What You Did

Product Information

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?

Cassie, her brother Benji and Jake, Karen’s son, were the only characters I really liked. They were the only ones who could see how tragic the events of the night and the few days after were and they were not thinking about the consequences for themselves. However, despite it’s promising start and compelling premise, What You Did kind of fizzled out for me. To be honest, the vast majority of the characters are very difficult to like or really empathise with in any way. That is not necessarily a problem, I’ve enjoyed plenty of books with unlikeable characters but in this case it just didn’t work for me. The story took some odd twists and turns which also didn’t totally come off.I am familiar with Claire McGowan’s books having read a few from her Paula Maguire series. This is a stand-alone novel and she has proved that she can do both perfectly well. 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. As the mystery unravels there are many more surprises and twists to come. Can you really trust your friends? Are your friends who they pretend to be?

I find this a very interesting mystery novel! The premise is very catchy and the novel definitely delivers in the suspense and the psychology angle, even if it shows shallowness, selfishness and one-dimensional characters - but this might be verily said about many people. So I am going to be honest here - while I do find the main character, Ali, to be realistically written one, I also do not like her. Not because of her naivity and and the strong unwillingness to see the reality (because this can happen to the best of us), but because of her selfishness and shallow kindness (which simply stops when something collides with her interests). But - this is the reality of people, and I am really not here because I want to like the characters, but because I want to enjoy the mystery. And the mystery IS interesting here. What has really happened in the garden during the night? And is there a connection to the crime some twenty years ago? 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! Each character is written with depth and precision and if you searched your own group of friends you'd likely find the variety of characters among them - although maybe milder. The planning that Claire McGowan must have done to prepare for this is phenomenal. Each chapter weaves a small thread of the story whilst developing the characters and their changing relationships. As a new thread is added, you are forced to re-evaluate your opinions and everything you had previously thought making this a suspenseful novel full of twists and surprises. Her unease only deepens after renovations begin, when the builders find sinister dolls hidden in the walls. As Helen digs into the house’s past, she discovers that the previous owner was not only rumoured to be a witch; she was also imprisoned for a brutal triple murder thirty years earlier. What You Did covers the lives of 6 college grads coming together for a 25 year weekend reunion. Also in my early 40s, stories like this appeal to me a great deal. These characters are my peers, so to speak. Unfortunately, all six (and their children) were intensely unlikable assholes. Worse, our main protagonist, Ali, might very well be the most ignorant main character ever written--she definitely fulfilled her quota of stupid thoughts, stupid choices, and stupid actions. A stronger female lead would have likely made a huge difference in how I felt about this story.University friends gather together after 25 years. A few head to bed, a few stay up and continue the party. When various reasons pull the 6 out of bed early in the morning, Ali's best friend Karen stumbles into the kitchen claiming that Ali's husband, Mike raped her. To throw an extra twist into an already complicated situation Ali is a rape and assault advocate for a non-profit. Who does she believe? What really happened that night? DRAMA. But, can I blame Ali for wanting something she never had, especially when her childhood was so abusive and traumatic? 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. Ali and husband Mike are hosting a twenty-fifth reunion weekend for a small group of their friends from Oxford. But things take a very dark turn when Ali's best friend Karen accuses Mike of raping her in the garden after the rest of the group has retired for the evening. Not only is the act, and the following accusation, horrific, but secrets that have long been hidden within the group begin to come to the surface, specifically details surrounding the mysterious death of a fellow student. The group begin to question not only their friends, but also themselves in a way that they have never done before. How well do we really know those in our inner circle, and what are we willing to conceal under the guise of friendship? I wasn't sure at first about the inclusion of the 1993 storyline. It felt a bit like flogging a dead horse - yes, lies have been told before, we get it. But it evolved into becoming an integral element of the novel, and it did end up adding a lot to the readers experience.