kba76's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A murder. A lawyer under investigation. A man that nobody can find who we’re told is the key. A bizarre case that unfolds in front of our eyes is the focus for this thriller.
Our main character, Layla, is found on the rooftop of the building where her husband works. She is cradling the dead body of Amy Blahn, our victim. Her call to the police tells us little.
During her interviews we know Layla is holding back. We don’t know what or why, but she is second-guessing what to say and trying to exploit her knowledge of the law to help determine the best time to reveal details.
As the investigation continues we seethe build-up to the day in question. There are cracks in her relationship and nothing is quite clearcut.
By the end we are told more of the story and this explains some of her behaviour while under interview. However, Layla as a character is hard to warm to and the device of the unreliable narrator makes it difficult to know what to trust or how to react to her.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.
Our main character, Layla, is found on the rooftop of the building where her husband works. She is cradling the dead body of Amy Blahn, our victim. Her call to the police tells us little.
During her interviews we know Layla is holding back. We don’t know what or why, but she is second-guessing what to say and trying to exploit her knowledge of the law to help determine the best time to reveal details.
As the investigation continues we seethe build-up to the day in question. There are cracks in her relationship and nothing is quite clearcut.
By the end we are told more of the story and this explains some of her behaviour while under interview. However, Layla as a character is hard to warm to and the device of the unreliable narrator makes it difficult to know what to trust or how to react to her.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
When emergency services are called to a London office rooftop, they find Amy Blahn laying dead having been stabbed in the chest. Layla Mahoney held Amy as she died, & tells police that a mysterious man named Michael is the one who killed Amy. Evidence points towards Layla being involved & when the police can't find any evidence of Michael's existence, they arrest her. Was Layla telling the truth?
This was the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. It's a slow burn read so if you're looking for fast-paced, nonstop action, then this may not be the book for you. The narrative flips between Layla being interviewed under caution & the start of the all the problems several weeks before when Layla's life is saved by the mysterious Michael & she starts to think that her husband, Russell, is cheating on her. Layla is a difficult main character to like, she's quite cold, makes some strange decisions, & the reader begins to wonder just how truthful she's actually being. Does Michael even exist? I didn't feel the ending had enough 'oomph' to push this to a 5 star read, so I rate this one 4.5 stars (rounded down)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC/Raven Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
This was the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. It's a slow burn read so if you're looking for fast-paced, nonstop action, then this may not be the book for you. The narrative flips between Layla being interviewed under caution & the start of the all the problems several weeks before when Layla's life is saved by the mysterious Michael & she starts to think that her husband, Russell, is cheating on her. Layla is a difficult main character to like, she's quite cold, makes some strange decisions, & the reader begins to wonder just how truthful she's actually being. Does Michael even exist? I didn't feel the ending had enough 'oomph' to push this to a 5 star read, so I rate this one 4.5 stars (rounded down)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC/Raven Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
itsdizzy's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melaniesreads's review
4.0
3.5 stars
All I Said Was True is a title that just screams liar to me and the saying “the lady doth protest too much, methinks” quickly sprang to mind. Especially when the narrator Layla was so unreliable or is she cleverly making you think just that? After all this book is as much about fate, free will and choices as it is a murder. However is free will just an illusion too like the possibility of Michael?
As a lawyer she knows that the police only have so long before they have to charge or release her and in a then and now narrative we have her police interview and the events leading up to the rooftop murder.
This cleverly woven tale had my mind caving in on itself with backstories, betrayals, the idea of more than one truth, predestination vs free will and it’s ingenuity of blurring her erratic behaviour with her unreliable narration. It makes you question everything and everyone.
Picking apart her story along with police you will wonder if Michael is a figment of her imagination or if there is more at play here. Is she just a pawn in a game of chess with no idea who is actually playing or is she the grand master?
While there were many times I did have to suspend disbelief and shake my head at Layla’s responses this had so much more going on than I was first led to believe. Some well placed twists and a clever plot will always suck me in but Layla was too much even for me sometimes and I love an unreliable.
All I Said Was True did however take me down a rabbit hole and had me internalising my own life and what led me here. Was it fate or my own choices?
All I Said Was True is a title that just screams liar to me and the saying “the lady doth protest too much, methinks” quickly sprang to mind. Especially when the narrator Layla was so unreliable or is she cleverly making you think just that? After all this book is as much about fate, free will and choices as it is a murder. However is free will just an illusion too like the possibility of Michael?
As a lawyer she knows that the police only have so long before they have to charge or release her and in a then and now narrative we have her police interview and the events leading up to the rooftop murder.
This cleverly woven tale had my mind caving in on itself with backstories, betrayals, the idea of more than one truth, predestination vs free will and it’s ingenuity of blurring her erratic behaviour with her unreliable narration. It makes you question everything and everyone.
Picking apart her story along with police you will wonder if Michael is a figment of her imagination or if there is more at play here. Is she just a pawn in a game of chess with no idea who is actually playing or is she the grand master?
While there were many times I did have to suspend disbelief and shake my head at Layla’s responses this had so much more going on than I was first led to believe. Some well placed twists and a clever plot will always suck me in but Layla was too much even for me sometimes and I love an unreliable.
All I Said Was True did however take me down a rabbit hole and had me internalising my own life and what led me here. Was it fate or my own choices?
natalier3's review
4.0
I loved Imran Mahmood's previous book so was excited for this one!
I love books with unreliable narrators, and this one certainly excelled in that department!
The book does change timelines a lot which I don't normally mind if it is clear and easy to follow, but I did struggle a little at times.
I'm a big legal thriller fan and I loved the parts of the book that highlights anything to do with the legal setting!
Mahmood is a master of legal thrillers that make you question everything you are initially told.
I love books with unreliable narrators, and this one certainly excelled in that department!
The book does change timelines a lot which I don't normally mind if it is clear and easy to follow, but I did struggle a little at times.
I'm a big legal thriller fan and I loved the parts of the book that highlights anything to do with the legal setting!
Mahmood is a master of legal thrillers that make you question everything you are initially told.
zhy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
steph1rothwell's review
4.0
I know from reading Imran Mahmood’s work that I’m going to get a clever and different from the usual type of crime fiction. If anything, this novel is even more complex than the previous book that I read I Know What I Saw. He is better than many authors at the ‘unreliable narrator’ and in this novel that narrator is Layla. It is a long time since I read a novel where I really didn’t know whether she could be relied on.
There are only a handful of characters, none of whom you really see apart from through Layla’s eyes. Because of the way she was I couldn’t work out anything about them, even if they existed. All I can say, just after finishing it was that I had a lot of sympathy for Layla’s lawyer, Peter, and the two police officers who were trying to prove that she was a murderer.
As well as being unreliable I also found her a little unlikeable. Even towards the end, when I started to see what was really happening there was something I wasn’t keen on. A touch brittle, infuriating and obsessive we’re just a few words I could use to describe her. But possibly, like the other characters I just misunderstood her.
I would read this book again, just to see if I feel differently about her and I would definitely watch if it was made into a TV drama.
There are only a handful of characters, none of whom you really see apart from through Layla’s eyes. Because of the way she was I couldn’t work out anything about them, even if they existed. All I can say, just after finishing it was that I had a lot of sympathy for Layla’s lawyer, Peter, and the two police officers who were trying to prove that she was a murderer.
As well as being unreliable I also found her a little unlikeable. Even towards the end, when I started to see what was really happening there was something I wasn’t keen on. A touch brittle, infuriating and obsessive we’re just a few words I could use to describe her. But possibly, like the other characters I just misunderstood her.
I would read this book again, just to see if I feel differently about her and I would definitely watch if it was made into a TV drama.
cassiecat's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m a big fan of this authors books, so I was very excited to read this one. So my rating pains me 🥲
Layla a solicitor has been arrested after being found on a high rise roof top cradling the body of Amy. All Layla will say is find Michael to find what they need to know.
It flips between a split time line, in alternating chapters. It’s unusual and quirky, hats off for ingenuity on the plot. It’s slow paced, the main character isn’t at all likeable, she comes across as highly unreliable.
I’m gutted to say that I found this one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in ages. I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators, everyone and everything is unreliable, the author really pushed the boundaries with Layla. If you enjoy the extreme unreliable narrator trope you will probably love it. Unfortunately this one wasn’t a hit for me. I look forward to the next one.
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