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Shaw and Darmody #1
The Interview
A girl covered in blood. A missing man. A cryptic fairy tale.
Detective Laura Shaw seems to have it all: a supportive husband, a happy two-year-old and a great career. She is her team's top interviewer, brilliant at coaxing victims to open up.
Then, she meets Jenny - a 14-year-old assault victim - and the façade crumbles. Jenny's stepfather is missing, the blood on her clothes is not her own and Laura can't interpret the fairy tale she keeps repeating.
But Jenny isn't the only one with secrets. With every hour that passes, Laura loses more of her grip, grappling with the biggest question of all:
Is every life worth saving?
Detective Laura Shaw seems to have it all: a supportive husband, a happy two-year-old and a great career. She is her team's top interviewer, brilliant at coaxing victims to open up.
Then, she meets Jenny - a 14-year-old assault victim - and the façade crumbles. Jenny's stepfather is missing, the blood on her clothes is not her own and Laura can't interpret the fairy tale she keeps repeating.
But Jenny isn't the only one with secrets. With every hour that passes, Laura loses more of her grip, grappling with the biggest question of all:
Is every life worth saving?
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2022
25 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Gill Perdue
10 books30 followersGill Perdue is the author of If I Tell (previously published as The Interview), the first in the Laura Shaw series of Crime novels published by Penguin, set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Clonchapel. She also writes for children. Her first children’s novel, Adam’s Starling, won a Bisto Award (the Eilís Dillon Memorial) for that year.
A primary school teacher by training, Gill worked for many years in Tallaght and other schools in south Dublin, and this experience informed and inspired her earliest writings, as did her work on a children’s helpline. A lifelong love of dance and music saw her train separately as a dance teacher, and for many years Gill has been teaching Ballet and Modern in a busy school in Rathfarnham.
She is drawn to the exploration of the domestic, behind the façade presented by adults and even very young children, reflecting the real experiences of living in a world where the best and worst of what it means to be human exist side by side.
Gill lives in Rathfarnham with Kevin and Angus (one of these is a dog). They have two adult daughters, one living in London and one recently returned to live here. Inky and Dusty - a pair of disapproving rescue cats - complete the picture.
A primary school teacher by training, Gill worked for many years in Tallaght and other schools in south Dublin, and this experience informed and inspired her earliest writings, as did her work on a children’s helpline. A lifelong love of dance and music saw her train separately as a dance teacher, and for many years Gill has been teaching Ballet and Modern in a busy school in Rathfarnham.
She is drawn to the exploration of the domestic, behind the façade presented by adults and even very young children, reflecting the real experiences of living in a world where the best and worst of what it means to be human exist side by side.
Gill lives in Rathfarnham with Kevin and Angus (one of these is a dog). They have two adult daughters, one living in London and one recently returned to live here. Inky and Dusty - a pair of disapproving rescue cats - complete the picture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
February 20, 2022
Gill Perdue certainly makes her mark in this harrowing Irish psychological thriller that revolves around the unsettling dynamics of a emotionally charged interview. Found in the streets, 14 year old Jenny is covered in blood, not hers, although her body shows signs of older injuries, so much blood that lends an urgency to the proceedings that follow and she is in a adult psychiatric ward. Jenny's mother and brother, were in a crash, are unconscious and have sustained serious injuries, and the stepfather, Stuart, is missing. Conducting the interview is a specialist victim's trained detective, the married Laura Shaw, with a young daughter, and her colleague, Niamh, who becomes increasingly concerned as she tries to keep proceedings on track when the interview threatens to become derailed.
Laura's own troubling buried personal history and secrets begins to emerge and unravel as she begins to identify with a locked in Alice who communicates only through the grimmest of realities and horrors through fairytales and Irish folklore. The perspectives of Alice and Laura hold centre stage, along with that of Niamh, in this most chilling and disturbingly upsetting of narratives, as revelations come, where we learn of Alice's life and family. The characterisations are distinct and done well in a thriller that is loaded with intense levels of tension and suspense, and a heartbreaking social commentary on the ills that plague our world. This is a compelling, tough and brutal read of damaged and traumatised characters, of abuse, physical and sexual, that will not be for everyone, but one which I recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Laura's own troubling buried personal history and secrets begins to emerge and unravel as she begins to identify with a locked in Alice who communicates only through the grimmest of realities and horrors through fairytales and Irish folklore. The perspectives of Alice and Laura hold centre stage, along with that of Niamh, in this most chilling and disturbingly upsetting of narratives, as revelations come, where we learn of Alice's life and family. The characterisations are distinct and done well in a thriller that is loaded with intense levels of tension and suspense, and a heartbreaking social commentary on the ills that plague our world. This is a compelling, tough and brutal read of damaged and traumatised characters, of abuse, physical and sexual, that will not be for everyone, but one which I recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
January 21, 2022
A 14-year-old assault victim Jenny who is initially selectively mute and will only communicate by fairytales is the challenge set for Detective Laura Shaw who is an SVI (specialist victim interviewer). Laura seems to have it all, a good career, a much loved two-year-old daughter and a supportive husband. However, right from the start of the interview Laura‘s questions strike a discordant note which becomes increasingly worrying. Her partner Niamh becomes more and more concerned. What is going on with Jenny and Laura becomes increasingly apparent in this tense and gripping psychological thriller.
I’m not going to pretend that in places this is anything other than a difficult read but what I can say with certainty is the quality of the writing is outstanding. The portrayal of the characters has done exceptionally well. Jenny has constructed walls and her means of conveying her truth is absolutely riveting.She is smart, dark, elusive and damaged but very clever and you wonder at times who is interviewing who. Laura seems confident but as you witness her behaviour it’s clear she’s far from that especially as it continues to change as if something dormant has awoken. Niamh, frankly, is brilliant light relief but she’s also totally on the ball in the interview and her reactions are very illuminating.
Some of the cleverest parts of the book centre on the use of fairytales especially grim Grimm and also Irish folk lore and through this means we see truth and reality. There is some disassociation by them but also eventually transformation. The use of music in particular the Beatles is also ingenious casting a light on the past and the present.
The quality of the writing especially as this is debut is extremely accomplished. It’s a very powerful, intense, dark novel, it’s shockingly vivid in places but utterly compelling and absorbing. The tension in parts is so taut it sends a shiver down the spine. This builds and the suspense times is so great you can scarcely breathe as truths are confronted. Yes, it’s decidedly uncomfortable but it’s mesmerising and so believable. The ending is so good you read it with baited breath as the fairytale riddles are unravelled and the spells are broken. The epilogue is exactly what you and the characters need with the last word rightly going to Minerva. A highly recommended and skilful debut.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General U.K., Sandycove for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
I’m not going to pretend that in places this is anything other than a difficult read but what I can say with certainty is the quality of the writing is outstanding. The portrayal of the characters has done exceptionally well. Jenny has constructed walls and her means of conveying her truth is absolutely riveting.She is smart, dark, elusive and damaged but very clever and you wonder at times who is interviewing who. Laura seems confident but as you witness her behaviour it’s clear she’s far from that especially as it continues to change as if something dormant has awoken. Niamh, frankly, is brilliant light relief but she’s also totally on the ball in the interview and her reactions are very illuminating.
Some of the cleverest parts of the book centre on the use of fairytales especially grim Grimm and also Irish folk lore and through this means we see truth and reality. There is some disassociation by them but also eventually transformation. The use of music in particular the Beatles is also ingenious casting a light on the past and the present.
The quality of the writing especially as this is debut is extremely accomplished. It’s a very powerful, intense, dark novel, it’s shockingly vivid in places but utterly compelling and absorbing. The tension in parts is so taut it sends a shiver down the spine. This builds and the suspense times is so great you can scarcely breathe as truths are confronted. Yes, it’s decidedly uncomfortable but it’s mesmerising and so believable. The ending is so good you read it with baited breath as the fairytale riddles are unravelled and the spells are broken. The epilogue is exactly what you and the characters need with the last word rightly going to Minerva. A highly recommended and skilful debut.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General U.K., Sandycove for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 2, 2022
Specialist Victim Interviewers Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody of the Irish Gardai have come to the psychiatric ward at Abbot's Hill Hospital to interview Jenny, a fourteen year old girl. Jenny was found lying at the side of the road, covered in blood, not far from where her mother and little brother were found seriously injured in a car crash. Her stepfather Stuart is missing and the Gardai want to know if Jenny knows where he is but she is refusing to speak. Despite all the blood Jenny had no obvious new injuries, although evidence of plenty of old ones.
At first Jenny, refuses to talk to Laura and Niamh, but gradually she starts to tell them a fairytale. The narrative is told from the point of view of the three of them and we get to see what is in their thoughts as the interview progresses. As the interview progresses Niamh becomes concerned that Laura, who is taking the lead in the questioning, seems to be off her game. Normally confident and competent, she can usually gently draw out the most resistant interviewee, but now she seems anxious and her questions too blunt and hurried to be effective.
This novel touches on subjects such as abuse and trauma that are not easy to read about and it won't be for everyone. It's an assured debut novel, with the suspense building slowly to a tense finish as the truth about Jenny's family and Laura's past come spilling out. Niamh is a breath of fresh air as she tries to temper Laura's behaviour and find out what is causing her anxiety. 3.5★
With thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for a copy to read
At first Jenny, refuses to talk to Laura and Niamh, but gradually she starts to tell them a fairytale. The narrative is told from the point of view of the three of them and we get to see what is in their thoughts as the interview progresses. As the interview progresses Niamh becomes concerned that Laura, who is taking the lead in the questioning, seems to be off her game. Normally confident and competent, she can usually gently draw out the most resistant interviewee, but now she seems anxious and her questions too blunt and hurried to be effective.
This novel touches on subjects such as abuse and trauma that are not easy to read about and it won't be for everyone. It's an assured debut novel, with the suspense building slowly to a tense finish as the truth about Jenny's family and Laura's past come spilling out. Niamh is a breath of fresh air as she tries to temper Laura's behaviour and find out what is causing her anxiety. 3.5★
With thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for a copy to read
March 8, 2022
TW: rape, domestic violence, animal death
Set in Ireland this rather sad tale tells the story of Jenny Cullen, a traumatised 14 year old girl who has endured more than any child should. When she was about 8 years old (I think) her father died and Stuart Cullen wasted no time in moving in on her mother Miriam. Stuart is such a great guy, his work mates love him, he’s always smiling and joking. And then he goes home and beats up his family. It is not long before he has plans for Jenny.
Jenny was found slumped on some steps one morning, hypothermic and covered in blood which was not her own. She was taken to hospital where she was cleaned up and checked over. She was covered in bruises, had quite a few healed fractures and needed stitches for vaginal tearing. As she was non- responsive she was sent to the psychiatric unit and garda officers Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody, specially trained to question traumatised children, are sent to interview her. Her parents’ vehicle been found, awash with blood, and while her mother and young brother Karl are badly injured they are in a stable condition. But there is no sign of Stuart. The garda need to know where Stuart is.
Yet Jenny won’t talk, and when she does talk it’s all in riddles and full of references to fairy tales. Laura herself has had trauma in her past and is rapidly unravelling.
I think the author did an excellent and sensitive job of getting inside the head of a PTSD sufferer. It was clear the girl was terrified of what she may or may not have done. She wants go home to her mammy but at other times she is certain her mammy and little brother are dead. My favourite character was Niamh - she was funny, steadfast, loyal and covered for Laura as much as she could. Laura herself though was a bit annoying. Her trauma induced OCD was getting out of control just when Jenny needed a steady hand.
While I thought the book was really well done, Both Jenny and Laura’s internal monologues got quite tiresome and repetitive. I understand it is all part of the condition but a bit less about of the internal rambling would have made for a more lively reader experience.
Set in Ireland this rather sad tale tells the story of Jenny Cullen, a traumatised 14 year old girl who has endured more than any child should. When she was about 8 years old (I think) her father died and Stuart Cullen wasted no time in moving in on her mother Miriam. Stuart is such a great guy, his work mates love him, he’s always smiling and joking. And then he goes home and beats up his family. It is not long before he has plans for Jenny.
Jenny was found slumped on some steps one morning, hypothermic and covered in blood which was not her own. She was taken to hospital where she was cleaned up and checked over. She was covered in bruises, had quite a few healed fractures and needed stitches for vaginal tearing. As she was non- responsive she was sent to the psychiatric unit and garda officers Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody, specially trained to question traumatised children, are sent to interview her. Her parents’ vehicle been found, awash with blood, and while her mother and young brother Karl are badly injured they are in a stable condition. But there is no sign of Stuart. The garda need to know where Stuart is.
Yet Jenny won’t talk, and when she does talk it’s all in riddles and full of references to fairy tales. Laura herself has had trauma in her past and is rapidly unravelling.
I think the author did an excellent and sensitive job of getting inside the head of a PTSD sufferer. It was clear the girl was terrified of what she may or may not have done. She wants go home to her mammy but at other times she is certain her mammy and little brother are dead. My favourite character was Niamh - she was funny, steadfast, loyal and covered for Laura as much as she could. Laura herself though was a bit annoying. Her trauma induced OCD was getting out of control just when Jenny needed a steady hand.
While I thought the book was really well done, Both Jenny and Laura’s internal monologues got quite tiresome and repetitive. I understand it is all part of the condition but a bit less about of the internal rambling would have made for a more lively reader experience.
February 4, 2022
The Spiel sounded intriguing. A 14 year old girl being interviewed, her mother and brother seriously injured in hospital, her abusive Step-father missing. She isnt saying a word. Is she a victim, a witness or a perpetrator?
How this book panned out however left very little intrigue, tension or interest. The problems for me at least, were many.
For a start, our central character Laura, the lead detective, I found incredibly annoying throughout. Like so much so that I hadnt an ounce of interest in her or her story. Sure she has had trauma in her life and is not in the best place and I`m not trying to down play those whatsoever but we keeping hearing from her partner Niamh what a fantastic and cool headed detective she is. The perfect mentor. Hello, has someone robbed the real Laura and replaced her with this borderline narcissist? Incompetence after incompetence and all we get is the odd "cop on" from Niamh.
Also the way she treated her husband like a doormat and yet he was cool and fine with it. Come on like.
The story is narrated from three different viewpoints, each of the detectives -Laura and Niamh and also the teenage girl Jenny.
Again, Jenny I found incredibly annoying. "Dumb bitch" this and "dumb bitch" that. It is used three time in one paragraph alone. It was incredibly tiresome. Yes there is a link to her abuse and again I`m in no way trying to downplay it but we are sledgehammered with this phrase from her throughout the whole book by the author. As subtle as a brick.
The first two thirds of this book are incredibly slow with little or nothing happening in the main story. Its basically the two detectives "interviewing" Jenny with them trying to get her to talk. " Come on Jenny you are safe here, tell us where he is" and Jenny in her own head saying "dumb bitch dumb bitch". Interview ends for the day and we get some mostly irrelevant soap opera like filler of the detectives life stories that are of no interest whatsoever. Then back we go to the interview with the same exchanges, and this takes up more than half the book.
By the time something did happen and the story started moving, I really didnt care about any of the characters or what happened to them and actually found them extremely irritating.
It all comes to its inevitable conclusion with "dumb bitch" going into hyperdrive in the last few chapters.
Some really serious subject matters here are told in the most laborious and uninteresting way with terribly written characters and an even worse book.
I`m sorry to be so down on this book but it left me annoyed at so many junctures that I would be anything but honest if I didnt vent my true feelings.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
How this book panned out however left very little intrigue, tension or interest. The problems for me at least, were many.
For a start, our central character Laura, the lead detective, I found incredibly annoying throughout. Like so much so that I hadnt an ounce of interest in her or her story. Sure she has had trauma in her life and is not in the best place and I`m not trying to down play those whatsoever but we keeping hearing from her partner Niamh what a fantastic and cool headed detective she is. The perfect mentor. Hello, has someone robbed the real Laura and replaced her with this borderline narcissist? Incompetence after incompetence and all we get is the odd "cop on" from Niamh.
Also the way she treated her husband like a doormat and yet he was cool and fine with it. Come on like.
The story is narrated from three different viewpoints, each of the detectives -Laura and Niamh and also the teenage girl Jenny.
Again, Jenny I found incredibly annoying. "Dumb bitch" this and "dumb bitch" that. It is used three time in one paragraph alone. It was incredibly tiresome. Yes there is a link to her abuse and again I`m in no way trying to downplay it but we are sledgehammered with this phrase from her throughout the whole book by the author. As subtle as a brick.
The first two thirds of this book are incredibly slow with little or nothing happening in the main story. Its basically the two detectives "interviewing" Jenny with them trying to get her to talk. " Come on Jenny you are safe here, tell us where he is" and Jenny in her own head saying "dumb bitch dumb bitch". Interview ends for the day and we get some mostly irrelevant soap opera like filler of the detectives life stories that are of no interest whatsoever. Then back we go to the interview with the same exchanges, and this takes up more than half the book.
By the time something did happen and the story started moving, I really didnt care about any of the characters or what happened to them and actually found them extremely irritating.
It all comes to its inevitable conclusion with "dumb bitch" going into hyperdrive in the last few chapters.
Some really serious subject matters here are told in the most laborious and uninteresting way with terribly written characters and an even worse book.
I`m sorry to be so down on this book but it left me annoyed at so many junctures that I would be anything but honest if I didnt vent my true feelings.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
November 1, 2022
Detective Shaw is going to have an interesting case, a 14-year-old victim of an assault. It is not an easy case. I enjoyed the author's style.
January 23, 2022
The Interview is, for the most part, hugely compelling and beautifully done- the subject matter is dark and realistic and handled really well plus it is a real page turner.
A girl found in shock, covered in blood. A missing man who could be dying. Two specially trained interviewers trying to get to the truth. That's the set up, what follows is a twisty tale that slowly but surely leads to an emotional conclusion.
I read this fast, it is one of those books you don't want to put down once you start and the writing is cleverly insightful. If I had one bugbear it was that one character had personal issues that became somewhat irritating and threatened to overwhelm the narrative- maybe that could have been pared back slightly - but overall this was am excellent read that managed to be both entertaining and socially relevant.
A girl found in shock, covered in blood. A missing man who could be dying. Two specially trained interviewers trying to get to the truth. That's the set up, what follows is a twisty tale that slowly but surely leads to an emotional conclusion.
I read this fast, it is one of those books you don't want to put down once you start and the writing is cleverly insightful. If I had one bugbear it was that one character had personal issues that became somewhat irritating and threatened to overwhelm the narrative- maybe that could have been pared back slightly - but overall this was am excellent read that managed to be both entertaining and socially relevant.
February 11, 2022
I am very sad to say I had to DNF this book.
The story just did not seem to budge at all, it seemed like one of the main characters had a lot of undealt-with trauma, so to think she was qualified and fit to perform this interview just makes her plain bad at her job.
Also, I felt like I saw what the author is trying to deliver by presenting the 14-year old's perspective the way it was written, but it made for a jarring read.
I did not connect with any of the characters either and did not care for them at all.
I kept on making excused not to pick this book up again and again, so I decided to just leave it as a 'did not finish'. Life's too short.
All in all, I did not enjoy the writing (it sort of felt like driving a car with square wheels for me) or the premise.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC, but with sadness in my heart, I still have to give it one star.
Merged review:
I am very sad to say I had to DNF this book.
The story just did not seem to budge at all, it seemed like one of the main characters had a lot of undealt-with trauma, so to think she was qualified and fit to perform this interview just makes her plain bad at her job.
Also, I felt like I saw what the author is trying to deliver by presenting the 14-year old's perspective the way it was written, but it made for a jarring read.
I did not connect with any of the characters either and did not care for them at all.
I kept on making excused not to pick this book up again and again, so I decided to just leave it as a 'did not finish'. Life's too short.
All in all, I did not enjoy the writing (it sort of felt like driving a car with square wheels for me) or the premise.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC, but with sadness in my heart, I still have to give it one star.
The story just did not seem to budge at all, it seemed like one of the main characters had a lot of undealt-with trauma, so to think she was qualified and fit to perform this interview just makes her plain bad at her job.
Also, I felt like I saw what the author is trying to deliver by presenting the 14-year old's perspective the way it was written, but it made for a jarring read.
I did not connect with any of the characters either and did not care for them at all.
I kept on making excused not to pick this book up again and again, so I decided to just leave it as a 'did not finish'. Life's too short.
All in all, I did not enjoy the writing (it sort of felt like driving a car with square wheels for me) or the premise.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC, but with sadness in my heart, I still have to give it one star.
Merged review:
I am very sad to say I had to DNF this book.
The story just did not seem to budge at all, it seemed like one of the main characters had a lot of undealt-with trauma, so to think she was qualified and fit to perform this interview just makes her plain bad at her job.
Also, I felt like I saw what the author is trying to deliver by presenting the 14-year old's perspective the way it was written, but it made for a jarring read.
I did not connect with any of the characters either and did not care for them at all.
I kept on making excused not to pick this book up again and again, so I decided to just leave it as a 'did not finish'. Life's too short.
All in all, I did not enjoy the writing (it sort of felt like driving a car with square wheels for me) or the premise.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC, but with sadness in my heart, I still have to give it one star.
February 14, 2022
Most of the story centres around Jenny a fourteen-year-old girl, who was found wandering the streets covered in blood. Tests revealed that the blood wasn’t hers, but she had been sexually assaulted and traumatised. Now Detective Laura Shaw, a victim interviewer, with her partner Niamh, have to find out what exactly has happened.
When her mother and brother are found unconscious and badly injured in a crashed car, the hunt for her missing step-father is stepped-up. If all the blood from Jenny’s clothes is from him, the chances are that he is dead or dying. But Jenny will only tell her side of what has happened through several fairy tales that are difficult to decipher. There is so much more to this story than you first think.
It is not an easy read as it walks you through the lives of Jenny, her mum, brother and step-father. The way that Jenny copes with it all to re-tell her life is remarkable, clever and distracting. The author has her characters perfected. Jenny, Laura and Niamh, all have voices in this story, with some shocking revelations about their pasts and how circumstances affect their current mental state.
It is a great read, tense with an urgency that could mean life and death for someone.
I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book that I have reviewed honestly.
When her mother and brother are found unconscious and badly injured in a crashed car, the hunt for her missing step-father is stepped-up. If all the blood from Jenny’s clothes is from him, the chances are that he is dead or dying. But Jenny will only tell her side of what has happened through several fairy tales that are difficult to decipher. There is so much more to this story than you first think.
It is not an easy read as it walks you through the lives of Jenny, her mum, brother and step-father. The way that Jenny copes with it all to re-tell her life is remarkable, clever and distracting. The author has her characters perfected. Jenny, Laura and Niamh, all have voices in this story, with some shocking revelations about their pasts and how circumstances affect their current mental state.
It is a great read, tense with an urgency that could mean life and death for someone.
I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book that I have reviewed honestly.
October 11, 2023
Jenny a fourteen year old girl is bought to hospital after being found in the street covered in blood, although she doesn't appear to be injured .. so whose blood is it?
Jenny's mother and brother have been found injured after a car crash and Jenny's stepfather Stuart is missing.
Jenny is admitted to a psychiatric ward at Abbot's hill hospital. After a medical examination it is clear that Jenny has been abused.
Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmady specialist victim interviewers, from the Irish Gardaare are sent to interview Jenny who is refusing to speak. As they struggle to reveal the truth Laura finds herself questioning her own past - can she help Jenny and find out what happened as well as dealing with her own issues?
I was gripped by this psychological thriller. The tension is dark, gritty but well written, it's dealing with difficult subjects.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange of an honest review.
Jenny's mother and brother have been found injured after a car crash and Jenny's stepfather Stuart is missing.
Jenny is admitted to a psychiatric ward at Abbot's hill hospital. After a medical examination it is clear that Jenny has been abused.
Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmady specialist victim interviewers, from the Irish Gardaare are sent to interview Jenny who is refusing to speak. As they struggle to reveal the truth Laura finds herself questioning her own past - can she help Jenny and find out what happened as well as dealing with her own issues?
I was gripped by this psychological thriller. The tension is dark, gritty but well written, it's dealing with difficult subjects.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange of an honest review.
April 21, 2022
The Interview is a beguiling and engrossing mystery-thriller with intensely developed characters and provocative themes around sexual assault, domestic violence, coercive control and revenge.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
January 26, 2022
I found this really hard to get in to, about half way through and I still can’t warm to either character nor do I particularly have any interest as to either back story. A did not finish for me.
February 3, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for this Advanced Review Copy.
A Heavy Read
The title, cover, and description all intrigued me, and I was delighted to receive a review copy of this book. While I expected a dark read, I hadn’t expected to be quite so heavy or brutal. For certain, major triggger warnings are needed for this book, for which at present there are none. The narrative deals with domestic abuse, physical and sexual child abuse, and adult rape. The descriptions are graphic and occur numerous times.
To be honest, I struggled to connect, and therefore, root for either main character—Jenny and Laura—despite their respective traumas. I did, however, love Niamh, who really came alive for me.
“Inside, my mouth is jammed and crammed with blood and teeth and jagged helps that can’t get out.” … This opening line gives a good sense of where the book goes from here. We have a young girl found on the street covered in blood. Topically, there are no CAMHS beds available, so poor Jenny ends up on an adult psych ward while she waits for the doctors, social services, and the police to assess and interview her. Problematical, is the fact that the lead detective, Laura, has issues of her own, and her long battled and buried PTSD is no longer happy to stay quiescent.
One huge annoyance for me, and a thing which yanked me out of the read over and over and over again, was the use of ‘literally’. More than a few times, I wanted to throw my ereader across the room … literally!! Ugh. Aside from this, some lines stood out wonderfully, such as …
“She goes back into her silence, shrugging it over her shoulders like a coat.”
And …
“He nodded—the pissed-off nod rather than the friendly one.”
And …
“But that’s the problem. Time is running out and truth is running in.”
I believe this novel will be a marmite read for many, in that they’ll either love it or they’ll hate it, with not many on the fence. Having said that, I kind of AM on the fence about it. On one hand, the book covers some difficult yet essential issues. On the other, the characterisation fell flat for me. Furthermore, I found myself disbelieving the neat and tidy ending. I’m certain more consequences would have befallen Laura, and I’m not at all sure that four months would have seen such a remarkable improvement in poor Jenny. So, all in all, it’s an okay read. I loved some parts and hated others. It gets 3 stars from me, which means if you can handle the heavy, give it a go. You might just love it.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book
A Heavy Read
The title, cover, and description all intrigued me, and I was delighted to receive a review copy of this book. While I expected a dark read, I hadn’t expected to be quite so heavy or brutal. For certain, major triggger warnings are needed for this book, for which at present there are none. The narrative deals with domestic abuse, physical and sexual child abuse, and adult rape. The descriptions are graphic and occur numerous times.
To be honest, I struggled to connect, and therefore, root for either main character—Jenny and Laura—despite their respective traumas. I did, however, love Niamh, who really came alive for me.
“Inside, my mouth is jammed and crammed with blood and teeth and jagged helps that can’t get out.” … This opening line gives a good sense of where the book goes from here. We have a young girl found on the street covered in blood. Topically, there are no CAMHS beds available, so poor Jenny ends up on an adult psych ward while she waits for the doctors, social services, and the police to assess and interview her. Problematical, is the fact that the lead detective, Laura, has issues of her own, and her long battled and buried PTSD is no longer happy to stay quiescent.
One huge annoyance for me, and a thing which yanked me out of the read over and over and over again, was the use of ‘literally’. More than a few times, I wanted to throw my ereader across the room … literally!! Ugh. Aside from this, some lines stood out wonderfully, such as …
“She goes back into her silence, shrugging it over her shoulders like a coat.”
And …
“He nodded—the pissed-off nod rather than the friendly one.”
And …
“But that’s the problem. Time is running out and truth is running in.”
I believe this novel will be a marmite read for many, in that they’ll either love it or they’ll hate it, with not many on the fence. Having said that, I kind of AM on the fence about it. On one hand, the book covers some difficult yet essential issues. On the other, the characterisation fell flat for me. Furthermore, I found myself disbelieving the neat and tidy ending. I’m certain more consequences would have befallen Laura, and I’m not at all sure that four months would have seen such a remarkable improvement in poor Jenny. So, all in all, it’s an okay read. I loved some parts and hated others. It gets 3 stars from me, which means if you can handle the heavy, give it a go. You might just love it.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book
January 16, 2023
*I received a free DRC of this book, with thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is a psychological suspense thriller, told in three alternating viewpoints – Laura (detective), Niamh (a Special Victims Garda and Laura’s friend) and Jenny, their suspect/victim.
The reader is kept in suspense throughout, just as much as the investigators, as to whether Jenny is a genuine victim or a calculating killer, but what is clear from the very beginning is that Laura is in serious trouble with her precarious mental health and this hits-too-close-to-home case can only make her spiral further. I felt mentally hoarse from the effort of my internal screaming at her to please tell someone and get some help!
And the plot definitely takes her to some dark places. In terms of triggers, there is domestic violence, child sex abuse, rape and post-partum depression/psychosis. Most of the plot happens inside the small room where Laura is – somewhat unprofessionally – interviewing Jenny, or in Jenny’s case a lot of the action happens inside her head, in the form of the myths and fairytales she uses to cope with the trauma of what has happened to her.
Dark and, at times, a little confusing in the timeline of what happened when and what is real or imagined, this story did keep me gripped throughout and had me thoroughly invested in, if not a happy ever after, at least the best possible outcome for all involved. Well… for most involved, anyway.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is a psychological suspense thriller, told in three alternating viewpoints – Laura (detective), Niamh (a Special Victims Garda and Laura’s friend) and Jenny, their suspect/victim.
The reader is kept in suspense throughout, just as much as the investigators, as to whether Jenny is a genuine victim or a calculating killer, but what is clear from the very beginning is that Laura is in serious trouble with her precarious mental health and this hits-too-close-to-home case can only make her spiral further. I felt mentally hoarse from the effort of my internal screaming at her to please tell someone and get some help!
And the plot definitely takes her to some dark places. In terms of triggers, there is domestic violence, child sex abuse, rape and post-partum depression/psychosis. Most of the plot happens inside the small room where Laura is – somewhat unprofessionally – interviewing Jenny, or in Jenny’s case a lot of the action happens inside her head, in the form of the myths and fairytales she uses to cope with the trauma of what has happened to her.
Dark and, at times, a little confusing in the timeline of what happened when and what is real or imagined, this story did keep me gripped throughout and had me thoroughly invested in, if not a happy ever after, at least the best possible outcome for all involved. Well… for most involved, anyway.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
February 9, 2022
Laura and Niamh are detectives specially trained in interviewing victims.
They are called to speak to Jenny, a non-responsive teenager found covered in blood by the roadside. Jenny’s stepfather is missing and the team is under pressure to find out information.
Laura, who normally excels at her work appears to be wrongfooted by this case and the victim and eventually takes some risky decisions to get answers.
The Interview is a struggle for a number of reasons. The small amount of information being disclosed by Jenny is presented as a fairy-tale, blurring the lines with reality and it is often impossible to know if Jenny is speaking in her own head or aloud. As a device, this would be fine in the context of solid characters and clear direction, but both are lacking.
Laura is difficult to empathise with in terms of her background and her current behaviour as is Jenny’s mum, and the interviews seem endless, going over and over the same stuff.
There is however, a sincerity and lack of self-consciousness in the descriptions of the violations. The imprint left on the victims is portrayed in a way which truly reveals the horror to which they have been subjected.
With thanks to Netgalley UK and Penguin General UK
They are called to speak to Jenny, a non-responsive teenager found covered in blood by the roadside. Jenny’s stepfather is missing and the team is under pressure to find out information.
Laura, who normally excels at her work appears to be wrongfooted by this case and the victim and eventually takes some risky decisions to get answers.
The Interview is a struggle for a number of reasons. The small amount of information being disclosed by Jenny is presented as a fairy-tale, blurring the lines with reality and it is often impossible to know if Jenny is speaking in her own head or aloud. As a device, this would be fine in the context of solid characters and clear direction, but both are lacking.
Laura is difficult to empathise with in terms of her background and her current behaviour as is Jenny’s mum, and the interviews seem endless, going over and over the same stuff.
There is however, a sincerity and lack of self-consciousness in the descriptions of the violations. The imprint left on the victims is portrayed in a way which truly reveals the horror to which they have been subjected.
With thanks to Netgalley UK and Penguin General UK
March 2, 2022
Specialist victim investigators laura and niamh have been asked to interview 14 year old jenny. She was found covered in bloid, unable to explain what has happened and for her own protection is currently being held in a secure psychiatric ward. Her mum and brother are both in intensive care and her step father is missing.
Laura begins her questioning but is unable to extract vital information as Jenny seems only to tell the story via using narrative from fairy tales.
Slowly it is learnt that jenny and her family suffered abuse from her step father. As events unfold there becomes a strong suspicion that jenny knows a lot of his disappearance than she is divulging.
Laura struggles to cope with work, alongside that of being a wife and protective mother. She hides a secret that she is unable to share although she recognises similarities between herself and Jenny. Rash decisions in a bid for her to find the truth lead to an exciting climax with an unpredicted end.
Well worth a read.
Laura begins her questioning but is unable to extract vital information as Jenny seems only to tell the story via using narrative from fairy tales.
Slowly it is learnt that jenny and her family suffered abuse from her step father. As events unfold there becomes a strong suspicion that jenny knows a lot of his disappearance than she is divulging.
Laura struggles to cope with work, alongside that of being a wife and protective mother. She hides a secret that she is unable to share although she recognises similarities between herself and Jenny. Rash decisions in a bid for her to find the truth lead to an exciting climax with an unpredicted end.
Well worth a read.
April 14, 2022
Wow this was addictive!
This was one of those books that had me itching to pick it back up as soon as I’d put it down for a break – I was completely gripped and desperate to know just what was going to happen.
Chapters are told from the points of view of Laura the detective, Laura’s colleague Niamh and finally, Jenny the victim / suspect.
I will say the subjects this book covers were pretty harrowing to read about at times but I think the author did a fantastic job of highlighting them through Jenny’s ‘fairytale’. It’s hard to know at times whether Jenny is telling the truth and just how to interpret her story she is telling. It really showed just how victims of such horrific trauma compartmentalise their feelings and thoughts in order to survive and move on.
I don’t want to go into much more detail as this really is best enjoyed without knowing too much. It’s an absolutely gripping story that slowly unravels with each chapter, becoming even more heartbreaking. Both Laura and Jenny have secrets and ultimately end up helping each other face their fears and past traumas.
A brilliant read that was so addictive and impossible to put down!
This was one of those books that had me itching to pick it back up as soon as I’d put it down for a break – I was completely gripped and desperate to know just what was going to happen.
Chapters are told from the points of view of Laura the detective, Laura’s colleague Niamh and finally, Jenny the victim / suspect.
I will say the subjects this book covers were pretty harrowing to read about at times but I think the author did a fantastic job of highlighting them through Jenny’s ‘fairytale’. It’s hard to know at times whether Jenny is telling the truth and just how to interpret her story she is telling. It really showed just how victims of such horrific trauma compartmentalise their feelings and thoughts in order to survive and move on.
I don’t want to go into much more detail as this really is best enjoyed without knowing too much. It’s an absolutely gripping story that slowly unravels with each chapter, becoming even more heartbreaking. Both Laura and Jenny have secrets and ultimately end up helping each other face their fears and past traumas.
A brilliant read that was so addictive and impossible to put down!
September 3, 2022
This was a dark and harrowing read. Three main characters - Irish Garda officers Laura and Niamh are interviewing Jenny - a 14 year old who they are convinced holds the key to the disappearance of her stepfather Stuart. Jenny is being held in a psychiatric ward. and has obviously suffered years of trauma which has, understandably, left her with a raft of mental health issues. The pace of the book was extremely slow and coupled with the harrowing storyline, I was unable to finish this book. I may return to it in the future but at this moment in time, it wasn't the book for me.
Thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for the review copy.
Thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for the review copy.
February 21, 2022
A psychological thriller with a hard hitting abuse thread running through it. Although a difficult subject to read it was covered sympathetically, Jenny is found covered in blood and in a psychotic state, her mother and younger brother are also badly injured and are in hospital, Stuart, Jenny's stepfather is missing.
Specialist interviewers Laura and Naimh are trying to find out whether Jenny is a victim or suspect.
I read this book in one sitting it was told from different views of the characters involved with background stories interwoven. I found it to be compelling and wanted to know more about the characters and what had happened.
This book was an advanced reviewers copy from NetGallery for an honest review
#NetGallery
Specialist interviewers Laura and Naimh are trying to find out whether Jenny is a victim or suspect.
I read this book in one sitting it was told from different views of the characters involved with background stories interwoven. I found it to be compelling and wanted to know more about the characters and what had happened.
This book was an advanced reviewers copy from NetGallery for an honest review
#NetGallery
December 22, 2021
A strong debut from Gill Perdue. I particularly admired the accuracy, and authenticity, with which she portrayed the effects of trauma. Young Jenny is a difficult witness, despite the special interview training of the officers. And what's going on with Detective Laura? Previously confident and competent, she is consumed by anxiety and the ghosts of the past. Can she use her personal experience to help Jenny provide the answers they so desperately need? There's a lot going on, which makes "The Interview" a gripping read. I also enjoyed the ways in which Perdue employed traditional Irish folklore to convey Jenny's dissociative coping technique.
March 21, 2022
Thanks to netgalley for the advanced ebook.
It sounded like a dark and interesting tale, however I found the pace so very slow that it became a bit of a chore to read, to the point that I just wanted to find out what happened, but wasn't really fussed with the ending by the time we got there.
It sounded like a dark and interesting tale, however I found the pace so very slow that it became a bit of a chore to read, to the point that I just wanted to find out what happened, but wasn't really fussed with the ending by the time we got there.
April 26, 2023
This is an exceptional book. The characters, dialogue and plot are so well written. The subject matter is dark and harrowing at times but so very believable. The Interview is between a 14 year old girl Jenny and Laura and Niamh, 2 garda, trying to find out what happened to Jenny.
March 14, 2022
Who is going to fall apart quickest - the abused 14 year old Jenny in the interview chair or the detective with mental health issues, Laura? A harrowing debut from Gill Perdue is a race against time. Not only is there the question of who is going to crack first but the the supposed abuser, the stepfather, has gone missing from the scene of a car crash and there was a lot of blood. The Interview has all the ingredients although the subject matter may prove to be difficult reading for many but ultimately for me the characters let it down. On the face of it Laura has it all, a beautiful daughter and a doting husband but she has too few redeeming features to make me care about her. She treated her husband like a doormat and had so little time for her daughter. Her colleagues seem to despair of her even though her partner Niamh cites her as an amazing mentor. There was very little light and shade in the story aside from Niamh who provides the only levity but maybe that was the whole point. This is not a book I would have read had the abusive content been highlighted better in the synopsis but I can appreciate how well researched it was. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.
March 2, 2023
I enjoyed this quick read and I sped through it with intrigue. It was a unique perspective taken and I enjoyed reading through this story quite quickly. I did feel engrossed in the story and really didn’t want to put this down!
March 17, 2023
This is a psychological suspense thriller, told in three alternating viewpoints – Laura (detective), Niamh (a Special Victims Garda and Laura’s friend) and Jenny, their suspect/victim.
The reader is kept in suspense throughout, just as much as the investigators, as to whether Jenny is a genuine victim or a calculating killer, but what is clear from the very beginning is that Laura is in serious trouble with her precarious mental health and this hits-too-close-to-home case can only make her spiral further. I felt mentally hoarse from the effort of my internal screaming at her to please tell someone and get some help!
And the plot definitely takes her to some dark places. In terms of triggers, there is domestic violence, child sex abuse, rape and post-partum depression/psychosis. Most of the plot happens inside the small room where Laura is – somewhat unprofessionally – interviewing Jenny, or in Jenny’s case a lot of the action happens inside her head, in the form of the myths and fairytales she uses to cope with the trauma of what has happened to her.
Dark and, at times, a little confusing in the timeline of what happened when and what is real or imagined, this story did keep me gripped throughout and had me thoroughly invested in, if not a happy ever after, at least the best possible outcome for all involved. Well… for most involved, anyway.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
The reader is kept in suspense throughout, just as much as the investigators, as to whether Jenny is a genuine victim or a calculating killer, but what is clear from the very beginning is that Laura is in serious trouble with her precarious mental health and this hits-too-close-to-home case can only make her spiral further. I felt mentally hoarse from the effort of my internal screaming at her to please tell someone and get some help!
And the plot definitely takes her to some dark places. In terms of triggers, there is domestic violence, child sex abuse, rape and post-partum depression/psychosis. Most of the plot happens inside the small room where Laura is – somewhat unprofessionally – interviewing Jenny, or in Jenny’s case a lot of the action happens inside her head, in the form of the myths and fairytales she uses to cope with the trauma of what has happened to her.
Dark and, at times, a little confusing in the timeline of what happened when and what is real or imagined, this story did keep me gripped throughout and had me thoroughly invested in, if not a happy ever after, at least the best possible outcome for all involved. Well… for most involved, anyway.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
January 25, 2022
Unfortunately this is the first book through #NetGalley that I haven't been able to finish. Initially I found it hard to get into but I kept at it, once I reached just over a third of the way through I just couldn't carry on. I realise that these topics need to be talked about but maybe a bit like the character Laura, I struggle to get such awful images etc out of my head and it gives me terrible anxiety. I'm not sure whether animal abuse was going to happen further along in the story but I feared that could have been coming too which is something else I also avoid.
I'm sure this book is well written and will appeal to many but just not for me and I do wish that book had trigger warnings on them so readers knew what to avoid.
My warning to others are potential triggers for domestic abuse, child abuse, ptsd and other mental health issues.
I'm sure this book is well written and will appeal to many but just not for me and I do wish that book had trigger warnings on them so readers knew what to avoid.
My warning to others are potential triggers for domestic abuse, child abuse, ptsd and other mental health issues.
June 19, 2022
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The narative of the book is essentially several interviews with a teenage girl, victim of repeated physical and sexual assaults and the attempts of the investigators to find out what happened to the perpetrator, her stepfather. The interviews are conducted by an unstable Victim support officer who has almost as many problems as the victim and is certainly incapable of conducting an interview that could legally lead to safe and viable evidence.
The whole is turgid and I really struggled to read this book. It completely lacks impetus and fails to build any real mystery. Having broken every rule of the Irish Garda our investigator is back in her job soon after. It felt unbelievable
The narative of the book is essentially several interviews with a teenage girl, victim of repeated physical and sexual assaults and the attempts of the investigators to find out what happened to the perpetrator, her stepfather. The interviews are conducted by an unstable Victim support officer who has almost as many problems as the victim and is certainly incapable of conducting an interview that could legally lead to safe and viable evidence.
The whole is turgid and I really struggled to read this book. It completely lacks impetus and fails to build any real mystery. Having broken every rule of the Irish Garda our investigator is back in her job soon after. It felt unbelievable
January 11, 2022
A strong debut.
Set in Ireland, we have some dark subject matter, with a story commencing with a 14 year old girl covered in blood and refusing to speak, and her missing stepfather.
A fascinating and compelling insight into the psychiatric profession and how they deal with trauma survivors. An interesting angle having an interviewer who is struggling under the weight of her own undealt with psychological issues, and this case is triggering those.
I definitely look forward to more from this author.
Set in Ireland, we have some dark subject matter, with a story commencing with a 14 year old girl covered in blood and refusing to speak, and her missing stepfather.
A fascinating and compelling insight into the psychiatric profession and how they deal with trauma survivors. An interesting angle having an interviewer who is struggling under the weight of her own undealt with psychological issues, and this case is triggering those.
I definitely look forward to more from this author.
April 3, 2022
Slow moving had a hard time getting invested in the characters. Sounded like such a great book but sadly fell short for me. Hard topic of abuse and the lead character dealing with her own demons. Just moved too slow for me.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this.
May 1, 2022
A bit slow to get going with this book but the storyline was good and once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would try other titles from this author again!
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