User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
One moment I had it all – a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home, a fulfilling career and two adorable children. The next, everything came crashing down around me.Your life can change in one split second. From the start, we know Thea has done something horrible. Six months ago, Thea's life was turned upside down by something she did. Disgusted glances, hushed whispers every time she steps out the door. Her own shame is consuming her. I thought I figured out what Thea did several times, and I was wrong. Each chapter builds the tension until the very end. When you find out what she did, can you forgive her? Or will you decide she is guilty.
Rating: really liked it
AM I GUILTY? Is a gripping psychological crime thriller by author Jackie Kabler, dealing with a very sensitive subject…the death of a baby left in the car on a hot summer day. I was completely absorbed in this story, told from various viewpoints, about a mother's worst nightmare.
A mother’s job is to protect her child. But everyone makes mistakes...
I never thought it would happen to me…
One moment I had it all – a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home, a fulfilling career and two adorable children. The next, everything came crashing down around me.
Thea had it all, a husband, Rupert and two children-Nell eight-years old and Zander, an infant, living in a beautiful home. Thea ran her own children’s online Clothing Company. But Thea had a drinking problem, and was easily swayed to go out drinking weekend evenings when her single best friend, Isla, the party girl was in town.
Annabelle is married to Greg with three children-Millie, who is best friends with Nell, Oliver eleven years old and Sienna the youngest child, a three- year old toddler. Annabelle runs her own business, an events management company.
Flora worked originally for Thea as a personal assistant, until the tragic event and then went to work for Annabelle, as a personal assistant, live-in, like a nanny, helping with the kids but mostly with the business.
But then Thea’s world fell apart…when she left her infant son, Zander in a sweltering hot car, after a boozy meal out with her best friend. How could Thea do such a horrific thing?
They said it was her fault, the worst mother in the world. And even worse, Thea had memory loss since that tragic day! Even her friends and family think she is a monster.
Now on trial for her son’s murder, she returns to drinking, and pushing an empty pram around with no baby anymore.
Then Thea starts to remember things, fragments of memories different that are starting to flood her mind. These flashbacks/memories are different from what was told at the time. Things about the day Zander died…things that didn’t make sense.
So many secrets and lies…and Thea is determined to find out the truth!
This is an outstanding psychological crime thriller novel, and one of the best reads I have read this year! This novel moves at a steady pace, full of twists and turns, totally gripping the reader for the suspense ride from beginning to end. I kept flipping the pages as I had to know what had happened, the ending a total surprise.
I am not going to say anymore as I don’t want to give the plot away, but this is a very riveting and powerful story. I loved it. All I can say is read this book… I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Many thanks to the author, Killer Reads, Harper Collins, the TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) and NetGalley for my digital copy.
Rating: really liked it
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A very tense read.
It has all the emotional tropes to satisfy any reader that relates to Moms, children and family.
A shocking story, a shocking revelation.
With an epilogue that will blow your mind.
I “read” on audio. Two narrators however, were not my favourites. And the sound effects got on my nerves, for example, the phone ringing.
That a part didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the story.
Wonderfully written.
Rating: really liked it
One moment I had it all - a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home, a fulfilling career and two adorable children. Next it came crashing down around me.
I loved this book. It had me gripped from the first few chapters. It's full of twists and the suspense just grows with each turn of the page. Thea's life has just been shattered by the death of her son Zander. Thea is accused of his death. The events leading up to the tragedy, Thea can't remember but she believes what she is being told, that she is solely responsible for her sons death. This is a fast paced, well written book and I just couldn't put it down. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Killer Reads, HarperCollins and the author Jackie Kabler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Favorite Quotes:
… it happened again. A weird, crawling sensation, like a bony hand running up my spine… A strange, shivery feeling, that had nothing to do with being cold. A feeling of unease, so intense that it was almost a physical sensation. This morning it had come and gone in a flash, and I’d put it down to being in that odd, semi-awake state but now, as I leaned against the kitchen counter, it stayed, first that shiver up my back, then a sense that something was trying to wriggle its way into my consciousness, a voice far, far too tiny for me to hear trying to make itself audible. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, trying to listen, but just as quickly as it had arrived, the feeling was fading again, and then it was gone.
He’s just an idiot boy, Mum. Sienna can be a bit bratty but he’s so horrible to her. Can’t you send him away to boarding school or something? You know, like those old-fashioned ones in films where the teachers will hit him with sticks and make him eat slugs for dinner?
My Review:
This was a book of multiples - multiple POVs, multiple suspects, multiple twists and misdirections, multiple liars committing multiple selfish and consciously deceitful acts. Any tale involving the death of a child will undoubtedly be a heart squeezer whether the fatality was accidental or something more heinous, and I was back and forth in my theories of which type of act resulted in the death of eight-month-old Zander.
So many secrets were swirling and compounding the issues. The characters were first presented in a singular dimension with all fingers pointing toward the mother, whose shock and overindulgence of alcohol had blanked her memories of the day. But as the trial date approached, odd pricklings of recall were itching at her brain, were they real or wishful thinking? And the myriad other characters were not at all trustworthy and were all rather vile creatures.
The premise was heartbreaking while the characters were all deeply flawed and tainted with duplicity yet oddly compelling and continually pricking at my curiosity. The storylines were slowly paced and tense in tone, full of angst, despair, regret, guilt, anger, and anxiety while compelling and craftily hinting at undercurrents of subterfuge and deception. I was taut with tension and biting my cuticles as my hypotheses bounced among the various suspects, and while I was partly correct I would never have put it all together or as cleverly as this cringe-worthy conclusion. This was my first experience reading the well-crafted words of Jackie Kabler and I am kicking myself for not noticing her prior works, she’s got mad word skillz!
Rating: really liked it
First of all with that cover how can you resist this book! Stunning!!
Am I Guilty is certainly a rollercoaster of emotions with a tough subject at the core. There are times when you feel sorry for the characters and other times that you want to strangle them. The ending completely threw me - I did pick what had happened and sort of who but not the twist the author spun - very clever. It was a bit slow to begin with but once it got going it never really let go - a great book about a hard subject.
One tragic event, a mistake by a mother, changes the lives of so many people. Thea can't remember a lot of what happened that fateful day but is told a story that breaks her. Without saying too much something happens to her child that you would never wish on anybody. Thea is told that she is to blame, but she can't believe that she would do it. As the trial looms she slowly starts to regain her memory and realises that somebody close to her has done this to her - but why and how? All the characters have secrets that they want to stay hidden.
Thanks to Killer Reads, Harper Collins and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Rating: really liked it
Thea pushes a pram to go to the store ... only the pram is empty. People turn away from her .. or call her names ... or call her a murderer.
She doesn't remember what happened the night Zander died ... beautiful Zander with the white blonde hair and startling blue eyes. But Thea confessed .. or so they tell her.
Still under a doctor's care for her memory lapse, Thea begins to remember ... or is it what she truly wants to believe? Why does she feel that her family, her friends, have all lied .. are hiding secrets? And if she's not guilty of killing her child, then who is?
This is an emotional roller coaster showcasing a family torn apart by tragedy. Thea is a multi-layered character. She's always been a strong woman, having a handsome husband, lovely children, and running her own successful business from home. Today, she's a wreck. Filled with sadness, guilt, missing her husband who has now abandoned her ... she's trying to stay away from the bottles of alcohol in order to survive each day.
The story is told by different voices other than Thea. We also hear from the woman who was her assistant ... her best friend ... a friend and her husband who live close by. They all seem to have issues of one kind or another and they all certainly have secrets .... and several of them have secrets that will destroy more lives.
This one grabbed me from the very first and didn't let go until the surprising ending. The characters are finely drawn and emotions run high throughout.
Many thanks to the author / Killer Reads, Harper Collins / Netgalley / TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this psychological fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Rating: really liked it
*thank you to Netgalley, Jackie Kabler and Killer Reads, HarperCollins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
2 stars.
Ohh gosh am I sticking out like a sore thumb with this review! It has so so many high and amazing reviews that I am definitely stating right now that it's me and not the book that's the problem.
I just found it too slow and at times dull. My mind kept drifting and I wasn't interested. At the beginning I was, I thought the story would pick up it's pace and totally capture my attention, forcing me along at a rapid speed of shocks a be surprises. Umm, no. I didn't do this at all. I also started to forget who the narrator was at times and had to check back at the start of each chapter to figure out who was speaking. Which as most of you know, can get a tad annoying. I'll add that with beginning this book, you really need to read a large chunk of it to get a good idea of who's who but maybe that's just me?
It wasn't all bad which is why I'm giving it two stars which means it was OK. There were parts that I liked. Just small scenes here and there and the writing was quite good. It flowed well.
I will say that I am willing to give this another go if I feel like it at some stage just because I'm left feeling like I must have missed something because everyone is loving this book. And now that I'm aware of the speed of the story, that will make a difference second time round I think.
While I personally didn't like it, this is one of those times I would tell you to give it a go. You will probably love it. Unless you are like me and are expecting something really fast paced.
Rating: really liked it
I didn’t know what to expect with this book as the blurb didn’t give anything away. I thought I would give it a try because it was intriguing. I’m so glad I read it now as I really enjoyed it. It was told in the point of view of many of the characters which I liked. I found it quite obvious about what happened to Zander so it wasn’t a surprise to me but there were plenty of twists and turns and everyone seemed to have a secret of their own. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well written and extremely entertaining. The characters were all great and the story was thrilling. I definitely recommend this book.
Rating: really liked it
We,Humans are many things but we are definitely not infallible,we do make mistakes. Some are tiny and inconsequential and some have major consequences and can affect more than just one person.
Thea made a catastrophic mistake,a mistake that resulted in the death of her baby and Thea being labelled the worst mother in the world. She can't remember exactly what happened that day but everyone she trusts keep insisting that it was her fault and they wouldn't lie to her.....would they?
Then Thea starts to remember tiny snippets from that tragic day and starts to have the feeling that something is wrong. Are the people she trusts lying to her and keeping secrets from her? Is she as guilty as they say and if she is innocent,then what really happened and what will happen when the truth comes out?
This compelling thriller is a story about three women from different social standings, Thea,Annabelle and Thea's ex personal assistant Flora who is now working for Annabelle. There is also Thea's ex husband Robert and their young daughter Nell. Thea's best friend Isla, Annabelle's husband Greg and their children Millie and Ollie. Many of these characters wouldn't have known how to tell the truth even if their lives depended on it. Most but not all of them were flawed and not very likeable. I really wanted to feel some sympathy for Thea as her life feel apart around her but she really didn't help herself at times. I did feel a lot of sympathy for one of the women and the poor children who found themselves caught up in the lives of these so called responsible adults.
As I Guilty is a extremely well written,shocking tale of secrets,manipulation,infidelity,lies and deception that hooks the reader in from the first page,keeping you captivated as the twists,turns,secrets and lies hit you at breakneck speed. And as for the chilling ending, I seriously had goosebumps,what a shocker. This is an amazing book,I loved every word on every page. Very,very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Rachel Gibley of Rachel's Random Resources and killer Reads for a arc of this book in exchange for a honest review and for the opportunity to take part in the Blog tour
Rating: really liked it
Well I wasn't expecting that ending! I was so convinced part way through that I knew the gist of what had happened, and some of my guesses were correct but many other things occurred too much to my delight.
I was completely gripped in this story, told from various viewpoints, about a mother's worst nightmare.
There were times during this that I suspected everyone, at other times I was completely convinced that Thea was truly guilty - it was incredibly hard to know who to believe.
It also can't work out how to phrase anything that I want to say about this story, in light of what I know now about how it all ends. I suspect its best if you read the blurb, and read the book for yourself. You won't be disappointed - it truly is a gripping story.
I read the book in just a couple of sittings, even reading in bed when my eyes were feeling really blurry as I just wanted to read another chapter or two... but then there was another mini surprise that made me want to keep turning the pages even past my blatant need to sleep.
I had read some cosy mysteries previously from Jackie Kabler, and enjoyed them, but this has really stepped up a gear and is a full blown psychological drama - it crept under my skin, and may continue to cling onto me for a while after finishing it.
Definitely an author I want to read more from, and wow with that ending, I am very very curious what Jackie Kabler has in store for us all next!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Killer Reads for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Rating: really liked it
5 stars... Oh my god, what can I say about this breathtaking book? I just really can't say much cause I don't wanna spoil the story, but I thirly injoyed the author's writing stile and definitely will be reading more of her works... This book was just, spectacular, I highly absolutely recommended if you want to be on edge during the whole story
Rating: really liked it
Am I Guilty begins like pretty much every other domestic thriller, but it's when the sense of creeping unease becomes palpable after the first couple of chapters that it truly picks up speed and continues to hurtle down the line like a runaway train. Whether mother Thea actually has amnesia, has a problem with repressed memories something humans do to forget or is purely an unreliable narrator is rather unclear for most the novel and adds to its unpredictable charm. Couple this with prejudicial small-town gossip and eyeballing aplenty the accusation of what she did and how she failed in the most spectacular way as a mother has the power to bring her down and completely destroy her as a person.
Packed full of real emotion and many twists, turns and instances of backstabbing, this book encapsulates why we should all think things through a little more before proceeding as the consequences have the potential to be catastrophic. Well written with a small cast of interesting characters and those with ulterior motives; I thoroughly enjoyed this and found it struck the perfect balance between keeping the thrills and surprises coming, moving along at pace and being quite an emotive story.
Many thanks to Killer Reads for an ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Just happy it was freeRidiculous story that was also incredibly boring. I finally skipped ahead because I knew the "who" of the mystery, just not the why. And it was painful trying to read the chapters and try to feel invested in any of it. I was correct about the "who" and the why was just dumb. And then the epilogue. Ugh. So annoying. I also don't think this kind of storytelling, where bits and pieces are revealed slowly , is for everyone. Not everyone can be Gillian Flynn.
Rating: really liked it
This was yet another incredible read from the author Jackie Kabler. After reading her latest book ‘The Murder List’ I realised there was still a few books I hadn’t read and NEEDED to backtrack so I had read them all. Jackie Kabler has an incredible writing ability and has now become an auto-buy author for me.
Am I Guilty, although I wouldn’t describe it as a fast paced read was incredibly intriguing from the beginning.
The chapters were divided mainly between Thea, the mother. Flora, the hired help. And Annabelle, the new employer. At the beginning of the book I instantly liked each character. They each seemed nice, polite and relatable but soon enough we find that something big has happened. It takes a while for us to find out what that something is and although it was BIG and extremely shocking it didn’t make me think any less of the character Thea. In fact it made me connect with her more in a way as I felt there was a big mental health element that was untreated.
As we are brought further into the story it is apparent that this group of people have more secrets and lies amongst there circle than anyone could ever have guessed and as memories were slowly returning in regards to a dreadful night in September things started to become highly confusing and obviously being a lover of psychological thrillers I was already playing the detective. Badly, I may add.
This story is shocking, thrilling and highly emotional in parts. It does have a strong element of mental health in parts, which was portrayed excellently and sensitively. But as the BIG TWIST was about to unfold I figured it out a beat to fast. I felt it in my gut and when I was proved right, my heart was racing out of control I just had to put the book down for a second. I honestly couldn’t believe it.
Imagine, liking someone, feeling a good connection to them. They are sweet, very well mannered, funny and gets a long with everyone. To find out you have been tricked and it was all a lie! I’m the worst possible way! That’s how I felt.
The writing in this book was FABULOUS. The characters were written beautifully and the SHOCK factor was just that. Like jaw dropping shocking.
This is definitely a book and author I will continue to highly recommend.
