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Truth Be Told: A Novel (A Bestselling Psychological Thriller) Paperback – Illustrated, November 5, 2019
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Serial meets Ruth Ware’s In A Dark, Dark Wood in this inventive and twisty psychological thriller about a mega-hit podcast that reopens a murder case and threatens to unravel the carefully constructed life of the victim’s daughter.
The only thing more dangerous than a lie…is the truth.
Josie Buhrman has spent the last ten years trying to escape her family and with good reason. After her father’s murder thirteen years prior, her mother ran away to join a cult and her twin sister Lanie, once Josie’s closest friend and confidant, betrayed her in an unimaginable way. Now, Josie has finally put down roots in New York, settling into domestic life with her partner Caleb, and that’s where she intends to stay.
The only problem is that she has lied to Caleb about every detail of her past—starting with her last name.
When investigative reporter Poppy Parnell sets off a media firestorm with a megahit podcast that reopens the long-closed case of Josie’s father’s murder, questioning whether the wrong person may be behind bars, Josie’s world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the unexpected death of Josie’s long-absent mother forces her to return to her Midwestern hometown where she must confront the demons from her past—and the lies on which she has staked her future.
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateNovember 5, 2019
- Dimensions5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-101982140674
- ISBN-13978-1982140670
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"..[An] inventive debut...The intense plot and character studies are enhanced by the emotional look at the dynamics of a family forever scarred by violence."--Publishers Weekly starred review
"Are You Sleeping will more than likely keep you up all night as this most compelling suspenseful novel unfolds. A classic whodunnit gets a very clever modern treatment that left this reader's heart racing right up to the last page."----Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver
"An excellent examination of what it must be like to be caught up in a media frenzy...absorbing reading for those who can't get enough of flawed-but-likable narrators."--Booklist
"Anyone who has fallen head-first into a podcast such as "S-Town" or "Serial" will appreciate the plot of Kathleen Barber's novel."----Houston Chronicle
"ARE YOU SLEEPING, reels the reader in and keeps us wondering until the very end...dives into the complexities of relationships, and the value of love and connection, especially in the face of tragedy and despair."--BookReporter
"Barber is a delightful writer who has produced a taut thriller that will leave you wondering the identity of the killer. My prediction: the book is destined for the New York Times best seller list."--Chicago Tribune
"I was completely hooked from the very fist page. Layers of deceit, family drama, a murdered father, a disturbed mother, mayhem, cults, lies, betrayals, and a possibly deranged podcaster--this story has it all. Lanie and Josie are Janus twins, and their twisting lives left me breathless. Who to trust? Who to believe? Who really killed their father? ARE YOU SLEEPING taps into our collective conscience with a true crime podcast propelling the narrative and takes an unflinching look at the truths we create about ourselves. Kathleen Barber is a fabulous new author to watch. If you like twisty psychological thrillers, this is your book."--J.T. Ellison, bestselling co-author of THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE
"Josie's dark past becomes fodder for the podcast du jour--if that doesn't hook you, the twist will."--Cosmopolitan
"Kathleen Barber perfectly captures the media frenzy around a notorious murder and the inclusion of a podcast adds an extra layer of timely eeriness. The public perception is contrasted flawlessly against the element of private pain, such that the "public" itself becomes a fully developed character. Beautifully and sympathetically written, ARE YOU SLEEPING? is a murder whodunit, a social commentary, and an exploration of sisterly bonds all in one."--Kate Moretti, author of The Vanishing Year
"Reminiscent of the hit podcast Serial, this debut is an exciting read about what happens when the past continues to haunt the present."--Dallas News
"Ripped from the headlines of an on-line pod cast that reopens murder cases, this really well written psychological thriller moves rapidly through time as it unravels the circumstances surrounding a small town murder."--Fiction Addiction
"Verdict: Barber weaves a twisty tale that will grip readers as they follow Josie confronting a past she finally cannot escape. Highly recommended for fans of the podcast Serial and authors such as Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins."--Library Journal, starred review
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Excerpt from transcript of Reconsidered: The Chuck Buhrman Murder, Episode 1: “An Introduction to the Chuck Buhrman Murder,” September 7, 2015
I didn’t know what to expect when I first met Warren Cave. By the time we were formally introduced, I’d spent several long afternoons with his mother, Melanie, a classically beautiful woman of enviable style and impeccable poise. Melanie’s son is one of her favorite topics, and she speaks highly of him, extolling his warmth and generosity, his skill with computers, and above all, his faith.
In addition to—and in contrast with—Melanie’s glowing characterization of her son, I had done my homework on Warren Cave. I scoured the police notes, trial transcripts, and articles profiling him.
Like most people who have even a passing familiarity with the case, the image I had of Warren Cave was that of a skinny kid with stooped shoulders and acne, his hair stringy and dyed black. Photographs depicted him perpetually clad in all black and never making eye contact with the camera. Warren Cave was the kind of teenager most of us would cross the street to avoid.
I had difficulty reconciling that image with the young man his mother had so favorably described. Had her maternal love blinded her to her son’s true nature? Or was the hardened image of his youth nothing more than posturing? Did the truth lie, as it so often does, somewhere in the middle?
When I first met Warren Cave in the Stateville Correctional Center, the maximum-security prison near Joliet, Illinois, where he’s been living for the last thirteen years, I didn’t recognize him. He has embraced weight training and replaced his skinny frame with hulking muscles. As he explained to me, his weight-training regimen is more for necessity than pleasure. In prison, he says, one cannot afford to be weak. This is a lesson Warren learned the hard way: his face is marred by a scar stretching across his left cheek, a harsh reminder of an attack by a fellow inmate one year into his sentence.
Warren, who keeps his hair close-cut and natural ash-blond now, still avoids eye contact. His expression is usually guarded, but he smiles warmly when I mention his mother. Melanie drives two hours every Sunday to visit her son, and he says that she is his best—and only—friend. Aside from his mother and Reverend Terry Glover, the minister at First Presbyterian Church in Elm Park, Warren has no other visitors. Andrew Cave, Warren’s father, left the family shortly after Warren’s arrest and died from prostate cancer eight years ago. None of Warren’s friends from his youth have kept in touch.
I don’t waste any time getting to the important questions.
POPPY:
If you didn’t kill Chuck Buhrman, why would his daughter say she saw you do it?
WARREN:
That’s a question I’ve asked myself every day for the last thirteen years. And you know what I’ve come up with? Diddly-squat. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
POPPY:
Are you saying she made it up?
WARREN:
Well, I didn’t kill Chuck Buhrman, so, yeah, kind of. But I guess I can kind of see how she might’ve gotten confused. Back then, I had strayed really far from the path. I was using a lot of drugs and listening to music with satanic themes. The beast had its claws in me, and I have to wonder if she saw that somehow. It must’ve confused her. She was just a kid.
POPPY:
You were just a kid yourself then.
WARREN:
I was old enough to know better.
POPPY:
Had you spent much time with her or the family before Chuck was killed?
WARREN:
No. We moved to Elm Park in 2000, so we’d only been living there for two years by the time Mr. Buhrman died. I wasn’t exactly the block-party-attending type, if you know what I mean. I mostly kept to myself. I don’t think I ever spoke to Mrs. Buhrman. Sometimes I’d spot her in the garden, but other than that she basically never left the house. She was kind of weird, you know. She joined a cult, right? I did talk to Mr. Buhrman once, though. One afternoon my mom was having trouble with the lawn mower. My father was traveling for work, and I was too much of a jerk then to help her out so Mr. Buhrman came over to give her a hand. He and I ended up talking about the Doors for a while. He seemed pretty cool.
POPPY:
Did you know your mother was having an affair with Chuck Buhrman?
Maybe it was the abruptness of the question or maybe it was the strength of his religious beliefs which condemn adultery, but Warren visibly tensed when I asked this.
WARREN:
My mother is not an adulteress.
POPPY:
So you had never witnessed anything that made you wonder whether your mother was sleeping with Mr. Buhrman?
WARREN:
Don’t come here and insult my mother.
POPPY:
I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m only trying to get to the truth. I understand that, at that point in time, your father was frequently away on business and your parents were having marital problems.
WARREN:
Can we move on?
Warren was rigid and almost noncommunicative for the remainder of our meeting. His strong reaction left me with a bad feeling. Had Warren known that something was going on between his mother and Chuck Buhrman? There’s no question that Chuck was having an affair with Melanie—she herself admitted to as much on the witness stand, her husband left her over it—but it’s unclear whether the affair was common knowledge at that time.
This is an important point. The affair is, after all, the motive the State ascribed to Warren. The State argued that Warren, already a troubled teen, was so upset about his mother taking up with the neighbor and destroying what was left of his parents’ already strained marriage that he killed the object of her affection. But an impartial reading of the trial testimony shows that the State was unable to prove that Warren had known about the affair, and it had difficulty producing witnesses who could testify to widespread knowledge of it.
In the end, the State’s failure to prove motive didn’t matter because there was an alleged eyewitness. But a question continues to nag at me—and not just for the reason that you might think. Did Warren know about the affair? And if Melanie’s family knew about the affair, what about Chuck’s? What exactly did his wife and children know?
Product details
- Publisher : Gallery Books; Media Tie-In edition (November 5, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1982140674
- ISBN-13 : 978-1982140670
- Item Weight : 9.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #307,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,537 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #6,033 in Murder Thrillers
- #19,973 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Kathleen Barber is the author of TRUTH BE TOLD (originally published as ARE YOU SLEEPING, now a series on AppleTV+ produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and starring Octavia Spencer) and FOLLOW ME. Originally from Galesburg, Illinois, she now lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and children.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book highly suspenseful, compelling, and intriguing. They describe it as a great read and a page-turner. Readers also say the characters are very developed right from the beginning. Opinions are mixed on the writing quality and pacing, with some finding it incredibly well-written and easy to read, while others say the dialogue is amateurish.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book highly suspenseful, compelling, and intriguing. They say it keeps them captivated until the end. Readers also describe the book as a good psychological thriller with hidden family secrets.
"...Would recommend to those looking for a good psychological thriller, with hidden family secrets, murder, and the loss of it causes of the mind!..." Read more
"...enjoyed the unique angle and was completely immersed, thanks to a suspenseful hook and strong pacing...." Read more
"...The twist it took was great though!" Read more
"...She also is great at laying out clues in the form of both flashback and present circumstances that when you do get to the ending, your first thought..." Read more
Customers find the book great, captivating, and compelling. They say it's a quick read and a debut by the author.
"...which I thought were well written, realistic, and helpful for the book to be complete! Grab a copy today!" Read more
"...So it is definitely compelling. I just wanted more." Read more
"...The book is better than many (of this genre) I've read lately, but suffers from a few classic problems, then slows to a snail's pace about 65-75% in..." Read more
"This book is soooo good. And the title is completely appropriate, given it's a propulsive read that kept me up late two nights in a row...." Read more
Customers find the characters very developed right from the beginning.
"...Josie is an engaging protagonist, complex and flawed...." Read more
"...every twist and turn as the mystery unfolded, and each of the characters kept me engaged. I read the last 18 chapters over the last 6 1/2 hours ...." Read more
"...No such luck. Josie becomes increasingly not very likable, as you wait for her to recognize her hypocrisy at some point in her endless self-pity..." Read more
"I read this book in 2 nights, I couldn't put it down. The characters were very developed right from the beginning...." Read more
Customers find the storytelling unique, creative, and interesting. They say the book has an interesting concept and is clever. Readers also appreciate the pop culturally relevant story.
"...start to blend together, this one had some unique elements and a slightly original (but not annoying or overly contrived) presentation...." Read more
"...Super cool and different...." Read more
"...It's a creative and clever look at how an external view into a seemingly private event -- in this case, a podcast delving into a decades-old murder..." Read more
"...I like that the story not only tells a pop culturally-relevant story, but that it examines the effects of such shows on the families left..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention it's incredibly well-written, easy to read, and engaging. Others say the dialogue is amateurish, the grammatical errors are minor, and the narrative is too much.
"...some amazing dysfunctional family aspects, which I thought were well written, realistic, and helpful for the book to be complete! Grab a copy today!" Read more
"...Also, this "too-perfect boyfriend" is too perfect to actually DO anything to further the story along...." Read more
"I loved the way this book was written, from the character perspective, podcast transcripts, and social media posts. Super cool and different...." Read more
"This was a good solid mystery. It was fast paced and easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's fast and easy to read, while others say it slows to a snail's pace.
"...to be considered for anyone who might be interested in the genre--it's timely and could very well lead me to enjoy more works by Barber..." Read more
"...read lately, but suffers from a few classic problems, then slows to a snail's pace about 65-75% in: the "death blow" that makes this a 3-star read..." Read more
"...and was completely immersed, thanks to a suspenseful hook and strong pacing. It was fun and spooky, with all the makings of a suspense classic." Read more
"The book has a slow start and was difficult to get into. Unfortunately, it took until about half way in for it to grab me...." Read more
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Going home again is rough, but Josie has her Aunt A (her mother's sister) and Ellen (her cousin) to help her through the memorial and the funeral. She also is tempted to listen to the podcast. When her sister, Lainie, shows up, Josie doesn't know what to do. Lainie's always been the bad twin--after all it was an action of Lainie's that made Josie leave all those years ago. When Lainie introduces her husband, Adam, and their child Ann, Josie has more reason to think Lainie is trying to ruin her life--Adam was her boyfriend first and Ann was the name of their imagined child. As questions pile up, Josie questions the only witness account leading to the murderer being arrested--Lainie's account. And then Caleb shows up to help her through the time, and to hear how Josie has 'protected' him from the truth.
I really loved reading this book, a lot more than I thought I would. While things like Serial have stunned the nation, I felt like Barber ripped something from the headlines, but did so in a good way. However, I also feel like the characters could have been a little more developed. I figured out a huge plot point early on, as I read a lot of mystery, and it ruined the reveal to me. I felt like the podcast portions were solid, most of the interactions were believeable, but I felt like this could have had 50 or so more pages of content to be fully complete. I definitely think this is a thriller that needs to be considered for anyone who might be interested in the genre--it's timely and could very well lead me to enjoy more works by Barber (this is her first book!).
I had a slight break (read: nap) while reading it, and kept thinking about it. So it is definitely compelling. I just wanted more.
In a genre of a million "The Girl on the ______" and "The _______ Girl" books that can all start to blend together, this one had some unique elements and a slightly original (but not annoying or overly contrived) presentation. I know I won't look at this book in a year and not be able to remember if I read it or not--the investigation into the "solved" murder, and how it's presented (excerpts from a fictional podcast, Reddit and Twitter "screenshots") make this book stand out from the pack. The book is better than many (of this genre) I've read lately, but suffers from a few classic problems, then slows to a snail's pace about 65-75% in: the "death blow" that makes this a 3-star read instead of 4.
I'm pretty sick of female protagonists in this genre, as they all seem to be pill-popping self-destructive alcoholics having sanity crises. The lead in this book, Josie, was not bad; really only started exasperating me in the end. She spent too much of the book bemoaning all the wrongs her sister had committed against her, whaa whaa whaa over her sister's drug use and ultimate abandonment that Josie feels she was THE victim of. Natural feelings, but expressed too much, too intensely. No--too righteously! This could have been evened out with a major realization that Josie herself ran around for years drinking too much, abandoning everyone, too. Oh and lying. For someone so concerned with others' lies, Josie sure as hell never turns the camera on herself! Two passing sentences devoted to the irony of her sister's betrayals in light of Josie's own behavior did not tie up this very obviously loose end. Josie needed to bear some blame, accept responsibility for her own life, and get over her seriously outdated issues (high school was done over a decade ago--grow up!) A lead demonstrating such lack of empathy and selfishness usually gets her comeuppance one way or another. No such luck. Josie becomes increasingly not very likable, as you wait for her to recognize her hypocrisy at some point in her endless self-pity ruminations, and it just never happens.
Also the curse of the "too-perfect boyfriend", Caleb. Seriously, this one tops them all! Instead of the usual handsome, sensitive-but-manly, eternally patient and understanding RICH AND SUCCESSFUL perfect boyfriend, Caleb is the handsome, sensitive-but-manly, eternally patient and understanding DEDICATED SELFLESS HUMANITARIAN WORKER perfect boyfriend! Wow, as far as fictional "too perfect boyfriends" go, the only way to be MORE perfectly perfect would be to make him a humble billionaire on top of that! God, he's so two-dimensional, why not just add on a few billion in the bank for kicks? Yeah, I like Caleb, what's not to like? He is too perfect to have even a single bad quality! Also, this "too-perfect boyfriend" is too perfect to actually DO anything to further the story along. Finally concluded he exists just to let us know Josie is "good" and to validate Josie's every action and every emotion. A wasted character and a loose end. God, if you're gonna make a caricature, USE IT.
The biggest general problem of this book is the pacing. It took me a bit to realize this, as the podcast excerpts and screenshots break up the story. Overall, they are used well and add to the book, but they do allow the story to drag towards the 65% mark, which is also about the point Josie needed to start showing some character development. The book drags, then wraps up in the last 5%, paced just like a Lifetime movie! Token effort is made to ramp down from the climax, but it is SERIOUSLY token. Literally like 8 pages of the characters waiting to find out what will happen next. Um, I'm reading the book, I don't need them to describe that to me, I'm DOING IT! Could've used that time to wrap up some loose ends or maybe drop something unexpected about characters' future plans, but no, we get pages of reading about them sitting, pacing, calling for updates, WAITING.
Note to editor: you need to work with this author on ending a book better! Gave me too much time in the end to get bored and the characters started grating on me. Due to the pace and (lack of) character- and story-development of the last quarter of this book, I took it down a whole star, so, had this book been consistent throughout, it would've been a 4-star review. Instead, it gets an average 3-stars.
***Okay, and here's one issue I can never let pass, not in "In A Dark, Dark Wood", and not in this book, not ever: Seriously, who fights over a high school boyfriend for over a decade??? Do these authors have no social sensibilities??? Most of us graduate high school then realize the dramatics of those four years were completely inconsequential. Come on!