Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book 😊

“Imposter syndrome” is a thriller set in London, where a man named Lynch (who is also a con artist) is hired by Bobbie, an Heiress, to pretend to be her missing and presumably dead son, Heydon Pierce. In doing that, they will take part - against their will - in a series of twisted events…

Unfortunately, I struggled to finish this book and had to skim read the last 20% or so. I had trouble connecting to the characters: I didn’t find any specific personality traits that I could get attached to, thus had trouble differentiating them. I also felt very disconnected to this novel and did not really feel many emotions at all, which is a shame as I was very intrigued at the start.

I don’t think this book (and potentially this author) is for me, although if you like them, you might enjoy this book. I might give a shot to “True Crime Story”, the other book by this author, but it’s not my priority right now.

Very enjoyable thriller, with strong characters, and twisted plot. The story takes place over a short time frame which adds to the complexity of the narrative and keeps the book speeding forward. Recommended.

A con artist, an heiress, and a missing doppelgänger!

Lynch, a seasoned con artist, finds himself fleeing Paris in a rush, though the reasons for his hasty departure remain a mystery—for now. Arriving in London without a penny and no clear plan, he crosses paths with Bobbie, an heiress from an extremely wealthy family who struggles with addiction. Her brother Heydon also battled his demons before mysteriously disappearing five years ago.

When Bobbie sees Lynch, she’s stunned by his uncanny resemblance to her missing brother. On the verge of heading to rehab in the States, Bobbie presents Lynch with a curious proposition. It seems like a lucrative opportunity, especially given his desperate circumstances, but it soon leads him into dangerous territory—plunging him into a life-or-death situation.

This is a well-crafted and engaging story that keeps you hooked as the plot darkens and the stakes rise.

I loved True Crime Story so had been looking forward to giving this one a go!

The premise was very intriguing but unfortunately it felt like there was just too much going on to the point that I lost interest.

I think I had excepted something much more fast paced but actually, the slower pacing of this story is what lost me in the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having loved true crime story, I thought the author had a unique writing style and this was proved correct with this book

Told from the viewpoint of Lynch, a conman, you get a real feel for the dark side of the story

This book made my head spin. There were so many twists and turns in this book and the author packed the book. Normally I’d like this. But studying for my exams I felt I didn’t truly appreciate the book for its worth so will definitely be rereading this very soon. It was such a clever book and I want to appreciate it for its fullest

It is a very twisty, dramatic con artist chasing novel!

Overall, despite my own brain, this was great psychological read and I would highly recommend

"Imposter Syndrome" by Joseph Knox is a dark, intense, and intricately plotted thriller that delves deep into the psyche of its characters. Knox’s writing is razor-sharp, capturing the tension and paranoia that comes with the constant fear of being exposed as a fraud. The novel brilliantly explores the theme of imposter syndrome, weaving it into a suspenseful narrative filled with unexpected twists and moral ambiguity. The protagonist’s internal struggle is palpable, making their journey through a world of deception and lies all the more gripping. Knox’s ability to create a sense of unease and dread keeps readers on the edge of their seats, making "Imposter Syndrome" a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers that explore the darker aspects of human nature. It's a story that will leave you questioning what is real and who can be trusted, long after you turn the last page.

An interesting read, Clever and intriguing. A con man escaping from his past gets caught up in a family tragedy and is encouraged to impersonate their son to find answers as to his alleged suicide.
It was a gripping read although I did get a little lost at times, there are so many characters so keeping track was a little confusing. On the whole it was worth reading to the end as the twists were intense.

I had mixed feelings on this book. The first half I enjoy a lot but my interest flagged more and more from then on. The ending was a bit of a disappointment. A big buildup in the storyline only to be let down by weak ending.

I am a big fan of the Adrian Waits series so was really looking forward to this new one .
It was a well written edge of your seat thriller . Kept you guessing right to the end
Thumbs up from me !

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

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