This is an unusual story. Instead of being a traditional murder story,it approaches the murder from an original angle. The murderer has been convicted or has he? The daughter of the convicted man tries to determine whether her father really was capable of murdering her mother. She is a well constructed character as is the father. The book is well written and the reader keeps getting surprises as new evidence and new interpretations of evidence give the story many twists and unexpected revelations. The ending is unexpected in more than the obvious way of solving the original murder.

This is the fourth of Gillian McAlliters books and I think they are getting better and better. This is my favourite so far...which is saying something as I loved the others too.
The book was easy to read with great characters. I wasn’t sure where it was going at the beginning as we meet Iz and her husband Nick and find out about her family and what she has been through. We are given lots of information which kept me wondering who had really committed the crime. It then all nicely comes together.
Lots of twists and turns and keeps you wanting to know what’s going to happen next.
A must read for 2019

Gillian McAllister is the doyenne of the psychological thriller. This is an exceptionally well plotted and written book which leaves the reader guessing all the way through.

I will not provide spoilers but the question is whether Izzy's father, just released from a life sentence really murdered her mother - or is he - as he has asserted all along not guilty of the heinous crime.

You are dripped clues all the way through but the ending came as a surprise to me and left mefull of admiration for a writer at the top of her game.

Totally recommended and bound to be a best seller.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and there are so many questions asked as to her father and if he did or didn't do it....

Another great read from Gillian McAllister. This is both an elegantly written thriller and a thought provoking exploration of what it means to serve a long prison sentence and the impact that has on an individual.

Izzy adored her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible father, Gabe. However, when she was just seventeen, her world came crashing down when he was convicted of the murder of her mother, and she was sent to live with her mother’s parents. Seventeen years later, Izzy is married to solid, dependable Nick and her father has just been released, on licence, from prison. Gabe wants to meet her to explain the evidence against him and establish his innocence. Should Izzy give him the benefit of the doubt or is he guilty as charged?

The characters are eminently believable and the research that has gone into this book is very impressive. The setting of the Isle of Wight provides a slightly parochial atmosphere which enhances Izzy’s feelings of herself and her father being judged by everyone. The plot is gripping and very clever. The ending just about broke my heart.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you

I just love the concept of all of Gillian McAllister's books. Once I have finished one I am always itching for the next one.
I found The Evidence Against You abit hard to get into at first but then it just clicked into place and I couldn't get enough.

I thought this was quite well-written and constructed but I did not did not engage with the main characters at all, and found their story a little hard to believe. Izzy was willing to go behind her loving and supportive husband's back in favour of her father who she hasn't seen or been in contact with for eighteen years. She also believed that he murdered her mother but was too willing to change her mind when he said he was innocent, and roped her in to look for evidence. Personally, I thought the convicting evidence was flimsy and the final twist at the end proved it. Again, as is so common in these types of novels, ordinary people prove the police to be incompetent at best or corrupt at worst. There was no real tension in the novel and the supporting characters were not memorable. I had previously read Anything You Do Say by the same author which was much better.

My thanks to Michael Joseph Comms and NetGalley for this advance ARC of Gillian McAllister's The Evidence Against You.

I have previously read Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister, one of my best reads - ever. So, would The Evidence live up to expectations? That's an unequivocal YES! A lengthy slow-burner, some 450 mesmerising pages that unfurl layer upon layer and draw you in like a moth to a flame.

Izzy (Isabelle) English knows that her father is about to be released from prison on life parole. He has served seventeen years incarcerated, convicted of murdering his wife Alexandra - Izzy's mother, when Izzy was just seventeen. Izzy now runs what was her mother's restaurant - Alexandra's - on the Isle of Wight. Her husband Nick is a police analyst. "He might come looking for you" he says. The island natives know who Isabelle English is but still they patronise the restaurant where indeed her father turns up. "I did not kill your mother, Izzy". What seems important to Gabe is not so much the loss of liberty, but the loss of his wife and daughter. The evidence against him was compelling. Izzy had always thought him guilty but something shifts in her mind - the moment when she chooses to try and believe him.

Did he? Didn't he? Does Izzy's husband Nick show empathy with her or does he try and undermine her thought processes at every turn? As another layer unfurls your mind will be pulled every which way. Doubts linger...

There are several more characters here that play significant rôles in this intricate plot and that have an impact on the outcome. And the outcome? Totally unexpected that turns so much on its head...

The Evidence Against You is beautifully crafted, superbly written and one of my Top Five reads of 2018.

Wow, what a book! Gillian McAllister is an amazing author and this new novel certainly doesn’t disappoint.
I love that I can never predict what will happen and that the twists and turns keep coming. The ending to this one is outstanding and brings the full book together. I’d strongly recommend this one.

It is the day her father will be released from jail. Izzy English has every reason to feel conflicted - he is the man who gave her a childhood full of happy memories, he has also just served seventeen years for the murder of her mother. Now, Izzy's father sends her a letter. He wants to talk, to defend himself against each piece of evidence from the trial. Should she give him the benefit of the doubt? Or is her father guilty as charged, and luring her into a trap?

I adore McAllister's books and was thrilled when this landed in my hands. This is a slow burn of a thriller, there is not a ridiculously thrilling pace but rather a very intense, build-up of revelations and secrets. No I was not on the edge of my seat reading this but I was absolutely gripped by the book and desperate to get to the ending, this has a different pace but it so works. I love how McAllister always features strong women in her books and how she displays a new writing style with every book, this book has her go through each piece of evidence and show how it can be spun for the different sides, it is very clever and I loved how one sentence could flip everything on its head, yet again McAllister has written an engrossing read.

Without giving anything away, McAllister focuses her attention on some details related to prison life and makes some very astute observations about the impacts it has, this ensured for powerful reading and left me thinking long after I had turned the final page. I was gripped and fascinated by this book in equal measures but I have to say I was in no way prepared for the ending. McAllister throws in surprises but also desperate sadness, I was left bereft by the ending and I was thrilled by this change in tact. Never has a psychological thriller left me feeling that way and I relished the freshness of this.

Onto the characters and yet again McAllister has created a fascinating batch of characters. I found these interesting as I would not say I particularly liked the characters or got a really good sense of who they are. Nevertheless I was rooting for them all the way, especially Izzy, I only want good things for Izzy! 

'The Evidence Against You' is another sublime, expertly crafted read from one of my favourite authors. Expect to feel surprising emotions in this different yet gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an advance copy.

I really loved this book. It gripped you from the start. Lots of twists and turns and not sure where it was going, it certainly drew you in. I really felt for the main character Izzy and her dad Gabe. A story about love, loss, family, acceptance and regrets. A really great book and I would recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the first word to the last you are transported into Izzy's life, where you will be captivated as the plot unfolds.
Her mother dead at hands of her father, her father's release from prison, Will any good come from meeting up with him after 17 years and what will be the consequences.

Gillian McAllister again as written a thought provoking story, with believable characters and plenty of unforeseen twists and turns. She just keeps getting better and better.

This was my 100th book review on netgalley, and I am so glad that I chose this to read, could not put it down.

Thank you netgalley, Penguin UK and Gillian McAllister for allowing me to read and review this book.

I needed a light novel to read over Christmas. At first glance, this didn’t fit the bill. However, it was, in fact, perfect. There was just enough intrigue and suspense to keep me turning the pages, and sneaking a quick read in between the revelry. It was a thought provoking examination of our belief in the criminal justice system and the possibility that it may be flawed. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and, it was, in the end, an apt theme for Christmas. It is a story of the complexity of love, of family bonds and loyalties and, ultimately, about forgiveness. I loved the ending, which was satisfying and moving. A must read.

Izzy English was like any other 19 year old girl, she had parents who she loved! Alex (her mum) was a chef at her own restaurant while Gabriel (her dad) was a odd – jobs kind of guy with an artistic streak. Unexpectantly, on the 31st October 1999, her mother goes missing only to turn up dead and her father convicted of her murder. Fast forward 17 years and Gabe is released from prison on probation. Izzy has moved on with her life, still grieving the loss of both parents (Gabe may have been in prison but she still lost him!) The day of release, Gabe reaches out with a letter proclaiming his innocence, he wants to meet with Izzy to defend himself with his version of events. Will she hear him out? Or has she already made up her mind about his perceived guilt?

Firstly, I want to thank Gillian for another thrilling masterpiece, I love an absorbing and compulsive read and this read definitely delivered! What I find with GM’s work is that she has the ability to describe something that would be so small and mundane in such a poetic way that places you in that situation / place.

The storyline is well written and panned out. You’re transported to life before the disappearance and murder of Alex English. This creates the foundational backbone of the story in which you see how Alex and Gabe interact with one another within the confinements of marriage; this contributes towards the imaginary that Gabe murdered Alex. Also, I enjoyed how the storyline flicked into the past and showed the same events from both Izzy and Gabe’s point of view. It makes you question everything and nothing at all! It shows how someone’s view of an event can be truly different from another’s, but how do you decide what version is the correct one?

I love the way GM writes because the little details she includes helps build the characters in my mind to the point that I am left with the biggest book hangover because these people’s lives mean something to me! These people are real! Bookworms know what I mean! The engagement of characters feel real and not forced, I think this shows the extent to which Gillian carefully plans her characters and storyline. Apparently she uses a self – invented ‘box method’ during the planning stage, which evidently works so well!

Taking you back to a previous point, I didn’t have a clue how the book was going to end, it was unpredictable and twisty, which I love! This is a thriller that you should be watching out for in 2019! GM will never disappoint you, I am super excited for her fifth book!

Story Of Izzy English whose father was jailed for the murder of her mother Alexandra. It is now 17 years on and her father is due to be released from jail. He makes contact and maintains his innocence, Izzy does not know what to believe and decides to investigates. This means going over her memories, family members and her then boyfriend who dumped her. Lots of conflicting evidence, lies and red herrings, Brilliantly writtenand gripping.
#TheEvidenceAgainstYou #NetGalley

A powerfully moving story filled with love, fear and betrayal. The feeling of raw emotions hooked me as soon as I turned the first page. The descriptive writing style transported me with ease to places I have visited myself and to other places where I have never been. The plot was dark and deliciously twisty, leaving me guessing and undecided almost to the end. The end was also unexpected and brought the story to a satisfying conclusion. The characters were well drawn and beautifully described, I could feel their angst and turmoil flowing from the pages. All I can say about this one is don't miss it!

i’ve read and enjoyed all of this author’s previous books so was excited when asked to read and review her latest offering.

young izzy english’s father was convicted of murdering her mother despite his protests of innocence and sentenced to 18 years in prison. eighteen years have passed and upon his release he returns to convince an adult izzy of his innocence. can she find it in herself to hear him out and believe him or is he a master manipulator twisting events in the past to give a better view of himself.

the book is cleverly written and i, as the reader, couldn’t decide if he was guilty or not. the ending is bittersweet and terribly sad. most definitely worth a read.

many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another utterly compelling and brilliantly plotted psychological thriller here from the pen of Gillian McAllister. Ever since her first book I’ve looked forward to the next with glee and The Evidence Against You doesn’t disappoint.

Izzy has lived with the fact that her Father killed her Mother, it has affected the way she lives her life on many levels. Then he’s out – and insisting still that he is innocent. But innocence itself has many levels…

I loved this because the characters are so very engaging, you root for Izzy all the way, it is beautifully written and genuinely unpredictable, I had no idea if her Dad was indeed guilty or not guilty until the ultimate resolution- this makes for a highly satisfying and fascinating read.

Psychological thrillers are far from dead and gone but they are best off in the hands of writers like Gillian McAllister and a few others who are writing at the top of their game and still managing to keep things surprising.

As ever Highly Recommended. One to watch in an already fantastic looking April 2019.

Another enthralling thriller from one of my favourite authors. The Evidence Against You tells the story of Izzy English, and how her father was convicted of killing her mother, one October in 1998. 18 years later, Gabe is out, and he wants to prove his innocence to his daughter.

As usual, McAllister manages to put just the right amount of doubt into the reader's mind. Reasonable doubt. Did he do it? Or is he innocent? Set on the Isle of Wight during the heatwave of 2018, I could visualise the story so easily. McAllister has that rare talent where she paints a picture in your mind - the characters are real, the setting easily stepped into. The ending was so bittersweet, so cutting, and yet just right. This book gripped me from the very first page, and didn't let me come up for air.

Another great book by Gillian McAllister. This time exploring the relationship between a father and daughter. None of the characters were particularly likable but Kept me guessing until the very end. Four stars.