The Time for Change: Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke

Sarah from the podcast Sarah's Bookshelves talked about Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke in her "Summer Circle Back" episode and I was sold. I am not always on the same page as Sarah about all books, but thought I'd give this one a try.

Katherine Cole was found fleeing the scene of an exclusive private club after four powerful men were poisoned. She's on trial for their murders. But did she do it?

We follow five men in Katherine's life - her childhood friend, her lover, her father, a journalist, and her lawyer - as we investigate what really happened that evening. And what we learn is that no one knows the true Katherine.

I think this is a clever twist on how women are silenced in this world. This story could have been told from her perspective or her mother's perspective, but Cloke made the decision to use men as the device for framing Katherine's life. And it's an interesting way to do it, to be honest. They all have their own biases and frames about what happened and how she would act.

It's super fast-paced and each of the POVs was distinct, so it was easy to switch from one voice to the next.

I'd love to discuss the ending with people, too!

4.5/5 stars - A good, interesting mystery if you're into the more psychological side of things than the detective looking for clues.

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Line of note:

It was a superpower you had, choosing what to worry about. It felt like most of the time, you chose nothing. Worries came for me instead, dug themselves into my brain. (page 195)

Things I looked up:

"Great 8" animals of the Great Barrier Reef (page 12) - Giant clam, manta ray, Maori wrasse, clownfish, sharks, whales, turtles, potato cod

cockscomb plant whose flowers looked like brains (page 12) - Cockscomb cultivars have coral or brain-looking blooms that are often large and heavy so they must often be staked. They grow between 12 and 36 inches tall.