Sign in with Facebook
Only the Truth
by
Pat Brown (Goodreads Author)
Harkening back to the writing styles and small town settings of the earlier American authors – John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Carson McCullers - "Only the Truth" is a psychological mystery with as many twists as the country road leading to the humble home of Billy Ray Hutchins, a lonely uneducated man living in the hills of Arkansas. Life changes little for him from day t...more
Kindle Edition, 148 pages
Published
March 4th 2012
by Pat Brown
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
662)
Billy Ray is the narrator of the story. He is uneducated and may suffer from a disability. Parts of his character are not too brright and then attuned becomes to a moment way before others do. Billy takes in a woman who just shows up oneday. They start a relationship and everything is going well until an old man shows up and leaves Charlemagne out of sorts. One night Billy Ray heads to town for cigarettes and candy. Upon his return he finds the old mans house is on fire. Charlene says the old ma...more
I bought this not knowing for sure what I was getting into. So here's MY take...no spoilers!
Did you see the movie Winter's Bone? Whether you did or not: you get immersed in a world right here in the U.S. that seems totally foreign to you. Great characters that introduce you to ways of thought, lifestyles and depth of feeling that draw you close to them.
Our hero is illiterate and has an outhouse. He is also fiercely loyal and more intuitive than you'd think. He befriends a stranger, based on gut...more
Did you see the movie Winter's Bone? Whether you did or not: you get immersed in a world right here in the U.S. that seems totally foreign to you. Great characters that introduce you to ways of thought, lifestyles and depth of feeling that draw you close to them.
Our hero is illiterate and has an outhouse. He is also fiercely loyal and more intuitive than you'd think. He befriends a stranger, based on gut...more
When Billy Ray happens upon a befuddled little waif with a red suitcase standing by the railroad tracks, he approaches her. The girl’s name is Charlene and she asks Billy Ray if she can go home with him. He picks up her suitcase, takes her hand, and they walk the three miles down Makin Road to Billy Ray’s house.
Except for Big Dog, Billy Ray has no family. He’s lived his entire life in the same house on Makin road. Billy Ray’s daddy died before he was born and his momma shortly after. His aunty m...more
Except for Big Dog, Billy Ray has no family. He’s lived his entire life in the same house on Makin road. Billy Ray’s daddy died before he was born and his momma shortly after. His aunty m...more
I really liked this book a lot. If I could give it 4 1/2 stars, I would do that. It centers around a man, Billy Ray Hutchins, who is determined to find out the truth about the girl he took in no matter what that truth actually entails. She just showed up one day, asked if she could go home with him, and he obliged. They live together happily for a couple of years until an old man moves in across the road from them. The girl suddenly becomes silent and sad and before too long, the old man is burn...more
Only the Truth is the story of Billy Ray Hutchins, an Arkansas man who lives a simple life with his companion, Big Dog, until he meets a vagrant young woman and takes her into his home. Overall, the story is compelling. Narrator and main character Billy Ray's voice is folksy and engaging. Only the Truth definitely has its good moments, but there were a few problems with this book that I found hard to ignore.
The first issue was simply a matter of style: whether other characters in the story are...more
The first issue was simply a matter of style: whether other characters in the story are...more
We follow along with Billy Ray as he meets Charlene and carries on with a humble little life on the mountain. Content with being a street sweeper and coming home to Charlene and Big Dog, Billy Ray doesn't question any of Charlene's oddness. She does not leave the home and is a bit of a hermit, but Billy Ray is happy and she seems so too, so that is all that matters. As the story progresses, Billy Ray becomes confused by Charlene when she suddenly is even more withdrawn. This is further confounde...more
This would have merited four and a half stars except for the ending. Fast wind-up is often a good thing but here it was too brusque and felt unsatisfactory although all the threads were tied up. Not entirely all the threads since, unless I missed something, the riddle of Billy Ray's relationship regarding the photo was not explained at all. The police also seemed a little too eager to accept their own reading of the possible crime scene.
Otherwise a well-written tale with the hero an illiterate b...more
Otherwise a well-written tale with the hero an illiterate b...more
I really liked this, but I also like Pat Brown. Pat is able the keep her readers captivated and curious. Billy Ray, a poor, illiterate man who stays to himself happens upon a young woman - Charlene and takes her home with him. For two years they live happily until a man moves in next door. Charlene's mood and demeanor change, she pretty much stops talking. Then one day, the old man next door mysteriously dies as his house burns to the ground. Initially, Billy Ray is accused and arrested - that i...more
The tale of Sweet Billy Ray and Charlene unfolds in deceptively simple style. There’s a folksy, almost whimsical way in which Billy tells the story of how this mysterious young girl comes into his life.
Then comes the drama and the mystery. It kept me entertained and it’s all told at a nice pace but the characters and their actions don’t quite ring true all the time. I also guessed the ending well before the end and there was an annoying ‘clue’ which was heavily built up in the last third of the...more
Then comes the drama and the mystery. It kept me entertained and it’s all told at a nice pace but the characters and their actions don’t quite ring true all the time. I also guessed the ending well before the end and there was an annoying ‘clue’ which was heavily built up in the last third of the...more
A very well done mystery with an unusual narrator. The narrator isn't a bright young man, but he is compassionate and tries to do right. The narration is very well done. The writing is proper enough to be comfortable to the reader, but still conveys the character's lower than average intelligence and a believable style of speech. It "sounds" like he is telling his story himself and I could hear it in my head as I read. His emotional struggles in the book are both realistic and touching.
I am not...more
I am not...more
A twisting and turning mystery about Billy Ray, a simple man, who falls in love with someone who isn't who he thinks she is.
I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I couldn't remember when I had downloaded it to my kindle, and I hadn't heard anyone talking about this book.
I ended up liking it a lot. It wasn't full of action or anything, but I did keep wanting to turn the page to see what would come up next.
I REALLY ended up liking Billy Ray's character and totally fe...more
I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I couldn't remember when I had downloaded it to my kindle, and I hadn't heard anyone talking about this book.
I ended up liking it a lot. It wasn't full of action or anything, but I did keep wanting to turn the page to see what would come up next.
I REALLY ended up liking Billy Ray's character and totally fe...more
I borrowed this book from Kindle's Owner Library, thinking to read a book outside of my normal genres. And boy did I. This book was, I guess for lack of a better definition, a psychological mystery. The character of Billy Ray in this story is touching. You can't help but to feel for him as he struggles internally with his feelings for others, himself, and mostly "Charlene". This book has so many twists. You don't really know what to make of the character Charlene. It does have at least one unans...more
Only the Truth is definitely a quick read. The characters are interesting. The story is told from the point of view of Billy Ray Hutchins -- an uneducated black man with an amazingly kind heart. The reader is immediately taken in by Billy Ray's goodness. The plot moves along a bit too quickly for my taste and the resolution if somewhat abrupt. In spite of these "weaknesses", however, I still liked the book. It's refreshing to read about a young man who, in spite of his impoverished lifestyle is...more
~* 4.5 Stars *~
A Simple Man, A Complex Mystery, A Great Read
He found her standing by the railroad tracks, a small suitcase at her feet. Billy Ray didn't know who she was. Didn't know how long she'd been there. When he approached her, and she gazed at him quietly, he had no idea what to do with her.
She asked him who he was. She asked him if she could go with him. So Billy Ray took her home.
Even after two years, Billy Ray doesn't quite understand Charlene, but he also doesn't much figure he needs...more
A Simple Man, A Complex Mystery, A Great Read
He found her standing by the railroad tracks, a small suitcase at her feet. Billy Ray didn't know who she was. Didn't know how long she'd been there. When he approached her, and she gazed at him quietly, he had no idea what to do with her.
She asked him who he was. She asked him if she could go with him. So Billy Ray took her home.
Even after two years, Billy Ray doesn't quite understand Charlene, but he also doesn't much figure he needs...more
This story of Billy Ray Hutchins, a simple and innocent soul living alone and lonely in the mountains of Arkansas until he meets and falls in love with a mysterious young woman named Charlene, is a very interesting and well-written mystery-suspense that also touches on the deeper subjects of mental illness and abuse. After a chapter or two of getting used to Billy Ray’s slangy first-person narration, I really began to appreciate how well this and the author’s excellent character development enab...more
This was my free book for April from Amazon Prime. I liked it. The book greatly exceeded my expectations. There were only a few downsides including a little too clean of an ending. Kind of seemed like the author was just ready to be done. It seemed like something I used to do when I was sick of working on a paper. Considering the length of the book there was definitely room to expand a bit and go into it more. Only the Truth is a good, quick read and is definitely worth an afternoon of reading.
Billy Ray takes home a drifter and settles into life with this woman. He never asks for more, her last name or anything. He is content to live day to day. Author tries to explain this away by hinting that he's a little slow. Well, for someone a little slow, he's able to figure out quite a lot. And seems to have a lot of questions later.
Anyway, girl comes into boy's life, boy doesn't question, neighbor dies in fire while boy is out for cigarettes, girl arrested for murder, boy works to free girl...more
Anyway, girl comes into boy's life, boy doesn't question, neighbor dies in fire while boy is out for cigarettes, girl arrested for murder, boy works to free girl...more
When I first started this book I wasn't sure I'd continue reading it. It seemed a little strange and the writing very different from what I usually read. However, I was compelled to keep reading and I too then could not put it down. Billy Ray was such a sweet character and so loving and loyal. The twists and mystery held my interest and the story unfolded with an interesting ending.
I can only give this book 3 stars because of the ending. The author develops the plot and characters pretty well, then chooses to make a quick exit - based on circumstantial evidence. I found the story rather compelling, wondering how Billy Ray would make it through the situation he got swept up in. I would be interested in other reviews by friends.
Only the Truth, has me still thinking about it. It is told in a very unusual way, which I appreciated. The main characters are uneducated simple people, and the author does a good job with keeping their dialog correct.
Why am I still unsure? I don't know if I liked it or not, but it is well written. I would read another by this author.
Why am I still unsure? I don't know if I liked it or not, but it is well written. I would read another by this author.
This reminded me of the styling of Harper Lee, wonderful viewpoint of the narrator. I enjoyed the book, was easy to read and you were not quite sure who did what until the end. But, the ending seemed rushed and I would have liked more of a real feeling closure. Other than that, it was a good read, something to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This was one of the free kindle books offered that I actually did read. It is not a big book but it was an enjoyable read. Before I started did not know what it was about. It did keep me reading and I am not going to tell you guys what it is about, but I did like it. Maybe the ending was a bit clean. I agree with another reviewer here on Goodreads that it felt like the author had enough of it and just wanted to be done.3.5
Pat Brown created some very likable characters that kept my engaged. Though I thought I guessed "whodunit", I was happy to find some surprise twists and turns in her story. Two small towns. Two ghastly crimes. Only the Truth will bring peace to those who lives were touched by these tragedies.
A very well woven mystery that made me read nonstop till i finished this book. The suspense and the twists are too good and deserves to be read at least once by any suspense/thriller fans. The protagonist is very innocent and we feel great apathy towards him.
Finished in one day....I loved it! Except for the ending. I felt like the publisher said, "You have 30 minutes to finish this book!" It really needed a couple of more chapters to make it more realistic. Still glad I read it and would recommend it.
One of the best free books I've encountered. It's a unique concept (at least to me) of placing the reader into a simple minded character, and knowing that somehow he would overcome his handicap and discover the truth about his lover. I definitely recommend this book.
Good story with great twists & turns. I was a little confused in the beginning as to who's voice is narrating the story but overall good book. A friend lent me this on kindle. Have o say not one I'd have picked myself but glad I read it.
Apr 26, 2012
Peggy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Shelves:
light-fiction,
favorite-fiction
This is surprisingly good read. I have become discouraged with many of the less expensive Kindle books but this one has started to change my mind. It is very good. Look forward to reading more from this author!
I got this as a free book from Kindle, ans I must say it was the best free book I have read.ma good quick read, I just thought the author wrapped the ending a bit too quickly. Left me wanting more
Another free Amazon Prime Lending library book, but pretty good just the same. The story was a bit predictable, and the ending a bit weak, but pretty good the first 75% of the way through.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only the Truth FREE Feb 26-March 1 | 3 | 6 | Apr 20, 2013 08:41am | |
| Only the Truth FREE Today and Tomorrow at Amazon! | 1 | 4 | Sep 22, 2012 09:02pm | |
| FREE THIS WEEK ONLY at AMAZON! | 2 | 14 | Apr 24, 2012 06:26am |
