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Radio 2 Book Club: He Said/She Said

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 8 May.

We have the chance for you to win 10 copies of this fantastic suspense novel for your reading group! Please enter by Friday 12 May.

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We also have an exclusive extract available for you to read, as well as a discussion guide for your group.

He Said/She Said

The path of every eclipse can be predicted from now until the end of time…

Kit and Laura, young and in love, pledge to travel the globe and see as many eclipse as possible. They have no idea of the darkness that will follow.

At a festival in Cornwall, in the hushed moments after the first eclipse they share, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows she saw something terrible. But the man denies it. Later, in a panic, Laura tells a little white lie – which changes four lives irreparably. When the victim turns up on their doorstep, the truth seems to vanish ever further into shadow. As gratitude spills into dangerous obsession, Kit and Laura simply have to run.

But they can’t hide forever. With another eclipse on the horizon, the past is closing in on them again. Telling Kit the truth will cost Laura her marriage. But keeping the secret could cost them both their lives.

Selection panel review

The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.

The panel loved He Said/She Said – here are some of their comments:

“I enjoyed the fact that the story is told from the differing viewpoints of a husband and wife and that it also moves between the present and the time of the crucial event. These aspects work well in creating a momentum to the story and there is an element of suspense as the truth of the situation becomes only gradually apparent, giving the reader the opportunity to form their own theories and draw their own conclusions. Making the main characters’ hobby of eclipse chasing central to the novel gave it an interesting and unusual angle that appeared well researched and presented. The relentless pace of the story kept me engaged and I did not foresee the conclusion. This is a well-written, enjoyable read that makes the reader consider how far the ramifications of one event can reach.”

“A story told through the stages of an eclipse, this is a real gut wrenching tale of an accusation of rape and the subsequent trial and affect this has on other people’s lives. The fall out is immense and the plot is gripping and engaging.”

About the author

Erin Kelly is the author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. The Poison Tree was a Richard & Judy summer read in 2011 and became a major ITV drama in 2013.

A word from Erin

“Soon after my debut novel was published, I was having lunch with my mum in Suffolk when Simon Mayo sat down a few seats away. I almost had to get her in a headlock to stop her pitching my book to him. Now I’ve been legitimately chosen for the Radio 2 book club, he is free to eat his fish and chips in peace. I’m thrilled to be sharing He Said/ She Said with the listeners of Radio 2 and with The Reading Agency. Libraries have been my safe space my whole life, as a baby exploring board books and a teenager tearing through the complete works of Agatha Christie like a termite through wood. Today, I tour libraries old and modern, great and small, and the conversations I have with readers about my books never fail to impress and inspire me.

And this book feels like an important conversation to have. He Said/She Said is narrated in alternate chapters by Kit and Laura, a young couple who witness a rape at a festival in 1999. When they’re called as witnesses, it transpires they both have a different take on events. A ‘little white lie’ in the witness box shatters four lives for decades to come. Sexual assault, and trial both by jury and media, is never out of the headlines. We’re all guilty of making assumptions when we don’t know the whole truth, and that’s what I wanted to explore here. Who do you believe? And who can you really trust?”

Get involved

Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 8 May to hear a live interview with Erin.

Have you read He Said/She Said? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter using #HeSaidSheSaid, or follow Erin Kelly.

You can also see what other readers thought or add the book to your group’s reading list.

Want to find out more? Take a look at the Radio 2 Book Club Twitter feed or find out more on the Radio 2 Book Club website.

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