Julie’s seemingly idyllic life is shattered one night when a stranger walks into her home and beats her banker husband near to death in front of her. He whispers something into his ear before giving himself up to the police and confessing to the assault – whydunit?

Jo Spain’s The Confession is a fairly decent crime/mystery novel. It has an uneven story that’s quite well-written and even occasionally compelling! However large parts of it are uninteresting and feel superfluous while the ending is a bit of an unsatisfying anti-climax.

The story is told from three perspectives: Julie, the victim’s wife; JP, the attacker; and DC Alice Moody, the investigating officer. I don’t know why Moody got her own chapters as they failed to add anything much overall and, despite some amusing dialogue between her and her boss, only added pointless pages to an already bloated narrative. Maybe, in the same vein as similar genre novels, Spain is trying to make her into a recurring character she’ll be able to build future books around like Michael Connelly’s Bosch or Ian Rankin’s Rebus, except Moody isn’t nearly as intriguing.

JP’s backstory was largely unnecessary too. We only really needed to catch up with him once his life crosses paths with the other characters; we didn’t need to hear about his gloomy childhood/adolescence, which, in its excessively depressing detail, just felt like reading misery-porn. Abusive drunk father, crazy mother, growing up poor in Ireland - yeesh, what is this, Angela’s Ashes: Redux?

Julie and her husband Harry are essentially a modern day Jane Eyre/Rochester and, while not an original setup, it’s still interesting to discover Harry’s dark secret life unfolding through his innocent wife’s eyes.

Spain is a good storyteller too, slowly parcelling out answers to the questions surrounding the central mystery - how do the characters know each other, what’s the motive, what was whispered, and so on - to keep you turning the pages at a steady clip to find out. It’s not a predictable story as she kept me guessing til the end and I was genuinely curious to know the answers to it all even if what’s revealed is somewhat underwhelming.

The Confession is a flawed novel. It’s basically an unpleasant story about unpleasant people doing unpleasant things to each other which becomes a bit much at times, as well as making it difficult to care about or root for anyone in particular. For that alone I couldn’t say I always enjoyed reading it. However the characters and their voices are convincingly realistic which is an argument in itself against “likeability” for the author’s high level of skill.

Ultimately I still found it overlong with large parts of the story being irrelevant, particularly with regards Moody’s character. Despite the grim subject matter, The Confession is a light and accessible easy read with just enough going on to hold the attention - a sufficiently readable, if unimpressive, airplane book and nothing more.

This book is a true pyschological mystery thriller. Guessing reasons throughout for the murder does not totally prepare the reader for the ending. I loved the way that the story unfolded bit by bit, giving false leads at every turn. The intrigue of the murder beginning the book and the murderer giving himself up to the police immediately was novel but gave so much to the story. This is a book written by a brilliant author who knows how to keep the reader questioning all the way through.

I had heard so many great things about The Confession, so I had really high hopes when I started it. While I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me I’m afraid. It’s definitely a compelling read, I had it read in a couple of sitting, but it left me feeling a little flat.
I couldn’t connect with the characters, so I couldn’t feel any empathy when they were going through their respective problems. I also found the conclusion to be a little bit much. Considering what had gone on in the book, I just thought it was a bit unreal.
It was a decent read, but I wasn’t blown away unfortunately.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

wow just wow...this is a nail biting, cliff hanging tense thriller..and one i couldnt put down...i thought i saw the outcome of the ending but not really so many twists and turns, it was just so shocking to read and so unbelieveable...

another author to keep an eye out for

I don't think I have read a more attention-catching opening to a book - ever! We are thrown straight in to the plotline, gruesome and shocking as it is. We know who the perpetrator of the crime is, we know the victim's name. But what we don't know is why the crime happened at all.
The story then rewinds to when the victim Harry McNamara met his wife, Julie. Told from various points of view throughout the book we find out how Harry becomes a very wealthy businessman and the effects that his money has on his and Julie's lifestyle and relationship. Set predominantly during the 1990s boom to bust years we are given a taste of the circles the McNamaras move in, and they type of people they mix with - not all of them above board - and once the crash comes Harry and his cronies find themselves centre of a major fraud investigation.
Running alongside this we have the story of JP Carney, the man who immediately confesses to killing Harry. Starting in his childhood years we see a deprived family, mum is bi-polar and is regularly hospitalized leaving dad Seamie to bring up John Paul and his younger sister Charlene. He has a weakness for the demon drink and ends up in no fit state to look after the children. Their lifestyle couldn't be further from that of the McNamara's, but JP feels a strong sense of responsibility for making sure Charlene has a decent education & upbringing in order to give them a chance to get out of the poverty they have both grown up with. They have a very close sibling bond which only gets stronger as they grow up.
We clearly know that the two families lives cross over at some point but it isn't clear for a good three quarters of the book how they come to feature so significantly that JP feels the need to end Harry's life. The author's interweaving of those threads is brilliantly written, with events leading your thoughts about the various characters first one way then another as each section of the tale is related from a different individual's point of view. There is one revelation after another in the build up to the final chapter and I felt emotionally drained as I closed the book.
I cannot wait to be part of the blog tour for this book in January and am already telling friends and family that they NEED to read this book! My review will be posted on my blog www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk on my scheduled date on the tour in January.

I was really disappointed with this book - it promised so much! I really liked the idea of having several viewpoints but unfortunately, the content just didn't get me excited. The story of how Harry and Julie got together was really quite dull, and I found myself skimming through JP's background as well. The only interesting part was the police investigation, but even this was full of lazy cliches. I couldn't wait for this book to be over, but to be perfectly honest, I lost interest half way through.

Held my interest but could've been better

A well-known disgraced banker, Harry McNamara, is brutally murdered, one night in his own home by someone known as JP Carney, who handed himself in to the police one hour later, claiming he did not know his victim, despite Harry McNamara being in the public eye. This causes one police officer to be suspicious enough to delve deeper.

This book is written from different character perspectives which form the chapters. I found this book a bit confusing with its convoluted timeline and relationships between characters. I was curious to know the motive for the murder but got a bit lost trying to figure out the relationship between Charlie and Harry McNamara. I suppose I should go and re-read some chapters again but I can't really be bothered.

The book was well-written and the chapters were a nice length, but I did feel that the plot could've been a bit better.

This was a gripping read. Loved the unusual start of knowing ‘who done it’ - the question is why? The Confession is a well written and skilfully plotted thriller which keeps you guessing until the end. Highly recommended!
Thank you NetGalley, Quercus and Jo Spain for the opportunity to read this terrific book.

An uneven book structured around the now-typical multiple narratives - two were interesting, that of JP wasn't, and I found myself skimming here. Julie's 'confession' is a voyeuristic story of a sassy girl who spirals down into her banker husband's morally-bankrupt world. The denouement is hard to swallow and left me unsatisfied which was a shame as the loss of innocence story set against the rise and crash of the Irish economy deserved better. An off-duty read with more substance than many crime novels - 3.5 stars.

The book starts with Harry being attacked by a stranger in his own home. His wife is witness to the attack. Why did the attack happen? What is the reason for the attack? I liked the story overall. I found it gripping and the plot full of surprises. The reason I have given it three stars is that it was too long in places. I could not understand why Julie had stayed with Harry after all he had done. I also did not find the accident totally believable.

I knew from the first chapter this book would completely captivate me.
Told from three different perspectives, this is what a psychological thriller should be, a steady pace, revealing little titbits, enticing you with all the twists and turns and just when you think you've figured it out - BANG you haven't.

Exceptional writing, intriguing plot and a breathtaking conclusion put this on your must read.

Thank you netgalley, Quercus and No Spain for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first book I have read from this author, and on this showing I will definitely be checking out some of her other titles. Unlike a traditional crime thriller, you know who the killer is from the start, and you know how it was done, the question that remains is why. An excellently written and deftly plotted crime drama which lulls you into thinking you know exactly where it is going, and then it turns out you actually don't.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.
This book has a lot to answer for! It has made me late, kept me up in the middle of the night, and I have probably ignored my family quite a bit over the last 2 days! The beginning, as we know, starts with the violent assault of Harry, witnessed by his wife! Those first few pages had me hanging off the seat of my chair! The rest didn’t disappoint either! The main body gives us an insightful look into the marriage of Harry and his wife and the sad life that JP had growing up. We learn about the events that lead up to the murder of Harry, a corrupt, womanising banker and the tangled web that brings the 2 main charectors together at the end! Excellently written, brilliant concept and an absolute pleasure to read. I cannot wait to see what Spain comes up with next.

Harry and Julie McNamara were enjoying a quiet evening at home when a stranger walks in and changes their lives forever. The attack on Harry seems random and although JP hands himself in to the police - they can still find no reason or connection. The story unfolds from the view point of Julie McNamara as she tells how she met her husband and finding out that he was not the man she thought he was. The version of JP Carney of his terrible childhood and how he had to look after his sister after walking away from an alcoholic father. DS Moody has a reputation of never stopping until she has solved her case and caught her man. She knows that Julie is keeping information from her about her husband but has to be sympathetic to the situation. She also does not believe the insanity plea of JP but is unable to push him too far. What is the connection between them or why would a stranger walk into a house, miles from any other and randomly beat him with a golf club.... and what did JP whisper to Harry before he left?

A gripping book that flashes between the past and present day but will keep you guessing until the end.

It has been suggested by the publishers that this book is going to be THE MOST GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER OF 2018, now that's a bold statement to make, so I just had to read The Confession to see if it deserved such hype. The confession opens with a heart stopping scene, JP Carney enters the home of disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie, he launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as Julie watches. An hour later the attacker, JP has handed himself in to the police and confessed to beating Harry to death.

What made this book such an unique and engaging read was the fact you know “who” done it from the first page, this book focuses on the “why” they done it. The book is told from three distinctive POV, Julie the traumatised wife, JP and Alice the Detective who is determined to find the truth. The author has created a diverse and believable bunch of characters that will undoubtedly cause much debate amongst its readers, love them or hate them they are all very much have a part to play in this twisted tale. As the author leads the reader to the truth I found myself on tenterhooks, I think I must have come up with a dozen scenarios to the “why”.

I do think some readers may find the pace very slow, but personally I embraced it, I thought the slower pace heightened the tension and suspense until it reached fever point. Does The Confession deserve all the hype surrounding it? In many way it does, the author certainly tells a good story and it made for a riveting read, but as I reached the ending of The Confession I was left feeling slightly deflated. For some reason I expected this book to have a hell of a twist, but when all was revealed it was pretty much what I expected. Does The Confession deserve all the hype? On many levels it does, it's well written and jam packed with suspense, but for me personally it lacked the “OMG” twist I was expecting.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

What a superb tightly plotted story that kept me reading from page 1 right to the smartly executed conclusion. JP(John Paul) Carney enters the home of rich Dublin socialites Harry McNamara and his beautiful wife Julie. In one insane moment he attacks Harry and bludgeons him to death with a golf club whereupon he immediately surrenders himself to the custody of the local garda siochana. What on the surface appears to be an open and shut case is a much more complicated and deeply rewarding account scrutinizing the lives of three individuals ensuring a course of action that will destroy everything they hold to be honest and true.

I love this style of storytelling where events unfold through first person account of the parties involved. Julie met Harry at the night of the Trinity ball where a mutual infatuation led speedily to a marriage of convenience; he the flamboyant, charismatic owner of his own finance company, she the attractive career driven graduate..."That was us at the beginning of our fairytale. But here's the thing about fairytales. Sometimes they're darker than you can ever imagine. Another world away JP Carney has survived into adulthood with little help from a boozing father Seamie and a mother Betty who abandoned the family home leaving JP to care and comfort his sister Charlie. But a dark event will occur and a murder will be committed where the question of responsibility is explored in this dark, unmissable teasing psychological thriller.

The tempo and pace of the novel is a credit to the author Jo Spain expertly teasing and drawing the reader into her web of intrigue and deceit before producing a magical and totally unexpected ending. I loved it!. Many thanks to the publisher Quercus and the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

A fantastic, gripping psychological thriller. I was completely hooked from the first page, addicted to the unfolding drama. Full of twists and turns with authentic, believable characters although I have to admit they're not very likeable. It is well written with a cracking final twist. I loved the fact that on the first page you find out who did it however you will find out why on the final page. Very cleverly written, I look forward to more from Spain.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

As soon as I read the description of this book I knew I had to read it. It sounded to good to miss and I wasn't wrong.

The beginning and ending has to be the best parts of the book. Don't get me wrong the rest is good to but it's very rare that the very first page of a book leaves me reeling and desperate to carry on reading, but The Confession does just that. 

I was as desperate as Julie and the police as to why a stranger would just walk into someones home and brutally murder someone when they seemingly have no connection or reasoning to do it. 

The story flicks between JP, Alice and Julie so that we get a mixture of past and present leading up to the big question, why?

Harry had it all. He was good looking, rich and a lovely wife. As we get to find out more about him though, he wasn't that nice a man. I could understand why Julie loved him and I think in his own way harry loved her also very much but it's a bit of a toxic relationship. Julie was certainly an interesting character also. She is a bit like an onion where we get to see different layers of her the further into the story we get. I certainly had a lot of empathy for her.

Alice I loved. She is so unlike any typical detectives you read in a crime novel but she is extremely clever and she reminded me slightly of Columbo where people write her off but she is a lot more intelligent than they think.

The Confession is without a doubt going to be a much talked about book and I predict a lot of peoples top read of 2018. From the brilliant start to the surprising ending, this really is one book that fans of psychological thrillers do not want to miss out on.

The Confession is a stand-alone thriller from Jo Spain, author of the popular Inspector Tom Reynolds series, and hopefully, we'll get a lot more!
 
Disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie are sitting watching a crime drama on TV in their ill-gotten mansion when an unknown man walks in and begins to beat Harry with a golf club. Julie can't believe what is happening &  watches in horror,  unable to respond to the surreal events going on around her.

We learn that the attacker - JP Carney - has handed himself into the police immediately, saying he has had some kind of mental episode and doesn't know Harry, or even why he attacked him. The Police aren't sure that there isn't a closer connection between the two men, but with Harry on life support, there isn't a great deal they can do to disprove JP's version of events.
 
We then go on a journey through the seemingly normal lives of our protagonists - Bank CEO Harry and Julie, making moves through the celebrity circles of Ireland thanks to the profits made before people figured out what the bankers were really up to. On the other side of the coin, JP, barely more than a child himself is bringing up his sister Charlene thanks to his absent, mentally unstable mother, and alcoholic father.
 
I liked the concept of knowing who committed the crime from the start, so the mystery is 'why' rather than 'who'. There also a strong focus on the characters and their personal relationships - how this shapes the way the story unfolds is done really, really well and gives it credibility. I don't know what it is about this book, but there is definitely something about it that makes it quite captivating, and gives it a bit of an edge on other novels I've read recently.

The Confession by Jo Spain is a terrific psychological thriller and a true page turner. Thanks to his immediate confession we know from the beginning who Harry McNamara's killer is. But why has JP Carney, a complete stranger, broken into the McNamara's luxury home and brutally killed the wealthy Irish businessman in front of his shocked wife Julie?

Harry has many enemies and has recently been cleared of fraud. But is it one of his business colleagues who has plotted revenge or is there someone else who bears a grudge against him? The police can find no link between Harry and his killer. The story is told against the background of the Irish Celtic Tiger era and the main characters, in particular Julie McNamara, while generally dislikable by their actions, are well portrayed,

I am sure that The Confession will be a huge success when it is published in the New Year. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read and review this book.