Review: He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

Title: He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 401 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.

But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.

The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder—did she trust the wrong person?

15 years later, Kit and Laura married are living under new names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

From Erin Kelly, queen of the killer twist, He Said/She Said is a gripping tale of the lies we tell to save ourselves, the truths we cannot admit, and how far we will go to make others believe our side of the story.

Review:

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly is a brilliant, twist-filled mystery that unfolds at leisurely pace.

In 1999, Laura Langrishe and Kit McCall have been dating about six months when they attend a festival in Cornwall to watch a solar eclipse.  Immediately after the eclipse is over, Laura stumbles onto the scene of an apparent sexual assault.  After the trial is over, victim Beth Taylor befriends Laura but their friendship slowly takes an unexpectedly dark turn. Fast forward fifteen years, Laura and Kit are now married and have taken extreme measures to remain out of the public eye. However, they still venture out of hiding to view eclipses but they still try to keep as far under the radar as possible. In 2015, Laura is pregnant with twins so Kit travels with a friend to view the latest eclipse and Laura’s anxiety slowly ratchets to a fever pitch amid fears that Beth will locate them again.

Weaving back and forth in time and alternating between Kit and Laura’s perspective, the events in the past and present slowly unfold.  In her early twenties, Laura is a bit self righteous as she takes charge the situation with Beth and she is determined to do everything she can to assure the rapist’s conviction. Although Kit is not a witness to the attack, he is quickly swept up in the series of events that follow.  Relieved when the trial is over, he is less than pleased when Beth insinuates herself into their lives.  Despite his best efforts to convince Laura to distance herself from Beth, Laura cannot bring herself to abandon her friend.

In the present, Laura still suffers from extreme anxiety and paranoia that worsens as they prepare to view eclipses. Laura’s fears are valid but she refuses to let them  interfere with something that holds such meaning for both her and Kit. She tries to hold her dread in check while Kit is on his trip and she is greatly relieved as his return draws near.  Relieved when her worries fail to come to fruition, Laura drops her guard as she concentrates on his impending homecoming but has she relaxed her guard a little too soon?

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly is an absolutely riveting mystery that fans of the genre will enjoy.  The pacing is a little slow but at the same time, the tension gradually builds as Laura’s doubts begin to creep in. Just when the reader thinks the whole story has been revealed, the first shocking plot twist is revealed.  The unexpected twists and turns then occur at breakneck speed as the novel hurtles to an adrenaline-laced, jaw-dropping conclusion. An absolutely outstanding, twisty-turny mystery that I absolutely loved and HIGHLY recommend.