In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.

But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.

The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder―did she trust the wrong person?

15 years later, Kit and Laura married are living under new names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

From Erin Kelly, queen of the killer twist, He Said/She Said is a gripping tale of the lies we tell to save ourselves, the truths we cannot admit, and how far we will go to make others believe our side of the story.

Book Type:

Adult psychological thriller

Review: He Said/She Said

A single night dictates the lives of four people, whose lies deepen and tangle over time in this riveting, character-driven thriller.

Kit and Laura are in love—their relationship holds the promise of forever. In the summer of 1999, they visit Cornwall to experience a solar eclipse. Kit, an eclipse chaser, is excited for Laura to experience the beauty of it alongside him. The night takes a turn, however, when in the shadows, Laura interrupts a horrible crime between a man and a woman. He immediately denies wrongdoing, while the woman (Beth) remains in a state of silent shock.

That night, and the aftermath of it, sets into motion a series of transgressions unimagined. It’s a he said/she said battle in court, as Laura and Kit testify to what they saw.

But it’s far from over, especially as Beth shows up at their apartment, inserting herself into their lives. Before too long, things get awkward and incidents happen—incidents which force Kit and Laura to take new names and live completely off the grid… or else.

The story unravels from Kit and Laura’s perspectives, with chapters alternating between past and present, culminating in shocking truths you’ll never guess along the way.

The narrative is a riveting exploration of a relationship once filled with promise, but over time frayed by what happened in Cornwall, disintegrating with the stress of the very real things they’ve had to endure, and the dangerous lies they’ve all hidden.

While the story is deftly plotted with ratcheting suspense and tension, it’s the flawed characters and their interactions which stand front and center. Specifically, the lies they tell themselves to justify wrongdoings, the lengths to which they’ll go to conceal these lies, and the outcomes they must endure as a result of them.

Even now, days later, I can’t stop thinking about this book and I know I’ve found a new-to-me author to enthusiastically follow.