BOOK TOUR: All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood

“I don’t need a lawyer. I am one.”

Set to be released on 21st July, All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood is set in the aftermath of the death of Amy Blahn who was murdered on a London office rooftop. Layla Mahoney was there. She held Amy as she died. But all she can say when police arrest her is that ‘It was Michael. Find Michael and you’ll find out everything you need to know.’

The problem is, the police can’t find Michael – there is no evidence that he exists. And time is running out before they have to either charge Layla with Amy’s murder, or let her go. As a lawyer, Layla knows that she has only forty-eight hours to convince police to investigate the man she knows only as ‘Michael’ instead of her. But the more she attempts to control her interviews with police, the more the truth leaks out – and how much of that truth can Layla risk being exposed?

Rating:

Today is my stop on the Compulsive Readers blog tour for this book. Thank you to the publishers for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another clever and unpredictable thriller from the brilliant writer that is Imran Mahmood, All I Said Was True might sound like you’re basic thriller, but Mahmood has a knack for making sure his stories are distinctive, authentic, and masterfully plotted.

After loving You Don’t Know Me, I was really excited to read another book by this standout author. However, you do have to get comfy for the long-haul of this one, as it does take a while for everything to come together.

The story moves between two timelines. The main narrative sees Layla being investigated for murder, while the second explores the build-up to Amy’s death as we find out if Layla had any motive, if she knew Amy beforehand, and if her story about Michael is even possibly true.

We spend most of the story in Layla’s presence and she’s a very intriguing character. Everything she says is true, but she only ever gives a small piece of the picture, as the detectives slowly pick it apart.

It does make it slightly difficult to really get into the story because you can tell that Layla doesn’t want to plead her innocence when she truly believes that there is no evidence against her. You want to scream at her to just tell the police everything instead of being so vague, but you soon start to understand why that isn’t possible.

So although this one may not grip you immediately, I implore you to stick with it, which is easy to do with Mahmood’s clever and quick-paced writing, then you’re sure to be impressed by the twists that start to come into play.

Details:

All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood
Release Date: 21st July 2022
Print Length: 320 pages
Genre: Crime Thriller
Publisher: Raven Books

Synopsis:

When Amy Blahn was murdered on a London office rooftop, Layla Mahoney was there. She held Amy as she died. But all she can say when police arrest her is that ‘It was Michael. Find Michael and you’ll find out everything you need to know.’

The problem is, the police can’t find Michael – there is no evidence that he exists. And time is running out before they have to either charge Layla with Amy’s murder, or let her go.

As a lawyer, Layla knows that she has only forty-eight hours to convince police to investigate the man she knows only as ‘Michael’ instead of her. But the more she attempts to control her interviews with police, the more the truth leaks out – and how much of that truth can Layla risk being exposed?

About The Author:

Imran Mahmood is a practising barrister with thirty years’ experience fighting cases in courtrooms across the country. His debut novel You Don’t Know Me was chosen by Simon Mayo as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice for 2017 and longlisted for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year and for the CWA Gold Dagger, and was made into a hugely successful BBC1 adaptation in association with Netflix. His second novel I Know What I Saw was released in June 2021, was chosen as a Sunday Times crime novel of the month and reached no. 2 on the Audible charts. He has been commissioned to write three screenplays and is working on his next novel. When not in court or writing novels or screenplays he can sometimes be found on the Red Hot Chilli Writers’ podcast as one of the regular contributors. He hails from Liverpool but now lives in London with his wife and daughters. imranmahmood777