Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****

This is one of those books, the one that when you start it you have to finish it to find out what’s going on! Ali’s husband has been accused of raping their friend Karen. All the evidence points to him but who should Ali believe?

Really well written with plenty of twists. Highly recommend this!

Will keep you guessing who the culprit is until the very end. I couldn't put my kindle down once I started reading What You Did, I read the book within 24 hours. You can't help but feel for Ali, all she wanted was a reunion with her uni friends. That night changed everyone's lives forever. Do you side with your husband or your best friend of 25 years? I will definitely be adding Claire Mcgowen to my favourite authors

This book was very well written. Nice and easy to read and flowed well. Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.

What You Did is one hell of a thought provoking explosive book!

How would you react when your gentle loving husband is accused of rape? What about when it’s your best friend that’s been raped? My heart broke for Ali’s difficult situation and Claire did a great job writing this story! I thought I had it all figured out a few times but the ending blew me away.

I found some aspects unrealistic but overall this is a stand out thriller.

What would you do if your husband was accused of hurting your best friend? This book take you on a journey through the lives of six college friends, mostly told from Allison’s (Ali) perspective. From her difficult relationship with her father, to wanting to be noticed and loved by her college boyfriend, Mike, Alison has longed for the perfect marriage and craved the ideal family and home life she never had. A tight knit group from their early college days, these friends have celebrated success and kept secrets buried in order to preserve their lives. When a reunion dinner party goes awry and Karen accuses Mike of a brutal crime, how will this revelation affect their friendship? Will those secrets from college suddenly become revealed? This story is carefully crafted and absolutely intoxicating. If you enjoy domestic thrillers,! I would definitely recommend checking out this book.

After being bombarded by positive reviews during the respective blog tour, I just couldn't help giving in and request a copy when I saw it on Netgalley... There is no doubt that the premise of What You Did sounds absolutely intriguing and I couldn't resist picking up this story almost immediately. And while I ended up having mixed thoughts myself, I can also see why others have a more positive reaction to this story.

It's all in the characters. What You Did fits the definition of a slower paced and character driven psychological thriller perfectly, and this means that your reaction to the different main characters as a reader is fundamental and directly linked to your experience with a book. Sadly, it wasn't ment to be between the main characters of What You Did and me. Out of all the main characters, I think the only one I actually liked was Bill, and I still wanted to hit him for certain actions and basically for having no backbone. The other characters... Sigh. Where do I even begin? I don't want to give away too much to avoid spoilers, but let's just say it involves things like a love triangle, lying to someone for twenty five years, abusing the trust of someone close to you, forgiving someone even though they don't deserve it at all... I could go on and on, but I don't want to spoil the fun. Ali was so so frustratingly ignorant and stupid and I basically wanted to shout at her to get a grip and open her eyes already. I don't think her actions and reactions were natural at all and she managed to frustrate me A LOT. Likewise, Karen, Mike and Callum were basically disgusting and I really didn't care about what was happening to their characters as they were unable to raise sympathy at all. I know some of them were ment to be unlikeable, but still... My feelings of frustration prevented me from enjoying this story as much as I thought I would.

As for the plot... At first I liked the idea of six university friends meeting again after twenty five years during a reunion. These situations always make for an interesting backdrop and gives the story a lot of posibilities; both by introducing possible flashbacks and character development and growth in general. What You Did gives us both, but not to the degree I would have liked to see... The flashbacks to the events of their final ball of the final university year, 1993, felt rather rushed and I would have liked more background and development here. I guess the main focus of this story is on the present and what happens during their reunion... I wasn't sure up to what point certain aspects of the plot were completely credible though, and I did see some twists coming quite early on, but as a whole I guess the plot was entertaining enough if you enjoy slower paced stories with a few bursts of suspense.

The writing itself is engaging enough and made it quite easy to keep turning the pages despite my reaction to the characters. These were my personal feelings about said characters though, and if you can stomach unlikeable characters and enjoy a good character driven psychological thriller that packs a punch, you might consider adding What You Did to your wishlist.

What You Did – Claire McGowan

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review. This review will also publish to my blog, tropicaldelusions.blog,.

Ali Morris is anxiously putting the finishing touches on her home as she and her husband, Mike prepare for weekend guests – the small group of friends they had from their days at the university in Oxford. It’s been years since they’ve seen one another, and Ali wants things to be just right.

The first guest to arrive is her best friend Karen, and her son Jake. Karen is a single parent, and before Mike & Ali moved away, they had been inseparable, and Jake was like a son to her. Next to arrive is Jodi & Callum, both high powered attorneys now, with Jodi due to deliver her first child in a month, and finally Bill, who comes alone having recently split from his girlfriend after a disagreement about children.

As the group re-connects and the alcohol starts flowing, old pictures come out, and the discussion turns to a young female classmate, Martha, who died in the university garden all those years ago. While the men revel in their youthful memories and ply themselves with alcohol late into the evening, Jodi & Ali head for bed.

It’s early AM when Ali awakens to screaming – she rushes downstairs along with Jodi to see Karen stagger into the house, bruised and bloody screaming that she’d been raped…and she accuses Mike of the attack, leaving Ali torn between believing her husband or her best friend. As the police investigate, Karen tells a compelling story, and Mike is arrested, while Ali’s perfectly organized life begins to quickly unravel.

Told from the current perspectives and college memories of the six friends, the reader quickly learns of hidden secrets, longings, betrayals, cover-ups, and ‘what-might-have-been’, leaving the reader wondering just who is telling the truth – if anyone. And what really happened to Martha all those years ago??

This was a great read, and it definitely kept me guessing up until the very end, although in retrospect, I should have figured it out… This one kept me up turning pages well into the night, and had me wondering…how well do we really know our friends??

At an informal college reunion, Karen staggers in from the patio. She claims she was raped by Ali’s husband Mike, who denies it. Ali tries to determine the truth in What You Did.

Ali and her husband Mike, Karen and her son Jake, Jodi and her husband Callum, and Bill are celebrating the 25th anniversary of starting college at Ali and Mike’s house. Their children—Cassie and Benji—are in the house as well.

There are some sticking points for me about What You Did. First, hitting us over the head with the irony of Ali working for a battered women’s shelter seemed a bit obvious. Second, the lack of redeeming characteristics for all the characters. I felt no empathy for any of them. But mostly the obvious bad guy. If you have read any previous thrillers, you don’t need to read this one. 2 stars.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of What You Did.

When old college friends get together for a night of dinner and reminiscing, it was supposed to be a reunion, to catch up and relive old memories.

But, when a vicious assault turns the spotlight on the host's husband, Mike, Ali must reconcile with a unexplained death from the past, her preconceived beliefs of her husband, and the kind of woman she claims to be, a supporter of sexual assault survivors or a woman desperately clinging to a family and a life she never had?

The setting is a familiar one, where old friends gather after some times apart, secrets are revealed, repressed anger or passions come alive once again and trouble is brewing on the horizon.

At first, it was hard to Ali; I know women like her, who would turn a blind eye to any transgression a spouse has done as long as she is able to live in her plastic delusional bubble that her family is fine; that nothing is wrong with anyone and anything.

But, can I blame Ali for wanting something she never had, especially when her childhood was so abusive and traumatic?

That's not an excuse to ignore the signs, like quite a few characters mock-chastise Ali for not seeing what was so obvious and right in front of her eyes, yet I do sympathize with Ali's desperate need to pretend. We all pretend because the truth hurts and it tears people and families apart.

The author creates urgency and keeps up a steady pace as events unfold, secrets are exposed and characters are left reeling from the aftermath, dealing with it in their own troubled methods.

Readers are given insights into the friends' shared past and what happened on a dark night years ago through their various POVs, which is done to muddy the waters and create tension among the friends and readers.

There is decent character development; you get to know Ali the most, followed by Karen, and understand each individual's personality and motivation as to who they are and why they do what they do.

I sympathized with Ali, though I didn't like her or anyone else, maybe Bill.

The novel is not about sexual assault, per se, and he said/she said, though the trigger for rape and sexual violence is prevalent; it's about who we are when someone we love is faced with such a horrible accusation.

We all claim to know what to do when it comes to giving support to those who need it, but do we really when your family and reputation are on the line?

This was a good read that kept me turning the pages, which is not easy to do.

What You Did is a excellent thriller. Even though I hate books with rape, I won't give a bad review because of my personal issues with books with rape in it. The book is well written and the characters are well developed. Great twists in this story.

I did like this book but hated the characters. It takes place at a 25 year reunion. A group of six friends are remembering a rape that took place. The men are all pigs and their wives don’t want to lose them??? At any rate, to me it was more of a mystery than a psychological story. It was fairly well written and will hold your interest but as I said, not exactly a likable story.

What to do, who to believe? Ali's best friend is raped in her garden during a college reunion and she says it's your husband. But it can't be, can it? There are lies and layers of lies to be unraveled in this fascinating domestic suspenser. This one hooked me from the very beginning and kept me enthralled all the way through!

Aw I really hate leaving negative reviews but I could not finish this book. I did not like it connect with any of the characters and found the story very slow x

Ali and Mike host a disastrous 25th reunion (from the day they started) for their university friends. Karen is first to arrive as Ali gets a frantic call from the "feminist" group (charity) that she chairs. She leaves for just a while. As Ali arrives home, Jodi (8 months pregnant) and her husband, Callum. pull up. Bill arrives later on his motorcycle. Rounding out the group are Jake (17), Karen's son - and Ali and Mike's two children: Cassie and Benji.

Oh, what a night! Boozy and late! And a touch of weed. At 3:30 AM, Ali, asleep, is woken by screams. She goes downstairs to find (a sober) Jodi. In bursts Karen; bloodied, frenzied and disheveled. She says "He raped me". Well, the only one still outside with her was Mike. Did someone come in to the yard and choke/rape Karen? The police arrive and Karen is brought to the hospital as Mike is arrested.

And that is only the start. Brilliantly written, this book will have you up all night!!! Every time you think you have everything all figured out, in comes another surprise. Dark, at times, but a solid MUST read.

Dazzling!

Many Thanks to Amazon Publishing, UK, Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an unforgettable read !

I have to say that I completely devoured this novel.  It is most definitely one of those books that you pick up and cannot put down until the very end but you seem to move through it at a lightening pace.

The novel begins right in the middle of the action and then takes a step back to the events leading up to it.  Ali has organised a 25 year reunion of her and Mike's (her husband) best friends from university.  The evening ends with some guests wondering off to bed and others staying in the garden drinking further.  Waking up for a drink in the middle of the night Ali is greeted by a distressed and injured Karen coming into the house claiming that she has been raped by Mike - and so begins a path of devastation for all parties involved. 

Ali has no idea who to believe and who to trust anymore after revelations from her husband.  She has two children to care for in the midst of all the chaos and am event from university days which is told in flashbacks scattered throughout the main story-line plants the seed of doubt into the readers head.  What is clear is that not everyone and everything is as it seems.

 Each character is written with depth and precision and if you searched your own group of friends you'd likely find the variety of characters among them - although maybe milder.  The planning that Claire McGowan must have done to prepare for this is phenomenal.  Each chapter weaves a small thread of the story whilst developing the characters and their changing relationships.  As a new thread is added, you are forced to re-evaluate your opinions and everything you had previously thought making this a suspenseful novel full of twists and surprises. 

I cannot rave enough about how brilliant this novel is and tackles a really interesting question.  Who would you believe? 

Highly recommended

for lovers of darker suspense and thriller.

Ali is thrilled to be hosting a twentieth college reunion get together for some of her closest friends. She’s got the perfect home, family and career. But that picture perfect party goes south fast when her old best friend Karen accuses Ali’s husband (and old college boyfriend) of a violent assault. How can Ali decide who to believe? But it turns out that there a plenty of ugly secrets between the friends, dating back to those “carefree” college days. McGowan combines a tightly woven plot with a dynamite cast of characters

This book was fantastic. Whom to believe was the theme, husband or best friend?A high school reunion went wrong when best friend Karen, who was evidently attacked, accused Ali's husband to be her abuser. Ali's world was completely annihilated. Both swore taht they were telling the truth.

My first book by Claire McGowan, this story had me totally stuck to it. The author had weaved an elaborate tale of lies and secrets surrounding Ali. There were subplots which were completely invisible to the naked eye. Only Ali needed the fortitude and courage to go through her past and long forgotten memories to get to the chilling truth.

Short snappy chapters telling me the viewpoint of different characters had me devouring the book in 2 hours. The book caused a shiver down my spine where I suspected everyone. The author sure didn't stop with the twists till the very end. A brilliant story

Shocking, gripping and terrifying, Claire McGowan’s What You Did is a spine-tingling and nerve-twisting tale of love, jealousy, friendship and loyalty that will chill readers to the bone.

When Ali had agreed to host a reunion for her university friends, she had been so excited. Not only was she going to be reunited with some of her dearest friends whom she hadn’t seen since those halcyon university days, but she was going to be able to show them all that she has finally got the life she had always wanted and dreamed about. With her dream job, perfect husband and wonderful family, Ali’s life is glossy magazine perfect. Ali and Michael have a rock-solid relationship and a marriage most people can only dream about. Ali thinks that nothing and nobody could ruin her happiness, however, little does she realise that the reunion is going to end up shaking the foundations of her perfect world to its core as she finds herself forced to choose between her best friend and the man she loves with all of her heart.

When on the night of the reunion Ali’s friend Karen staggers in from the garden bruised and bloodied, everyone is shocked. However, the shocks looks set to keep on coming when Karen announces that the man who attacked her was not a random stranger, but Ali’s husband, Mike. A flabbergasted Ali has less than a split second to choose a side, but whom will she choose? Will it be the man she shares her life with whom she had hoped to spend the rest of her life married to? Or should she believe Karen? Mike is horrified to be accused like this. He swears that he is innocent and that he would never do something so vicious and horrible, but Karen is adamant that he is the man who assaulted her. The two parties are offering two very different versions of events and Ali does not know whom she should believe. The only thing she is certain about is that one of them is lying. But who? Is it her husband? Or her best friend?

Ali finds herself having to untangle a web of twisted lies, shocking deception and dangerous secrets and when jaw-dropping revelations come to light that unearth long-buried memories that have lain hidden for so long, Ali realises that there is a terrifying enemy in her midst who will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth about those university days is never discovered…even murder!

Claire McGowan keeps her readers on a knife’s edge with her engrossing chiller, What You Did. A fantastic domestic noir tale that will send pulses sky-rocketing, What You Did is a brilliantly written, densely plotted and wonderfully compelling thriller that will be devoured in a single sitting. Claire McGowan brilliantly explores the fears and insecurities within a marriage and the dark aspect of female friendships in an intelligent, sensitive and incisive way, leaving readers enthralled from start to finish.

Claire McGowan has penned a winner with What You Did, a compulsively readable thriller that will get under readers skins and keep them guessing till the very end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up

What You Did by Claire McGowan is the ultimate page-turner that will keep you glued to the pages until the very last word. It is also not going to be for the faint of heart (see triggers for rape).

What it's about: Ali decides to put together a reunion with her friends from university after twenty years. The six of them meet at Ali's home where she lives with her college boyfriend turned husband, and their two kids - Cassie and Benjamin. But what is supposed to be a fun reunion turns into a nightmare when Ali's best friend Karen stumbles inside from the garden saying Ali's husband Mike just sexually assaulted her. Mike claims it didn't happen, but Karen is sure it did. Ali doesn't know who to believe, and after things from their past start coming to light, things will never be the same again.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed What You Did and I didn't want to put it down. The chapters were all pretty short, and that combined with different character viewpoints really kept me guessing and speeding through it. I really didn't like Mike, especially as the book goes on, but I found myself liking Ali a lot, even as she does things that are really dumb. I don't know what I would do if my husband were accused of sexual assault, but I would like to think that I would still believe my best friend if she said he did it. In other words, this book is really makes you think.

What You Did felt like it had a little bit of everything and wasn't strictly just about sexual assault even though that was definitely a main theme. There is also a murder mystery aspect, and I really had no idea what was going to happen. McGowan manages to make you doubt every person in the book, and completely kept me guessing. I felt like there was something going on throughout the entire book which also made it a fast read for me. The end managed to give me chills because it was so unexpected and that is something I love in a book.

Song/s the book brought to mind: Criminal by ZZ Ward.

Final Thought: I wasn't really sure what to expect from What You Did, but I am so glad I read it. It looks like the reviews for this one are all over the place so I'm glad I liked it as much as I did. There wasn't really anything wrong with it at all, and I really enjoyed McGowan's writing style. Reading this makes me want to read more from her ASAP!

Thank you to Damppebbles Blog Tours and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book!