I have tried over the course of a month to finish this and it's just not for me. It seemed to drag on and there were too many graphic sexual instances I just could not get on board with. It didn't capture my interest enough to keep on reading. I will sometimes read "disturbing" thrillers etc. but this one just didn't sit right with me unfortunately.

Not my usual genre but this book had me gripped throughout. Will be looking out for more of the same!

This book has no bearing on the cover which has left me perplexed.

However, I really did enjoy this book.

The novel has a dual timeline between the present day and Oxford University in the 1990's. In present day Julianne's son Stephen finds something in the family Dropbox account which will change their life. It appears James, Julianne's husband and Stephen's father, has accidently transferred the document in there.

In the 1990s Holly is an Oxford freshman who is 'adopted' by the higher echelons, She falls for James, but James is going out with Julianne. What follows can be at times a disturbing read. There is lots of graphic sex that may not appeal to every reader, but its necessary as the central theme is rape as a form of power.

The only reason this is 4 stars and not 5 as I felt he ending was a bit quick, and would have liked less time spent in Oxford and more time on the villains getting their comeuppance. Is there a second novel coming out I wonder?

Julianne is preparing dinner when her son has her look at something that he found on the family Dropbox account. Julianne has married her college sweetheart and they have a son. They met at Oxford. The book goes back and forth between 1990 and present day. What Julianne has uncovered is something that could destroy her family. This book was hard to put down. I don't usually read books that are too terribly scary and too realistic. I can see these things that could happen I just hope that this world doesn't exist.

This is a first for me as I am not sure what I felt about this book! It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting and at first I thought it was going to be similar to ‘Anatomy of a scandal’ but it most definitely wasn’t!!

The book is made up of the past (told by Sophie) and the present (told by Julianne).

In the past, Sophie is from a humble background and is in her first year at Oxford. She is befriended by Ally, a rich girl, who introduced her to her brother Ernest and his friend James. Sophie develops a major crush on James but he seems not to notice her.

In the present, Julianne is married to James and they have a teenage son, Stephen. When her son shows her something that shocks her to the bone she is desperate to believe there is a reasonable explanation for it and one that doesn’t incriminate her husband.

The book moves back and forward from past to present as the story progresses but it’s only in the last quarter or so of the book when things finally come together and you realise where the connection is between past and present.

There were a few uncomfortable and somewhat (I thought) unnecessary topics touched on in the book but I guess it all needed to be there to boost the shock element.

I did think the ending was a bit rushed and all tied up in the epilogue. I would have liked to know what the outcome was and if the bad guy got his comeuppance.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A Version of the Truth was not what I was expecting at all and I just couldn’t get on with it. I don’t know what to say without going into the plot, but it’s safe to say that this one definitely wasn’t for me unfortunately.

I will be very honest in saying that this book was not for me. I could not finish this book. There were matters involving, rape, racism and strong sexual violence which are all fine if handled well. These weren't

This one really wasn't for me. It wasn't quite what I expected based on the description. I was expecting a domestic psychological suspense and it was more of a rich bad boys/sexual assault story. Not as interesting as it seemed and too many sex scenes for my taste.

I was expecting more of a Psychological Thriller. Not an easy read, very dusturbing at times with several sexual encounters....not wishing to plot spoil here...a book I would have steered away from had I known....however, in the belief that the rating of a book shoukd be based on the crafts of the writer I feel my star rating of 4 is fair.

Riveting read
A story told from two different perspectives. It gives glimpses of an Oxford University social life in the 90's from the perspective of a working class girl as she observes the sexual mores of a small upper class friendship group.. Against a here and now Xmas supper party we observe the collision of the two worlds.
A well crafted story with chilling twists and turns but some insightful observations. A very good read

A Version of the Truth deals with contemporary themes much like Anatomy of A Scandal and Asking For It but in this case it is sexual abuse on a major scale.

The story in A Version of the Truth is told in two timelines:
In 1990 Holly, a naive working class girl, goes up to Oxford to read English Literature and is befriended by wealthy, upper class Ally who introduces her to her twin brother Ernest, and his best friend James. Holly develops a crush on the handsome James which leads to disaster.

In the present day the reader is re-introduced to James, married to Julianne; Ally and Ernest, now a famous MP. Prior to the Christmas dinner partyJulianne and James are holding at their luxury home in Knightsbridge their teenage son Steven shows his mother something shocking on his iPad. Julianne realises that the careful family life she has built up is about to be shattered and the truth about events at Oxford revealed.

The theme is interesting and I enjoyed the link between Holly and the present day scandal that Julianne uncovers. There are some triggers of rape and sexual violence which some readers may find a difficult read. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In 2019, Julianne is living happily with her family when her son brings her his IPad and her whole world changes.
In 1990, Holly is a freshman who makes friends with older students and falls for one in particular that will change her whole world.
This was an enthralling, multi-layered story with intricate characters - at times it was tough to keep up but yet I couldn't put it down! It was upsettingly graphic at times yet reflects true life, especially in today's world. i enjoyed the dual story lines, past and present. This story centered around rape, power and entitlement.
Thank you to B.P. Walter, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic book!

Netgallery #A version of the truth.
Wow wow wow I definitely do not want to spoil this book for anyone yet it’s a book you just have to read. I know it’s a fictional book but in some ways it not it’s hard to explain without giving too much away I believe what happened at Oxford was to close for comfort this book I’d definitely area page turner. I say about some books it the best book I have read in awhile, I can honestly say in all my years of reading this is the second book of all time with all my years of reading.to day it’s the second est book I have ever read believe you me thatvsays everything about this boo. I read a book a few years ago my number one book of all time. You could mistake this book for a prequel to book number one yet both by different aothors absoltky brilliant and actually I can not will not tell you the book it could have been a prequel too, that just would not be fair as I am actually reviewing this particular book. It was a fantastic book that could definitely keep a conversation all night just based on a discussion amazing book

This book is impossible to put down.
With a dark sinister storyline and even if you don't like the characters
It keeps you intrigued to the end.

Thank you netgalley, Avon and B P Walker for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a very well written and researched book about what people with wealth and influence do with there money.
They run sex clubs via the computer and blackmail the victims if they try to talk.
Am sure this must go on, do I want to,know, I suppose not.but this was a very descriptive book about the,seedy type of life money can buy.
It was upsetting but then the,world can be.

This book was harrowing and exciting in equal measure and I couldn’t put the book down. The tale of a mixed up group of friends and a horrific event that touches everyone of them in different ways. At time this book is hard to read in its honesty and I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.

Absolutely brilliant! Really interesting, Page turning read that I just couldn't put down and was reading it until the early hours just to finish it!

I have waited nearly a week to write this review as I couldn’t decide how the book ‘sat’ with me. I found the male characters two dimensional and stereotypical and the female characters were equally pathetic. I liked the dual time lines and the switching of narrators. IHowever I felt that it was two stories merged into one with neither being given the depth they needed. The author obviously has talent and writes very well (sometimes a little too graphically for some tastes) so possibly one book about university freshers, relationships and rape with the fall out of that and another book about privileged men who have unnatural sexual proclivities and the power and money to explore those perversions would have been better in my view. I felt the gap between the rape and the grown offspring being on board with her strong independent mother was too much. Equally the male rapists evolution to the middle aged men they became was just as unexplained.

This one really wasn't for me. It wasn't quite what I expected based on the description. I was expecting a domestic psychological suspense and it was more of a rich bad boys/sexual assault story. Not as interesting as it seemed and too many sex scenes for my taste.

I didn't know what to expect from this book as I didn't read the blurb about it. I found the story told in 2019 quite exciting but got a bit bored with the 1990 story especially all the sex. It wasn't until halfway through the book that I realised the significance of the 1990 story.

The story shows how some people think because of their position in life they can treat other people how they want and use them purely for their own needs. It became quite a harrowing read where weaker individuals are used and abused by people in power.

None of the men in the story were likeable at all. I empathised with the two woman but maybe slightly less with Julianne in the 1990 story.

Quite a surprising outcome to the book and ended up a really good read and one that made you think that it could really be happening around us....and probably is.