I Never Lie by Jody SabralMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
THE BLURB
Alex South is a tv reporter and fully functioning alcoholic who is struggling to rebuild her career after a rant on live tv.She is handed a chance to redeem herself when the body of a young woman is found in a park near Alex`s home.Within the next few weeks two more bodies are discovered,both having been killed using the same method.Alex finds herself caught up in the biggest story of her career,a front page headline grabbing story that could cause her Twitter followers count to explode.She needs to be on top of her game,she`s fine! she`s in control of her drinking,no way is she an alcoholic! But why does she keep having blackouts and being left with no memory of what she has done during the missing time.As the story she is covering starts to creep into her life,is Alex a danger to herself - or to others.
Alternating between Alex`s story in the present day and `Dear Diary` chapters that start a year before in 2017,this is a gripping story of addiction,denial,obsession and revenge.Alex is a complex character who spends every day insisting that she is going to detox but always seems to find any reason to have just one more drink.The authors descriptions of the secretive and deceitful life of a addict where vivid and realistic.The blackouts,the gin filled water bottle,the fear and despair Alex felt when she couldn't find any alcohol,Alex suddenly discovering she had a bottle in her hand or bag that she couldn't remember picking up.Not being an addict myself,I found Alex`s self destructive behaviour very frustrating and to be honest the constant mentioning of detoxing was quite repetitive at times.The italicized Dear Diary parts of the story were intriguing and quite creepy.This person's back story was quite sad but who was narrating the diary and how did they fit into the story?
The story is well written and keeps the reader guessing,the killer could be any one of a number of characters.Although the story isn't action packed,it does have plenty of twists and turns,red herrings and short snappy chapters that hold the readers attention and give you a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome.
Q : HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
A : Yes.I've always written,it just took me a long time to hone my voice. Life got in the way!
Q : WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER?
A : I love reading them and I think that it was a challenge because it's one of the hardest genres to crack.Not sure I've entirely managed it,but I had a good go at it.
Q : HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR PLOT AND CHARACTERS FOR I NEVER LIE?
A : I lived with a alcoholic for a year and this was the starting point for my character Alex South.Plot development is a tricky one to answer.I start a theme I feel strongly about.Then I create my main character,from that comes the world.The plot comes from those three elements.
Q : HOW DID YOU SELECT THE NAMES FOR YOUR CHARACTERS?
A : I saw the name Alex South on a work email once and thought,that's a good name! The others were names I felt were right for the age and class of the characters.
Q : WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE CHAPTER ( OR PART ) TO WRITE AND WHY?
A : I think the first and last chapters are always my favourite to write.There's a sense of a new beginning,then that sense of closure. The middle of the book is always the most difficult for me because I tend to rewrite a lot,like a painter layering a canvass with different strokes.
Q : WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU DO FOR I NEVER LIE?
A : I spent a lot of time with and around alcoholics or people affected by it.I'm also a Journalist so put these things together.
Q : IS THERE A MESSAGE THAT YOU HOPE READERS WILL GRASP?
A : I hope that it will start a positive conversation about alcoholism in this country,which is still not happening.I wanted to portray it not just as a plot ploy or a flaw in my character,but as a serious issue that affects her to the core of her in terms of her decision making.I think I've done that,but I'm sure some readers will disagree.It may feel repetitive at times,but it's supposed to because the voice in Alex`s head never goes away.
Q : WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD BOOK?
A : Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak without a doubt because it transported me to another world.A very dark world at times.
Q : WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS?
A : J.G.Ballard is my all fave.John Le Carre turned me on to spy novels and crime.The South African writer J.M.Coetze is also a fab.Recently I've read many great contemporary authors so it's hard to say,but Before I Go To Sleep by S.J.Watson haunted me and made me wish I could write a book like that.
Q : CAN YOU GIVE US ANY HINTS ABOUT WHAT YOUR NEXT BOOK IS GOING TO BE ABOUT?
A : Don't Blame Me is another Psychological Thriller.We follow a small town musician Richard as he enters a national tv talent show.His life is about to change dramatically.After years of suffering from low esteem,he's finally reaching for his dreams,but the morning after he gets through to the semi - final he is found dead in his hotel room.He leaves behind two women,his Mother and his girlfriend.It deals with the themes of instant fame,the fear of losing someone you love,the love affair between a Mother and Son,and the girlfriend who challenges it.
Many thanks to Jody Sabral for kindly taking the time to answer my questions.
AUTHOR BIO
Jody Sabral is based between the South Coast and London, where she works as a Foreign Desk editor and video producer at the BBC. She is a graduate of the MA in Crime Fiction at City University, London.
Jody worked as a journalist in Turkey for ten years, covering the region for various international broadcasters. She self-published her first book Changing Borders in 2012 and won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2014 for her second novel The Movement.
In addition to working for the BBC, Jody also writes for the Huffington Post, Al–Monitor and Brics Post.
PUBLICATION DATE : 11 June 2018
PUBLISHER : Canelo
GENRE : Psychological Thriller
PURCHASE HERE...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Lie-gripping-thriller-coming-ebook/dp/B07CV8KK49/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529099659&sr=1-1&keywords=i+never+lie
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