The Best Friends

by Christina Delay

I thought we were best friends. But maybe I was wrong . . .

I get a text from Evan. Lily’s been attacked. Get here asap.

Lily is my old college roommate and my best friend. Her businessman husband Evan worships the ground she walks on.

Evan meets me at the hospital, a quiet sob wracking his body. He gives me a hug. For some reason it makes me uncomfortable.

Lily is in a coma, surrounded by beeping equipment, a tube emerging from her swollen, purple lips.

The police show me something. Photos they found scattered around Lily’s body. A woman showering, sleeping, undressing. Pictures of a woman with a man, her face blurred out.

It looks like me. But it can’t be.

Finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Please note that this book was previously published as Truth Truth Lie.

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2022

About the author

Christina Delay is an award-winning author of psychological suspense, as well as young adult fantasy written under the pen name Kris Faryn.

A wanderer by heart, Christina’s latest adventure has led her and her family—a supremely patient husband, two adorable patooties, and mischievous, senior citizen cat—to the southwest of France.

When not planning their next quest, Christina can be found writing in her garden, hosting writing retreats in the Caribbean and other exotic places, sneaking in a nap, or convincing her patooties to call her Empress.

If you love books about complex characters who never know when to quit, with a good bit of will-they or won’t-they tension, sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really had me on the edge of my seat! The tension was high and I never knew where the story was going to take me. No one is as they seem in this twisty tale of deception. Christina Delay expertly makes you like characters you would initially not care for. There were times I thought I knew where the story was going, but it went down paths I never expected. Fast paced and undoubtedly a page turner! Thank you BookSirens for my ARC!

[Grace Convertino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former college roommates Lily and Jane are the best of friends, as close as sisters. They believe they share and tell each other everything, from Lily’s perfect marriage to former bartender Evan, to Jane’s on-again/off-again relationship with Bryan, her partner and coworker. When Lily is savagely attacked in a parking lot, she is found with photos of a semi-nude woman scattered around her. The woman is in various states of undress, her face is blurred out, and the name “Jane” is scratched on the back of the pictures. While Lily is in a medically-induced coma to try to control her brain swelling, Jane decides to start her own investigation. She believes if Evan was having an affair or their marriage was in trouble, Lily would have confided in her. When Jane eventually figures out Lily’s secret life, she realizes both that Lily is not as innocent as she appears, and that she is not the person Jane believed her to be. The resulting chaos and the web of deception prove to the two women that not one of them is who they seem to be, and that buried somewhere in all of the lies are their truths.

“Truth Truth Lie” was a delicious, deceitful psychological thriller, with a taut atmospheric feel. The lies throughout the book were palpable right in the beginning, but heightened when Jane started to investigate. Not one character was who they seemed to be except for Reeve, who was despicable and slimy to his very core. The twists kept on coming, and the convincing prose kept the tension high throughout the novel. I happily approach all fiction with a willing suspension of disbelief so I can fully immerse myself in the language and craft of the author, and “Truth Truth Lie” was no exception; in fact, there was a bit more suspension of disbelief for me in this work. I couldn’t pry my eyes from the pages or put it down, right up until the last chapter, which I felt was a bit convoluted, and the ending was most certainly left open. That makes me hope for a sequel to complete the story, because my interest is thoroughly piqued!

I’d like to thank BookSirens, Christina Delay, and Nimbus Brands Publishing for the ability to read and review this ARC.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Why try and exist in a place that suffocates you?"

We live in a society where every single one of us is holding a secret. Some small and some large. Maybe they are our own or maybe they are a friends. Me, I have enough secrets to make a movie. Not sure that I'm ready to tell the world but let's just say that I have sinned... *makes the sign of the cross*

Truth Truth Lie is all about hidden secrets and what happens when they are all brought to light. Being a big fan of deception in books and juicy secrets, I felt as if this was going to hit me where it hurts. Maybe shock me in the best of ways and not see any of it coming. I wish I could say that I was impressed or shocked but I was neither. I read a hundred pages before I skimmed the rest. I didn't miss anything.

I didn't enjoy the writing style and that made it hard to connect with any of the characters. None of them were interesting and I really didn't get that attachment to care what happened to any of them. The storyline was different with a lot of twists but it wasn't well played out. I felt like a dog chasing its own tail most of the time. It wasn't fun.

[Sabrina Estrela · Rating 4 out of 5]

disclaimer: I received this for free thanks to BookSirens as an ARC. I am not being paid for this, it is an honest, consumer review**

Wow. Christina Delay. You out-dit yourself. This book was an amazing read. It is a page turner! I kept reading and reading and completely fell into the world of the main character. The plot twists are intense and if you enjoy being on the edge of your seat multiple times throughout the book, this one is for you.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was my first by this author and will read more. This was definitely one where you suspend belief and just go with it, loved it for that and I just kept reading to find out what was going to happen.

Really enjoyed it. But bear in mind it is really fast paced.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and brilliant in its execution, it will keep readers’ hearts and minds racing!

Read full review in the 2022 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and juicy thriller, friends! It’s one where I can’t spill too many details, or all may be revealed.

I will tell you this; you’ll be intrigued as you dig deeper into the lives of Lily and Jane, best friends who claim to trust each other with all their secrets.

Questions start to swirl when Lily is brutally attacked and put in a coma. Especially why there were pictures of a naked woman with Jane’s name written on them found near her. Of course, the police suspect Lily’s husband, but Jane is determined to find the truth.

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐞 is chocked full of secrets, lies, hidden lives, betrayals, and cons. But it’s up to you to figure out who to trust—𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @authorchristinadelay for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It pulls you in from the beginning as soon as you realize who Lily is and what her fears are. I was thinking this would make a great movie, even though a lot of the logistics would have to be worked out, because really, who runs a business at night and is the perfect wife during the day? And her husband doesn't know about her nighttime routine?? That's expecting a lot of reader suspension of disbelief!

But the ending gave me whiplash. All of a sudden, we're in unreliable narrator land and it turns out that everything we thought we knew WAS a lie. SPOILER ALERT: One (or more) of the characters that we thought were blissfully unaware of what we’re going on turn out to be not so innocent.

I gave this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because it was a fun read with an interesting set of characters, and some crazy twists.

Thanks to Booksirens for an advance reader's copy.

[April Karpus-Weddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hooked me right away when I found out that Lily lives a double life. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, a new thing happens that changed my impression of all of these characters. This happened to me multiple times throughout the book. Then Lily ends up in a coma out of nowhere and you don’t know who to trust. I read this book so quickly because I just had to know what was truth and what was the lie. It’s definitely a good read if you like suspense, friendship, and a bunch of twists.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many reasons why this book didn’t work for me, but unfortunately almost every criticism I have would be a spoiler or giveaway a twist or plot point. What I will say is this we have Lilly also known as sheik and Nilla and she is living in the suburbs with her her husband Evan he is her college sweetheart. Jane is her best friend she is dating the veterinarian she works with at the zoo. Every single day of the year they meet at a rock overlooking Austin to drink coffee together. Lily is the perfect homemaker yet every night she disperses young girls across the city to be escorts to rich men. The POV throughout the book changes from Lily modern day and Lily before her marriage when she was working for a man named Ruiz there’s also chapters from Jane’s point of view but all or modern day. No heavy said that Lily is supposed to be the smart calculating woman and yet after Ruiz punishes her for asking for the night off to go to her grandmothers funeral when she decides she’s quitting the business to get married she thinks it’s a great idea to tell Ruiz first. I thought this book was a woven tale of deceit and intrigue in over the top underhanded plans but the ending ruined it all for me. I can see how people would be misguided into thinking this is a twisty thriller, but sometimes there’s too many twists in the twist or too absurd and I found that to be the case with this book. I did give it three starsbut I found Lilly‘s intelligence wasn’t consistent and no one can stay up all night making sure their escorts come home safe and then told me different to watch the sunrise and then go home and be a happy homemaker. Even superheroes need to take naps also whatever happened to Jane and Brian? They never say what happens to him who I must say I liked him so much. I just didn’t like how some questions had no answers and some of the answers were just a tad bit too absurd but having said that if books are meant to entertain The knob was definitely entertained for most of the book if they would’ve just left the final twist out of the book I would’ve thought it was amazing. I received this arc from Book sirens and the publisher but I am leaving my review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Leslie Marshman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This psychological suspense sucked me in at the beginning and never let go. Ms. Delay is able to present a protagonist the reader thinks she might not like, then make her not only likeable, but sympathetic. I won’t go into the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. But the author’s way with words is magical, with perfect phrases that evoke strong emotions. There were layers upon layers of intrigue, and twists and turns until the very end.

I never wanted to set the book down, but when I had to, I thought about it until I could get back to it. This is the first psychological thriller I’ve read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last.

[Kritika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christina Delay name has been added in my list of favorite authors.

This book is amazing… a total page Turner! It was like sitting on the edge and the character development was amazing too, I was post in the main character world.

Highly recommend!!

[Kristin Huskamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5🌟 rounded up

[Tommy Mann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely awful!

I’ve read a couple of truly terrible books in the past few weeks, but this one is unquestionably the worst. A ridiculous story filled with disgusting characters. Please. PLEASE save your money!

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was worth 4 stars. The characters were well developed, the storyline was gripping as you want to learn what happened to Lily, and learn about everyone’s secrets. I read this book in about 4 days and I would definitely recommend it! I would read Christina’s work again.

Spoilers ahead:

I thought the storyline was good, definitely complex but I was just about able to follow! I did have to go over the timeline in my head after finishing the book, to make sure I got it right. I liked being able to root for Lily, and Jane to some extent. Bryan I felt so sorry for, he was done so dirty!

I like closure in thrillers too and I think I mostly got closure! The ending twist where Jane was the ultimate mastermind to release Lily from Reeve was very good, though her intentions behind it were unclear. In the hospital, Jane kissed Lily on the lips, making me think she loved her romantically. But that was never brought up again. Later on Jane talked about wanting to “own” Lily. Was that an extension on the kiss? Or something more sinister? I have no idea. Maybe the kiss was meant to demonstrate love/infatuation, for a greater obsession over Lily? I wish that was made clearer!! I might reach out to the author and ask her myself.

Also I was confused when Evan learned Lily was an escort before he beat her up, because I thought he knew that from the start when they first met, but maybe he thought that she had quit that life. That wasn’t very clear either.

The only other question I had was, was it Reeve or Jane who killed Evan? I thought Reeve and it still makes the most sense to me that it is Reeve but it could be Jane too.

Another reviewer didn’t think the end chapter was necessary, but I disagree as it greatly helped me understand the whole plot. Thanks for keeping it in Christina and for writing this great book.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth Truth Lie by Christina Delay is a twisty psychological thriller.

Lily is the protagonist and I liked her; I think. My opinion of her kept changing, which was brilliant writing on the author's part.

The plot was so twisty, and I didn't know what to think half the time or who to believe.

The alternating points of view was well written. This was such a suspenseful read about friends, lies, and twists.

The ending was fantastic and completely unexpected.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when I KNOW the narrator is unreliable, and I'm still fooled.

I was intrigued from the first page. Delay has a talent for weaving a complex web where nothing is as it seems. Just when I thought I understood a character, something jumped out to make me reassess everything. The dynamic of the friendship, with hidden secrets and unexpected betrayals, is the best part. And that ending!

Delay's writing is engaging and evocative, with perfect phrases that stir emotions while keeping the reader immersed in the story.

I'm ready for the next one.

[Yoneidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is the protagonist of this story and she is a woman with many secrets and a dark past. Although she now lives happily with her husband Evan and they seem to be the perfect couple, it doesn't take long for things to get complicated for both of them when Lily realizes that Zelda, a girl she is helping, has disappeared and the culprit is someone from her past that has now returned to torment her once again and put at risk everything she has achieved.

I liked it a lot, this has more twists than a merry-go-round, the characters give you many surprises.

I recommend it.

[Melissa Rodacy Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I had jumped into the middle of a story and had no idea what was going on.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth Truth Lie by Christina Delay is an exceptional read!

The first line of this novel “Every good story starts with a lie,” instantly forms a question in the reader’s mind; what is the truth and what is a lie? This is a very powerful and thought provoking first line. In Truth Truth Lie, Delay has created a well written novel with intriguing characters and a plot that is both captivating and fast paced.

Delay presents to her readers first person narration in brief chapters titled “then” and “now,” and she reveals what each character is thinking and feeling and the lies and truths become clear and exposed. Lily and Jane are the very best of friends, meeting every morning for coffee in their favorite spot. The first introduction to Lily doesn’t take long to realize that she is keeping another life completely hidden from her best friend and even from her husband, Evan. Within the first few pages it’s discovered that Lily leads a secret life as a high classed Madame and her lies ensue. Questions form in the reader’s mind; is this truth or is this a lie? Lily’s best friend Jane really begins to suspect that Lily is keeping a big secret. After Lily is beaten so badly and ends up in a coma, Jane is determined to discover what happened to her best friend and begins the search for the truth. The intensity of this novel really rises as nothing seems to be as it should. It becomes a tangled web of truth and lies as Lily is not who she seems to be and Jane is not who she seems to be, either.

Delay weaves a tale of a dark underworld of prostitution, murder, and mayhem. Page by page the plot thickens as all the secrets of the well developed characters are laid bare. Everyone has a secret and everyone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden. The ending of this novel is a complete shock as all the lies and secrets are laid bare.

I received this ARC from BookSirens and I am leaving an honest and voluntary review. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 start rating.

[Chloé Lagacé-Raposo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every good story starts with a lie.

Lily has kept everything in perfect order to make it seems like she has this normal life; the big house, handsome husband and best friend Jane who feels like a sister. The thing is, Lily is lying. She has been living this double life for years, but no one can ever find out or it will put everything is danger. When Lily is attacked and find herself in a coma at the hospital, the husband is immediately the suspect. Jane decides to start her own investigation as she has a feeling that there is more to the story and that Lily could've been lying. The problem is that Jane has also been keeping a secret. Has Lily found hers out? Is one of them more dangerous than the other? Will this tear them apart or bring them closer?

This book was a page turner for me. I couldn't put it down as I wanted to know why this was happening. The feud between friends and the need for revenge made it a really good thriller. I thought I saw the twist coming, but then there was another one and it took me completely by surprise.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed the fast paced action, the twists and turns, and the powerfully strong women in this book. It was an enjoyable read, highly thrilling, very sexy and interesting. Just when you think it's at the end, here comes another twist & a while different ending than you expected. I only had one small problem- in one scene, a person is injected with what is described as "crack". As someone who is an ex-addict, this is extremely unrealistic & completely took me out of the story at that point. Crack cannot be broken down in just water to become an injectable liquid form of cocaine… Because of the drug's composition, it has to be broken down with lemon juice first and cooked to melt away the baking soda. This leaves such a small amount of actual cocaine behind that there's pretty much no way you could overdose & almost kill someone with it in that manner. I'm sure that most people won't catch this detail, but I did.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏜️ live in Texas
🤐 have a secret past
👯‍♀️ have a sister from another mister
👀 can play the long game

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Lily and Jane have been best friends for years, but now Jane suspects Lily is hiding something from her, she just isn’t sure what.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Lily and Jane have been besties since college, and Jane thinks she knows everything about Lily. But when Lily is attacked one night for seemingly no reason, Jane will have to dive into Lily’s past and discover the secrets her friend has been hiding from her all of these years if she hopes to save her.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a fun, fast paced thriller. I love how it’s broken into 7 parts, all told from either Lily or Jane’s POVs. I was actually pretty impressed with the ending as I wasn’t totally expecting it. I also liked the lead up to the big reveal, as it had my mind going in all kinds of different (mis)directions! While I didn’t find any of the characters relatable or even likable, I was itching to find out what everyone was hiding from one another!

[Pheadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this wasn't for me. While many thrillers require the reader to suspend belief, I am not one of those people who thinks a story is great when it's actually implausible. Jane and Lily are the best of friends, who think they don't keep secrets from one another. Lily was a former escort known as Nila and runs her own high end escort agency these days despite being a suburban housewife. She keeps her incredibly high earnings in a locked bunker.

Lily gets attacked and is put into an induced coma with all evidence pointing to her husband as the perpetrator.
Jane decides to play detective because at the crime scene a number of photos featuring a naked woman who resembles Jane were found.

Will Jane succeed in bringing down Lily's former boss Reeve? Will Jane's husband be found guilty and pay? Who is setting whom up?
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
3 stars

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first time read for me by this author, but after reading this I can tell you it definitely won't be my last! This is a gripping and thrilling story that captured my attention from the start and kept me engrossed till the end. Things are not always as they appear in this twisty tale, and the final twist will shock you.

Plenty of suspense and intrigue kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The unique plot made this a very suspenseful and interesting read. The twists in the plot kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing till the end. Definitely enjoyed it and am happy to have had the opportunity to read it.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily and Jane are best friends that met in college. For years their friendship has grown and they share each other’s secrets. Nothing is hidden between the two. Jane thought that she knew everything about Lily, until the day Lily is hospitalized because she is in a coma. Jane goes to the crime scene and is very surprised about what she has found. While others are convinced that it is Lily’s husband is at fault, she is determined to find out the truth. She also finds that Lily has had a secret life that she kept hidden from everyone. An exciting thriller about friendship and secrets. It has an intriguing plot and characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. This one came with multiple POV and multiple timelines. It got a little confusing for a bit, but honestly, it was kind of needed to let the story unravel. Once I got going, it was a thrilling read. Twists that I didn’t expect mixed in with those that I did. Overall, a good thriller that kept me entertained.

Lily’s best friend Jane describes her as Jessica Rabbit, the housewife version. She is married to Evan, and they have a picture perfect life together. Until she is attacked. Everyone is hiding something; if you know two truths about them, you are missing the lie. Who was this man in the shadows that showed up at a pool party. Why does Lily have a secret phone? So many questions about everyone involved. The question isn’t if they are hiding something, but what they are hiding.

[Lucy Bristow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book to read as an advance copy via Booksirens. I was not paid for this review.

What a page turner!!!! Right from the off the intrigue of Lily pulls you into the story and it just keeps pace throughout.

And I think that is what I loved most about this book. The pace of the story. You never feel rushed but you can sense the urgency of the characters, you want answers as much as they do. The book length is perfect for this kind of story .The tension and suspense isn’t drawn out too long and there is a nice easing down of the pace in the final chapters but done so you are left with a few questions about the characters.

I would certainly recommend this book. Especially for holiday, commute or ‘read in a weekend’ suggestions.

[Mamadukes · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRUTH TRUTH LIE by Christina Delay is, at its core a story of the power of female friendships.

Lily and Evan Fausse appear to have a wonderful life, however Lily harbors a secret and holds plans for a quick escape if needed. Her best friend since college, Jane, lives a quiet but secure life as a zookeeper.

When Lily’s past rears its ugly head and she is attacked, Jane goes on the hunt for answers. Sometimes, not all cages are in the Zoo.

I loved the intricate pieces of this storyline and how they fit together to form a whole picture. The descriptions had me swept up in the fear, anger and anxiety of the plot. Good Job!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story draws you in right from the start. Great plot with a few unexpected twists. It will keep you guessing right up to the very end.

Best friends, (or are they?), go through the ups and downs of life as they navigate post college life together. Lily, happily married, seems to have the perfect life, while her best friend Jane seems to have the perfect balance of career and boyfriend. You will definitely be kept awake at night to find out what is true and what are lies with this group of frenimies.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.