Title: He Said She Said
Author: Erin Kelly
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

[Synopsis]

Who do you believe?
In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.
She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim’s life that is changed forever.
Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.
And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something – and someone – is always in the dark…

[My Review]

I did not expect He Said She Said to have such an impact on me. I didn’t know a huge deal about the story before, granted – I decided to read it based on the brief synopsis but found myself completely immersed in the dark, twisted and disturbing story!
The narrative switched between the present day and the past storyline, when the attack described in the synopsis takes place. It slowly unravels more and more of what happens, with some dark secrets along the way. Without giving anything important away, it’s really a story of secrets, guilt and how different people deal with traumatic events. It’s also about how an incident’s consequences and effects can affect different people in different ways.
The characters in He Said She Said are so well crafted – I really cared about Laura and Kit as we learn more and more about them because they’re so likeable, so because of this some of the book’s events felt like they shocked me to my core! They’re both ‘eclipse hunters’, so they spend a lot of time travelling to see eclipses around the globe (something that had never occurred to me as hobby for some reason) and it was interesting to read about this. I myself think eclipses are really interesting but couldn’t personally see myself ever crying over one – but perhaps I’ve just never had a powerful enough experience…
I loved the way the story really kept me guessing so you never quite know the real version of events, with lots of tangled emotions creating a really absorbing and, at times, dark novel. It’s also a story that left me really thinking about not only the characters themselves, but their lives and the book’s ending after I finished reading it which doesn’t always happen with other novels. As well as being thought-provoking and addressing important issues around how the law deals with victims of certain crimes (and it dealt with this issue really well, I felt), it was also very interesting and truly entertained me, Plus that ending left me reeling!
A well-written, tense thriller with a difference. Highly recommended!

[Rating: 5/5]

Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.