A review by miss_bct
The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister

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.