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The Lie
Alternative cover edition of ISBN 9780007544271
This Was No Accident...
Haunting and compelling, this psychological thriller will have you hooked from the very first page. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Daughter , it delves deep into the complexities of friendship, trust, and betrayal.
Best friends are supposed to be there for each other through thick and thin. You trust them with your life—at least, that's what Emma, Daisy, Leanne, and Al thought. But everything changes when they embark on the trip of a lifetime together. When they return home, only two of them are left alive. The group is torn apart by lies and deception, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and broken relationships.
Years later, when the dust has settled and life has moved on, one girl receives a threatening letter. Someone knows the truth about what happened on that holiday—and they will stop at nothing to expose it...
This Was No Accident...
Haunting and compelling, this psychological thriller will have you hooked from the very first page. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Daughter , it delves deep into the complexities of friendship, trust, and betrayal.
Best friends are supposed to be there for each other through thick and thin. You trust them with your life—at least, that's what Emma, Daisy, Leanne, and Al thought. But everything changes when they embark on the trip of a lifetime together. When they return home, only two of them are left alive. The group is torn apart by lies and deception, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and broken relationships.
Years later, when the dust has settled and life has moved on, one girl receives a threatening letter. Someone knows the truth about what happened on that holiday—and they will stop at nothing to expose it...
468 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2015
982 people are currently reading
10777 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Taylor
26 books3,420 followersC.L. Taylor is an award winning Sunday Times bestselling author of ten gripping psychological thrillers including THE GUILTY COUPLE, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for summer 2023 and SLEEP, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for autumn 2019. Her books are not a series and can be read in any order:
2014 - THE ACCIDENT / Before I Wake (U.S.)
2015 - THE LIE
2016 - THE MISSING
2017 - THE ESCAPE
2018 - THE FEAR
2019 - SLEEP
2020 - STRANGERS
2021 - HER LAST HOLIDAY
2022 - THE GUILTY COUPLE
2024 - EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
2025 - IT'S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND
She has also written two Young Adult thrillers, THE TREATMENT and THE ISLAND.
C.L. Taylor's books have sold in excess of two million copies, been number one on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and Google Play and have been translated into over 25 languages and optioned for TV.
She lives in Bristol with her partner and son.
Sign up to join the CL Taylor Readers' Club to receive THE LODGER for free:
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www.cltaylorauthor.com
www.twitter.com/callytaylor
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2014 - THE ACCIDENT / Before I Wake (U.S.)
2015 - THE LIE
2016 - THE MISSING
2017 - THE ESCAPE
2018 - THE FEAR
2019 - SLEEP
2020 - STRANGERS
2021 - HER LAST HOLIDAY
2022 - THE GUILTY COUPLE
2024 - EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
2025 - IT'S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND
She has also written two Young Adult thrillers, THE TREATMENT and THE ISLAND.
C.L. Taylor's books have sold in excess of two million copies, been number one on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and Google Play and have been translated into over 25 languages and optioned for TV.
She lives in Bristol with her partner and son.
Sign up to join the CL Taylor Readers' Club to receive THE LODGER for free:
cltaylorauthor.com/newsletter
www.cltaylorauthor.com
www.twitter.com/callytaylor
www.Instagram.com/cltaylorauthor
www.facebook.com/callytaylorauthor
www.youtube.com/cltaylorauthor
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,272 reviews
October 2, 2018
Jane has a contented life or so it appears to the outside world. She has the job of her dreams working with animals in a rescue center. She lives in a cottage Wales and she has met a man she really likes.
Her boyfriend has a daughter from a previous relationship and Jane gets on well with his little girl.
What could possibly happen to threaten Jane's happy and contented life. Lies have a way of catching up when we least expect it and Jane's entire life is based on a lie. Jane was once known as Emily but someone out there knows her secret.
Five years ago Emily was persuaded to go on a holiday with three of her friends to Ekanta Yatra a retreat in Nepal. The retreat is not all it appears to be and soon friendships will become a thing of the past. This was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime but it is slowly turning into Emily's worst nightmare from which there seems no escape.
The Lie is now the third audiobook that I have listened to by this author. C. L Taylor can certainly spin some nailbiting tales. I loved every second of this story, masterfully written and narrated. I can't wait to read another tale by this author.
Her boyfriend has a daughter from a previous relationship and Jane gets on well with his little girl.
What could possibly happen to threaten Jane's happy and contented life. Lies have a way of catching up when we least expect it and Jane's entire life is based on a lie. Jane was once known as Emily but someone out there knows her secret.
Five years ago Emily was persuaded to go on a holiday with three of her friends to Ekanta Yatra a retreat in Nepal. The retreat is not all it appears to be and soon friendships will become a thing of the past. This was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime but it is slowly turning into Emily's worst nightmare from which there seems no escape.
The Lie is now the third audiobook that I have listened to by this author. C. L Taylor can certainly spin some nailbiting tales. I loved every second of this story, masterfully written and narrated. I can't wait to read another tale by this author.
August 13, 2024
I absolutely loved the dual timelines in this book! The mystery surrounding the disappearances had me hooked—so intriguing. The survivalist camp setting was such a unique twist, and it added the perfect eerie atmosphere that kept me on edge. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of a few of the girls, but hey, that's just my opinion.
August 3, 2023
I absolutely loved The Accident by C.L. Taylor, thought it was really taut clever fiction, so naturally I dived into The Lie with much gusto and excitement, waiting for that page turning feeling that is like an addiction to book addicts around the world.
What I got was a mixed bag of a book to say the least. It's left me somewhat baffled as to where it went in places and why. I shall do my best to express how it impacted me.
I know your name's not really Jane Hughes...
Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.
Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.
Jane has tried to put her past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves...
Timeline switching happens all through the book, from Jane and her friends years ago, before and during their holiday and to the present day, with Jane and her secrets and her new and hidden life. It's pretty easy to follow, not confusing like some timeline switching can be.
I really loved the pace, the plot and the energy of the book up to them arriving at the holiday destination of a lifetime, it's hard to share without spoilers, but it's not quite what everybody expected. At this point in addition to the group of friends a number of new and flawed characters are introduced and I can confidently say I did not take to one of them.
Events start to have a sinister, complex and tense edge to them, the loyalties and friendships are tested, strained and damaged, some repaired some not. You can sense the book going into a darker place.
But then, I was kind of incredulous, all these quite unbelievable events start to happen that are very extreme but mostly everybody is playing it down and carrying on as normal in this place. To me that was not realistic at all, any sane person would be running for the hills (in this case down the hills) at the first opportunity, but NO, they stay on for more weirdo stuff, creepy events and things that I wish I could share but can't.
I lost some respect for the plot at this point, it really seemed to get very far-fetched, entertaining but at times boring also, so hard to express how I felt. It was like someone else wrote the middle of the book. Whilst it was intense, for me it seemed quite disjointed. I could not understand what the women were thinking!
Reading what is happening on the holiday and then tying it in with what Jane is experiencing in modern day was great however, as you are trying to put the clues together and it's not that easy. I really liked Jane as a character all the way through the book. I also found Al to be one of the better characters, she is just who she is.
The book salvages itself with a fast paced and action packed, tense ending that did have the heart going and me on the edge of my seat. Then just when I think all that is over in Nepal, we swing to modern day action packed ending that again I found entertaining but really over the top to imagine to happen in real life. I know it's fiction but I have to say I found good portions of the plot a bit out there to be realistic.
The past and the present collide with a bang.
So, overall - easy to read, entertaining for most of it, a page turner for nearly all of it, but in my mind some flaws in plot development and twists. But not a negative or bad review at all, just my opinion. Some will rave, others may not. This is how the book review goes.
I have to say I thought The Accident was a more sophisticated and cleverly written book overall.
My final rating is 3.5 for The Lie, it would have been a 4 if not for the sections of the plot that a found a bit too liberal to be realistic.
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can send me a friend request. 🐱
She needed books like others need air to live.
What I got was a mixed bag of a book to say the least. It's left me somewhat baffled as to where it went in places and why. I shall do my best to express how it impacted me.
I know your name's not really Jane Hughes...
Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.
Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.
Jane has tried to put her past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves...
Timeline switching happens all through the book, from Jane and her friends years ago, before and during their holiday and to the present day, with Jane and her secrets and her new and hidden life. It's pretty easy to follow, not confusing like some timeline switching can be.
I really loved the pace, the plot and the energy of the book up to them arriving at the holiday destination of a lifetime, it's hard to share without spoilers, but it's not quite what everybody expected. At this point in addition to the group of friends a number of new and flawed characters are introduced and I can confidently say I did not take to one of them.
Events start to have a sinister, complex and tense edge to them, the loyalties and friendships are tested, strained and damaged, some repaired some not. You can sense the book going into a darker place.
But then, I was kind of incredulous, all these quite unbelievable events start to happen that are very extreme but mostly everybody is playing it down and carrying on as normal in this place. To me that was not realistic at all, any sane person would be running for the hills (in this case down the hills) at the first opportunity, but NO, they stay on for more weirdo stuff, creepy events and things that I wish I could share but can't.
I lost some respect for the plot at this point, it really seemed to get very far-fetched, entertaining but at times boring also, so hard to express how I felt. It was like someone else wrote the middle of the book. Whilst it was intense, for me it seemed quite disjointed. I could not understand what the women were thinking!
Reading what is happening on the holiday and then tying it in with what Jane is experiencing in modern day was great however, as you are trying to put the clues together and it's not that easy. I really liked Jane as a character all the way through the book. I also found Al to be one of the better characters, she is just who she is.
The book salvages itself with a fast paced and action packed, tense ending that did have the heart going and me on the edge of my seat. Then just when I think all that is over in Nepal, we swing to modern day action packed ending that again I found entertaining but really over the top to imagine to happen in real life. I know it's fiction but I have to say I found good portions of the plot a bit out there to be realistic.
The past and the present collide with a bang.
So, overall - easy to read, entertaining for most of it, a page turner for nearly all of it, but in my mind some flaws in plot development and twists. But not a negative or bad review at all, just my opinion. Some will rave, others may not. This is how the book review goes.
I have to say I thought The Accident was a more sophisticated and cleverly written book overall.
My final rating is 3.5 for The Lie, it would have been a 4 if not for the sections of the plot that a found a bit too liberal to be realistic.
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can send me a friend request. 🐱
She needed books like others need air to live.
April 18, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
3.5 Stars
I would have to say that overall I liked this book. I enjoy a wide range of books and find that mixing things up works best for me. I have been reading way too many romances lately so I was immediately interested in this book because I was in the mood for a mystery. The fact that the cover promises that it will be "Dark and creepy" was really just an added bonus.
I really had a hard time getting into this story as I started reading the book largely because of the dual timeline. I actually set this book aside early in my reading to read another book which isn't something that I do very often. Once I picked the book back up and read about a third of the story I was much more interested in what was going on. The second half of the book really flew by and I couldn't pull myself away from the story.
This book is told in two different timelines: the present and five years ago. It switches back and forth every chapter or two which really made it hard for me to get into the book. Each timeline is really a different story with different characters and separate problems. In the present, Jane is working in an animal shelter, dating a divorced teacher, and really just living a quiet life. Jane was a different person five years ago....literally.
Five years ago, Jane was Emma. Emma and her group of girl friends take an extended vacation to a retreat in Nepal. Emma's group of friends were the kind of girls that I love to hate with the exception of Al. Trying to figure out what was really going on at this retreat was really what grabbed me about the book. I have to admit that I just couldn't figure out where the story was going.
Jane's past is catching up to her in the present. When she receives some strange messages, she is at a loss as to who could be sending them. I wasn't quite as pulled into the mystery set in the present time. Jane and Emma really didn't even seem like the same character in a lot of ways. As I read the story, I believed that the key to solving her current mystery was held in what actually happened at the retreat. In the end, I thought that the present storyline was much weaker.
This was a good story that was fast paced and kept me guessing. I really wish that I had truly liked any of the characters. Leanne and Daisy had no redeeming qualities while Al and Emma/Jane just felt flat to me. This book was just missing that special something that makes a good book become great.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a good story that was a little different than the norm. This is the first book by C.L. Taylor that I have had a chance to read and I plan to look for her work in the future.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins - Avon via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
3.5 Stars
I would have to say that overall I liked this book. I enjoy a wide range of books and find that mixing things up works best for me. I have been reading way too many romances lately so I was immediately interested in this book because I was in the mood for a mystery. The fact that the cover promises that it will be "Dark and creepy" was really just an added bonus.
I really had a hard time getting into this story as I started reading the book largely because of the dual timeline. I actually set this book aside early in my reading to read another book which isn't something that I do very often. Once I picked the book back up and read about a third of the story I was much more interested in what was going on. The second half of the book really flew by and I couldn't pull myself away from the story.
This book is told in two different timelines: the present and five years ago. It switches back and forth every chapter or two which really made it hard for me to get into the book. Each timeline is really a different story with different characters and separate problems. In the present, Jane is working in an animal shelter, dating a divorced teacher, and really just living a quiet life. Jane was a different person five years ago....literally.
Five years ago, Jane was Emma. Emma and her group of girl friends take an extended vacation to a retreat in Nepal. Emma's group of friends were the kind of girls that I love to hate with the exception of Al. Trying to figure out what was really going on at this retreat was really what grabbed me about the book. I have to admit that I just couldn't figure out where the story was going.
Jane's past is catching up to her in the present. When she receives some strange messages, she is at a loss as to who could be sending them. I wasn't quite as pulled into the mystery set in the present time. Jane and Emma really didn't even seem like the same character in a lot of ways. As I read the story, I believed that the key to solving her current mystery was held in what actually happened at the retreat. In the end, I thought that the present storyline was much weaker.
This was a good story that was fast paced and kept me guessing. I really wish that I had truly liked any of the characters. Leanne and Daisy had no redeeming qualities while Al and Emma/Jane just felt flat to me. This book was just missing that special something that makes a good book become great.
I would recommend this book to others. It was a good story that was a little different than the norm. This is the first book by C.L. Taylor that I have had a chance to read and I plan to look for her work in the future.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins - Avon via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
April 22, 2015
This is a creepy read which just oozes menace in every chapter. Five years ago four friends – Emma, Al, Leanne and Daisy went on holiday to a spiritual retreat in Nepal, but it was a holiday that ended in disaster and we know right from the start that not everybody returned although we don’t know the full horrific details until much later in the book. Five years later Emma has a new identity - Jane – a new job and a blossoming relationship. Her past is a highly guarded secret, or is it? Someone seems to have discovered the truth about her. Who that is, we are not told.
The book unfolds in dual time, with the story of that fated holiday unfolding alongside that of Emma/Jane in the present. I really loved the parts of the story set in Nepal as what seemed at first glance to be a relaxing break in a spiritual retreat turns darker, menacing and increasingly violent. I really liked the way the cracks in the girls’ friendships suddenly widened and their relationships turned more and more sour by the day.
In the present day, Emma/Jane is being tormented by her mystery stalker who claims to know her identity and the truth of what happened on that holiday. I really felt the tension and wanted to scream at her not to trust anyone. It is the story of a friendship that will break down with disastrous results, one of lies, deceit, treachery, bitchiness and gruesome violence. It was a read that I didn’t want to put down. I read it on the bus, on the loo and late into the night because I just had to know what was going to happen. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
The book unfolds in dual time, with the story of that fated holiday unfolding alongside that of Emma/Jane in the present. I really loved the parts of the story set in Nepal as what seemed at first glance to be a relaxing break in a spiritual retreat turns darker, menacing and increasingly violent. I really liked the way the cracks in the girls’ friendships suddenly widened and their relationships turned more and more sour by the day.
In the present day, Emma/Jane is being tormented by her mystery stalker who claims to know her identity and the truth of what happened on that holiday. I really felt the tension and wanted to scream at her not to trust anyone. It is the story of a friendship that will break down with disastrous results, one of lies, deceit, treachery, bitchiness and gruesome violence. It was a read that I didn’t want to put down. I read it on the bus, on the loo and late into the night because I just had to know what was going to happen. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
September 3, 2019
Engrossing read about the dynamics of close friendship groups. We have a group of all female friends (Emma, Daisy, Al and Leanne) they decide to go on a retreat in the isolated mountains of Nepal. Al has gone through a breakup this is what they all need to cheer her up, be with your closest friends, the ones you trust with your secrets to help you heal.
The retreat is not what it seems. When friendships are put to the test, we uncover toxic jealousy, resentment and possessiveness. The retreat tests their loyalty will they be able to support each other or will they turn on each other.
Not everyone will leave the retreat alive.
I really enjoyed this book, I’m really enjoying these books. This is my third book from CL Taylor and I want more.
The retreat is not what it seems. When friendships are put to the test, we uncover toxic jealousy, resentment and possessiveness. The retreat tests their loyalty will they be able to support each other or will they turn on each other.
Not everyone will leave the retreat alive.
I really enjoyed this book, I’m really enjoying these books. This is my third book from CL Taylor and I want more.
February 27, 2022
Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this one. Too bad because I'm beginning to be a fan of C.L Taylor but this is just so disappointing. Cult, Community or Orgy, doesn't matter what you call it but after reading this, I felt robbed, you know. I didn't have any idea where the story was going, it was very confusing at times and I don't really care about the characters, they were awful people.
If my friends were like that, I'd rather not have friends at all. Too much drama and immaturity in that circle. Ugh!
If my friends were like that, I'd rather not have friends at all. Too much drama and immaturity in that circle. Ugh!
April 27, 2015
3.5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley, HarperCollins UK, Avon and author C.L. Taylor for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Lie is a suspenseful novel about a British woman who is being stalked five years after a horrifying experience while on vacation in Nepal. It is immediately clear that the events are connected. The tale is told in first person narrative from the point of view of the protagonist Emma (aka Jane). The chapters alternate between the Nepal adventure five years previous and the present day.
First, some positives. There are a lot of characters in both stories, and for the most part, you just do not know whom Emma can trust! Can she even trust her best friends in Nepal or her boyfriend in present-day Wales? Who can say? Not me! The tale also has a markedly sinister feel to it, which I really like. Emma, the protagonist, is very likeable, which to me is always a plus. I am not one of those readers who doesn’t mind a story where there is no one to root for.
The better of the two stories is the one set in Nepal. There are many suspenseful moments that make you want to read on to see what happens. It is a bit of a jolt, however, to have to alternate between Nepal and then Wales five years later; just as you are getting immersed in one story, the chapter ends, and you have to flip back to the other time period. This constant moving back and forth in time broke up the flow for me.
I have to say I am not keen on plots involving anything resembling a cult, and this lessened my enjoyment of The Lie. This is a personal dislike and not something that should dissuade readers without that opinion from reading the book.
Another issue I have with the book is that the relationship between two major characters undergoes a drastic unilateral change almost overnight. This was a little too unbelievable for me. This is an important point as this switch is central to the plot.
Back to the positives, there are aspects of the novel that really made me think. Can you trust your friends and lovers implicitly, especially during a time of crisis? You would think so, wouldn’t you? Or would you? And what lengths will the people closest to you go to meet their own needs? Will they sell you out? Can you trust anybody but yourself?
Overall, I think The Lie is an enjoyable and highly suspenseful novel. Ms. Taylor did an excellent job, especially considering this is only her second novel, and I will likely read other books by her. I recommend The Lie to all suspense and thriller fans.
Thank you to Net Galley, HarperCollins UK, Avon and author C.L. Taylor for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Lie is a suspenseful novel about a British woman who is being stalked five years after a horrifying experience while on vacation in Nepal. It is immediately clear that the events are connected. The tale is told in first person narrative from the point of view of the protagonist Emma (aka Jane). The chapters alternate between the Nepal adventure five years previous and the present day.
First, some positives. There are a lot of characters in both stories, and for the most part, you just do not know whom Emma can trust! Can she even trust her best friends in Nepal or her boyfriend in present-day Wales? Who can say? Not me! The tale also has a markedly sinister feel to it, which I really like. Emma, the protagonist, is very likeable, which to me is always a plus. I am not one of those readers who doesn’t mind a story where there is no one to root for.
The better of the two stories is the one set in Nepal. There are many suspenseful moments that make you want to read on to see what happens. It is a bit of a jolt, however, to have to alternate between Nepal and then Wales five years later; just as you are getting immersed in one story, the chapter ends, and you have to flip back to the other time period. This constant moving back and forth in time broke up the flow for me.
I have to say I am not keen on plots involving anything resembling a cult, and this lessened my enjoyment of The Lie. This is a personal dislike and not something that should dissuade readers without that opinion from reading the book.
Another issue I have with the book is that the relationship between two major characters undergoes a drastic unilateral change almost overnight. This was a little too unbelievable for me. This is an important point as this switch is central to the plot.
Back to the positives, there are aspects of the novel that really made me think. Can you trust your friends and lovers implicitly, especially during a time of crisis? You would think so, wouldn’t you? Or would you? And what lengths will the people closest to you go to meet their own needs? Will they sell you out? Can you trust anybody but yourself?
Overall, I think The Lie is an enjoyable and highly suspenseful novel. Ms. Taylor did an excellent job, especially considering this is only her second novel, and I will likely read other books by her. I recommend The Lie to all suspense and thriller fans.
February 1, 2022
Plot based, fast paced, didn't really like any of the characters but don't think that's essential for the book.
An ok read by the pool.
Two stars.
An ok read by the pool.
Two stars.
March 21, 2015
The Lie is a really excellent follow up to “The Accident” a book I was enthralled by last year, clever and tense psychological thrillers both. In The Accident the focus was on parental relationships and secrets, here with “The Lie” it is all about friendship.
Jane Hughes was not always Jane Hughes. In her other existence she and a group of friends went on the trip of a lifetime – What happened during that holiday led Jane to change her name and hide away from the world. Now, however, someone has tracked her down and soon the truth will emerge…
I do love books like this for their utterly addictive quality, where a past story is slowly drip fed to you in conjunction with present events, slowly but surely leading you towards the full picture. Ms Taylor does this particularly well by using some really excellent and emotive characters to pull you in. These friends could be any friends – the relationships we form as we head into adulthood tend to be the ones that stay with us even if we drift apart, this is captured in essence here perfectly even as this particular group fractures and falls.
I adored (hated) in equal measure every single one of them. This is why it is so completely enthralling throughout….when faced with an untenable situation, what do you do when the people you relied on, trusted, turn their backs on you? As an exploration of the petty jealousies and rolling emotions that can hide underneath the surface of the most solid seeming relationships this is pitched perfectly with some thought provoking themes and scenario’s.
Add to that the fact that it is truly haunting – I’m not giving too much away on the plot, what happens to the girls is horrific, but you should come to that on your own – still it is terribly creepy at times, there is one character in particular that I found to be as scary as he was intriguing and the situation is very authentic and possible which of course makes it even more frightening.
I will give a nod to Daisy. Daisy was a character who I wanted to punch in the mouth and I am not a violent person. Still, she was absolutely captivating, truly memorable, fascinating and provocative, I’d like to bet that like me, she will be one who will stay with you for the longest after the story is done.
Overall then a most terrific read, a huge page turner and a beautifully written snapshot of friendship and the things that separate us. Convincing and chilling, this comes highly recommended from me.
Jane Hughes was not always Jane Hughes. In her other existence she and a group of friends went on the trip of a lifetime – What happened during that holiday led Jane to change her name and hide away from the world. Now, however, someone has tracked her down and soon the truth will emerge…
I do love books like this for their utterly addictive quality, where a past story is slowly drip fed to you in conjunction with present events, slowly but surely leading you towards the full picture. Ms Taylor does this particularly well by using some really excellent and emotive characters to pull you in. These friends could be any friends – the relationships we form as we head into adulthood tend to be the ones that stay with us even if we drift apart, this is captured in essence here perfectly even as this particular group fractures and falls.
I adored (hated) in equal measure every single one of them. This is why it is so completely enthralling throughout….when faced with an untenable situation, what do you do when the people you relied on, trusted, turn their backs on you? As an exploration of the petty jealousies and rolling emotions that can hide underneath the surface of the most solid seeming relationships this is pitched perfectly with some thought provoking themes and scenario’s.
Add to that the fact that it is truly haunting – I’m not giving too much away on the plot, what happens to the girls is horrific, but you should come to that on your own – still it is terribly creepy at times, there is one character in particular that I found to be as scary as he was intriguing and the situation is very authentic and possible which of course makes it even more frightening.
I will give a nod to Daisy. Daisy was a character who I wanted to punch in the mouth and I am not a violent person. Still, she was absolutely captivating, truly memorable, fascinating and provocative, I’d like to bet that like me, she will be one who will stay with you for the longest after the story is done.
Overall then a most terrific read, a huge page turner and a beautifully written snapshot of friendship and the things that separate us. Convincing and chilling, this comes highly recommended from me.
June 24, 2016
HOW CAN ONE CHARACTER BE SO STUPID?
That's literally the thought that was screaming through my head the whole time I was listening/reading this book. The Lie focuses around Emma and is split into the present where she is working in Wales and known by the name Jane Hughes and four years earlier when Emma went on a holiday to Nepal with three of her best friends and only two of them returned alive. Emma has built a new life for herself as Jane but she sudden;y starts receiving ominous messages and must figure out who is threatening her.
So the first thing you need to know about this book is that Emma's friends - Al, Daisy and Leanna - are literally THE WORST people in the world. They're all selfish and just idiotic. When the girls go to the camp in Nepal, it's immediately obvious something weird is going on and Emma knows it yet she just goes with it? I mean..WHY would you give your passports to someone you don't know? Why not just pay the money you would be paying anyway at the end and keep the passport. They are he most precious thing you have when abroad and I know I wouldn't be giving mine up to anyway when halfway up a fecking mountain away from normal civilisation.
There were a lot of times listening to this that I wanted to scream out loud in frustration at both Emma's actions and her friends and how they treated her. Daisy was suppose to be best friend and was literally the worst. I found it really odd how she could turn on Emma so suddenly and be sucked in by Isaac. Having recently read The Girls by Emma Cline which focuses on a cult in California in 1969, I can see how a cult leader can be written to be so charismatic and drawing that you get why people would worship and listen to him. Isaac wasn't like that - apart from being good-looking, he did just come across as being controlling and weird all the time. Not only did Emma stay after being sexually assaulted NOT ONCE BUT TWICE, she also stayed when she knew Isaac had literally locked away a girl and beaten her??? I would be down that mountain in a flash. The part after Emma was almost raped (which was really hard to listen to btw) and Daisy spread around the rumor that Emma had asked for it and was lying made me so mad - especially with what's going on right now with the Stanton rape case. UGH.
Emma's stupidity contInued even when she was Jane. She knew something was off aBout the new girl in the shelter yet she just continued on. WHY WHY WHY!Haven't you learned anything?
The ending was definitely weak and just seemed like such a let down.
To add on: The audiobook for this wasn't great for me either. The narrator put on a lot of strong accents which were not only annoying and distracting sometimes but slowed down her reading. She also made the one gay character, Al, sound really mannish which was unnecessary.
That's literally the thought that was screaming through my head the whole time I was listening/reading this book. The Lie focuses around Emma and is split into the present where she is working in Wales and known by the name Jane Hughes and four years earlier when Emma went on a holiday to Nepal with three of her best friends and only two of them returned alive. Emma has built a new life for herself as Jane but she sudden;y starts receiving ominous messages and must figure out who is threatening her.
So the first thing you need to know about this book is that Emma's friends - Al, Daisy and Leanna - are literally THE WORST people in the world. They're all selfish and just idiotic. When the girls go to the camp in Nepal, it's immediately obvious something weird is going on and Emma knows it yet she just goes with it? I mean..WHY would you give your passports to someone you don't know? Why not just pay the money you would be paying anyway at the end and keep the passport. They are he most precious thing you have when abroad and I know I wouldn't be giving mine up to anyway when halfway up a fecking mountain away from normal civilisation.
There were a lot of times listening to this that I wanted to scream out loud in frustration at both Emma's actions and her friends and how they treated her. Daisy was suppose to be best friend and was literally the worst. I found it really odd how she could turn on Emma so suddenly and be sucked in by Isaac. Having recently read The Girls by Emma Cline which focuses on a cult in California in 1969, I can see how a cult leader can be written to be so charismatic and drawing that you get why people would worship and listen to him. Isaac wasn't like that - apart from being good-looking, he did just come across as being controlling and weird all the time. Not only did Emma stay after being sexually assaulted NOT ONCE BUT TWICE, she also stayed when she knew Isaac had literally locked away a girl and beaten her??? I would be down that mountain in a flash. The part after Emma was almost raped (which was really hard to listen to btw) and Daisy spread around the rumor that Emma had asked for it and was lying made me so mad - especially with what's going on right now with the Stanton rape case. UGH.
Emma's stupidity contInued even when she was Jane. She knew something was off aBout the new girl in the shelter yet she just continued on. WHY WHY WHY!Haven't you learned anything?
The ending was definitely weak and just seemed like such a let down.
To add on: The audiobook for this wasn't great for me either. The narrator put on a lot of strong accents which were not only annoying and distracting sometimes but slowed down her reading. She also made the one gay character, Al, sound really mannish which was unnecessary.
August 10, 2020
This is surprisingly really good. It's certainly a gripping psycho-thriller, one that started with four friends who decided to have a vacation in Nepal on a retreat that will supposedly refresh their minds and bodies except it did the opposite. The catch: of the four friends, only two of them came back alive.
The narrative that smoothly shifts from present to past in Emma's (hiding under the new name Jane) POV is easy to read, engaging, and quite gripping. The author certainly piqued my curiosity about what actually went on in their retreat in Nepal and while the narrative progressively divulges the events, things become very dark , suspenseful, and creepy.
The psychological manipulation coupled with physical torture masked as "detoxification" that went on in the retreat is really scary, the way the people's behavior is slowly changing unwillingly until they get trapped in the mountains with no way to escape.
The characters are portrayed authentically and the cracks that resulted to animosity and jealousy among the friends are very believable making them vulnerable and easy prey to psychological manipulation by sociopaths disguising as retreat managers. I'm sure checking out the author's other books.
The narrative that smoothly shifts from present to past in Emma's (hiding under the new name Jane) POV is easy to read, engaging, and quite gripping. The author certainly piqued my curiosity about what actually went on in their retreat in Nepal and while the narrative progressively divulges the events, things become very dark , suspenseful, and creepy.
The psychological manipulation coupled with physical torture masked as "detoxification" that went on in the retreat is really scary, the way the people's behavior is slowly changing unwillingly until they get trapped in the mountains with no way to escape.
The characters are portrayed authentically and the cracks that resulted to animosity and jealousy among the friends are very believable making them vulnerable and easy prey to psychological manipulation by sociopaths disguising as retreat managers. I'm sure checking out the author's other books.
March 11, 2022
The story follows two timelines with one narrator, tells the story of Jane Hughes, and alternates between her current, quiet life as an animal shelter worker and the tale of her journey to Nepal with three of her friends. This story has all the things that makes for a good psychological thriller...an ominous setting... an unknown villain...and a creepy mystery. What kept it from receiving 4.5 or 5 stars was that I really don't care for stories that have cults as so much of a central setting. I become frustrated with characters that can't see beyond their propaganda and control. I also found her three friends fairly unlikeable and controlling. What it had going for it was an interesting plot, but the ending fell a little flat. The entire book led up to something greater that just never happened. In spite of that it was still a good, worth the time, read.
April 20, 2015
After reading "The Accident" which kept my blood pumping fast way into the night I have been silently stalking C L Taylor. From afar I have been waiting for this book to come out, and way hooooo, it came out on Net Galley. I also heard from her publishers in my email account, so hey, I guess they knew I couldn't wait.
I have purposely waited until now to get my reading matter done on this new book from this author as I know many would grab and start reading it right away. I wanted to wait. I wanted to wait for the hype to simmer down so that I could chill out......they hype this book up again where it deserves to be.
We have a bunch of friends who go travelling, it was meant to be three destinations, but they only got to two.
This book is written where we have 'up to date NOW' and PAST 5 years ago....
You need to keep up as the book reflects back on the past.
Jane Hugh works and loves being in the animal sanctuary. She has a steady man in her life, she seems to be happy.
But Jane cannot be happy because as we all know, the past can come back to bite you on the bum! And that is exactly what happens to her.
There are a series of events that take place in the PRESENT DAY and then we go back to the PAST where we are told and experience what happened with her friends.
We not only have LIE'S we have SECRETS, and we know secrets come out too and get revealed when we least expect them.
The ones we thought we could trust, can we? The ones we thought we couldn't trust, can we not?
I adored this authors last book, and I loved this book.
I really don't know how authors dream up these stories, they are enthralling, compulsive, addictive and my time just flies when reading books such as this.
My thanks go to C L Taylor for yet another compulsive read I won't forget. And to HarperCollins UK, Avon via Net Galley for my copy to read and review
March 31, 2015
In the crowded psychological thriller market it can be tough to stand out, but CL Taylor succeeds here by mixing a zeitgeisty tale of friendship-gone-wrong and secrets from the past with Alex Garland's 90s blockbuster The Beach. This is a fast-paced, tense and atmospheric novel; a good old-fashioned thumping good read. The descriptions of the sinister community in Nepal are evocative and exciting. There are some great set-pieces - CL Taylor is brilliant at writing nail-biting action scenes - and the characterisation is spot-on. This is a guaranteed bestseller and that's, ahem, The Truth.
February 17, 2017
This was a gripping psychological thriller examining the fragility of friendship between 4 young women each emotionally damaged in their own way. I literally could not put this book down and read it within a day whilst cooking and stayed up most of the night to finish it. CL Taylor has a fabulous talent of describing places and people that I could visualise everything as I read it. Highly recommend this book.
April 30, 2020
Unfortunately this is not CL Taylor's best work. After reading Sleep last year (and LOVING IT 💕), I was really excited to pick up another of her novels. But it looks like this was just the wrong one for me 😭
An extremely brief overview:
"Jane" has started a new life after what happened 5 years ago when her group of friends went to a retreat in Nepal. Someone is threatening to expose her. The story flits back and forth between the two time lines.
I had so many problems with this book 🙄
1. Modern-day Jane was fine as a character, but I can't equate her to the character 5 years ago who went on holiday. It is genuinely like two different people, the latter being spineless and irritating in every way. At one point I was quite ready to throw her off a cliff.
2. You go from 4 girls who are very close pre-retreat to completely unrealistic behaviour. I'm sorry but it wouldn't matter how much "weird stuff" there was at this retreat, nothing would cause a genuine friendship to turn in such an extreme way, especially the Frank storyline 😐
3. This is not a mystery, because it is not possible to figure out. You are so slowly spoon fed the information by the author that the crime solving aspect of the story ends up basically being non-existent. The ending was wholly disappointing for this reason.
I could keep on ranting but I won't. Basically I regret spending my time on this and it's causing me to debate reading another CL Taylor novel in the future 😔
I really hope others enjoyed it more than me!
An extremely brief overview:
"Jane" has started a new life after what happened 5 years ago when her group of friends went to a retreat in Nepal. Someone is threatening to expose her. The story flits back and forth between the two time lines.
I had so many problems with this book 🙄
1. Modern-day Jane was fine as a character, but I can't equate her to the character 5 years ago who went on holiday. It is genuinely like two different people, the latter being spineless and irritating in every way. At one point I was quite ready to throw her off a cliff.
2. You go from 4 girls who are very close pre-retreat to completely unrealistic behaviour. I'm sorry but it wouldn't matter how much "weird stuff" there was at this retreat, nothing would cause a genuine friendship to turn in such an extreme way, especially the Frank storyline 😐
3. This is not a mystery, because it is not possible to figure out. You are so slowly spoon fed the information by the author that the crime solving aspect of the story ends up basically being non-existent. The ending was wholly disappointing for this reason.
I could keep on ranting but I won't. Basically I regret spending my time on this and it's causing me to debate reading another CL Taylor novel in the future 😔
I really hope others enjoyed it more than me!
February 18, 2019
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
I snapped up this book without even looking at the synopsis as I enjoyed this authors début novel so much. Pretty smart decision by me as this one was even darker and had a sinister setting that gave me all the creeps that I expect from a psychological thriller!
First Line of The Lie by C L Taylor:
My Thoughts on The Lie by C L Taylor:
The Lie is told in two different timelines – the present and five years earlier. In the present you have Jane who works in an animal sanctuary under a new name and identity. However, her past is coming back to bite her. Five years earlier, you have Emma who is going off on holidays with three of her university friends.
I usually have a favourite timeline and this time it was the one in the past. I loved the intricate relationships between the four girls. They don’t have healthy attachments to each other and instead of their friendships boosting them up, they seem to drag them down. It seemed very realistic as after you leave college, your lives go in different directions and what were once strong bonds can alter drastically.
However even that was my preferred timeline, I was still intrigued by the present day one too. I loved that it was suspenseful and had a dangerous underlying vibe to it. There was also a very slight romance in the present day but this is book about friendship more than anything else.
Of the four friends, I only really liked the main character Jane/Emma. The others were various levels of horrible. And I love reading about dysfunctional characters so I thoroughly enjoyed the nastiness. Just call me crazy but I love a well-developed bad girl (disclaimer...in my books not in real life!). And this gang met my definition for thoroughly unpleasant. Plus through effective character development we get good insight as to why they were that way.
There were no major twists or shocks in the book however the pace was tense and sinister so it still remained a page turner. And the setting was FAB! Arrrgghhh, I want so badly to tell you what it was but that would be a huge spoiler so I have to zip it! With difficulty! But it’s a setting I haven’t read about much and it meant the characters were very isolated and in a LOT of trouble. It was nerve-racking and captivating.
Overall this is a great follow-up novel by C L Taylor and I look forward to her future books with anticipation. She does creepy and dangerous with ease and in way that sets my heart pitter pattering!
Who should read The Lie by C L Taylor?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who enjoy reading about complex characters in a tense setting. If you enjoyed The Accident, then I think you’ll equally enjoy this one. Fans of Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent, The Girl on the Train by Paul Hawkins and The Long Fall by Julia Crouch should also appreciate The Lie.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I snapped up this book without even looking at the synopsis as I enjoyed this authors début novel so much. Pretty smart decision by me as this one was even darker and had a sinister setting that gave me all the creeps that I expect from a psychological thriller!
First Line of The Lie by C L Taylor:
“I know he’s trouble before he even set foot in the building.”
My Thoughts on The Lie by C L Taylor:
The Lie is told in two different timelines – the present and five years earlier. In the present you have Jane who works in an animal sanctuary under a new name and identity. However, her past is coming back to bite her. Five years earlier, you have Emma who is going off on holidays with three of her university friends.
I usually have a favourite timeline and this time it was the one in the past. I loved the intricate relationships between the four girls. They don’t have healthy attachments to each other and instead of their friendships boosting them up, they seem to drag them down. It seemed very realistic as after you leave college, your lives go in different directions and what were once strong bonds can alter drastically.
However even that was my preferred timeline, I was still intrigued by the present day one too. I loved that it was suspenseful and had a dangerous underlying vibe to it. There was also a very slight romance in the present day but this is book about friendship more than anything else.
Of the four friends, I only really liked the main character Jane/Emma. The others were various levels of horrible. And I love reading about dysfunctional characters so I thoroughly enjoyed the nastiness. Just call me crazy but I love a well-developed bad girl (disclaimer...in my books not in real life!). And this gang met my definition for thoroughly unpleasant. Plus through effective character development we get good insight as to why they were that way.
There were no major twists or shocks in the book however the pace was tense and sinister so it still remained a page turner. And the setting was FAB! Arrrgghhh, I want so badly to tell you what it was but that would be a huge spoiler so I have to zip it! With difficulty! But it’s a setting I haven’t read about much and it meant the characters were very isolated and in a LOT of trouble. It was nerve-racking and captivating.
Overall this is a great follow-up novel by C L Taylor and I look forward to her future books with anticipation. She does creepy and dangerous with ease and in way that sets my heart pitter pattering!
Who should read The Lie by C L Taylor?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who enjoy reading about complex characters in a tense setting. If you enjoyed The Accident, then I think you’ll equally enjoy this one. Fans of Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent, The Girl on the Train by Paul Hawkins and The Long Fall by Julia Crouch should also appreciate The Lie.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
April 3, 2017
An honour one can acquire on Goodreads is to have written the ‘go to’ review for readers who had a very strong positive or negative reaction to a particular book. I’ve not achieved the former—proud as I am of my reviews of Dare Me & The Likeness—in several cases I fear I’ve accomplished the latter, to have written the review that captures perfectly the faults of a book. My review of C. L. Taylor’s The Accident seems to be one of them. I’ve felt guilty about that ever since, because the manifold faults in that story might have been obviated by better editing (‘no, lambs aren’t “happy” to be roasted’; ‘the I in ICU stands for “intensive”; that means they don’t casually allow strangers to stroll into the ward and try murder the patients’; ‘no, Sylvia Plath didn’t drown herself in her kitchen’) when like all of us, the author was having a momentary attack of the stupids.
Guilty because subsequently I won a signed copy of the author’s next book, The Lie—& it reads on the title-page: ‘To Bill, I hope you enjoy The Lie. All the best. C. L. Taylor.’ For over a year it’s sat accusingly @ my bedside whilst accumulating good reviews from other readers. When I finally took the plunge, The Lie indeed turned out to be an excellent read. It has one feature I’m growing to dislike intensely, a two-track narrative scheme with the same 1st-person narrator, one set in the present & the other in the past. As the present narrator (unless amnesiac) knows how the backstory (here 5 yrs ago) turned out, as a reader I feel played with or jerked around by the author’s pretense to keep me in suspense. But it has as well a theme I love, the principal character who invents a new identity for herself & what happens when the past intrudes.
The backstory is mostly set in a hippy cult commune in Nepal called Ekanta Yatra where 4 BFs, Leanne, Daisy, Al & Emma/later-Jane go on holiday. Only (shouldn’t that be ‘twoly’?) Al & Jane/formerly-Emma) come back to England, & they’re not Fs anymore. What happened to them turns out to be both fascinating & quite harrowing. Isaac, the cult leader, is a particularly vile specimen who talks Tavistock Square jargon in a revoltingly lower-class Scots accent reproduced in all its ugliness in the Audible edition. Even tho’ I have a strong aversion to DV (& there turns out to be a lot in this book), as an adventure thriller The Lie gripped me completely once I got into it on audio @ about 1/2 way. The present story isn’t as riveting & I thought a bit less plausible. What works in an exotic setting (as I read The Lie, I was often reminded of Katy Gardner’s Losing Gemma, tho’ their denouements are very different) loses its flavour & sparkle as a domestic. That may be why The Accident failed to entertain me.
If you’ve not yet read the book & love perilous escape thrillers, I highly recommend The Lie, especially if you like dual-track story lines. So, thank you very much C. L. Taylor, I did indeed ‘enjoy The Lie’.
Guilty because subsequently I won a signed copy of the author’s next book, The Lie—& it reads on the title-page: ‘To Bill, I hope you enjoy The Lie. All the best. C. L. Taylor.’ For over a year it’s sat accusingly @ my bedside whilst accumulating good reviews from other readers. When I finally took the plunge, The Lie indeed turned out to be an excellent read. It has one feature I’m growing to dislike intensely, a two-track narrative scheme with the same 1st-person narrator, one set in the present & the other in the past. As the present narrator (unless amnesiac) knows how the backstory (here 5 yrs ago) turned out, as a reader I feel played with or jerked around by the author’s pretense to keep me in suspense. But it has as well a theme I love, the principal character who invents a new identity for herself & what happens when the past intrudes.
The backstory is mostly set in a hippy cult commune in Nepal called Ekanta Yatra where 4 BFs, Leanne, Daisy, Al & Emma/later-Jane go on holiday. Only (shouldn’t that be ‘twoly’?) Al & Jane/formerly-Emma) come back to England, & they’re not Fs anymore. What happened to them turns out to be both fascinating & quite harrowing. Isaac, the cult leader, is a particularly vile specimen who talks Tavistock Square jargon in a revoltingly lower-class Scots accent reproduced in all its ugliness in the Audible edition. Even tho’ I have a strong aversion to DV (& there turns out to be a lot in this book), as an adventure thriller The Lie gripped me completely once I got into it on audio @ about 1/2 way. The present story isn’t as riveting & I thought a bit less plausible. What works in an exotic setting (as I read The Lie, I was often reminded of Katy Gardner’s Losing Gemma, tho’ their denouements are very different) loses its flavour & sparkle as a domestic. That may be why The Accident failed to entertain me.
If you’ve not yet read the book & love perilous escape thrillers, I highly recommend The Lie, especially if you like dual-track story lines. So, thank you very much C. L. Taylor, I did indeed ‘enjoy The Lie’.
February 10, 2016
I don't know how to review this book The Lie by C L Taylor was okay but i was not sure where it was going was totally confused & really did not get me in at all i know a lot of 5 star ratings were given but to me it was a flat read maybe i am in the minority but its just my opinion. 21/2 stars
December 13, 2015
This is one of the most suspenseful books I have read lately....
Four seemingly benign friends set out for the holiday of a lifetime in Nepal to separate one from an ex-lover whom she is stalking.
But that is not the only reason for this holiday. The main reason is known to only one of the four......
Five years later, one of the four has changed her name and carved herself out a comfortable new life in Wales. She has the job she has always dreamed of, and a promising relationship with a new man in her life who knows nothing of her past. For the first time in years Jane is feeling happy and secure.
But then she receives a message - "I know your name's not really Jane Hughes"...
This book is well written and is full of menace, intrigue and suspense. A real page turner!
Thank you to publishers HarperCollins UK, Avon, author CL Taylor and NetGalley for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Four seemingly benign friends set out for the holiday of a lifetime in Nepal to separate one from an ex-lover whom she is stalking.
But that is not the only reason for this holiday. The main reason is known to only one of the four......
Five years later, one of the four has changed her name and carved herself out a comfortable new life in Wales. She has the job she has always dreamed of, and a promising relationship with a new man in her life who knows nothing of her past. For the first time in years Jane is feeling happy and secure.
But then she receives a message - "I know your name's not really Jane Hughes"...
This book is well written and is full of menace, intrigue and suspense. A real page turner!
Thank you to publishers HarperCollins UK, Avon, author CL Taylor and NetGalley for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2015
I would like to thank both Net Galley and my Goodread friend Jules for recommending this book to me. A psychological thriller based on the friendship of four girls who encounter jealousy and misunderstandings that put their relationships to the test. The story alternates between present day and the nightmare that occurred 5 years ago. A fast paced thriller that is both an excellent page turner and a very good novel that is full of very strong characters.
I enjoyed the book so much that I plan to read another of the authors books "The Accident" very soon.
I enjoyed the book so much that I plan to read another of the authors books "The Accident" very soon.
February 19, 2024
This is one of these books where the build up is everything and you spend the whole time reading changing your mind on who could be behind something, only to find out its the most boring solution possible (hard eye roll!).
I really wanted to like this book more and I could've easily given this 4 stars but the ending was weak! The cult aspect of this book was really interesting and I will be looking out for more books with cult's as part of the plot. The character growth was decent but never fully flushed out.
I also liked the duel timelines I thought they were really well done and it was a good way to keep the reader intrigued.
I really wanted to like this book more and I could've easily given this 4 stars but the ending was weak! The cult aspect of this book was really interesting and I will be looking out for more books with cult's as part of the plot. The character growth was decent but never fully flushed out.
I also liked the duel timelines I thought they were really well done and it was a good way to keep the reader intrigued.
May 27, 2017
2.5
Ako ste slučajno gledali Znam što si radila prošlog ljeta (1997.), a ne želite se zamarati s time još jednom.. Preskočite ovaj roman. Tada je ta ideja bila interesantna, no ponovno se s njom sresti, ne nudi baš previše zanimljivosti. Likovi, radnja, pripovijedanje.. Ništa što bih mogla izdvojiti kao posebno. Sigurna sam da ću je jako brzo i zaboraviti.
Ako ste slučajno gledali Znam što si radila prošlog ljeta (1997.), a ne želite se zamarati s time još jednom.. Preskočite ovaj roman. Tada je ta ideja bila interesantna, no ponovno se s njom sresti, ne nudi baš previše zanimljivosti. Likovi, radnja, pripovijedanje.. Ništa što bih mogla izdvojiti kao posebno. Sigurna sam da ću je jako brzo i zaboraviti.
January 20, 2015
The Lie – Brilliant Psychological Thriller
The Lie is the second book from Cally Taylor who debuted with The Accident in 2014 which was a wonderful debut. If Cally was a musician who had an excellent debut album we would be talking about the difficult second album but fortunately for us she is a writer who gets even better with her second book. The Lie is an absolutely brilliant thriller that keeps you guessing all the way to the end, with plenty of twists that keeps you guessing. The telling of the story from 2 aspects again appears in this thriller and is a fantastic device. I do feel sorry for Cally Taylor’s child, when he asks for a bed time story from mummy it must scare the living delights out of him!
Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al became friends at University up in Newcastle and even when they all relocated down to London after graduation they remained close. They are all stuck in jobs that they do not enjoy and seem to be stuck going nowhere even in their relationships with others. To blast the cobwebs away from their lives they decided to go on the holiday of a lifetime to Nepal to a retreat, Ekanta yatra, Leanne organised the trip for them all. Four of them leave for the holiday of a life time but there are only two who return as the others were dead.
Five year later the two survivors are no longer in contact with each other, Emma angry that Al sold their story to a newspaper, both moved away from London. Emma has reinvented herself as Jane Hughes, who works at an animal sanctuary in Wales called Green Fields. Since getting back from Nepal Emma has tried to move on from what happened and that her two friends died there. She is in a new relationship and maybe something is going well for her for a change.
Emma receives a letter and a couple of emails that shakes her to the core telling her that Daisy is alive and it is her that should be dead. Facebook messages and text messages also start arriving that shakes her up, along with a new volunteer at Green Fields who seems far too interested in her. It is when she is a victim of a hit and run accident that things start to turn serious and she is advised that she could be in danger as the police investigate. It is when Green Fields is set alight that she finally has to face the demons of her past and can she save the innocent victims the animals while protecting her own life?
The Lie is a downright dark and very twisted psychological thriller that is a compelling rollercoaster of a read especially as the tension builds to a crescendo finale when we finally receive the answers to the questions posed throughout the book. With the multiple twists in the examination of friendships and cults you really do enter a dark and very creepy world. The characters are well developed well written and the story really does grip you by the throat and not let you go until the end. I certainly would not want to get on the wrong side of Cally Taylor because The Lie is an example of her thinking she has a seriously twisted mind that would make her revenge a very painful cold dish being served.
The Lie is a dark twisted totally creepy psychological thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning to the end. Who knew friendships could be as dangerous as those in The Lie after reading this I shall be reassessing my friendships for sure. A fantastic read that will raise Cally Taylor’s reputation as a writer even higher.
The Lie is the second book from Cally Taylor who debuted with The Accident in 2014 which was a wonderful debut. If Cally was a musician who had an excellent debut album we would be talking about the difficult second album but fortunately for us she is a writer who gets even better with her second book. The Lie is an absolutely brilliant thriller that keeps you guessing all the way to the end, with plenty of twists that keeps you guessing. The telling of the story from 2 aspects again appears in this thriller and is a fantastic device. I do feel sorry for Cally Taylor’s child, when he asks for a bed time story from mummy it must scare the living delights out of him!
Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al became friends at University up in Newcastle and even when they all relocated down to London after graduation they remained close. They are all stuck in jobs that they do not enjoy and seem to be stuck going nowhere even in their relationships with others. To blast the cobwebs away from their lives they decided to go on the holiday of a lifetime to Nepal to a retreat, Ekanta yatra, Leanne organised the trip for them all. Four of them leave for the holiday of a life time but there are only two who return as the others were dead.
Five year later the two survivors are no longer in contact with each other, Emma angry that Al sold their story to a newspaper, both moved away from London. Emma has reinvented herself as Jane Hughes, who works at an animal sanctuary in Wales called Green Fields. Since getting back from Nepal Emma has tried to move on from what happened and that her two friends died there. She is in a new relationship and maybe something is going well for her for a change.
Emma receives a letter and a couple of emails that shakes her to the core telling her that Daisy is alive and it is her that should be dead. Facebook messages and text messages also start arriving that shakes her up, along with a new volunteer at Green Fields who seems far too interested in her. It is when she is a victim of a hit and run accident that things start to turn serious and she is advised that she could be in danger as the police investigate. It is when Green Fields is set alight that she finally has to face the demons of her past and can she save the innocent victims the animals while protecting her own life?
The Lie is a downright dark and very twisted psychological thriller that is a compelling rollercoaster of a read especially as the tension builds to a crescendo finale when we finally receive the answers to the questions posed throughout the book. With the multiple twists in the examination of friendships and cults you really do enter a dark and very creepy world. The characters are well developed well written and the story really does grip you by the throat and not let you go until the end. I certainly would not want to get on the wrong side of Cally Taylor because The Lie is an example of her thinking she has a seriously twisted mind that would make her revenge a very painful cold dish being served.
The Lie is a dark twisted totally creepy psychological thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning to the end. Who knew friendships could be as dangerous as those in The Lie after reading this I shall be reassessing my friendships for sure. A fantastic read that will raise Cally Taylor’s reputation as a writer even higher.
April 12, 2015
Having read C L Taylor's debut thriller last year, The Accident, which I loved, The Lie was on my wishlist as soon as it was announced. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher which has been glaring at me from the bookshelf, until I couldn't wait any longer and bumped it up to the top of the TBR.
Five years ago, Jane Hughes was called Emma Woolfe and she and three friends set out for the holiday of a lifetime to Nepal. The fun that they were expecting however soon turned into a nightmare.
The suspense starts at the very beginning when Jane receives a letter at the animal sanctuary where she now works, indicating that someone knows her secret. I was hooked already and intrigued to find out why Jane changed her name and what did she have to hide? The story then flips between the present and the past. We’re with the girls as they excitedly prepare for their holiday retreat in the mountains. We also see the cracks that gradually appear in the friendship and watch it becoming something nasty and frightening.
The characterization is so good - people who you thought were trustworthy turn out to be anything but and the sinister undertones increase as gradually the story unfolds. All four friends had flawed but interesting characters. They may not have been very likeable but each had their own issues which all played a part in the trauma that was to follow. The Ektanta yatra retreat, where they were staying, was anything but a haven of peace and tranquility, some of the people there may have seemed charming and welcoming but a few had an agenda of their own. Most of the time my sympathy was with Emma – there were times when I thought she was a bit naive but I could identify with her character and I felt for her at the way she was treated.
This excellent story has so much going for it – there is a wonderful sense of place, particularly the setting in Nepal and there is darkness to the plot which made me worry for the four friends and added to the sense of fear as I turned the page. There are so many psychological thrillers out there now but C L Taylor has certainly found her place in this genre and I’m very much looking forward to the next book.
Five years ago, Jane Hughes was called Emma Woolfe and she and three friends set out for the holiday of a lifetime to Nepal. The fun that they were expecting however soon turned into a nightmare.
The suspense starts at the very beginning when Jane receives a letter at the animal sanctuary where she now works, indicating that someone knows her secret. I was hooked already and intrigued to find out why Jane changed her name and what did she have to hide? The story then flips between the present and the past. We’re with the girls as they excitedly prepare for their holiday retreat in the mountains. We also see the cracks that gradually appear in the friendship and watch it becoming something nasty and frightening.
The characterization is so good - people who you thought were trustworthy turn out to be anything but and the sinister undertones increase as gradually the story unfolds. All four friends had flawed but interesting characters. They may not have been very likeable but each had their own issues which all played a part in the trauma that was to follow. The Ektanta yatra retreat, where they were staying, was anything but a haven of peace and tranquility, some of the people there may have seemed charming and welcoming but a few had an agenda of their own. Most of the time my sympathy was with Emma – there were times when I thought she was a bit naive but I could identify with her character and I felt for her at the way she was treated.
This excellent story has so much going for it – there is a wonderful sense of place, particularly the setting in Nepal and there is darkness to the plot which made me worry for the four friends and added to the sense of fear as I turned the page. There are so many psychological thrillers out there now but C L Taylor has certainly found her place in this genre and I’m very much looking forward to the next book.
May 3, 2015
The Lie was a thrilling read that was very hard to put down. If I didn’t have to eat, sleep and work, it wouldn’t have left my hands.
The main focus of this story is about female friendships, and what can happen if those friendships become strained and taken over by competitiveness, jealousy and lack of trust.
Jane (previously named Emma) tries to reinvent her life after the traumatic holiday in Nepal, which she went on with her three friends five years earlier. Unfortunately that is not meant to be, and her past comes back to haunt her in more ways than one. Someone knows about her past and is taunting her in the present. Who is it and what will be the outcome?
As the story progresses, we learn what actually happened in Nepal. After what I read in this book, I don’t think I’ll be going to Nepal in a hurry, and will just stay here in West Cornwall with my husband and two dogs.
There is a very interesting mix of characters, some more likeable than others. I softened to Jane immediately, as I loved her compassion for animals. The depth of secrets and lies amongst the four friends is rather impressive, and makes it very hard to work out who is good or bad, and who is safe to trust.
Every time the book took me back to Nepal, I just wanted to get out of there. I could feel my anxiety increasing every time I was taken back into the past, and would be screaming at some of the characters to get out of there NOW.
I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes psychological thrillers, and I can’t wait to read The Accident.
I would like to thank the publisher, HarperCollins UK, Avon for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The main focus of this story is about female friendships, and what can happen if those friendships become strained and taken over by competitiveness, jealousy and lack of trust.
Jane (previously named Emma) tries to reinvent her life after the traumatic holiday in Nepal, which she went on with her three friends five years earlier. Unfortunately that is not meant to be, and her past comes back to haunt her in more ways than one. Someone knows about her past and is taunting her in the present. Who is it and what will be the outcome?
As the story progresses, we learn what actually happened in Nepal. After what I read in this book, I don’t think I’ll be going to Nepal in a hurry, and will just stay here in West Cornwall with my husband and two dogs.
There is a very interesting mix of characters, some more likeable than others. I softened to Jane immediately, as I loved her compassion for animals. The depth of secrets and lies amongst the four friends is rather impressive, and makes it very hard to work out who is good or bad, and who is safe to trust.
Every time the book took me back to Nepal, I just wanted to get out of there. I could feel my anxiety increasing every time I was taken back into the past, and would be screaming at some of the characters to get out of there NOW.
I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes psychological thrillers, and I can’t wait to read The Accident.
I would like to thank the publisher, HarperCollins UK, Avon for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2016
"Your past doesn't have to define your future, not if you won't let it" is one of the messages in The Lie. Told in the first-person perspective of Jane/Emma, the story alternates fluently between the present and the past. 5 Years ago, Jane was known as Emma. She embarked on the trip of a lifetime with three female friends visiting a "retreat" in Nepal. 5 years later, she's living a secluded life in Wales, working in an animal shelter and using a different name. What happened during their time abroad and why is somebody taunting Jane/Emma now after all this time?
This was my first time reading a book by British author C.L. Taylor, and I really enjoyed it. The Lie was a very sinister and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. At one stage, I was doubting everybody who was around Jane, completely unsure whom to trust. Jane was a very likable character, but there weren't many of those.
I thought the book was extremely good at depicting the dynamics of groups. Firstly, the female toxic friendships that were shaped by competitiveness, envy and bitterness and secondly, the group dynamics at the "retreat" in Nepal, which showed how easily people can be manipulated and how dangerous a situation can turn once a follow-the-leader environment has been established. However, there were some situations in Nepal as well as in Wales where I felt the plot was losing some credibility. Nevertheless, it was such a tense, fast-paced and provocative story, which was refreshingly different, I really liked it and will seek out more by this author.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first time reading a book by British author C.L. Taylor, and I really enjoyed it. The Lie was a very sinister and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense. At one stage, I was doubting everybody who was around Jane, completely unsure whom to trust. Jane was a very likable character, but there weren't many of those.
I thought the book was extremely good at depicting the dynamics of groups. Firstly, the female toxic friendships that were shaped by competitiveness, envy and bitterness and secondly, the group dynamics at the "retreat" in Nepal, which showed how easily people can be manipulated and how dangerous a situation can turn once a follow-the-leader environment has been established. However, there were some situations in Nepal as well as in Wales where I felt the plot was losing some credibility. Nevertheless, it was such a tense, fast-paced and provocative story, which was refreshingly different, I really liked it and will seek out more by this author.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2015
Jane has a nice settled life. Living and working in the Welsh countryside has its benefits. A job in the local animal sanctuary, a new boyfriend with great potential as a keeper and a peaceful existence overall. However, she has been hiding the truth from everyone and an anonymous note may be the beginning of the end of her quiet days, as her secret comes back to haunt her.
Five years previously, a different world, a different circle of friends and a summer of change.
A girls holiday, a right of passage that most young women enjoy before settling down and having kids. Sun, adventure and escapism. What could go wrong? What, indeed...
C.L. Taylor has taken the concept of a girls trip and twisted it on its axis, bringing the reader on a journey to hell. Jane and her three girlfriends decide to escape their humdrum lives (and a recent heartbreak) to Nepal, with expectations of luxury spa treatments, trekking up mountains and a safari finale. The planning is quickly arranged, finances sorted and off they go. Lazing around the pool, lizard watching, having a few beers and laughing til their bellies ache. The sun beats down and the girls begin to unwind. Unfortunately, tensions build at break neck speed and the atmosphere becomes icy, despite the heat. Things take an even darker twist when the girl hike up a mountain to stay at a commune for meditation and massage. There is a sinister aura and friendships are tested to the extreme. Lies, deceit and disappearances replace the plans for retreat and relaxation. Just who can be trusted? Will everyone make it back down the mountain in one piece?
This is my favourite thriller of the year, so far! I read it in one day and completely ignored my family for the duration. (No need to call social services, my husband had the day off). A psychological thriller to rival The Girl on The Train, this is a cracker of a novel. From the beginning, the reader is aware that Jane has a secret, one that is serious enough to warrant a change of name. Usually this is where authors head down the abusive husband/missing child/whacko relative past, but this book leads us on an exotic journey into the minds and actions of some seriously damaged souls. As Taylor peels back the layers from her characters, teasingly switching time frames, there is a real need to read 'just one more page'. Four very different girls, Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al make for a wonderful mixture of personalities and the friction between them increases as the trip becomes a dangerous, disaster zone. The author writes with fantastic insight into her character's minds and produces a flawless, dark tale which hooks the reader from page one. Not too long, or too short, with great pacing, this is a must read for fans of a cracking good thriller. Thankfully, the tagline does not read 'For fans of Gone Girl' which is my pet hate, due to over-use, but I am sure there will be many novels, to follow this one, which will have 'For fans of The Lie' sprawled across the front. Sure to linger on bestseller lists for the foreseeable future...
Five years previously, a different world, a different circle of friends and a summer of change.
A girls holiday, a right of passage that most young women enjoy before settling down and having kids. Sun, adventure and escapism. What could go wrong? What, indeed...
C.L. Taylor has taken the concept of a girls trip and twisted it on its axis, bringing the reader on a journey to hell. Jane and her three girlfriends decide to escape their humdrum lives (and a recent heartbreak) to Nepal, with expectations of luxury spa treatments, trekking up mountains and a safari finale. The planning is quickly arranged, finances sorted and off they go. Lazing around the pool, lizard watching, having a few beers and laughing til their bellies ache. The sun beats down and the girls begin to unwind. Unfortunately, tensions build at break neck speed and the atmosphere becomes icy, despite the heat. Things take an even darker twist when the girl hike up a mountain to stay at a commune for meditation and massage. There is a sinister aura and friendships are tested to the extreme. Lies, deceit and disappearances replace the plans for retreat and relaxation. Just who can be trusted? Will everyone make it back down the mountain in one piece?
This is my favourite thriller of the year, so far! I read it in one day and completely ignored my family for the duration. (No need to call social services, my husband had the day off). A psychological thriller to rival The Girl on The Train, this is a cracker of a novel. From the beginning, the reader is aware that Jane has a secret, one that is serious enough to warrant a change of name. Usually this is where authors head down the abusive husband/missing child/whacko relative past, but this book leads us on an exotic journey into the minds and actions of some seriously damaged souls. As Taylor peels back the layers from her characters, teasingly switching time frames, there is a real need to read 'just one more page'. Four very different girls, Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al make for a wonderful mixture of personalities and the friction between them increases as the trip becomes a dangerous, disaster zone. The author writes with fantastic insight into her character's minds and produces a flawless, dark tale which hooks the reader from page one. Not too long, or too short, with great pacing, this is a must read for fans of a cracking good thriller. Thankfully, the tagline does not read 'For fans of Gone Girl' which is my pet hate, due to over-use, but I am sure there will be many novels, to follow this one, which will have 'For fans of The Lie' sprawled across the front. Sure to linger on bestseller lists for the foreseeable future...
August 2, 2016
I've had this on my to-read list for a while, I finally got around to reading it and I'm so glad I did.
The Lie is an utterly gripping psychological thriller that you won't forget for a long time. Dark and creepy and wonderfully written, I can't praise C.L. Taylor enough for how she has wrote this one.
The Lie combines two story lines, one in the present and one that happened 5 years ago, both story lines are linked by one person: Jane Hughes.
It starts in the present with Jane Hughes working at an animal sanctuary. Everything about Jane seems to be normal, she has a job, a partner and lives in a cottage in Wales. A few pages in we find not everything about her is as normal as it appears as her boss Sheila hands her a note that says "I know your name isn't really Jane Hughes." It then takes you back five years earlier when she and three of her friends are planning an holiday in Napal, we learn very quick that something very dark happened while she was in Napal something that made her reinvent herself as Jane Hughes.
I read this in just over 24 hours I really couldn't put it down, its fast paced with lots of unexpected twists. Highly recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers, you really wont be disappointed reading this one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lie-C-L-Tayl...
The Lie is an utterly gripping psychological thriller that you won't forget for a long time. Dark and creepy and wonderfully written, I can't praise C.L. Taylor enough for how she has wrote this one.
The Lie combines two story lines, one in the present and one that happened 5 years ago, both story lines are linked by one person: Jane Hughes.
It starts in the present with Jane Hughes working at an animal sanctuary. Everything about Jane seems to be normal, she has a job, a partner and lives in a cottage in Wales. A few pages in we find not everything about her is as normal as it appears as her boss Sheila hands her a note that says "I know your name isn't really Jane Hughes." It then takes you back five years earlier when she and three of her friends are planning an holiday in Napal, we learn very quick that something very dark happened while she was in Napal something that made her reinvent herself as Jane Hughes.
I read this in just over 24 hours I really couldn't put it down, its fast paced with lots of unexpected twists. Highly recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers, you really wont be disappointed reading this one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lie-C-L-Tayl...
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