I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a review copy of All I Said Was True, a stand-alone thriller set in London.

Layla Mahoney is arrested for the murder of Amy Blahn when she was found holding the body. All Layla will say is to tell them to find Michael as he has all the answers, but they can’t find Michael and wonder if he exists.

I have not read this author before, so I was excited to try a new to me style and surprised by my reaction to the novel, which I don’t think I’ve experienced before. On the one hand I found the narrative immersive and spellbinding in parts, but I found myself resistant to picking it up again when I had to put it down. I can’t explain it and I found it strange.

The novel is told on alternating timelines, helpfully titled “Now” and Then”. Now starts with Layla in custody being interviewed, while then deals with the events leading up to her arrest. The intertwining of these two stories is cleverly done with each being compulsive reading, making the reader want more and desperate to see the endgame (which I found slightly flat after what has gone before.

So, the novel is told from Layla’s point of view and it is apparent from the first chapter when she’s deciding what to tell and how to present it, that she is keeping secrets and is inherently unreliable. This is borne out by her erratic behaviour and thought patterns in the then sections. By about half way through the novel I was sure that there was an element of gaslighting to her story, but by whom I couldn’t work out. And that’s the joy or torment, depending on the reader’s view, of the novel. There is no firm ground and everything is open to interpretation. This I thought was particularly well done as interpreted one way certain events show Layla with mental health issues, interpreted another it’s a series of clumsy accidents.

I must admit that I never got to grips with Layla and her mindset. By the end of the novel I had a better understanding of why she acted as she did in custody, but I couldn’t identify with the why of it. I think that she’s a bit obsessive.

All I Said Was True is a clever and compelling read, so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

This is the third book I have read by author Imran Mahmood and I have to say I have really enjoyed all three. The author has worked on the criminal bar in London for over 20 years and together with his skills as a writer he produces legal thrillers that have more than a touch of realism.

Amy Blahn was murdered and her body discovered on a London office rooftop. Layla Mahoney held Amy as died in her arms. The police arrest Amy who offers little defence other than saying ‘It was Michael. Find Michael and you’ll find out everything you need to know.’
The problem the police face is that there is no evidence Michael ever existed and they face a race against the clock to find either Michael or charge Layla with Amy’s murder.
Layla is a lawyer so is fully aware of the predicament the police face and knows that they only have forty eight hours in which to charge her or let her go. Layla pleads with the police to find Michael but as the interviews progress more facts come to light that threaten to expose Layla.

This is a real page turner told in a past and present format featuring the police interrogations of Layla as well as the build up to the murder itself. Well written novel that had me already looking forward to the authors next novel.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for supplying a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.