Held my interest but could've been better

A well-known disgraced banker, Harry McNamara, is brutally murdered, one night in his own home by someone known as JP Carney, who handed himself in to the police one hour later, claiming he did not know his victim, despite Harry McNamara being in the public eye. This causes one police officer to be suspicious enough to delve deeper.

This book is written from different character perspectives which form the chapters. I found this book a bit confusing with its convoluted timeline and relationships between characters. I was curious to know the motive for the murder but got a bit lost trying to figure out the relationship between Charlie and Harry McNamara. I suppose I should go and re-read some chapters again but I can't really be bothered.

The book was well-written and the chapters were a nice length, but I did feel that the plot could've been a bit better.

An uneven book structured around the now-typical multiple narratives - two were interesting, that of JP wasn't, and I found myself skimming here. Julie's 'confession' is a voyeuristic story of a sassy girl who spirals down into her banker husband's morally-bankrupt world. The denouement is hard to swallow and left me unsatisfied which was a shame as the loss of innocence story set against the rise and crash of the Irish economy deserved better. An off-duty read with more substance than many crime novels - 3.5 stars.

The book starts with Harry being attacked by a stranger in his own home. His wife is witness to the attack. Why did the attack happen? What is the reason for the attack? I liked the story overall. I found it gripping and the plot full of surprises. The reason I have given it three stars is that it was too long in places. I could not understand why Julie had stayed with Harry after all he had done. I also did not find the accident totally believable.

I knew from the first chapter this book would completely captivate me.
Told from three different perspectives, this is what a psychological thriller should be, a steady pace, revealing little titbits, enticing you with all the twists and turns and just when you think you've figured it out - BANG you haven't.

Exceptional writing, intriguing plot and a breathtaking conclusion put this on your must read.

Thank you netgalley, Quercus and No Spain for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first book I have read from this author, and on this showing I will definitely be checking out some of her other titles. Unlike a traditional crime thriller, you know who the killer is from the start, and you know how it was done, the question that remains is why. An excellently written and deftly plotted crime drama which lulls you into thinking you know exactly where it is going, and then it turns out you actually don't.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.
This book has a lot to answer for! It has made me late, kept me up in the middle of the night, and I have probably ignored my family quite a bit over the last 2 days! The beginning, as we know, starts with the violent assault of Harry, witnessed by his wife! Those first few pages had me hanging off the seat of my chair! The rest didn’t disappoint either! The main body gives us an insightful look into the marriage of Harry and his wife and the sad life that JP had growing up. We learn about the events that lead up to the murder of Harry, a corrupt, womanising banker and the tangled web that brings the 2 main charectors together at the end! Excellently written, brilliant concept and an absolute pleasure to read. I cannot wait to see what Spain comes up with next.

Harry and Julie McNamara were enjoying a quiet evening at home when a stranger walks in and changes their lives forever. The attack on Harry seems random and although JP hands himself in to the police - they can still find no reason or connection. The story unfolds from the view point of Julie McNamara as she tells how she met her husband and finding out that he was not the man she thought he was. The version of JP Carney of his terrible childhood and how he had to look after his sister after walking away from an alcoholic father. DS Moody has a reputation of never stopping until she has solved her case and caught her man. She knows that Julie is keeping information from her about her husband but has to be sympathetic to the situation. She also does not believe the insanity plea of JP but is unable to push him too far. What is the connection between them or why would a stranger walk into a house, miles from any other and randomly beat him with a golf club.... and what did JP whisper to Harry before he left?

A gripping book that flashes between the past and present day but will keep you guessing until the end.

It has been suggested by the publishers that this book is going to be THE MOST GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER OF 2018, now that's a bold statement to make, so I just had to read The Confession to see if it deserved such hype. The confession opens with a heart stopping scene, JP Carney enters the home of disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie, he launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as Julie watches. An hour later the attacker, JP has handed himself in to the police and confessed to beating Harry to death.

What made this book such an unique and engaging read was the fact you know “who” done it from the first page, this book focuses on the “why” they done it. The book is told from three distinctive POV, Julie the traumatised wife, JP and Alice the Detective who is determined to find the truth. The author has created a diverse and believable bunch of characters that will undoubtedly cause much debate amongst its readers, love them or hate them they are all very much have a part to play in this twisted tale. As the author leads the reader to the truth I found myself on tenterhooks, I think I must have come up with a dozen scenarios to the “why”.

I do think some readers may find the pace very slow, but personally I embraced it, I thought the slower pace heightened the tension and suspense until it reached fever point. Does The Confession deserve all the hype surrounding it? In many way it does, the author certainly tells a good story and it made for a riveting read, but as I reached the ending of The Confession I was left feeling slightly deflated. For some reason I expected this book to have a hell of a twist, but when all was revealed it was pretty much what I expected. Does The Confession deserve all the hype? On many levels it does, it's well written and jam packed with suspense, but for me personally it lacked the “OMG” twist I was expecting.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

What a superb tightly plotted story that kept me reading from page 1 right to the smartly executed conclusion. JP(John Paul) Carney enters the home of rich Dublin socialites Harry McNamara and his beautiful wife Julie. In one insane moment he attacks Harry and bludgeons him to death with a golf club whereupon he immediately surrenders himself to the custody of the local garda siochana. What on the surface appears to be an open and shut case is a much more complicated and deeply rewarding account scrutinizing the lives of three individuals ensuring a course of action that will destroy everything they hold to be honest and true.

I love this style of storytelling where events unfold through first person account of the parties involved. Julie met Harry at the night of the Trinity ball where a mutual infatuation led speedily to a marriage of convenience; he the flamboyant, charismatic owner of his own finance company, she the attractive career driven graduate..."That was us at the beginning of our fairytale. But here's the thing about fairytales. Sometimes they're darker than you can ever imagine. Another world away JP Carney has survived into adulthood with little help from a boozing father Seamie and a mother Betty who abandoned the family home leaving JP to care and comfort his sister Charlie. But a dark event will occur and a murder will be committed where the question of responsibility is explored in this dark, unmissable teasing psychological thriller.

The tempo and pace of the novel is a credit to the author Jo Spain expertly teasing and drawing the reader into her web of intrigue and deceit before producing a magical and totally unexpected ending. I loved it!. Many thanks to the publisher Quercus and the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

A fantastic, gripping psychological thriller. I was completely hooked from the first page, addicted to the unfolding drama. Full of twists and turns with authentic, believable characters although I have to admit they're not very likeable. It is well written with a cracking final twist. I loved the fact that on the first page you find out who did it however you will find out why on the final page. Very cleverly written, I look forward to more from Spain.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

As soon as I read the description of this book I knew I had to read it. It sounded to good to miss and I wasn't wrong.

The beginning and ending has to be the best parts of the book. Don't get me wrong the rest is good to but it's very rare that the very first page of a book leaves me reeling and desperate to carry on reading, but The Confession does just that. 

I was as desperate as Julie and the police as to why a stranger would just walk into someones home and brutally murder someone when they seemingly have no connection or reasoning to do it. 

The story flicks between JP, Alice and Julie so that we get a mixture of past and present leading up to the big question, why?

Harry had it all. He was good looking, rich and a lovely wife. As we get to find out more about him though, he wasn't that nice a man. I could understand why Julie loved him and I think in his own way harry loved her also very much but it's a bit of a toxic relationship. Julie was certainly an interesting character also. She is a bit like an onion where we get to see different layers of her the further into the story we get. I certainly had a lot of empathy for her.

Alice I loved. She is so unlike any typical detectives you read in a crime novel but she is extremely clever and she reminded me slightly of Columbo where people write her off but she is a lot more intelligent than they think.

The Confession is without a doubt going to be a much talked about book and I predict a lot of peoples top read of 2018. From the brilliant start to the surprising ending, this really is one book that fans of psychological thrillers do not want to miss out on.

The Confession is a stand-alone thriller from Jo Spain, author of the popular Inspector Tom Reynolds series, and hopefully, we'll get a lot more!
 
Disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie are sitting watching a crime drama on TV in their ill-gotten mansion when an unknown man walks in and begins to beat Harry with a golf club. Julie can't believe what is happening &  watches in horror,  unable to respond to the surreal events going on around her.

We learn that the attacker - JP Carney - has handed himself into the police immediately, saying he has had some kind of mental episode and doesn't know Harry, or even why he attacked him. The Police aren't sure that there isn't a closer connection between the two men, but with Harry on life support, there isn't a great deal they can do to disprove JP's version of events.
 
We then go on a journey through the seemingly normal lives of our protagonists - Bank CEO Harry and Julie, making moves through the celebrity circles of Ireland thanks to the profits made before people figured out what the bankers were really up to. On the other side of the coin, JP, barely more than a child himself is bringing up his sister Charlene thanks to his absent, mentally unstable mother, and alcoholic father.
 
I liked the concept of knowing who committed the crime from the start, so the mystery is 'why' rather than 'who'. There also a strong focus on the characters and their personal relationships - how this shapes the way the story unfolds is done really, really well and gives it credibility. I don't know what it is about this book, but there is definitely something about it that makes it quite captivating, and gives it a bit of an edge on other novels I've read recently.

The Confession by Jo Spain is a terrific psychological thriller and a true page turner. Thanks to his immediate confession we know from the beginning who Harry McNamara's killer is. But why has JP Carney, a complete stranger, broken into the McNamara's luxury home and brutally killed the wealthy Irish businessman in front of his shocked wife Julie?

Harry has many enemies and has recently been cleared of fraud. But is it one of his business colleagues who has plotted revenge or is there someone else who bears a grudge against him? The police can find no link between Harry and his killer. The story is told against the background of the Irish Celtic Tiger era and the main characters, in particular Julie McNamara, while generally dislikable by their actions, are well portrayed,

I am sure that The Confession will be a huge success when it is published in the New Year. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read and review this book.

For some reason, I can't quite explain found reading this book highly irritating. The high flying banker, his sweet little in love country girl wife who ignores the signs and then he is found dead. All her friends warned her. The signs were there. But she loved him. Perhaps the story morphs into something truly amazing but this story is one case which I'm happy to leave unsolved. I did not finish it.

Well this was a book and a half!
A domestic thriller to die for. So a successful banker is bludgeoned half to death and a guy confessed but why does he confess, who is he, and how is he linked to the bankers wife? What secrets are they all keeping?

You’ll have to read it and find out!

A seriously good thriller that had me on the edge of my seat and so many occasions I lost counts and the twists and turns just don’t stop and then the final one will blow you away!!!!

My god I cannot wait to read more form this author!!

Uniquely captivating

This really is an innovative crime thriller that turns the usual formula on its head, revealing both the victim and the attacker in its opening pages.

The plot then journeys backwards and forwards as we piece together step by step the motive behind the opening event.

Told through three cleverly plotted narratives, each character has its own distinctive voice. The story slowly unfurling until we reach its finale, the breathtaking confession.

Reminiscent of Tana French at her best. This book is highly recommended.

Thank you so much to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jo Spain uses the human stories at the heart of recent Irish history to provide a bang on trend psychologial thriller, with plenty of twists and turns

5* Confession Stars

This thriller is told in 3 voices, 2 of them alternating between the past and the present and this contributed to a great thought-out plot full of suspense and mystery. Harry and JP were so devious and cunning that they kept me hooked as well as made me dislike them intensely. Julie, the wife of Harry was far too trusting and naive and this was intimately her downfall. Alice Moody, the Senior Detective Sergeant was a very likable character and bought a bit of humor to this fast paced story.

This book was very well written and will captivate you from the first page until the end and will not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest opinion.

This was a compelling read that had me hooked from beginning to end. The book begins with a violent attack on a notorious local man that is witnessed by his wife; the attacker than hands himself in to the police so the intrigue in this book is not the 'who' but the 'why'. This slowly unfolds through the viewpoints of the victim's wife, his self-confessed attacker and a detective on the case who is determined to understand what happened and won't accept that things are as straightforward as they appear.
The lines between antagonist and protagonist are clearly blurred so that we must question who or what is really the victim. The story also visits the past of our narrators and we begin to see who they are; these characters were intriguing and you are very deliberately led to have quite mixed feelings about them.
This is a great book and will have you entranced, nothing else can get in the way until you know...

Late one night a man walks into the luxurious home of disgraced Banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie.The man starts bashing Harry`s skull in with a golf club while Julie watches frozen by fear.

An hour later the attacker JP Carney has handed himself into the police.He admits that he attacked Harry but insists that the attack was premeditated and he had no idea of the identity of his victim.With a man as notorious as Harry,was this attack really just a random act of violence or is it linked to Harry`s many sins?.And is Carney`s surrender driven by a guilty conscience or is his confession a calculated move in a deadly game?

We know from the start of this riveting story who bashed Harry`s skull in with a golf club,the big question is why? and why did the man hand himself into the police?.As we uncover the shocking truth,we follow the paths of three characters Julie ( Harry`s wife) JP ( the man who bashed Harry`s skull in ) and Alice Moody ( the policewoman who is in charge of the investigation ).Julie takes us back through her life,from when she met Harry and through the toxic battlefield that was their marriage.JP takes us back through his childhood,growing up in poverty with a alcoholic father.His struggles to make something of himself and prove that he isn't the waste of space that his father always said he was.Alice Moody was a brilliant character,she wasn't your stereotypical cop,she was a overweight,plain Jane with a bad attitude.She didn't have a drinking problem,or man issues or family issues,none of the usual issues that cops usually have in thrillers.I loved Alice and felt a lot of sympathy for JP despite some of his actions.I thought Julie was a very unlikable character,I found her so frustrating that at times I could have quite happily bashed her over the head with a golf club.

This thought providing,gripping mystery had me hooked from the very first page,enthralled by the riveting drama that was unfolding before my eyes.Realistic,believable characters,a well written story that keeps you guessing throughout,a jaw dropping final twist and a satisfying ending.I loved this book,highly recommended