All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This captivating crime novel deftly balances that perfect line between moving and gripping, tackling a topical and emotive issue that has been in the headlines a lot lately. A why-dunnit rather than a who-dunnit crime novel, you see the crime and how it happened early on, then the novel explores the reason behind it.
All the Hidden Truths centers on the aftermath of a school shooting in Edinburgh, in which a teenage boy shoots and kills a number of other teenagers. There are three POVs: the mother of the perpetrator, the mother of the first victim, and the detective in charge of the investigation. Each of these characters is thoroughly developed, their motivations and the situations they find themselves in completely believable, with strong female voices that I could truly get behind.
For me a story has to tick three boxes: strong plot, character development and beautiful, lyrical prose. Claire Askew has managed to do all three, plus a fourth – she’s written a book that genuinely left me thinking about the themes and issues tackled, and how we as a society deal with the aftermath of these crimes.
An explosive and gorgeous debut. I highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew in exchange for my honest review.
