A Version of the Truth by B P Walter

February 2019
Fiction, psychological

I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an unbiased review.

It isn’t often that I encounter a story so utterly disturbing that I’m captivated to the end. This is such a book that people will either abhor or vicariously partake of the disconcerting journey. With that said, this is not a book for those easily offended by controversial, morally corrupt characters. The themes addressed in this novel are unsettling: homophobia, sexual abuse, debauchery, and perversion.

The story is told through the alternating time lines of Julianne Knight in London 2018 and Sophie at Oxford 1990. Initially, the connection between the two women is vague until their stories begin to unravel. Both women seemingly different, ultimately discover how they share a traumatic experience with mutual classmates at Oxford. This drives their desire to seek redemption once they acknowledge their denial of involvement.

In London 2018, Julianne’s world is turned upside down when her 17-year old son, Stephen exposes incriminating information found on the family Dropbox account. She learns that her husband James is involved with unthinkable crimes dating back to their years at Oxford.

Ignoring past regressions and deplorable mistakes doesn’t erase the sins. Some unethical decisions have everlasting consequences which eventually seek resolution.

This is a well written book with developed characters deplorable in nature.

Based on the title and the cover, I expected something completely different. I was not prepared for the subject matter which turned my stomach once it became clear. The story is told between alternating narrators, 20 years apart. The pace was arduous and tedious. I read the book in one full sitting so I wouldn't have to go back to it, which I was afraid I wouldn't do.
I found it difficult to care about any of the characters due their natures and actions. One narrator is a victim but she is stale and flat while the other narrator is dull and lifeless.
If any of the characters had any redeeming qualities we are never shown them; even minor characters are horrible people. As I stated already, the subject is distasteful plus it's handled quite glibly.
I'd still like to know why a picture of a pool is used on the cover. A pool was only present in one location (but two pools - one inside and one outside) but it's not as central or relevant to the story.
This is not one I'll be revisiting.

I really struggled to rate this book. It's certainly gripping, but, has unsavoury, difficult subject matter and the fact that none of the characters (bar Stephen) are likeable, so, there was only the son, Stephen that I rooted for.

Julienne is an American, married to James and they both have a son, Stephen, who confronts his mother, one evening, with some strange evidence against his dad. What follows involves dark subject matter and the story goes back to Julienne's days at Oxford University where a parallel tale is told from another character's perspective, that of fellow student, Holly.

It's certainly gripping and I was determined to read until the end to achieve the hoped for closure. However, that didn't really happen and I must admit to feeling a tad cheated as the storyline ends.

It started off really well and I think, had the character trying to help Julianne and Holly been more involved in the storyline and had Julienne been stronger, I'd have enjoyed it far more. As it is, it seems to draw a picture of weak willed woman against powerful, manipulating men.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon/HarperCollins and the author for my ARC and the opportunity to preview.

Although this was not an easy book to read, this dark thriller really drew me in to the story of the uncovering of a shocking secret. Disturbing at times, this book was still gripping and I couldn't stop reading it, even though at times I had to step away from it for a while. Thanks NetGalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I had very mixed feelings at the start of this book and nearly gave up. I decided to carry on and am so glad that I did. An extremely emotive storyline that I can imagine doesn’t sit well with a lot of readers but nevertheless these things do happen in the everyday world. This is one very talented writer and I look forward to reading more from him.

I’m not sure how I felt about this!

It’s gritty and dark - nothing like I expected from the front cover (very deceptive) and the story wasn’t quite strong enough to keep me gripped. I like a novel which completely absorbes me, makes me struggle to breathe without it - but this was more of a chore to read.

Good characterisation and sounded very promising from the blurb, but I felt it lacked vigour.

I have to be honest and say that this book was nothing like what I expected. The cover does not match what goes on in this story so I was confused by that. I also want to put out there that there are triggers in this story that you need to be aware of. If you have your reservations about rape, stay away from this one.

This story is told in alternating time periods. We get Holly's story from the 1990's when she is a student at Oxford. Then we get Julianne's story in 2019 when she is getting ready for the holidays. It took me a little bit to figure out how the two time periods were going to connect together, but I kept reading and finally figured it all out. It was almost half way through that they started connecting for me though. So, if you are confused like I was, just keep pushing through and it will all sort out for you.

Julianne has married her college sweetheart and they have a son, Stephen. Stephen is now older and can apparently navigate well on his computer like most teens these days. Julianne is preparing for the holidays and getting ready for a dinner party with some of their old friends when Stephen comes in and changes her whole world. Julianne will never forget Stephen saying "Mum" and what he tells her next. Julianne has her reservations at first but when Stephen begins to show her things that he has found, she knows that there is more to this than she could imagine.

Holly is a young lady that is attending Oxford and has meet up with Ally. Ally and her brother are both attending Oxford and are very well off. They don't want for anything and Holly considers them part of a click that she is not sure she wants to be a part of or not. There is lots of drinking and partying that goes on in the story and lots of sexual scenes which I could have done without them being so explicit, but they are in there so we have to deal with them.

I could not put this book down though because once I started reading, I wanted to figure out how Holly and Julianne connected together and what all was going to happen with what Julianne found out from her son. There were parts of the story that sort of lagged for me but I kept pushing through and got to the good parts again. I thought the plot and story line were very well thought out and fit together well.

I don't want to give too much of this story away in my review so you are just going to have to read it for yourself. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

This is a book that I really don’t know what to say in the review, without giving to much away. It was not entirely what I was expecting and some aspects were a very hard read but it kept me hooked as I really wanted to find out what happened.

That one word ‘Mum’ starts off a journey for Julianne in 2019 that she really didn’t want to start. But now she knows some aspects of her husband’s life she just has to know it all. As well as the path that Julianne takes in 2019 we are also taken back to Oxford University in 1990 when everything started with a girl called Sophie. She finds herself out of her depth with some posh friends but where will it all end for Sophie ?

Although it is a disturbing read in places I did find myself wanting to read more. I really wanted to find out the outcome for Sophie, Julianne, Ally, James and Ernest.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Deeply dark and disturbing debut which kept me awake, desperate to find out how the threads tangle together.

I have tried over the course of a month to finish this and it's just not for me. It seemed to drag on and there were too many graphic sexual instances I just could not get on board with. It didn't capture my interest enough to keep on reading. I will sometimes read "disturbing" thrillers etc. but this one just didn't sit right with me unfortunately.

Not my usual genre but this book had me gripped throughout. Will be looking out for more of the same!

This book has no bearing on the cover which has left me perplexed.

However, I really did enjoy this book.

The novel has a dual timeline between the present day and Oxford University in the 1990's. In present day Julianne's son Stephen finds something in the family Dropbox account which will change their life. It appears James, Julianne's husband and Stephen's father, has accidently transferred the document in there.

In the 1990s Holly is an Oxford freshman who is 'adopted' by the higher echelons, She falls for James, but James is going out with Julianne. What follows can be at times a disturbing read. There is lots of graphic sex that may not appeal to every reader, but its necessary as the central theme is rape as a form of power.

The only reason this is 4 stars and not 5 as I felt he ending was a bit quick, and would have liked less time spent in Oxford and more time on the villains getting their comeuppance. Is there a second novel coming out I wonder?

Julianne is preparing dinner when her son has her look at something that he found on the family Dropbox account. Julianne has married her college sweetheart and they have a son. They met at Oxford. The book goes back and forth between 1990 and present day. What Julianne has uncovered is something that could destroy her family. This book was hard to put down. I don't usually read books that are too terribly scary and too realistic. I can see these things that could happen I just hope that this world doesn't exist.

This is a first for me as I am not sure what I felt about this book! It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting and at first I thought it was going to be similar to ‘Anatomy of a scandal’ but it most definitely wasn’t!!

The book is made up of the past (told by Sophie) and the present (told by Julianne).

In the past, Sophie is from a humble background and is in her first year at Oxford. She is befriended by Ally, a rich girl, who introduced her to her brother Ernest and his friend James. Sophie develops a major crush on James but he seems not to notice her.

In the present, Julianne is married to James and they have a teenage son, Stephen. When her son shows her something that shocks her to the bone she is desperate to believe there is a reasonable explanation for it and one that doesn’t incriminate her husband.

The book moves back and forward from past to present as the story progresses but it’s only in the last quarter or so of the book when things finally come together and you realise where the connection is between past and present.

There were a few uncomfortable and somewhat (I thought) unnecessary topics touched on in the book but I guess it all needed to be there to boost the shock element.

I did think the ending was a bit rushed and all tied up in the epilogue. I would have liked to know what the outcome was and if the bad guy got his comeuppance.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A Version of the Truth was not what I was expecting at all and I just couldn’t get on with it. I don’t know what to say without going into the plot, but it’s safe to say that this one definitely wasn’t for me unfortunately.

I will be very honest in saying that this book was not for me. I could not finish this book. There were matters involving, rape, racism and strong sexual violence which are all fine if handled well. These weren't

Riveting read
A story told from two different perspectives. It gives glimpses of an Oxford University social life in the 90's from the perspective of a working class girl as she observes the sexual mores of a small upper class friendship group.. Against a here and now Xmas supper party we observe the collision of the two worlds.
A well crafted story with chilling twists and turns but some insightful observations. A very good read

A Version of the Truth deals with contemporary themes much like Anatomy of A Scandal and Asking For It but in this case it is sexual abuse on a major scale.

The story in A Version of the Truth is told in two timelines:
In 1990 Holly, a naive working class girl, goes up to Oxford to read English Literature and is befriended by wealthy, upper class Ally who introduces her to her twin brother Ernest, and his best friend James. Holly develops a crush on the handsome James which leads to disaster.

In the present day the reader is re-introduced to James, married to Julianne; Ally and Ernest, now a famous MP. Prior to the Christmas dinner partyJulianne and James are holding at their luxury home in Knightsbridge their teenage son Steven shows his mother something shocking on his iPad. Julianne realises that the careful family life she has built up is about to be shattered and the truth about events at Oxford revealed.

The theme is interesting and I enjoyed the link between Holly and the present day scandal that Julianne uncovers. There are some triggers of rape and sexual violence which some readers may find a difficult read. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In 2019, Julianne is living happily with her family when her son brings her his IPad and her whole world changes.
In 1990, Holly is a freshman who makes friends with older students and falls for one in particular that will change her whole world.
This was an enthralling, multi-layered story with intricate characters - at times it was tough to keep up but yet I couldn't put it down! It was upsettingly graphic at times yet reflects true life, especially in today's world. i enjoyed the dual story lines, past and present. This story centered around rape, power and entitlement.
Thank you to B.P. Walter, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic book!

Netgallery #A version of the truth.
Wow wow wow I definitely do not want to spoil this book for anyone yet it’s a book you just have to read. I know it’s a fictional book but in some ways it not it’s hard to explain without giving too much away I believe what happened at Oxford was to close for comfort this book I’d definitely area page turner. I say about some books it the best book I have read in awhile, I can honestly say in all my years of reading this is the second book of all time with all my years of reading.to day it’s the second est book I have ever read believe you me thatvsays everything about this boo. I read a book a few years ago my number one book of all time. You could mistake this book for a prequel to book number one yet both by different aothors absoltky brilliant and actually I can not will not tell you the book it could have been a prequel too, that just would not be fair as I am actually reviewing this particular book. It was a fantastic book that could definitely keep a conversation all night just based on a discussion amazing book