The Confession: A Novel

I walked away with mixed feelings on this one. The bare bones of the story is absolutely brilliant. In the very beginning, Harry McNamara is attacked in his home. It's brutal, grisly, and chilling. His wife witnesses the whole thing, and her reactions during and after are suspect at best. We also know from the beginning that JP Carney committed the crime. The question is why. At this point, the story had me in its clutches. Unfortunately, it started to lose me rather soon after that. The story starts to move back and forth between the days following the attack and the backstories of the characters. Some of that back info is important to the plot and reasons for everything happening, and some is not. A lot is not. We do finally get to the why of it all, but the book takes the scenic route to get there. Granted, there were things in the past that the reader needs to know for it to all make sense, but I really did not need every detail of every time Julie doubted Harry or every time she looked the other way, nor did I need to know every job that JP had during the years leading up to the crime. Fair warning, be prepared not to like anyone in this one. By the time I trudged through the considerable history of Julie and Harry's marriage and JP's troubled life, I couldn't drum up much empathy for any of them, except for the real victim in this deadly game. In the end, I would give a solid five stars for the beginning and conclusion, but the middle was way too drawn out and had too much downtime for me. So, I ended up somewhere in the middle on The Confession.

He walks in from the street, through the back door, picks up a golf club, and sees two people sitting on the sofa watching television. He proceeds to viciously beat the man into a pulp while his wife sits there frozen in fear. Shortly after, J P Carney, covered in blood, walks into the police station and confesses to killing Harry McNamara, a very wealthy banker. This man says he doesn't know who the man was, it wasn't premeditated. But is any of this actually true? What did Carney whisper in McNamara's ear before he left? What is it that his wife, Julie, is hiding? This thriller is told in part by different people. Julie talks of her marriage to the love of her life .. the things she overlooks in order to stay married. Carney tells of his childhood and of things not many people know about him. And Alice, investigating for her department, who doesn't know what happened .... she doesn't believe Carney, she doesn't believe Julie. We know the who ... we know the how ... now we need to know the WHY! This is a real nail biter. Totally engrossing, I didn't put this one down until the early morning hours. I can't say I loved the characters ... but they weren't supposed to be lovable creatures... but they were credible. This was my first book by this author .. but it won't be the last. Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

4 Stars Review by Morgen Late Night Reviewer Up All Night w/ Books Blog The Confession by Jo Spain is a standalone novel about how damaging secrets can be. Julie and Harry McNamara are a happily married couple of over ten years. Julie was once a school teacher and is now a stay at home wife. Harry is a banker and one of the wealthiest men in Ireland. One of the things his money can’t do is solve all of their problems. Julie is witty, strong, and caring. Harry is charming, confident, and business minded. JP Carny is a man with a troubled past and a not so bright future. He has no family to speak of and moves from job to job. Most aspects of his life are a mystery. One night will change all their lives. A man creeps in through their back door he finds Harry and Julie enjoying some evening television. He surprises them and continues to beat Harry to a bloody pulp in front of Julie. Shocked into silence and unable to move Julie watches in horror. Over as quickly as it begins the man who invaded their home is gone. Thinking her husband is dead she crumbles. It takes her a while to pull it together enough to call the police. Harry is rushed to the hospital, he’s not dead but in coma from trauma. By the end of the night a man covered in blood turns himself in to the local police station and confesses to the murder of Harry McNamara. He claims it was a random act of blind rage and he had no idea who he was attacking. Can it really be that easy or is there more to story than it seems? Julie is such a great character, I really connected with her strength. I enjoyed how the story was told. It’s not chronological but it unravels smoothly flashing from the past to the present and flows well with the story. We get to see a few different POVs which adds depth to the characters, making them feel and worth fighting for. I love getting a full sense of the scenes and having a peek at their motivations. The suspense draws you in and learning piece by piece keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. The story is set in Ireland. I really enjoyed the brogue and learning a bit about the country. I would recommend to anyone who likes a little mystery.