I’ve been avoiding thrillers recently, because they often seem to hinge their shock factor on descriptions of brutalising women without much substance behind them. I have been burnt too many times by lazy plotting where sexual assault is thrown in for the sake of it. But, He Said/She Said was recommended by Bethany and Alice on the Hello Friend podcast, and I trust them so I put my reservations aside. This book actually puts sexual assault front and centre; a brutal attack is at the heart of it. But, it didn’t feel gratuitous and so my mind was put at ease.

My favourite part of this book was that Kit, one half of the couple that witness the attack, is obsessed with total eclipses. It’s so fascinating, and punctuates the book as they chase them across the globe every few years. It’s in the aftermath of a total eclipse that Kit and Laura witness the attack, and their lives are changed forever. From the day of the attack to the trial and beyond, they are wrapped up in the events and what happens means they end up living in fear. I don’t want to tell you too much, as the joy of the thriller is in finding out the truth, but it is *very* cleverly done and I didn’t see the ending coming at all. Just when you think you’re sorting out the pieces, everything is turned upside down.

I must have a thing about eclipse stories at the moment, because this comes hot on the heels of Frances Brody's eclipse set Death in the Stars.  Two novels, which could not however, be any more different.  After the cosiness of the 1920's, I have been catapulted into the late nineties with a story the begins in Cornwall during the 1999 total eclipse, and continues on right until 2015 spanning the lives of Kit, Laura and Beth, along with the lives of the people surrounding them, affected over the years by their actions.

During the total eclipse of 1999  Laura witnesses an event that will follow her around from that moment on, one she struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of, the impact on the lives of all of those involved, and the ultimate unravelling of history.  As truths about those who share the ordeal become known, Laura struggles to come to terms with everything, hiding from the past seems her only option, striving to live a full life in the shadows, just as the sun hides behind the moon during an eclipse.

Switching back and forth between her current life and the unfolding memories of the past 15 years, He Said/She Said is told with all of the amazing ability I have come to expect from Kelly, ensuring that you are compelled to keep reading because you can't wait to see how the tales intertwine, and slowly unwind all whilst combined with a reminder of how there are often many sides to every story...

A gripping storyline with tension-filled pages. Recommended!

Kit and Laura chase total eclipses of the sun but they are chased by an incident that happened years ago and the victim they helped.

They both have their secrets and try to look after one another by hidding the truth away. Should the truth have been told long ago?

I feel like I go through phases where I crave quick-fix thrillers, and He Said/She Said did the job just fine. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me hooked, and the pace was fast enough to keep me satisfied, though not so fast that there was no room for worldbuilding or depth. I will admit, some twists I saw coming, but most seemed to come out of no where (in the best way). If you're in the mood for a thriller, it's definitely worth a read.

Always good, always surprising but always just short of being really excellent - the characters are never that convincing always slightly charicature. A solid 3.5 stars.

I felt this promised more than it delivered - when I heard about it, it did sound like it would be gripping (and possibly shocking) but I got a bit fed up with the characters, and some of it seemed a bit far-fetched/unlikely. Overall, a bit of a disappointment I'm afraid - there are plenty of 'grip-lit' titles out there with more interesting and thoroughly put together plots.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy of this book. I've always liked Erin Kelly's books and this one did not disappoint.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this very entertaining read!
The book is cleverly linked to the phases of the moon, and slowly builds up to the ultimate reveal (or full moon if you must). Well written and recommended.

I first read Erin Kelly when I read the Broadchurch novel and I was hooked on her writing style so when I saw He Said/She Said was due out I knew I had to get my hands on it. I actually read this book earlier in the year but due to ill health am only reviewing it now, and I can honestly say that this book has really stayed with me in the intervening months – always the sign of a great novel!

He Said/She Said is a novel that hinges around Laura who witnesses a horrible attack during an eclipse, and her life is forever changed by that moment.

I loved the way this novel was set during an eclipse because we’ve all heard about how behaviour can change as the sun disappears. It’s so peculiar to know it’s daytime and yet there is no sun, the air cools down as the darkness grows, and then just as quickly it’s all over and the sun is back. The way Erin Kelly chose to use this as the moment Laura witness the assault is just brilliant because Laura would already have felt unsettled by the eclipse and then to see what she did would have been horrifying to her. It works so well to see how darkness descends so shockingly both literally and metaphorically in this novel.

He Said/She Said does move around in time – we get the build up to the assault and immediate aftermath in one strand and then in other chapters we’re in the present day and seeing the stress and anxiety that Laura and Kitt are living with. I thought the build up to the assault would be the part of the book that propelled it forward but I found that I was much more fascinated by how Laura dealt with it afterwards. She never feels safe, she seems quite paranoid but as you learn about what has happened you wonder if it’s that or if she really has reason to be frightened. I am always drawn to books that explore anxiety and trauma, having suffered from PTSD myself, and this book was so well done. I had to put it down a few times just to breathe because it really does show what it’s like when you’re reaching breaking point and you don’t know if you can trust your own reactions and perceptions anymore.

This novel also looks at a person’s perception of an event and the way in which we can convince ourselves that something must be true. There is a moment in this book where a lie is told, the teller of which believes it’s a tiny little lie but the repercussions are huge. The tension really builds from this point onwards and this is where the novel really becomes near impossible to put down.

This novel does have brilliant twists and turns, but it also has so much more than that. It’s a great exploration of how we deal with witnessing a traumatic event, and I loved it for that. He Said/She Said is a slow burn novel but it does continually build and build, and the tension really does reach edge-of-your-seat stuff! This is a novel that really gets under your skin and it’s one you won’t forget!

He Said/She Said is out now and I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was unsure about this book for a while, it was a bit different to what I would usually read and a tad slow to pick up any momentum. The idea is very... unique, with Kelly focusing on the concept of eclipses intriguing me. However, I felt that for a while the book didn't go very far. On the other hand, the beautifully revealed twists in the narrative are excellent, completely unexpected and threw me off course completely! Erin Kelly does very well in building suspense in the latter stages of the book, although the vast majority of the story is a tad boring. The character development within the narrative is interesting, and you do connect with Kit and Laura in their respective struggles with their own conscience. I spent my time reading the book being suspectful of Beth, but in the end thanks to Kelly's ability to keep you guessing almost until the very end, I felt extremely sorry for her character. All in all, the book was ok, saved by a good ending. I just wish it had progressed faster and not taken quite so long to engage me properly.

A slow but intriguing read kept wanting to read more to find out what happened next and why the main characters were worried and in fear. overall an enjoyable read.

A very compelling read - I had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep! It keeps you guessing and asking questions until the very end. A great thriller!

This book had so many twists and unexpected turns. It made me think hard about the crime of rape. The theme about Eclipses added a very unusual base to the story and reasons for travel. The characters were well developed and believable. I felt totally drawn into the story, with the ending being believable and not tritely a happy ever after.

I found this novel a gripping read.

My reason for giving it four stars, and not five, is that the novel opens with a great deal about solar eclipses and the festivals set up around the eclipses, and personally I wasn't interested enough in the subject matter, despite the high quality of the writing, for this to hold my attention. There was also a great deal of information given, and discussion between and about, people in whom I wasn't yet interested. So although from the outset of the novel there were hooks to tantalise the reader, for me their effect was rather lost among the wealth of detail about eclipses and about quite a number of characters. If I hadn't been intending to leave a review, I might have stopped reading the book fairly early into it.

I am so glad, though, that I didn't! It became a really exciting read, and I found myself unable to put the novel down. Night after night, I read far later into the night than I'd intended, as I had to keep on reading to know what happened next.

The story revolves around an event that took place at the Lizard Point Festival, a festival set up to cater for those who'd travelled to the West Country to witness the forthcoming solar eclipse. Laura and Kit, enthusiastic eclipse-followers, were among those who'd travelled to the festival, and while there, Laura comes upon what seems to have been the rape of Beth Taylor by a man whom Laura later learns is called Jamie Balcombe. Kit arrives in time to see the aftermath.

The novel unfolds as would an onion - one layer is peeled back after another. By the clever switching of time and viewpoints, the reader gradually learns more about the incident, about what happened before and afterwards, and has to adjust their initial impressions about what went on at the festival and what happened since. I don't want to say more as I wouldn't want to give a spoiler.

This is a really good read, and one that I'd definitely recommend.

I'm grateful to NetGalley and to the publisher for a free copy of the novel in return for an honest review.

I've been hearing lots about this book and when it come up on Netgalley I rushed to download it... and I must say I wasn't disappointed. He Said, She Said is one of those fascinating books that just drips atmosphere from the very start. Hardly surprising really when the entire story unfolds against a backdrop of a series of eclipses. The palpable emotion of these fascinating occurrences mixed with the tension of this psychological thriller evokes a taut claustrophobia that kept me unsettled right to the last page.
The pivotal moment of He Said, She Said occurs in the aftermath of a total eclipse when Laura witnesses the end of a violent rape. For Laura, her boyfriend Kit, the rape victim and the rapist things will never be the same and, as the repercussions of that day continue, Kit and Laura find themselves, fifteen years later, living in fear yet still drawn to the raw beauty of the eclipses they follow.

I loved the way Kelly took us not only on a journey with the four pivotal characters, but also on a quest for the perfect eclipse. the way the natural phenomena mirrored the imperfections of life drew me in fully. Kelly adroitly used sleight of hand and misdirection to keep us hooked through each twist and turn. I loved this book because it was more than your normal psychological thriller. It cast its characters against nature and showed them up to be only human after all... that, for me, was very special.

A psychological thriller with two main threads. The first explores an alleged rape at a festival witnessed by the main character, Laura, and the subsequent trial. The second explores the consequences of the survivor’s obsession with her saviour, Laura, and the far-reaching consequences this has on her life.

I found this book unputdownable. There were two huge twists that I never saw coming. I even gasped out loud at one point. The parts about the rape trial were well-researched and reflect the victim blaming that occurs during most trials. The tension is heightened chapter by chapter until events converge in a brilliant conclusion, revealing secrets and lies that have been hidden by each character.

This was my first book by Erin Kelly but it definitely won’t be my last. This was well-written and a perfect example of a psychological thriller. It explored some thought-provoking issues such as rape culture and mental illness in a nuanced way. I loved that she was able to pull off two twists without me suspecting at any point. This was a very enjoyable read that I would recommend to all thriller fans.

This was a good book with great characters and a gripping twist. You are kept guessing about the storyline right up until the end. I did find the ending slightly flat - but that didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. A great read!

Laura and Kit are eclipse chasers, on the hunt for the magic and science that enchants thousands around the world. After an eclipse in Cornwall Laura witnesses what she thinks is a violent sexual assault. In this instant they weave their lives together in a tapestry of deceit, love and lies for years to come.
This story is a story of two parts. Firstly you have the young Kit and Laura, witnesses to this crime and new friend to the victim. Secondly you have modern day Laura, heavily pregnant with Kit's twins and Kit away still chasing eclipses. Slowly these two parts of their stories start to entwine, decade long secrets are unfolded and everything is not as it seems.

After reading (and loving) Erin Kelly's previous book The Poison Tree I was on the search for more works by her. I was so pleased to find she had just published He Said/She Said, a thrilling story about a rape accusation. Whilst this is a sore subject for me I put my faith in Kelly that it would be a subject breached with care and respect.
I was not disappointed at all! Whilst the book talks about the crime that happened (or did it?) Laura provides the reader with the emotional support as well as the victim. Through the defence, the 'He Said' side of the book, Laura backs the victim (and reader) up. Laura is faithful and gentle, always trying to see the best in everyone sometimes to a fault. Kit is more suspicious and cautious, the voice of reason to Lauras optimism.
Erin Kelly has a knack for writing female characters in such a rich and interesting way. She explores the roles of victim, mother, carer and beyond. Every character has a distinct voice that you can get absorbed in.
The plot twists in this book are second to none, they always keep you guessing and the revelations towards the end will have your jaw dropping. This is the real definition of a page turner, each chapter leaves you hanging and wanting more.
I highly recommend this for fans of psychological thrillers or if you enjoy a real page turner.