He Said/She Said: A Novel by Erin Kelly (Epub)

Description

In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.

But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.

The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder―did she trust the wrong person?

15 years later, Kit and Laura married are living under new names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

From Erin Kelly, queen of the killer twist, He Said/She Said is a gripping tale of the lies we tell to save ourselves, the truths we cannot admit, and how far we will go to make others believe our side of the story.

User’s Reviews

Review “Here, as in her other mind-blowing works, she concerns herself as much with her characters’ emotional baggage as with precise, engaging plotting and adrenaline-bursting twists. Just don’t get too complacent when reading Kelly: She’s always got extra cards up her sleeves.”― The Boston Globe”Haunting. Mesmerizing. Unforgettable.” ― Gillian Flynn“He Said/She Said” is a thriller to savor, and should be one of the highlights of the summer.” ― Associated Press “This first-rate psychological thriller and deft exploration of the delicate dance of marriage and the secrets people keep works on multiple levels, and the passages about the early days of Laura and Kit’s relationship―filled with the gossamer promise of new love―make what’s in store for them even more harrowing. A stunning conclusion will take more than a few days to fade from memory.”― Kirkus, Starred Review“Kelly brings readers a truly intriguing thriller, with dark twists and moments that truly mess with the psyche. He Said/She Said will keep you poised at the edge of your seat as you try to predict what will happen next ― even though it’s impossible to do so. The characters are poignantly flawed, with deep emotions and complex backgrounds.”― RT Book Reviews“Kelly delivers another tale full of lies, obsessions, and richly drawn characters.This is a sure bet for readers who like their psychological suspense heavy on character and full of twists.”― Booklist, Starred Review“This riveting psychological thriller from British author Kelly explores the extremes to which people will go to conceal a lie…readers will be rewarded with airtight plotting, mounting tension, and shocking twists…this is an affecting tale of infatuation, desperation, and betrayal.”― Publishers Weekly “A tour de force – a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions, and keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved it.”― Ruth Ware, bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10″I’m calling it: THIS is the book I wish I’d written.” ― Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author of I See You”It’s magnificent. Stunningly twisty plot and weep-makingly brilliant writing.” ― Marian Keyes, bestselling author of The Woman Who Stole My Life”Kelly is a beautiful writer who can conjure an atmosphere with exceptional skill…a fantastic psychological thriller replete with mystery and misdirection.” ― Alex Marwood, bestselling author of The Darkest Secret“Even now,days later, I can’t stop thinking about this book and I know I’ve found a new-to-me author to enthusiastically follow.” ― Vilma’s Book Blog“Kelly weaves a story with emotional weight. A pair of twists rotates guilt and absolution between characters.”― Paste Magazine “Erin Kelly has a pleasantly crisp style and expertly hides the ‘unreliable’ twist.” ― Raleigh News and Observer “The shocker twist is a jaw-dropper” ― Good Housekeeping“Erin Kelly is deservedly known as a master of surprise endings, and HE SAID/SHE SAID is no exception.”― Book Reporter

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ The story jumps between the POV of both Kit and Laura, over a 15 year time span, after they stumble upon a possible rape in progress, during a solar eclipse festival in 1999.It is in essence a story about how the same incident can affect people in a very different way, and how a ” little white lie” can evolve and eat away at you and those affected by it, like the moon eats away at the sun during an eclipse. The difficult topic of rape and the plight of how the victim is questioned, doubted and ‘put on trial’ is also a theme of the book.The premise of the book as well as all the rave reviews had me eager to get started on this. Unfortunately, my eagerness didn’t last very long as I found I had to keep motivating myself on several occasions to continue reading throughout the first half of the story. It seemed to drag on unnecessarily.I also found myself getting confused , and almost giving up, with the many references to the fact that the couple are in hiding ( for some unknown reason), but with the revelations only happening towards the end of the book, the references had me frustrated instead of intrigued, as I didn’t know what they were referring to a lot of the time. It is one thing to keep the reader guessing, but at least give them some crumbs to keep them going. Especially if the story is a slow burner, which this one most certainly is. In all honesty, I prefer a story that hooks me from the start, or at least 25% in, this one failed to do that for me.Once I reached the 50% mark however, the story finally gained momentum and I could appreciate how the author had built up the story, layer upon layer, to reveal twists and then double twists to add an extra layer to the original twist, so that I was left doubting almost all the characters at some point, which I loved.However some of the twists did not correlate with what the author had painstakingly portrayed the character to be, making it unlikely and unbelievable. But I suppose that’s why they’re called surprise twists. Was it a good surprise though?One can tell how much effort the author put into building the story ( although slowly), to weave a Web of lies and the lengths one would go to to protect themselves from those lies being revealed. That was the makings of a good story. However, the unnecessary fillers,the fact that I was bored until half way through, and some twists being unbelievable earns this book a 3 * from me.

⭐ I don’t usually review books but I disliked this one so much that I had to let others know. First of all to me it seemed to move very slow and really didn’t get anywhere until the last couple of chapters of the book. It took me a long time to read this book which is unusual for me. Second the main female character in the book seemed to have no backbone and appeared to be very needy throughout the whole book…then at the end (spoiler alert) she seemed to change 100% and left her husband. Just was unbelievable for me when she was so clingy throughout the whole story. Just a very hard book to get into and if I could have given it zero stars I would have. I would never buy from this author in the future.

⭐ HE SAID/SHE SAID left me breathless. It is a treat for readers who appreciate a top-notch, well-crafted psychological thriller and reminds me again that a good story told in writing can be much more frightening than a film.The story bounces back and forth between 1999-2000, when Kit and Laura attend a solar eclipse festival in Cornwall, and 2015. This format, in lesser hands, can be jumpy and disjointed, but Erin Kelly makes the past, present and back again transitions seamless.While at the festival in 1999, Laura happens upon what she thinks is a sexual assault. In her mind, there is no question that she interrupts a rape. The man, later identified as Jamie, runs off after telling Laura that she is mistaken; the young woman, Beth, has been rendered almost mute. Kit witnesses only the aftermath.Fast forwarding to 2015, Kit and Laura, now married, are living under assumed names and have done their best to fly under the radar. Kit, once on the verge of becoming a PhD astrophysicist, has a low level university position, and Laura, now pregnant, lives in a state of debilitating anxiety and panic.The tale of the intervening years is hair-raising. Beginning with the “he said/she said” trial, Erin Kelly builds a terrifying story incident by incident. Beth insinuates herself into Kit’s and Laura’s lives, creating discord. Laura, the nurturer, refuses to leave Beth adrift; Kit wants nothing more than to put the incident behind him. Is any of these deeply flawed characters telling the whole truth?The ending is a magnificent tour de force! So much for my ability at flushing out conclusions; I never could have predicted this one.This was my first Erin Kelly read, and it won’t be my last. She is not only a master of twists and turns, but also character development. Using solar eclipses and their fanatical chasers as a backdrop creates an eerie sensation from the outset. For those who love this genre, you will not be disappointed.

⭐ If you enjoy psychological mysteries with surprise twists, the book will be a treat for you! It certainly was for me. Such an incredible book, a subtle mystery written against a background of solar eclipse groupies (yes!) – which was extremely interesting on its own. (I had no idea.)I think some readers want ACTION to just jump out at them, but here, in a true psychological mystery, the author needs to “set the table” for her characters. This allows the story’s “surprise” to hit with full force–and it is a shocker. I am now re-reading the book (preparing for my book club discussion), and I am impressed by how strategically Ms. Kelly placed the elements. Her timeline is perfect! It always amazes me when I see an outstanding story-teller in action during a second read. I’m going to enjoy our book group chat next week!Much is said about Ms. Kelly as the “Queen of the Surprise Ending.” After reading this, I agree that she deserves the title. The secret surprise will make you babble out loud!Ms. Kelly is also the author of “The Poison Tree” – another book I enjoyed. This one (He said, She said) is her newest, I believe, and it even exceeds (or at least ties) The Poison Tree in originality and clever plotting. A quality work. The author is amazing, and to all Fans of Psychological Mystery: You will LOVE this one!

⭐ Some readers did complain that it jumped back and forth but I found it easy to follow. At times it seemed a little slow and I must say that it didn’t keep me up at night, read a few chapters and could put it down. I was dithering between 3 or 4 stars but frankly the writing is excellent. It is so well written for this type of mystery/thriller, far superior to anything that I have read over the past weeks. It’s a good story, there is a twist and I have recommended it as thee are so many badly written books in this genre and it’s rare to find a book these days that actually ends without endeavouring to sell you the next in the series.

⭐ This is one of the most creative books I’ve read in a long time. I know some people don’t like flashbacks as a writing technique, but it was really effective in this book. It was a good way to develop each character and the story eventually comes around so that each scenario is told from each of the main character’s points of view. I will definitely look for more from Erin Kelly and can’t wait for the movie based on this book!

⭐ It seems like every other bestseller is a “psychological mystery” that alternates between time frames and narrators. That constructing a novel this way is a nearly impossible task is obvious in so many recent novels. Not since “Gone Girl” have I read and listened to a story this well-written and engaging. The unreliable narrator or character is almost a trope in mystery fiction these days. He said/She said twists that stylistic device on its head. Without giving away plot I warn the reader that nothing and no one is how they appear. Laura and Kit are eclipse followers, and it is at Laura’s first eclipse event that the apparent rape of Beth sets the whole story in motion. Moving between the recent past and 15 years earlier, Kelly ratchets up the tension as past events are revealed while the present moves forward inexorably to its violent resolution.Another reviewer was annoyed by the fact that the central couple was in hiding for an unexplained reason and thought that the first half of the book dragged as guilt and dishonesty was both revealed and concealed. I understand that because Laura’s perjury looks like the central conflict. If that were true then this book would’ve been yet another tedious tale of guilt, fear and self-flagellation.I listened to the excellent narrators for the first half of the book. After that I read, propelled by my desire to find out what was going to happen next sooner than listening would allow. Maybe that is the perfect way to experience this novel.The only slightly negative comment I can share is that I did not like the title. It’s clever because there are multiple he’s and she’s. But it reminded me of a chic lit title and I almost didn’t purchase the book because of that.

⭐ This is quite a good suspense novel, and there are layers within layers as the characters unfold, but honestly, it did drag on in the beginning. Too much detail on too many small stories that gave the reader insight into the characters. The subject of following eclipse was interesting, and the effect of standing under one(we had one come over us in the Puget Sound last year) is pretty erie.I had a hard time liking the main character, Laura, maybe because she was so honest about herself, while her husband, Kit, seemed pretty perfect–until the end. Throw in Beth, the victim, and you have a hard time telling who’s telling the truth and who the good guys are, and who the villains are. Interesting mix of characters and circumstances, and worth the read, but it was almost too slow to continue in the beginning–in fact I almost gave up–but I’m glad I didn’t. I’d recommend this book to my serious-reader friends. It might be too slow for a plane ride–or some place with a lot of distractions.

⭐ I actually bought this book by mistake (Amazon 1-click settings) without reading the description or the reviews. Because this book starts so slowly, I almost decided not to finish it, but in the end I am glad I read the whole thing.It fully starts out very slow. The first half of the book has a lot of details and descriptions that make it slow going and also kind of confusing, as you don’t see the relevance until further in (or not at all.)The second half of the book picks up and does get interesting. It took me weeks to read the first half and two days two read the second. Overall, I’d recommend, especially if you’re starving for books right now after having read so many in quarantine.

⭐ I can’t remember a book where I disliked every character in it. The characters weren’t so much flawed as one was more morally defective than the next. It reached the point where I didn’t care what happened to any of them. Made for a lively book club discussion though. That gets the book (barely) one point.

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