Dishonoured: An addictive and shocking psychological thriller

I really enjoyed reading Dishonoured. It’s the first novel by Jem Tugwell which I’ve read, and it was an exhilarating ride. The storyline also felt really fresh, and I connected with the lead character, Dan, straight away. This is the kind of novel which, once you start reading, will keep you reading. The chapters are short and snappy, which make it very difficult to put down. It is utterly captivating.Dan has the perfect life. He earns a lot of money, providing a more than comfortable lifestyle for his wife and two children. Life couldn’t be better. But Dan’s happy life is about to come crumbling down. When he is accused of a heinous crime, it utterly breaks him. He loses his job, but more heartbreakingly, his wife and children. But Dan protests his innocence. Yet few people are willing to believe him. Dan takes it upon himself to prove it, and he is determined to do anything to get the life he once had back.I felt desperately sorry for Dan as I was reading this book. I really felt his anger as everything he had worked so hard for in his life came tumbling down. Once the accusation had been made against him, his family and friends don’t want to know him. I wanted to know why someone would want to do this to him. I also wanted Dan to find that person and regain what he had lost.Dan’s story made for very gripping reading. I also liked the characters who he works with to try and find the book, especially Anomaly. I liked the fact that Dan seemed to have someone on his side who was willing to help him. I didn’t like the idea of him going through this alone, especially when his wife, Felicity, had taken his children from him.The tension never lets up as the book races towards its conclusion. I couldn’t stop turning the pages as Dan came closer and closer to finding out the truth behind the current events. And Jem Tugwell turns everything, masterfully in its head here. I don’t want to say anything more as I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I thought the final twists were done very well. I couldn’t believe what I was reading as I reached the end.Dishonoured makes for such an entertaining read, and I was so impressed with what I read. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that feels fresh, then you definitely need to give this book a go. I highly recommend it.

I loved this book so much I read it cover to cover in 2 sittings!I was hooked from the very beginning. What happened to the main character was so appalling in its simplicity and effectiveness to ruin his life and I lived his anxiety with him for chapter after chapter as he searched for a way to clear his name.The end revelation was shocking and I certainly never saw that one coming.Well done to the author who has developed a writing style which enchants the reader from the first turn of the page.I will certainly be looking for more works by Jem Tugwell.

The first part of this book outshone the second half. There’s a really good twist that then culminates in a rather poor ending. That said, overall it’s a worthwhile reading experience.Dan has built up his disastrous life to be a very rich partner in a firm that’s being amalgamated. Dan is due to make even more millions. At a celebration ‘do’, he’s set up and what follows, on his way home, is a believable criminal act which is part of the set up. As a result Dan ends up with a criminal record, no job, penniless, thrown out of his home, a wrecked marriage and being ostracised by friends, family and work colleagues.Dan has to clear his name and win back all his losses. I had sympathy for the situation Dan ended up in and really hoped that the perpetrator(s) of his downfall would get their comeuppance.The book is well written and plotted. The revealing of the twist was exceptionally clever. I just wasn’t sure about the ending but on reflection it was probably appropriate.

I really enjoyed this book until the twist at the end. It was unexpected to say the least and I guess some readers will love it!

On the plus side this was an easy read with some effective twists. If you've read Harlan Coben you'll get itWritten mostly in the 1st person but with some 3rd person sections makes the story telling less effective for me overall, but it does help make for stronger empathy for the main character, Dan.

I went into this book with fairly low expectations but was intrigued by the premise of the character's life unravelling through one "mistake". It turned out to only be a small part of what made the book interesting. I didn't like the main character and his being a dreadful city banker confirmed that dislike! However, he did have the redeeming feature of being nice to homeless Jerry. Without slipping into any spoilers I did wonder if the setup and his fall from grace was "too vindictive" and I challenged my own perceptions of the extremely wealthy for a while. I didn't see the end coming and the whole character and story build up was very well done. Cracking story with I guess the take away message of "what goes around comes around!"

I enjoyed this book. Felt sorry for Dan. The twist at the end is one of the biggest I have read in a long time.