Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.
This is the first book I have read by Lesley Kara and although I enjoyed it and like the storyline it lacked something for me. I guessed about Simon's mum part way through and who it was and for me the book was a bit boring.
I would read another Lesley Kara book but it would have to be a good one.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who is currently living with her mother in a quiet seaside town. She's used up most of her chances, but this time, she's had a tenuous hold on sobriety for months. She's feeling better, rediscovering her passion for art, and finding love with a nice new man. Unfortunately, Astrid did some horrible things while she was drinking. A mysterious stalker keeps reminding her of this with creepy letters and packages.

Lesley Kara interlaces the story of Astrid and her attempts at recovery with the italicized voice of that mysterious stalker. We are left to guess who that person might be. That stalker does not wish her well on her journey. They instead would very much like to make Astrid pay for the things she's done, then kill her.

Astrid is not an easy character to like--she's prone to cynicism, lying, self-pity, and bad choices. However, she and her journey are realistically rendered. As she runs out of pubs rather than tell her boyfriend she's a recovering alcoholic or rebuilds bridges with her mother, it becomes easier to cheer her on. The unusual complications thrown her way are spine-tingling and will keep the reader guessing. There's clearly someone she can't trust, but who?

Who Did You Tell is not what anyone would call a classic, but it is a good, fast read that will satisfy most fans of women-focused and psychological suspense.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! A decent enough read in itself that hits the often uncomfortable topic of alcoholism well: I didn’t find Astrid particularly likeable but I did empathise with her journey and rooted for her recovery throughout the book. On the thriller side of things, this book felt a little tame and none of the twists really shocked me but I wasn’t bored by them either. A very in-the-middle ride for me, but nonetheless a quick and easy read to start my year off!

Having thoroughly enjoyed Lesley Kara’s debut novel, The Rumour, I couldn’t wait to start this one. Although a harrowing read at times, I found it interesting, Astrid, a recovering alcoholic has had to move back home to her mother to recover, I found the story itself true to real life as I have seen first hand through a relative what alcohol addiction can do and lead to which made it all the more harder (personally) to read!

A different read to what I would normally go for but enjoyed it all the same, a story of addiction, guilt, shame, paranoia?

I didn’t finish The Rumour. So when this book came along I had higher hopes. This was an okay thriller. Not a must read.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this authors first book, and while I enjoyed this book, it just really didn't compare to the first. While being interesting enough to read on, it just didn't grip me enough to be a gripping page-turner.

Overall, enjoyable but could of been better.

After really enjoying 'The Rumour', I was really looking forward to this one!

The story follows Astrid, a recovering alcoholic who has moved back in with her Mum while she gets back on her feet after a stint in rehab. After being burned a few times before, Astrid's Mum has made it very clear that this is her last chance with her, so she is trying really hard to move past her demons.
While regularly attending local AA meetings, Astrid meets Rosie and Helen. Both want to help her in their own ways and Astrid can't decide who she is best sticking with. She also meets handsome Josh while walking on the beach and, despite falling for him big time, she can't bring herself to tell him the whole truth about herself. Add in the fact that she has a possible stalker who is taunting her about her old life, Astrid is not having the best time at the moment and is finding it harder and harder to keep herself sober.
This is a good and twisty, mystery story! I had no clue who was doing what and why until the reveal due to sheer amount of credible red herrings! Despite finding it a bit hard to warm to Astrid, I enjoyed following her journey and with several other well-written characters, this was a very good read!

After reading the The Rumour and loving it , I was really hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately for me it was not the case. It was so depressing and the main character Astrid an alcoholic, well i really wanted to shake some sense into her. This was my third attempt at reading this book. I felt I owed the author as she had put so much time time and effort into this story, I really wish she hadn't. Not for me.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

My first book by this author. Interesting subject matter. Wasn't sure where the story was going at first but there were certainly a few twists as the book developed. Would definitely read more by this author.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic, but she’s also running from her wrongdoings of the past. Having moved to a tranquil seaside town away from the temptations of the city to be with her mother and concentrate on her recovery, Astrid is trying to make amends for her past. However someone knows about Astrid’s past and the things she is trying to put right but soon lets Astrid know that something’s cannot be made right. A gripping and suspenseful read, which had me hooked from the first page until the last.

This book is so well written, I absolutely loved reading it. The story flows really well and had me hooked from the start. The main character has her issues but is very likeable. I did guess some of the plot, but it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Having thoroughly enjoyed the dark and twisty ‘The Rumour’, I was looking forward to seeing what Lesley Kara would bring to the table with her second novel. If there is any parity between writing novels and recording music, this would be the ‘difficult second album’ and as a result, I tried to moderate my expectations when I started to read. I needn’t have worried! The writing is captivating, with some beautiful prose and a swift pace, again giving that ‘hard to put down’ feeling as I raced through the chapters. The author does not shy away from difficult topics, having built a plot around the release of a notorious child killer in the first book, the central theme of this book is alcoholism and the lead character’s struggle with recovery and the guilt and remorse for her actions of the past. Incredibly, through the twists and turns, I was primarily sympathetic to the protagonist, despite revelations that could easily have put me off. As with the previous book, it is the last few chapters that I found took an already excellent piece of writing and made it spectacular. I would highly recommend.

**3.5 stars**
Astrid is a recovering alcoholic, she’s had to move back with her mother to a small seaside town after coming out of rehab. She attends regular AA meetings but she often thinks she’s being followed. Is her mind playing tricks or not?
I enjoyed this novel but I sometimes felt it was a little sluggish and repetitive. I didn’t like Astrid in the beginning but did end up warming to her and the ending did take me by surprise.
To be fair, I think this novel suffered from what was happening around me at the time of reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of "The Rumour" comes another cracking story from Lesley Kara.

I was looking forward to reading this after having read and enjoyed Ms Kara's debut novel "The Rumour" and I certainly wasn't disappointed although this was sometimes a difficult read due to the main character, Astrid, being a recovering alcoholic with a chequered history.

Initially, Astrid was a difficult character to like but as the novel moved on, I found myself rooting for her to succeed against the inner voices in her head pulling her back towards the demon drink and although I am not an alcoholic, recovering or current, it does feel authentic. The way Ms Kara describes the impact addiction has not only on the person themselves but also on the family and wider relationships is well captured in this book.

Astrid is trying to rebuild her life - moving back to her childhood home to live with her mum, attending AA meetings, trying to rekindle her gift of painting, rebuilding the trust of her mum but she is full of shame and guilt regarding events she recalls from her past drinking days; events that only she and her ex-boyfriend know about or so she thought ... someone is watching her, someone is sending her notes, someone is going out of their way to try and prevent her from moving on.

The book is told mainly from Astrid's point of view with snippets included from the "stalker's" perspective. This, I think, was genius as it not only immersed me into Astrid's thought processes and daily struggles with addiction but also gave me an idea of what she was up against.

The story starts quite slowly but develops in intensity and pace with twists along the way and although you would think it would be heavy-going given the subject matter, it isn't as there are lighter moments sprinkled throughout. All of the characters are well developed and interesting and the setting of the small coastal town is perfect.

This is a compelling and engrossing read dealing with a difficult subject matter with sensitivity and one I would definitely recommend to readers who like to get their teeth into something a bit different.

Many thanks to RandomHouse UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I didn’t have high hopes about this book, but the summary sounded a bit interesting.

It’s very slow moving in the beginning, and it’s boring. The relationship between the Astrid and Josh is moving to fast for my liking, and there’s no chemistry. The MC and some of the support characters are annoying. Nothing is really happening in the story. It feels like the authors doesn’t know whether to focus on the romance, the sobriety or the drama in someone knowing what Astrid did and the book ends up being a mix of them and not really good. The story is short and that’s basically the only reason I kept reading. This isn’t a crime/thriller book, more like women’s contemporary lit. I had a feeling about who was doing the stalking but I didn’t know why. The story was a disappointment. I expected something better

I loved The rumour and this was a very good follow up!
It has all the elements of a psychological drama..a protagonist who is a recovering alcoholic with shameful secrets in her past, a past that comes calling for revenge, threats, paranoia, suspicion of being stalked, seeing people who shouldn't be around etc.
Astrid is back with her mother who has given her an ultimatum that she has to quit drinking or forever lose contact. With a love/hate relationship with her own current sober state, she tries to move on by resurrecting her art career and beginning a new relationship and attending AA meetings.
But there are things she did when drunk that haunt her. She has at least one death on her conscience and is chilled to the bone when it is apparent that someone in that sleepy town knows too.
With a lot of is it this person and is it that person the story kept me hooked.

WHO DID YOU TELL, a suspense thriller/psychological drama is the second novel to be published in January 2020 by Lesley Kara the author of the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller, THE RUMOUR, a crime thriller debut published in December 2018.

Every town has its secrets. Lesley Kara knows them all . . .

Astrid, an alcoholic is trying to turn her life around, focusing on her recovery. She has grudgingly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before. She is going to meetings. And trying to get her life back in order.

But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be corrected.

Astrid knows someone is following her. But her memories are pretty vague due to her past drinking and blackouts.

Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . .Someone is looking for revenge.

Who Did You Tell is a captivating story of a woman dealing with fighting addiction and the mistakes of the past. Who is sending her menacing letters and how do they know about her past? Well-developed characters, believable plot with lots of twists and red herrings, and one story that will appeal to a wide range of readers. You won’t forget this book. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK , Netgalley and THE Book Club Reviewer Group (FB) for my digital copy.

The set up for this was intriguing - recovering alcoholic Astrid leaves rehab and goes to live in a small seaside town with her mother. While there she starts to notice the smell of former boyfriend’s fragrance, and then notes start to arrive alluding to her past. Ultimately though, this one sadly wasn’t for me as the plot unrolled, which I found a bit stolid.

Wow! I was extremely excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. I enjoyed Kara's debut novel and this one was equally as thought-provoking. I was totally invested in the whole book and read it in two sittings. Literally could not put it down. The story is about a woman who is a recovering alcoholic, trying to rebuild her life... but obviously there are twists and turns at every angle. Someone wants revenge!

I loved the character of Astrid and could really feel empathy for her character throughout. I felt myself willing her to get through her struggles and be able to overcome the demons that were haunting her.

This is one of the best books that I have read and has definitely entered my top 5 books for 2019. 100% a 5 star read.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for this book

a recovering alcoholic
seaside town
threatening letters


this book highlights the dangers for alcoholics and what they have to go through but this is more than that..its is about a young girl who has to go back and live with her mother and try and piece together her life after losing the love of her life,she has to attend aa meetings or else her mother will wash her hands of her...

but along the way she meets several people some at aa meetings and one special person at the beach, who she feels she can build a life with...

but then she starts to smell the aftershave her ex use to wear, and pretty soon threatening letters appear...

there are quite a few red herrings along the way before all is revealed but this i found to be a compelling story and one that i am beginning to recognise as the trademark with this author