This is the second in the Raisa Sutanto series, and while I liked it, I didn't find it quite as compelling as the first book (which I definitely recommend!)*
Raisa is a forensic linguist, working with the FBI, and two days before his execution, the serial killer blamed for killing Raisa's partner's wife claims he didn't do it. So Raisa and her partner Callum are in a race against the clock to figure out who was her killer. *
Like the first book in the series, I like the characters and the idea of forensic linguistics being used to solve murders. It was great to get so much more insight into Callum's background, learn about his wife as a person. I also really like the fact that we have a FMC and MMC and they don't end up romantically involved! * I think what kept me from loving this one was the time crunch was a bit artificial. The serial killer was still a serial killer, and was still going to be executed, he was just not responsible for this particular murder, which they could continue to look into after his death if they had to. And I didn't find this super compelling to return to while I was reading it. *
I still recommend the series, and will absolutely continue to read it!

I truly enjoyed the premise of this book, but I hadn't realized it was part of a series - Disclaimer, I did not read the first book.

The dual timelines, going back and forth, really made reading this enjoyable for me. I felt I understood the dead wife, Shay, better and that helped me with the background from the first book.

Another interesting factor was the POV from a linguist - I love true crime and forensics, so this made this extra enjoyable for me to read. I felt I learned more behind the forensic analysts and their jobs.

What made this book good was that it actually tied everything together in the end. There were no missing pieces or gaps in the storyline. I truly appreciated that and that provoked me to want to read the next installment in the series.

The Truth You Told by Brianna Labuskes is another engrossing, well developed, character-driven story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Forensic linguist Raisa Susanto is a strong female protagonist, I really enjoyed her character.
I thought the characters were strong and very likeable. This was a fantastic, intense, riveting crime thriller which grabbed me right from the start. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 2 in a 3 book series and its FANTASTIC!!!!! I love FBI/Police procedural, serial killer suspenseful mysteries and this one ticks all of the boxes. IMO Brianna Labuskes is in the same class as Karin Slaughter, my top favorite!

Despite being book 2, you can read this as a standalone. However, I would be remiss if I did not advise that you start this series with book one. The author layers the character development and weaves the plot so well in book 1 that I would hate for you to miss out.

Raisa is a FBI forensic linguist who works with Callum Kilkenny, an FBI forensic psychologist. They are on the case of a serial killer who days before execution, reveals that he did not kill Callum's wife. Ok, so who did?

This is such a well written story that is fast paced and multilayered. I loved the characters and the story! Book three comes out next summer and I already have it in my Amazon to be purchased basket!!! 5++++ stars

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and this book was no different! Enthralling, chilling, and giving the "look over your shoulder" vibes. I could not put it down! I love the author's writing style. The character development is nothing short of genius. I'm hopeful for more of this series!

A Great Follow-On Novel

Raisa Susanto, an FBI forensic linguist, is out running when she senses she is being followed. She does not have her usual armament, so she goes into a coffee shop. Soon, her follower enters. She exits to find a spot to surprise her follower. Raisa grabs her. After rejecting her first story, the woman identifies herself as Kate Tashibi. Raisa has ignored her previous attempts to contact her. Kate tells Raisa that she is a documentarian. Her current project is on the Alphabet Man serial killer. Raisa wants nothing to do with any documentary on him and tells her so. At home, she receives a text from Callum Kilkenny, an FBI forensic psychologist she met on her last case, and they are now friends. Callum’s wife, Shay, was the Alphabet Man’s 23rd victim. From this start, the story of her murder unfolds.

There are two main storyline threads. The first, set in the present, portrays the investigation into who murdered Shay Kilkenny. Raisa and Callum narrate this thread. This thread starts days before his scheduled execution. The Alphabet Man claims that he did not kill Shay. The second is told in a series of flashbacks, starting four years before Shay’s abduction, which ended in her death. The storyline jumps back and forth. In the flashbacks, the reader learns about Shay and her family and how she became Callum’s wife. There are many surprises and hidden secrets in this thread that kept piquing my interest and kept me reading. There was what I call a literary grenade near the end that provided an interesting twist. I could not put this novel down.

There are several B-storyline threads. The relationship between Callum and Raisa has become personal but not romantic. Their interaction reveals much of their characters’ natures. I enjoyed their natural friendship. Another thread is in flashbacks. The relationship between Shay and Callum reveals much new information that has defined his character in the present. Both threads enhanced my reading enjoyment.

This novel is not strong in the aspects, which may cause some readers to stop reading. There is a non-descriptive intimate scene plus some before and after scenes. There is a noticeable level of vulgar and rude language. Given the nature of the character and current events, this language’s use was what I would expect. There are not any active violent scenes. This is the second novel in this series. All the references appeared to be backfilled well when they occurred, so it should not be an issue to read this novel first. Having read the first novel myself, I believe that you will find this novel to be more enjoyable to read.

I had no issues with the storyline or the novel's structure or flow. On the plus side, this was a great follow-up novel. I enjoyed the dynamics between Raisa and Callum in the first novel, and they continue in this novel. I enjoyed the ending. It was very fitting for me. I have read six previous novels by this author. She has earned my Must-Read category of authors. I am looking forward to reading her next novel. I recommend reading this novel as I thoroughly enjoyed it and rate it with five stars.
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I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

There was a lot going on and it was just a bit too much for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Brianna Labuskes and Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gave 2.5 stars but rounded up to 3.

The Truth You Told is the second book to feature FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto and forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny. Nathaniel Conrad, known as the Alphabet Man serial killer, is going to be executed. He tells Callum that he did not kill Callum's wife, Shay, five years ago. Callum had thought all of this was behind him.

Raisa goes over the letters Nathaniel sent after each of his killings, she comes to the conclusion that he is telling the truth. The question now is who killed Shay, was it a copycat?

The story follows in two timeliness, the ongoing investigation, and what really happened in the past, We get to know Shay and see who she was interacting with. There are a number of characters and it sometimes got a bit confusing. The plot as a whole is engaging and if you have not read the first book you will not have a problem reading this. The author wraps up the mystery of whodunit with a few plot twists to keep us guessing.

I would read another book with these characters, but I would like to see more of the forensic linguist aspect in the storyline. Overall, this is an engaging mystery/suspense book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for an ARC. The review is my own.

The Truth You Told is a rollercoaster of emotions, fact finding, truth and lies that tangle the lives of FBI Agent Kilkenny and linguist expert Raisa Susanto. The more they dig they find there was another killer working together with the Alphabet Man - Nathaniel Conrad. Why was Shay killed? Has Kilkenny exposed his wife to the killer because of his work? What about her family, what is their responsibility in her demise? A fast-paced, thrilling and engaging story that will keep the readers at the edge of their seats. Highly recommended!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley & Thomas&Mercer Publishing for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

In "The Truth You Told", we've got a real head-scratcher. The Alphabet Man, a serial killer who's been terrorizing the country, is about to be executed. But then he drops a bombshell: he didn't actually kill the FBI agent's wife, Shay. And weirdly, the evidence backs him up! So who did kill her? I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it out.

The story jumps back and forth between present day and the past, and I loved learning more about Shay and her family. It was like putting together a puzzle, and I was completely invested.

The forensic linguist angle was also super cool. I'd never read a book from that perspective before, and it was amazing how much you can learn from just words on a page. Raisa, the linguist, is like a superhero, using her skills to uncover secrets and catch bad guys.

Anyway, I'm hooked on this series now and can't wait for more. If you like dark, suspenseful stories with a dash of linguistic intrigue, give it a try! 👍🏽

This was an interesting cat and mouse more psychological than thriller read. There was a lot going on with even more build up that ended up falling flat for me.

This was a breath of fresh air after the last couple of books that I have read. The characters are vibrant. The story is easy to follow and is embedded with amazing twists and turns. Truly a pleasure to read from start to finish. I loved all the different layers and stories intertwining. Readers are going to be swept away by this book. If you are looking for an amazing mystery dealing with serial killings this book is right up your alley.
Thank you so much to Thomas and Mercer for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

The Truth You Told is a nail-biting, dark, and consuming story of an FBI agent hunting down a serial killer.

When Callum Kilkenny discovers the person he thought killed his wife didn't really do it, it shakes the very foundation he stands on and has him desperate to track down who really did it. This is book two in the series, and just as fast-paced and gritty as the first one was. We also get the view point of Raisa Susanto, a forensic linguist, who brings a new take and an interesting viewpoint to the book.

Told in past and present, this book will hook you from the beginning and not let go until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc!

4.5⭐️

Huge thank you to NetGalley as well as Thomas & Mercer publishing for allowing me to be an ARC reader on this book! All opinions are my own.

I cannot get enough of Raisa and her stories! I am having such a great time reading her books and dissecting the mysteries that come with them. When reading these two books I was so captivated by the story, I was determined to finish the solve the mystery.

This book is a bit faster paced than the last book because the mystery needs to be solved in a much quicker time period. I actually enjoyed the faster paced of this book and enjoyed how you could really feel the tension and pressure that came with figuring things out and connecting the pieces of evidence together as they arose. I was really impressed by the overall mystery and arc of the story. I really did not see the final reveal coming and I just loved seeing it all come together. It truly was a bit lightbulb moment!

I would definitely recommend checking out these books if you are a mystery fan. I would recommend checking out “The Lies You Wrote” before reading this book when it releases on September 10th! There are things in “The Truth You Told” that will spoil the first book if you read it first! With that you’ll have a better understanding of where the characters are coming from and their backgrounds as they navigate this new case.

The second (and hopefully not the last) lovely chapter in the agent Raisa Susanto series features a complex plot with many new and old characters, besides the protagonists, and some nice plot twists that are difficult to guess because with almost every character you find yourself wondering if they might not be what they look like. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 just because the plot felt a bit convoluted to me. Still I totally recommend it and the author!!

This book was pretty entertaining and took me quite by surprise. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to have read this advanced reader copy. I am interested to see the more that is to come from this author.

Trying to solve the whodunit is pointless when the twists and mental games are too advanced for my brain. Reading this book is a challenge in many ways and I absolutely loved the ride. Raisa is eventually going to piece everything together but she must rely on a few unlikely people. She’s highly intelligent with a brain that won’t stop. Her partner is too attached to this specific case but that might work to their benefit. A serial killer is about to be executed when information comes about that he might not have killed all the people they thought. It’s a game of cat and mouse with a few other players gumming up the game. Thrilling, suspenseful, smart and witty. It’s the second Raisa book, not required to read the first but this one might entice you. I was lucky to receive an advanced copy and have given my review voluntarily.

A crime mystery tale, The Truth You Told (2024) by Brianna Labuskes is the second of the Raisa Susanto book series. FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto is partnered with forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny to investigate cold cases. When a documentrary maker reveals that the serial killer known as The Alphabet Man may not be responsible for Kilkenny’s wife’s murder, they are tasked to revisit the case. Narrated by two characters in different timelines - Shay from the past (2009) and Raisha present (2015) - chapters are interspersed with extracts from letters, police reports and newspapers. As Raisha and Callum dig deeper, they begin to suspect their may be another killer and they get caught up in a dangerous cat and mouse game. An enjoyable serial killer tale that is personal and tests their skill and nous, in a four stars read rating. With thanks to Thomas and Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

Great book! It's very easy to lose yourself trying to discover if the Alphabet Man killed Shay or if someone else did it. You really need to focus to keep up with how the story unfolds.

Disclosure: this is the second book in a series. Make sure to read "The Lies you wrote" first as a lot of how the first mystery is solved is disclosed in this one as well.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Brianna Labuskes, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

The Alphabet Man is a serial killer who enjoys tattooing secret codes on the bodies of his victims. Ew, right? The good news is that this sicko has been locked up for about a decade. So that's good...until it's revealed that there is more to the mystery of the Alphabet Man than was initially believed and things take an even darker turn.

Raisa, an FBI forensic linguist and total female badass, takes on the case to delve deeper into the clues surrounding the psychopath. This leads to an investigation of another murder and makes for a engaging read from start to finish.

I was unaware that this is book 2 in a series, and was happy that it worked well as a stand alone. There were times when the past storyline was mentioned, but the author does a great job of clueing the reader in on the pertinent info. I definitely want to go back and read book 1 now and am looking forward to the release of book 3! I'm hooked.

If you're a fan of well written FBI thrillers that aren't too gruesome and deal with forensics and criminal profiling of serial killers, then buckle up and grab this.