I was excited to read this latest book by Joseph Knox as I found True Crime Story a very good read, but for me, this one just wasn't as good.
It started off well but failed to hold my attention, which was disappointing as the description sounded like one I'd enjoy.
The writing was good, but trying to connect with the characters was hard.Being said it won'tstop me from reading any other books by the author.
Thanks to Netgalley and RandomHouseuk,Transworld publishers for the ARC. . .

Oh how I enjoyed this book. Everything about it is wrong, which makes it so totally right. From the very beginning we are drawn into the world of con-man and trickster, Lynch, following him on a not altogether legal journey across London in a bid to find a new, any, start. It is clear he is running from something, but just what and how dark it is, remains to be learned. That information is not going to come until very late in the book, so it's just one of the many things that captured my imagination and kept me fascinated right through to the rather unexpected ending.

This is a rather brilliant story, one that is full of mystery and misdirection. In those very early scenes, Lynch finds himself drawn into the world of Bobbie and her very messed up family life. Lynch bears more than a passing resemblance to her brother who has been missing for years. Bobbie wants to uncover the truth about his disappearance, but there are those who would seek to stop her, and Lynch, at all costs. With divisions between her parents as to which side of the argument to come out on, Lynch finds himself caught in a very tangled and deadly web and oh, what a marvelous treat that is for readers.

I liked Lynch. There are so many reasons why I absolutely shouldn't - the total and utter lack of trust that exists due to his chosen profession for one thing - but, rather strangely, knowing that his whole motivation was dishonest, actually makes him the only trustworthy narrator in the whole book. The only person acting with anything close to integrity, oddly enough. We see the action from his perspective, gain additional insights in the other characters due to his innate ability to read people, and whilst his motivations are far from altruistic, he is completely committed to finding out the truth, even if only to prevent his own demise in the process. He's actually quite a fun guy, with keen survival instincts, so nothing seems to particularly phase him, and he comes up against some quite formidable opponents.

The story is packed with mystery and intrigue, the pacing is fast and the tension waxes and wanes, although danger is never really all that far away. I was sucked in by the strange family dynamic. The question over why Heydon's mother would give anything to see her son returned, but his father would rather let sleeping dogs lie. And maybe the even bigger question of why Heydon disappeared in the first place. Or did he? Every corner we turn seems to result in some new, unexpected revelation, and often an escalation in violence - even death. Everyone in this story seems to be troubled in some way, and noone is really what they appear to be.

The ending was satisfying, if not entirely surprising given how unreliable the whole cast of characters prove to be, but I have to say that it is definitely Lynch who sold it for me. So wrong, he proved to be just right. Definitely a fun and addictive read I'd gladly recommend.

This is my first (and probably last) Joseph Knox book. "Imposter Syndrome" was fun at the beginning and I felt as if it could have stopped about 30% of the way in but once the main character got drawn in deeper into the family and their complicated crime plot, the more I wasn't interested in what happened. Shame, but just not the book for me.

An enjoyable read, it kept my attention with some interesting characters and I’m a fan of True Crime Story so I found it fun to read.

Thanks to netgalley for an advance copy.

An enjoyable read with what seemed a bit of an unlikely plot, but it kept my attention with some interesting characters

After loving 'True Crime Story' - I was excited to receive this advance copy - and I loved it, could not put it down!

📗📗BOOK REVIEW 📗📗
Imposter Syndrome By Joseph Knox

A fabulous start which had me hooked from the off. Lynch is a con man who for reasons not yet explained has had to leave Paris in an almighty rush with just the worn out suit he bought from a bag lady. Arriving in London he feels he is being followed and at the Sofitel Hotel In Heathrow he bumps into Bobbie Pierce. She initially thinks he is her brother Heydon who vanished 5 years earlier under troubled circumstances.

Briefly, Bobbie is on her way to rehab in America but somehow or other she convinces Lynch to take on the persona of Heydon and her mother Miranda hires him to find out what actually happened to Heydon. With the money on offer the desperate Lynch is only too happy to oblige. What develops is something Lynch never envisaged as he gets drawn into a shocking story involving Bobbie’s family, a death from more than 20 years ago and a chilling tale of revenge.

Told from Lynch’s POV (we never learn his first name or even if it was his real name!) this is a fast paced and well plotted thriller spread over a couple of days in London. Lynch is a good character, his sarcastic humour was excellent and I know I shouldn’t but I had this conman’s back! The book felt a little 1960’s noir in style which I liked. I did get a bit confused at times as the plot is complex but overall this is a very good, well written story and I did enjoy it.

After reading True crime story, I could not wait to read this new book By Joseph Knox. Sorry to say this book did nothing for me.

Crypto currency, false leads and come on the meetings that took place, Really!!!

Very disappointed with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Imposter Syndrome. I was very pleased to receive this, as True Crime Story by the same author is one of my favourite books of all time!

Imposter Syndrome is a whirlwind through the criminal underworld. The main character, Lynch, was well thought out and I loved his sarcastic comments with ‘the baddies’ pointing guns and other murderous implements at him!

I definitely had to concentrate as there was so much going on, and the story was a web that just kept expanding. A great read, and a solid 4 stars for me!

A fast-moving novel with a very convoluted plot, Imposter Syndrome is very readable if a little confusing. I liked Lynch, the main character, and was happy to follow his exploits without worrying too much about the McGuffin. I'm still not entirely sure why these things were happening, but they made for an exciting read.

A thrilling crime novel. Lynch is a down on his luck con man who just happens to bare a striking resemblance to the missing troubled Heydon, a young man who has seemingly disappeared five years ago. He bumps into the man's sister Bobbie at the airport and very quickly descends into a rabbit hole of intrigue and mystery as he attempts to get to grips with first Heydon's disappearance and then the man's dysfunctional family. Slowly bodies start to mount up and he must keep work to save his own skin before it it too late.
Initially it held my attention. It had all the potential however by about a third of the way I grew a little tired of the rather laboured plot.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

I absolutely loved True Crime Story so I was elated to get stuck into Imposter Syndrome which sounded like the exact kind of twisty fun thrill I am in the mood for these days. Unfortunately, this one failed to hold my interest or attention. I just didn’t care about the story or the characters. I Will happily read more of Knox’s future or previous releases based on my appreciation for True Crime Story, but Imposter Syndrome just wasn’t it for me. I very much appreciate the arc though, so thank you!

What a page turner!… Absolutely breathtaking … I can’t believe I read this book in one sitting , it was so gripping

An incredible novel, Lynch our protagnonist is running away from something only to find himself involved in posing as a wealthy missing member of a somewhat shadowy family.

Lynch is written perfectly, I found myself rooting for the conman and I really hoped this witty character would end up on his feet.

We meet Lynch as he leaves France, and runs straight into Bobbie, a member of the Pierce family who thinks Lynch is her missing brother. By the next morning Lynch has been instructed on how to enter Bobbi's family home and get some money and he's gained a face tattoo. From here this book is a non stop ride from con men to murder and family secrets to.. well face tattoos.

This book had a beautiful old school mystery feel to it, despite it being completely modern. I enjoyed the humor that Lynch had in the face of absolutely everything and the plot was airtight, well written and backed up with some incredible character study.

If maybe you love your mysteries and thrillers but have got a little tired of similar tropes reappearing I would recommend this for you, an intelligent palette cleanser you won't want to put down and you certainly won't want to end.

I am not sure what drew me to this book as the synopsis is very generic and suggested nothing new. However, I think I actually enjoyed the first quarter as the mystery began to unfold. Unfortunately, the further the book went on the less I cared about any of the characters on the pages. Whilst the ridiculousness of the hard-nosed grifter without a care for any of his marks suddenly turning 180 and becoming an altruistic truth seeker was almost too much to bear, it was the final quarter of the book that hammered home the final nail as we are treated to page after page of exposition to try and explain the blunt plot. I hear good things about Josph Knox's books but on this evidence, I won't be rushing to read more.

What a cracking opening for a book! It had me hooked very quickly and then it moved on apace and I was left wondering what was going to happen, where issues really were, and what the outcomes might be. The plot thickens every few pages and we don’t always see where it is going. For me, however, in the last third/quarter of the book, it lost focus and just didn’t hold my attention to the same level. It was almost as if the author had no ending in mind for a long time and then wondered how to get out of his predicament! Up until then, really good. So, a bit of a curate’s egg for me – having struggled to finish it, I am not looking forward avidly for his next one book. It may just be that this one was “not quite my cup of tea”

Fast paced and addictive is what I would say to describe this book. Joseph Knox is perfection when it comes to a gritty crime story. Realistic and full of characters you kind of love to hate. He can do no wrong in my eyes - I’ve loved all of his books.

As a huge fan of Joesph's writing, I was so happy to be sent an early copy of this one. Another fantastic five-star read!

I knew I would love this as everything Joseph Knox writes is brilliant, but this is probably my favourite to date now!

Wonderfully flawed main character, huge choice of shady side characters and an ending so twisty my head is still spinning. If you enjoyed the Aiden Waits books, you'll definitely like this.

In his haste from Paris to London with not much else than the clothes on his back, conman Lynch quite literally stumbles over Bobbi in a hotel lobby. And it all takes a turn for quite the ride when Bobbi for three seconds mistakes him for her brother, Heydon that disappeared five years ago.
After being drugged and tattooed Lynch’s curiosity takes the better of him and he makes his way into a house containing a complicated family with complicated acquaintances. Plunging into a world unknown to most, Lynch agrees to be Heydon for one night.

He does what he agreed to do and is ready to take his suitcase and walk away, then his curiosity gets the better of him again. Risking his life again. This is what makes the main Caracter so likeable and in a sense a man to be admired, despite being a conman. Not only does he do what se he says he is going to do, he also seems to care for the family he agreed to help for a fee.
The Author keeps this reader pondering along the way, what about Paris? Why did he run? At the same time the reader has this gnawing thought in the back of the head, just out of grasp: what really happened to Heydon? Could he actually alive pulling threads?

A recommended read, indeed.