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Detective Ella Marconi #8
Tell the Truth
Detective Ella Marconi has her work cut out for her trying to unravel the lies surrounding her latest, thrilling case.
Paramedic Stacey Durham has an idyllic life: her dream job, a beautiful house, and a devoted husband. Until her car is found abandoned and covered in her blood.
Detective Ella Marconi knows information is key in the first twenty-four hours, questioning frantic husband James, jealous sister Marie, and Rowan, the colleague who keeps turning up in all the wrong places.
Just as Ella starts to piece together the clues, a shocking message arrives for James: You won't see her again if you don't tell the truth.
As she sifts through the lies, Ella's relationship with Dr. Callum McLennan is under siege, and she doesn't know if it can survive the overenthusiasm of her family or the blind hatred of his mother.
With the investigation hitting dead ends and new threats being made, Ella must uncover the truths buried beneath the perfect façade before the case goes from missing person to murder.
Duration: 12 hours
Paramedic Stacey Durham has an idyllic life: her dream job, a beautiful house, and a devoted husband. Until her car is found abandoned and covered in her blood.
Detective Ella Marconi knows information is key in the first twenty-four hours, questioning frantic husband James, jealous sister Marie, and Rowan, the colleague who keeps turning up in all the wrong places.
Just as Ella starts to piece together the clues, a shocking message arrives for James: You won't see her again if you don't tell the truth.
As she sifts through the lies, Ella's relationship with Dr. Callum McLennan is under siege, and she doesn't know if it can survive the overenthusiasm of her family or the blind hatred of his mother.
With the investigation hitting dead ends and new threats being made, Ella must uncover the truths buried beneath the perfect façade before the case goes from missing person to murder.
Duration: 12 hours
12 pages, Audio CD
First published February 1, 2015
5 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Howell
15 books136 followersKatherine Howell worked as a paramedic for fifteen years while completing her Bachelor and Masters degrees in creative writing. Her first novel, Frantic, was published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan and set a paramedic alongside Sydney police detective Ella Marconi in 'an adrenaline rush of a thriller' (Sydney Morning Herald). It won the 2008 Davitt award for best crime fiction. Her second book, The Darkest Hour, continued the pattern with Ella and another paramedic in 'a finely paced and engrossing novel' (Guardian UK). The third in the series, Cold Justice, made the Australian bestseller list, saw Katherine travelling on a P&O cruise as guest author, and was described by NYT bestselling author Tess Gerritsen as 'one of my favourite books of the year'. It also won the 2011 Davitt award for best crime fiction, making Katherine the only author to have won twice. Her fourth book, Violent Exposure, was described by Bookseller & Publisher as 'arguably her best yet - four stars', while the fifth, Silent Fear, was chosen as a ‘Guaranteed Book You Can’t Put Down’ by the national Get Reading! programme. Katherine’s books are published in multiple countries and languages and have been likened to the work of Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell. Katherine is studying female doctor investigators in crime fiction for her PhD at the University of Queensland, and teaches writing and editing. She lives in Queensland with her partner, who owns a bookshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 6, 2019
Rowan Wylie is taking his granddaughter, Emilia, to the park when he notices a familiar car. It's Stacey's. It's locked and there is no sign of her. When he leans in to look through the widow he sees that the front seat is covered in blood. A lot of blood. Is that Stacey's blood? And where is she?
Rowen and Stacey have worked together as paramedics for years and Rowan has been friends with James, Stacy's husband, for even longer. The last time Rowen saw Stacy, they'd had an argument. Now she's missing. When he calls James, and tells him about Stacey's car James says he'll come at once. James then arrives with Simon, Rowen's son. Simon has been working at James's computer shop for nearly a year.
Enter Ella and Murray who are now on the case. When Ella talks to Simon, he tells her that before they arrived James had called the bank inquiring about any money missing then putting a stop on all the accounts. To Ella this raises red flags but Murray insists that they've just begun the investigation and perhaps she's too keen on James being guilty of something surrounding Stacy's disappearance. After all, as Ella points out, everyone knows it's always the husband who did it. Whatever the 'it' is in this case. Is Ella's first instinct correct? Or is she way off base? While Ella is questioning James he receives a text messages from an unknown source.
Tell the truth. You know what this is about. You won't see her again until you tell the truth.
James is adamant that he has no idea what it means. Ella and Murry get a break when they see someone riding a fold up bicycle on CCTV. The rider has been identified as a woman with brown hair but no other clues. No one close to Stacy recognises the women or the bike. The lead grows cold.
The next morning James disappears from work and he's not answering his phone. Ella and Murry finally find him at The Gap, a notorious suicide spot on the edge of a cliff above the beach. But he hasn't jumped. He seems devastated by Stacey's disappearance saying she's his whole world and he just wants her back. In the coming days, James continues to get the same text messages. Tell the truth. You know what this is about. Tell the truth.
Still James maintains the same story. He doesn't know what it means or what they want from him. But is he telling the truth?
Meanwhile Stacy's niece, Paris is struggling with her new job as a paramedic. Stacy is a big part of Paris's life, even more so than her own mum, Marie. Without Stacy to help her work through it, Paris's struggles continue. Marie seems to be acting strangely to her sisters disappearance, and she is obviously very jealous of everything that Stacy has, but so far there's nothing that points to her possible involvement in the case. As the investigation unfolds, Ella and Murray have many suspects including James, Rowen, Marie, several people that Stacy has disfriended from Facebook, a jealous paramedic, to name a few, but nothing leads in any direction towards finding Stacy. Where is she. Is she even still alive?
Murray is continually anxious about the weather forecast as he is getting married this upcoming weekend. Ella tries to reassure him that all will be perfect.
Ella and Callum are happy together as a couple but have no plans for a permanent relationship. Callum's mother still loaths Ella, while Ella's sister Adelina is none too subtle about asking Callum if he wants children.
The pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, along with the discovery that Stacy could still be alive. When they begin to close in on the person who took Stacy only one question that remains. Can Ella and Murray find her before time runs out?
This is another snappy and exciting novel even if it was a bit predictable. I raced through the pages not wanting to put it down before discovering how it ends or whether I had guessed correctly. (Almost but not quite!) Still, it's a gem of a read and the book comes to a beautiful conclusion!
Sadly, Tell the Truth is the final book in the Ella Marconi series written by Katherine Howell.
I'm not ashamed to say that I did cry a few tears at the end but I hope that just shows how much I loved reading this series.
I feel as though I've grown to know Ella, Murray, and all the paramedic characters I've met along the way and I will miss reading about them greatly. But I feel privileged to have read Katherine Howell Ella Marconi novels, all eight of them. Perhaps we will meet up with them again some day.
Rowen and Stacey have worked together as paramedics for years and Rowan has been friends with James, Stacy's husband, for even longer. The last time Rowen saw Stacy, they'd had an argument. Now she's missing. When he calls James, and tells him about Stacey's car James says he'll come at once. James then arrives with Simon, Rowen's son. Simon has been working at James's computer shop for nearly a year.
Enter Ella and Murray who are now on the case. When Ella talks to Simon, he tells her that before they arrived James had called the bank inquiring about any money missing then putting a stop on all the accounts. To Ella this raises red flags but Murray insists that they've just begun the investigation and perhaps she's too keen on James being guilty of something surrounding Stacy's disappearance. After all, as Ella points out, everyone knows it's always the husband who did it. Whatever the 'it' is in this case. Is Ella's first instinct correct? Or is she way off base? While Ella is questioning James he receives a text messages from an unknown source.
Tell the truth. You know what this is about. You won't see her again until you tell the truth.
James is adamant that he has no idea what it means. Ella and Murry get a break when they see someone riding a fold up bicycle on CCTV. The rider has been identified as a woman with brown hair but no other clues. No one close to Stacy recognises the women or the bike. The lead grows cold.
The next morning James disappears from work and he's not answering his phone. Ella and Murry finally find him at The Gap, a notorious suicide spot on the edge of a cliff above the beach. But he hasn't jumped. He seems devastated by Stacey's disappearance saying she's his whole world and he just wants her back. In the coming days, James continues to get the same text messages. Tell the truth. You know what this is about. Tell the truth.
Still James maintains the same story. He doesn't know what it means or what they want from him. But is he telling the truth?
Meanwhile Stacy's niece, Paris is struggling with her new job as a paramedic. Stacy is a big part of Paris's life, even more so than her own mum, Marie. Without Stacy to help her work through it, Paris's struggles continue. Marie seems to be acting strangely to her sisters disappearance, and she is obviously very jealous of everything that Stacy has, but so far there's nothing that points to her possible involvement in the case. As the investigation unfolds, Ella and Murray have many suspects including James, Rowen, Marie, several people that Stacy has disfriended from Facebook, a jealous paramedic, to name a few, but nothing leads in any direction towards finding Stacy. Where is she. Is she even still alive?
Murray is continually anxious about the weather forecast as he is getting married this upcoming weekend. Ella tries to reassure him that all will be perfect.
Ella and Callum are happy together as a couple but have no plans for a permanent relationship. Callum's mother still loaths Ella, while Ella's sister Adelina is none too subtle about asking Callum if he wants children.
The pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, along with the discovery that Stacy could still be alive. When they begin to close in on the person who took Stacy only one question that remains. Can Ella and Murray find her before time runs out?
This is another snappy and exciting novel even if it was a bit predictable. I raced through the pages not wanting to put it down before discovering how it ends or whether I had guessed correctly. (Almost but not quite!) Still, it's a gem of a read and the book comes to a beautiful conclusion!
Sadly, Tell the Truth is the final book in the Ella Marconi series written by Katherine Howell.
I'm not ashamed to say that I did cry a few tears at the end but I hope that just shows how much I loved reading this series.
I feel as though I've grown to know Ella, Murray, and all the paramedic characters I've met along the way and I will miss reading about them greatly. But I feel privileged to have read Katherine Howell Ella Marconi novels, all eight of them. Perhaps we will meet up with them again some day.
February 16, 2015
This is another nice fast paced and intriguing detective mystery from the author's Ella Marconi series. Over eight books we have come to know Ella quite well and it was nice in this one to see her possibly settling into a firm relationship with prospects (!). The story was a little bit predictable ( I kept thinking of Gone Girl) but it was still very readable and definitely page turning. Sadly a few paragraphs at the back of the book indicate that Katherine Howell is now taking a break from Ella Marconi which is very sad:(
July 19, 2015
It was with sadness that I read that this is to be the last book in the Ella Marconi series, at least for now while author Katherine Howell takes a break to finish her nursing training. This has been a terrific series, cleverly combining and often intersecting the trials of being a paramedic with the life and work of Sydney detective Ella Marconi. Katherine Howell is very good indeed at depicting the ordinary everyday lives of ordinary people and the problems they get themselves into.
This episode starts with a bang. A car belonging to paramedic Stacey Durham is found with a large pool of blood in the front seat and Stacey is nowhere to be found. Her husband James receives a message saying tell the truth if you want to see Stacey again. Believing she has been abducted, detective Ella Marconi and partner Murray Shakespeare start a race against time to find her. But nothing seems to stack up and Ella feels there is something not quite right about this case.
Moving steadily through the rounds of interviews of family and friends and tracing Stacey's last few days the plot seems to be moving slowly and getting no closer to solving the mystery until suddenly in the last few chapters we get a hint of what may be happening and all is resolved in a thrilling finish. An excellent conclusion to the series!
This episode starts with a bang. A car belonging to paramedic Stacey Durham is found with a large pool of blood in the front seat and Stacey is nowhere to be found. Her husband James receives a message saying tell the truth if you want to see Stacey again. Believing she has been abducted, detective Ella Marconi and partner Murray Shakespeare start a race against time to find her. But nothing seems to stack up and Ella feels there is something not quite right about this case.
Moving steadily through the rounds of interviews of family and friends and tracing Stacey's last few days the plot seems to be moving slowly and getting no closer to solving the mystery until suddenly in the last few chapters we get a hint of what may be happening and all is resolved in a thrilling finish. An excellent conclusion to the series!
January 27, 2015
4.5★s
Rowan Wylie was a paramedic who worked with Stacey Durham, so when he drove into Playland in Homebush with his granddaughter, Emelia for her usual treat, he was a little surprised to see Stacey’s car in the carpark in front of nearby buildings. But when he checked the car out, he was shocked to see what looked like blood on the front passenger seat – and a lot of blood at that.
Detective Ella Marconi and her partner Detective Murray Shakespeare were quickly on the scene; with forensics checking to see if the blood was human, she knew she had to organise the team to work immediately. With a missing paramedic, not seen or heard from since the day before, and a frantic husband who had been in Melbourne until that morning, she knew she had to hit the ground running. The first twenty four hours would be crucial…
But when James received a text message from Stacey’s phone stating that he would never see her again if he didn’t “tell the truth”, James was shocked. He didn’t know what the person was talking about. He was frantic – he loved his wife of five years; he couldn’t possibly imagine a world without her in it. So why wasn’t Ella convinced?
Ella was frustrated – it seemed the deeper she dug the more questions she found. Where were the answers she needed so badly? With family issues clouding her thoughts, and her partner’s upcoming nuptials in a few days, she knew she needed to focus. Would they find Stacey before it was too late? Would they find the perpetrator?
Aussie author Katherine Howell has done it again! I love the protagonist in this series and am always looking forward to the next. Filled with twists and turns, it has a fast pace and great plot. A small issue I found though; it was a little hard keeping track of all the secondary characters. Having said that, I have no hesitation in recommending Tell the Truth highly and am looking forward to #9 in the series.
With thanks to TRR and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Rowan Wylie was a paramedic who worked with Stacey Durham, so when he drove into Playland in Homebush with his granddaughter, Emelia for her usual treat, he was a little surprised to see Stacey’s car in the carpark in front of nearby buildings. But when he checked the car out, he was shocked to see what looked like blood on the front passenger seat – and a lot of blood at that.
Detective Ella Marconi and her partner Detective Murray Shakespeare were quickly on the scene; with forensics checking to see if the blood was human, she knew she had to organise the team to work immediately. With a missing paramedic, not seen or heard from since the day before, and a frantic husband who had been in Melbourne until that morning, she knew she had to hit the ground running. The first twenty four hours would be crucial…
But when James received a text message from Stacey’s phone stating that he would never see her again if he didn’t “tell the truth”, James was shocked. He didn’t know what the person was talking about. He was frantic – he loved his wife of five years; he couldn’t possibly imagine a world without her in it. So why wasn’t Ella convinced?
Ella was frustrated – it seemed the deeper she dug the more questions she found. Where were the answers she needed so badly? With family issues clouding her thoughts, and her partner’s upcoming nuptials in a few days, she knew she needed to focus. Would they find Stacey before it was too late? Would they find the perpetrator?
Aussie author Katherine Howell has done it again! I love the protagonist in this series and am always looking forward to the next. Filled with twists and turns, it has a fast pace and great plot. A small issue I found though; it was a little hard keeping track of all the secondary characters. Having said that, I have no hesitation in recommending Tell the Truth highly and am looking forward to #9 in the series.
With thanks to TRR and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
April 8, 2018
Tell the Truth is book eight of Ella Marconi series by Katherine Howell. Paramedic Rowan Wylie was taken his grandchild Emelia to Playland when he saw his workmate Stacey Durman car in the carpark. Rowan rang Stacey's husband James to find out what is going on and then called the police. Detective Ella Marconi and her partner Detective Murray Shakespeare caught the case. At first, the detectives were not sure if it was murder or a missing person case. The readers of Tell the Truth will follow the trust and turns in Detective Ella Marconi and Detective Murray Shakespeare case to find the answers before someone dies.
I enjoyed reading Readers of Tell the Truth, and I am sad that this is the last book in this series. However, I do wish Katherine good luck in her future endeavours. I did not suspect the twist at the conclusion of this book. Katherine Howell did a great job in portraying her characters and intertwining together. I like way, Katherine Howell describes her settings and her plot. I love that Katherine Howell engages me with the plot and the characters from the beginning of Tell the Truth.
The readers of Tell the Truth will learn about domestic violence and how no one knows about until someone gets hurt. Also, the readers will learn about the stress, and the training paramedics go through.
I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading Readers of Tell the Truth, and I am sad that this is the last book in this series. However, I do wish Katherine good luck in her future endeavours. I did not suspect the twist at the conclusion of this book. Katherine Howell did a great job in portraying her characters and intertwining together. I like way, Katherine Howell describes her settings and her plot. I love that Katherine Howell engages me with the plot and the characters from the beginning of Tell the Truth.
The readers of Tell the Truth will learn about domestic violence and how no one knows about until someone gets hurt. Also, the readers will learn about the stress, and the training paramedics go through.
I recommend this book.
February 19, 2019
I’m a little sad that this series is over. But it was a good finale. Although I finished it a few weeks ago, and can’t remember the details now! I don’t feel like Ella’s relationship with Callum was tied off as neatly as it could have been (room for another book to pick it up down the track if Katherine Howell feels like returning to Ella’s world???) - or maybe I’ve just forgotten how it ended!
August 16, 2015
An enjoyable enough read without reaching the heights of the previous books in the series (IMO). A well thought out plotline with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. And it is obvious that Katherine Howell knows her stuff, particularly when it comes to the medical/paramedic portions of the storyline. I did however, have an issue keeping track of some of the many characters. Maybe it was just me, but I thought at one point, maybe some more interesting/memorable/different character names would have helped (other than James, Rowan, Stacey, Megan, Wayne etc...). Lots and lots and lots of leads to follow (hence lots of secondary characters), but it was all tied up nicely at the end.
A 3.5 star read for me.
A 3.5 star read for me.
February 7, 2021
Gutted that this remarkable series is now over which concluded with Tell the Truth, book 8, in the Ella Marconi series and wow, what a great finale! I have tears though as I’m not ready to say goodbye…
What an incredible journey Katherine Howell has taken us on with Sydney homicide detective Ella Marconi, her detective colleagues and the many paramedics that worked alongside her.
I do hope that one day Katherine Howell returns to her writing as she’s a talented writer and her books are entertaining and fabulous. I loved Tell the Truth for it’s fast pace, twists and turns and well thought out storyline. A bonzer read.
What an incredible journey Katherine Howell has taken us on with Sydney homicide detective Ella Marconi, her detective colleagues and the many paramedics that worked alongside her.
I do hope that one day Katherine Howell returns to her writing as she’s a talented writer and her books are entertaining and fabulous. I loved Tell the Truth for it’s fast pace, twists and turns and well thought out storyline. A bonzer read.
June 24, 2015
The latest book from this talented author is possibly not up to the usual standard.. It is believed that this is to be the last of the Detective Ella Marconi series. This has been a wonderful series and has now tired.
The author is a great story teller, but it does seem time that Ella Marconi was retired and whilst Ella is her usual masterful self, the characters in this tale do not appeal in a complex plot.
However, there are many twists and turns before all is revealed. As usual, Katherine’s books are ‘can’t-put-down’ stories and this is no exception.
The author is a great story teller, but it does seem time that Ella Marconi was retired and whilst Ella is her usual masterful self, the characters in this tale do not appeal in a complex plot.
However, there are many twists and turns before all is revealed. As usual, Katherine’s books are ‘can’t-put-down’ stories and this is no exception.
March 6, 2015
I stayed up til the wee hours to finish another great installment but I'm shocked that this is the final book in the Ella Marconi series ... for now. Not ready for goodbye :(
August 3, 2022
Rating: 4/5
Hey, this was better than I was expecting! It wasn’t a murder-mystery which I found interesting, just a mystery/crime.
I loved Ella, such a bad bitch vibe and she doesn’t fuck around when it comes to solving the case. And her relationship is so cute.
Paris has my entire heart, such a beautiful character and I couldn’t help but feel sad for her because of her horrible mother.
I loved how there were so many suspicions about different characters and their potential motives for abducting Stacey. I for sure thought I knew how the twist was going to end up but I was completely wrong! I love unexpected twists so I’m happy that it took me by surprise.
Very easy, fast-paced read.
Hey, this was better than I was expecting! It wasn’t a murder-mystery which I found interesting, just a mystery/crime.
I loved Ella, such a bad bitch vibe and she doesn’t fuck around when it comes to solving the case. And her relationship is so cute.
Paris has my entire heart, such a beautiful character and I couldn’t help but feel sad for her because of her horrible mother.
I loved how there were so many suspicions about different characters and their potential motives for abducting Stacey. I for sure thought I knew how the twist was going to end up but I was completely wrong! I love unexpected twists so I’m happy that it took me by surprise.
Very easy, fast-paced read.
June 3, 2017
This was a great series
May 27, 2018
So sad that this is the last Ella Marconi. I’ve loved these books and really hope Katherine writes more. Great stories, great characters flaws and all, and Australian to boot. Please write more....
July 31, 2018
These books are great, easy, light background entertainment while I’m working! Thanks detective sergeant Ella macaroni!
April 8, 2019
🌟🌟🌟 / 5 stars
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
May 24, 2021
I found this book very predictable and not very relatable in relation to the characters.
March 22, 2017
I did the audio and I jumped into the middle of this series because I like the reader. It got the job done (keeping me entertained and away from depressing news on my commute) but I'm not clamoring for another.
May 26, 2015
I was both so looking forward to reading this book, Tell the Truth by Katherine Howell and, frankly, dreading it. Excited because I think Howell is an extraordinary writer who has a light yet masterful touch when it comes to creating utterly convincing characters, great dialogue and a plot that lures you in – I relish a new work by her and it’s moved straight to the top of my “must-read” pile. I was also dreading reading this book because of these exact same things only this time burdened with the knowledge that this is the last novel (hopefully, for the time being only), Howell will write in a while. An announcement late last year on her FaceBook fan page warned fans that Howell is retiring from writing for the time being.
So, it was with very mixed feelings I read Tell the Truth, in one unable- to-put-down session and what I can say is it certainly brings this wonderful series featuring Sydney detective, Ella Marconi, to a realistic and fabulous close.
Tell the Truth is a fast-paced, page-tuner par excellence with an unexpected and fitting conclusion that draws the threads of not only the major plot in this book to a close, but the narrative arc of Marconi’s roller-coaster personal and professional life (across all eight) as well.
The novel opens when young, happily married paramedic, Stacey Durham, is reported missing and then her car is found covered in blood. Marconi is on the case, questioning the usual suspects – the frantic husband, an over-familiar colleague, resentful sister and so on. Suspicion is rife and the reader vacillates between who might-have-dunnit and who we’re convinced did not. When mysterious notes appear with “…tell the truth” scribed upon them, it appears as though the missing person investigation might just become a murder one - that is, if Marconi doesn’t find some answers swiftly.
While I didn’t see the ending, I never mind if I do providing the author ties it up persuasively and there is none of this ex machina stuff or a character who conveniently appears in the last pages pops up, is linked to the victims and charged.
Howell never does this to her reader. Her beginning, middle and endings, like her characters and their motivations, are always totally believable. She leaves readers satisfied but wanting more as well. Able to not only write a gratifying police procedural, Howell also explores the emotional and psychological complexity of people and the relationships we form – private and public, personal and professional, and the lengths we’ll go to maintain the perfect front in order to spare others and even ourselves from the shame and regret of poor choices. In this novel, Howell also delves into friendship, familial bonds, and the ties that bind and break us.
All in all, this is a ripper of a read from a terrific writer. I am just so disappointed this marks a departure from writing for Howell, though if it’s really a finale, it’s a grand one.
So, it was with very mixed feelings I read Tell the Truth, in one unable- to-put-down session and what I can say is it certainly brings this wonderful series featuring Sydney detective, Ella Marconi, to a realistic and fabulous close.
Tell the Truth is a fast-paced, page-tuner par excellence with an unexpected and fitting conclusion that draws the threads of not only the major plot in this book to a close, but the narrative arc of Marconi’s roller-coaster personal and professional life (across all eight) as well.
The novel opens when young, happily married paramedic, Stacey Durham, is reported missing and then her car is found covered in blood. Marconi is on the case, questioning the usual suspects – the frantic husband, an over-familiar colleague, resentful sister and so on. Suspicion is rife and the reader vacillates between who might-have-dunnit and who we’re convinced did not. When mysterious notes appear with “…tell the truth” scribed upon them, it appears as though the missing person investigation might just become a murder one - that is, if Marconi doesn’t find some answers swiftly.
While I didn’t see the ending, I never mind if I do providing the author ties it up persuasively and there is none of this ex machina stuff or a character who conveniently appears in the last pages pops up, is linked to the victims and charged.
Howell never does this to her reader. Her beginning, middle and endings, like her characters and their motivations, are always totally believable. She leaves readers satisfied but wanting more as well. Able to not only write a gratifying police procedural, Howell also explores the emotional and psychological complexity of people and the relationships we form – private and public, personal and professional, and the lengths we’ll go to maintain the perfect front in order to spare others and even ourselves from the shame and regret of poor choices. In this novel, Howell also delves into friendship, familial bonds, and the ties that bind and break us.
All in all, this is a ripper of a read from a terrific writer. I am just so disappointed this marks a departure from writing for Howell, though if it’s really a finale, it’s a grand one.
April 8, 2016
I find myself regrettably writing a review for most likely the worst book I have ever read (in this case listened to per Bolinda Audio read by Caroline Lee).
The basic story and plot are slightly feasible, however Katherine Howell the author fails miserably trying to introduce characters around the plot. Side issues are not handled well either, especially the love life of the lead detective, and antics and yes I have to say antics of Detective Ella Marconi are nothing but laughable. She commits the first sin of detective work by honing in on who she believes is the 'guilty' one, flits from person to person with no apparent reason or rhyme of following any clues. If any real life detective acted in this manner they would be sacked, in fact would never have got to detective level. Not one suspect ever taken to a police station for interrogation or statements. Totally implausible and unprofessional scenarios. The dentist, computer, paramedic and neighbour characters and scenarios fail miserably.
Odd characters are drawn into the story and the reader is left wondering what relevance they hold. If the writer intended to have the victim's sister portrayed as weird, she actually achieved it. The character was terrible.
The language used by Katherine Howell when her adult characters are speaking sound like children play acting.
When Caroline Lee narrates she actually sounds like a child play acting. She has no capability of altering her voice with inflection or tone to reflect plausible different characters. Generally she uses a flat monotonous voice for narration, practically the same when Ella speaks and hardly any discernible change for other characters especially the females. Her effort to speak as an anxious Australian male is comic. Ironically she speaks quite well as a little four year old, and a sarcastic older woman.
At the end Katherine Howell thanks those who assisted her and advised this was the last novel in the Ella Marconi series. I smiled when I heard this - thank heavens I only read the last.
The basic story and plot are slightly feasible, however Katherine Howell the author fails miserably trying to introduce characters around the plot. Side issues are not handled well either, especially the love life of the lead detective, and antics and yes I have to say antics of Detective Ella Marconi are nothing but laughable. She commits the first sin of detective work by honing in on who she believes is the 'guilty' one, flits from person to person with no apparent reason or rhyme of following any clues. If any real life detective acted in this manner they would be sacked, in fact would never have got to detective level. Not one suspect ever taken to a police station for interrogation or statements. Totally implausible and unprofessional scenarios. The dentist, computer, paramedic and neighbour characters and scenarios fail miserably.
Odd characters are drawn into the story and the reader is left wondering what relevance they hold. If the writer intended to have the victim's sister portrayed as weird, she actually achieved it. The character was terrible.
The language used by Katherine Howell when her adult characters are speaking sound like children play acting.
When Caroline Lee narrates she actually sounds like a child play acting. She has no capability of altering her voice with inflection or tone to reflect plausible different characters. Generally she uses a flat monotonous voice for narration, practically the same when Ella speaks and hardly any discernible change for other characters especially the females. Her effort to speak as an anxious Australian male is comic. Ironically she speaks quite well as a little four year old, and a sarcastic older woman.
At the end Katherine Howell thanks those who assisted her and advised this was the last novel in the Ella Marconi series. I smiled when I heard this - thank heavens I only read the last.
September 21, 2015
A paramedic disappears. Her car is found with a great deal of blook in it.. Ella Marconi leads the investigation.
Is Stacey still alive? Who is reponsible? Text messages from her phone are received by her husband. "Tell the truth." But what truth? James claims he doesn't know what they're talking about. And what of her sister Marie with whom she had a fractious relationship? Why was se found scrubbing her brother-in-law's floor with bleach.
We follow Ella and her team as they attempted to unravel the mystery by questioning all those close to Stacey.
In some ways TELL THE TRUTH is a classic whodunit.. There are red herrings a-plenty. Some little tiddlers, others whoppers. Why is the dog trainer so unwelcoming? Does he have something to hide or is he just not a pleasant bloke? And how about the work colleague? Come to think of it, why is her niece a newly trained paramedic making such a hash of her job?
Sadly this is Katherine Howell's last Ella Marconi novel. Hopefully she will return some time in the future. Both Howell and her characters will be missed .
Is Stacey still alive? Who is reponsible? Text messages from her phone are received by her husband. "Tell the truth." But what truth? James claims he doesn't know what they're talking about. And what of her sister Marie with whom she had a fractious relationship? Why was se found scrubbing her brother-in-law's floor with bleach.
We follow Ella and her team as they attempted to unravel the mystery by questioning all those close to Stacey.
In some ways TELL THE TRUTH is a classic whodunit.. There are red herrings a-plenty. Some little tiddlers, others whoppers. Why is the dog trainer so unwelcoming? Does he have something to hide or is he just not a pleasant bloke? And how about the work colleague? Come to think of it, why is her niece a newly trained paramedic making such a hash of her job?
Sadly this is Katherine Howell's last Ella Marconi novel. Hopefully she will return some time in the future. Both Howell and her characters will be missed .
September 16, 2016
'Tell the Truth' by Katherine Howell is the last of her 8-part Ella Marconi detective series. The author gets 4 stars for the suspense, intrigue and drive she sustains throughout the book. A woman has gone missing and her car is found with a goodly amount of blood in it; the husband is distraught, but then receives a cryptic text message to 'Tell the truth' which he doesn't understand. Howell introduces lots of characters, many of who are only incidental to the story, which I guess is to show the innumerable leads the police get when a crime has occurred and their need to follow up and interview everyone. I have three niggles:
1. One of the characters was way over the top and became such a caricature it spoilt some of the story.
2. Howell always writes a parallel story to the crime story about a pair of paramedics, but in this case I thought it took the attention away from the actual crime as I didn't really care about them.
3. It ended so abruptly with no conclusion for many of the major characters or a real response to the crime itself.
1. One of the characters was way over the top and became such a caricature it spoilt some of the story.
2. Howell always writes a parallel story to the crime story about a pair of paramedics, but in this case I thought it took the attention away from the actual crime as I didn't really care about them.
3. It ended so abruptly with no conclusion for many of the major characters or a real response to the crime itself.
February 20, 2015
Loved lots of things about this book and the series in general - the sensible female detective Ella, other female characters, an insight into the world of paramedics, the setting of my hometown Sydney, the characters. But the actual plot or mystery was the weak point of this one, like others in this series. The series of inter-relationships between the characters was too much for me and the resolution was just ridiculous. It did well to convey a sense of how much police effort is involved chasing different clues and following up pieces of information without knowing which, if any, are worth it.
June 12, 2015
This is a great example of a classic detective story, the kind that I love. Something’s happened, and the police investigate a series of leads and dead ends until they get to the truth. There’s enough happening along the way to keep the pages turning, the lead investigator and her partner are good at what they do, and the addition of details about their private lives enhances rather than detracts from the story. The characters are all good creations, and they behave in ways that work with the story rather than act as cliches. Tell the Truth is a nice, fast read, full of mystery and with a satisfying ending. Recommended.
August 29, 2015
I did enjoy this book but not as much as Howell's previous ones. I knew this was to be the last in the Ella Marconi series and it felt like it. A lot of loose ends tied up wrt Ella's life.
Although there were paramedics in the book, they weren't as prominent as in earlier books, which left me a bit disappointed. OK, the missing woman was a paramedic but the others in the book weren't out and about, paramedicking, as it were. They were secondary to the search for Stacey.
A few loose ends left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied but if Ms Howell starts writing again, I'll definitely be in line to buy her next book.
Although there were paramedics in the book, they weren't as prominent as in earlier books, which left me a bit disappointed. OK, the missing woman was a paramedic but the others in the book weren't out and about, paramedicking, as it were. They were secondary to the search for Stacey.
A few loose ends left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied but if Ms Howell starts writing again, I'll definitely be in line to buy her next book.
May 24, 2016
Read this one ahead of the author visit I'm organising for Arana Hills Library's 40th birthday celebration on 6 June - see https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/sub...
I'm always partial to a well plotted crime novel, and this was just that. The characters were engaging and the storyline had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I had an idea who might have 'dun it' and I was right, but I was way off on all the detail about how.
This was my first Katherine Howell novel. Not sure why i started at the last book in the series, but I'm thinking I might need to go back and start from the beginning now...
I'm always partial to a well plotted crime novel, and this was just that. The characters were engaging and the storyline had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I had an idea who might have 'dun it' and I was right, but I was way off on all the detail about how.
This was my first Katherine Howell novel. Not sure why i started at the last book in the series, but I'm thinking I might need to go back and start from the beginning now...
March 7, 2015
"Well, there goes the weekend." That was my thought as I collected my reserved copy of this book from the library. As usual, Katherine Howell's narrative didn't disappoint. I devoured the book within 24 hours. Nothing else that was supposed to get done (like cleaning) got done as I was riveted to the tale.
Highly recommended as an enjoyable book to read; just make sure you have a clear 24-48 hours ahead of you as you probably won't be able to put the book down either.
Can't wait for the next book from this amazing author.
Highly recommended as an enjoyable book to read; just make sure you have a clear 24-48 hours ahead of you as you probably won't be able to put the book down either.
Can't wait for the next book from this amazing author.
March 9, 2015
OMG what can I say??? I am shattered!! No more Ella Marconi?? It just can't be. Katherine has taken her readers on a fabulous journey through eight novels featuring Ella, her detective mates a whole lot of paramedics. I have loved every single one and Tell the Truth was another huge success. I was trying to figure out what was going on with the missing paramedic, but didn't. Lots of twists kept me guessing. Can only hope that one day, Ella will return to the page and we can all find out what the future holds for our wonderful female detective. Highly recommend to all crime readers.
June 19, 2015
TELL THE TRUTH just confirms what an excellent story teller Katherine Howell is, and what a wonderful journey she has taken us on with Ella Marconi in the last eight years.
In each of the titles different paramedics interact with crime and an investigation conducted by Detective Ella Marconi. The setting is Sydney and, while each could be seen as police procedurals, they also attest to the Australian lifestyle and the multicultural nature of Australian society.
I'm not sure that I felt that the plot, as it panned out, was entirely credible, but it made good reading.
In each of the titles different paramedics interact with crime and an investigation conducted by Detective Ella Marconi. The setting is Sydney and, while each could be seen as police procedurals, they also attest to the Australian lifestyle and the multicultural nature of Australian society.
I'm not sure that I felt that the plot, as it panned out, was entirely credible, but it made good reading.
February 15, 2020
It's too bad this is the last Ella Marconi book...at least for a while as the author takes a break, which I hope isn't too long. I like the back and forth between police and paramedic, the story lines interweaving. "Tell the Truth" is a good guessing book, until about half way through, and then it's a chase to see how it ends. Well written, fast paced, and easy to read when in the mood for a detective novel.
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