If this is a debut novel then I can’t wait to read the next book by Gill Perdue.
The Interview is told from multiple POV, 14 year old Jenny, who was found with mild hypothermia and covered in blood, Laura and Niamh, both Garda who have been sent to interview Jenny in hospital.
Jenny at first is non verbal, then, as she begins to speak, talks as though she is retelling a fairytale. As the book progresses, the reason why Jenny speaks as she does becomes clear.
Laura is battling her own demons and the intertwining of her experiences with Jenny’s are heart breaking.
This is thankfully not an explicit read, much is implied.
I thought it was hard hitting and very well written.
Recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

The Interview is an intense and harrowing read as trauma experts Laura and Niamh question 14 year old Laura who is a victim of abuse. The novel is told from all 3 characters point of view as the truth slowly unfolds. This is a original and well written novel that deals with a sensitive subject with care and empathy. However, it's a slow paced read and I found it dragged in places so I lost interest.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Niamh and Laura are interviewing Jenny, who is a 14 year old girl who you originally think that she is the victim in all of this, as her stepdad has gone missing, however there is blood all in the car and all over Jenny too.

Whilst Jenny has been the victim in the past at the hands of her stepdad, is she actually the victim now???

It was a hard and difficult read at times, only because of the subject and not the writing. I great read by Gill Perdue!!!

This book was well written and dealt with difficult and frankly harrowing subjects in a sensitive way, I sadly just didn't enjoy it very much.

I was gripped by The Interview, a tense psychological thriller about an abused 14 year old girl, Jenny, and the quest from police interviewers Laura and Niamh to find out a) what happened to her and b) where her missing stepfather is. The tension is gritty, raw and finely wrought but may be very upsetting for those who prefer to avoid the topics of child sexual abuse, suppressed trauma, gaslighting and rape. These feature heavily in The Interview and make the story a solid one but I want readers to go in forewarned.

The story of Jenny and the abuse she suffers at the hands of her stepfather takes a fair amount of work to unravel for Laura and Niamh but there is another trauma in Laura's past that continues to haunt her and grows more present in her life now that she is the mother of a two year old. Laura knows trauma, so is good at her job, but she is falling apart as the story progresses. The combination of Jenny's difficult life and Laura's struggle with mental health makes this a timely and powerful story.

To say I enjoyed The Interview seems a bit crass, given the heavy topics but I did feel emotional involved in the story as it felt authentic in its pain. I highly recommend The Interview to others.

Laura is on the case after a young girl is found almost dead with her mother and brother injured but her step-dad missing. Can she get to the bottom of what happened and what the girl is hiding, whilst dealing with her own trauma?

This was a really interesting premise and you could figure out early on that Jennie knew more than she was letting on. The plot is quite a slow burn with the POV changing regularly allowing you a deeper scope of the characters. The ending was really good however and i like how it all came together. I really stuggled with Laura and liking her. So many of her actions were all over the place but her trauma played a huge role. I just couldn't quite find myself liking her. A good read.

Teenage Jenny was found covered in blood & traumatised. Obviously something dreadful has happened & the police want to know what- in particular , if the blood doesn't belong to her whose is it! Laura & Niamh are called in. They are experts at interviewing victims. Laura is considered one of the best. However since she has returned from maternity leave she is not the same & Niamh worries about her. Jenny is not going to give up her account easily. Instead she draws pictures & tells a fairy story. As Laura becomes obsessed with Jenny's story she seems to follow her own path. Niamh knows that procedure is all in their business. They need to be able to produce a narrative that can be used in court. This isn't the Laura she knows. The story is told through the perspective of the three characters. Niamh was the only one I warmed to. I knew Jenny had been through a lot so she had an excuse for the way she was, but Laura really needed help!

This book was well written, dealing with difficult subjects but I didn't really enjoy iy very much. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I thi no this was a brave debut but after careful thought I can only score it a three star rating. It all seemed rather too mixed up especially the almost random thought processes for the detectives. Maybe just too many issues.

Slow moving had a hard time getting invested in the characters. Sounded like such a great book but sadly fell short for me. Hard topic of abuse and the lead character dealing with her own demons. Just moved too slow for me.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this.

Slightly slow to get going but once it did I didn’t want to put it down. Brilliantly written for a debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book by Gill Perdue. This was a compelling read with some difficult and dark themes around abuse. Well written with good character development, including the lead investigator who is battling her own demons, this is a great read and it’s hard to believe it’s a debut!!

I was left really disappointed by this book. The synopsis and blurb really intrigued me, but the actual book just left me pretty bored.
The pacing just felt all wrong.
I didn't feel there was enough going on - we kept going back to Jenny and she wasn't revealing anything, and it became quite frustrating, and nothing really moved the plot along.
At the end when Jenny and Laura connected over their shared experience, it just felt too simple.
Nothing exciting for me, nothing original.
Too long, and not thrilling enough!

Hmm. I had such high hopes but was left disappointed with this one. The premise was interesting but the story did not grip me the way a thriller should.

The tale is a slow burn for the first two thirds with too much repetition, and the lead interviewer, Laura, has so much unresolved conflict that it overshadows the rest of the story.

The cover poses the question “victim or suspect?” I felt the answer to!this was clear from very early on.

It’s an ok read for insight regarding the sensitive handling required for interviews of rape and violence victims, but not a book to keep you hooked late into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy of this book.

TW: Sexual assault, domestic violence, PTSD and untreated mental health issues.

A missing man. A family in the ICU. A girl covered in blood.
Will this interview reveal more about the victim or the detective?

Jenny is found at the side of the road covered in blood. Following admission to an adult mental health facility, she is interviewed by SVI Laura and her culchie sidekick Niamh.
As the clock ticks, Laura tries to break through to Jenny, but finds herself being broken down in the process.

This debut had it all for me. While at points it was extremely difficult to navigate due to the subject manner, I found the way it was handled impeccable. Through trying to breakdown the walls Jenny has built around herself Laura herself is forced to confront things she thought she had locked away forever, leaving Niamh to try and hold the investigation together.

Told from the three perspectives we explore the devistating impacts of domestic violence, abuse and trauma both current and historical.

If you're in a mental place to deal with the themes I honestly couldn't recommend this enough. 4.5 stars.

We meet Victim Interview Specialist Laura as she starts to interview fourteen-year-old Jenny – a girl found covered in blood, whose mother and brother are in intensive care and whose stepfather is missing. What follows is Laura’s attempt to unravel Jenny’s story, with the help of her wonderful partner Niamh, building up trust and slowly coaxing details out of the girl while the clock ticks and the whereabouts of the stepfather remain unknown.

This really is an intriguing, if harrowing, story. We learn a lot about Laura, whose own personal history is revealed alongside that of the younger girl’s. The relationship between her and the girl rings true, and I adored her relationship with Niamh, who I wanted much more of. The pacing was good, and the tension was sustained throughout. I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

This was a really hard read due to the subject matter but worth it

This was a book with an unexpectedly psychological bent, which gave me a real insight into human psychology that I hadnt thought before. In The Interview, a police psychologist is interviewing a traumatised child who may also be a criminal themselves. It was not an easy read, with its insight on violence against women, trauma effects on children, and how the police have to navigate all of this - but it was fascinating and compelling

Wow! If you are looking for a lighthearted read you are in the wrong place!

The interview follows Laura and Niamh as they prepare for an ABE interview with Jenny, a traumatised girl who may also be a murderer.

The story builds tension throughout and more and more details and secrets unfold. An excellent look at trauma and violence against women.

Some powerful messages encased in a great plot that will have your heart racing.

When specialist victim support workers Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody visit a traumatised 14 year old girl in Abbots Hill psychiatric hospital in Ireland they knew that this is going to be a tragic case.
Jenny the 14 year old victim was found lying by the side of a road covered in blood close to a car accident involving her mother and younger brother but her stepfather Stuart is missing.
The Gardai (Irish police) try to talk to Jenny but she refuses to talk.
Even though Jenny didn't suffer any injuries in the accident she has old unexplained wounds.
As they interview Jenny, Laura seems to take things personally and Niamh is concerned.
This novel takes on subjects such as abuse and personal trauma and some people might find it hard to read, saying that I found it a insightful read.

A girl covered in blood. A missing man. A cryptic fairy tale.
Detective Laura Shaw seems to have it all: a supportive husband, a happy two-year-old and a great career. She is her team's top interviewer, brilliant at coaxing victims to open up.
Then, she meets Jenny - a 14-year-old assault victim - and the façade crumbles. Jenny's stepfather is missing, the blood on her clothes is not her own and Laura can't interpret the fairy tale she keeps repeating.
But Jenny isn't the only one with secrets. With every hour that passes, Laura loses more of her grip, grappling with the biggest question of all:
Is every life worth saving?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.