What You Did

Product Information

Karen stumbles in from the garden of her old friend Ali’s house, distraught and traumatised. She’s been raped - and the man she accuses is Ali’s husband. And right there, everything changes for everybody. Absorbing, timely, and beautifully written, What You Did is a superior psychological thriller from a major talent." - Mark Edwards The author then proceeds to lead her readers on a rather clever, merry dance into the past as we see how the relationships between these 6 ‘friends’ actually started and evolved into what exists today. Between groups of people, especially when men and women are involved, the balance is never equal. There’s always someone who’s weaker and someone else who holds the power – who these people are might differ over time as circumstances change, but it all boils down to who needs something from the others. It’s intriguing to delve into this tangled web and discover where the power lies. A novel with a bland plot can often be redeemed by charming characters, or expert prose. Sadly, What You Did can boast neither. McGowan’s style is mostly nondescript, with only the occasional sprinkling of awful to catch your attention. One particularly shoddy excerpt made me laugh aloud: At some point before the drugs come out, Ali and Jodi decide to call it a night. But then, a while later, while everyone is in a bit of a stupour, not knowing where they are or what time it is, there is screaming and Karen comes stumbling inside claiming she’s been raped … by Mike, Ali’s husband. If Ali thought that incorrect room assignments were the worst of her problems, she’s about to be mistaken!

At first, it was hard to Ali; I know women like her, who would turn a blind eye to any transgression a spouse has done as long as she is able to live in her plastic delusional bubble that her family is fine; that nothing is wrong with anyone and anything. 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,.

Tiny Synopsis: Ali Morris has her friends from her Oxford Uni days visit for the weekend to catch up after for a reunion. It seems Ali has the most charmed life with the amazing successful husband, 2 great kids, beautiful home, and a respectable job helping women in The reunion party is told from different people’s prospectives and you come to realise their friendship is woven together with lies and secrets, just like Pandora’s box being opened, once these secrets are revealed the consequence can be fatal!! But the exciting and anticipated reunion would not end well as one guest in a drunken stupor, bloody and hysterical, runs in with a claim of rape. By Ali’s husband. But that can’t be. It couldn’t possibly be true. But who is lying? Her husband or her best friend?

I'd also like to mention, despite being billed as a psychological thriller--IT IS NOT. I'd classify it more as a domestic drama/suspense. A very easy one to figure out, I might add. I knew all that would happen within a few chapters. And seriously, I have to mention this because WTF!? What is up with that book cover? What is it even supposed to be? If I had written this book, I'd be peeved if I was saddled with that terrible cover. What You Did felt like it had a little bit of everything and wasn't strictly just about sexual assault even though that was definitely a main theme. There is also a murder mystery aspect, and I really had no idea what was going to happen. McGowan manages to make you doubt every person in the book, and completely kept me guessing. I felt like there was something going on throughout the entire book which also made it a fast read for me. The end managed to give me chills because it was so unexpected and that is something I love in a book. The book doesn’t get too graphic in its depictions of the assault, but it’s a constant part of the story. So, this is probably one to skip if this topic is a trigger. What You Did" by Claire McGowan follows the story of a group of university friends who are reuniting after 20 years. University boyfriend and girlfriend and now well-off married couple Ali and Mike are hosting the reunion dinner in the beautiful family home they share with their son and daughter and Ali can't wait to show off her perfect life to her old friends - particularly her one-time best friend Karen. This story centres around the 25 year reunion of six college/university friends, two teenagers and a 10 year old child.Secrets start to unravel and the reader is forced to think what kind of a friendship did the six share as everybody is hiding something or the other from everybody else. The rape accusation also reveals a murder of a common friend Martha while they were still in college. The plot becomes more and more complex as the story progresses. Ali and her husband Mike are having an anniversary party with their old university friends. They are celebrating knowing them for 25 years, staying up late drinking and reminiscing about the past. They are awoken by Karen who is Ali’s best friend crying that she was raped by Mike.