Ali and husband Mike are hosting a twenty-fifth reunion weekend for a small group of their friends from Oxford. But things take a very dark turn when Ali's best friend Karen accuses Mike of raping her in the garden after the rest of the group has retired for the evening. Not only is the act, and the following accusation, horrific, but secrets that have long been hidden within the group begin to come to the surface, specifically details surrounding the mysterious death of a fellow student. The group begin to question not only their friends, but also themselves in a way that they have never done before. How well do we really know those in our inner circle, and what are we willing to conceal under the guise of friendship? I also find it hard to believe that a main character so in tune with her inner feminist could be so naive at her husband’s indiscretions. For Helen and George, the remote fixer-upper in Cornwall was supposed to be a dream home, and a way to leave behind the problems they’re both running from. But something about the place feels wrong from day one. And why does Helen have a creeping feeling she’s seen this house before? I loved the set up of old palls coming together for a house party but for me it just fell apart and though the teasers for a possible past unpunished crime related to the death of a beautiful, brilliant girl who they all went to university with was intriguing, I was just put off by the way the main plot seemed to be falling to pieces and the unappealing and miscast narrator just made me give up so I am returning.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed What You Did and I didn't want to put it down. The chapters were all pretty short, and that combined with different character viewpoints really kept me guessing and speeding through it. I really didn't like Mike, especially as the book goes on, but I found myself liking Ali a lot, even as she does things that are really dumb. I don't know what I would do if my husband were accused of sexual assault, but I would like to think that I would still believe my best friend if she said he did it. In other words, this book is really makes you think.It’s the 25th anniversary reunion for the group of 6 that created a bond while in university, a bond that is still strong today. But is it?

I was definitely intrigued when I learned that Claire McGowan had written a stand-alone thriller, having previously read her Paula Maguire novels I knew I was in for a treat. I'd also like to mention, despite being billed as a psychological thriller--IT IS NOT. I'd classify it more as a domestic drama/suspense. A very easy one to figure out, I might add. I knew all that would happen within a few chapters. And seriously, I have to mention this because WTF!? What is up with that book cover? What is it even supposed to be? If I had written this book, I'd be peeved if I was saddled with that terrible cover.All this chaos brings the past to the forefront. There are darker memories too. Memories that have lain dormant for decades. Memories someone would kill to protect. And that is only the start. Brilliantly written, this book will have you up all night!!! Every time you think you have everything all figured out, in comes another surprise. Dark, at times, but a solid MUST read. While Ali furiously and meticulously preps her home, her meal and her kids for the BEST possible reunion experience after many, many years of missing her friends... what could possibly go wrong? In this case, everything.

The premise of this novel was promising enough that I gave it a try. It started off as promised, a reunion 20 years after graduating from Oxford amongst six friends. One was assaulted by the end of the night, with the shadow of a dark secret that happened on graduation night 20 years ago hanging over them, who dunnit? The story was told mainly from the point of view of Ali, the wife of the alleged perpetrator and then intertwined with all the other players as the story slowly unfolds. This means, besides Ali, all the other characters did not really have a chance to develop or their sides of the story told properly. But despite having the main focus, Ali felt two dimensional and the reasons given why she did what she did just felt unbelievable and bland. The big reveal was quite predictable and the ending was hasty. I really enjoyed this book. It was clever without being hard work. As with most psychological thrillers the truth is not what it first appears to be, in fact there are multiple truths uncovered as the story unfolds, some of which are life ruining and others life changing. As the group re-connects and the alcohol starts flowing, old pictures come out, and the discussion turns to a young female classmate, Martha, who died in the university garden all those years ago. While the men revel in their youthful memories and ply themselves with alcohol late into the evening, Jodi & Ali head for bed. BBC Unveils Xmas Schedule Including 'Peaky Blinders' Dance Performance & Rebecca Ferguson Series; Netflix UK Docs Commissioner Moves To Raw; Leonard Cohen Drama Sales; Sarah Pinborough Adaptation; UKTV Drama Boss - Global BriefsThis is the sort of book you wont want to put down even to write a few words for a review. I found most of the characters unreliable, couldnt warm to any of them and even felt annoyed by one or two. Far from putting me off it just seemed to add to my enjoyment. I guess there isn’t any rule to say we HAVE to live the characters and I suspected this might have been a deliberate act by the writer. Also at times I could feel the emotional undercurrents between them. It also made me think how tragedy can draw people closer or fracture their relationships forever. What You Did covers the lives of 6 college grads coming together for a 25 year weekend reunion. Also in my early 40s, stories like this appeal to me a great deal. These characters are my peers, so to speak. Unfortunately, all six (and their children) were intensely unlikable assholes. Worse, our main protagonist, Ali, might very well be the most ignorant main character ever written--she definitely fulfilled her quota of stupid thoughts, stupid choices, and stupid actions. A stronger female lead would have likely made a huge difference in how I felt about this story.