Title: Penance

Author: Eliza Clark

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Publication Date: 6th July 2023

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Do you know what happened already? Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet? Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes?

Did you see the pictures of the body?

Did you look for them?

It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time.

That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the ‘definitive account’ of the murder – and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil.

The only question is: how much of it is true?

Review:

I’m an avid reader of true crime so I was incredibly intrigued by the slightly meta premise of Penance and I could not wait to read it. Happily I can say that my high expectations for this read were not only met but actually surpassed. Penance is phenomenally good and is a very strong contender for the best book of 2023 in my opinion. I was completely hooked from the very first page to the very last and I’m still thinking about it now.

Penance, although fiction, reads like true crime and it is unreservedly convincing. It feels so incredibly real that I actually looked up the crime at the centre of the book to double check it was truly fictional. Eliza Clark is a sensationally compelling writer who is able to turn everything you think you know about the plot and characters on its head at a moments notice. True crime and society’s often slightly voyeuristic obsession with it is a complex and deeply fascinating subject and Clark handles it perfectly, in a way that will make the reader question their own intentions and those of the media and the public. Penance is a disturbing, satirical and self aware read that is full of a sharp intelligence that makes it truly unforgettable. It is unlike anything else I’ve read and it completely blew me away with its wit and poignantly direct way of uncovering the darkness at the root of society. I could not recommend it more highly and encourage you to put Penance on your TBR immediately!

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I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Blackwell’s | Amazon