What You Did

Product Information

I don’t believe that the current ( not past) romance between Ali & Bill was necessary, nor did it add anything of value to the plot.

It sounded great ... but then the choice of main voice over Pearl Hewitt, for me spoiled the story as I thought she seemed far too old and staid for the character she was portraying. The result was all I could picture was the group of friends who seemed interesting and vibrant and then a much older, stodgy and dull main character. McGowan reveals an Ireland not of leprechauns and craic but of outdated social and sexual mores, where women and their bodies were of secondary importance to perceived propriety and misguided politics―a place of well-buttoned lips and stony silence, inadequate police and paramilitary threat. Recommended: It wasn't for me, maybe it is for you. I see that some found it to be a delightful read. Maybe, you would too.

Publication Order of Anthologies

It’s the 25th anniversary reunion for the group of 6 that created a bond while in university, a bond that is still strong today. But is it?

Through questioning the society and circumstances that allowed eight young women to vanish without a trace―no conclusion or conviction, no resolution for their loved ones―bestselling crime novelist Claire McGowan delivers a candid investigation into the culture of secrecy, victim-blaming and shame that left these women’s bodies unfound, their fates unknown, their assailants unpunished. I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review. This review will also publish to my blog, tropicaldelusions.blog,. Was What You Did as good as it's hyped up to be? Not really. Was it really bad? It's not so bad that I want to put it in the DNF pile.The Dead Ground is the second installment in the Paula McGuire book series. It begins from where, The Lost, the first installment had left off from. The protagonist, Paula McGuire is still a forensic psychologist who resides in the small town of Ballyterrin, North Ireland. Paula lives with her father, who is a former policeman, while at the same time she is still chasing the ghost of her mother that has constantly been haunting her. With that said, Paula is an exceedingly likable character, who made lots of mistakes, with Aiden O’Hara, the newspaper owner, and DI-Guy, her boss. However, despite the number of mistakes that Paula has done, she still has work to do, considering the fact that a baby has been snatched from the hospital and everyone is racing against time to locate the missing baby. Apart from having the theme of pregnancy, this book also has the theme of missing babies, which proved to be both compelling and disturbing at the same time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of What You Did by Claire McGowan. This thriller kept me guessing, although I did have my suspicions. I just couldn't reconcile the scene with my suspicions, but then it all came together in the end. The last line was particularly chilling! The friends gather at Ali and Mike's home and proceed to get drunk and some even get high. Ali is awakened at 3 am, and is stunned when her best friend, Karen, comes in the house screaming that she was raped. Ali's life is turned upside down when secrets about all of the friendships come to light. Reunions are supposed to be exciting, reunions are supposed to be memorable but this reunion proves to be a nightmare for the protagonist. Ali decides a reunion with her friends from university after twenty years. Ali, a home maker and a volunteer at a local shelter for victims for rape and domestic abuse and Mike, a corporate lawyer are married with two children and a lovely suburban home. Jodi and Callum are lawyers and Jodi is heavily pregnant with the child she's longed for. Karen is raising a son by herself and lives in near poverty. Bill has returned home from Sweden after ending a relationship. I have read other books by this author and was not disappointed. I'm hoping this one was just an anomaly. I will be happy to read her future books.

The novel is not about sexual assault, per se, and he said/she said, though the trigger for rape and sexual violence is prevalent; it's about who we are when someone we love is faced with such a horrible accusation. This plot line could go badly wrong in the wrong hands, but I feel it’s sensitively and responsibly handled. Ali’s confusion and grief are utterly believable - she knows Karen, she knows women rarely lie about rape, but she also knows her husband - who can she believe? Trying to make sense of what’s happened and find an explanation she can live with, Ali finds herself thinking and acting in ways she can’t quite believe. The night starts well with a meal, reminiscing about old times but as the drinks start to flow half of the party can't keep up the pace and retire to bed. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? Why would this woman accuse her husband for no reason at all? Who does she trust ...her husband.. or her best friend? Overall, I did appreciate the difficult topics covered- rape, sexting gone wrong, martial issues, and fertility. It showed real life, how far people can go, and how crazy they really seem, in an attempt to keep sameness and safeness in ones life. But with that said, the second half of the book I just didn't jive with... hence the 3.5.

Publication Order of Paula Maguire Books

Mike and Ali seem to have it all. They’ve been together since university and have the perfect marriage. Two kids. A beautiful house. And money. Ali feels like she has it all and is content being an activist for rape victims. She has the life she has always wanted and naively believes that nothing could shatter that. The story is of course fictional but sometime as readers we tend to search for some sort of connect with reality even in a novel. We are unable to associate or empathize with the characters as they are all too self obsessed. The quality of writing is superior but the plot fails to impress, with more complexities woven in the plot than what is necessary Rachel lives a quiet life in the peaceful countryside, content with her perfect man and her lovely dog. But when she stumbles upon a body in the woods one day, all that shatters. She knows what she has to do: run. Don’t get accused of murder. But when this victim is identified as her boyfriend’s estranged wife, Rachel realises she’s already the prime suspect. Meet Ali & Mike, college sweethearts that seem to have it all...the million-dollar home, a boy & girl, genuine love for one another and while her husband is a prestigious lawyer Ali works to make female empowerment more prevalent in today’s world. She is a hardcore feminist who believes that women need to be heard, especially in cases of domestic violence and sexual misconduct.