I Died on a Tuesday

Compelling, tense mystery
by Jane CorryPub Date: Dec 17 20244.5 Stars. This was a compelling, fast-paced, easy-to-read story with intriguing characters. For most of the book, I was engaged and had no idea where it was going or where it would end up. Unfortunately, the last part of the book was convoluted, muddled, and rushed. The author seemed to keep adding unnecessary new twists, theories, information, and subplots. There were loose ends. For example, a mix-up of days was hinted at but went nowhere.Janie White, age eighteen, had been in a tragic accident 20 years earlier. She was heading for a bright future. She was accepted as an editorial assistant in London. Her mother suffered from emotional problems and disappeared. Her father insisted she committed suicide. Janine did not accept this and hoped to find her alive and well. She had been cycling home from the beach, and a large white van smashed into her. She was left alone on the side of the road. Her heart stopped but was restarted by medics, and she spent months in a coma with life-altering injuries. We meet her again twenty years later. She is in a wheelchair, has suffered multiple strokes, and is partially paralyzed. Janie never regained the ability to speak; she lost a leg, and her memory is unstable. She is to testify in court against the driver who hit her. Instead of talking, she has learned to sing her responses. She can type with one finger on an iPad. Once a pretty girl, her present appearance is a shock. She is starting to remember the accident.Robbie Manning is a famous, beloved pop singer who also writes lyrics. He was part of a band, and his bandmates were with him in the van when Janie was crushed on impact. Robbie has been arrested, something he had been expecting for the two decades since the accident. He is accused of leaving the scene and persuading his bandmates to do so. After the band dissolved,, he became even more successful as a solo artist. He is wealthy and lives in luxury with his wife and two children. He is regarded as a loving, steady family man. While in prison, facing trial, he receives plenty of hostility from the guards and inmates and is despised by his former fans.Vanessa, age 69, is a retired store detective. We read about an incident where she caught a female shoplifter. This woman becomes a vital character many years later. Vanessa now works as a witness support officer. She offers support and encouragement for witnesses and those going to trial. She is a deeply unhappy person. There is a great emptiness in her life. After a fall, she miscarried and was not allowed to see her dead daughter, and there were no more children. She misses her late husband and often speaks to him. He was over-protective and controlling, to which she was oblivious. She does not fit in with her peers, who discuss their children and grandchildren. Her husband was a police officer who found the badly injured Janie. She is now pleased to be supporting Janie in court. She has a platonic relationship with the judge, a secretly troubled character. These flawed characters become intertwined in the case of Janie versus Robbie. There are some vile characters, namely Jacob and Lewis. Do they get the punishment they deserve? What happens in Vanessa’s life is fascinating, but not entirely in a good way.This is a story of lies, deceit, secrets, truths unsaid, blame, guilty consciousness, blackmail, embezzlement, and threats to individuals and their families. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the much-appreciated advance copy.

Interesting read
The book wasn’t quite what I had expected from its title. It started off a little slow, and at first, I found it hard to stay engaged. But once the plot started picking up, I got pulled in and wanted to see how everything would unfold. I really appreciated the way the three main characters—Janie, Robbie, and Vanessa—were written. Their backstories were interesting, and I felt connected to their individual journeys, especially Janie’s emotional struggle, which stood out the most for me.However, as the story approached its climax, I felt a bit overwhelmed. A lot of new twists and side plots were introduced, and while they were intriguing, I felt like the main story that had captured my attention early on started to get lost. I enjoyed the complexity of those subplots, but there were so many of them that sometimes they overshadowed the main plot, which I thought had the potential to be more impactful on its own.That being said, the way everything came together at the end was impressive and tied things up in a satisfying way. While this wasn’t the intense thriller I was expecting, it’s still worth a read for those who enjoy complex, character-driven stories. If you’re into thrillers with lots of moving parts and don’t mind a bit of a slow start, this one might be for you.

Really enjoyed this book. The best book I have read from this author. Quite intriguing.

What a great book, and definitely one for readers who love crime novels full of twists and conundrums. There are three main strands, although a fourth adds to the intrigue. With several, apparently disparate strands, plaited into one satisfying braid, this is a beautifully crafted psychological thriller. The inspiration for the main character, Janie, is a stroke victim who although largely losing the power of speech, found she could sing out what she wanted to stay. Janie is a young woman who is knocked off her bike, resulting in life-changing disabilities. The man accused of causing the accident is Robbie, and yet there is something suspect about his admission of guilt. The third strand, and my favourite, is that of Vanessa, the victim-support volunteer charged with helping Janie. Shock wave follows shock wave as the story of her life unfolds. Finally, the author uses her experiences as a writer-in-residence in a prison to produce authentic court and incarceration scenes. Overall, a very worthwhile read.

You know it’s a good one when you don’t want to finish it!! I found Janie’s recollections scary and sad, Vanessa’s character genuine and nurturing. There are some evil people and scammers in the world, though the plot is also reassuring. Thank you Jane Corry! Amazing writing, such empathy and insightfulness.