Loved this it was definitely a book I would choose to read and it didn’t disappoint another author to add to my list.....the characters were believable if you are thinking of reading this book I would definitely recommend it...

This was quite a difficult book to read at times as Astrid led such a self destroying life, she was a frustrating and unlikeable character. I felt that it took quite a while for anything to happen apart from Astrid becoming more annoying and continuing to see life as something negative and disruptive and those around her as irritating intrusions, which included her mother.. This storyline felt a bit similar to other books I have read, the main character returning home, often to a small seaside town, their past life and hidden secrets following them in mystifying ways and also with a heroine that you really didn't like. I was hoping for something different.

Astrid is a 32-year-old recovering alcoholic. After losing everything in London and after the death of her ex-boyfriend Simon she returns to the small seaside town of Flintstead. Where her mother has paid for rehab and she now attend AA meetings. She struggles with the guilt of his death and with the memories of her drinking and the days with Simon. She wants to make amends on what she has done in the past, but, her mother thinks that she will soon go back to her old ways. She tries hard to prove her wrong. When suddenly strange things start to happen. She finds a secret note and she thinks she sees a ghost of Simon and she can smell the distinctive aftershave he used to wear.
Is someone try to make her paranoid and push her over the edge? Or is she just imagining it?
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for a copy of who did you tell. This is my first book I have read of Lesley Kara but, I have heard great things about her, so I was excited to get a copy of this book. Alcoholism is a hard subject to portray but the author has written with an expert eye and also written a great addictive thriller. I highly recommend.

This was an absorbing thriller although challenging to read at times due to the fact that the main character is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to rebuild her life after hitting rock bottom. By the end of the novel the main character (Astrid) had completely turned my opinion of her around. A very cleverly written plot!

This suspenseful and thrilling book is about Astrid who is a recovering alcoholic that has had to move back in with her mother in a small and nosy seaside town.

She has some secrets it seems and maybe she isn’t the only one who knows about them. This book will keep you guessing with the many twists and turns.

It’s well worth the read and I wonder if you can figure out what’s really going on before I did?

Sad,depressing story with lots of twists and the hint of a happy ending.Not my mind of story couldn't sympathise with the main character.

4-5 stars. I truly enjoyed this book, while alcoholism is a common theme among thrillers, I thought this was done so differently by going into recovery! I thought it was well written, riveting, and shocking! Became a fan of Kara after The Rumor and only made me a bigger one reading this! A must read for those who enjoy a well written psychological thriller!
Will make sure I buzz it up!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Astrid who is a recovering alcoholic. She has been drinking since she was a teenager and her Mum is helping her once last time to break the habit. She has attended rehab funded by her Mum and is now a member of the AA in a final attempt to stay sober. We follow her journey as she struggles to deal with the death of her ex-boyfriend, Simon, and blames herself for his death. Astrid appears to be doing well until odd things start to happen, she feels she is being followed and notes start arriving. Overall a very easy and enjoyable read despite the harder subject matter so I would recommend it.

I enjoyed Who did you Tell, the twists and turns were expected but not how I expected them. My feelings towards the characters changed as I read through which kept it interesting and changed my opinion of how I wanted it to end.
I read it in one seating as it was that good!

Who Did You Tell? follows Astrid on her journey of recovery from alcoholism. After spending the last few years in squats and bedsits in London, she's been forced into rehab and is now slowly rebuilding her life back in her hometown, back with her Mum, back in her childhood bedroom. Her drinking days are still fresh in her mind and very much a haze; there are whole chunks of time that she can't remember, things she did that remain unfocused, and a complicated relationship that ended in disaster. But Astrid is struggling to piece together her past, and with threatening notes and sinister messages being left for her all over Flinstead, it's a race against time as she tries to beat her stalker to the bullet and stop them from exposing her past and ruining any chance she had of a future in recovery.

I loved that this book was written from the perspective of someone in recovery. I don't think I've ever read a mystery or thriller quite like this; Astrid is an unlikely and somewhat risky protagonist, and I don't think you could ever guarantee that a reader is going to sympathise with a character who, to many, is responsible for the situation she's in. In many ways, Astrid is responsible for the path her life has taken and the things she's done. She's not obviously heroic or strong or brave, has done some terrible things, and yet as a reader I was on her side immediately.

This was a unique read, and one that I would recommend. At times it felt a little slow, but I think that's because, with thrillers, I'm used to waiting for an explosive ending or twist, and this wasn't that kind of story. Instead it felt real and raw, an honest account of a woman battling with herself and striving to make a new life from the rubble of her old one. Astrid has made some bad decisions and must take responsibility for the consequences of those, but the message of this book was that there is always the possibility of change and that no matter how dark things may seem, every day is brand new opportunity to change your life. Astrid was the perfect heroine and her story (albeit fictional) is a very important one.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Astrid hasn't had a drink for 5 months and she is tryi g to stay dry with a new life back with her mum. But someone is watching her and taunting her. Who and why is the questions?
I like the premise of the book and the descriptions of Astrid's struggle not to drink are really well written and insightful about bei g an alcoholic. However I didn't like the way the book ended and found it hard to warm to Astrid which meant I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would

Astrid has returned to living with her mother in the small seaside town of Flinstead after a spell in rehab for her alcohol issues. Her boyfriend, Simon, has died in tragic circumstances related to his own alcoholism. Astrid meets Josh, a lovely and uncomplicated man, who befriends her. But then Astrid starts getting strange messages and seeing things. She becomes convinced that someone knows her dark secrets from her past life.

This is a really well written book which kept me engrossed the whole way through. I kept trying to second guess who Astrid should be able to trust and who she shouldn’t but didn’t manage to do that. It was a good plot and good resolution. This is the Lesley Kara’s second book and I will definitely be reading any future ones her.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by Lesley Kara, The Rumour being the first.

I struggled with the first 100 pages as it was quite slow, but I'm glad I persevered as I couldn't put it down. It is very well written from Astrid's point of view, as a recovering alcoholic. Astrid struggles with the guilt of her drinking days and the lack of memory during her intoxicated periods. It did pull on my heart strings at some points where Astrid and her mother are trying to cope and move forward. There are plenty of twists to keep the reader page turning right until the end.
Would highly recommend if you enjoy psychological thrillers and the first book, though i think Who Did You Tell is much better written.

This is a really intriguing book.

The main character and her mother are written spectacularly well. I believed everything about Astrid, especially her relationship with her mother. All of her relationships and interactions in fact are brilliant and for me that is the most powerful element of the story.

The actual plot, I think, is a bit messy and inconsistent. The first half of the book builds up the tension really well but this doesn't really continue into the second half and the reveals are bit....damp.

For me, the plot exists only as device to hang the redemption of Astrid on. this isn't a bad thing because Astrid, her story and her redemption are why you will stay with this book to the very end.

Well worth reading.

Absolutely loved this book and the twists!!! Lesley Kara did a superb job of making this book both normal yet different with one side of you enjoying some of the recovery and hopefully happy future for Astrid, then the other side wondering what the hell is going on!

This book had an interesting premise. It was full of questions and twists. Unfortunately, it just wasn't one for me!

If you're a fan of Lesley Kara's debut novel The Rumour, then I think you'll enjoy Who Did You Tell? just as much. For me, it wasn't as predictable this time and there were some surprising twists. I also really liked the main character Astrid.

The story is set in a small seaside town, Flinstead. 32-year-old Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who has moved back in with her mother. There are a lot of issues facing Astrid. She's grieving for her ex, Simon. She sometimes clashes with her mother. She's struggled with alcohol since her teens and has messed up her career as a set designer. She's fallen in love but is afraid to tell the truth about herself. And - here's the 'psychological thriller' bit - she has some terrible secrets but now someone has followed her to Flinstead and is going to make her pay for what she did.

There were many elements I admired about this book. The setting was so well-realised that I could smell the sea. The characters were all interesting and potentially untrustworthy. The plot was easy to follow and took place over several weeks. There are some heavy themes - depression, suicide, grief, belief, addiction - and I like that these are explored. The narrative voice of Astrid is easy to follow and very intimate. She's closer to my age than some other protagonists of books I've read in this genre, which could have been a factor.

A very good read which in my opinion improves upon the author's debut. Recommended!

Thank you to the publisher Transworld (part of PenguinRandomHouse UK) for the review copy via NetGalley.

Publication date: 9th January 2020.

NB: This post is scheduled on my blog for December 28th 2019.

I really enjoyed this book. Astrid has come home to her mother's in a quiet seaside town to try to recover from her alcoholism. It soon becomes apparent that her boyfriend has recently died and she somehow feels responsible. Then strange things start to happen, all connected to her previous life. There are some odd people at the AA meetings, and she doesn't know who to trust. This is a good read which will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is Lesley Kara’s second novel and I read the first one, ‘The Rumour’, which was brilliant. ‘Who Did You Tell’ is just as good, if not better. A thoroughly enjoyable read with so many twists and turns so I couldn’t put it down.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who has returned to her hometown to live with her mother and she knows she is on her last chance with her so is attending AA meetings in this small town. It is the type of place where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

It is clear that Astrid has a dark past which she is not proud of although her memory is sketchy as most of the time she was drunk. It is apparent that she lost a boyfriend at some stage although, initially, the circumstances are vague. Her character is excellently portrayed as she stumbles to keep away from drinking.

However, it appears as if somebody in the town knows her past better than she does and is following her, as she smells the aftershave her former boyfriend used to wear. She starts to find notes, which begin to scare her.

This is a difficult subject handled with excellent skill, leaving the reader in no doubt that the addiction can ruin lives and the lives of those around them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam press and Lesley Kara for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Brilliant read and highly recommended.