What You Did by Claire McGowan - moderator at October's First Monday Crime

What You Did
By Claire McGowan
Published by Thomas & Mercer (1 August 2019)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

It was supposed to be the perfect reunion: six university friends together again after twenty years. Host Ali finally has the life she always wanted, a career she can be proud of and a wonderful family with her college boyfriend, now husband. But that night her best friend makes an accusation so shocking that nothing will ever be the same again.

When Karen staggers in from the garden, bleeding and traumatised, she claims that she has been assaulted—by Ali’s husband, Mike. Ali must make a split-second decision: who should she believe? Her horrified husband, or her best friend? With Mike offering a very different version of events, Ali knows one of them is lying—but which? And why?

When the ensuing chaos forces her to re-examine the golden era the group shared at university, Ali realises there are darker memories too. Memories that have lain dormant for decades. Memories someone would kill to protect.

My verdict
How well do you remember your student days? Are there some things you'd prefer to forget?

What You Did is a psychological thriller following six adults who were friends at university. Twenty years on, they have met up for a reunion, their lives having taken various different paths over the years. Following an evening of heavy drinking, Karen accuses Ali's husband, Mike, of rape - and Ali's seemingly perfect life falls apart, torn between believing her husband and believing her best friend.

The story is well-structured, told through different perspectives, and flits easily between past and present. None of the characters were particularly likeable but they certainly felt believable - these were real people living real lives - and none of them were reliable either, each one having a distorted view of the past and trying to keep secrets hidden.

What You Did is dark and compelling, with an unsolved murder at the heart of it, revealing how our own memories can deceive us and how we often deceive ourselves. This whodunnit is a twisty read - one that should appeal to psychological thriller fans who love books featuring moral dilemmas and 'what would I do?' scenarios.

First Monday Crime
First Monday Crime is back after its summer break on Monday 7th October at City University, London.

The panellists are Nicci French, Peter Robinson and Marnie Riches, kept in line by moderator Claire McGowan.

You can reserve your free ticket here.