4*s
A defendant takes the stand to give his closing speech, his lawyer unable or unwilling to proceed under his client’s instruction. What happens next is one of the most unusual, and thought provoking crime fiction reads that I have come across in a long time.
The defendant starts by stating that his lawyer had asked him to leave some parts of the story out, as the truth can be too difficult to explain or perhaps just too far away from the jurors who will have to decide whether the eight pieces of evidence that the prosecution have presented have raised the bar too far for reasonable doubt to win the day.
The narrative structure of this book is without break one young man’s description of his counter claims against the crucial pieces of evidence presented and as such it is incredibly powerful but also at times a difficult one to pull off; this is not a short book and I am unused to one voice without interruption, but on balance this difference is one of the things that will make me remember this book long after I have read and forgotten many others.
From my point of view, and as the book is presented, I was one of the jurors listening to a young man who lives a life unlike the one he does, and has all of his life, and that was obviously part of the point. I was there to judge with complete with ignorance about gangs and the way that those who live in areas controlled by them are powerless to stay completely clear of their influence, even if they don’t join the gang itself, which I’m very glad to say our defendant hadn’t. The book starts off with quite a lot of street vernacular, which sets the scene but the usage of this decreases as the speech continues, just used enough to remind the reader that you are listening to a young man who is fighting for his freedom, against what he sees as an injustice.
I have to admit this book got to me. Not only did I learn something about stuff I only see on the news, which was both skilfully presented without at all glorifying gangs, but perhaps explaining a little about a world that thankfully hasn’t touched my life. You Don’t Know Me also gave an insight into how the way a story is presented, how much you buy into that story depends on how believable each of its elements is. That said I very much doubt that any judge would have allowed this speech on length and the mass introduction of new evidence, but that didn’t in anyway detract from the gripping nature of the narrative. The world as many of us know, is made up of shades of grey and I was interested to see how much towards the black shades I was willing to go before I said ‘enough,’ and the answer was further than I would have expected before I started reading this one.
A superb debut with much to think about and as such this would make an unusual book club read, but one that I’m sure would provide a lively debate, not only about the content itself but the way the story is presented.
I’m very grateful to Penguin UK for allowing me to read an ARC of this unique crime fiction novel. This unbiased review is my thanks to them.
First Published UK: 4 May 2017
Publisher: Penguin UK
No of Pages: 376
Genre: Crime Fiction
Amazon UK
Great review. I am glad you really liked the presentation style. I think that makes the debut worthwhile.
It was an excellent debut – the presentation took a little while to get used to but it was well worth a read – one of those books I can see that I will remember for some time.
Really interesting. I heard the author being interviewed about this book on the radio the other day and wasn’t sure if this was my kind of book. However after reading your review, I may give it a go.
It was fascinating to read, very different to what I’m used to but not so challenging that I struggled. I’d love to hear what you think if you do decide to read it.
What a unique premise for a novel. It sounds well worth investigating.
Great review Cleo, this book really appeals to me for being something different.
It’s good to read something different from time to time and as the defendant’s world is miles apart from mine (thankfully) so it also gave me an insight. I had confidence the author as he’s a lawyer himself.
What an unusual sort of book, Cleo. It sounds as though the protagonist presents a very different sort of view of gangs and living in a area with them than most of us have. And I give the author credit for trying something new and different.
I agree that this would make a great book club pick as I imagine there would be lots of opinions on how the story was presented as well as the ending. Enjoyed your review:)
I love the idea of feeling you’re one of the jurors in the case! I’ve heard the language used by the defendant can be a bit repetitive so I’m on the fence about this one!
You’re right, this does sound like a good book club choice. Funny how some books are just that way.
Now I’m really curious, although I, too, would find one voice throughout the story very memorable. Thanks for sharing.
I have a copy of this and really interested to see how I get on with it. Great review as always!
I’m glad you enjoyed this – it’s not the easiest of reads but I absolutely adored it, and it will stay with me. Great review, Cleo.
What an interesting way to present a story. I am always looking out for something that sets things differently – hard to do.
I came across this a little while ago on another blog and love the concept. Can’t find it on Amazon US though!
I’ve requested this from Netgalley after reading your review. Thanks for the update.
Excellent news I hope you enjoy it!
I’m not sure that this is one for me, it might be a tad too lengthy for the style and narrative you describe, although I do like to try and step outside my comfort zone every once in a while.
I was also struck by the cover art, which is amazing and totally relevant to the storyline, especially so when you yourself made the point in your very considered review, about the world being made up of shades of grey.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
Yvonne
Agree with you and it also got me, as I said in my review 😀
I don’t *necessarily* gravitate towards crime (although I’m a sucker for Scottish crime), but this sounds really intriguing…. I think it’s going on my towering TBR list.
It was very different to anything I’ve read before and it gave me an insight into a world I know nothing about.