All the Hidden Truths

Claire Askew

Hachette Australia

Hodder & & Stoughton

ISBN: 9781473673038

 

Description:

A wrenching, gripping, unforgettable debut crime novel for fans of Susie Steiner and Kate Atkinson.

 

This is a fact: Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women, then himself.

 

But no one can say why.

 

The question is one that cries out to be answered – by Ryan’s mother, Moira; by Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and by DI Helen Birch, put in charge of the case on her first day at her new job. But as the tabloids and the media swarm, as the families’ secrets come out, as the world searches for someone to blame… the truth seems to vanish.

 

A stunningly moving novel from an exciting new voice in crime, ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS will cause you to question your assumptions about the people you love, and reconsider how the world reacts to tragedy.

 

 

My View:

This book has All the Feels!  Intrigue, mystery, loss, grief, despair, resilience…love. This really is an exploration of what it is to be human when faced with a gut wrenching tragedy.  The spotlight is focussed firmly on the reactions and the responses that reflect the best and the worst in those close to the situation.

 

Despite knowing the who done it from the back cover synopsis and the opening chapters, the sense of urgency and the tensions ricochet off the pages.  There are characters you will love and those who you will despise; you will recognise some of the traits of the characters portrayed here in people you know. Your gut will be tied in knots as you react to the tensions and the mystery that is explored on the pages. Tension, tension, tension – what a wonderful wordsmith Claire Askew is to have created such a powerful narrative.

 

A complex situation is explored in great depth from many perspectives except that of the murderer, which allows you to form your own conclusion about the why of this crime. I loved the clever, surprising and heart-warming conclusion.

 

This is an author to watch out for.