You Don't Know Me: 'A startlingly confident and deft debut' Tana French

by Imran Mahmood

As chosen by The BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB and one of The TELEGRAPH'S CRIME BOOKS OF THE YEAR.

'Remarkable' Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2


It's easy to judge between right and wrong - isn't it?

Not until you hear a convincing truth.

Now it's up to you to decide...


An unnamed defendant stands accused of murder. Just before the Closing Speeches, the young man sacks his lawyer, and decides to give his own defence speech.

He tells us that his barrister told him to leave some things out. Sometimes, the truth can be too difficult to explain, or believe. But he thinks that if he's going to go down for life, he might as well go down telling the truth.

There are eight pieces of evidence against him. As he talks us through them one by one, his life is in our hands. We, the reader - member of the jury - must keep an open mind till we hear the end of his story. His defence raises many questions... but at the end of the speeches, only one matters:

Did he do it?


PRAISE FOR YOU DON'T KNOW ME

'An original take on a courtroom drama that puts the reader in the position of the jury. Superb character-driven fiction. Masterful' Guardian

'Startlingly original, stunning, superbly executed' DAILY MAIL

'A rollercoaster ride' GUARDIAN

'An exciting first novel, highly original, cleverly plotted and convincingly written' LITERARY REVIEW

'You Don't Know Me is a brave debut by a barrister... an impressively original courtroom drama' THE TIMES

'You'll never guess the ending' THE SUN

'A daring concept executed to perfection, a hypnotic and authentic voice, and questions for us to answer as people and readers' LEE CHILD

'An eye-opening, slick and compulsive thriller with an important message and unique writing' ADAM DEACON, actor, writer, rapper, director - star of Kidulthood and Adulthood

'A startlingly original courtroom drama . . . perfectly executed, gripping the reader from the first sentence with the defendant's unique voice and not letting go until a surprising twist at the end. Mahmood is most definitely one to watch * * * * *' DAILY EXPRESS

'You've never read anything quite like this' BARRY FORSHAW, FINANCIAL TIMES

• ISBN10: 0718184254
• ISBN13: 9780718184254
• Publish Date: 4 May 2017 (first published 6 April 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 April 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Michael Joseph Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

This book! This audiobook! Wow! I was recommended this book by Jen at the Capital Crime Festival when we were watching the panel where Imran Mahmood was taking part in, she said if you like a book where you have no satisfying ending then read this but get the audio version because it’s just something else (basically her words, not the exact ones!), so the first thing I did was to get the audiobook and boy she was not wrong!

I really blinking loved this. You have an unnamed defendant who has sacked his lawyer because the lawyer doesn’t think the defendant should be telling the jury his story.

Adam Deacon’s narration really brought You Don’t Know Me to life! I really cared about this unknown defendant as you listen to his life and the actions that led up to the murder he had been accused of. It is brutal and it is hard at times to listen to. Everything we are told is from his point of view, we are shown the trial from his eyes and no one else’s. We have no other voice and so it leaves you completely immersed with him. We are led through 8 pieces of evidence and some may or may not incriminate him further but the truth needs to be out there.

When I got to the final minute of the book I was egging Adam to hurry up and tell me how it was going to end..30 seconds and still waiting as there is still so much to know….20 seconds….10 seconds by this point I’m getting irate….and then… “We hope you have enjoyed this audible presentation” WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT! I was listening to this at work so I think I may have said a few choice words! I was shocked how could it end like that! I have so many questions! How could you do this to me????????

Yet! And yes there is a yet! It was completely perfect to end it the way it did. Such a fab talking point and one that makes you really think about the case you have been presented.

It tackles gang life and culture, loyalty and how far someone may go for love. I felt my heart go out to the defendant on a few occasions while I tried to decide whether he is guilty or not. His life is not easy and he is borderline obsessed with the love of his life. It is a compulsive listen and one I flashed through because it really did get under my skin and in my head. I was constantly thinking about this tale and resolution.

Another thing I loved was the gangsta speak, it added so much realism to the book. You have someone from the streets, living and breathing, talking back dropping a few f-bombs in court, he kept it real and authentic.

I would completely and utterly recommend this 1000% times over and it should definitely be the audio version because as I said before Adam Deacon blows it out of the water!