I read True Crime Story earlier this year, and the marketing for Imposter Syndrome definitely hinged on the popularity of the former book. I don’t think it needed to. Imposter Syndrome stands alone as a well-written twisty book that is begging to be read in one sitting, leaving you coming up for air in a fugue state at the end. There may have been one or two too many characters for my liking, but this may be due to my habit of tearing through books without breathing. For a slower and more considered reader, this may not be a problem. Another excellent book from Knox, I look forward to his next novel.

I found this book a little strange. I did finish it but not sure I totally enjoyed it. There was a lot of deception which doesn't always sit comfortably with me for no apparent reason.

A chance meeting at an airport leads Lynch into a deceptive, manipulative and dangerous situation. He has a passing resemblance to a Heydon, a young man who went missing 5 years ago. His sister Bobbi sees Lynch and she has a proposition for him.

This book took me a while to get into and when I did I had to keep reading to see how it would end. The complex plot is forever evolving, the boundaries move and there is no sense of anyone telling the truth. But as much as I enjoyed this I did find myself thinking that I was getting confused as every time one thing was settled, it seemed that something else became unsettled. It was a story that seemed to keep going around in circles.

I do like thrillers that have an interesting or different slant to them and this book has that. The main theme I took from the story was how deceptions keep becoming more and more convoluted. The characters are completely untrustworthy and even when I thought they were telling the truth I was then waiting for another bombshell to drop to realise they were still spinning another lie.

This is a book that even though I enjoyed it, I didn't always get it. The plot became very complex and I am not totally sure that I got the answers to the numerous questions throughout the story. This one wasn't really for me but if you are looking for a story that is character-led with the voice of one narrator then this one may be for you. I would recommend it.

I love Joseph Knox’s sharp writing and his innovative mind always brings something new and exciting to his books, so Imposter Syndrome was one of my highly anticipated books of this year.

It does not disappoint. From the beginning our protagonist, Lynch, shows himself to be a man in trouble – a con artist whose artistry is on the wane. Newly arrived in London and clearly fleeing Paris, Lynch is running and running hard, though from what we don’t yet know.

So concerned is Lynch to make sure that he isn’t being followed that he crashes into Bobbie, an addict on her way to the States to enter rehab. Bobbie may be an addict but she’s not blind and right away she sees that both facially and physically, Lynch is very like her brother Heydon.

Over far too many drinks Bobbie tells Lynch about Heydon’s mental health issues and how he went missing, believed dead over 5 years ago. Bobbie dearly wants to know what happened to her brother and she sees a way of using Lynch to uncover the truth. But Lynch, though he lies and scams for a living, has his own personal code and does not jump at this opportunity. It feels far too messy for him and impersonating a dead man could be just too cruel.

But when Lynch finally surfaces the next day, Bobbie is gone and she’s left him a present…

This begins Lynch’s entree into Heydon’s world. Accepting a cash commission he undertakes to step into Heydon’s shoes and to find out what really happened to him. It’s a dark, foreboding place where there are eyes everywhere and Lynch, in the persona of Heydon, never feels safe.

Joseph Knox keeps the reader carefully off kilter as we work out what we make of Lynch and at the same time try to see where the Heydon story is going. Making sense of the plot line is often difficult, because there’s a real fear and darkness to the narrative arc which is stirred by Lynch’s own past and Heydon’s mental ill health as well as the sinister forces that Lynch encounters on his quest.

Bobbie’s parents are an odd couple, each taking their own stand on Heydon’s disappearance and this dysfunctional family just adds to the sense of chaos that builds tension.

There’s conniving, deception, gaslighting and violence and brutal murders in this intriguing thriller which is beautifully written with clarity and control. The plotting is superb and there are fabulous touches of dry humour throughout. This is contemporary noir within a dark and thrilling scenario.

It is the character of Lynch though, that holds it all together. By definition the most unreliable of narrators as a con man by trade, Lynch nevertheless turns out to have the strongest moral compass of all the characters involved.

Verdict: Pacy and imaginative, there are some frayed threads in the tying up of this tale, but overall I loved its Highsmith aura and the wit of a Chandleresque character in Lynch. Dark and imaginative, Imposter Syndrome is a great read.

Lynch is a con man who has to escape France in a hurry. He meets Bobbie by chance and he looks very much like her brother who went missing five years ago. Bobbie is on her way to rehab abroad but suggests he visits her parents and tries to get some money from them and pretend to be their long lost son. This sets in process a tale of family secrets, addictions, criminals, will everyone make it to the end of the book, or who they appear to be.

The book was a bit slow in places and even though I didn’t really like any of the characters I still wanted to know what happened and how it ended.

So many twists and turns, you don't know what's coming next or who is behind it all. I really enjoyed this book, it was totally compelling. I needed to know how it would all end. Another great story from Joseph Knox!

Reviews posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

As someone who enjoys psychological thrillers and complex narratives, I was initially drawn to "Imposter Syndrome" by Joseph Knox. The premise—an embattled con artist named Lynch who finds himself tangled in the web of a missing person’s mystery after a chance encounter with an heiress—promised suspense and intrigue. However, what started as an exciting buildup ultimately left me grappling with confusion and a sense of disconnect from the characters.
Lynch’s plight as a burned-out con artist fleeing from his past immediately caught my attention. Arriving in London, he unintentionally becomes a pawn in a much larger game when Bobbie, the rehab-bound heiress, mistakes him for her long-missing brother, Heydon. This chance encounter spirals into a wild adventure when Bobbie’s mother, the formidable Miranda, recruits Lynch to impersonate her son to flush out his presumed killer. Honestly, this setup had me riveted—at first.
However, as I delved deeper into the narrative, I found myself struggling to connect with Lynch and the other characters. While Lynch's situation was compelling, I often sensed that his motivations and emotions weren’t fully fleshed out. The book shifts into a labyrinth of family secrets, lies, and dark forces lurking just beneath the surface, which ultimately made it feel overly complex for my taste. I found myself lost amidst the intricate dialogue and the convoluted web of character identities. It felt like I was trying to follow a plot that was intent on subverting my expectations at every turn, and not always in a rewarding way.
The book's pacing was another point of contention for me. After an engaging start, the story began to meander. There were several moments filled with exposition that distracted me from the main plot, such as extensive discussions about cryptocurrency that felt unnecessary and added to my frustration. While I appreciate a good mystery that challenges the reader, this one seemed to lose its way, and I found myself wishing for a tighter narrative that would highlight the key elements without extraneous detail.
Despite my struggles, I will say that Knox’s writing is solid, and his ability to weave tension into the later chapters was commendable. The last third of the book reeled me back in, culminating in an unpredictable ending that I genuinely didn’t see coming. There’s a cleverness in the title, “Imposter Syndrome,” that resonates throughout the narrative as the characters continually wear various masks, adding an intriguing layer of depth—if only I could have felt more invested in their journeys.
Overall, "Imposter Syndrome" had the potential to be a gripping psychological thriller, and though it delivered some unexpected thrills along the way, I ultimately felt more detached than engaged. For readers who revel in intricate plots filled with twists, this might be a rewarding read, but for someone seeking a more straightforward narrative or a connection to its characters, it may leave you feeling a bit lost, as I did. Sadly, it was not for me.

Action Fuelled..
Fast paced, action fuelled thriller. What happens when a conman goes rogue? This is dark, complex and thoroughly entertaining with a cleverly crafted plot, an array of eclectic and well penned characters and a pacy narrative. Twists and turns are plentiful throughout and are often unexpected and sometimes surprising. Shades of Highsmith.

A wild twisty ride. Burned out con artist Lynch escapes Paris for London, only to discover he's the doppelganger of a missing rich boy after literally running into his sister Bobbie. Lynch can't help get himself embroiled deeper and deeper in Bobbie's family's shenanigans. But who can Lynch really trust and are his instincts, finely honed from years of becoming other people, correct? And what is he running away from?

Joseph Knox has such a way of building this gnawing, growing, slow burn tension. Unfortunately I had to read this in small starts and stops as I think my mood was up for less tense tales. That said, this book is gripping and I couldnt help but root for Lynch, a very compelling character. Knox has such a way of creating anti-heroes. When we discover the real reason for his fleeing? Very human. Underneath it all this is a story about men and their lack of dealing with their emotions and who they are.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubleday and NetGalley.

Devious and dark. When conman Lynch arrives in London on the run from events in Paris, he's penniless with only the cheap suit he's wearing. Bumping into wealthy Bobbie at Heathrow and being mistaken for her brother who disappeared 5 years ago involves Lynch in a never ending nightmare of events. A really good read. #netgalley #impostersyndrome

Thank you Net galley for the opportunity to read this book.

I did enjoy this book, the plot and interesting but yet confusing at the same time but I guess that’s a good sign of a thriller the unknown.

That being said Imposter Syndrome is also brilliantly clever – I had no idea where it was headed at any given moment and the characters were interesting, complex and very unpredictable

First book i have read from this author and looking forward to reading more

A taut, intriguing thriller from Joseph Knox's talented pen. Lynch has fled Paris, apparently from a con gone wrong. On arriving in London Heathrow, he bumps into a stranger and is swept into a new assignment and a major mystery to solve, with very real danger to himself. We find him moving in the secretive world of the super-rich, trying to discover what is true while staying alive

This is a wonderful, compelling read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

As a huge fan of the authors previous book True Crime Story, I couldn’t wait to get started on this.

Lynch is running away from something, we’re not sure what at the beginning, he bumps into a girl who’s brother went missing 5 years earlier to whom he bears a striking resemblance, he gets himself involved in a very complex web of deceit.

I found this book was very hard going, it felt very long and drawn out. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters so it didn’t really draw me in.

Although this wasn’t one of the best I’ve read this year, does it stop me wanting to read any future publications from Joseph Knox, absolutely not!

Lynch is a worn out con-artist who arrives back in London from misadventures in France. He happens to look like someone who has been missing presumed dead for several years,. This could prove useful, or so it seems at first. But sometimes first impressions count.
Clever and well paced thriller from Joseph Knox.

Con-artist Lynch takes a job impersonating someone who went missing five years ago, to help his family find out the truth about what really happened.

Imposter Syndrome is an outstanding novel and without a doubt one of my top books for 2024.

The more books I read, the more I find myself searching for something different or something new that turns a genre upside down. This story hit the mark perfectly. I've never read anything like it and I found it so unpredictable that it became an incredibly addictive read.

I loved that the story was told from Lynch's perspective and seeing his reactions as he was pulled further and further into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. It was really nerve-wracking to follow because he had clearly become involved in a situation that was far more dangerous than he anticipated.

I would recommend Imposter Syndrome to absolutely everyone – you will love the brilliant writing and the twists and turns that the plot takes.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a pretty good thriller, but not at all what I expected. I liked our main character and thought the plot was quite interesting, but I got very confused at the end. It felt like a lot came at the end, which I know is the nature of these types of books, but it seemed a bit chaotic.

I read some of this via the ebook and listened to the rest on audio. The author narrates the audiobook and does an excellent job.

Overall, it was a decent read but not one I'd reread anytime soon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC and Libro FM for the ALC

Joseph Knox book Imposter Syndrome had me really intrigued when I read the blurb. I really liked the storyline and was excited to read the book but unfortunately I don’t think this book was for me.

It starts off with a con artist Lynch escaping Paris and arriving in to the U.K. where he is approached by a heiress Bobbie in a case of mistaken identity. Turns out Lynch has a doppelgänger who is Bobbie’s brother Heydon who has been missing for 5 years and presumed dead.

After spending a night together, Bobbie tries to convince Lynch to go to her wealthy family home to fool her mother Miranda, At first Lynch thinks this is a crazy idea and it plays on his conscience but when he wakes up the next morning with a tattoo on his face, he has no choice but to go.

Miranda ends up hiring him to play Heydon to flush out Heydon’s killer. He seems interested in finding out what happened to Heydon and ends up getting so invested that he ends up facing life and death situations. What really happened to Heydon?

The book is written well but I struggled wrong relate to the characters and didn’t find them very likeable. I also struggled a little bit to keep up with what was happening. Maybe the book was a little too complex for me.

If you've ever read anything by Joseph Knox before, you'll know that one of the joys of reading his work is that there's no point trying to anticipate where the story is going to go. Every avenue you go down will open metaphorical doors to places you never knew existed, link to plot lines that will send you in entirely new directions, and uncover hidden layers where you thought there were solid floors. A clumsy metaphor as a way of trying to explain the head-spinning feeling of reading one of the most plot-twistingly devious books I've read in a long old while.

What do we know for sure?

Not a lot - our main man Lynch, a con artist, has arrived suddenly in London after fleeing Paris. He has nothing to his name but manages to befriend Bobbie, a rich heiress on her way to rehab. Bobbie mistakes Lynch for her long-lost brother Heydon, who hasn't been seen or heard for years. Heydon has a distinguishing feature of a broken heart tattooed on his face - and when Lynch wakes up in a hotel room, so does he. This sets him on a journey to find out what exactly is going on - a journey that will take us to some of the richest and most connected families in London, a number of businesses whose job is to keep people out of the limelight, some crypto-currency whizzkids and so much more besides.

This dark and devious crime thriller is such an engrossing ride, Lynch's ability to talk himself in and out of tricky situations is second to none, his skill at adopting new personas and new characteristics brings an additional layer of complexity (as if we needed more complexity!). I had no idea where the story was going to go, but trusted that Knox would bring it all together in his characteristic genius, with an ending that bamboozled me until the very last line.
Absolutely recommended -throw yourself into it and enjoy the rollercoaster.

Lynch is running from his past when a chance encounter at Heathrow brings him into contact with the Pierce family and the long lost son and brother Heydon.

The story rattles along but I was never quite sure what was going on as the plot became more convoluted, with bad guys around every corner and violence only a taxi ride away.

Knox’s work hasn’t yet reached the heights of the Aidan Waits trilogy but this is still an entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of #ImposterSyndrome.

An interesting mystery surrounding the disappearance of a man, the appearance of his doppelganger and a race for answers.

When reading g this book I would suggest taking notes, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, who is associated with who, and who is trying to kill who. I slightly lost interest about two thirds through as I wasn't following the 'tech' explanation and I was getting slightly confused with characters etc. However I'm glad I stuck it out and I enjoyed the ending.