I really enjoyed this, a well-written thriller with an unreliable narrator. Plenty of twists and turns as the reader is taken down various paths. Can we trust in Hannah's traumatic memories? There are plenty of believable characters to suspect, suspense and a final twist at the end. Great use of a podcast as a medium to review the murder case, very contemporary and worked well. Highly recommend!

10 years ago, Hannah Catton's husband was murdered in their bed. Hannah has no memory of what happened that night, and the police arrest and convict a man for a burglary gone wrong. 10 years later and Hannah is living with another man, her daughter is in high school and she is a psychologist. But her world is shaken when Conviction, a true crime podcast, investigate the case and poke holes in the police's story and then turn on Hannah, accusing her of the murder. With every episode that's released, Hannah becomes more and more unstable. Did she kill her husband? Does she really not remember what happened?

The Murder of Graham Catton is a gripping, twisty thriller with an unreliable narrator. The book is told in first person, so you get to watch as Hannah slowly loses her grip on reality. This was a really effective device, as you are constantly doubting Hannah and what she says. I found myself really sucked in by this novel, staying up late to finish it because I had to know what was going on!

There are a lot of elements to this novel, and I think the author did a really good job of handling them all. It was well-plotted and well-paced, slowly feeding you new tidbits of information to constantly change what you think is going on. One of the elements you see in this book is domestic abuse, and I found the way that this was handled in flashbacks, showing the escalating control and abuse, really well (and sensitively) handled, and the most chilling aspect of the book. There was also a list of helplines at the end of the novel for people who are victims of domestic abuse, which I really appreciated.

I think the only thing I wasn't so keen on was the reveal of what was going on - I didn't find it all that believable. However, the ending is always the hardest thing to get right in these sorts of novels, and it didn't spoil what was a gripping,. atmospheric thriller.

Can you ever recover from an abusive relationship?

It’s ten years since Hannah woke up to discover her husband, Graham lying in their bed – stabbed to death. Mike Phillips was convicted of the murder but has always proclaimed his innocence. Anna Byers runs a podcast called Conviction; a programme that has helped several people quash their convictions thanks to fresh evidence she has been able to uncover. Mike Phillips is hoping that she will uncover sufficient evidence to get him released, but in doing so, will it be Hannah charged with the murder of her husband instead?

Katie Lowe has written possibly one of the most brilliant novels to portray domestic abuse. The story concerns Hannah, a successful psychiatrist. She works with patients suffering from eating disorders. After Graham’s murder, she moved with her daughter, Evie from London to a small village in Derbyshire. Here she met Dan an investigative journalist and life was good. Evie and Dan have a brilliant relationship. She loves her job and the nightmares from her abusive marriage have started to fade – that is until the podcast razes its ugly head. Graham’s voice once again starts questioning her every move and action. Why do these voices seem so real?

The village of Hawkwood had previously been the site of a mental institution. Now abandoned, Hannah is drawn to it, especially when she meets a woman who wants to restore the building to its previous grand state. She wants Hannah to join her and to be part of the team that will treat psychiatric patients. Can Hannah trust her?

Once the podcast starts, people are convinced that Hannah murdered her husband and must now face the consequences for her actions. Could she have killed her husband without remembering doing so?

There is nothing straightforward about this murder. Nor is there anything straightforward about Hannah. There is no doubt that Graham caused severe traumatic damage to her. However, is she as innocent as she claims to be?

Amy Scanlon does a brilliant job of narrating this book. She kept me engaged from the opening lines until the very dramatic and completely unexpected finish.

Katie Lowe must be congratulated for writing such a complex and brilliant storyline. Special congratulations also for including a list of all the charities and organisations that help domestic abuse victims. None of us has any idea what happens behind closed doors and highlighting the plight of domestic victims in this book and sharing where they can obtain help may hopefully save people’s lives.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Ask yourself this, do you like true crime podcasts? If you do, and given you're thinking about a book with murder in the title there's probably a better than average chance you do, you're in a good place. The Murder of Graham Catton is told from the perspective of his widow, Hannah, ten years later. That's when a true crime podcast decides to investigate. now, the whole podcast aspect doesn't actually take over or anything. it's there for structure, but the writing manages to adopt a lot of the tone and feel of a podcast. Early chapters seem to move in that slightly meandering style of someone trying to build tension calmly. Those insinuations and suggestions to keep you curious, and, in truth, distracted from the fact that they had they just stuck to the facts you would've been finished 30 minutes earlier. But then we don't listen to podcasts or read books for quick facts. The ones that we enjoy most give us that atmosphere.

That true crime feel is good. It creates a little space for itself. It's rooted in a lot of reality, which may not suit everyone. The book deals with a lot of very serious issues. Things that often get trigger warnings. I know that seems weird to mention given the title tells you upfront that someone dies, but it also touches on many of the most common "be careful reding this" kind of topics. Which shouldn't be too much of a red flag - they seem to be broached carefully and sensitively. I think it's a case of the realism being an asset; with these topics not being sensationalised or extreme.

It's another aspect that ties in with the podcast structure for me. So much of the book and the characters are reassuringly normal. It would be very easy to make the podcast into a glamour aspect and turn everything up to 11, but that would lose the connection that makes this book work. It's that gentle rhythm of nothing being too shocking that helps this book breathe. Much like the podcasts it honours, it's surprisingly soothing. You can consume it without effort, it doesn't ask much of you but instead it makes that little effort to ensure you don't miss out.

If true crime podcasts annoy you, try elsewhere. Otherwise? This is a good book that delivers something just different enough to stand out.

An awesome book where you flit between empathy and anger at the main character. Is anything what it seems? Who is genuine and who isn't? Keeping you guessing for so much!

Crime podcasts, TV shows (Making a Murderer) and Youtube channels (Criminally listed) are all the rage now. Apart from podcasts (I don't have attention span), I am loving the trend and finding all about different crimes and who may have committed the crime.

But what if one of these podcasts focused on a crime in your life? One that you have desperately tried to move on from? How would your life be changed when YOU are accused of murder.

This is the plot of The Murder of Graham Catton (formerly, I believe, called Possession). Hannah's woke up 10 years ago to her husband dead beside her with no idea what happened. A man was charged and convicted of this crime, and Hannah moves on with her life with her daughter, Evie. In 2018, a podcast called Conviction fingers the blame at Hannah and Hannah spirals out of control.

I really enjoyed this book and I loved the structure. Hannah is a totally unreliable narrator so you have no idea if she has done it or not and you have no idea if the events in the present day are actually real. It's so well done that I only had an inkling of what the truth was, but not the full reason of why that was happening.

I wasn't a big fan of the ending as I didn't find it believable, but I don't feel it detracts from the book as a whole.

I loved this book, it grabbed my attention from the start.

I really enjoyed that it covered not only different timelines but perspectives, I also found the transcripts a nice touch.

I spent the whole book second guessing what would happen next, this is a fantastic debut and I’m excited to see the others future work.

3 stars for this because I loved it for the first 80% then really didn’t like the last 20%.

I always say I don’t like thrillers and I never learn! If you love a plot twisty thrilled this is probably for you but it just didn’t work for me.

At the start of the book Hannah, a psychiatrist, is dating Dan and living with her daughter, Evie, 10 years after the murder of her husband Graham. Hannah doesn’t remember anything about her husband’s murder, but a man was arrested for the crime.

However a crime podcast has chosen to do a series on the crime and believes the man accused was not the murderer.

This was definitely gripping and exciting and being from Hannah’s perspective you really feel her confusion over her husband’s death. She doesn’t remember anything but moments come back in snippets, and she feels haunted by her husband even years later.

This was one of those books I just couldn’t put down, but I found the reveals so be a bit too convenient and silly for me, and I really didn’t enjoy the last 20%.

I think if you love a thriller you’ll love this, and it’s very well written, but it just wasn’t for me.

This is an amazingly deep psychological thriller with twists evrywhere. It was a compulsive read that let me indulge in just "me reading time" and forgetting evrything else that I needed to do.
So many questions from the very start. Was Hannah telling the truth and did she murder her husband. Did Mike kill Graham? What made the podcast ''Çonviction'" take the case up after such a long time? Great interaction of the two timelines and podcast words as well. The book is full of abusive relationships, some being those in the care of Hannah as a psychologist but also her own home life with Graham.
I had read the earlier book by Katie - The Furies - and liked that which prompted me to read this one. I was expecting a smilar reaction to her writing but this far exceeded any expectation that I had. It is a fabulous book and I am hoping that it gets the rewards that it should get in the literary world. It deserves lots of awards.

This new book by Katie Lowe, author of The Furies, has all the elements of an excellent thriller: an unreliable narrator, numerous suspects, a creepy abandoned institution filled with old secrets, a fast pace, and lots of superbly written conversations that twist and turn until you won't know who to suspect anymore! As I got more immersed in Hannah's narration and she began to confuse reality and memory, the hair on the back of my neck was definitely standing up! Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Random Things Tours for the free e-book.

This book was riveting, mind boggling, extremely well plotted, well paced and at times spine-tingling with its various physiological twists and turns. I loved it. You could say there is a sub-genre in crime fiction that now involves podcasts etc, but this turned it on its head by analysing how a person reacts to having their lives raked over by a podcast. It was a highly entertaining read which I read in a oner as it sunk it's hooks in me and didn't let go!

Conviction is a podcast that looks into real crimes and whether justice was achieved or not. It's listened to by millions, so how would you react what you heard the news that it was looking into the murder of your husband. That's the situation Hannah finds herself in. Eleven years ago she awoke to find that her husband had been murdered and that she couldn't remember anything from that night. A man has been convicted of the crime so why are they looking into it? Has Hannah been lying about what happened that night and is her world about to be destroyed?

As a fan of podcasts like this, firstly Serial and then moving on to others I am also fascinated by books which now involve them. Obviously, there are the fantastic Matt Wesolowski books and this is right up there with them. But it looks at the other side - how a person who is being looked into feels as it progresses and the effects it has on your life. You don't think about the trolls and attention it would bring. How things are manipulated to the host’s bias and their interpretation of the facts and feelings.

I loved Hannah’s character and how there were many misdirections and psychological tricks played on the reader. Did she do it? Does this event run in her family? Do her daughter and new partner believe her? But despite all this, I felt there was a core of inner steel in her character as well as goodness.

I also loved how feminist this book came across as - I feel it's a reflection of the author's stance in life when you look at her education and experience. She brings up topic which need highlighted - gaslighting, domestic abuse, #metoo etc. Please please remember that if you are in this situation that there is help there for be had. Also it's not your fault. Katie does such a good job about tackling these issues.

Let me know if you read it!

The Murder of Graham Catton is a book where you’ll not want to get up from your seat until you find out where it is going and what is happening. Hannah tells her story – her husband was murdered and although there was a lot of suspicion about her involvement, evidence was found which led to the conviction of Mike Phillips. Hannah has always maintained that she cannot remember anything about the night in question. She has put her energies into looking after her daughter and building her career and has, eventually, met a man who loves her and Evie. Things are going pretty well … until the podcast Conviction decides to take a look at the case again. Suddenly the public are engrossed in the murder and fingers are starting to point at Hannah again. She knows she is innocent but her lone voice is becoming lost in the baying of the mob.

The style of writing really appealed to me. It is written across six episodes and although they are from Hannah’s perspective, they link up with the Conviction Podcast. I love a good podcast to get stuck into and although I don’t listen to much in the way of true crime, I suspect I might be listening to this one were it real. The chapters are a mix of lengths but there are quite a few short ones which really increase the pace and maintain the tension. I thought on a few occasions I had worked out what was happening and was feeling quite smug, only to find that I was wrong…again! I liked that it kept me guessing and wrong footed me whilst maintaining an engaging storyline. The characters are a bit of a mix, some are very likeable, others took longer for me to warm to, if at all.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime or thriller style books. It is easy to get hooked in and definitely held my attention all the way through. Hannah’s profession added a different element to the story and I found it to be a satisfying read. I am almost certain I have Katie’s other book, The Furies, at home so I’ll be hunting it out and bumping it up the TBR pile! Roll on more annual leave!

Wow this story was amazing! A domestic thriller, which tricks you into a false sense of thinking you know what happened and then springing a surprise twist towards the end, that completely catches you off guard!

The author has written this fabulously. It’s told in a first person narrative, from the perspective of Hannah. Years ago, Hannah woke up to find her husband lying dead on the kitchen floor with a knife sticking out of him. Hannah had no memory of what happened, and we are then moved forward, to years later, where Hannah has a new life, with her daughter Evie and new partner Dan. A news blog series is recording a series with the murder of Hannah’s husband Graham Catton, as the main subject. The person convicted of killing him is being released and there’s questions surrounding the legitimacy of the evidence.

As the story progresses, you are taken through the confusion, and cruel torment Hannah is put through as the past is resurfaced and she is forced to face what happened, years before, finding herself under suspicion of others, and questioning her own sanity. All is not as it seems, and as the story unfolds, the truth slowly comes to light, with a HUGE surprise twist that connects all the dots together and perfectly brings the story to a fab ending!

The character development of Hannah is fab. I could really feel her unravelling as I moved through the story. I began to really feel for her, especially the troubling relationships she faced in the past. I like the atmospheric haunting feeling the story gave me at times, particularly those moments where Hannah was hearing voices and seeing shadows move. The chapters flowed well, I was hooked, eager to find out more and I ended up finishing this within days.

This fab domestic thriller is the perfect read for those looking for a book that progresses through twists, tension which unravels to a surprising twist! I completely recommend.

** I received an advanced copy of this audiobook to listen to and review. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me the opportunity **

This story is told through the eyes of Hannah, our unreliable narrator. 10 years ago her husband was murdered in their bed. She has no memory of what happened that night. Someone was convicted of the crime, but now a crime podcast is looking at the facts and calling the conviction into question. Does Hannah have blood in her hands?
This is a fantastic read with plenty of plot twists to keep you thinking.

I'm a big sucker for a well-written thriller and an unreliable narrator, and this book really delivered. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing trying to figure out if Hannah's recollection of her traumatic past could be trusted or not. I suspected all the wrong characters and the final revelation really took me by surprise. I love a suspenseful read and this one was so full of twists, my neck hurt by the end of it!

I was lucky enough to be given an advance review copy of ‘The Murder of Graham Catton’ by the publisher – and I am so glad I was, as it’s BRILLIANT (and out now #drowninginbooks). Here’s the blurb:

“Ten years ago, Hannah Catton’s husband was brutally murdered in their home.
The murderer was convicted. The case was closed.
But now a podcast called Conviction is investigating this horrific crime – and they have Hannah in their sights.
Someone knows more than they’re letting on, and listeners are about to become judge, jury and executioner as they undercover the truth about the murder of Graham Catton.”

The book follows two timelines – back in 2008 when Hannah’s husband Graham is murdered – and then in 2018 when a true crime podcast decides to investigate the crime, as the lad convicted for it has always protested his innocence. The book is very clever at showing the way now, in the age of social media, that something like a podcast can bring a ‘pile on’ to the people / victims / potential murderers that is a curse of our age. It’s frightening to see how that develops. It’s also disturbing (and I suspect true in real life) how many people are prepared to sell out a friend or family member for the sake of their 15 minutes of fame in a podcast.

During the book Hannah appears to be something of an unreliable narrator. She claims no memory of what happened a decade ago and is clearly ‘haunted’ by her dead husband. Hannah also works at a psychiatric facility for teenage girls with eating disorders – and her knowledge as a psychiatrist is evident in her own musings but also in her relationship with her family and friends – as she’s hyper aware of what they may be thinking of her and themselves. I do think that sometimes stops Hannah from opening up to people and admitting how she’s feeling as she doesn’t want to be judged. If she’d just talked to people it could have changed various outcomes.

The relationship between Hannah and her daughter Evie in both timelines is written really well. From the small innocent child when her father was murdered, to the slightly stroppy teenager when everything is brought up again 10 years later. I found this a really believable element of the book (being the mother of a teenage daughter – and with a pre teen called Evie!). I also loved the relationship between Hannah’s new partner Dan, and Evie – he was a great step Dad and clearly provided stability for Evie when her Mum was being a bit flaky.

Hawkwood House looms large – literally and figuratively – in the book. It’s an old psychiatric facility where Hannah’s Grandmother was incarcerated for murdering her husband and child. It has a magnetic hold over Hannah – and when she randomly bumps into an ex colleague who is hoping to refurbish it and start her own facility for women only, it really piques Hannah’s interest. The descriptions of the house and it’s decaying condition before the refurbishment starts is brilliantly described – and quite scary.

Throughout the book there are twists and turns, and you’re not sure who you should be suspicious of! I’d suspected loads of different people in both timelines and still didn’t get either right – which I think shows what a great book this is.

It is quite dark – and there are some pretty gruesome descriptions at times – but that just added to the content. It’s really well written and the characters really well constructed.

It’s pretty rare for me to give 5 stars on Net Galley – I have to be blown away to click on that 5th star – but this is a full house of stars from me. A really excellent crime / mystery / thriller read.

I had to take a few days before I could write my review. I had so much to think about after reading this book. It was a fascinating story that had me grinding my teeth at times!
Abuse, either mental or physical is such an important subject and something I think we need to talk about more. There are so many women out there who are in an abusive relationship and who are just too scared to leave. We don't always know how strong we are and that we can stand on our own two feet.
This is the story of Hannah whose husband was killed and she was finally free to go on with her life and bring up a daughter that she loved dearly. Then a podcast called Conviction starts looking into the case. Was the correct person jailed for his murder? Did Hannah have anything to do with it and why can't she remember what happened? And lastly......who is out to get her.....

I thoroughly enjoyed this read although I had a few issues here and there with the storyline that was just a bit too unrealistic. All in all, it was still a brilliant book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Murder of Graham Catton’ by Katie Lowe in exchange for an honest review.

This is a psychological thriller with Gothic elements. I had enjoyed her debut novel, ‘The Furies’, very much and so was looking forward to this second novel, published in the USA as ‘Possession’.

As for the plot, just brief details to avoid spoilers.
Ten years ago, Hannah Catton’s husband was brutally murdered in their home. It was judged to be a burglary gone wrong. There was an arrest and conviction and the case was closed. Hannah has tried to move on with her life along with their daughter, Evie.

Yet now Anna Byers, the host of the true crime podcast Conviction, is focusing her new season on the Graham Catton case, questioning aspects of the police investigation. She appears to be focusing on Hannah as an alternative suspect. This trial by internet results in angry listeners targeting Hannah. Yet what is the truth about the murder of Graham Catton?

Hannah is the narrator of the novel with episodes of the podcast placed where relevant.

I feel that this novel struggled a bit with its focus resulting in pacing issues. On one hand it is a gritty domestic noir/psychological thriller yet Hannah also appeared to be haunted by Graham’s ghost. Then there was Hawkwood House, a former psychiatric hospital, with links to Hannah’s past. There are suggestions of spooky goings on there.

Although I am a huge fan of the Gothic and supernatural elements in fiction, I wasn’t quite convinced that these aspects worked here in conjunction with the murder mystery, social justice podcasts, internet trolls, and the issue of psychological domestic abuse. It just felt a bit muddled. However, its concluding revelations were very satisfying. However, its concluding revelations were very satisfying.

Overall, despite the unevenness, I found this a satisfactory read. I was pleased that the author focused on the subject of psychological abuse and that she also provided a list of resources for those who might have been affected by these issues.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book is also marketed as 'Possession' in the US.
This is another mixed one for me.
The plot drew me in straight away. I was hooked. But then the pace slowed massively and dragged at at times. I know I have a high standard for what I call pow-pow-pow thrillers and this didn't deliver on this for me.
The introduction of the true crime podcast Conviction was a great tool, but for me didn't have enough involvement. I am a huge fan of true crime podcasts and I loved the idea as a way of adding up the clues as the story progressed, but I found it didn't really all work together until the finale, and could have been executed a little better.
The main character Hannah was mostly likeable, but the book definitely delivered on the intrigue and the 'is she an unreliable narrator' scenario.
I'm unsure if this book will be memorable for me, as I feel it could have had better execution, and was rather disappointing.

Hannah's Husband was murdered
But who did it and why
What will the true crime podcast bring to light

I thought this was a very good read
Keeps you guessing until the end and even then you won't see the unexpected ending
With tension throughout and believable characters
This will have you hooked

Recommend read

Thank you netgalley, Katie Lowe and Harper Collins UK