You Had It Coming by B.M. Carroll

Publisher's Synopsis

When paramedic Megan Lowe is called to the scene of an attempted murder, all she can do is try to save the victim. But as the man is lifted onto a stretcher, she realises she knows him. She despises him. Why should she save his life when he destroyed hers?

Jess Foster is on her way home when she receives a text from Megan. Once best friends, the two women haven't been close for years, not since the night when they were just the teenage girls whom no-one believed; whose reputations were ruined. All Jess can think is, you had it coming.

Now Megan and Jess are at the centre of a murder investigation. But what secrets are they hiding? Can they trust one another? And who really is the victim?

Perfect for fans of C.L. Taylor, Lucy Foley and Lisa Hall, You Had It Coming is a thrilling tale of suspense and dark secrets.

My Review of You Had It Coming by B.M. Carroll

When paramedic Megan Lowe responds to a call to a shooting incident she is shocked to find she knows the victim. His name is William Newson and he was the defense attorney in a rape case in which she was the co-complainant. He managed to gain the acquittal of the men who raped her by painting her and her best friend as liars. Now it’s her job to save his life.

Jessica is a gym instructor and former boxer. She was once friends with Megan and was the other co-complainant in the rape case. She has managed to build a solid life for herself since the case but hadn’t really kept in contact with Megan, that is until Megan contacts her to tell her about the incident.

Investigating the case is homicide Detective Sergeant Bridget Kennedy who doesn’t like coincidences and begins a thorough examination that includes both Megan and Jessica as potential suspects. What becomes obvious, however, is that Newson earned himself many enemies through his practice of getting sexual predators acquitted through tenuous technicalities.

As the story unfolds we follow along from alternating viewpoints from each of the main characters. Although Megan and Jess had drifted apart in the intervening 12 years since their assault, the death of Newson draws them back together. It also dredges up old memories and fears that they had hoped they had conquered. The result is a strong character analysis that gives us tremendous insight into the psyches of Megan, Jess and Bridget each of whom come through this substantially changed. 

You Had It Coming deals with the all too common case of blaming the victim of sexual assault crimes or, at the least, accusing them of lying or being mistaken. It provides a well-reasoned argument that the accused should have the benefit of the best possible defense and this is the role of a strong attorney. But there’s a difference between providing a robust defense and descending to victim blaming. The characters are given great depth and you get a strong sense of the underlying personality in each and this added greatly to my enjoyment of the story. 

This is an intriguing mystery that covers a difficult subject with sympathy and balance. The unfortunate reality is that what takes place in this fictional story happens all too frequently in real life and it is a fact that should be highlighted more often.