This book aired some important issues around consent, and there was a completely unexpected twist at the end.
But I felt that some of the conversations in the book were a bit repetitive, and there were a couple of very unlikely incidents involving the main character and her client. Not one of my faves.

This is the second book in the series.
This handles some difficult and sensitive subjects but it is done so well
This is a thought provoking and compelling read.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Although the courtroom perspective was unique in a way, it didn't quite hit the mark and the case wasn't quite solvable from a readers perspective. The ending wasn't anything to remember.

Take It Back is quite a powerful book for many reasons. It touched on some important topics, and delivered an educational message. However, that being said, it wasn’t the mysterious courtroom thriller I hoped it would be.

Synopsis:

Zara has left her career as a lawyer behind her, and now works as a rape counsellor. When one day, a 16-year-old girl tells her that four boys from her school sexually assaulted her, she cannot sit still and decides to help this girl get justice.

This trial gets a lot of traction from the police, media and the public very quickly. The girl has facial deformities and the boys are all Muslim. There are a lot of accusations thrown around, and a lot of stereotypes being called out, but very little evidence.

Zara finds herself in the middle of everything. Being a Muslim woman, she is now prosecuting four Muslim boys, which is enough to earn the scrutiny of her own family and her community. She only wants to seek justice and for her client to have a fair trial, but her community has already branded her as a traitor. The amount of mental and physical abuse she gets is outrageous! As the trial days keep rolling, everything is starting to escalate…

Thoughts:

The reason I picked this book up was because it has a courtroom setting, a trope I enjoy reading in thrillers. This one in particular, was a Goodreads recommendation when I specifically asked for a courtroom thriller. And in that aspect, the book didn’t really deliver. I expected more witness statements, more cross-examinations and more twists during the questioning of the witnesses. Also, I was underwhelmed by the ending. I didn’t pick sides and wanted to rely solely on the statements and evidence in the book and see if I can solve the mystery / case myself, but there weren’t too many clues thrown around. I feel like without any clues, the book was very biassed in trying to make us believe one side, only to then reveal something worse in the end, that we could never have predicted or unravelled ourselves.

Despite the ending being what it is, this book sends some very important messages, and that is what I will take away from it. No matter your religion, you should always try to do good in the world. On this Earth, there are good and bad people, regardless of their religion, upbringing, where they were born, what language they speak or who they hang out with. If one person does something bad, it doesn’t mean that their whole family is the same. Biases are real, and biases are dangerous. Don’t judge anyone before you have all the information and all sides of the story. Once you start acting with your bias, you can’t ever “Take It Back”. With that being said, I would definitely recommend it for the mystery lovers out there, but if you are looking for a courtroom thriller in particular, you may want to choose something different.

I knew I needed to read book one "Take it back" before I read this as I was told there are spoilers for that story in here.
This is why it took me so long to start this. But oh my goodness I was hooked.
I was so glad that I had this to follow what was essentially an absolutely fabulous thriller. I highly recommend Take it Back.

Truth be told is about an assault that occurs. Kia Abdullah navigates through this topic sensitively. Kamran is a student at a prestigious private school and after a party he returns to his room in a drunken state. What proceeds to happen next was his worst nightmare.

Zara is the person that Kamran goes to. He knows that she defended Jodie in a previous case. Zara represents Kamran and is his guide and counsellor. She helps him make sense of what's happened and what his options are.

I whizzed through this book just as fast as i did with book 1.
Kia Abdullah is a master story teller and everything she writes is so believable and draws you right in.

There was a massive twist at the end of this book. It was totally unexpected and had major shock factor for me. Personally I didn't like the ending as I found it unrealistic. But that isn't to say that I didn't enjoy this book at all.
This is an 8 out of 10 for me

Take it back was 10 out of 10.
Can't wait to read more of her books.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to read this book! I am going to reading all her others now… Kia really sucks you in and doesn’t let you go until those final riveting moments. Loved it.

This book has been on my kindle for a while so I thought I would read it. I didn’t have much of an idea what the story was about and wasn’t sure what to expect.

It’s a very well written book and tells the story of Kamran and Finn. They both attend a private school and Kamran is from a conservative Muslim family. At an end of term party, they end up spending the night together and Kamran accuses Finn of rape. Zara, a former solicitor, is now a counsellor for victims of rape, and Kamran goes to her for help.

I found the book made me think and had me wondering about consent and the difference in treatment between male and female victims of sexual assault.
Despite the serious subject, it’s a very readable book and I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen.

This book deals with many issues such as religion, consent, addiction, and family relationships. The issues are dealt with sensitively.

The characters are well developed. I sympathised with Kamran and at times Finn too. Kamran’s father is controlling and encourages this stereotypical masculine behaviour for both his sons.
The author describes emotions very well and you can feel the anguish that the characters go through.

I would recommend this book as it makes you think and is well written. It held my interest throughout and I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.

Thanks to HQ Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for a copy to review.

This was a fantastic book , so deep and meaningful on the subject of male homosexual rape and religion . Very upsetting at times with the families reaction to the rape . I certainly didn’t expect the outcome of the trial or the massive twist at the end . It was extremely well written and I would definitely give this 5 stars and recommend it to my audience. I will be reading more from this author in future

An incredibly powerful read and a difficult subject is very sensitively handled and turned into a compelling courtroom drama. I didn't realise this was the second book in a series but I didn't feel it mattered at all. It works fine as a standalone.

First things first, I loved book 1 in the Zara Kaleel series and I was keen to dive into this one. But I found this one harder to engage with - maybe because kamran is wealthy, educated and has a caring family. Maybe because he’s male and the circumstances around this story aren’t so easily relatable for me. Maybe that’s my own bias.

But there were parts that I really did feel for Kamran and some of the other characters in TBT. Abdullah is great at bringing her own culture and societal norms under the microscope, along with tribalism and toxic masculinity.

Zara is such a fierce character - given what happened to her in book one, she faces down threats to protect her charges, and then deals with the emotional fallout afterwards. She’s definitely damaged.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as book 1 (maybe that harks back to my first point), but the ending was very sad - and I didn’t see the reveal coming at all. I really liked how the story doesn’t end with the outcome of the trial - it’s how her characters are affected and have to live with the aftermath that’s important too.

I'm a huge fan of Kia Abdullah and will buy any book she publishes. Kia's one of the best for courtroom dramas and excels yet again in Truth Be Told.

One of my favourite authors by now . I loved this book so much and I don’t know how the author manages to keep me so invested in a story full of suspense and heartbreaking scenes.
Such a great characters cast and so reliable in so many ways.
Looking forward to read more in the near future
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Very sensitively written this book covers a whole range of issues. For some this could be a very difficult read. Well done to the author for tackling the subjects addressed in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

This was my first Kia Abdullah novel (not realising it was second in the series) and it really exceeded all expectations!

The depth of writing in this novel is brilliant and Kia touches on some very serious and timely issues. The way in which she writes about these is both sensitive and hard hitting - she really gets the points across and provokes lots of thinking from the reader.

Truth Be Told is a very complex story and much more than a ‘he said… / he said…’ story. The faith aspect adds a lot to this novel and it really highlights the family dynamics and solidarity, or lack of in certain cases. Very thought provoking and fascinating, a book you won’t want to put down!

Zara Kaleel takes on the case of Kamran Hadid who accuses a classmate of sexual assault. As with her previous books the question of differing cultural beliefs takes centre stage.
Kamran has to try and deal with the fallout when he reports his attacker. This is not as good as the other books by this author but is still a gripping read.
This was a good read and Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kia Abdullah follows up the excellent Take It Back with another fictional study of consent and society's attitude towards it.

Kamran Hadid has a bright future ahead of him. He lives a privileged if somewhat sheltered life. School is the exclusive Hampto Court, home a luxurious house in Belize Park. But one night it all comes crashing down around him. Drunk in his own bed he wakes to find another boy sexually assaulting him. Or did he? He didn't push him away, didn't say no. He did nothing. But he never said yes either. The other boy was just as drunk as him so is it a case of a drunken mistake followed by shame? Or as Zara Kaleel believes rape? What follows is a emotive and disturbing story that will have you questioning your own opinions as well as society's attitude as a whole.

Again a deeply affecting legal drama. Looking forward to more from Kia Abdullah!

This was only the first book of Kia's that I've read, and what a book it was.

It was really well written and the multiple character aspect really added to the story. The realistic way the characters and their respective attitudes, reactions, etc, were written added authenticity to the story.

Getting the perspective from both the victim and the alleged perpetrator meant you found yourself feeling sympathetic with both of them. One character I did not feel sorry was Mack! He really was awful. And, of course, there's Zara. A flawed character, but that is what makes her instantly likeable.

I would highly recommend it, although the sensitive nature of the book may mean that the book is not for everyone.

Thank you to PH, NetGalley and Kia for the chance to read this book.

Kia Abdullah’s debut ‘Take It Back‘ was such an incredibly outstanding story that I was very excited to find out if she could repeat that same level with Zara Kaleel’s second outing in’Truth Be Told‘. Don’t worry, this can quite easily be read as a stand-alone. There are a few references to the previous book but if you haven’t read that one, you will not be feeling lost at all.

Seventeen year old Kamran Hadid is one of the privileged few. But his life is about to fall apart at the seams. While at his elite all-boys boarding school, a night of partying and drinking leads to an encounter that will change Kamran’s life for ever.

No, I’m not going to tell you any more than that. I will tell you that, in case you didn’t yet know this, Kia Abdullah does not shy away from tackling the tough topics. Prepare yourself for that age-old debate about consent but with a bit of a twist to it.

‘Truth Be Told’ has an extremely interesting, yet disturbing premise. However, for some reason, it never quite managed to grab me. Events often felt repetitive, not just throughout this story but some were also very reminiscent of the previous book. There are one or two things I didn’t see coming, one of which is particularly devastating but the other thing felt just a little bit … cheap, maybe. Although that reveal did turn the whole tale onto its head, it didn’t really sit well with me.

I can’t help but wonder if my feelings towards this book are to do with the fact that Zara isn’t quite as involved as she was in the previous book. The organisation she works for is geared towards women so she takes time off to be by Kamran’s side but apart from a few well-placed words of advice and chauffeuring him around, she felt rather superfluous to the proceedings.

For me, ‘Truth Be Told’ did not live up to the level of ‘Take It Back’ but that will not stop me from picking up Kia Abdullah’s next book. I love the hard-hitting topics she delves into, I love that I get a glimpse into how some of these issues are dealt with in the Muslim community and I love her writing. Even if this one didn’t quite work for me, I really think she’s an author to watch.