Seven childhood friends reunite in the small Irish town they once called home - while some have remained close, others have drifted from the group and may be hiding dark, and possibly deadly, secrets - potentially linked to the tragic death of a local girl in the 1980s. As the friends reminisce, we are given glimpses of their childhood selves and the various traumas they have endured in this apparently idyllic seaside town, which remains haunted by the spectre of clerical abuse and corruption. One by one, the friends realise that they are in danger, and that among them there lurks a killer - but who?

I enjoyed this 'friends reunited' mystery and thought the small town setting was expertly crafted - the casual cruelty of the church authorities who govern the town is depicted with a convincing deftness, and the toxic secrets which ultimately destroy this group of friends are heartbreaking. I found that some of the dialogue between the friends strained credibility at times, and the reveal of who was responsible for the murder and mayhem came a little too early, and was a little cartoonish.

I was very confused by this book, even after 10%. The intro about pilgrims point didn't mean anything to me, then the beginning about the group which was starting to grip me ust seemed disjointed and I couldn't work out if it was a scene from a memory or present day. Couldn't finish it

Never a bad word to say about Barclay. He knows how to Write a fluid novel, keeping readers glued to the pages.

Perfect book to finish on Halloween. Creepy and atmospheric this book will have you jumping and looking over your shoulder. LOVED IT!
4/5 on goodreads

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

What a page turner! I Confess really caught my attention from the start and I was intrigued until the very end. I'll definitely keep an eye on this author for the future!

I enjoyed elements of this book, although I did find the different voices confusing, and not very clear at times, which made the plot hard to follow. However, an atmospheric setting, with lots of past history spilling over into the present made for an enjoyable read.

This book is about a couple who’ve bought and renovated an old convent and have now invited old school friends to stay to celebrate one of their birthdays. The house is in a remote location and it’s a dark, stormy night so it feels like these friends are somewhat marooned in this house so when a body is found it’s terrifying to know they are all stuck there with a murderer. This is a fast-paced thriller that is full of secrets and lies and then all of the reveals and fallout. There aren’t many likeable characters in the novel and the only person that was likeable didn’t feel fleshed out enough for me, which was a little disappointing. I Confess does require a suspension of disbelief but that makes this more enjoyable as even though it’s a murder thriller it feels like escapism. This isn’t my favourite book in the genre but having said that I did read it in one sitting so it definitely held my attention all the way through.

Dear reader, I must admit something... I fooled myself. Having read a few books by Linwood Barclay in the past, I only zoomed in on 'Barclay'. And on the fact that a large part of this story takes place in Castletownbere, a lovely little town I visited during my first holiday in Ireland.
I was wrong and I'm sorry. This is not the correct Barclay. This Barclay gives us a story about five childhood friends who come together. This is, to say it nicely, not very original. You know that they are, in fact, not all good friends. You know there will be lots of problems and secrets and secret love. It is no different in this story. People keep running around in a giant old renovated convent while they are supposed to have a dinner party. There is not much dinner or party, except from a birthday cake. There is a lot of memories, good ones and bad ones, and of course there is a murder.
I've read the book till the end because I don't give up easily and it started out ok. It just didn't fulfill my expectations.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

Edie & Johnny renovate an old property into accommodation for paying guests.
But before they open they invite some old friends to stay.
They are having a good night but suddenly the weather changes the tension builds and then a body is found.
How well do you know your friends?
Who is the killer
And why have they done it
Great read
Thanks NetGalley

Seven childhood friends reunite at a remote Inn in Ireland. One bleak night will bring out all the past tension and secrets. Do you even ever really know someone?
Their childhood is told in flashbacks but you are in for a shock when the first body is found.
The pace of the story is a bit slowed down with the two timelines but is well worth persevering with.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A group of old school friends reunite for a birthday celebration and to see the old property that two of them (Edie and Johnny) have renovated and transformed into a luxury resort. Each of the group have secrets to keep and when the power goes out as a result of a storm. the dark events which have marred their childhood threaten to resurface. When a body is discovered the group face the shocking realisation that a killer is amongst them.

The author does a good job of building suspense in this book and the surprises along the way will keep you turning the pages. This was a gripping read with a good plot and excellent character development. A hugely enjoyable read.

Thank you to the author, Harper Collins and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What set this one head and shoulders above a lot of thrillers I have read of late, was the incredible dialogue which zinged off the page. The characters, although not always likeable, were vividly drawn in both the past and present story-lines and the interweaving of those dual time frames was effective.. The humour was unusual in this genre and worked really well. Sure, it veered into the slightly ridiculous at times, but I was so invested and compelled to finish that I didn't really care. Very enjoyable, I'll be keen to read Barclay's next one and seek out her backlist.

A group of friends who haven’t met up for years meet in a luxury bed and breakfast that their friends Edie and Johnny have recently bought and restored.
Edie and Johnny left their Cork home years ago and return to their home town transforming the B&B. They invite their childhood friends almost like a trial opening and reunite friendships looking back on their time growing up together.
It’s not long until the weather turns nasty, the electricity falters and a body is discovered.
Alex Barclay is a great story teller joining up the past and the present leaving shocking developments about the lives of the group.
A lot takes place in this book. The first part lays out the characters and explains how they are all linked together building suspense as the pages turn.
The second part reveals lots of interesting chapters about past indiscretions and the characters all seem to hold secrets and as the evening develops the past catches up on them and the suffering becomes evident.
I whizzed through this book and wanted to sleep but I had to finish in just two helpings. Always a good sign for me that the books characters had me gripped.
Lots of twists and secrets that you never see coming unravel before you.
I have read Alex Barclay before and this book does not disappoint.
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I am afraid I found this book too convoluted and the characters hard to like. It was just not for me I found it hard to read to the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Usually love Alex Barclays books but I do have to admit, I found it really difficult to get into this. It didn't flow as well as usual and seemed to be quite disjointed. I managed to finish it out of curiosity more than anything but I can't say it was one of my most enjoyable reads of late

I usually enjoy anything by Alex Barclay but with I Confess I was extremely disappointed, and it really grieves me to say this. The tale started out well enough - great setting with vivid descriptions, but oh my goodness - the cast of characters. Not a single redeeming feature did any of them possess! Whiny, self-centred, spoiled and arrogant....you get the drift. And then, despite flashbacks, the whole thing came to a dreadful head about halfway through - by which time Ms Barclay had already given the game away as to who the psychopath was. The second half of the story just raced away into a non-event to the extent I couldn't wait to race to finish it! As for the bad language - there were numerous pages where I felt the swearing was just utilised for the purpose of adding drama to a damp squib of a book. The profanity (excess of) added nothing to an already weak plot.

I recently saw this book, I Confess, by Alex Barclay, on NetGalley and literally did the whole cross-your-fingers bit as I fervently hoped I’d be granted an ARC. I was thrilled to see HarperCollins UK had granted my request. I’ll always be a sucker for a novel with an isolated, gloomy setting, and a murder mystery. It never fails to conjure up Agatha Christie for me, and I’ll read any iteration of this type of plot I can get my hands on. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my opinion.

Edie and her husband Johnny have moved back to their remote hometown of Beara after leaving their jobs in the US. Apparently they had quite successful careers in the hotel industry, but now wish to branch out into running their own hotel instead of someone else’s. Clare sees an old building from her childhood for sale, and has to make it hers in every way with a complete overhaul and renovation. But we soon learn this project has been something of a money pit for Clare and Johnny, and we see cracks widen in the pretty facade of their marriage.

When Clare invites a group of close childhood friends to join them at the struggling hotel for a birthday celebration, that’s when the mystery picks up momentum. Because this group is harboring long buried secrets, and amongst them is a killer.

The very first few pages of the book really drew me in. One of my favorite parts of this book was the setting of the novel. The author, Alex Barclay, did a fantastic job describing the remote, close knit, dysfunctional town for the novel. Plus, Barclay’s descriptions of Beara, the hotel, and the nun (she had to get a dishonorable mention!) made it easy to conjure a very vivid picture in my mind.

Where I felt the book floundered was in the narrative style. The backstory was told primarily through flashbacks (informative, sometimes sad, intriguing) and then a lot of dialogue at the dinner party (at times plodding). What pulled me out of the story was instead of feeling as though I was there, seeing events unfold with my own eyes, instead I was “hearing” the story through the banter of a disparate group of people. The problem with that is it’s a close group of friends, very much their own little clique, and I as a reader actually felt like the outsider to their history and in-jokes. Overall, I felt I Confess could have benefited from more showing instead of telling (and not just through flashbacks) and from tighter writing and editing.

I Confess was still an interesting read, it just wasn’t up there with the quality of so many other books I’ve read from this publisher. I would give this a rating of 2.75 stars out of 5, and I would still give another Barclay book a chance.

Once in a while you pick up a book to find yourself completely blown away. I Confess is one of those books.
Set in Ireland and following a group of friends the plot does not disappoint. Lots of secrets, twists and I found myself hooked. The main downside for my was too many characters, they’re all well developed but I struggled to keep up at times.

I Confess is one hell of a wild ride that builds suspense beautifully!

I loved this book.

From the descriptions of the area in which it is set to the characters and thier intertwining stories.

The story takes on a kind of Agatha Christie feel but in a modern manner and keeps you hooked throughout.

This was one book that when life go in the way of reading, screamed at me to come back to it.