Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister: Review

Two roads diverge....

Thirty-year-old Joanna is somewhat disorganised, even shambolic, inclined to avoid rather than confront difficulties; not really sure what she wants to do with her life; never quite feeling like a Proper Person. Still, her life seems good - happily married to the socially-conscious Reuben, with good friends and a steady job, even if she's never quite measured up to the promise of her schooldays (or the expectations of her parents).

Then something happens while she's walking home from a night out. A split second, a terrible misjudgement which spells disaster - but it's what Joanna does in the immediate aftermath which will determine the path of her life from that moment on. To reveal - or to conceal? Own up and face the consequences - or flee and hide? Both possible paths, with their repercussions for both Joanna and those around her, are dissected in alternate chapters.

It's an original and challenging method of telling a story - two stories, even - and it is so well written and cleverly done that it works really well. I never felt confused about which version of "reality" I was reading. The differences and also similarities between the two timelines are fascinating to observe, not only for Joanna and her husband, friends, colleagues, brother - but also for the victim, who is simultaneously at the centre of everything yet still somehow outside, and his family.

Through the parallel timelines, we witness on the one hand a frightening and confusing journey through the legal system; and on the other, a depiction of the corrosive effects of persistent guilt, silence and concealment. Most of all this is a sensitive and nuanced character portrait and analysis of personal consequences.

There's also a very real sense of "this could happen to any of us", and I imagine most readers will at some point ask themselves the question: what might I do in a moment of sheer panic? And what might be the consequences of that?

Anything You Do Say is an enthralling and thought-provoking read which is destined to be very successful.

This review was previously posted on NetGalley. Thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review