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If She Did It
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?
When Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend, Rud, they hide their unsettled feelings because they're glad that Dawn, always an awkward child, seems to have finally blossomed.
Then Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed, and though Hanna survives, Rud stands trial for Joe's murder. Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn initially estranges herself from everyone she knows, but when Rud wins an appeal, Dawn returns home saying she wants to support her mother.
Hanna knows that if she could only remember the details of that traumatic night, she could ensure her husband's murderer remains in jail. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter...
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2014
142 people are currently reading
5825 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Treadway
16 books230 followersJessica Treadway is the author of four novels and three story collections, with a fourth, I FELT MY LIFE WITH BOTH MY HANDS, coming out in Spring 2026 from Cornerstone Press. Her collection PLEASE COME BACK TO ME received the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction; her novels are AND GIVE YOU PEACE; LACY EYE; HOW WILL I KNOW YOU? and THE GRETCHEN QUESTION. She teaches in MFA program at Emerson College in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews
May 20, 2021
4.5 stars
This is a character study, not a thriller. Expectations matter, and readers expecting a thriller or whodunit will be disappointed and give it a low rating.
Hanna and her husband Joe were viciously attacked with a croquet mallet as they lay sleeping. Joe died, and while Hanna lived, she was left with devastating injuries and impaired memory. Their daughter Dawn’s boyfriend was charged and convicted of the crime, and questions remain regarding Dawn’s involvement. The book opens years later as he is up for parole and Hanna desperately tries to regain her memory so she can testify at the hearing.
For those who love a character study which delves deeply into the psychology of a character, like me, this is terrific! It’s endlessly fascinating to me that the human mind has defense mechanisms in place to avoid painful knowledge. How is it possible to not see what is right in front of you? This is also an exploration of nature vs nurture and what makes a child suggestible to evil influences. How does favoritism play a role? How do parents unwittingly harm their children when they think they are toughening them up? Lots of compelling topics here.
There’s also the sweet family dog, Abby, who stole my heart. We watch her age as the years pass, and it was often difficult to read since I’ve watched it with my own sweet dogs (RIP).
I do want to say a word about the title since I wasn't a fan until I knew what it meant. The couple’s daughter Dawn has a “lazy eye” (Amblyopia), and when diagnosed at a very young age she misunderstood the doctor, thinking she had a “lacy eye”. It’s a more beautiful and positive connotation, which became an inside joke of the couple. Hanna had a strong tendency to be optimistic and see everything in a positive light, even when the circumstances didn’t warrant it. Joe would tease Hanna, telling her she was looking at things with her ‘lacy eye’. Hanna’s ‘lacy eye’ plays a big part of the story.
This is fascinating from a psychological perspective, and was inspired by a true crime case, the Porco murder: https://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter.... This is not a spoiler as some details have been changed, including the culprit. For some of the more unbelievable aspects of the novel, I was shocked to realize those things actually happened. Fact really is often stranger than fiction.
Narrated by Ellen Archer, this is excellent on audio.
This is a character study, not a thriller. Expectations matter, and readers expecting a thriller or whodunit will be disappointed and give it a low rating.
Hanna and her husband Joe were viciously attacked with a croquet mallet as they lay sleeping. Joe died, and while Hanna lived, she was left with devastating injuries and impaired memory. Their daughter Dawn’s boyfriend was charged and convicted of the crime, and questions remain regarding Dawn’s involvement. The book opens years later as he is up for parole and Hanna desperately tries to regain her memory so she can testify at the hearing.
For those who love a character study which delves deeply into the psychology of a character, like me, this is terrific! It’s endlessly fascinating to me that the human mind has defense mechanisms in place to avoid painful knowledge. How is it possible to not see what is right in front of you? This is also an exploration of nature vs nurture and what makes a child suggestible to evil influences. How does favoritism play a role? How do parents unwittingly harm their children when they think they are toughening them up? Lots of compelling topics here.
There’s also the sweet family dog, Abby, who stole my heart. We watch her age as the years pass, and it was often difficult to read since I’ve watched it with my own sweet dogs (RIP).
I do want to say a word about the title since I wasn't a fan until I knew what it meant. The couple’s daughter Dawn has a “lazy eye” (Amblyopia), and when diagnosed at a very young age she misunderstood the doctor, thinking she had a “lacy eye”. It’s a more beautiful and positive connotation, which became an inside joke of the couple. Hanna had a strong tendency to be optimistic and see everything in a positive light, even when the circumstances didn’t warrant it. Joe would tease Hanna, telling her she was looking at things with her ‘lacy eye’. Hanna’s ‘lacy eye’ plays a big part of the story.
This is fascinating from a psychological perspective, and was inspired by a true crime case, the Porco murder: https://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter.... This is not a spoiler as some details have been changed, including the culprit. For some of the more unbelievable aspects of the novel, I was shocked to realize those things actually happened. Fact really is often stranger than fiction.
Narrated by Ellen Archer, this is excellent on audio.
February 2, 2016
1. It's who you think it is.
2. The pacing is alllll over the place. And there's no tension, which is saying a lot when there's a violent bludgeoning.
3. The main character willfully won't believe the evidence before her to the point of stupidity, and because she's also not at all interesting, it's exasperating waiting for everything to sink in. I love unlikeable protagonists when they make you think/feel things, but this one does neither.
4. I'm not an overly PC person, but the treatment of the sole character with a birth defect/physical abnormality was pretty offensive to me. It's 2016, aren't we done with this by now?
2. The pacing is alllll over the place. And there's no tension, which is saying a lot when there's a violent bludgeoning.
3. The main character willfully won't believe the evidence before her to the point of stupidity, and because she's also not at all interesting, it's exasperating waiting for everything to sink in. I love unlikeable protagonists when they make you think/feel things, but this one does neither.
4. I'm not an overly PC person, but the treatment of the sole character with a birth defect/physical abnormality was pretty offensive to me. It's 2016, aren't we done with this by now?
February 8, 2016
An absolutely stunning plot and complex characters make for brilliant reading with this taut psychological thriller that makes you question it every step of the way, seeking the truth.
I loved this book, I love the way it's written, the plot, the characters (some I loved, others I despised), the suspense and most of all the reveals, oh the reveals! Just when I thought I had made my mind up!
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?
When Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend, Rud, they hide their unsettled feelings because they're glad that Dawn, always an awkward child, seems to have finally blossomed.
Then Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed, and though Hanna survives, Rud stands trial for Joe's murder. Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn initially estranges herself from everyone she knows, but when Rud wins an appeal, Dawn returns home saying she wants to support her mother.
Hanna knows that if she could only remember the details of that traumatic night, she could ensure her husband's murderer remains in jail. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter...
How could you not love that for a plot?
Hanna is picking up the pieces after surviving a brutal attack in her own bed that has left her disfigured in her face and with psychological scars for life, her memories of that night are gone. Her daughter and boyfriend stood trial, imagine that - your own daughter accused of trying to murder you and killing your husband. Shocking. Appalling. The case against Dawn, her daughter closes down whilst her boyfriend is put away in prison for the crime.
The book is very character focused as well as taking us on a journey with a brilliant story. Shocking right from the start, the book then pads out in the middle, really introducing the main players in the book to us. The characters are done so well. I thought the way Dawn's boyfriend was written was so clever, just dark, but in such subtle ways. Very clever character development.
Hanna doubts her memories, many still think her daughter was involved, but she says she was not, Dawn comes home to live with her and it changes all the dynamics of Hanna's life with Dawn's other sister. In fact, it changes everything.
This is a clever psychological thriller that has you making decisions on people and events then changing them over and over, it's part crime obviously but mostly a good psychological thriller, it really taps into the minds of human beings to give us some solid shocks and surprises.
I don't want to share more of the plot but it builds up towards reveals and truths at the end that just blew me away, I was riveted to this book, unable to put it down. It's a book with depth and one that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a good read with plenty of twists and questions left up in the air. If you like flawed, damaged characters, you will find them here too.
4.5 paw prints from the Booklover Catlady for this book, I recommend it with ease to any reader. One that will sit with me for a while as I go over parts of it in my head.
You can check out more reviews, book talk, giveaways and more at my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BookloverCatlady
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC of this book via NetGalley for review, really loved it.
I loved this book, I love the way it's written, the plot, the characters (some I loved, others I despised), the suspense and most of all the reveals, oh the reveals! Just when I thought I had made my mind up!
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?
When Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend, Rud, they hide their unsettled feelings because they're glad that Dawn, always an awkward child, seems to have finally blossomed.
Then Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed, and though Hanna survives, Rud stands trial for Joe's murder. Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn initially estranges herself from everyone she knows, but when Rud wins an appeal, Dawn returns home saying she wants to support her mother.
Hanna knows that if she could only remember the details of that traumatic night, she could ensure her husband's murderer remains in jail. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter...
How could you not love that for a plot?
Hanna is picking up the pieces after surviving a brutal attack in her own bed that has left her disfigured in her face and with psychological scars for life, her memories of that night are gone. Her daughter and boyfriend stood trial, imagine that - your own daughter accused of trying to murder you and killing your husband. Shocking. Appalling. The case against Dawn, her daughter closes down whilst her boyfriend is put away in prison for the crime.
The book is very character focused as well as taking us on a journey with a brilliant story. Shocking right from the start, the book then pads out in the middle, really introducing the main players in the book to us. The characters are done so well. I thought the way Dawn's boyfriend was written was so clever, just dark, but in such subtle ways. Very clever character development.
Hanna doubts her memories, many still think her daughter was involved, but she says she was not, Dawn comes home to live with her and it changes all the dynamics of Hanna's life with Dawn's other sister. In fact, it changes everything.
This is a clever psychological thriller that has you making decisions on people and events then changing them over and over, it's part crime obviously but mostly a good psychological thriller, it really taps into the minds of human beings to give us some solid shocks and surprises.
I don't want to share more of the plot but it builds up towards reveals and truths at the end that just blew me away, I was riveted to this book, unable to put it down. It's a book with depth and one that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a good read with plenty of twists and questions left up in the air. If you like flawed, damaged characters, you will find them here too.
4.5 paw prints from the Booklover Catlady for this book, I recommend it with ease to any reader. One that will sit with me for a while as I go over parts of it in my head.
You can check out more reviews, book talk, giveaways and more at my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BookloverCatlady
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC of this book via NetGalley for review, really loved it.
March 21, 2016
DNF at 50%!
The idea of the book was interesting, a thriller about a woman that has survived a brutal attack that killed her husband. The killer is her daughter's boyfriend. But problem is that the woman can't remember the night and it's a possibility that the daughter was involved in the attack.
This is a book that is supposed to be a thriller, but it never feels like that. What if feels like is a mother's reminisce about a daughter's childhood going wrong and I just couldn't get into the story. There were so many things that bothered me that that in the end I didn't feel like it was worth finishing the book. One thing that really annoyed me is how they treated the youngest daughter, yes she had a lazy eye, but I often felt that she was treated as a lesser being than the older daughter. Iris was the perfect daughter, whiles Dawn was the imperfect one. And, that goes on and on during the mother's memory of her daughters growing up.
There are many 4-5 stars here on Goodreads so apparently there are people that did enjoy the book. I was just not among them...
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
The idea of the book was interesting, a thriller about a woman that has survived a brutal attack that killed her husband. The killer is her daughter's boyfriend. But problem is that the woman can't remember the night and it's a possibility that the daughter was involved in the attack.
This is a book that is supposed to be a thriller, but it never feels like that. What if feels like is a mother's reminisce about a daughter's childhood going wrong and I just couldn't get into the story. There were so many things that bothered me that that in the end I didn't feel like it was worth finishing the book. One thing that really annoyed me is how they treated the youngest daughter, yes she had a lazy eye, but I often felt that she was treated as a lesser being than the older daughter. Iris was the perfect daughter, whiles Dawn was the imperfect one. And, that goes on and on during the mother's memory of her daughters growing up.
There are many 4-5 stars here on Goodreads so apparently there are people that did enjoy the book. I was just not among them...
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
May 27, 2017
This is one of those books that doesn't really elicit much emotion from me. It was better than okay but it kind of was what it was. A good distraction while folding laundry but not by any means a shocking thriller, this was in parts a (often long, detailed, rambling) walk down memory lane and an examination of what we choose to see versus what we choose to ignore...out of love, out of fear, out of guilt. We've all done it, but thankfully not to this end. 3 stars
February 11, 2020
"No matter how much you want to believe what they tell you, you realize you can't really keep yourself safe".
If She Did It by Jessica Treadway
If she did it, also called Lacey eye, is an emotionally upsetting and violent book that is by no means a bad book but it’s subject matter is quite heavy and I would recommend reading it when you’re in a decent mood frankly.
I am not going to do a plot recap as I don’t want to give anything away to anyone who plans to read this. However I really didn’t like this that much and I do have to discuss the character building and what my reasons were for not liking it so I am writing spoilers below and there will be a lot of them.
This is an example of a book that I easily could have loved but because of the lack of information about one character, I cannot say I liked this.
Here is why:
SPOILERS:
I wanted to know more about Dawn. There is a lack of information that frustrated me so much. I really think, if at least part of the story could have been told from Dawn's prospective, I would have enjoyed it more.
I wanted..very much..to know what made this girl tick. She was obviously a sociopath but was she always? In the mother's depiction early on she was described as very different. I went through the book feeling like I did not really know her or anything about her.
The book was also just to brutal for me..and I read many dark books..most of my books are dark honestly. I felt so sorry for the dad in this. The mother too and the sister. I could not stand Dawn but wanted to know more about all the characters.
I also did not get the parents. Did they not love Dawn? Why was the mother so ashamed of Dawn when she had a panic attack? Why did they try to hide her singing talent? Nothing made sense.
I am sure the parents loved her as they were depicted as good decent people so I did not get their actions. Dawn is depicted as someone with virtually no sense of self. But I guess I wanted the book to go into the psychological elements way more then it did.
But there was such an unfinished feel for me about the whole story. There was barely even any confrontation between Dawn and her mom. The book left me with so many more questions than answers and it left me with a feeling of frustration but I really think the writing was good as it would have to be to get under my skin the way it did.
I obviously did like some aspects of it. It had power..I was really upset and affected by it and felt the writing was really poignant . For me it was the characters motivations, their actions..I wanted to get into their heads and I wanted more even from the mother who is telling the story. I did not get that and that is why I did not like it as much as I feel I could have.
If She Did It by Jessica Treadway
If she did it, also called Lacey eye, is an emotionally upsetting and violent book that is by no means a bad book but it’s subject matter is quite heavy and I would recommend reading it when you’re in a decent mood frankly.
I am not going to do a plot recap as I don’t want to give anything away to anyone who plans to read this. However I really didn’t like this that much and I do have to discuss the character building and what my reasons were for not liking it so I am writing spoilers below and there will be a lot of them.
This is an example of a book that I easily could have loved but because of the lack of information about one character, I cannot say I liked this.
Here is why:
SPOILERS:
I wanted to know more about Dawn. There is a lack of information that frustrated me so much. I really think, if at least part of the story could have been told from Dawn's prospective, I would have enjoyed it more.
I wanted..very much..to know what made this girl tick. She was obviously a sociopath but was she always? In the mother's depiction early on she was described as very different. I went through the book feeling like I did not really know her or anything about her.
The book was also just to brutal for me..and I read many dark books..most of my books are dark honestly. I felt so sorry for the dad in this. The mother too and the sister. I could not stand Dawn but wanted to know more about all the characters.
I also did not get the parents. Did they not love Dawn? Why was the mother so ashamed of Dawn when she had a panic attack? Why did they try to hide her singing talent? Nothing made sense.
I am sure the parents loved her as they were depicted as good decent people so I did not get their actions. Dawn is depicted as someone with virtually no sense of self. But I guess I wanted the book to go into the psychological elements way more then it did.
But there was such an unfinished feel for me about the whole story. There was barely even any confrontation between Dawn and her mom. The book left me with so many more questions than answers and it left me with a feeling of frustration but I really think the writing was good as it would have to be to get under my skin the way it did.
I obviously did like some aspects of it. It had power..I was really upset and affected by it and felt the writing was really poignant . For me it was the characters motivations, their actions..I wanted to get into their heads and I wanted more even from the mother who is telling the story. I did not get that and that is why I did not like it as much as I feel I could have.
July 22, 2015
“Every child gets a good mother, but not every mother gets a good child.”
----Amit Kalantri, an Indian author
Jessica Treadway, an American author, pens a compelling as well as heart-wrenching tale of a mother and a daughter in her new psychological thriller, Lacy Eye that accounts the story of a family where the husband and the wife were brutally beaten on their bed, due to which the husband died whereas the wife suffered memory loss and physical injuries unfortunately three years later, the man who did this to them is seeking an appeal to the court and that wife must put all her energy to try to remember that horrific life. And surprisingly this man was the wife's daughter's boyfriend.
Synopsis:
Hanna Schutt never suspected that her younger daughter's happiness would lead to her husband's death and the destruction of their family. When Dawn brings her new boyfriend home from college for a visit, her parents and sister try to hide their doubts because they're glad that Dawn - always an awkward child - appears to have grown into a confident, mature young woman in her relationship with Rud. But when Hanna and her husband, Joe, are beaten savagely in their bed, Rud becomes the chief suspect and stands trial for Joe's murder.
Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn estranges herself from her mother, who survived the attack with serious injuries and impaired memory. When Rud wins an appeal and Dawn returns to the family home saying she wants to support her mother, Hanna decides to try to remember details of that traumatic night so she can testify to keep her husband's murderer in jail, never guessing that the process might cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter.
Hanna and Joe are a married couple with two daughters- Iris and Dawn. Iris has always been a popular and self-confident woman all her life, whereas Dawn has always been meek and socially awkward with no friends and has forever lived in the shadows of her elder sister- Iris, so when Dawn invites her boyfriend Rud to her family home, her parents were glad that she finally met someone. Unfortunately, the night turned out to be uneventful for Hanna and Joe as they were brutally beaten. Joe died because of his severe injuries whereas Hanna survived her injuries that left her with both mental and physical scars. Dawn and Rud are soon accused of the attack, following which they were taken into custody. Dawn survived the sentence to prison life, whereas her boyfriend couldn't.
Now three years later, Hanna who is now living with her daughters, is trying hard to remember that horrific night with all her strength so that the appeal that Rud has seek to the court gets refused, in order to punish for his deeds. Whereas Dawn is adamant on her opinion that Rud is innocent thus creating a bridge between the Hanna and herself and also between Iris and herself.
The writing quality is very strong and the mystery unreels in fragments, not too revealing or not too concealing. The pacing is very fast and the story flows smoothly even though from Hanna's POV it is difficult to get a clear view of the memories of the past that gives a definition to every member of the family, since she is suffering from memory loss due to the attack. The mystery challenged as well as intrigued me all through out the book, more than the mystery, it's unraveling answers threw me off the edges. Seems like the author knows how to untangle a messy knot slowly and teasingly with just bits and pieces.
This is a character-driven psycho-thriller, thus the strongest factor of this book is it's characters not the plot or the mystery and that the author have done it brilliantly. The author has a deep psychological grip on her characters, who are portrayed as multifaceted, flawed and sympathetic human beings, all achingly vulnerable, all wracked by fear and need and guilt. And the characters are portrayed strikingly well mixed with their flaws and shortcomings, anger, hatred, insecurities.
There is an undercurrent of mother-daughter relationship insecurities as well as siblings rivalry. Not only the mystery is challenging but so are the fractured relationships. From Hanna's POV, it is evident that she has forever preferred her younger daughter, Dawn than her elder one, Iris, that leads to yet another insecurity between the sisters. Hanna's confusing mind made me to have an open mind on the perspective of the whole situation. Hanna feels Dawn's involvement in the beat up is incorrect as well as innocent whereas Iris and rest of the cast of characters feels just the opposite. Thus a shifting perspective made the story even more alluring with the complexities and the confusion lurking in the air of the family home. of Hanna. Also it questioned me with Hanna's parenting style with her daughters, the way one teats or prioritizes one daughter over another, whether a bad childhood can affect someone to take a drastic step like Dawn against her parents. In short, the book questions the society with it's faults that silently kills the balanced psychology of a human being.
The mystery of whodunnit and figuring out a child's involvement to her parents' brutal attack kept me engaged till the very end and the way the author have swimmed into the depths of the memories and past of each and every characters that I couldn't stop turning the pages until the very end.
Verdict: Psychological thriller and crime fiction lovers will love this book.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.
----Amit Kalantri, an Indian author
Jessica Treadway, an American author, pens a compelling as well as heart-wrenching tale of a mother and a daughter in her new psychological thriller, Lacy Eye that accounts the story of a family where the husband and the wife were brutally beaten on their bed, due to which the husband died whereas the wife suffered memory loss and physical injuries unfortunately three years later, the man who did this to them is seeking an appeal to the court and that wife must put all her energy to try to remember that horrific life. And surprisingly this man was the wife's daughter's boyfriend.
Synopsis:
Hanna Schutt never suspected that her younger daughter's happiness would lead to her husband's death and the destruction of their family. When Dawn brings her new boyfriend home from college for a visit, her parents and sister try to hide their doubts because they're glad that Dawn - always an awkward child - appears to have grown into a confident, mature young woman in her relationship with Rud. But when Hanna and her husband, Joe, are beaten savagely in their bed, Rud becomes the chief suspect and stands trial for Joe's murder.
Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn estranges herself from her mother, who survived the attack with serious injuries and impaired memory. When Rud wins an appeal and Dawn returns to the family home saying she wants to support her mother, Hanna decides to try to remember details of that traumatic night so she can testify to keep her husband's murderer in jail, never guessing that the process might cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter.
Hanna and Joe are a married couple with two daughters- Iris and Dawn. Iris has always been a popular and self-confident woman all her life, whereas Dawn has always been meek and socially awkward with no friends and has forever lived in the shadows of her elder sister- Iris, so when Dawn invites her boyfriend Rud to her family home, her parents were glad that she finally met someone. Unfortunately, the night turned out to be uneventful for Hanna and Joe as they were brutally beaten. Joe died because of his severe injuries whereas Hanna survived her injuries that left her with both mental and physical scars. Dawn and Rud are soon accused of the attack, following which they were taken into custody. Dawn survived the sentence to prison life, whereas her boyfriend couldn't.
Now three years later, Hanna who is now living with her daughters, is trying hard to remember that horrific night with all her strength so that the appeal that Rud has seek to the court gets refused, in order to punish for his deeds. Whereas Dawn is adamant on her opinion that Rud is innocent thus creating a bridge between the Hanna and herself and also between Iris and herself.
The writing quality is very strong and the mystery unreels in fragments, not too revealing or not too concealing. The pacing is very fast and the story flows smoothly even though from Hanna's POV it is difficult to get a clear view of the memories of the past that gives a definition to every member of the family, since she is suffering from memory loss due to the attack. The mystery challenged as well as intrigued me all through out the book, more than the mystery, it's unraveling answers threw me off the edges. Seems like the author knows how to untangle a messy knot slowly and teasingly with just bits and pieces.
This is a character-driven psycho-thriller, thus the strongest factor of this book is it's characters not the plot or the mystery and that the author have done it brilliantly. The author has a deep psychological grip on her characters, who are portrayed as multifaceted, flawed and sympathetic human beings, all achingly vulnerable, all wracked by fear and need and guilt. And the characters are portrayed strikingly well mixed with their flaws and shortcomings, anger, hatred, insecurities.
There is an undercurrent of mother-daughter relationship insecurities as well as siblings rivalry. Not only the mystery is challenging but so are the fractured relationships. From Hanna's POV, it is evident that she has forever preferred her younger daughter, Dawn than her elder one, Iris, that leads to yet another insecurity between the sisters. Hanna's confusing mind made me to have an open mind on the perspective of the whole situation. Hanna feels Dawn's involvement in the beat up is incorrect as well as innocent whereas Iris and rest of the cast of characters feels just the opposite. Thus a shifting perspective made the story even more alluring with the complexities and the confusion lurking in the air of the family home. of Hanna. Also it questioned me with Hanna's parenting style with her daughters, the way one teats or prioritizes one daughter over another, whether a bad childhood can affect someone to take a drastic step like Dawn against her parents. In short, the book questions the society with it's faults that silently kills the balanced psychology of a human being.
The mystery of whodunnit and figuring out a child's involvement to her parents' brutal attack kept me engaged till the very end and the way the author have swimmed into the depths of the memories and past of each and every characters that I couldn't stop turning the pages until the very end.
Verdict: Psychological thriller and crime fiction lovers will love this book.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.
March 17, 2015
It's been three years since Hanna and Joe were brutally attacked in their own home. Joe died as a result, while Hanna was left with permanent physical and mental injuries. Now the man charged with the crime is seeking an appeal, and Hanna is desperate to recover her memories of the night her youngest daughter's boyfriend tried to kill her, both to ensure he remains incarcerated and to put to rest any suspicion that her daughter, Dawn, was complicit in the attack.
The narrative unfolds from Hanna's perspective and can at times feel claustrophobic. Hanna is isolated, her belief in Dawn's innocence angers her older daughter, Iris, the case prosecutor and even strangers.
Hanna's wilful self deception is frustrating though it soon becomes obvious she has a long history of avoiding uncomfortable truths. And though her past reflects somewhat poorly on her, it's difficult to blame Hanna in the aftermath of the attack, for what mother would willingly entertain the idea that her daughter, whom she loves, wished her such harm.
While Treadway makes clear her sympathy lies with Hanna she demonstrates compassion for Dawn who struggled as a bullied child in the shadow of her older, popular sister. Nature vs nurture is a theme obliquely explored in Lacy Eye, through the relationships between mother and daughter and the differences between the two sisters.
The pace is measured as Hanna recalls the past and struggles with the events of the present. There isn't a lot of dialogue or action but the tension is palpable as Hanna comes closer to understanding the truth of what happened that night.
Lacy Eye is a powerful psychological drama, inspired by a real life incident. It's not an easy read but it is interesting and thought-provoking.
April 8, 2015
Finally a riveting,almost "unputdownable" read. After reading some fairly ordinary books recently I was pleasantly surprised by this psychological thriller. It was a real page turner for me that had me on the edge of my seat, almost yelling at the characters. I found that I couldn't help but get very involved with the story and quite invested in the outcome for Hanna. I can't say too much more without having to add spoilers but as a mother of adult children I felt for Hanna and could relate to her, although perhaps not so much her circumstances!!! A great read which I would highly recommend.
January 23, 2016
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads and Grand Central Publishing of New York and Boston. I am submitting my review of Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway.
"I know it probably sounds irresponsible. Crazy, even. But can you see why I thought about canceling this morning? If there's something in there, it would give me more time to not know." I wanted her to see that I meant it when I said, "That makes sense to me."
What draws us into Lacy Eye is the common thread of denial. We've all reached out to it in some fashion, insulating ourselves against the tangle of things best put off. To deal, means to feel. To know is heaven, hell, and everything in between.
Hanna Schutt and her husband have been brutally attacked in their home. Joe does not survive. Hanna does, but the word "survives" doesn't quite live up to its definition. She is left with months of surgeries and tragic disfigurement. But the reality is that her soul is disfigured as well. Her mind insulates her thoughts and she has no memory of that horrific night. Who was responsible? And, more importantly, who had the capability to pull off such a heinous crime?
The author gives us a trickle of suspects, those who may have motive. And isn't "motive" that which drives all crime stories? It's paraded in front of us in every movie and every TV program. Look for motive and you have your criminal. This book seeps in motive much like the spider on the wall that you thought you got rid of. Is it still alive and waiting for you when you shut off the light? Eery.
Jessica Treadway leads us through a shockingly good book. But her leading, at times, takes us through long-winded backstories that serve as unnecessary fill-ins. You know when Hanna revisits a long ago memory, it will be long in the telling. Every detail is relived from ten or twenty years ago. This was not enough to be off-putting, but the story could have escalated by other means. It seemed to be a litany of incidents rather than an opportunity to pull back the curtain a bit to allow the reader a glimpse into the minds of the individuals involved.
I'm sure that Ms. Treadway wanted to leave no loose strings at the end. Everything was explained to the nth degree. Allow the reader to infer. Intrigue is built up with the reader still left with open-ended questions. The unexplainable is just that.....unexplainable. What makes one individual careen off the cliff while another, under the same circumstances, stays on the road? Steady and unsteady hands on the wheel of life.
I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to future offerings by Jessica Treadway.
"I know it probably sounds irresponsible. Crazy, even. But can you see why I thought about canceling this morning? If there's something in there, it would give me more time to not know." I wanted her to see that I meant it when I said, "That makes sense to me."
What draws us into Lacy Eye is the common thread of denial. We've all reached out to it in some fashion, insulating ourselves against the tangle of things best put off. To deal, means to feel. To know is heaven, hell, and everything in between.
Hanna Schutt and her husband have been brutally attacked in their home. Joe does not survive. Hanna does, but the word "survives" doesn't quite live up to its definition. She is left with months of surgeries and tragic disfigurement. But the reality is that her soul is disfigured as well. Her mind insulates her thoughts and she has no memory of that horrific night. Who was responsible? And, more importantly, who had the capability to pull off such a heinous crime?
The author gives us a trickle of suspects, those who may have motive. And isn't "motive" that which drives all crime stories? It's paraded in front of us in every movie and every TV program. Look for motive and you have your criminal. This book seeps in motive much like the spider on the wall that you thought you got rid of. Is it still alive and waiting for you when you shut off the light? Eery.
Jessica Treadway leads us through a shockingly good book. But her leading, at times, takes us through long-winded backstories that serve as unnecessary fill-ins. You know when Hanna revisits a long ago memory, it will be long in the telling. Every detail is relived from ten or twenty years ago. This was not enough to be off-putting, but the story could have escalated by other means. It seemed to be a litany of incidents rather than an opportunity to pull back the curtain a bit to allow the reader a glimpse into the minds of the individuals involved.
I'm sure that Ms. Treadway wanted to leave no loose strings at the end. Everything was explained to the nth degree. Allow the reader to infer. Intrigue is built up with the reader still left with open-ended questions. The unexplainable is just that.....unexplainable. What makes one individual careen off the cliff while another, under the same circumstances, stays on the road? Steady and unsteady hands on the wheel of life.
I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to future offerings by Jessica Treadway.
March 21, 2021
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
LACY EYE is a powerful and chilling book about a couple who was bludgeoned with a croquet mallet while sleeping in their bedroom. The husband dies and, miraculously, the wife survives the attack. The intruder used the mallet to strike the wife repeatedly on the head and she suffered physical scars and memory loss from the attack. The couple's dog was also injured in the attack.
The couple's daughter's boyfriend was convicted of the crime and sent to jail. The boyfriend wins an appeal and a new trial has been scheduled. Although police felt that the couple's daughter was also involved in the attack, there was not enough evidence in trial #1 to convict her. The DA is hoping that the wife will regain her memory for trial #2 and testify against her daughter. The wife, too, is hoping to regain her memory so that she can exonerate her daughter and keep her husband's killer in jail. The wife loves her daughter and refuses to believe that she could have been involved in the horrific attack.
Inspired by the real-life murder of Peter Porco, a white-collar professional from the author's hometown -- LACY EYE is much more than a "who dunnit?" book. Instead, it's an emotionally pulverizing tale of a mother's love for a family that has been torn apart from the outside and within. It's also a story about loss, fear, sorrow, parenthood, family dynamics, ostracism, "mean girls", and sociopathic minds.
LACY EYE was very fast-paced and well written and never missed a beat. But it was the author's superb skills in character development that sets this book apart from similar books in its genre. I felt like I really knew all of the characters in this book -- and knew them well. Even though the wife's husband was deceased, I felt like I knew him, too, because, throughout the entire book, the wife always let readers know "this is what Joe would have said" had he been alive. And, finally, I felt like I really knew the family's dog, too. The dog was a beloved family member and, as a result, readers were privy to the dog's likes, dislikes, routines, habits, and idiosyncrasies.
This book was written in 2015 and somehow escaped my radar. I listened to the book's audio version that was narrated by Ellen Archer, one of my favorite narrators, and the book's narration was superb.
This was my first Jessica Treadway book and I look forward to listening to future titles by this author.
LACY EYE is a powerful and chilling book about a couple who was bludgeoned with a croquet mallet while sleeping in their bedroom. The husband dies and, miraculously, the wife survives the attack. The intruder used the mallet to strike the wife repeatedly on the head and she suffered physical scars and memory loss from the attack. The couple's dog was also injured in the attack.
The couple's daughter's boyfriend was convicted of the crime and sent to jail. The boyfriend wins an appeal and a new trial has been scheduled. Although police felt that the couple's daughter was also involved in the attack, there was not enough evidence in trial #1 to convict her. The DA is hoping that the wife will regain her memory for trial #2 and testify against her daughter. The wife, too, is hoping to regain her memory so that she can exonerate her daughter and keep her husband's killer in jail. The wife loves her daughter and refuses to believe that she could have been involved in the horrific attack.
Inspired by the real-life murder of Peter Porco, a white-collar professional from the author's hometown -- LACY EYE is much more than a "who dunnit?" book. Instead, it's an emotionally pulverizing tale of a mother's love for a family that has been torn apart from the outside and within. It's also a story about loss, fear, sorrow, parenthood, family dynamics, ostracism, "mean girls", and sociopathic minds.
LACY EYE was very fast-paced and well written and never missed a beat. But it was the author's superb skills in character development that sets this book apart from similar books in its genre. I felt like I really knew all of the characters in this book -- and knew them well. Even though the wife's husband was deceased, I felt like I knew him, too, because, throughout the entire book, the wife always let readers know "this is what Joe would have said" had he been alive. And, finally, I felt like I really knew the family's dog, too. The dog was a beloved family member and, as a result, readers were privy to the dog's likes, dislikes, routines, habits, and idiosyncrasies.
This book was written in 2015 and somehow escaped my radar. I listened to the book's audio version that was narrated by Ellen Archer, one of my favorite narrators, and the book's narration was superb.
This was my first Jessica Treadway book and I look forward to listening to future titles by this author.
June 13, 2018
This most definitely meets the genre Psychological thriller, it has all the twists that tie you up in knots and the turns that weave and tangle you up into a right pickle.
The author is new to me, but the blurb sounded just right for my reading matter so I jumped in. I loved the ripple effect this book gave me once I dived in. I never sank once, the author kept me afloat keeping my attention, this is not a fast paced book, so don't expect that, but its a truly compelling one, one you will find difficult to put down.
It truly made me think.
My thanks to the publishers Little, Brown Book Group UK via Net Galley for my copy
March 10, 2017
This five star review comes with a disclaimer and that disclaimer is this: Ellen Archer is my very favorite narrator and she makes everything into an amazing experience for me. I don't know if I would give this book five stars if I had read it. I think so, but so much of the goodness is wrapped up in Ellen Archer's narration style. My favorite audio of all time is Die a Little, also read by EA, and these two books may seem different at first glance, but they are a lot alike. How so? Well, . Goodreads says that five stars means "Loved it!" and I did, I loved it. I was glued to this book for two solid days. So I just have to give it all five stars.
April 25, 2015
3 years ago Hanna’s world was torn about when an intruder murdered her husband Joe and left her for dead. Daughter Dawn’s boyfriend Rud was tried and convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and Dawn herself came under suspicion. In fact, it seems as if everyone except Hanna believes Dawn was involved. Now, however, Rud has been awarded an appeal and is waiting for a retrial. Hanna herself has no memory of what happened that night and in order for the prosecutors to get a guilty verdict she is going to need to get her memory back and testify against Rud.
The story is told entirely from Hanna’s viewpoint and reads more like a survivor’s memoir than a novel. Her tale jumps about in time and subject and doesn’t always feel as if it is flowing well. I expected the read to be a lot more tense and suspenseful but that just didn’t come across at all.
Eyes and sight and seeing are very much to the fore in this read. Dawn has a lazy eye, Hanna’s eye was shattered during the attack and her other daughter is named Iris. The focus of the book is how love can blind you to a person’s faults, whether it be a romantic partner, parent, sibling or child. We see what we want to see and ignore what we don’t want to see. The story itself isn’t bad at all, but it just wasn’t as tense and gripping as I expected it to be. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
The story is told entirely from Hanna’s viewpoint and reads more like a survivor’s memoir than a novel. Her tale jumps about in time and subject and doesn’t always feel as if it is flowing well. I expected the read to be a lot more tense and suspenseful but that just didn’t come across at all.
Eyes and sight and seeing are very much to the fore in this read. Dawn has a lazy eye, Hanna’s eye was shattered during the attack and her other daughter is named Iris. The focus of the book is how love can blind you to a person’s faults, whether it be a romantic partner, parent, sibling or child. We see what we want to see and ignore what we don’t want to see. The story itself isn’t bad at all, but it just wasn’t as tense and gripping as I expected it to be. Thanks to the publishers for the review copy.
July 20, 2024
1⭐️= Not For Me.
Paperback.
For me, this was such a boring read. Very jumbled, monotone and flat beginning. I think this writing style may not be for me!?😂
Paperback.
For me, this was such a boring read. Very jumbled, monotone and flat beginning. I think this writing style may not be for me!?😂
January 10, 2015
Check out my other reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!
After I read the blurb for this one, I just had to read it. Can you imagine being in that situation?!? The premise was terribly frightening and I thought that it would be such an amazing book. Unfortunately, that is not exactly how this played out for me. At all.
At first, Lacy Eye really read like Gone Girl. That's all I could think about as I read it because it was so full of an inner monologue that never seemed to end. The difference is that the inner monologue did eventually go away in Gone Girl and it never really did with Lacy Eye. You're mostly just reading what the mom is remembering (at first) and thinking. Due to there being hardly any actual conversations this book just really dragged for me. I won't lie. It was boring. Positively boring.
I think that the worst part is that I felt like I was wasting my time every moment that I had this book in my hands. That is horrible to say but the story really just didn't go anywhere for me. Sure, it went through the mom trying to recover her memory and then recovering her memory but it still felt like I was on this treadmill of death, just looking at a picture of a location in front of me and walking for forever but never realizing that I'll never actually get there. That's what this book was for me.
The characters weren't interesting to me or even memorable, for that matter. And I found the main character, Hanna, to be a bit unrealistic. Her "memory loss" was just totally unrealistic to me. Because she seemed to have an amazing memory when she was bringing up things that had happened 23 years ago and she knew what everyone was wearing, how their hair looked, EXACTLY what they had said ... maybe that is an exaggeration but that is how it felt. I just couldn't connect with her or any of the other characters. I wish that I knew more about them. Not just the stuff that they had done but about who they actually were.
I don't think that I'll pick up another novel by this author again. The writing wasn't bad, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Lacy Eye has really high ratings, which kind of surprises me but it shows that I am definitely in the minority on this one. But I'm totally okay with that.
November 2, 2015
Also published under the title of If She Did It with a different cover.
An absolutely stunning plot and complex characters make for brilliant reading with this taut psychological thriller that makes you question it every step of the way, seeking the truth.
I loved this book, I love the way it's written, the plot, the characters (some I loved, others I despised), the suspense and most of all the reveals, oh the reveals! Just when I thought I had made my mind up!
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?
When Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend, Rud, they hide their unsettled feelings because they're glad that Dawn, always an awkward child, seems to have finally blossomed.
Then Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed, and though Hanna survives, Rud stands trial for Joe's murder. Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn initially estranges herself from everyone she knows, but when Rud wins an appeal, Dawn returns home saying she wants to support her mother.
Hanna knows that if she could only remember the details of that traumatic night, she could ensure her husband's murderer remains in jail. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter...
How could you not love that for a plot?
Hanna is picking up the pieces after surviving a brutal attack in her own bed that has left her disfigured in her face and with psychological scars for life, her memories of that night are gone. Her daughter and boyfriend stood trial, imagine that - your own daughter accused of trying to murder you and killing your husband. Shocking. Appalling. The case against Dawn, her daughter closes down whilst her boyfriend is put away in prison for the crime.
The book is very character focused as well as taking us on a journey with a brilliant story. Shocking right from the start, the book then pads out in the middle, really introducing the main players in the book to us. The characters are done so well. I thought the way Dawn's boyfriend was written was so clever, just dark, but in such subtle ways. Very clever character development.
Hanna doubts her memories, many still think her daughter was involved, but she says she was not, Dawn comes home to live with her and it changes all the dynamics of Hanna's life with Dawn's other sister. In fact, it changes everything.
This is a clever psychological thriller that has you making decisions on people and events then changing them over and over, it's part crime obviously but mostly a good psychological thriller, it really taps into the minds of human beings to give us some solid shocks and surprises.
I don't want to share more of the plot but it builds up towards reveals and truths at the end that just blew me away, I was riveted to this book, unable to put it down. It's a book with depth and one that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a good read with plenty of twists and questions left up in the air. If you like flawed, damaged characters, you will find them here too.
4.5 paw prints from the Booklover Catlady for this book, I recommend it with ease to any reader. One that will sit with me for a while as I go over parts of it in my head. www.facebook.com/BookloverCatlady
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An absolutely stunning plot and complex characters make for brilliant reading with this taut psychological thriller that makes you question it every step of the way, seeking the truth.
I loved this book, I love the way it's written, the plot, the characters (some I loved, others I despised), the suspense and most of all the reveals, oh the reveals! Just when I thought I had made my mind up!
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?
When Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend, Rud, they hide their unsettled feelings because they're glad that Dawn, always an awkward child, seems to have finally blossomed.
Then Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed, and though Hanna survives, Rud stands trial for Joe's murder. Claiming her boyfriend's innocence, Dawn initially estranges herself from everyone she knows, but when Rud wins an appeal, Dawn returns home saying she wants to support her mother.
Hanna knows that if she could only remember the details of that traumatic night, she could ensure her husband's murderer remains in jail. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter...
How could you not love that for a plot?
Hanna is picking up the pieces after surviving a brutal attack in her own bed that has left her disfigured in her face and with psychological scars for life, her memories of that night are gone. Her daughter and boyfriend stood trial, imagine that - your own daughter accused of trying to murder you and killing your husband. Shocking. Appalling. The case against Dawn, her daughter closes down whilst her boyfriend is put away in prison for the crime.
The book is very character focused as well as taking us on a journey with a brilliant story. Shocking right from the start, the book then pads out in the middle, really introducing the main players in the book to us. The characters are done so well. I thought the way Dawn's boyfriend was written was so clever, just dark, but in such subtle ways. Very clever character development.
Hanna doubts her memories, many still think her daughter was involved, but she says she was not, Dawn comes home to live with her and it changes all the dynamics of Hanna's life with Dawn's other sister. In fact, it changes everything.
This is a clever psychological thriller that has you making decisions on people and events then changing them over and over, it's part crime obviously but mostly a good psychological thriller, it really taps into the minds of human beings to give us some solid shocks and surprises.
I don't want to share more of the plot but it builds up towards reveals and truths at the end that just blew me away, I was riveted to this book, unable to put it down. It's a book with depth and one that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a good read with plenty of twists and questions left up in the air. If you like flawed, damaged characters, you will find them here too.
4.5 paw prints from the Booklover Catlady for this book, I recommend it with ease to any reader. One that will sit with me for a while as I go over parts of it in my head. www.facebook.com/BookloverCatlady
October 15, 2015
Rating 5 Stars!!
Wow what a book! This isn't a fast paced suspense thriller but nonetheless I couldn't put it down! I found myself reading each word on the page like I knew they were going to be important down the road (and in a way they are). Each event in this story whether past or present helps explain how things eventually unfold. I also read a comment by Jessica Treadway on a blog that said this story was based on real life events that took place in her hometown. I read this book solo, but I think it would make for a GREAT buddy read. I was dying to discuss this book and its characters with someone, anyone, and sometimes found myself talking through it aloud to myself (no this is not normal behavior for me lol).
So the Plot:
Hanna Schutt, just received some horrible news. Her husband's killer, the man who tried to kill her, is going to get a new trial. What makes this situation even worse, is that Hanna's youngest daughter, Dawn, brought this murderer into their lives. He was her boyfriend.
On Thanksgiving weekend, three years ago, Hanna and her husband were viciously attacked in the middle of the night by and intruder wielding a croquet mallet taken from a set in their garage. The police arrested Rud Petty, Dawn's boyfriend for the crime but that wasn't the end of the story. Prosecutor's attempted to indict Dawn Schutt for the crime, but a grand jury failed to hold her over for trial.
Hanna has no memory of the fateful night, but knows that if she wants Rud Petty to stay in prison she has to do whatever it takes to remember not only what happened, but who did it.
I don't want to say anymore (I think I said to much already ). This was a phenomenal read! It made me think and ask questions. It provokes discussion and debate. I highly recommend this novel and as I mentioned before, if you have the opportunity to read this with a buddy, I think it would greatly enhance the experience.
The characters came to life for me. The events and the characters reactions to said events were so realistic. Get a copy of this book!! You won't be disappointed!!!!!
Wow what a book! This isn't a fast paced suspense thriller but nonetheless I couldn't put it down! I found myself reading each word on the page like I knew they were going to be important down the road (and in a way they are). Each event in this story whether past or present helps explain how things eventually unfold. I also read a comment by Jessica Treadway on a blog that said this story was based on real life events that took place in her hometown. I read this book solo, but I think it would make for a GREAT buddy read. I was dying to discuss this book and its characters with someone, anyone, and sometimes found myself talking through it aloud to myself (no this is not normal behavior for me lol).
So the Plot:
Hanna Schutt, just received some horrible news. Her husband's killer, the man who tried to kill her, is going to get a new trial. What makes this situation even worse, is that Hanna's youngest daughter, Dawn, brought this murderer into their lives. He was her boyfriend.
On Thanksgiving weekend, three years ago, Hanna and her husband were viciously attacked in the middle of the night by and intruder wielding a croquet mallet taken from a set in their garage. The police arrested Rud Petty, Dawn's boyfriend for the crime but that wasn't the end of the story. Prosecutor's attempted to indict Dawn Schutt for the crime, but a grand jury failed to hold her over for trial.
Hanna has no memory of the fateful night, but knows that if she wants Rud Petty to stay in prison she has to do whatever it takes to remember not only what happened, but who did it.
I don't want to say anymore (I think I said to much already ). This was a phenomenal read! It made me think and ask questions. It provokes discussion and debate. I highly recommend this novel and as I mentioned before, if you have the opportunity to read this with a buddy, I think it would greatly enhance the experience.
The characters came to life for me. The events and the characters reactions to said events were so realistic. Get a copy of this book!! You won't be disappointed!!!!!
August 4, 2015
First of all thanks to my good friend and fellow reviewer Steph for sending me a copy of this book picked up at Harrogate, I'd been dying to read it
If She Did It is a very tense and often claustrophobic family drama/psychological thriller, told from the point of view of Hanna - recovering from a traumatic event in which she lost her husband, an event she has no specific memory of, the possibility that her own daughter may have been involved in that violent night haunts her - however much she tries to believe that it is not, could not be true.
There is a beautiful depth here - both to the psychology of the characters and to the unfolding story itself - as Hanna starts getting flashes of insight, under pressure from all quarters to remember - it is very gripping and extremely thought provoking. Hanna's inner turmoil is fascinating as she swings first one way then the other - as a reader you get very involved in all of her ups and downs.
Then there is the theme of mothers and daughters - as Hanna looks back over her relationship with both Dawn (the daughter causing concern) and her sister Iris, as well as the differing attitudes she and her Husband Joe had in their upbringing, a picture starts to emerge of a troubled girl - possibly even dangerous. Dangerous enough to kill? Well therein lies one of the great threads here, just like Hanna you will not be able to make up your mind.
Jessica Treadway manages to ask the hard questions as she spins this wonderfully complex web - just how far would you go to protect your child, is love enough, that age old nature v nurture debate. That Dawn has issues is never in question - but just how deep rooted these are, that is the heart and soul here, the hook that will keep you turning those pages to find out If She Did It.
Brilliant stuff. An intelligent and emotive novel that also stands out as a top notch mystery, a dilemma to get your reading teeth into and one that will leave you with a lot to think about.
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
If She Did It is a very tense and often claustrophobic family drama/psychological thriller, told from the point of view of Hanna - recovering from a traumatic event in which she lost her husband, an event she has no specific memory of, the possibility that her own daughter may have been involved in that violent night haunts her - however much she tries to believe that it is not, could not be true.
There is a beautiful depth here - both to the psychology of the characters and to the unfolding story itself - as Hanna starts getting flashes of insight, under pressure from all quarters to remember - it is very gripping and extremely thought provoking. Hanna's inner turmoil is fascinating as she swings first one way then the other - as a reader you get very involved in all of her ups and downs.
Then there is the theme of mothers and daughters - as Hanna looks back over her relationship with both Dawn (the daughter causing concern) and her sister Iris, as well as the differing attitudes she and her Husband Joe had in their upbringing, a picture starts to emerge of a troubled girl - possibly even dangerous. Dangerous enough to kill? Well therein lies one of the great threads here, just like Hanna you will not be able to make up your mind.
Jessica Treadway manages to ask the hard questions as she spins this wonderfully complex web - just how far would you go to protect your child, is love enough, that age old nature v nurture debate. That Dawn has issues is never in question - but just how deep rooted these are, that is the heart and soul here, the hook that will keep you turning those pages to find out If She Did It.
Brilliant stuff. An intelligent and emotive novel that also stands out as a top notch mystery, a dilemma to get your reading teeth into and one that will leave you with a lot to think about.
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
August 16, 2019
Book alternative title Lacy Eye
This novel is not 'pretty' reading because of the nature of violence perpetrated against the central character Hanna who is also the narrator of this story. Hanna has two daughters - Iris who grows up to be successful and becomes a mum herself and Dawn who has issues from being a little girl, not least caused by her 'lacy eye'. Hanna and her husband Joe are brutally attacked in their home and Joe is murdered and Hanna is left with terrible injuries. When they are discovered the following day Hanna in a pain filled haze names Dawn and her sociopath boyfriend Rud as their attackers although once she recovers she has no memory of that. Rud is charged and imprisoned but there is insufficient evidence to charge Dawn who denies any role and appears to have an alibi. The story centres around Hanna recovering her memory and discovering the true horror of the attack which I won't spoil for future readers! This is well worth reading although tough going at times because there are some shocking revelations in the story. I couldn't put it down!
This novel is not 'pretty' reading because of the nature of violence perpetrated against the central character Hanna who is also the narrator of this story. Hanna has two daughters - Iris who grows up to be successful and becomes a mum herself and Dawn who has issues from being a little girl, not least caused by her 'lacy eye'. Hanna and her husband Joe are brutally attacked in their home and Joe is murdered and Hanna is left with terrible injuries. When they are discovered the following day Hanna in a pain filled haze names Dawn and her sociopath boyfriend Rud as their attackers although once she recovers she has no memory of that. Rud is charged and imprisoned but there is insufficient evidence to charge Dawn who denies any role and appears to have an alibi. The story centres around Hanna recovering her memory and discovering the true horror of the attack which I won't spoil for future readers! This is well worth reading although tough going at times because there are some shocking revelations in the story. I couldn't put it down!
October 26, 2018
I only got about one-third into this book and had to stop reading, so I am not rating it. I will give a few comments, though...
Tried so hard to get into this book. But the looong sentences kept tripping me up. I felt like being on an enjoyable hike - story moving along, interesting, intriguing - then I trip over some old snare-wire in the grass and have to back up a few paces, or pages, and re-read what I tripped over. I cannot read this kind of book. The voice, or rhythm just did not do it for me. Also, I noticed the book was mostly 'tell-tell-tell' and nothing makes my mind wander more than a book like that. Tell the boring stuff, please, but SHOW the interesting!
I won this book through the Goodreads giveaway program and was happy to see it in my mailbox.
(If I do return to the book and finish it, I will give a rating.)
Tried again, the book is simply not well-constructed or presented.
Two stars.
Just not the book for me.
Tried so hard to get into this book. But the looong sentences kept tripping me up. I felt like being on an enjoyable hike - story moving along, interesting, intriguing - then I trip over some old snare-wire in the grass and have to back up a few paces, or pages, and re-read what I tripped over. I cannot read this kind of book. The voice, or rhythm just did not do it for me. Also, I noticed the book was mostly 'tell-tell-tell' and nothing makes my mind wander more than a book like that. Tell the boring stuff, please, but SHOW the interesting!
I won this book through the Goodreads giveaway program and was happy to see it in my mailbox.
(If I do return to the book and finish it, I will give a rating.)
Tried again, the book is simply not well-constructed or presented.
Two stars.
Just not the book for me.
March 21, 2015
I highly recommend all readers to read this psychological thriller IF SHE DID IT. I couldn't put this book down. I have loved every single sentence, and every single page. Jessica Treadway is such a brilliant author I am looking into which one of her books I am going read next.
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime? A mother knows doesn't she?
Daughter Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend Rud. Dawn's mother doesn't like Rud but says nothing to Joe her husband. A young boy in the same street as Dawn's family causes nothing but trouble. Then one evening Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed. Joe is found dead. Dawn's boyfriend Rud stands trail for the murder of Dawn's father. The only problem is where Hannah suffered such a traumatic night she cant remember anything of the night she was beaten in bed and her husband killed. So the question is who actually beat Hannah in their bed and killed Joe?
So much happens in this page turning story, you will be desperate like me to find out who really killed Joe. I hope all readers enjoy reading If She Did It as much as I have.
What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime? A mother knows doesn't she?
Daughter Dawn introduces her family to her new boyfriend Rud. Dawn's mother doesn't like Rud but says nothing to Joe her husband. A young boy in the same street as Dawn's family causes nothing but trouble. Then one evening Dawn's parents are savagely beaten in their own bed. Joe is found dead. Dawn's boyfriend Rud stands trail for the murder of Dawn's father. The only problem is where Hannah suffered such a traumatic night she cant remember anything of the night she was beaten in bed and her husband killed. So the question is who actually beat Hannah in their bed and killed Joe?
So much happens in this page turning story, you will be desperate like me to find out who really killed Joe. I hope all readers enjoy reading If She Did It as much as I have.
December 30, 2015
In my opinion, Lacy Eye is missing something absolutely crucial in the making of a good thriller - believability. I find it impossible to grasp how a grown woman can be so completely and totally in denial about something as obvious as the guilt portrayed in this story. I have to be honest - without giving too much away - that daughter or no daughter, Dawn absolutely radiates red-handed guilt from chapter one. Her ridiculously sketchy behavior goes entirely unnoticed or ignored by her mother and that is where the author lost me.
Now, I am not a mother so maybe I am being naive here.. Maybe when it comes to a child it's possible - even easy - to put up the blinders and strategically ignore the facts and evidence directly in front of you. Maybe - but I genuinely wouldn't know and naturally find the idea hard to swallow. Therefore this audio book was exceptionally underwhelming in my opinion.
Now, I am not a mother so maybe I am being naive here.. Maybe when it comes to a child it's possible - even easy - to put up the blinders and strategically ignore the facts and evidence directly in front of you. Maybe - but I genuinely wouldn't know and naturally find the idea hard to swallow. Therefore this audio book was exceptionally underwhelming in my opinion.
May 24, 2015
How well do we really know anyone?
Hanna, recovering from a brutal 'bludgeoning' in which her husband was killed, does not remember the events leading up to or during the attempted murder that left her permanently disfigured. She is, however, all too aware of the views of family, friends, and community who believe her youngest daughter Dawn was involved in the attack.
What follows is Hanna's journey to try and remember, but while she is without the memory of the assault, all that is left is her knowledge of who her daughter is and her senses. But how trustworthy are they? Could this young woman - this shy, marginalised girl who had always been her mother's favourite - have been involved? Do we sometimes mistake who someone is, for who we want them to be?
This is a quiet, tense book that allows us to walk alongside Hanna, and like her have only our intuition to work with when deciding what did, or did not, happen.
Hanna, recovering from a brutal 'bludgeoning' in which her husband was killed, does not remember the events leading up to or during the attempted murder that left her permanently disfigured. She is, however, all too aware of the views of family, friends, and community who believe her youngest daughter Dawn was involved in the attack.
What follows is Hanna's journey to try and remember, but while she is without the memory of the assault, all that is left is her knowledge of who her daughter is and her senses. But how trustworthy are they? Could this young woman - this shy, marginalised girl who had always been her mother's favourite - have been involved? Do we sometimes mistake who someone is, for who we want them to be?
This is a quiet, tense book that allows us to walk alongside Hanna, and like her have only our intuition to work with when deciding what did, or did not, happen.
March 9, 2015
Confession: I didn't finish this book.
I got 40% of the way through, and I just couldn't do it anymore. The constant motherly monologue, the flashbacks...what is even the plot of this book? Who did it? Well, if finding out who did it is the plot, then let's get on with it! Good gravy.
The book just wasn't for me. It was seriously slow paced. There was little to no action or dialogue. It was all "telling." No "showing." Flashbacks, flashbacks, and more flashbacks. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I love a book that goes back and forth in time. However, this book just over did it. The flashbacks were frequent, but short. So it was hard to follow what the point of anything was.
I hate to DNF ARC copies...but my reading time is far too precious. I could fight through this one anymore :-/
I got 40% of the way through, and I just couldn't do it anymore. The constant motherly monologue, the flashbacks...what is even the plot of this book? Who did it? Well, if finding out who did it is the plot, then let's get on with it! Good gravy.
The book just wasn't for me. It was seriously slow paced. There was little to no action or dialogue. It was all "telling." No "showing." Flashbacks, flashbacks, and more flashbacks. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I love a book that goes back and forth in time. However, this book just over did it. The flashbacks were frequent, but short. So it was hard to follow what the point of anything was.
I hate to DNF ARC copies...but my reading time is far too precious. I could fight through this one anymore :-/
August 4, 2025
This thriller reads like a true crime story. The last 100 pages become very gripping and suspenseful because I wanted to know if Dawn is convicted of murder.
July 7, 2015
I was very much looking forward to what this novel had to offer, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The premise was interesting -- parents brutally attacked by daughter's boyfriend, he's sentenced but now getting a retrial, was the daughter involved -- except too much time is spent on trivial moments in the family's past and not enough on the drama of the present. Similar to "We Need to Talk About Kevin", but too many of the flashbacks appeared to ultimately have nothing to do with the crime. An argument of nature versus nurture where, in the end, the main character is told that she's not to blame for the adult her child turns out to be. Then why spend two-thirds of the novel exploring this? I really wanted to enjoy this book, and there were times when I did, but too many lapses in between where I felt myself looking for reasons not to skip ahead ten pages...
April 28, 2015
Does anyone ever know anyone? Do we even know ourselves?
These are the questions I asked myself whilst reading this book. For me it was definitely a page turner but more than that it made me think about life, family and people in general.
This book originally went under the name "LACY EYE"
These are the questions I asked myself whilst reading this book. For me it was definitely a page turner but more than that it made me think about life, family and people in general.
This book originally went under the name "LACY EYE"
April 21, 2015
This was quite a story it kept me on the edge of my seat, especially when you listen to it as a mother and wonder what would you think and feel? Would you also stand up for your daughter even when everyone else thinks she’s guilty? There’s no way you could have raised a daughter who had a hand in killing her father and left you severely beaten and left for dead. Yes, your daughter has always been a bit odd and was bullied and teased as a child because of a lazy eye but she isn’t a monster right??!!??
I had a hard time putting this one down, I needed to know if Hanna was right or if she had just let one of her attackers back into her home. Yes there were times when I thought Hanna open your eyes and listen to what everyone is telling you but then when you look at it from a mother’s perspective of always defending and protecting your child I could understand where she was coming from.
I also liked the way this is written almost from inside Hanna’s head who doesn’t remember anything about the night of the attack but that night when a police officer asked her who did this she implicated her daughter Dawn and her boyfriend Rud. Rud ends up in prison but Dawn is never indicted because her roommate gives her an alibi. A lot of the book is Hanna going through memories of Dawn’s life, I think in her own way trying to justify why she said Dawn did it because she can’t come to terms with the possibility that her daughter had anything to do with it. There are times in these memories when you feel so bad for Dawn and how her classmates and even her own sister, Iris, treated her but there are other times especially in the present day that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and wonder if Hanna is wrong about everything.
Okay I will stop now before I give anything away; this is a taut psychological thriller that I think would be fabulous for a book club because right now I wish I had a friend who had also read this book so I could talk to them about it. This is a powerful story and especially as a mother will pull at your heartstrings and leave you with a lot of “What if this happened to me?” questions.
Ellen Archer’s narration was very well done I thought the tones and sarcasm she gave Iris were perfect and also her narration of Dawn showed us that she really never grew up and seemed stunted as a child/teen. And with Hanna so much of the book is inside her head and I liked that I could tell when she was speaking to someone or just remembering things. I would definitely listen to this narrator again.
This was my first read by this author and I am now curious about her other books and will search them out.
4 ½ Stars
I had a hard time putting this one down, I needed to know if Hanna was right or if she had just let one of her attackers back into her home. Yes there were times when I thought Hanna open your eyes and listen to what everyone is telling you but then when you look at it from a mother’s perspective of always defending and protecting your child I could understand where she was coming from.
I also liked the way this is written almost from inside Hanna’s head who doesn’t remember anything about the night of the attack but that night when a police officer asked her who did this she implicated her daughter Dawn and her boyfriend Rud. Rud ends up in prison but Dawn is never indicted because her roommate gives her an alibi. A lot of the book is Hanna going through memories of Dawn’s life, I think in her own way trying to justify why she said Dawn did it because she can’t come to terms with the possibility that her daughter had anything to do with it. There are times in these memories when you feel so bad for Dawn and how her classmates and even her own sister, Iris, treated her but there are other times especially in the present day that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and wonder if Hanna is wrong about everything.
Okay I will stop now before I give anything away; this is a taut psychological thriller that I think would be fabulous for a book club because right now I wish I had a friend who had also read this book so I could talk to them about it. This is a powerful story and especially as a mother will pull at your heartstrings and leave you with a lot of “What if this happened to me?” questions.
Ellen Archer’s narration was very well done I thought the tones and sarcasm she gave Iris were perfect and also her narration of Dawn showed us that she really never grew up and seemed stunted as a child/teen. And with Hanna so much of the book is inside her head and I liked that I could tell when she was speaking to someone or just remembering things. I would definitely listen to this narrator again.
This was my first read by this author and I am now curious about her other books and will search them out.
4 ½ Stars
March 11, 2015
Lacy Eye
By
Jessica Treadway
When I read and then review a book...I like to organize my thoughts into the areas of the book that capture my attention. This gives me a real feel for every part of this book. Hopefully this will help potential readers of this book, too.
So...
The characters that I thought were the most interesting as well as intriguing...
Hanna, Joe, Iris, and Dawn...the family...were the key characters within this book. Dawn's boyfriend was also a "person of interest".
The settings for this book...
Most of the book took place wherever Hanna was...she was the character who narrated the story.
What I think is the main idea or theme of this book...
The main idea of this book is that Hanna and her husband Joe have been brutally attacked in their home. Hanna is left physically altered and without much memory of the attack or at least that is what she thinks about her memory. But...when the imprisoned attacker is working on an appeal...memories begin to surface. Hanna's youngest daughter Dawn has surfaced, too. After a three year absence Dawn wants to come home. Dawn has been under suspicion of being involved in this attack although no one has been able to prove this.
My thoughts about this book...
Ok...so...now I get to talk about Dawn...not a fun child, had an eye condition..amblyopia...that caused perception problems so kids were always making fun of her and playing cruel tricks on her. The way she continued to call Hanna "mommy" even as an adult...really creeped me out. Dawn is the kind of character that I loved to hate. Dishonest, underhanded, delusional...are all words I would use to describe her. But...also maddening was the way Hanna continued to give Dawn chance after chance...explaining away all of her odd behaviors even though everyone else saw a totally different person.
My thoughts for potential readers of this book...
This was a strange family...perhaps a bit old fashioned...Joe...the father...was odd and Hanna was a bit odd, too. They...sort of...ended up with a good daughter and a really bad daughter. The fact that they were just a tad "odd" made their story even more interesting. While I was reading it I just wanted to say...listen to your friends...or...don't let her come home...or trust your instincts...but...that just made the book even more addictive for me. I think that this book had the perfect ending...and I had much admiration for Hanna. So...readers who love this kind of tense chilling book...should really love this one!
By
Jessica Treadway
When I read and then review a book...I like to organize my thoughts into the areas of the book that capture my attention. This gives me a real feel for every part of this book. Hopefully this will help potential readers of this book, too.
So...
The characters that I thought were the most interesting as well as intriguing...
Hanna, Joe, Iris, and Dawn...the family...were the key characters within this book. Dawn's boyfriend was also a "person of interest".
The settings for this book...
Most of the book took place wherever Hanna was...she was the character who narrated the story.
What I think is the main idea or theme of this book...
The main idea of this book is that Hanna and her husband Joe have been brutally attacked in their home. Hanna is left physically altered and without much memory of the attack or at least that is what she thinks about her memory. But...when the imprisoned attacker is working on an appeal...memories begin to surface. Hanna's youngest daughter Dawn has surfaced, too. After a three year absence Dawn wants to come home. Dawn has been under suspicion of being involved in this attack although no one has been able to prove this.
My thoughts about this book...
Ok...so...now I get to talk about Dawn...not a fun child, had an eye condition..amblyopia...that caused perception problems so kids were always making fun of her and playing cruel tricks on her. The way she continued to call Hanna "mommy" even as an adult...really creeped me out. Dawn is the kind of character that I loved to hate. Dishonest, underhanded, delusional...are all words I would use to describe her. But...also maddening was the way Hanna continued to give Dawn chance after chance...explaining away all of her odd behaviors even though everyone else saw a totally different person.
My thoughts for potential readers of this book...
This was a strange family...perhaps a bit old fashioned...Joe...the father...was odd and Hanna was a bit odd, too. They...sort of...ended up with a good daughter and a really bad daughter. The fact that they were just a tad "odd" made their story even more interesting. While I was reading it I just wanted to say...listen to your friends...or...don't let her come home...or trust your instincts...but...that just made the book even more addictive for me. I think that this book had the perfect ending...and I had much admiration for Hanna. So...readers who love this kind of tense chilling book...should really love this one!
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