BOOK REVIEW: He Said, She Said by Erin Kelly

He said it was consensual. The woman said nothing.
But Laura saw it...
...didn't she?
In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.
She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim's life that is changed forever.
Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear. And while Laura knows she was not right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something- and someone- is always in the dark...

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 404

I first heard about this book on the Radio 2 Book Club and it sounded a little different to the usual thriller so I promptly bought a copy. The theme of solar eclipses runs throughout the book, Laura and Kit witness a brutal attack just after an eclipse  but it is more than that. The solar eclipse is used as a metaphor in the book for things being hidden, either secrets or lies or for some, personality traits or weaknesses. I thought this was very clever, and it did add something extra to the book which definitely lifted it from being a generic thriller.
Laura and Kit's world has been destroyed by the event they witnessed in Cornwall. It becomes clear very quickly that neither of them are reliable narrators, for Laura especially, the truth is no longer clear in her own mind.
The book flits back and forth between the act in 2000 and the present day in 2015 which shows them still living in fear. The author gradually builds a picture of the years in-between and we begin to learn why they are so scared.
The book begins at a great pace. I found a slight lull  about two thirds of the way through but I was so glad that I persevered as the last third of the book is off the scale. There were so many twists and turns; the revelations made it all worth it.
He Said, She Said is a thriller; it will keep you on the edge of your seat but also gives you so much to think about. It looks at how we all bend the truth but questions how far you would take it. Laura and Kit's relationship is covering up so many secrets and lies on both sides. You do begin to wonder what will happen if one of them slips up, are they really strong enough to face the truth together?
I would highly recommend this book, Erin Kelly delivers an intricate and gripping plot, full of tension and surprises.