Title: Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A recovering alcoholic’s dark secerts catch up with her in this gripping novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Rumor.
“Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then . . . the truth. Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she’s doing.”—Lee Child
We said to keep it a secret, that no one needed to know.
Astrid is newly sober and trying to turn her life around. Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and darkness of her previous life , she is focusing on her recovery. She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged. If she fills her days, maybe she can outrun the ghosts that haunt her. Maybe she can start anew.
But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.
Someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected. Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . .
The question is: Who did you tell?
Review:
Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara is a spellbinding mystery that is quite poignant.
At the age of thirty-two, Astrid Phelps is living with her mum and trying to hang onto her hard-won sobriety. Settling into the small seaside town of Flinstead is not easy, but Astrid knows she has to make this work. She is resentful yet grateful for her mum’s support but both women are fighting to avoid falling into past habits with each other. Astrid reluctantly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and she is having trouble working through the steps of the program. Luckily for Astrid, newcomer Helen is of the same mind and the two women are soon supporting each other as they face their past mistakes. Astrid is also reviving her career with the help of the new man in her life, Josh Carter. But as she quickly discovers, Astrid’s past is about to collide with her present.
Astrid is irritable, grateful and frustrated with her new life. Her relationship with her mum is a delicate dance between her disastrous past and high expectations in the present. She is truly thankful her mum is willing to give her final chance, and Astrid cannot help but feel exasperated when her mum doubts her. With a long history of drinking, Astrid has many regrets and she is haunted by an event that she cannot completely remember. And she is also grieving a loss and plagued with guilt over her self-perceived role in a tragic series of events.
Astrid is troubled by memories that become much worse after she realizes someone is targeting her. Believing the elusive glimpses and haunting fragrances are a product of her imagination, she also has the creepy sensation that someone is watching her. Astrid eventually realizes that someone knows exactly who she is and what she has done, but how is that possible? Only one other person knows what happened and Astrid fears that her darkest secret has been told to someone who wants to harm her. Who is after her and why? And exactly how much danger is Astrid in?
Who Did You Tell? is a riveting mystery with a likable lead protagonist. Astrid’s struggles in her new life are authentic and easy to relate to. With plenty of tension and suspense, Lesley Kara brings this intriguing mystery to a twist-filled yet slightly predictable conclusion. I completely enjoyed and highly recommend this unnerving mystery to fans of the genre.
