3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Very solid for what this is, which is women's fiction with a dash of suspense, admittedly not what I expected. Kara's first book, The Rumor, had a tighter thread of suspense whereas this has comparably slow pacing and is VERY character-based. I had moments reading where I suspected it might be an earlier work and then was gratified to see in the author's note that, indeed, this was written before her debut and reworked for publication after.

The general gist is that Astrid is a recovering alcoholic and her ex, who was also an alcoholic, killed himself a few years prior and Astrid is battling a lot of demons/guilt now that she's back at home with her mom post rehab and attending AA meetings. She meets a hot new guy who's into clean living and agrees to do a mural project in his house, but then someone starts leaving her threatening notes indicating they know something awful she did in the past. The primary thrust of the first half is "I like this guy and we have a good thing but I can't tell him I'm an alcoholic" with some moments of tension when a new note arrives, as well as some conflict with mom and moments where Astrid almost gives in and drinks.

I'll admit I wasn't really sure where the book was going for the first third--there is not even a hint of suspense until the 30% mark, and then it's still pretty light until about the 70% mark. From there, things do "tumble down hill" appropriately and become very high stakes, with plenty of fun guessing about who is lying about what and who knows what about Astrid, and a high stakes conclusion. But regardless it has a heavy women's fiction feel throughout, and readers who prefer straight up suspense/thrillers and are less interested in the recovering alcoholic/stakes of losing a great guy aspect may not enjoy this as much.

BUT those who do enjoy women's fiction with some suspense I think will find this book hits the spot. The romantic stakes are solid (I quite liked Josh and his dad and wanted to live in their house), and there are some strong emotional punches especially toward the end. Astrid is a compelling main characters who finely walks the line of whiny/self-destructive/frustrating but in a good way--you're rooting for her while also yelling at her to pull her head of her ass. I was also pleased to finally read a Kara book actually set in England and allowed to be British (unlike the transplanted version of The Rumor I read)--I loved the coastal British town feel. Generally Kara is good with emotional immediacy and complex character relationships, so that is again on display here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bantam Books and the author, Lesley Kara for a copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review.

From the beginning, it was hard to not start yelling at the book and saying NO...don't take that path, don't do that, stop leading that way. However, the story line was great and it was extremely easy to resonate with the main character and the fight she goes through day by day.

This was a great book about how someone who has battled addiction (no matter what type of addiction) goes through each day, and the in's and out's of battling that addiction.

I have added this author to my favorite list of authors, and can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.

I read this in two sittings, it was that addicting. A strong storyline that had a few twists and turns. I did guess whodunit from the beginning, but it didn’t make the reveal any less exciting. The way everything came together was like that satisfying last puzzle piece clicking into place. I really enjoyed Astrid’s character. We’re affronted with a lot of unreliable female narrators lately, but there was a lot of depth to Astrid that made her character stand out. I highly recommend this speedy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of “Who Did You Tell?” by Lesley Kara. I read and enjoyed “Thr Rumour” and was excited to read her latest thriller.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who moves back home with her mom in Flinstead, a quiet seaside town. She attends AA meetings and is trying to atone for her prior sins. She wants to move on from her past, but someone has has found her and is taunting her with threatening messages. Who wants revenge? Who knows what she has done?

This book realistically depicts the journey of a recovering alcoholic searching for sobriety. Astrid is self-loathing and haunted by how her actions as an alcoholic have negatively effected her loved ones, especially her mom and boyfriend, Simon. She is plagued by spotty memories that she doesn’t completely trust. She must do her penance and hope for redemption. The guilt that Astrid feels is so palpable and relatable. There are many twists and turns that kept me engaged through the book. I kept thinking I knew who was threatening her, but then there would be another surprise. The book is well-paced and very well-written. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

4/5 stars

This book was full of suspense and twists that will keep you guessing until the surprising ending. This book opened my eyes to the world of addiction.

I enjoyed this book and learning more about the struggles of an alcoholic. Astrid truly struggled trying to get her life back on track after living many years and an alcoholic. I was rooting for her but was amazed on how out of touch she seemed to be with the people around her. Maybe I am just more cautious by nature, but I was surprised how many times she put herself into a situation that could harm her.

I rooted for Astrid's relationship with Josh, although I thought it was rushed in to and not started on an honest level. I appreciate many of the loose ends to the story being cleared up at the end. I was able to predict some of the story, but found other areas to be surprising. I appreciate the story having a clear ending that doesn't leave anything hanging out there.

I hope to read more by Lesley Kara.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic living with her mother. She is struggling, knowing this is her last chance. If she starts drinking again, her mother will throw her out. I found Astrid was not terribly likeable, but she was trying to stay sober. This was not easy to read, Astrid was struggling with guilt and with her addiction . But Astrid has a secret! Does someone else know her secret?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Astrid hasn't had a drink in over 192 days. She is trying to be a different person. She's dropped her first name and dropped alcohol. She's moved in with her mother. She has a routine. 

But guilt is eating her up inside. The memories of the things she did or at least thinks she did are fresh in her mind every minute of every day. Add to that the fact that she is sure someone is following her. 

Even inside the AA group, she doesn't know who to trust. She makes bad decisions and her next one could cost her her own life.

But there is another voice in this story. A voice we don't know. And it wants her to pay for something. With her own life. Can Astrid stay sober and more importantly alive?

Lesley Kara always gives us a good thriller! I did not care for Astrid at all! But the story was suspenseful as heck!

NetGalley/ June 16th, 2020 by Ballantine Books

This was an intense read! Astrid is newly sober and living with her mother who is worried that her daughter will relapse. Astrid has vivid dreams of her dead boyfriend, Simon and worries that someone is following her which fuels her paranoia further. Attending AA meetings is initially painful for her as she isn't anxious to "share" her story and also because there are holes in her memory from when she was a blackout drunk. Meeting a new man and re-visiting her passion for art gives her hope and energy until her paranoia increases and she is tempted to drink often. Things spiral out of control and she's not sure who to trust. I enjoyed this and read it quickly!

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who struggles daily to retain her sobriety. Returning to live with her mother while she works on keeping her new normal, she begins to worry that someone is after her. Is her struggle making her paranoid? Are the secrets of her past being brought to the surface? I received a free copy of this book and am reviewing it voluntarily.

This was an intense read. I would say it is more a story about addiction than a mystery but I did like it. I liked the small town feel where everyone knew everyone. Astrid was a bit unlikable but that is probably mostly her addiction. Her relationship with her mom was nice to read about.

Who Did You Tell by Lesley Kara centers around Astrid, a recovering alcoholic who moves back in with her mother as she gets her life back on track. She attends AA meetings and hopes to leave her past where it belongs, including a toxic ex, and create a better future for herself.

I felt compassion for Astrid as she struggles with her demons and attempts to take more positive steps. We see the pain of addiction as Astrid deals with things from her past.

At AA, she meets two women Rosie and Helen. She instantly gets a weird vibe from Rosie and decides to keep her distance but Helen is lovely and she falls into a friendship with her.

As the story progresses, its clear someone is watching Astrid and knows what she did in her past, something awful. The pace and tension begin to pick up as the reader questions ever person in Astrid’s life. Who can she trust and what did she do?

Here’s the official synopsis:

Astrid is newly sober and trying to turn her life around. Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and darkness of her previous life, she is focusing on her recovery.

She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged. If she fills her days, maybe she can outrun the ghosts that haunt her. Maybe she can start anew.

But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.

Someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected. Some mistakes, you have to pay for.

I really like Lesley Kara’s writing and this book was a good suspense which kept me guessing. If you haven’t read her novel, The Rumor, that was excellent as well and its available right now.

Who Did You Tell? Is out on June 16, pre-order here.

Astrid is trying to pull her life together. She is a recovering alcoholic and has moved back in with her mother. She is attending AA meetings and trying to stay sober with help from two friends she met there, Rosie and Helen. We know that Astrid has a secret she is hiding, and that it involves her boyfriend, Simon, who is now dead. When strange things start happening to her, she gets a bit paranoid and begins imagining things, like seeing Simon. It's hard to sympathize with Astrid, as she is a bit of a misfit, but still the story was compelling, with a satisfying ending.Thank you to #NetGalley for the arc of this story.

Uniquely intriguing and completely unputdownable. This one will have you reading late into the night and you won’t regret it! Just as excellent as this authors previous novel.

I finished reading this book several days ago, but kept putting off writing a review because I don't really know what to say/how I feel about it.
Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who has been through rehab, is living back with her mother and trying to find support in AA. Her struggle with recovery is the main theme of this book.
This book is billed as a thriller, but I don't think it fits into that category. Someone from Astrid's alcoholic past wants revenge on her. There's some suspense regarding the who and the why (although the who and why were a bit obvious). This book was more of a character study of someone trying to cope with alcoholism. Anyone who is in recovery (much like myself) will be able to identify with Astrid on some level, and I appreciate the novel for that genuineness. However, I just didn't find it to be an entertaining read.

Astrid is struggling to overcome her alcohol addiction. Fresh out of rehab and living with her mother, she smokes cigarettes, drinks coffee, and attends AA meetings. She had a career as a set designer once, but her true passion was alcohol, and it demanded her full attention. At loose ends with no future goals and a past full of blackouts and regrets, the small town of Flintstead is about as bleak as Astrid feels.
Things are about to get very interesting, as Astrid fears that someone from her past is close. This isn't someone who wants to catch up and talk about the good ole days, but rather someone who means her harm. Is Astrid just paranoid after years of punishing her mind and body with alcohol? Or does she have something to fear?
There were so many twists and turns, secrets, and lies, that I felt like a was riding a roller coaster. Whenever I thought I had figured everything out, the story veered in a different direction and eventually I was just happy to go along for the ride. A great mystery and it was also a sobering look at how addiction is so hard to overcome. Final thought, this book publishes in June, and I am thinking it would be the perfect beach read!

I received an ARC of this book. It is a fascinating and scary story of a woman trying to break free of the grip of addiction. An intriguing mystery is found within her struggle. Couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

“I smell him first, or rather the aftershave he used to wear. A '90s vintage scent - masculine and woody. I spin round, but no one's there. . .
Then I see him, sprinting toward the sea, the furry flaps of his trapper hat flying in the breeze. . . Simon.”

Who Did You Tell?, the second published novel from author, Leslie Kara, returns the reader to the British seaside village of Flinstead-on-Sea. Her first published novel, The Rumor, examined the dangers of malicious gossip.

Who Did You Tell? is the story of a struggling alcoholic recently released from rehab with nowhere to go but to move in with her mother. Mom has let her know that this is it - fail this time and you are truly on your own. Astrid hoped leaving her old life behind, telling no one where she was going, and moving to Flinstead where she is unknown, would provide the base from which to rebuild her life. A name change from Hiliary helps with anonymity.

To her credit, she dutifully, but reluctantly, attends weekly meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Astrid is not ready to open her sordid story to these strangers. Long years of drugs and booze have left Astrid filled with paranoia and guilt leftover from hazy memories and big gaps of her life lost in long periods of blackouts. She has a very dark secret - she believes she is responsible for the death of her one true love, Simon. Simon and Astrid had a codependent relationship centered on getting high and socially unacceptable methods of funding their needs. After breaking up with Astrid, Simon entered rehab and began a sober life. A serendipitous meeting with Astrid found Simon falling off the wagon, and shortly after, committing suicide.

In time, still finding it difficult to curb the allure of alcohol to self-medicate, Astrid makes a good friend from AA, finds a new love interest, and begins to believe that she just might be on the road to a better life. Until. She begins to smell Simon's uncommon aftershave in strange places and gets that eerie feeling that she is being watched.

"I don't want to look over my shoulder because that feels like giving in to the fear. . . I force myself to turn round just long enough to see there's no one there. . ."

“She's scared. . . For a second I think sensed me. She stops dead in her tracks and spins round. . . [I pretend.] My forefinger curls, then squeezes. The bullet hits it target. . . Not yet. The game's only just begun.”

Who Did You Tell? is a mixed tale. Addiction and its perpetual grip on lives and the importance of friendship and family in helping hold steady against the strong pull of addiction. A mysterious stalking stranger insidiously begins a campaign to destroy Astrid's new life by first messing mentally with her mind before hoping to end it all with her tragic death. Astrid struggles with questions - What did I do? How was I found in Flinstead? Who did I tell?

The strongest theme, in my opinion, was Astrid's battle with her demons. The mysterious stranger was effective at obfuscating the reason for stalking Astrid and was entertaining. Her romance and potential future with Josh wasn't my favorite part of the book; didn't feel right and possibly was included as a false flag as the potential stalker. I settled on rating the book at 4 stars because of the example of Astrid's life as an addict. Enjoyed the book and look forward to any future fiction from this author.

“It’s normal to have the odd violent fantasy about someone you hate so much every muscle in your body contracts when you think of them. I mean, everybody does it sometimes, don’t they? Don’t they? Seven slams, if you’re interested. That’s how many it takes till her braids run red.”

WTHeck?!?!?!?!?!

Y’ALL!!!!!

That’s a quote from THE FIRST PAGE!! Are your socks knocked off yet?

I don’t want to give too much of a synopsis. I’ll just say that it’s about a woman named Astrid who is a recovering alcoholic trying to turn her life around, but the mistakes of her past refuse to stay buried. “Someone knows.” That’s it. That’s all I’m saying.

First I want to say that this book is an ode to the dangers of alcohol abuse. Don’t worry, it’s not preachy, but it is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of addiction. In the midst of a white-knuckle of a thriller, Lesley Kara speaks honestly and compassionately about a touchy subject.

Guys, this is skillfully written book. I could fill this review with quotes that I found thought-provoking or evocative. Astrid’s voice is darkly comedic, bitingly observant, and brutally cynical. The words on the page are the real star of this one; the plot is just icing on the cake.

Be warned: the level of suspense is off the charts. There were quite a few moments when I said out loud, “Oh, something bad is about to happen.” In this one, paranoia looms large, and the past haunts just as eerily as any ghost. And that ending! My head was spinning so fast that I thought I had been hitting the bottle!!

Do yourselves a favor and read this one! SOON!!

Who Did You Tell is a book I couldn't put down! After reading The Rumor which I loved, I had to read Who Did You Tell and I have to say Lesley Kara did not disappoint! She is such a fantastic author.

Astrid, a.k.a Hilary, is a recovering alcoholic facing the struggles of staying sober. Everything about her struggle felt real to me. She lives with her mom in a quiet beach town, while attending daily AA meetings. She carries guilt from her past and works through her feelings, but starts to realize someone is watching her and knows about her past. This book has twists, turns and suspense and kept me guessing. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my friends.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my review.