Keith Bradnam reviewed What You Did by Pearl Hewitt
Review of 'What You Did' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Warning: minor spoiler in this review
I read this book for the following reasons:
1. I’m trying to read a book a month this year
2. It’s free as part of Amazon Prime
3. It’s a thriller/mystery which hinted that it was a page-turner with a surprise ending
After I read this book, I saw another reviewer’s comment which I think captures my feelings pretty well:
“There is a new tragedy on every page.”
The initial premise of the book seemed interesting enough to justify filling the 282 pages. A college reunion between six friends where it all goes horribly wrong:
‘When Karen staggers in from the garden, bleeding and traumatised, she claims that she has been assaulted—by Ali’s husband, Mike. Ali must make a split-second decision: who should she believe? Her horrified husband, or her best friend?’
There are so many further revelations as the story progresses. You almost …
Warning: minor spoiler in this review
I read this book for the following reasons:
1. I’m trying to read a book a month this year
2. It’s free as part of Amazon Prime
3. It’s a thriller/mystery which hinted that it was a page-turner with a surprise ending
After I read this book, I saw another reviewer’s comment which I think captures my feelings pretty well:
“There is a new tragedy on every page.”
The initial premise of the book seemed interesting enough to justify filling the 282 pages. A college reunion between six friends where it all goes horribly wrong:
‘When Karen staggers in from the garden, bleeding and traumatised, she claims that she has been assaulted—by Ali’s husband, Mike. Ali must make a split-second decision: who should she believe? Her horrified husband, or her best friend?’
There are so many further revelations as the story progresses. You almost have no time to adjust to the latest reality before the next earth-shattering event happens. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the book concluded with an unexploded bomb going off in Ali’s garden. Or perhaps the final revelation would be that Martha was secretly still alive and was pulling strings behind the scenes to torture everyone.
I’ve no problem with the style of writing and I think the relationship between Ali and Karen is handled in a believable way (if two close friends were to find themselves in this terrible situation).
Apart from one character (Bill), this book was just an exercise in introducing ways to make me loathe/despise/pity (delete as appropriate) the main characters.