Who Did You Tell?: A Novel

Lesley Kara

Jun 2020 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

A recovering alcoholic’s dark secrets catch up with her in this gripping novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Rumor.

“Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then . . . the truth. Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she’s doing.”—Lee Child

We said to keep it a secret, that no one needed to know.

Astrid is newly sober and trying to turn her life around. Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and darkness of her previous life , she is focusing on her recovery. She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged. If she fills her days, maybe she can outrun the ghosts that haunt her. Maybe she can start anew. 

But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.

Someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected. Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . . 

The question is: Who did you tell?

Ratings and reviews

Lesley Kara revisits the claustrophobic coastal town of Flintstead in her second novel Who Did You Tell? In her debut, The Rumor, Kara portrays how innuendo and lies can run rampant in such an enclosed space, where newcomers are regarded with suspicion and all seek to discover each other’s darkest shame. This novel also deals with mistruths and misunderstandings, but this time the deception is internal as well as external. Astrid is on her last chance with her mother when she moves in with her after a stint in rehab. She is still fragile and prone to temptation for relapse, torn apart by guilt and regret for acts she committed while still in the grips of her alcoholism. She is haunted by the memory of an ex-boyfriend, experiencing flashbacks and reminders of some great misdeed that she has perpetrated. The reader is left to guess the true circumstances around the events that brought Astrid to this point, and the novel is dedicated to slowly unspooling the tale. Astrid believes that she is trying to avoid entanglements, yet she is hasty to get involved with a handsome surfer and a new friend from AA. She avoids telling her new love interest about her issues and eventually finds herself constantly lying to him as they become more involved. Helen, a new fellow-AA member, seems like a safer bet for Astrid, and she begins to trust her story to this woman who appears to be as damaged as herself. The pressure to confide and unburden herself is almost as strong as the compulsion Astrid feels to take a drink. This intensity is magnified when it becomes clear that her instincts were correct—someone really is stalking her, sending her messages that threaten to expose her secrets. Who Did You Tell? continues Kara’s exploration of the costs of self-deception and the burden of secrecy and she does an admirable job describing the torture of temptation. The book’s strongest points are when describing Astrid’s inner struggles, but the reader becomes frustrated with her irrational swings between subterfuge and confession. The “romantic” interludes are a bit awkward and the stakes of the relationship don’t quite measure up to the emotional throes that Astrid experiences. As a thriller, the book does not inspire many chills, but there are enough plot twists and action to make it a decent read for a long summer afternoon. Thanks to the author, Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara is a spellbinding mystery that is quite poignant. At the age of thirty-two, Astrid Phelps is living with her mum and trying to hang onto her hard-won sobriety. Settling into the small seaside town of Flinstead is not easy, but Astrid knows she has to make this work. She is resentful yet grateful for her mum’s support but both women are fighting to avoid falling into past habits with each other. Astrid reluctantly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and she is having trouble working through the steps of the program. Luckily for Astrid, newcomer Helen is of the same mind and the two women are soon supporting each other as they face their past mistakes. Astrid is also reviving her career with the help of the new man in her life, Josh Carter. But as she quickly discovers, Astrid’s past is about to collide with her present. Astrid is irritable, grateful and frustrated with her new life. Her relationship with her mum is a delicate dance between her disastrous past and high expectations in the present. She is truly thankful her mum is willing to give her final chance, and Astrid cannot help but feel exasperated when her mum doubts her. With a long history of drinking, Astrid has many regrets and she is haunted by an event that she cannot completely remember. And she is also grieving a loss and plagued with guilt over her self-perceived role in a tragic series of events. Astrid is troubled by memories that become much worse after she realizes someone is targeting her. Believing the elusive glimpses and haunting fragrances are a product of her imagination, she also has the creepy sensation that someone is watching her. Astrid eventually realizes that someone knows exactly who she is and what she has done, but how is that possible? Only one other person knows what happened and Astrid fears that her darkest secret has been told to someone who wants to harm her. Who is after her and why? And exactly how much danger is Astrid in? Who Did You Tell? is a riveting mystery with a likable lead protagonist. Astrid’s struggles in her new life are authentic and easy to relate to. With plenty of tension and suspense, Lesley Kara brings this intriguing mystery to a twist-filled yet slightly predictable conclusion. I completely enjoyed and highly recommend this unnerving mystery to fans of the genre. I received a complimentary copy for review.

Astrid is a newly recovering alcoholic. She's staying with her mother and this is her last chance at making a life for herself.... she has nowhere else to go. Astrid finds strength in routine ... she regularly attends AA meetings, she works, she's making friends. She has another routine ... finding out who is following her. She thinks it might be an ex-boyfriend ... but he's dead. Her memory is a bit shot ... too many blackouts when she was drinking. She finds that trying to outrun the ghosts of her past is almost impossible. But someone knows exactly what she did. And that person is looking for some payback in the form of revenge. This is an engrossing tale of a woman fighting addiction, guilt, penance and redemption. Her relationship with her mother, with new friends, with a man she could fall in love with are all highly suspect. Who is sending her threatening letters? How do they know what she's done ...or not done. The characters are finely drawn, and will remain in your head long after you've finished the book. Many thanks to the author /Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Netgalley / for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

About the author

Lesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy "Writing a Novel" course. She lives on the North Essex coast. She is the author of The Rumor, a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. Who Did You Tell?, is coming soon.