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.

The book was slow-paced to begin with and it did take me a while to get into the rhythm and flow of it. However, I'm glad I stuck with it as I'm a big fan of thriller/crime novels done well. I was definitely expecting more 'action' scenes, so if that's the type of thriller/crime novel you like, this may not be the book for you.

Unfortunately I could not finish this book.. I felt no connection with the characters, storyline.
Although it had a dark feel to the plot, I didn't find it compelling enough or suspenseful.
I may go back and re read later but I felt unable to fire up the feeling to continue at this time.

Mmm. Not as good as it could have been, and definitely not like the tagline says - 'the must-read bestselling suspense novel of the year'. Definitely not. On a side note, I do hate those taglines, or whatever I am meant to call them. I rarely find a book with one of those, that is as good as it is professed to be. Surely someone, somewhere, should realise that they are just setting themselves up to fail, setting reader's expectations so high that unless a book is really good, there will be an anticlimax?
Regarding the book itself, the research was good, the idea okay, the characters not very nice or credible, and the twists slightly disappointing. Yes, the latter parts were an improvement on the majority of the book, but it was not fantastic. For me, five stars is outstanding, four stars is a normal, fairly good book. I would be doing all those books that get four stars from me, a disservice if I gave this one that, so it is a disappointing three. Perhaps without that tagline raising my expectations, I might have thought higher of this book? Who knows.

A thrilling read.

I’m so late in reading this and I don’t know why!
But I’m glad I’ve read it now.

I don't usually care for novels written in the first person, but this was recommended . I am so glad I stayed with it, as the more I read, the more I wanted to read. I was swiftly drawn into the plot, and the lives of the characters. I didn't see the twist coming, so the end was a surprise. All in all, a good read, which I would recommend, and worth the five stars

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Not my usual read, but this kept me hooked all the way through. Erin's writing is fast-paced, digestible and griping. Also love the cover and title

I enjoyed the book but I found that there was too much alternating between the narrators which made the storyline slower for me. I do think there was plenty of twists and turns which made the book interesting and I especially liked the eclipse parts of the novel.

Kit and Laura are a young couple, very much in love. Kit is obsessed with solar eclipses, and follows eclipses around the world, from country to country, studying them, researching them and living them. Then their lives change during one such eclipse viewing in Lizard Point, in the UK, when Laura witnesses the rape of a young girl (Beth). From this moment on, Kit and Laura’s lives change completely and there are more twists and turns than you might ever expect as they get caught up in the Court proceedings,

They have to flee their home in terror and live under false identities for many years. As the story shifts back and forth, between the years following the rape and it is a bit of a back and forth journey to the end, but one worth sticking with!

A well written slow burn suspense thriller with so many twists it is difficult what and who to believe.

This was an excellent book. A taut thriller with strong characters who are believable and well written. The storyline is strong and the book has that just one more page effect. It does deal with heavy themes, so not for the faint hearted but it is gripping. As a psychological thriller it had me holding my breath on several occasions. I definitely didn’t see the end coming.

Readable, suspenseful, and deals with the moral questions; is it ever okay to lie and does the end always justify the means. This was a little bit of a slow burn, and I did have a good idea of how it would conclude. An interesting concept of how every eclipse, something happens.

Brilliant psychological thriller, with plenty of twists, turns, blind alleys and great fun trying to work out who is telling the truth, or are they all lying?!

Characters are well written and I switched alliance several times during the book, and it kept me enthralled.

Just when you think you know what the book was all about, the final page hits you in the solar plexus and made me gasp. For those who like to read a back page early, please don’t, It is well worth waiting for.

He said/she said by Erin Kelly.
In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack. She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, four lives change forever.

Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.

And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, she also knows that you can never see the whole picture: something is always hidden . . . something she never could have guessed.
A very enjoyable read. I liked the story. 4*.

This was a gripping exploration of trauma, relationships and our willingness to deceive ourselves. The narratives of both protagonists were compelling and the end reveals at the end deliver excellent tension. Highly recommended especially for fans of courtroom dramas and novels with unreliable narrators.

<b>He Said / She Said by Erin Kelly </b> #NetGalley

Where to start... it’s clearly a slow burner; it takes a while to get into the story plot and really start to understand the characters.

Beth is raped at an eclipse festival; she’s found by Laura amid the attack. Her attack is able to flee and disappear within the crowds. That in itself is a good starting point to the story; other twists and turns are thrown in to I believe overly complicate the story plot.

I don’t believe I actually liked any of the characters, they all seem to have their part to play. Manipulating. Deceitful. They said they did it out of love but there was nothing loving of their acts.

<b>**Thanks to the author and netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.** </b>

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DNF - Could not get into this book and decided to put it aside. I might go back to this in the future and give it another go.

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.

It took a while for me to get into this but when I did it gripped me. Each of the characters have complex personalities making you unsure of who to believe. Some surprising twists which I didn't see coming. Overall an enjoyable read and glad to have found the author.