The Confession hooked me right away with its premise. Abbey, a criminologist known for her near-legendary ability to read truth from lies, is suddenly thrust into national attention after helping overturn the conviction of a man who spent seven years in prison for the murder of his husband. Her practice is gaining recognition, reporters are reaching out, and her name is everywhere.
But just as Abbey’s professional life is taking off, she receives news that stops her cold: the man convicted of murdering her sister decades ago — a serial killer who has already confessed to six other killings, including children — is now appealing her sister’s case. Despite admitting to those six murders, he insists this is the one he didn’t commit.
As the appeal gains attention and traction, Abbey begins receiving chilling threats from someone who claims to know what really happened in the woods that night — along with personal items belonging to her sister that directly challenge the beliefs Abbey has held for decades. It becomes clear that someone out there knows far more about that night than she ever realized.
The setup is incredibly compelling, and there is a late twist I didn’t fully predict. But overall, the execution didn’t quite land for me.
What didn’t work:
- Predictable direction: Even with clear attempts at misdirection, I suspected the outcome and who was involved well before the reveal.
- Believability issues: The national media frenzy, the documentary angle, and the large sums of money offered to her practice all felt unrealistic.
- Underdeveloped emotional tension: The book hints early on that Abbey hasn’t been fully honest with herself about her sister’s death — but the reveals didn’t hit with the emotional weight I was hoping for.
- The ending was poorly executed, over the top, and really didn't offer any gratifying closure or revelation.
In the end, this was a story with a strong premise but uneven execution. Enjoyable in moments, but ultimately a bit of a letdown.
A solid 2.5 stars from me.
The Confession hooked me right away with its premise. Abbey, a criminologist known for her near-legendary ability to read truth from lies, is suddenly thrust into national attention after helping overturn the conviction of a man who spent seven years in prison for the murder of his husband. Her practice is gaining recognition, reporters are reaching out, and her name is everywhere.
But just as Abbey’s professional life is taking off, she receives news that stops her cold: the man convicted of murdering her sister decades ago — a serial killer who has already confessed to six other killings, including children — is now appealing her sister’s case. Despite admitting to those six murders, he insists this is the one he didn’t commit.
As the appeal gains attention and traction, Abbey begins receiving chilling threats from someone who claims to know what really happened in the woods that night — along with personal items belonging to her sister that directly challenge the beliefs Abbey has held for decades. It becomes clear that someone out there knows far more about that night than she ever realized.
The setup is incredibly compelling, and there is a late twist I didn’t fully predict. But overall, the execution didn’t quite land for me.
What didn’t work:
- Predictable direction: Even with clear attempts at misdirection, I suspected the outcome and who was involved well before the reveal.
- Believability issues: The national media frenzy, the documentary angle, and the large sums of money offered to her practice all felt unrealistic.
- Underdeveloped emotional tension: The book hints early on that Abbey hasn’t been fully honest with herself about her sister’s death — but the reveals didn’t hit with the emotional weight I was hoping for.
- The ending was poorly executed, over the top, and really didn't offer any gratifying closure or revelation.
In the end, this was a story with a strong premise but uneven execution. Enjoyable in moments, but ultimately a bit of a letdown.
A solid 2.5 stars from me.