![]() Most novels I’ve read recently seem to take place in a vague present-day or an alternate reality where the pandemic isn’t a factor, and to be honest, during most of the past year and a half, that was exactly the kind of literary escape I wanted.īut then False Witness begins in the spring of 2021, where Leigh and her estranged husband are at their teenage daughter’s drama production, and everyone’s wearing masks. I’ve read a pandemic thriller, Lost Immunity by Daniel Kalla, but that was a fictionalized pandemic in a post-COVID world. I also think that False Witness may be the first novel I’ve read that actually talks about life during the COVID-19 era. Part of me wishes that the ending had been more rainbows-and-sunshine happily ever after, but mostly, I thought the ending felt right, and gave closure to the various plot threads. The lead-up to the court case is both thrilling and maddening, and the ending takes a somewhat darker, and sadder, turn than I anticipated. And when Leigh advises Andrew not to take the stand, it’s easy to see why - even on the page, Andrew gives me the creeps. All rape is violent, but the one in this book is especially so - when Leigh asks if the victim was unconscious during the rape, her colleague’s response was that they hoped so, given what was done to her. As Leigh examines the evidence against him, she realizes how tough her job will be. Unfortunately, their happiness is endangered by Andrew’s court case, and the hints he drops at how much he knows about their pasts. In many ways, Leigh and Callie’s adult lives seem to be two sides of the same coin, and the novel drew me deep into their stories, and made me wish for them both to just be happy. She engages in conversation with people living on the street who say nonsensical things, she cares for the animals at the veterinary clinic, and she’s super sweet with her cat Binx. But then she’s also clearly very kindhearted. She’s a drug addict with track marks visible on her arms and legs, and she steals drugs from her kind, elderly veterinarian boss, to sell for profit. In contrast, Callie’s life seems to be falling apart. Whether or not her actions were justified is matter for discussion, but it definitely shows a dark side within her, that seems to only be waiting to be unleashed. However, we learn that this perfection is hard-won, and part of it was attained due to a horrific act she did as a teenager. Leigh is a tough, ambitious career woman and fiercely protective mother, and, from the surface, appears to have the perfect life. ![]() It also features wonderfully complex heroines who exist in a murky, grey zone of morality. ![]() ![]() It’s tightly plotted, with compelling characters, dark secrets, and a truly heinous villain you wish would get what he deserved. Worst of all, it turns out that he’s linked to Leigh’s past, and that he may have information about a terrible secret that Leigh and her younger sister Callie have worked their entire adult lives to escape.įalse Witness is the kind of thriller you wouldn’t want to put down. Andrew is white, wealthy, and arrogant that he will be set free despite the overwhelming amount of evidence against him. ![]() Defense attorney Leigh Collier is hired to defend an alleged rapist. ![]()
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