I must be on a very short list in not finding this book compelling or even that interesting. Great choice of subject matter and yet all the characters seemed rather dull, and I found the writing style self conscious, so I was not in any way drawn in

When Ryan Summers enters his school in Edinburgh and shoots 13 female students and himself does his mother Moira count as one of the victims or should she be seen as guilty by association? The story concentrates on how the shooting affects 3 women, Moira, Ishbel, mother of the first student killed, and DI Helen Birch, the lead investigating officer. The story slowly reveals secrets to try and establish why a young man would resort to doing what he did and to show if Moira knew what her son was planning and chose to ignore it. Isabel discovers a hidden secret that blows her marriage apart and adds to her already considerable grief which gets worse as more information is unearthed regarding her daughters activities leading up to her death. The obnoxious reporter that tried to inveigle his way into their life by using the grief of the mothers added to the story but was a little far fetched in places. The story itself was well written but I found it slow paced at times and found myself skim reading to get through some of it. A difficult and uncomfortable subject to tackle which didn't quite pack the same punch that Picoult did in her novel of the same subject. Well worth a read through.

All The Hidden Truths is a stunning, emotional read which addresses some very difficult themes with sensitivity and realism. Although classed as a crime novel, this novel feels more like a portrait of the feelings and effects of such a horrible crime - a college shooting - on a community, and the way it's dealt with by police, families of the victim and, most powerfully for me anyway, the family of the killer. There are still elements of your 'typical' crime novel, such as a police investigation and a narrative from the perspective of the detective, but because we know almost right from the start who is to blame, and that person is dead, it's not about who did it but why and what happens afterwards. Without the 'whodunnit' element that I'm usually so interested in, I wondered if I'd be as engrossed - I definitely was! I raced through this novel and couldn't put it down.

There's so much grief and heartbreak within these pages, and I really felt for the people living through it; Claire Askew makes you really consider what this situation must be like for everyone. Some of the characters are truly horrible people (and it's obvious who falls into this category once you start reading) but, for the most part, the people in this novel feel real, each with their own problems and flaws, and it really highlights the way that everyone deals with terrible situations differently. Askew's portrayal of Moira, the mother of the gunsman Ryan, was incredibly powerful to read as she battled with her guilt at not having seen it all coming, as was Ishbel's struggles to come to terms with the death of her daughter and the breakdown of her marriage. I also really liked DI Helen Birch, and hope to see more of her in the future - fingers crossed for a second book featuring Helen!

Claire Askew beautifully weaves together various stories and experiences, all around one central storyline - that of the college shooting - and creates a truly heart-breaking, gripping read.

All The Hidden Truths was a great psychological thriller that hooked me from the first few pages. It follows the story of a school shooting and focuses on 3 main characters, the mother of a victim, the mother of the shooter and the police officer in charge of the investigation.
A great read.

Wow – this book is one hell of an emotional ride! All The Hidden Truths tells the story of a mass shooting by a student at his college in Edinburgh and its devastating fall out. On what seems like a morning like any other, Ryan Summers enters the cafeteria of his campus at Three Rivers College and begins a rampage that will take the lives of thirteen fellow students – all of them female, before taking his own life. This horrendous act brings grief and horror to the lives of everyone involved and begs that most unanswerable of questions – why?!

Written with an exquisite sense of people and their emotions this book takes us through the aftermath of the shooting following the lives of two key characters; Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first girl shot and killed and Moira, the mother of Ryan, the shooter. The event takes place on the first day of Helen Birch’s life as a Detective Inspector at a new station and she is faced with the most difficult and sensitive case of her career.

We witness the characters navigating their lives through circumstances that are one of the worst nightmares anyone can imagine and all this whilst besieged by the demon that is the media. What results is a novel which is in equal parts enthralling and heart breaking. The author’s writing is so spot on when depicting the characters’ feelings throughout; their confusion, horror and grief are palpable and I found myself in tears a good few times whilst reading.

This is a very good read, tackling a subject we hear of so terribly often elsewhere in the world – it makes you really think of the unfathomable devastation and the consequences this type of act brings about for everyone involved, setting it within the UK brings those thoughts home even more. Written sensitively and yet hard hitting too, I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #Hodder&Stoughton for a copy of #AllTheHiddenTruths in return for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic debut. I couldn't put it down and devoured it in one sitting. An emotional, realistic read. Can't wait to read more by this author.

I enjoyed this book in as much as one can enjoy a story so emotionally charged. The torment and anguish felt by the mothers of the victim and perpetrator was so well described. I liked the police detective, newly promoted and I know I’d enjoy reading more with her as the investigator.

I can certainly recommend this well written and thought provoking book.

I didn't love this, but I liked the premise and the characters, I thought it was nicely written and deserves to be lauded.

Although the subject matter (school shooting) waS difficult to think about, this was a great debut that read well. By focusing on few characters, you get really pulled into the story.

This was more of a family drama than a crime/thriller as expected but it did not detract from my enjoyment of it. I would liken it to a Jodi Picoult/Liane Moriarty style moral dilemma sort of tale where there has been a tragedy and the people left behind are trying to make sense of it. I found the character of Grant Lockley so abhorrent, he was making my blood boil but I appreciate this was the author's intent! I would definitely read more from this author as it was well written and I enjoyed the use of inserting newspaper, Wikipedia and Twitter articles. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Explosive thriller that deals with the aftermath of a school shooting. The story focuses mainly on three women that are affected and brings an interesting perspective. There was a raw intensity to the writing which really brought to life the complexity of the situation.

This book really shouldn’t work. A mass murder is committed but we know the victims and we know the murderer who takes his own life. What else is there to say? Well, plenty it appears. Viewed from the perspectives of the police inspector, a victim’s mother and the murderer’s mother it gives a glimpse into the horrific nature of the intrusion by the media into the lives of ordinary people who have been touched by tragedy. It makes uncomfortable reading at times as we are all guilty of wanting to learn more of a tragic newsworthy story. This book was quite different in its approach to a crime but worked well and had me hooked throughout.

This is a really powerful book about the difficulties of policing in the modern age, where so many people have access to the internet and social media. Although the digital revolution has given us powerful tools for research and communication, these same facilities can be abused.
The main characters in this story are women, with the men mostly portraying bad/sad characters. The suspense is well maintained and builds around the pivotal event of a mass shooting at a college, not in America but in Edinburgh. Highly recommended.

It seems wrong to enjoy a book of this nature, but I did. Completely. It was touching, poignant and provided points of view from various people impacted by a college shooting in Scotland. We follow events as they unfold from the POV of the shooter's mother, the first victim's mother and DI Helen Birch, who heads up the investigation whilst carrying her own tragic baggage. We feel first hand the sudden shock, disbelief and the crippling effect this has on normalcy. We see the heartless nature of the press, some far worse than others, and how being in the public eye can destroy any privacy needed at a time of such pain. It also shines a light on how conversations can be misconstrued and misunderstood - both intentionally and innocently - and the consequences of each.

This novel makes the reader feel as if they are there taking onboard everything that occurs. It breaks your heart yet there is a slight glimmer of a chance for healing, too, in the wake of such horror. This really was a sweet, heartrending novel that I feel sure will stay with me for some time.

The story is told from the pov of three women with plenty of twists and turns that makes for an intriguing reading.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton!

I was interested in this one because of the topic. However the execution just didn't do it for me. I was actually quite bored with most of it, and couldn't connect with any of the characters.

Given the subject of the book, I thought it will be more intense or emotional than it was, but while i was reading, my mind kept wandering and I lost focus. I feel like there were way too many little and unnecessary details that were just distracting from the story and were not adding to the character's background or description either.

A college killing in Edinburgh and how it affects the families of both the victims and the perpetrator. The big question is why.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read a copy of this book.

I found that this story was a rollercoaster of emotion and found that it took me down a few dark paths at times. Although i like this book I can't help but feel that there is something missing, I can't put my finger on it but I think its the ending, it has left me with a few unanswered questions.

Thank You Claire Askew for this emotional read.

This had the makings of a great book. The storyline is very good, and it is well-written, but it is, in my opinion, in need of a final edit, which is the reason for my three star rating.
I loved that it’s written from the point of view from three different women affected by the shooting, the mothers of the assailant and one of his victims and the DS in charge of the investigation. All are good characters, and sympathetically portrayed. It is also set in Edinburgh, another reason I chose and enjoyed the book.
The chapters are written by any one of the three main characters and generally follow in chronological order (although there is a bit of going back in time, particularly towards the end of the book).
The reason it would benefit from a further edit is that when reading it I felt it was overlong and a bit boring in parts. What could have been an excellent book, was just an ok one, and that is not due to the author as she clearly has some real talent. I appreciate I appear to be in the minority in my view as the majority have given 5*.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the way this book was written, completely different to anything I have read before. The style covered multiple perspectives where the author carefully tackles a sensitive subject.
A young boy named Ryan, goes into his college and shoots females students, this book looks at the affects this has on all people involved including his mother.
I really enjoyed the fact this book was set in Scotland as most books around this subject seem to be american, thankfully a subject that doesn't happen very often in the UK and this book showed that, when at the start the police were unsure if this was a school shooting.
All characters are so well thought out which made me as the reader feel all sorts of emotions.
This is definitely a gritty, top 10 thriller.