The book starts by introducing you to the main character Lynch.. although you are given an explanation that he was earning a living through conning people, nothing else is explained other than a character called Claire.. you are left guessing about the relevance to this person until the end of the book.

The storyline revolves around Lynch undertaking the identity of a man presumed dead, the family of Heydon are looking for answers surrounding his death and are suspicious that shady undertakings are to blame for his actions leading up to his death.

The storyline jumps from acquaintances of Heyden and his mind frame, I found the plot a little drawn out, I don’t want to spoil the ending but it was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down in fact I struggled at times to finish reading it.

I wouldn’t call it a thriller in any sense.

Lynch is fleeing from France and meets Bobbie at the airport, a wealthy woman who is bound for a rehab clinic, in London. She notices his resemblance to her missing (presumed dead) brother, Heydon,

After meeting Miranda, the formidable mother, he agrees to her offer to impersonate Bobbie's brother in order to find her son Heydon's killer.

Lynch hasn't quite realised what he will get involved with by agreeing to do this.

I saw a review saying it was like an episode of Slow Horses and I tend to agree! Thought it was a riveting story

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve enjoyed previous books by this author but I just didn’t get this one. Too many threads and unanswered questions.

Imposter Syndrome is a fast-paced and excitingread. Lynch, a down-and-out conman is mistaken for Bobbie Pierce’s missing brother Heydon. Seeing the resemblance Miranda (Bobbie and Heydon’s mother) hires Lynch to assume her son’s identity to try and find his killer.
A thrilling read that will appeal to readers
Who enjoy books with intricate twists and turns that keep you guessing

Talented Mr Ripley vibes in this book, but more up to date. I love it when you read a book and can see the cinematic version of it playing on your head as you read along.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book - this is my honest opinion.

The title and synopsis had me greatly intrigued... unfortunately i didn't feel gripped into the story line as much as i was hoping. Bobbie however was my favourite character and felt like if she was more in the story with her funny lines would have made it more interesting.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 70%. This is the first book that I’ve read by Joseph Knox, but I do have a few of his other books on my TBR. Although I will still read them, I don’t think I’ll rush to. This one seemed very unrealistic and far-fetched, to the point where it annoyed me. I understand that the storyline is fictional, but I still wanted it to feel possible. There were also so many characters, it was confusing and hard to remember who everyone was. Although I’m sure some people will enjoy this book, it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Dirty, gritty and full of turns you can’t predict. Another outing from a writer who keeps you on your toes

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

Con artist Lynch leaves Paris in a hurry. We’re not party to the reason he left in such a hurry - well not yet anyway. He arrives in London completely broke, no idea what he’s going to do, and then he gets talking to Bobbie. Heiress Bobbie is from a very wealthy family and has addiction issues. Her brother Heydon also had problems and went missing 5 years previously.

Bobbie can’t believe Lynch’s resemblance to Heydon, it’s uncanny how much he looks like him. She’s about to fly to the States for rehab, but she puts a curious idea to Lynch, and although it may seem lucrative for him, especially in his current situation, it will lead him into some very dark places and into a life and death situation.

This is a well written story and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Joseph Knox, however, I struggled to maintain interest in the plot which was very complex, and sadly I didn’t really care about any of the characters either. Will it put me off any of his future offerings? Absolutely not as I normally love his books.

Going into this I didnt really know what to expect. Chaos probably.
While for the most part I was enjoying this. Trying to figure out all the pieces. There was a moment that it felt a little dragging. But by the end I was intrigued to see how they tied all the ends up.

I loved True Crime Story which is why I chose to read this book. On reflection they're two very different books and I prefer the narrative structure andcwriting style of TCS. This book was too much in the vein of espionage for my tastes. It's well written but just not for me.

Loved the book. Fast, funny, twisty , great horrible characters. Read it in a couple of sittings as I had to see if I guessed the perpetrator ……….
No I was wrong! Excellent.

A con artist meets an heiress in a hotel, he is the spit of her missing brother and she is about to check in to rehab.
This book has a fabulous opening and I was hooked from the outset.
The book is well written, has interesting characters and a great pace.
I struggled in places to keep up and understand some of the intricate twists and turns. The plot in the latter half of the book is quite complex, even after finishing I’m not 100% sure I understood it.
Not a book to read if you’re sleepy or can only read small chunks at a time, it needs attention and concentration.
Overall an enjoyable read, but it didn’t quite live up to the excellent opening.

Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox

There’s no way to do this storyline justice in a short post, and you can read the official blurb for that.

To give you a quick flavour, we have our ‘hero’ Lynch, a down on his luck con-artist who becomes mixed up with two unlikable uber-rich families - one with dead sons, a druggie daughter, and actress mother; the second with a ‘Howard Hughes’ dad and the twins he’s feeding on.

Then there are security guys, influencers, a fixer, and a cast of henchmen as long as your arm. Put these together with a load of secrets and a chase through London, and you’ll get the drift.

It’s an enjoyable twisty whodunn-what and why. It didn’t grab me like True Crime (the format’s not as unique and it’s not as believable) but I still wanted to get to the bottom of it all. 3.5/5 stars

Thanks to @netgalley for the drc to review

Lynch, a down-on-his-luck conman, flees from Paris to London with nothing to his name. On arrival, he meets wealthy Bobbie, on her way to rehab, who is drawn to him by his resemblance to her brother Heydon, who disappeared some years before under suspicious circumstances. Bobbie sends Lynch to her family home, where her mother, Miranda, hires him to impersonate Heydon to try to flush out those who caused his death, but soon Lynch is involved with some very dangerous people whilst trying to unravel the truth from a web of lies. Like Knox’s earlier books this is a dark, violent and intricately plotted crime novel with a morally dubious, but still somehow likeable, leading man. I particularly enjoyed seeing Lynch’s character develop and grow a conscience. Fast-paced and twisty, and very intelligently written with a wry humour, it kept me guessing, and even by the end I wasn’t entirely sure about who had done what, but it was a thrilling ride.

I really thought I was going to love this from the way the book started but I found the plot went down some rabbit holes and ultimately lost me a bit.

Full review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6463922903

Imposter Syndrome - Joseph Knox

A con-artist, an heiress and a missing doppelganger. I had no idea these 3 components could make for such a good story!

Lynch bumps into a secretive heiress, on her way to rehab, who recognises the similarities between him and her missing brother. After a hazy night together, Bobbie disappears, leaving Lynch in a hotel room with a seemingly random tattoo on his face and information that will allow him access to a family with more money than they know what to do with.

After striking a deal, Lynch gets invested in the case of his missing doppelganger as surprising clues keep falling into his hands. The deeper he gets, the harder it becomes to walk away.

Lynch’s investigation is enticing, leaving the reader to think the mysteries about to be solved after each emerging clue. However, you find yourself falling deeper into the questionable disappearance along with Lynch himself.

This is a brilliantly written book. One which is difficult to predict and comes with many surprising plot twists.

I struggled slightly with understanding the roles that each character plays, finding it quite complex and difficult to follow at times. However, persistence is key and as I progressed through the book, each event and character began to make more sense and become relevant to the story itself.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in return for an honest review!

When Lynch, a conman, arrives in London, fleeing a situation he wanted to escape in Paris, he bumps into Bobbie Pierce, whose brother went missing years earlier and to whole Lynch apparently bears a striking resemblance. Drawn into the Pierce family’s murky world, Lynch tries to find out what happened to Heydon Pierce and who might have been responsible.

This is a very readable thriller. I really liked our main character, and could read more with him in. His conman persona, switching between who he needs to be in the arising situation I think meant we didn’t get to know him all that well and I’d be intrigued to know more.

This is a VERY twisty book so PAY ATTENTION! There were some interesting elements at play in the plot and I was dying to find out what had happened.

Recommended to anyone looking for a twisty thriller.

Mr Lynch arrives at the airport. He bumps into Bobby Pierce who mistakes him for her brother who went missing and before he knows Mr Lynch is working out what did happen to Hayden Pierce. Is he dead or alive?

A great story full of twists. I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't stop reading. Thank you for letting me read it.

4+
First of all, I love the cover which does the book justice!

A gouger : a charlatan, a cheater, a con artist, a chiseller and at the very least of the definition, a rascal.
Yes, Lynch is all of the above and he’s currently fleeing from Paris. He’s bound for London with no luggage, no money and a dying phone. At Heathrow, he accidentally bumps into Bobbie Pierce who mistakes Lynch for her brother Heydon who has been missing for five years. This chance encounter takes Lynch into the orbit of the Pierce family, in particular Bobbie’s formidable mother, former actress, Miranda. Miranda also sees Lynchs resemblance to her missing son and hires him to assume Heydon’s identity with the objective of drawing out the truth. However, ever since he arrives in the UK, Lynch has a sense of being watched. Paranoia or something way more sinister?

Joseph Knox delivers an excellent read yet again with corkscrew plot twists right from Heathrow and you need to keep up as it’s complex and could cause your head to spin! You think you’ve sorted out who’s behind the nefarious deeds only to find there are shadowy and even more dangerous characters or organisations lurking behind them. Lynch goes back and forth, back and forth, often retracing steps sometimes advancing his grasp on the goings on and sometimes just to clarify what he thinks MIGHT be going on! Heydon’s story is immersive, it’s twisty, his backstory tugs at the heart as it seems he’s prey but who is his predator or predators? That’s the billion dollar question and why? Joseph Knox has set us a very enigmatic puzzle full of many characters to navigate.

Lynch has certainly entered a lions den and his characterisation is so good. He’s tough, not necessarily likeable but he’s doggedly determined and he doesn’t baulk as he encounters yet another scary dude, suggesting for once, he’s trying to do the right thing. He’s a complicated man, I find him very intriguing and definitely would want to keep on his right side!

It’s an addictive read as I try to solve the riddles posed and what is ultimately revealed is a tense and dark tale of deception upon deception with very dangerous players. Think ‘Hustle’ but with characters from the darkest gangster film that you can think of.

Overall, it’s a different and wild ride, keeping you in suspense. The moral of the tale ? Trust no one.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated in return for an honest review.