Today, I am taking my turn on the book tour of The Things I Didn’t Do, hosted by Love Books Tours on behalf of Bloodhoundbooks. Thank you for my spot on the tour, and for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
If you want to read my other book reviews, click here.
Synopsis
A writer interrogates a woman who may or may not have killed her husband, in a taut tale of psychological suspense by the author of Sincerely, Yours.
After twenty-five years in the remote English countryside, living under an assumed name, Erica Miller has decided it’s time for the world to hear her story—from her point of view, rather than from the tabloids or the gossips who think she got away with murder.
She hires Prudence Carr to write about her privileged childhood, her marriage, the affairs, the day her husband disappeared, and the day his body was found in the marshes. Despite evidence against her, the jury refused to convict, leaving Erica to live a life of quiet isolation.
Erica has a lot to say. But as the story unfolds, so does Prudence. It is clear that this project could make Prudence’s career. In this compelling novel of mystery and deceit, everything will depend on who gets the last word . . .
My Review
I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on The Things I Didn’t Do, as part of the tour hosted by Love Books Tours. Thank you for my spot of the tour and for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
This is my second Charlotte Barnes novel so I had high expectations. I wasn’t disappointed. What I found was a story told twice, but from two different perspectives. First there is Erica who wants her story to be told but on her terms, and then there’s Prue who is contracted to ghost wrote Erica’s story, but begins to realise there are far more unanswered questions about the death of Erica’s husband than Erica is prepared to discuss.
The way the author was able to tell the same story twice, but from completely different characters, each with their own agendas, was superb. Which person gave the real narrative? Which was reliable? Brilliant!
Both strong independent woman, both determined to have things their way which inevitably causes friction. From each perspective, the other is hiding something important. I wasn’t sure I liked Erica which made it difficult to feel any empathy for her position, but I did like Prue and her determination to find the truth. The supporting characters, few though they were, played their parts without the need for backstories or over-interaction which would have affected the flow of the text. While I can’t say this is a fast paced novel, I felt that the story rolled along and never felt like it was dragging.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to readers of psychological thrillers and mysteries. I gave The Things I Didn’t Do, by Charlotte Barnes, four stars.
Meet The Author 
Charlotte Barnes (Charley to her long-time pals) is a Worcestershire-based writer and poet who has recently achieved her Doctorate degree in Creative Writing, and now spends a lot of her time wondering what to do with it. She is a lecturer, content writer, tea-drinker and book-reader with a passion for psychological thrillers that shines through her own work.
Barnes is also one of three directors of Worcestershire LitFest and Fringe literary festival and, independently of this, she runs her own monthly open mic/spoken word event in Worcester City Centre, titled Dear Listener.
She published her debut short story collection in May 2017, titled The Women You Were Warned About (Black Pear Press), and her debut poetry pamphlet, A Z-hearted Guide to Heartache, was published be in July 2018 (V. Press). Intention was Barnes’s debut novel, published by Bloodhound Books in 2019.
About The Book
ASIN : B09QPM7PHR
Publisher : Bloodhound Books (16 Feb. 2022)
Language : English
ISBN-13 (Paperback) : 978-1914614705
Print length : 236 pages
Dimensions : 13.34 x 1.5 x 20.32 cm
ISBN-10 (Ebook) : 1914614704
File size : 1014 KB
Where To Buy
For print copies, please consider supporting your local bookshops. To Buy online from Amazon, the book is available in the following formats:
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