Joanna is an a avoider. She has spent her audult life hiding bank statements and changing career aspirations weekly. One night Joanna hears footsteps on the way home. Is she being followed? Is it the man from the bar who would not leave her alone? Hearing the footsteps sped up Joanna turns and pushes with all her might, sending her persurer down the steps and lying motionless on the floor.

This book is quite cleverly written. The main character, Joanna Oliva, on the one hand is vunerable and scared and on the other she is calculating and manipulative. You can't help but have a little sympathy for her, but at the same time feel a little bit repulsed. The story is told in alternating chapters and two variations on what might have happened. This is an edge of your seat read and I could not wait to see where this ingenious storyline was taking me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the Gillian McAllister for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anything You Do Say is very clever and genuinely thought provoking. It's morally complex and Gillian McAllister's skill at drawing together two diametrically opposed storylines at the same time is outstanding.

It's basically a 'what if' scenario. After a happy night out with the girls, Joanna is followed in the dark. She feels threatened and the tension is almost palpable. The opening pages create a drama that most of us are able to relate to. Life is a tightrope which can flip in an instant; Joanna pushes the man and he falls...

What follows tells two stories simultaneously and the switches are seamless. The plotting is ingenious and intricate as the outcome from each is followed through to an amazing and very satisfying conclusion. I thought this was a clever and innovative premise, executed with skill. It's a book which explores numerous themes with conviction, including personal responsibility for our actions, flaws in the criminal justice system and relationships. It's tense throughout and it's a book which has stayed with me after I finished it. Gillian McAllister is a gifted storyteller and an author I shall follow with interest.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I have to be honest I had this on my reading list for a while and didnt read the blurb again before I started reading. So for the first couple of chapters I was a little confused HA HA!

However Im glad I stuck with it as this is a great book! This is a clever take on the 'sliding doors' concept.

Joanna is harrassed on a night out and on the way home, fearing for her safety, pushes someone with terrible consequences. At the split second in time Joanna has a decision to make.... does she run or does she stay?

The book alternates chapters between each of the two decisions and the ripples they have not just on Joannas life but also everyone around her. This is a really inteligent, compassionate look at how our decisions impact us... and sometimes there isnt a 'right path'.

A truly great read. Two separate storylines - what really happened and a what if! This book had me gripped from the first to the very last page. I can totally see this on the big screen! I would highly recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Joanna is out for a night with Laura when she’s harassed in the bar so they call it a night. Joanna goes to catch the tube and hears someone running up behind her, she panics, and thinking it’s the man in the bar she pushes him down the stairs. Here is where the story splits and you get two tales. In one Joanne ‘reveals’ what’s she’s done and calls 999. In the other she ‘conceals’ it and goes home.
I really enjoyed the shades of grey the author used. There was no right answer and in both parallel stories there are consequences. Highly recommended!
It gripped me from page one! Thanks to #NetGalley, Gillian McAllister and Penguin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is written with thanks to Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin UK, and Netgalley for my copy of Anything You Do Say.
Joanna is walking home after a night out with her best friend, Laura. She hears someone behind her, and believes they are following her. Acting in self defence, she pushes him, and he falls down some steps. She sees that he is not moving. Should she conceal and walk away or call an ambulance and reveal?
In Anything You Do Say, McAllister shows the reader the consequences of both "concealing" and "revealing" in alternate chapters. I was slightly apprehensive when I realised this, as I have read other books with the same style and found the narrative difficult to follow. However, this is not the case with this novel and it works brilliantly. The shorter chapters and the breaks in the plot as it switches between "conceal" and "reveal" build the tension, and I really wanted to know what happened, in both scenarios.
The strength of Anything You Do Say lies in the fact that Joanna's situation, although not an enviable one, is something that could happen to anyone. As I was reading, I was constantly thinking about how I would have responded, and this gave the novel an extra thrilling edge for me.
McAllister has constructed the characters in Anything You Do Say, especially Joanna and Reuben, incredibly well, and I found them very easy to relate to. I found it fascinating that the personalities of each character differed between the "conceal" and "reveal" chapters (I liked "reveal" Joanna more) and I began to really care about what happened to them and how their relationship was affected by the incident.
Anything You Do Say is a novel that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Entertaining and chilling read!

I really enjoyed this book, with its two stories which worked well together and so didn't cause any confusion. At it's heart, this is a chilling read as it's so normal: what happens to Joanna could happen to many people, and it's a thought-provoking assessment of how you would or could react. The book then progresses on to examine how the choices we make impact on us, but also on our family, friends, colleagues and husband/wife.

Recommended read!

Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this great book! Yes - it does put me in mind of Sliding Doors which is a great thing as I loved that film too!

The story switches between 2 possible scenarios in which the main character Joanna, finds herself facing a life changing decision when, walking home after a few drinks at the pub with a raised level of paranoia, she pushes a man down a concrete flight of stairs .

This is where the book splits in two - should she do the right thing - call for an ambulance and explain what has happened or should she run and avoid the consequences of her actions. From here on in, the book alternates between her coming clean or keeping quiet and we follow each scenario and how it shapes the future course of Joanna's life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it to others - you won't be disappointed!

Anything You Do Say had me gripped from the beginning. The intrigue as to what was going to happen next had me holding my breath. I then became so confused with the alternating chapters..

Another fantastic read from Gillian McAllister! It's full of every emotion you can think of, all written spectacularly well. I couldn't put it down!

I don't want to give anything away so I'm going to keep this fairly succinct. What I will  say is: don't read Anything You Do Say if you have immediate plans - all you'll want to do is stay in and race through this novel... which is exactly what I did!

The plot itself is just excellent, and presents a worryingly realistic situation. It's every woman's worst nightmare and whilst reading it I could imagine only too well how I might feel in Joanna's place. Though I may not agree with everything she did, and at times her indecision was frustrating, but I really felt for her throughout the novel.

 I absolutely loved the split storylines, titled 'conceal' and 'reveal', each showing what would happen if Jo had reacted in a different way, and how her life would have changed accordingly (and in some ways, dramatically!). It feels very realistic, and Gillian McAllister resists the urge to make everything tied up with a neat bow. It also made me really think about how unfair some aspects of just being a woman are! It provoked some strong emotions in me, which is always the sign of a great writer.

This is just a brilliantly constructed, convincing novel which I highly recommend. No doubt this will be on my best books of 2018 even though we're only in January!

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. Absolutely brilliant. This is a fast paced book where the pages turn thenselves.
It all starts so simply, with a selfie in the pub, Joanna, her friend Laura and Sadiq whom they have just met and the girls are trying to move away from him, Joanna feels he is behaving inappropriately, though she says nothing. The girls leave the pub and start off on their separate journeys home. Joanna can hear footsteps behind her, if she quickens the footsteps quicken, when she turns down a side alley the footsteps follow, she sneaks a quick look behind and recognises the trainers to be Sadiq’s, she feels frightened, rings her husband Reuben who is waiting at home for her, the reception is poor and the call ends.
Just as she is going down a short flight of steps he catches up with her, Joanna doesn’t hesitate, she is frightened and protecting herself, she pushes him hard, really hard and he tumbles to the bottom, he lands face down and remains still, now Joanna is more frightened and in a dither, dithers for some minutes, she looks around her, no one has seen what has happened, will she leave,head for her train, say nothing, but what would Reuben think, he always does the right thing,,,, more dithering, will she ring an ambulance. A decision is finally reached, she rings 999 , follows the advise given, turns his face up only to discover it’s not him, it’s not Sadiq from the pub, what has she done, she can hear sirens, ambulance and police, there is still time for her to flee the scene, only she has given her real name.
The story moves between Reveal and Conceal very cleverly, a brilliant read, didn’t want to put it down

I did find this a little confusing at the start, swapping between two scenarios but once I got used to it I found it excellent.

Joanna hears footsteps on her way home and panics, pushing him down some concrete steps. What follows is two different choices, does she leave the the man motionless at the bottom of the steps or phone for an ambulance and stay and deal with the consequences.

Great book and 4 worthy stars.

A different approach to telling a tale. Two scenarios are put forward after th3 main character a Joanna pushes a young man she thinks is following her. It demonstrates the dilemma an accidental perpetrator might face and the d3cisions to take. Flee or stay and accept the legal consequences. Does fleeing however bring its own set of consequences that equally upsets life in the future. It took me a few chapters to realise 5hat the story was unfolding with the two possible scenarios but the I found the story gripping.

What a unique take on a genre which seems to saturate the market. I throughly enjoyed the 2-prong effect this book took on whereby your decisions can impact the course your life takes, but ultimately - your final destiny is written and the route you take to it can be determined in a split second. Well written and engaging, I very much enjoyed the book. I was expecting a twist somewhere which didn’t come - but also didn’t leave me disappointed. I really look forward to reading another from Gillian.

Joanna thinks someone is following her after a night out having a drink with her friend in a bar. When the person gets nearer to her, in a moment of panic, she pushes her follower down a flight of concrete stairs that lead down towards a canal towpath. Now as the man lies still ,silent and unmoving, she faces a dilemma , does she call 999 and help him or does she walk away and pretend that nothing has happened?
Written in the style of the film Sliding Doors, this asks difficult and awkward questions. You know what is right,but should the consequences overrule your actions?
Each chapter is written from a different perspective and headed either Reveal or Conceal. It makes for uncomfortable reading at times, and can reinforce hidden prejudicial viewpoints. If the Police become involved,will you be treated fairly, court cases and solicitors, that's not a good scenario . After all, they twist your words and make out that you are guilty! It was a genuine mistake, I was scared and I didn't have time to check who was following me, and I am sorry.
If I keep quiet and walk away, will anybody know? The streets look empty, damm, CCTV is everywhere, but if I keep calm, nobody will ever know, but the shame and the GUILT will follow you and eventually ruin your life. You start off telling lies, that get bigger and more involved and complicated, it becomes harder to remember what you said and to whom, it wears you down.
What about the person you pushed? Is he badly injured? Does he have a family? Have I ruined his life, is he dead? Welcome to Paranoia!!
I read this with especial attention upon the medical details, after nursing for 40 years, this is a familiar event that can have long lasting effects for all concerned. My husband discussed this with me from a Police background of 40 years, so the arguments and alternative viewpoint was welcomed.
I know what action I would have taken, but the nightmare of questioning and a Court case very nearly caused me to change my mind , nothing is simple if you do the ' right thing'.
Such a well written book, it really questions what you believe in and what is right. It is like a moral maze, not an easy read, but such a good one!! Highly recommend ! .
I have posted this review to Goodreads, a 5 star read.

I really enjoyed this book; every time I picked it up, I struggled to put it down.

On her way home from a night out, Joanna hears quickening footsteps behind her. Her quick decision then has consequences that will last forever, for both her and the victim. But what is great about this book is that the rest of the book's chapters alternate between Reveal and Conceal: what happens in Joanna's life if she reveals what happens on that fateful night, and what happens if she conceals what happens. I think this is a great way to show the story; we all wonder "What if I had done that instead?" at some point in our lives!

I like the lead character Joanna, but I'm still undecided about her husband Rueben, which I just can't put my finger on!

This book would make a great TV drama!

I haven't read McAllister's debut novel 'Everything But The Truth' but feel I now need to!

One of my favourite films is Sliding Doors, and this book is written with very much the same idea in mind but instead of the discovery of infidelity being the issue it is the life of a young man which hangs in the balance depending on the main character's decision.
Joanna is on a night out with her best friend when the night is spoiled by the unwanted attention from a man in a bar, The girls decide it is time to call it a night and leave the bar to make their separate ways home. Joanna is walking home alone alongside the canal when she hear footsteps behind her. Without checking who is behind her, Joanna lashes out in self defence and this is where the story splits in to two possible scenarios depending on what action she takes.
Joanna knows her husband Reuben would have no trouble choosing what to do next, and in the one scenario we follow events if Joanna reports the incident and gets help to the young man.
Joanna however is the world's biggest procrastinator and the alternative scenario leads us down the road of what happens if she panics, fails report things and goes home to her comfortable life where she need not take responsibility for any involvement.
The after effects of Joanna's decisions are played out in alternating chapters clearly entitled Conceal and Reveal, with the author exploring how events would affect different characters and their families. There has clearly been lots of research by the author into the psychology of crime as well as the mechanics of how the system works.
I love this book especially how it manages to not be judgmental towards any character, merely shows how we are all fallible as humans and how even those who we think would never do any wrong still wrestle with their conscience sometimes. That doing the right thing often doesn't feel right. I found this a thought provoking, enjoyable read.
This review will appear on my blog page www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

Anything You Do Say follows the story of Joanna. After a night out with her friend Laura whilst on her way home, Joanna thinks she’s being followed. She ends up pushing her pursuer and he falls down a flight of stairs, leaving Joanna to make the biggest decision of her life.

This book is well written and I enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.

Anything You Do Say by Gillian McCallister

Title: Anything You Do Say
Author: Gillian McCallister
First Published: January 18
Publisher: Penguin UK
Pages: 400
Price on Amazon: Paperback: £7.03 Kindle: £0.99
ISBN: 978-1-405-92827-4

Joanna is known best for being an avoider. Rubbish at making decisions and unable to stay in the same job for very long.

One night Joanna is forced to do what she hates most, make a decision. Fight or Flight. After being harrassed by a man in a bar she is sure he has started following her. What will she do? Can Joanna make what could be the biggest desicion of her life what could save her life? Can she survive?

I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, to tell the truth this is another book I was unable to finish as it just didn't interest me. I found it a very slow starter and it didn't captivate me and give me that feeling where I need to keep reading, where you stay up all night telling yourself just one more chapter and before you know it, its 4am and you've finished the book. This is what i'm looking for in a great book and I find I am really struggling to find this at the moment.

For these reasons I have chosen to give this book a single star out of five stars. I would not recommend it, and I would not reread or infact finish this book to be honest.

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