You Know What You Did: 1 (Amanda Roberts) Paperback – 27 Mar. 2021

From its vitriolic opening to the twist I didn’t see coming at the end, this book grabbed my attention and held it throughout.This is a book with two protagonists and the author makes it hard to choose who to be rooting for. Both characters come fully to life off the page. Amanda Roberts is a self-absorbed and wealthy author who lives a ‘perfect’ life with her billionaire husband and two children. The other is nameless until the end, but also a writer, poor, alone and determined to bring down the woman who stole her book idea.The cliffhangers just keep on coming and they make it so difficult to stop reading. The writing flows and the excellent characterisation and closely-observed behaviours give the plot a disturbing credence.This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. I understand there’s a sequel and I shall be buying it today.

What an enthralling read! I was immediately gripped by this contemporary psychological mystery, told in turns by both the antagonist and the protagonist. We learn that the unnamed antagonist has a grievance against successful author Amanda Roberts, but we don't find out the details of the alleged offence until the end. Working on the theory that culprits are generally known to a victim, the plot kept me guessing and wondering about the identity of the woman who begins an anonymous hate campaign against Amanda, whose life – unsurprisingly – becomes increasingly unbalanced.This story gives us some fascinating insights into the world of traditional and self publishing for would-be authors. Well known authors have to make appearances, carry out media interviews and numerous book signings in order to keep their publishers happy which involves much travelling and time away from family. That factor allows the antagonist in this story plenty of opportunities for catching Amanda Roberts off guard with some imaginative revenge activities.This book You Know What You Did, is an easy and engaging read .The energy and pace of the story never flags and I thought the climax and resolution were brilliant and very satisfying. I would have definitely given it 5 stars but for a handful of small proofreading errors. However the clever plot and flowing writing style overrides this and I'm sure many readers won't even notice. There's no violence, graphic sex or profanities and I found it a highly absorbing and entertaining read. I won't forget the plot in a hurry, and have no hesitation in recommending author Laura Lyndhurst to readers of suspenseful, psychological mysteries. I was pleased to discover the story continues in the next book, What Else Did You Do which is now on my 'To Be Read' list.

Our protagonist is shady—and not just in deed. Everything about this baddie is locked in the shadows. Who the hell is this maniac sneaking around and causing mayhem? But then, is the baddie really in the wrong? We find out in the first scenes that our leading lady Amanda Roberts has stolen the protagonist's book. We’re told that she plagiarised our character’s book and made a fortune. Roberts hits the bestseller list every time, but she’s blocked and can’t be bothered with any unblocking.But did she steal it? Everything about this book is shrouded in mystery and intrigue as we’re pulled into Amanda's life and less so into the life of her tormentor.Told in dual perspective with interspersed chapters of the first-person protagonist’s POV and narrative chapters taking us into Amanda’s celebrity lifestyle. Everything about this book is enigmatic.This book draws you in as you are embroiled in the lives of these two people. Neither of them is particularly likeable—but that’s okay—it’s more than okay and one of the strong defining elements of the story. Most books are black and white—and most people aren’t. I like that while, for the most part, our sympathies lie with Amanda, we feel that she’s got it coming.Amanda gets so immersed in her paranoia that she does half of her enemy's job for her. The genius of this story is that the protagonist sets the wheels of destroying Amanda’s life in motion. It’s a train wreck—and guess who ends up driving the train?It’s pacey, lively and beautifully told. A brilliant look into the psychology of people and what makes them tick.In the end, a dramatic twist brings about a very satisfying close to the book. The first one I’ve read from this Author, but I went straight out and bought Fairytales Don’t Come True.