I Know What I Saw by Imran Mahmood #NetGalley @imranmahmood777 @BloomsburyRaven

I Know What I Saw by Imran Mahmood

 Published by Bloomsbury/Raven Books

Publication Date: 10th June 2021

Genre: Crime/Mystery & Thrillers

My thanks to the publisher for authorising my request to read this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Description:

I saw it. He smothered her, pressing his hands on her face. The police don't believe me, they say it's impossible – but I know what I saw.

Xander Shute - once a wealthy banker, now living on the streets - shelters for the night in an empty Mayfair flat. When he hears the occupants returning home, he scrambles to hide. Trapped in his hiding place, he hears the couple argue, and he soon finds himself witnessing a vicious murder.

But who was the dead woman, who the police later tell him can't have been there? And why is the man Xander saw her with evading justice?

As Xander searches for answers, his memory of the crime comes under scrutiny, forcing him to confront his long-buried past and the stories he's told about himself.

How much he is willing to risk to understand the brutal truth?

My Thoughts:

Having read the author's first novel 'You Don't Know Me' and been mightily impressed I was keen to read this, his second book.

Quite different it is a slow-burner of a read so if you like action packed then this probably isn't one for you but I would encourage folks to give it a try as it is so well plotted and executed it is definitely worth sticking with.

The main character Xander Shute is rather eccentric, highly intelligent and sticks by his principles to the point he puts himself in jeopardy.  He has given up a high powered, highly paid job in the City and has been living on the streets for years. He could afford property in London but chooses his lifestyle due to the experiences life has thrown his way. One night he happens across an open door to a plush apartment in Mayfair and, in search of a safe haven for the night, enters the property and falls asleep behind the sofa. He is woken by a couple coming home and having a violent argument which has fatal consequences. His principles take him to the local police station to report what he has seen however the officers there tell him that what he is reporting is not possible. I couldn't decide whether he was crazy to pursue the incident as he did or whether I should be mightily impressed with how determined he was to get justice for the victim.

The book explores the effects life on the streets has upon a person, how our childhood and family influences us deep down and how relationships and their breakdowns affect us. I found it quite moving in places and was rooting for Xander all the way despite what the police were implying had happened. His friends too were on my questionable list: how much were Xander's actions to blame for events from recent years and how much was his friends' responsibility? Quite the puzzle.

Very cleverly written and thought provoking with regards to several different moral dilemmas, this would make an excellent book club read (once again for this author) with plenty to discuss.

About the Author:

Imran Mahmood is a criminal defence barrister with over 20 years' experience in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal. He specializes in Legal Aid cases involving violent crimes as well as fraud and sexual offences. He was born in Liverpool and now lives in London with his wife and daughter. You Don't Know Me was chosen as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice for 2017.