up her life and flees London with her young daughter to start a new life.
But now the popular true-crime podcast Conviction has decided to make Hannah’s husband’s murder the focus of their next season. Conviction is convinced that the man convicted for the crime is innocent… and that Hannah did it.
Katie Lowe’s writing of Hannah’s unravelling as each podcast episode airs is masterful. You can just feel Hannah’s grip on reality and who she can trust slipping. From the very beginning we know that Hannah has a secret about that night and as the book progressed I found myself questioning Hannah’s guilt or innocence right along with her.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with an unreliable narrator, then I would recommend picking this one up.
cw: domestic abuse; emotional abuse; psychological abuse/manipulation
lizziesharples's review against another edition
4.0
** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***
I got really sucked into this book really quickly! The narrator was great & right from the get go I was hooked.
Hannah Catton husband got murdered 10 years ago during a robbery gone wrong, or at least that is what Hannah has always believed. However, a new podcast has come along to drag through the case and Hannah's life in excruciating detail and instead of clearing up the matter, things just get more tangled in Hannah's mind.
I wasn't a huge fan of the ending thinking that possibly less is more. That said, the many twists and turns were enjoyable and I somehow manager to listen to the 10 hours over a couple of days. I think that demonstrates my enjoyment!
I got really sucked into this book really quickly! The narrator was great & right from the get go I was hooked.
Hannah Catton husband got murdered 10 years ago during a robbery gone wrong, or at least that is what Hannah has always believed. However, a new podcast has come along to drag through the case and Hannah's life in excruciating detail and instead of clearing up the matter, things just get more tangled in Hannah's mind.
I wasn't a huge fan of the ending thinking that possibly less is more. That said, the many twists and turns were enjoyable and I somehow manager to listen to the 10 hours over a couple of days. I think that demonstrates my enjoyment!
celticgoddess731's review against another edition
5.0
Holy heck, this book. It is a crime thriller that swaps back and forth between present day and a past portion of Hannah's life. The author had me guessing whether or not Hannah did what she's accused of nearly the entire book. I'm normally good at figuring out the whodunnit, and I was not successful here at all. The twists and turns, as well as the slow leak of pertinent information to the case at hand, made this book a gripping read for me.