The Confession by Jo Spain: Review

It’s the first spray of my husband’s blood hitting the television screen that will haunt me in the weeks to come.

The Confession opens in shocking fashion: Harry and Julie McNamara are watching TV at home one evening when a strange man enters the house and brutally attacks Harry with a golf club. Harry's traumatised wife Julie, frozen in shock, is the only witness.

Some time later John Paul Carney walks into a police station, still covered in his victim's blood, and confesses to murdering a stranger during a temporary psychotic episode.

There's no doubt that JP is Harry's attacker. But neither he nor Julie are telling the whole story.

DS Alice Moody isn't convinced the case is quite as open-and-shut as it appears. Harry is a well-known figure - a wealthy banker recently cleared of fraud charges in a high profile court case. Is it really plausible that JP's attack was as random as he claims?

Where does the truth lie?

I found The Confession to be an incredibly intriguing and compulsive read. (I stayed up far too late trying to finish it!) In unravelling the truth we delve back into the complex history of Harry and Julie's marriage, and the troubled past of JP. Despite constant speculation, even by close to the end I had no real idea where the story was going... but was desperate to find out. 

It’s undoubtedly a gripping psychological thriller - but also a compelling portrayal of the damage people can unintentionally inflict on one another.

Highly recommended - this was my first book by Jo Spain, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.