This book follows the story of a college shooting in Edinburgh and what happens afterwards. Told by three main characters at the centre of the tale: DI Helen Birch, the detective trying to make sense of what happened; Moira Summers, the mother of Ryan, the shooter and Ishbel Hodgekiss, the mother of Abigail, Ryan's first victim. It's a harrowing case which affects all three women in very different ways.
Obviously from the start we know what happened, who did it, and what happened to him. but this book follows the aftermath and the way that the event touches everyone involved, everyone who is searching for the reasons behind what Ryan did. How Moira is targeted by the media and those who lost loved ones, blamed for what happened; how could she not have known? Ishbel's relationship with Abigail had become more strained of late, her daughter pulling away from her and behaving out of character. Was being the first victim just coincidence of geography or was there more to it? Helen's story is interesting too, having just gained promotion, this is her first case as a DI, one that happenstance caused her to be on scene pretty much just after it all happened, initially floundering her way through because, quite simply, this stuff doesn't happen here in the UK. Binding the three together is a rather nasty journalist, Grant Lockley, who just wants his slice of the pie, stirring up trouble wherever he goes to get the story he wants rather than the truth. He has history with Helen, something he keeps reminding her of which doesn't help matters.
The book begins before the shooting. Initially, as I started reading, I was a bit flummoxed as to what I was being told and why and I found it a bit hard getting into things as it was a little slow and heavy going. But, after reading a bit more, when we started getting to the main crux of the storyline, it became evident that the introductions to the three women were wholly necessary to lay the foundations of what happened next.
One thing that horrified me about this book was the evil manipulation of the media, both journalistic and social, how it soon became a witch hunt with fingers pointed in all directions. How the pack mentality formed and people were targeted and abused so easily. I'm not wholly convinced that all of what was reported in the press would have really been allowed to be published but I am willing to accept it on face value as it was necessary for the story to progress. And anyway, with what happened in the end, well, let's just say it justified the means.
As the story unfolds, as more and more details of the days leading up to the shooting are revealed, slowly the bigger picture starts to come clear as to what drove a young man to act so violently.
Characterisation really was excellent and very emotive. I really felt for certain characters as they tried to make sense of what happened and cope in their own ways. Some with more dignity that others! Loss of life in itself is enough to cope with but when the reasons are so big and yet unknown, well that must be shattering. And then, add into the mix, that your lost loved one was actually the one who caused it all so you also have the guilt and the questions and the fingers pointed all at the same time. Could I have stopped it happening, what did I miss? Boy what a thing to have to go through and I think that the author managed to portray all the emotions and behaviours perfectly.
Pacing was a bit hit and miss, especially at the start as already mentioned but it did redeem itself towards the end when the pieces started to come together thick and fast. In the middle I felt that things for me got a bit muddled but then I guess that fits with the story being told being also a bit confusing to the characters themselves.
I've tried to find out if this is a series opener rather than a stand alone. It would certainly explain all the build up and scene setting that the author included. It felt like there was more to come, probably from Helen. It is billed as (Three Rivers) after the title on Amazon so I guess I'm right with the series part (or trilogy) but whether it will be a place or a person linking the books going forward is still unknown. That said, I'd happily read more from this author either way.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

All The Hidden Truths is a beautifully written and thought provoking novel that delivered a punch to my emotions. It felt so relevant to the problems we face in our society nowadays and the current feel to the narrative felt shockingly realistic from the very beginning.

The novel is told from the viewpoints of three different women. There is Moira who’s son Ryan goes to college one morning and shoots dead thirteen women before killing himself. Then we meet Ishbel who’s daughter Abigail is the first girl that Ryan kills. Finally there is DI Helen Birch who is in charge of the investigation but has some secrets of her own hidden in her past.

The women’s characters are perfectly crafted by Claire Askew who seems to have an in depth understanding of the emotional nature of this crime and how it would affect those touch by it. You would expect your sympathies to lie with the victims and their families but I found myself getting angry with the way that Moira was being treated by those around her. As the mother of the perpetrator, does that automatically make her guilty of a crime? By giving birth to this “monster” is it right to blame her? I’ve always got terribly worked up when the media turn on the relatives of those who commit such offences. When their family say that they had no idea of what was going on in their child’s head, it seems unbelievable doesn’t it? And then the nature versus nurture debate is raised with the question being asked, was their motivation somehow ingrained by the way in which they were raised by their parents? I’ve always felt it unfair to blame the parents as once your child is no longer attached to you by their umbilical cord then, although you can try your best as a parent, you will never know what your child is truly thinking. You do your best to raise a decent human being but sometimes there are other environmental factors involved that could be the spark that lights those flames of evil.

Its worth noting that when I first read the blurb of All The Hidden Truths, I expected the setting to be based in the USA! After all isn’t that where we expect these sort of mass college shootings? So to find out that it’s set in the city of Edinburgh gave me an unexpected thrill of intrigue as it’s a city I know well and probably the last place I would expect to see as a location for this type of crime. My favourite Scottish city is beautifully described here, the authors love for it shining through her prose as she brought landmarks and much loved locations to life.

I adored this book. It had an almost poetic feel to the narrative that mesmerised me so I became completely and emotionally involved with the storyline. Claire Askew managed to maintain a high level of tension throughout as the plot headed towards its heart wrenching denouement. It was a moving but ultimately life affirming ending to what was a challenging but compelling read. These characters had become my friends/neighbours/work colleagues by the end as I had become so entwined in their day to day lives that I felt I knew them.

This is a stunning debut novel that I can highly recommend. The community spirit explored within its pages is one that I hope is continued in future books by this author.

It took me a little while to get into this book and warm to the characters but I’m glad I persevered. There’s a shooting in a local college where 13 girls were killed. This is a tale of the families, their pain and for some, their secrets. I very much enjoyed this book, thank you netgalley

Interesting book, a crime story but not as a who dun it, but why dun it! Was hooked on wanting to get to the end quickly to find out why and it was a satisfying ending, but I would have liked a bit more on the actual motivation behind the shooter (Ryan) and why he thought he needed to resort to such drastic measures. Would look for more books from this author in future.

This story is a tragic tale of a school shooting at a college in Scotland. Ryan Summers goes into college one morning and shots dead 13 of his fellow students, all female. What were his reasons for committing this senseless act ? How will his family and the victims cope with the aftermath ?

The story is told from the perspective of three very different women, DI Birch, who is investigating the case and one of the first officers on the scene, Moira Summers, Ryan’s mother and finally Ishbel Hodgekiss, the first victims mother. All three women have very different stories to tell.

I absolutely loved this book, although the story was at times very hard to read. There was so much emotion to the characters that you felt you were really living this nightmare with them. This really is a story that you can see being made into a film, a brilliant story with such believable characters.

A very emotive subject which will keep you wanting to read on to see how the characters cope with the effects on their lives from one truely terrifying event.

I look forward to reading more from Claire Askew in the future.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I’m afraid this book just wasn’t for me, I gave up half way through. It started great, but then it slowly just meandered on page after page with no new story or twists to keep me interested. The writing style was easy to read, but the story just didn’t keep me going.

This was an awesome book! A really different way of looking at a murder novel where you really fixate on the emotions of those left behind and how press intrusion can work.

Helen Birch was just starting her first day as a DI when she heard the news that there had been a shooting at Three Rivers College. Thrust into a big, public and highly emotional case from the outset she tries to work out why 20 year old Ryan Summers walked into the campus and killed thirteen girls. The story is told from her viewpoint, Moira Summers (Ryans mom) and Ishbel Hodgkiss (the mother of Abigail, the first girl killed).

It focuses less on the investigation and more on how each of them learn about and cope with the news, the constant media interest and the pressure from journalist Grant Lockley who will stop at nothing to get the story he wants. Moira and Ishbel think back over the days before to try to work out if they missed something that could have changed that day, or the regrets of angry last words. Its good to read a crime book that is given from this different perspective and shows that life is short and you should never take loved ones for granted. Always take time for family.

A great read and thank you to NG for enabling me to read this early copy.

I really enjoyed this book. Set in Edinburgh, it is the story of a school shooting. 20 year old Ryan walks in to his college and shoots dead 13 girls before killing himself. How do the people left cope with such a tragic event? Ryan's mother tortures herself with the fact that she may have been able to stop him, but is there something she's not telling the police? Ishbel's daughter is one of the victims, but it seems she had no idea of the sort of life Abigail was leading. This was a thought provoking book, which I thoroughly recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
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Good book this. Thought showing twitter responses to events really good and inventive, not seen that before. Subject matter obviously disturbing, well written though.
I would recommend this book and will look out for future books by this author

This is the story of a tragedy, seen through the eyes of three women. One day, a young man walks into a college in Edinburgh and kills several people, before killing himself. We see events from the points of view of D.I. Helen Birch, in charge of the case on the first day of her promotion, Moira Summers, the mother of the shooter and Ishbel Hodgekiss, the mother of Abigail, the first victim.

Author, Claire Askew, skilfully weaves these points of view, as the story unfolds. This is not only about the crime, but casts a sharp look at how such events unfold – including the media scrutiny and the, now expected, outcry on social media. Askew, herself, looks at the shades of grey beneath the black and white of events. There are the unearthing of secrets by journalists, the outcry of hate, aimed at Moira, and the reasons behind Ryan Summers actions.

Beautifully written, this would be an excellent choice for a reading group, as it has so much depth and will open all kinds of discussion – from the role of the media, the judgement of social media, to family dynamics and how well you really know those you love. I really found this a moving and touching read and hope to read more by this author, in the future. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Ishbel, Moira and Helen are all linked through a school shooting. Ishbel’s daughter was killed, Helen is the police officer investigating and Moira’s son was the shooter before killing himself. Edinburgh is devastated at the loss of life and the press are making things worse. Told through three points of view this was a moving read. So well written and I loved the twitter feeds making it more real!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

To be honest, I really struggled with this one - the only character I really felt for was the killer's mother, Moira. One of the regular features in the book - the journalist's 'articles' about the shooting - felt really unconvincing to me - would you really get that kind of article in a local paper? And whilst I totally buy in to Abigail's family not knowing what their daughter was up to, the parents seemed so wooden it was difficult to care that much about them or their feelings. I see this book has had excellent reviews on Amazon, and I had high hopes of it when I started reading, but it definitely wasn't one for me.

A difficult story about teenagers and communicating with them,the events that influence them and its consequences.
I liked the characters and I liked that a certain reporter got his comeuppance!
A feel good ending.

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review .I requested this début novel because it was set in Edinburgh where I was shortly to make a visit. I read it on my return and could visualise many of the places mentioned. What a terrific narrative so well handled, with terrific interplay between the various characters. Obviously the author had a genuine story to tell, that she cared about, generated by current news and it was not, as so often happens, something cobbled together to create a profit.

The core of the story is the shooting dead of young teenage school girls by a fellow pupil, a boy who then kills himself.. Whilst it‘s a crime story and a police procedural, it‘s not as lots of people have already said, a who done it, but a why done it. And it looks in depth at the effects that the crime has on all connected to it, from the victims families and one in particular, to the mother of the perpetrator, to the newly appointed police inspector herself, It also looks at the part played by social media in big news stories from the largely ignorant public, who think they have a right to comment publicly, to the press, and one particular. reporter. Not only are the victims all female, but the principal characters, who although they are severely battered by their experiences manage to come through to the other side stronger and more able to cope. In the year that we are celebrating the centenary of women’s suffrage this is particularly apt.

On a minor personal note, I was amused to see that when one of the lead female characters left her husband she spent the next six weeks in a hotel, the same hotel at which we stayed.. This author is already a published poet but I know that this work of fiction won’t be her last. I rarely use the worn out cliché, “not put down able”, any more, but this one certainly is. If this doesn’t become one of the best crime books of the year there is no justice.

This does not read like a first novel. ‘All the Hidden Truths is an incredibly well plotted, tightly structured and beautifully written story. Knowing Edinburgh a little, it was not difficult to imagine where the characters were travelling around the city but any reader who has never visited will soon feel familiar with the different areas, so well described are they. However, it is neither the setting nor Claire Askew’s use of language alone that make this such a compelling read. The way in which she clearly understands and is able to delineate character motivation and human vulnerabilities really draws the reader into the narrative. The author is able to depict self-centred teenager Abigail, her mother Ishbel’s sterile marriage and newly promoted police inspector DI Birch’s qualms with equal conviction. But she doesn’t only focus on women. The ghastly journalist, Grant Lockley, who haunts all those involved in the central event – a college campus massacre – is perhaps slightly more representative of the worst elements of the press than a character in his own right, as is the callous Aiden, husband of Ishbel, rather a stereotypical philanderer. However, Askew weaves all the strands of this story together with real skill as we are pulled into their tragic, chaotic world.
A ‘high school massacre’ story may seem strange, set as it is in a city that we identify as culturally rich and beautiful. However, the author reminds us how and why young people can become disaffected and obsessional. It’s easy to accept how Ryan comes to have such deadly weapons as well as why his mother feels distanced from her once loving little boy. The way in which Askew shines such a strong beam on the most nefarious journalistic practices is absolutely in tune with our times. However, this element of the story is not just a vehicle for disparaging the press; it is also highly relevant to the narrative.
My only criticism is that the final chapter was not necessary. In fact, it weakened the overall realistic tone of the story because the reader accepts that teenagers make daft choices, usually taking time to change into more responsible people. The ending of the novel felt cheesy, in total contrast to the rest of the narrative, and a bigger impact would have been felt if it had finished with the Editor-in-Chief’s statement, reminding us that sometimes punishment is an appropriate outcome but that people still have to live with the aftermath of tragedy.
I shall certainly look out for Askew’s next novel. In Helen Birch she has created a three-dimensional police inspector and I look forward to seeing how her backstory, involving a long-disappeared brother, Charlie, may develop. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew is a gripping psychological thriller about a college student walking into Three Rivers college and shooting and killing thirteen women and then himself.
The story starts with Moira Summers witnessing the aftermath of an accident with a young guy gets impaled on a construction site. Her mind then wonders to her son Ryan. She wonders what would she do, if something ever happened to him.
DI Birch is on her way to work, when she hears on the radio of a dispatcher asking police to got to Three Rivers College. DI Birch says she is on the way to the scene. They first think it’s a hoax of a shooter on the premises, but when DI birch gets to the college. They find out that it is really happening. A college student Ryan Summers has killed thirteen women and then kills himself.
This is an emotional and topical drama of the aftermath of a school shooting. At first, the author does not give everything away first hand. But by bit by bit, you find out what has happened and why. The story is told in several points of view. Firstly, we learn what kind of person Ryan summers was and also his mother and the guilt that she feels of what her son did. And also what lead up to that day and the events. But also, by the press, in particular Grant Lockley, who lie and cheat and force their way into people’s lives. There is also D.I. Birch who is doing everything she can to not only find out what happened. But has to deal with Grant Lockley, who she has previously had problem with when she was younger concerning her brother Charlie. So she has personal issues with him.
I really enjoyed this. I found this realistic, gripping and thought provoking.
Thank you Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of this book.

I didn't expect to get through this as quickly as I did.
Some of the story was told through soical media such as tweets, emails, articles and comments. Which I liked. I think it added to the story, showing how we react to news nowadays.
The story itself felt a little dragging at times but overall I did like it.

Fantastic read, bit of an uneasy subject to write about, but Claire has done it brilliantly with believable characters you can't help feel sorry for, the book came together very well at the end and I'm looking forward to her next read

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘All The Hidden Truths’ written by Claire Askew in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
At 8.30am Ryan Summers walks into Three Rivers College and by 9.00am thirteen young women are dead, a young man is injured, and he’s saved his last bullet for himself. On her way to start her new job at Fettes, newly promoted DI Helen Birch hears over her police radio there’s been a shooting at the college’s Tweed Campus and is one of the first on the scene. Everyone knows that Ryan is the killer but no-one knows why he took three starting pistols into college that day with the intention of killing his fellow-students.
‘All The Hidden Truths’ is an exciting and fast-paced thriller with a cleverly written plot, twists and turns, and interesting characters. It’s full of suspense and has all the ingredients needed to keep the reader captivated throughout. Articles written by the journalist Grant Lockley and Twitter remarks from his readers are well-integrated into the story. It concludes with a surprising last chapter where the first victim, Abigail, writes a page in her diary which she then destroys. It was so enjoyable that I find it hard to believe this is Claire Askew’s de-but as a writer of thrillers. I was gripped from page one and couldn’t stop reading until I’d reached the final page. Well done, Claire, and I hope you write more thrillers in the future.