Truth Be Told
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Kamran Hadid feels invincible. He attends Hampton school, an elite all-boys boarding school in London, he comes from a wealthy family, and he has a place at Oxford next year. The world is at his feet. And then a night of revelry leads to a drunken encounter and he must ask himself a horrific question.
With the help of assault counsellor, Zara Kaleel, Kamran reports the incident in the hopes that will be the end of it. But it’s only the beginning…
Powerful, explosive and important, Truth Be Told is a contemporary courtroom drama that vividly captures today’s society. You will not stop thinking about it for a long time to come.
- ‘Bold and brave, shocking and heartfelt, Kia Abdullah handles this story with such skill and empathy, yet builds the tension toward the kind of jaw dropping turn that had me gasping aloud. A very special book from a very special author’- Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End
- ‘Vividly examines some of the issues that shape (and deform) society . . . A gritty, extremely hard-hitting drama’- Adele Parks
- ‘Tense, harrowing and brilliantly written. A powerful story’- Khurrum Rahman, author of East of Hounslow
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Marcella about 15 hours agoI felt so invested in the characters, my loyalty constantly switching from Kamran to Finn, until it was impossible to choose a side. The ending was especially clever - I didn’t see that coming. Thank you Kia and Pigeonhole for an incredible read - thought provoking, poignant and ultimately heartbreaking. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Comment on conversation -
Amanda Holyoak about 16 hours agoOh what a book. This is one that will stay with me. Incredible writing and lots to think about. A tragic yet brilliant book.Reply to Amanda Holyoak -
Kim McNamara about 15 hours agoWow, what an ending. I feel bereft at finishing this sad and disturbing read. Beautifully crafted story filled with tragic, yet engaging characters. Thank you to Pigeonhole and Kia. Review to follow.Reply to Kim McNamara
Truth Be Told came out on 3rd Sep. Here, I talk about the 'template' for crime fiction covers, why that makes some authors nervous, but also why it works so well. Are YOU ready to start this conversation?#TruthBeTold is the vital courtroom drama by @KiaAbdullah. Out 3rd September. I need to shout from the rooftops about the absolutely BRILLIANT #TruthBeTold by @KiaAbdullah! Gripping, sensitive, nuanced and heart-breaking, it will stay with you long after you read it. Pre-order it, folks! https://t.co/jhXiiZA8yd
If you're looking for a page turner with heart, please consider getting a copy. https://t.co/Dck9B8gPJn pic.twitter.com/hkDOAtoz09
Preorder now: https://t.co/tHKXuULJtq pic.twitter.com/mgT9dOEecf
Born in Tower Hamlets in east London, Kia was raised in a family of eight children. As the most stubborn of six daughters, she constantly found herself in trouble for making choices that clashed with her parents’, a habit they came to accept when she became their first and only child to graduate from university.
In 2006, Kia wrote and published her first novel, Life, Love and Assimilation (Adlibbed), which she now describes as an “angry, cathartic, messy diatribe of a novel”. The book’s candid look at the trials and tribulations of living between cultures strongly resonated with her generation of British-Asians, but also drew controversy for its portrayal of drug abuse in Tower Hamlets.
In 2009, Kia published her second novel, Child’s Play (Revenge Ink), a dark psychological thriller with more sex and violence than one would expect from a nice girl with a name like Abdullah. Surprisingly, her sophomore effort was embraced by those in her community. It seemed that they, just like her parents, had come to accept this young writer with her troublesome impulses.
Kia went on to join global publisher Penguin Random House where she helped grow digital readership at Rough Guides to over a million users per month. Today, she lives in the Yorkshire Dales town of Richmond and spends her time writing, hiking, mentoring pupils from Tower Hamlets and visiting exotic locations for Atlas & Boots.
Kia’s novel Take it Back was published by HQ Stories in 2019 and received significant critical acclaim. Truth Be Told is her second novel with HQ.
How it works
The book will be delivered in 10 instalments (or staves), one every day. The instalments are delivered to your Pigeonhole bookshelf on your IOS or Android app. You will receive an email letting you know when each stave is available.
We believe that shared reading leads to new ideas and connections. That’s why we have a dynamic commenting system which allows in-text discussion between our readers. Post a comment and all your fellow readers will be able to respond. You can also choose to receive notifications (customise them here) when someone responds to your comment, or, additionally, whenever a comment is left in the book.
As you read you will see round purple icons at the edge of certain paragraphs – tap on these to reveal behind-the-scenes extra content!
Links will be included at the end of the final stave which will allow you to leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
This book will be removed from the platform 14 days after the final stave.
Any questions? Drop us a line on laurence@pigeonholepublishing.com.
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