Thursday, 10 August 2017

You Don't Know Me by Imran Mahmood (2017)




Publisher's Information
It's easy to judge between right and wrong - isn't it?
Not until you hear a convincing truth.
Now it's up to you to decide...

An unnamed defendant stands accused of murder. Just before the Closing Speeches, the young man sacks his lawyer, and decides to give his own defence speech.
He tells us that his barrister told him to leave some things out. Sometimes, the truth can be too difficult to explain, or believe. But he thinks that if he's going to go down for life, he might as well go down telling the truth.
There are eight pieces of evidence against him. As he talks us through them one by one, his life is in our hands. We, the reader - member of the jury - must keep an open mind till we hear the end of his story. His defence raises many questions... but at the end of the speeches, only one matters:
Did he do it?

PRAISE FOR YOU DON'T KNOW ME
'An original take on a courtroom drama that puts the reader in the position of the jury. Superb character-driven fiction. Masterful' Guardian
'Startlingly original, stunning, superbly executed' DAILY MAIL
'A rollercoaster ride' GUARDIAN
'An exciting first novel, highly original, cleverly plotted and convincingly written' LITERARY REVIEW
'You Don't Know Me is a brave debut by a barrister... an impressively original courtroom drama' THE TIMES
'You'll never guess the ending' THE SUN
'A daring concept executed to perfection, a hypnotic and authentic voice, and questions for us to answer as people and readers' LEE CHILD
'An eye-opening, slick and compulsive thriller with an important message and unique writing' ADAM DEACON, actor, writer, rapper, director - star of Kidulthood and Adulthood


Review
 

I loved the fact that the story is told via 'audio transcripts' from the trial. There is only one voice and it is that of the defendant's.


I was hooked by the entire story line but I didn't have any emotional reaction nor did I feel overly sympathetic to the defendant and his circumstances although he does spin a fantastic tale.
I did enjoy the book a lot and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it.



I have noticed from talking to other readers that they didn't like the way the book ended. However, it is worth pointing out that the blurb clearly states that the reader IS the jury in this book. So, have a listen and decide for yourself....Guilty or not guilty?


I also listened to the audio version of this book and the narration is brilliant. 

 LISTEN TO THE FIRST CHAPTER FREE  from Audible UK

 Or you can download the whole book HERE 

No comments:

Post a Comment