🏡 🗝️🚪 "Only Truth" (2020) 🚪 🗝️ 🏡 - Book Review
MY REVIEW
Hardcover: 312 pages
Publisher: Scarlet (October 13, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613161832
ISBN-13: 978-1613161838
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“A successful artist with a doting husband,
Isabel Dryland knows she should be grateful for her happy life. It’s a complete
reversal from the one she led before, when normalcy seemed out of reach, after
a violent assault she cannot remember left her shattered and scarred. Even
though the memory was lost, the nagging feeling that she was damaged goods and
the lingering effects of her injuries kept her questioning her sanity at
times.
Tom, her husband, thinks a move will be the
fresh start they need, and has even found the perfect house: a country estate
that reminds him of one he admired in his youth. But all Isabel feels when she
visits is an overwhelming sense of dread. Betrayed by her instincts so often
before, she decides to trust Tom’s, to accept the move and learn to love their
new home over time.
Instead, she learns that beneath the pretty
façade of their new home lurk dark secrets powerful enough to bring her own
trauma back to the fore. There is an uncanny familiarity about the place, as if
it were infected by the experiences she hoped to escape. And the recurring
presence of a mysterious stranger further disturbs her, giving her the
sensation of being a predator’s stalked prey.
Isabel struggles to determine whether her
fear is caused by memory alone, or by threats existing very much in the
present. To find out, she’ll have to finally close the book on what occurred so
many years ago―but how do you heal from a past you cannot recall, when only the
truth about your past can set you free? ”
Thank
you in advance to Amazon Vine for providing a complimentary advance reading copy.
A positive review was not required and all words are my own.
Sometimes
a book comes along that generates such interest that it moves up to the top of
the TBR (to-be-read/reviewed) list. Sometimes, that book is there because we want
to get it over and done with because we have a nagging suspicion it is going to
disappoint.
This is
the “it really sounded interesting when I requested it” book. Yet, somewhere
between that “it sounds good” and the end – this book somehow failed. And, I
was honestly glad to have moved it up as I have some really good reads after it.
While
an author’s debut isn’t their best work by nature as they haven’t had time to
season themselves; there are some who kit it right out of the park and it is
still going. Sometimes it being a debut book has nothing to do with its
lackluster deal. Sometimes it is just a bad book.
This
book had so much potential but it is muddled by a rather unreliable, uninspiring,
and disinteresting narrator – protagonist, Isabel Dryland (Weir) who can rankle
the reader with her narrative. It is also hampered by confusing time jumps –
current day, 1994, 2007, 2017 which could confuse the reader.
This
isn’t “dual” timeline (past/present), this is MULTIPLE timeline. Sometimes the
narrator and transition are not clearly distinguished. The current day could be
the “attacker” or Isabel; 1994, 2004, and 2017 were in first person which was
likely the “attacker”.
The
supporting characters are somewhat lackluster and mostly filler. With the time
jumps, it would be hard to determine if there are plot holes. I had some
questions, but wouldn’t know where to start.
The
cover is haunting and grabs the reader’s attention. That is the strongest point
the book has. Next best feature are the short chapters which can cause this to
become a quick read, thankfully.
Other
than Isabel, the other main characters – Tom, “attacker”, Caitlin, Matthew –
none of them reached out and grabbed me. Mrs. Arthur was about the most
likeable person but she is only a spot in the book. Tom was understandable, but
frustrating. It was as if he didn’t know how to relate to Isabel, and was
trying to comfort her to open her up. I often wonder what drew the two
together.
For her
part, while it was understandable what Isabel was going through, it was deeply
frustrating as she kept trying to be the victim. She understood she had problems,
but didn’t make an effort to try to get beyond them. While I felt sympathy for
her character, I was very much irritated by her.
I hate
to be brutal – but, then again, so was Isabel – she definitely was the most
unsympathetic character in this. She doesn’t even attempt to better her
behavior or apologize for it.
Even
when her husband tries to “explain” her – she takes an offense. She knows she
has problems, but isn’t a loony case. She doesn’t deny her feelings, but doesn’t
think she needs help. As a result, her issues in communicating remain.
Matthew
is an interesting character and is perhaps the most normal one of the bunch. This
is where Isabel comes alive – despite her past; she doesn’t mind putting
herself forward with Matthew, yet her marriage holds her back from that action.
A marriage she isn’t happy in.
What is
interesting is that Tom’s interest in this house sparks the beginning of Isabel
remembering what happened to her in 1994 and leads her to investigate another
missing girl (2004).
By
chapter 28, the writer gave away who the attacker/stalker is. And, I pretty
much saw that coming. The writer does her best to keep it a secret. The
storyline involving Isabel’s younger sisters was an interesting touch, but not
nearly enough to make this interesting.
By
Chapter 35, it starts to pick up the pace and get moving. By that time, my
interest was waning and I had read ahead a few times.
Most of
the ending is predictable – which I won’t give away. But, for me, it was rather
predictable.
The “epilogue”
would’ve worked better had the writer really told more between the last chapter
and that.
And,
after learning what happened to Isabel, it doesn’t really explain a lot about
her behavior.
I would’ve
liked to have explored the draw Tom had to the house and see where that could’ve
taken the reader.
This is
an ARC, and not a finished version so there will be some “issues”. But, it is
interesting to note that while this takes place in the UK – there are both USA
and UK terms used and there is no consistency. The spelling is almost all USA
versions. There are numerous typos with regard to punctuation and spelling. I
have no problem with the USA versions as I am in the USA. But, some UK readers
might take point with the variations and words used.
The
author is very vivid, graphic, and descriptive, almost to the point of being
uncomfortable.
As far
as “content” – the book has foul language – “f” bombs, “s” word. In addition
there are trigger subjects – adultery, underage drinking, rape, and murder.
The
title is taken from a Voltaire quote – “to the dead we owe only truth”. This
could’ve worked better had the main character been a bit more reliable and
really had something tangible to hold my interest.
This is
targeted to readers of suspense and psychological thrillers who can easily
overlook characters like Isabel.
Occasionally,
I like a good suspense and psychological thriller. This missed the mark for me.
Perhaps I am leaning more into cleaner suspense novels that are better plotted.
I would
like to think that if the writer would’ve made Isabel more “relatable” it would’ve
worked better and had something solid. I had to take repeated breaks to get
away from Isabel and that sort of broke the stride.
It was a laborious and tedious read. I found myself
struggling with this one.
RATING:
2 ⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads (IT WAS OKAY)
NO RATING /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub (BOOK NOT
LISTED ON BOOKBUB)
3 ⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating
explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Cameron was born and grew up in England. She studied Clinical Sciences at
university and, after a short spell in industry, has worked as both a clinician
and a manager in the National Health Service.
An
inveterate book-lover, particularly thrillers, she finally decided to try her
own hand at writing – which resulted in the completion of Only
Truth. Julie has one daughter and lives in a small village in the
Berkshire countryside, where she shares her home with her husband and two happy
cats.
She is
now working on her next novel, balancing her time between family, her writing
and a full time career. In the little leisure time she has left she enjoys
nothing better than an evening with friends in the village pub, or relaxing on
a Greek beach with a good book.
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