A recovering alcoholic’s dark secrets 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 … 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?
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Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then… the truth. Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she’s doing.
What a successful psychological suspense novel! The truth was well hidden to me throughout the story. I thought the characters were depicted nicely to fit together to form the story, especially the members of the AA group. Overall, I loved Astrid and I loved the way the author wrote this story.
This book will continuously keep you guessing. A whole lot of twists and turns that will keep you turning every page.
This is a great book. I’ll tell you now, because it’s a fantastic read, especially if you are like me and into psychological thrillers. I could write a lengthy and wordy review but if what I have written can say what I thought of this book then it’s long enough!
Astrid is fresh out of rehab, living with her Mom and is being haunted by her past. I found it a bit slow in the beginning and actually put it down for awhile and restarted. I ended up really enjoying it. Definitely will keep you guessing.
Suspenseful story of a recovering alcoholic riddled with guilt and things she just can quite remember. Then someone starts leaving things for her to find and figuring out the who and why becomes dangerous.
I very much enjoyed “Who Did You Tell?” by Lesley Kara. I am usually not much for the suspense/mystery genre, but this one captured my attention right away. As someone who has lived with an alcoholic, I can tell you that the author did a great job of bringing forward those feelings that a recovering alcoholic experiences.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It was well-written, and I enjoyed the change of pace. If you’re a fan of suspense, I definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
*Trigger warning: This story discusses drug and alcohol abuse and related sequela of this lifestyle including the lasting physical and psychological effects. The struggles with success and failures at becoming sober.
In London, Hilary “Astrid” Phelps is a 32 years old who was a rebellious teen who left home at 17 to escape the restraints of living the norm. She meets Simon at a bar and they begin a whirlwind relationship which included drug and alcohol abuse. Eventually, they separate and reunite until it drastically ends with him taking his own life.
Hilary changed her name to Astrid back when she was a teen because it meant “divine strength” which was the antithesis of everything from which she was running. It’s when she wakes up in a hospital with her mother by her side that she decides to start over. She moves in with her mother in her childhood town of Flinstead-by-Sea which was the last place she ever wanted to be. Her mother provides her with the “tough love” to remain sober after she is discharged from Rehab. Amongst the conditions for her living situation is that Astrid continue to attend regular AA meetings.
It’s at AA where she encounters a variety of characters with their own life stories and reasons which led them to AA. At the meetings Astrid is hesitant to reveal much of her story and is leery of the other members. Rosie is a member who has poor boundaries and always offering unsolicited advice. She works at a charity thrift store and currently homeless. Astrid begins to build a friendship with Helen another member of the group who avoids Rosie whenever she can. Similarly, Rosie cautions Astrid about Helen’s history and tendencies for relapse.
Although they caution in AA to avoid relationships after rehab, Astrid chats with Josh who was surfing where she likes to walk the beach. He asks her to meet for coffee which she accepts since it seems casual and she doesn’t need to disclose her alcoholism. Of course, her mother’s friend Pam seems to notice everything in their small town and reports back to her mother about this man. Astrid reassures her mother that she has no plans to venture off her path of sobriety.
Since Astrid returned home she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched and followed. The paranoia remains as she is still trying to make sense of life as a sober person. Blackouts and hallucinations were some experiences which continue to plague her memory. Additionally, she carries the emotional burden of feeling responsible for Simon’s death.
Eventually, Astrid discovers that someone was following her which leads to a confrontation regarding her past decisions. With clarification regarding past events, Astrid attempts to understand its implications for her future. Not wanting to disclose her alcoholic past with Josh, she resorts to trusting Rosie and Helen from AA who have seemed to be supportive.
Consequently, secrets and lies always have a way of surfacing when least expected. Astrid’s biggest secret she thought died with Simon which raises the question, “Who did you tell?” It seems that the past is again back to disrupt whatever peace she may have found. How does Astrid cope during all this pressure and revelations? Can past mistakes be forgiven or amended? Is it possible to ever leave the past behind?
There is a very high emotional aspect to this thrilling story. As we are taken on Astrid’s journey as a recovering alcoholic, we are met with the struggles not only she faces, but her mother as well. Astrid has secrets from her past and someone is stalking and threatening her. Someone is seeking revenge. This story is filled with twists and secrets and heartfelt moments. A great mystery with a surprising ending.
I read this in practically one sitting. Couldn’t put it down. Kept me guessing until the very end! Good book. I’ll definitely look for more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random house Ballantine and the Author, Lesley Kara for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While this book started out a little choppy for me, once I got the story and the players it all came together in a great cat and mouse thriller.
My second read from this Author and certainly won’t be my last!
You can’t always run from your past. This is the theme of Who Did You Tell by Lesley Kara. Astrid is back home, even if that is the last thing she wants. As a recovering alcoholic, she is trying to get her life back on track. But what secrets is she hiding and whey doe someone not want her to forget? The story is full of twists and turns and will keep you captivated from start to finish.
Happy reading!
I could not order nor read this book with such a glaring grammatical error in the title
Who Did You Tell? starts out a bit slow for a psychological thriller, but Astrid is such a thought-provoking character that it was easy to fall into her story. Most of us have been touched by addiction in one way or another, whether it’s gotten its hooks into us personally or someone we love. Either way, Lesley Kara handled that element very well in my opinion. Astrid’s inner monologue rings quite true, and I feel like the author gives us a pretty sharp look at some of the long road addicts face. Once things pick up, the story has a fair amount of twists, some predictable, some not as much, but predictable or not, the story held my interest. In the end, the story kept me turning pages, and while I still feel like it was more drama than thriller, it was certainly worth the read.
“Who Did You Tell” is like trailing alongside your best friend during her walk of shame. Except you don’t giggle along each time she pieces together the memories of her blackout evening; instead, you cringe each time Astrid reveals another memory long since blocked out, blacked out, or locked away. Your stomach churns as Astrid remembers who she was and what she’s running from. You cheer her on with each sober day she accrues, and you pat her hand with each drunken day she remembers.
The author dedicates the book to anyone who’s life has been affected by addiction, and I think “Who Did You Tell” is a very realistic take on what happens when we take accountability for the addictions that held us captive. As a former smoker, I know exactly what it feels like to want to run to the nearest gas station and buy a pack of cigarettes during a moment of weakness. As the child of 2 addicts, I can relate to Astrid’s mother and how she struggled with crossing the line between caring mother and enabling mommy.
The author weaved Astrid’s past into the book, teasing the reader with tidbits as each tidbit haunted Astrid’s present. It was a great plot device.
I found the big reveal to be predictable but not less enjoyable as a result.
Astrid is a recovering alcoholic living with her mother in a seaside town. She had spent some time in rehab and is now attending meetings. Astrid’s mother works hard to make sure that Astrid is not drinking and has told her that if she does, she has to leave.
As she attends AA, Astrid gets to know some of the other alcoholics at the meeting. Although they aren’t to acknowledge one another outside of the meetings, she has become friends with Helen. They get together for tea of coffee and chats.
She meets a nice man named Josh on the beach and meets him for coffee. When he learns that she was a scene painter in the past, he invites her to meet his father who wants a scene painted in his house. They spend some time together and are attracted to on another. But she is hesitant to tell him that she is an alcoholic.
When Astrid begins receiving threatening mail, she becomes nervous and doesn’t know who is targeting her. What do they want and why?
I wondered who could have been after Astrid, but from her sordid past, it could have been anyone. This is a very gritty story and shows the misery that a recovering alcoholic goes through. I think anyone who has known an alcoholic can certainly agree that the author got this one spot-on.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This story has a lot of twist and turns that keeps you guessing. Who is after her and what did she do that was so bad. At the end it comes all together. It shows how hard it is for an alcoholic to break the habit. The hold it has on a person. Will Astrid be able to resist? We also see what it does to the mother who cares and don’t know how much more she can take. This is a great story that I highly recommend reading.
This is a gripping page turner. Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who is being haunted by her past. The author makes it a nail biter by offering the reader multiple people as suspects for her stalker. Just when we think we know who the villain is we are proven totally wrong. The characters are superbly well developed. They are purposeful and support the role they play. Keeping yourself glued to the pages will be effortless.
Lesley Kara revisits the claustrophobic coastal town of Flintstead in her second novel Who Did You Tell? In her debut, The Rumor, Kara portrays how innuendo and lies can run rampant in such an enclosed space, where newcomers are regarded with suspicion and all seek to discover each other’s darkest shame. This novel also deals with mistruths and misunderstandings, but this time the deception is internal as well as external. Astrid is on her last chance with her mother when she moves in with her after a stint in rehab. She is still fragile and prone to temptation for relapse, torn apart by guilt and regret for acts she committed while still in the grips of her alcoholism. She is haunted by the memory of an ex-boyfriend, experiencing flashbacks and reminders of some great misdeed that she has perpetrated. The reader is left to guess the true circumstances around the events that brought Astrid to this point, and the novel is dedicated to slowly unspooling the tale. Astrid believes that she is trying to avoid entanglements, yet she is hasty to get involved with a handsome surfer and a new friend from AA. She avoids telling her new love interest about her issues and eventually finds herself constantly lying to him as they become more involved. Helen, a new fellow-AA member, seems like a safer bet for Astrid, and she begins to trust her story to this woman who appears to be as damaged as herself. The pressure to confide and unburden herself is almost as strong as the compulsion Astrid feels to take a drink. This intensity is magnified when it becomes clear that her instincts were correct—someone really is stalking her, sending her messages that threaten to expose her secrets. Who Did You Tell? continues Kara’s exploration of the costs of self-deception and the burden of secrecy and she does an admirable job describing the torture of temptation. The book’s strongest points are when describing Astrid’s inner struggles, but the reader becomes frustrated with her irrational swings between subterfuge and confession. The “romantic” interludes are a bit awkward and the stakes of the relationship don’t quite measure up to the emotional throes that Astrid experiences. As a thriller, the book does not inspire many chills, but there are enough plot twists and action to make it a decent read for a long summer afternoon.
Thanks to the author, Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Who Did You Tell? By Lesley Kara
Addiction can be a powerful thing. It will take over your mind. You will do things you never would have done had you been sober. It will make you forget things. It will twist your memories. It will rule you world.
Welcome to Astrid’s world. As she tries to get sober and begin life anew, her memories taunt her. They creep into her subconscious, but are they real? Can Astrid start a new life or will she be sucked into her old ways? Can she trust anyone with the truth? Will she be judged?
Ms. Kara is able to take the reader through a gamut of emotions as Astrid tries to get clean and begin a new life in a small town while living with her mother, juggling AA meetings, a new job and a potential love interest.
This book is a page turner. It is well written and easy to read. You will want to stay up late to see Astrid through this journey and discover who can be trusted.