LoveReading Says
An artfully composed and thought-provoking novel covering several sub genres within crime fiction. When Xander Shute reports witnessing a murder to the police, they don’t believe him, and as he begins to search for answers himself, he finds himself lost in his own mind and a vortex of memories. Xander narrates his tale, he lives on the streets and within a few pages his existence stamped itself all over my consciousness. Imran Mahmood is a practicing barrister and his debut novel was long listed for the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger. He writes with cunning pen, an intricate plot slowly and stealthily reveals itself creating the most wonderful page-turner of a story. Short sharp shocks of sentences ganged together driving my thoughts before them. Sometimes I felt as though I was inside Xander’s mind, a part of his awareness, sometimes I was on the outside, trying desperately to work out what was going on. I found this a clever, provocative novel, and when the ending came sat back and travelled back over my suspicions and presumptions. I Know What I Saw is a smart, stimulating, and compelling psychological thriller and mystery, enter the pages and prepare for your thoughts to scatter and explore.
Liz Robinson
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I Know What I Saw Synopsis
You Don't Know Me, the adaptation of Imran Mahmood's brilliant debut thriller, is currently one of the most screened series on Netflix!
LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022
LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER 2022
An impossible crime. A witness no-one wants to believe.
'Unforgettable ... A searing take-down of privilege, our unequal society and indeed of traditional crime whodunnits' GILLIAN MCALLISTER
'Highly original and deftly plotted, delivering a gut-punch of an ending' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'A mesmerising thriller - don't miss this one' T. M. LOGAN
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A woman strangled in a Mayfair flat. A man fleeing the scene. Xander Shute saw it all - but the police won't believe someone who lives on the streets. Determined to find justice for the murdered woman, Xander searches for answers. But as his recollection of the crime comes under increasing scrutiny, he is forced to confront other memories, including those from his long-buried, troubled, wealthy past.
How much will he risk to understand the brutal truth?
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'Intelligent, imaginative and meticulously plotted, this is an author at the top of his game - simply sensational' M. W. CRAVEN
'A deftly written and nerve-jangling thriller' HERALD
'Clever, mercilessly addictive and deeply thought-provoking, I Know What I Saw blends a dynamite plot with heartfelt characterisation' CHRIS WHITAKER
'A white-knuckle ride through the tortuous labyrinth of human memory' CHRIS BROOKMYRE
'Mahmood gets deep into the psychology of a damaged man in this unusual novel, and the ending is like a blow to the gut' SUNDAY TIMES
'Heart-wrenching and jaw-dropping, I held my breath until the final word' HOLLY SEDDON
'Mahmood, following his innovative, breakout hit, You Don't Know Me, once again delivers a twisting narrative full of surprises and blind alleys' VASEEM KHAN
'Every bit as fantastic as everyone says. Utterly gripping' THE SECRET BARRISTER
'Smart, atmospheric, poignant, and will keep you hooked' SAIMA MIR
'A tense literary thriller about the lies we persist in telling ourselves and our inability to escape our damaged pasts - packed with moments of pathos and unexpected humour' SARAH VAUGHAN
'Intelligent and thought-provoking, it marks a welcome return for a supremely talented writer' ABIR MUKHERJEE
'What an astonishing voice Imran has created for Xander, at once intelligent, resourceful and yet also deeply flawed. I thought the complex plot was handled masterfully, and that double punch at the end was superb' JAMES OSWALD
READERS LOVE I KNOW WHAT I SAW:
'I was absolutely gripped from start to finish' 5***** review
'A fantastic rollercoaster of a read' 5***** review
'I absolutely LOVED this book ... I could not put it down, and read it all in one delicious day-long gulp! A must-read for sure' 5***** review
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781526627667 |
| Publication date: |
28th April 2022 |
| Author: |
Imran Mahmood |
| Publisher: |
Raven Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
382 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Imran Mahmood Press Reviews
With pace and fineness, I Know What I Saw brings together an impossible crime, a witness no one wants to believe and an unflinching study of life on the streets. Intelligent, imaginative and meticulously plotted, this is an author at the top of his game - simply sensational. -- M. W. Craven
It's a truly Hitchcockian thriller ride, a white-knuckle ride through the tortuous labyrinth of human memory. -- Chris Brookmyre
Imran Mahmood's new book opens with a bang. When homeless Xander Shute wanders into a seemingly empty house he unwittingly witnesses a murder. But the police claim that almost nothing of what he has seen exists. Is Xander losing his mind? Soon the net tightens as a murder is discovered and Xander becomes the prime suspect. Mahmood, following his innovative, breakout hit, You Don't Know Me, once again delivers a twisting narrative full of surprises and blind alleys. Psychological noir at its most gripping. -- Vaseem Khan
Mahmood has a rare gift for combining hypnotic prose with a page-turning pace. A gripping and beautiful read. -- Ayisha Malik
Spectacular - an absolute treat. -- A. A. Dhand
I stayed up way past lights out last night to finish what was in short a quite phenomenal novel. Having absolutely loved You Don't Know Me, I was fairly certain this one would be good too, but it was far better than I could have hoped. What an astonishing voice Imran has created for Xander, at once intelligent, resourceful and yet also deeply flawed. I thought the complex plot was handled masterfully, and that double punch at the end was superb. I thoroughly enjoyed it. -- James Oswald
I didn't think Mahmood could top You Don't Know Me but he most certainly has. A searing take-down of privilege, our unequal society and indeed of traditional crime whodunnits. Mahmood writes sympathetically and intelligently about people who live on the fringes of society. -- Gillian McAllister
Smart, atmospheric, poignant, and will keep you hooked. -- Saima Mir
This complex mystery (set on the streets of London) took my breath away. Themes of memory, privilege & identity - it's a book that that pulls you in deep. Gripping and utterly immersive. Mahmood is a master storyteller -- Will Dean
A tense literary thriller about the lies we persist in telling ourselves and our inability to escape our damaged pasts - packed with moments of pathos and unexpected humour. I believed completely in Xander Shute. -- Sarah Vaughan
I Know What I Saw takes us on a tense, nerve-jangling journey into the world of Xander Shute who believes he's witnessed a murder, but also makes us question our own preconceptions towards people who've fallen through society's cracks. Intelligent and thought-provoking, it marks a welcome return for a supremely talented writer. -- Abir Mukherjee
Clever, mercilessly addictive and deeply thought-provoking, I Know What I Saw blends a dynamite plot with heartfelt characterisation. Wonderful. -- Chris Whitaker
I was a big fan of Imran Mahmood's first book, YOU DON'T KNOW ME, and his second, I KNOW WHAT I SAW, is every bit as gripping, insightful and beautifully written. [...] I was absolutely captivated. -- Simon Lelic
An intense, complex mind-bender of a book, told through eyes you can't always trust. As compelling a tale as I've ever read; you won't put it down until you know the truth. -- Tony Kent
A mesmerising thriller - wonderful writing and a brilliantly gritty, street-level perspective. Don't miss this one -- T. M. Logan
