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Tell Me No Lies
‘An excellent thriller that had me hooked from the start’ Katerina Diamond
‘Breathlessly fast-paced and cleverly unsettling … the very definition of unputdownable’ Heat
‘A paranoia-inducing plot that makes you question everyone!’ Sam Carrington
Don’t. Trust. Anyone.
It was supposed to be a fresh start.
A chance to forget the past and embrace the future. But can you ever really start again?
Or does the past follow you wherever you go?
Steph and Mark have just moved house, trying to find a way forward after all the secrets, lies and betrayal.
But starting over isn’t always easy. Especially when someone will go to any lengths to make sure you never forget…
Praise for Lisa Hall:
‘An excellent thriller that had me hooked from the start’ Katerina Diamond
‘Breathlessly fast-paced and cleverly unsettling, this thriller is about a couple trying to escape their past is the very definition of unputdownable’ Heat
‘A paranoia-inducing plot that makes you question everyone! Lisa Hall’s new novel is one to get under your skin and has an ending that’ll leave you reeling’ Sam Carrington
‘Gripping and unforgettable…(A) haunting novel will make you question your most secret fears – and will leave you wondering who you should really trust…’ Inside Soap
‘A gripping and nail biting read … A story that is seriously going to mess with the readers head’ By The Letter Book Reviews
‘Breathlessly fast-paced and cleverly unsettling … the very definition of unputdownable’ Heat
‘A paranoia-inducing plot that makes you question everyone!’ Sam Carrington
Don’t. Trust. Anyone.
It was supposed to be a fresh start.
A chance to forget the past and embrace the future. But can you ever really start again?
Or does the past follow you wherever you go?
Steph and Mark have just moved house, trying to find a way forward after all the secrets, lies and betrayal.
But starting over isn’t always easy. Especially when someone will go to any lengths to make sure you never forget…
Praise for Lisa Hall:
‘An excellent thriller that had me hooked from the start’ Katerina Diamond
‘Breathlessly fast-paced and cleverly unsettling, this thriller is about a couple trying to escape their past is the very definition of unputdownable’ Heat
‘A paranoia-inducing plot that makes you question everyone! Lisa Hall’s new novel is one to get under your skin and has an ending that’ll leave you reeling’ Sam Carrington
‘Gripping and unforgettable…(A) haunting novel will make you question your most secret fears – and will leave you wondering who you should really trust…’ Inside Soap
‘A gripping and nail biting read … A story that is seriously going to mess with the readers head’ By The Letter Book Reviews
343 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2016
267 people are currently reading
1417 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
April 30, 2020
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
NO NO NO NO NO.....You did not just do this to me!! I looked everywhere for more pages. What do you mean "turn the page to read an excerpt from the author's debut novel"? Where's the rest of THIS book?
I've been having major problems with my Kindle and so I thought that pages must have been deleted, lost....somewhere! It did NOT just end there? Did it?
IT DID!
I loved Lisa Hall's debut novel and I was really looking forward to reading this one. I was hoping that I would enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed "Between You and Me".
Mark and Steph have just moved from their cramped apartment to a new house. This is supposed to be a fresh start for them and for their six-year old son, Henry. Steph is also pregnant with their second child. All she wants is to fix everything that has gone wrong in the last year, and give Henry the happy family home he deserves. Steph knows a big house won't fix everything but she hopes it's a start.
But is it really possible to start over again?
**** Possibly very minor spoilers. Usually things that are already mentioned in the description or within the first few pages of the book. However, if you prefer knowing very little about a book then you may want to stop here. I don't ever want to spoil things for anyone.
The boxes are barely unpacked in their new home and Mark already has to go out-of-town. Steph tries to reassure him that she'll be fine. However, she's dealing with constant morning sickness and is trying to get Henry settled at his new school. Henry is sensitive. He's not a rough and tumble boy, but prefers to sit quietly drawing or reading. Most of the other school moms haven't been very welcoming and she's already butt heads a few times with the leader of the PTA.
When she meets two of her neighbors it seems like things might be looking up. Laurence seems like a very nice man and Lila quickly becomes someone Steph feels she can rely on. She misses her best friend, Tessa who has moved away. Tessa was always there for Steph....always there to help pick her up, dust her off and put the pieces back together. So when Lila appears wanting to be friends and to help Steph out while Mark is away, Steph feels she should be thankful to have her around.
But then strange things start happening. Someone is leaving Steph dead flowers and messages. Things start disappearing and she even feels like someone has been in her house. However, she doesn't have proof and when she brings it up, no one else seems to be worried. On top of all of that Steph is apparently doing things that she has no recollection of doing and having conversations she doesn't remember having.
Is someone out to get Steph? Or is she making a big deal out of nothing? The people around her just want to be kind and helpful and have only good intentions....right?
Steph is constantly trying to make sure that people don't think she's "losing it" again. We are given a glimpse into her past and what Steph refers to as "bad stuff" that happened when she was in her teens. She also had some difficulties after Henry was born. Difficulties that she believes led to the problems in her marriage.
I was really frustrated with how Steph was constantly doubting herself and how people talked to her in such a patronizing way. Telling her she was being paranoid and overreacting. But then she would seem oblivious to what was happening right in front of her. One moment angry at her husband (understandably) but then blaming herself for everything that's gone wrong in their marriage.
"I'll say all the right things, behave the right way and then none of them can say I'm paranoid, or ill"
I was really tense! But I was hooked... I couldn't stop reading.
I think most readers will figure out who is behind things. But part of the suspense is waiting to see how it will all turn out and the other twists and turns that come along the way.
When things come to a head I was really interested in finding out what was going to happen. Finally! This stress I'm feeling is going to subside! But then....
WHAT? You can't do that! How can it end like that?
It was both gripping and thrilling with some great twists but that ending! It could just be me. Some readers may LOVE it!
Honestly, I loved Lisa Hall's first book but this one I definitely had a hard time with. However, if there is a follow-up to this book I want to read it!
Thank you NetGalley, Carina UK, and Lisa Hall for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
November 30, 2016
Last year I was absolutely blown away with Lisa Hall's debut Between You and Me; I couldn't recommend it highly enough! The spectacular twist is one you don't come upon often and will stick with me for life. Perhaps this previous experience set the bar of expectations too high, and while this book held my interest and was enjoyable, it wasn't close to the same level as BYAM. This book has been getting spectacular reviews and I'm full and ready to accept that I must have read this wrong, but perhaps I have been reading too many psychological thrillers as of late, causing my mind to be callused and difficult to please.
I had a hard time connecting with Steph but didn't dislike her. The pacing was quick and the book is short; easily read in one sitting. Unfortunately I figured out who was behind the mysterious gifts and stalking Steph fairly early on, and while the ending didn't put me off, I felt like it's been done too many times lately. I'm a firm believer in the author's talent and will most definitely read what she writes next; this was simply a case of either me not being the right reader or possibly reading at the wrong time for my mood. Neither are the author's fault. I would still recommend this to fans of Hall as she is so talented and it is an enjoyable read over all.
Many thanks to the author/publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review!
I had a hard time connecting with Steph but didn't dislike her. The pacing was quick and the book is short; easily read in one sitting. Unfortunately I figured out who was behind the mysterious gifts and stalking Steph fairly early on, and while the ending didn't put me off, I felt like it's been done too many times lately. I'm a firm believer in the author's talent and will most definitely read what she writes next; this was simply a case of either me not being the right reader or possibly reading at the wrong time for my mood. Neither are the author's fault. I would still recommend this to fans of Hall as she is so talented and it is an enjoyable read over all.
Many thanks to the author/publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review!
February 7, 2017
I bought my own copy.
Lisa Hall is one the UK'S best psychological thriller authors. If there is one author that I would recommend to family, friends and bloggers Lisa Hall is it. I read Between You and Me, and now I have read Tell Me No Lies. Both come highly recommend from me. I can't wait to buy the next novel buy Lisa Hall.
In Tell Me No Lies. Pregnant Stephanie and her husband Mark and son Henry have moved into a new house. A new house is the perfect fresh start for Stephanie and Mark's marriage. But it isn't long before her husbands has to start spending weeks away from their new home. Neighbours introduce them self to Stephanie. You know the drill don't you all, Don't trust anyone. I would love to say more, but please take it from me a lot of creepy things are about to happen while Stephanie is waiting for her husband to return home.
Lisa Hall is one the UK'S best psychological thriller authors. If there is one author that I would recommend to family, friends and bloggers Lisa Hall is it. I read Between You and Me, and now I have read Tell Me No Lies. Both come highly recommend from me. I can't wait to buy the next novel buy Lisa Hall.
In Tell Me No Lies. Pregnant Stephanie and her husband Mark and son Henry have moved into a new house. A new house is the perfect fresh start for Stephanie and Mark's marriage. But it isn't long before her husbands has to start spending weeks away from their new home. Neighbours introduce them self to Stephanie. You know the drill don't you all, Don't trust anyone. I would love to say more, but please take it from me a lot of creepy things are about to happen while Stephanie is waiting for her husband to return home.
November 27, 2016
I was anxious to read TELL NO LIES by Lisa Hall, a psychological thriller, after having loved her debut novel Between You and Me. This novel will appeal to a wide variety of readers and will keep the reader turning the pages, until you reach the end and know WHY?
Mark and Steph Gordon and their son, Henry and a baby on the way are moving into a beautiful Victorian townhouse… to start a new beginning-a fresh start! But their relationship is not on solid ground. Steph suffered from post-natal depression, after she had Henry, and Mark had had an affair. This is their effort to make a fresh start…and deal with the damage of the past.
“Pulling away I look up at him, trying to see the man I married, instead of the man who broke her heart.”
Mark is a television producer but a workaholic who is always away on business. Steph is a freelance journalist, currently suffering from morning sickness. She finds it difficult to make new friends, and is still seeing her therapist, to help her move on with her life. But Steph meets the neighbours, Laurence, living next door and Lila living across the street, and starts up a friendship.
But then everything seems to fall apart…dead flowers are left both inside and outside her house…her mobile goes missing as well as her coat and other things.
Someone is trying to frighten her!
And then on her laptop she sees …“I AM WATCHING YOU ALWAYS.”
Someone is erasing her phone messages at home, and sending text messages in her name?
Why does her husband not believe her?
I can only say that I really enjoyed reading this novel, but had it figured out early. I found the ending a little bit rushed and a bit of a let-down, so I have rated it as a 4-star and not a 5-star for this reason.
Many thanks to the author, Carina UK and NetGalley who furnished a digital ARC
Mark and Steph Gordon and their son, Henry and a baby on the way are moving into a beautiful Victorian townhouse… to start a new beginning-a fresh start! But their relationship is not on solid ground. Steph suffered from post-natal depression, after she had Henry, and Mark had had an affair. This is their effort to make a fresh start…and deal with the damage of the past.
“Pulling away I look up at him, trying to see the man I married, instead of the man who broke her heart.”
Mark is a television producer but a workaholic who is always away on business. Steph is a freelance journalist, currently suffering from morning sickness. She finds it difficult to make new friends, and is still seeing her therapist, to help her move on with her life. But Steph meets the neighbours, Laurence, living next door and Lila living across the street, and starts up a friendship.
But then everything seems to fall apart…dead flowers are left both inside and outside her house…her mobile goes missing as well as her coat and other things.
Someone is trying to frighten her!
And then on her laptop she sees …“I AM WATCHING YOU ALWAYS.”
Someone is erasing her phone messages at home, and sending text messages in her name?
Why does her husband not believe her?
I can only say that I really enjoyed reading this novel, but had it figured out early. I found the ending a little bit rushed and a bit of a let-down, so I have rated it as a 4-star and not a 5-star for this reason.
Many thanks to the author, Carina UK and NetGalley who furnished a digital ARC
October 25, 2016
This was one of the most frustrating books I've read this year so far. It was my first book by Lisa Hall as I still haven't read her bestseller Between You and Me yet but it's on my Kindle. I was really excited to get an ARC of this and was looking forward to a gripping psychological thriller, but the more I read, the more frustrated I got. It actually started off well, and it never once occurred to me to not finish this. There was something addictive about it and I wanted to find out how it ended.
You have a main character with previous mental health issues and a traumatic past trying to have a fresh start with her family, but finding that rebuilding trust is difficult and the past isn't easy to leave behind. Sounded promising.
But the frustrating thing was that the plot was so glaringly obvious that I kept thinking this can't be it. I kept waiting for something: thrills, chills, suspicion, doubt as to whom to trust. Sadly, nothing.
In order to enjoy this more, I would have needed some doubt as to the protagonist's mental state, but it was all just too straightforward. The only thing that wasn't clear until it was revealed was the connection between two of the characters which provided the motivation behind the entire sad saga. The one thing I liked about the plot was the end. So that was my one surprise.
At only 183 pages it was quite short. But, to be honest, with some good editing this could have been cut down even further. There were over-explaining and excessive repetitions of the protagonist's near-identical thought processes throughout.
Some characters' actions or rather non-actions, i.e. Laurence's, didn't feel believable at all.
This is one of these books where the protagonist is so unbelievably naive and annoying and never actually follows through on anything that you just want to shake some sense into her.
Obviously, going by the reviews, this is going to be another hit for the author, and I am truly in the minority with my feelings. I'm glad everybody else is enjoying this, but it simply didn't work for me. 2.5 stars with 1 star simply for the fact that I actually finished this without ever considering to just move on.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
You have a main character with previous mental health issues and a traumatic past trying to have a fresh start with her family, but finding that rebuilding trust is difficult and the past isn't easy to leave behind. Sounded promising.
But the frustrating thing was that the plot was so glaringly obvious that I kept thinking this can't be it. I kept waiting for something: thrills, chills, suspicion, doubt as to whom to trust. Sadly, nothing.
In order to enjoy this more, I would have needed some doubt as to the protagonist's mental state, but it was all just too straightforward. The only thing that wasn't clear until it was revealed was the connection between two of the characters which provided the motivation behind the entire sad saga. The one thing I liked about the plot was the end. So that was my one surprise.
At only 183 pages it was quite short. But, to be honest, with some good editing this could have been cut down even further. There were over-explaining and excessive repetitions of the protagonist's near-identical thought processes throughout.
Some characters' actions or rather non-actions, i.e. Laurence's, didn't feel believable at all.
This is one of these books where the protagonist is so unbelievably naive and annoying and never actually follows through on anything that you just want to shake some sense into her.
Obviously, going by the reviews, this is going to be another hit for the author, and I am truly in the minority with my feelings. I'm glad everybody else is enjoying this, but it simply didn't work for me. 2.5 stars with 1 star simply for the fact that I actually finished this without ever considering to just move on.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
September 18, 2016
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A LIFE AFTER THIS BOOK THEN DON'T READ IT BECAUSE THIS BOOK WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR MIND AND THAT ENDING WILL KILL YOU FOREVER.
OK THANKS.
BYE.
OK THANKS.
BYE.
October 24, 2016
Oh my god Lisa Hall has only gone and done it again! Tell me No Lies was an incredible read. I really didn’t think the author could surpass Between You And Me but she has, Tell Me No Lies is seriously gripping, so much so I literally read it in one tension filled sitting. This is definitely one book that’s hard to review without giving away spoilers,so I’m going to keep it short. I love the fact this book has such a short book description as it gives nothing away regarding the plot, I’m not sure if it’s just me but I find some book descriptions are far too detailed and leave little to the imagination, sorry I’ve digressed here so back to Tell Me No Lies…..
Tell me No Lies focuses on Steph and her husband Mark, Steph appears to have it all a new home, a job she loves, and the perfect family, but most importantly it’s a fresh start for the family, but not everything is as it seems and soon Steph’s life begins to unravel in the most spectacular fashion, what follows is an intense and chilling story that even the most hardened psychological thriller lover will find difficult to put down.
Lisa Hall has a knack of creating characters who are so well developed you cannot help becoming drawn to them. I felt so many emotions whilst reading about Steph, anger, sadness and fear were just a few that I experienced. Tell Me No Lies is told from Steph’s point of view and I couldn’t help feeling she was a unreliable narrator going on events from her past, but the more involved I got in the story I realised just how twisted this book was, it was hard to decide if Steph was misinterpreting events or there was something sinister going on, I think it’s only fair for you to make up your own mind (because of course you are going to read this book). A word of warning this book will seriously mess with your head as Lisa Hall’s characters all come under suspicion at some point, and for me this is what makes it an outstanding psychological thriller.
From the opening chapter Tell Me No Lies is packed to the brim with malevolence, so much so I literally jumped at every sound whilst reading it, in fact by the last chapter I was a nervous wreck as the plot is so dark and intense. This is a fairly short read at 183 pages, but don’t be fooled, Lisa Hall has packed every page with bucketfuls of malice and intrigue, the plot isn’t rushed in anyway and as I mentioned earlier the author still manages to ensure the characters are well developed. The market is flooded with books of this genre but Tell Me No Lies is definitely one of the best I’ve read this year, fraught with tension and suspicion throughout its definitely a book everyone will be talking about.
Tell me No Lies focuses on Steph and her husband Mark, Steph appears to have it all a new home, a job she loves, and the perfect family, but most importantly it’s a fresh start for the family, but not everything is as it seems and soon Steph’s life begins to unravel in the most spectacular fashion, what follows is an intense and chilling story that even the most hardened psychological thriller lover will find difficult to put down.
Lisa Hall has a knack of creating characters who are so well developed you cannot help becoming drawn to them. I felt so many emotions whilst reading about Steph, anger, sadness and fear were just a few that I experienced. Tell Me No Lies is told from Steph’s point of view and I couldn’t help feeling she was a unreliable narrator going on events from her past, but the more involved I got in the story I realised just how twisted this book was, it was hard to decide if Steph was misinterpreting events or there was something sinister going on, I think it’s only fair for you to make up your own mind (because of course you are going to read this book). A word of warning this book will seriously mess with your head as Lisa Hall’s characters all come under suspicion at some point, and for me this is what makes it an outstanding psychological thriller.
From the opening chapter Tell Me No Lies is packed to the brim with malevolence, so much so I literally jumped at every sound whilst reading it, in fact by the last chapter I was a nervous wreck as the plot is so dark and intense. This is a fairly short read at 183 pages, but don’t be fooled, Lisa Hall has packed every page with bucketfuls of malice and intrigue, the plot isn’t rushed in anyway and as I mentioned earlier the author still manages to ensure the characters are well developed. The market is flooded with books of this genre but Tell Me No Lies is definitely one of the best I’ve read this year, fraught with tension and suspicion throughout its definitely a book everyone will be talking about.
October 20, 2016
Tell Me No Lies has been one of my most anticipated reads this year. I just loved Between You and Me so I had this on my wishlist as soon as it was up on Amazon. But I was also a little bit worried-how on earth was Lisa Hall going to follow her fabulously twisted debut novel? Well I should have had more faith as I have to say that she absolutely blew my mind here! There I was smugly reading away, thinking I knew exactly what was going on, when BOOM! That ending! And the build up to that big reveal was just so unexpected and jaw dropping that I raced to the end with a feeling of sheer helplessness.
The tagline on the cover of this book is "Dont. Trust. Anyone." and that pretty much sums up how I read this book because I suspected absolutely everyone. And when I say everyone, I do mean EVERYONE! Is someone out to mess with Steph and destroy the cosy family life that she has built up for herself after the dreadful trauma of her past? Or has her pregnancy caused some sort of psychosis and made her a danger to herself and her unborn child? There are red herrings galore here and you will find yourself questioning not only Steph's sanity but probably your own as well. It brought to mind the term "gaslighting" (which came from an old black and white movie) where victims of psychological abuse are slowly deceived into doubting their own sanity. So who is really behind all the disturbing things that are happening to Steph and why?
I physically couldn't put this book down. It had all the ingredients I needed to get my pulse raising and my brain aching! Whilst the characters were intriguing, none of them were particularly likeable which also added to the overall feeling of malevolence running through the book. I did find myself wanting to shake Steph a few times and shout at her "For God's sake open your eyes woman!!" as her apparent naivety refused to abate throughout the terrible things affecting her.
Lisa Hall has now established herself as a writer of first class domestic psychological suspense and has in the process become a firm favourite of mine. And I have to say that, for me this actually has the edge over Between You and Me, I definitely found it a much more compelling tale with a broader spectrum of plotting. Tell Me No Lies will grip you right from the first page with its short but chilling prologue until the final shocking denouement. And I recommend you go back and read that prologue again once you've finished, it actually gave me goosebumps when I did!
Loved, loved, LOVED this so highly recommended by me.
Thank you to the author and publisher HQ Stories for my review copy of Tell me no Lies.
The tagline on the cover of this book is "Dont. Trust. Anyone." and that pretty much sums up how I read this book because I suspected absolutely everyone. And when I say everyone, I do mean EVERYONE! Is someone out to mess with Steph and destroy the cosy family life that she has built up for herself after the dreadful trauma of her past? Or has her pregnancy caused some sort of psychosis and made her a danger to herself and her unborn child? There are red herrings galore here and you will find yourself questioning not only Steph's sanity but probably your own as well. It brought to mind the term "gaslighting" (which came from an old black and white movie) where victims of psychological abuse are slowly deceived into doubting their own sanity. So who is really behind all the disturbing things that are happening to Steph and why?
I physically couldn't put this book down. It had all the ingredients I needed to get my pulse raising and my brain aching! Whilst the characters were intriguing, none of them were particularly likeable which also added to the overall feeling of malevolence running through the book. I did find myself wanting to shake Steph a few times and shout at her "For God's sake open your eyes woman!!" as her apparent naivety refused to abate throughout the terrible things affecting her.
Lisa Hall has now established herself as a writer of first class domestic psychological suspense and has in the process become a firm favourite of mine. And I have to say that, for me this actually has the edge over Between You and Me, I definitely found it a much more compelling tale with a broader spectrum of plotting. Tell Me No Lies will grip you right from the first page with its short but chilling prologue until the final shocking denouement. And I recommend you go back and read that prologue again once you've finished, it actually gave me goosebumps when I did!
Loved, loved, LOVED this so highly recommended by me.
Thank you to the author and publisher HQ Stories for my review copy of Tell me no Lies.
October 17, 2016
I absolutely loved this authors debut, so was very excited to see she had another one coming out.
Steph and Mark have just moved to a new area hoping for a fresh start. They already have a cute little boy, Henry and Steph is pregnant with their second child. Steph is looking forward to settling into their new home and making new friends, but she gets more than what she bargained for.
At Henry’s school it soon becomes very clear that she is not going to win any friends there. The mothers all seem to be part of the PTA committee which Steph, after having a bit of a run in with the main member, decides it’s not a group she wants to get involved in, which doesn’t go down to well.
Luckily for Steph she has a gorgeous next door neighbour, Laurence and a lovely woman called Lila, who lives opposite to help her settle in and make her feel welcome.
The whole feel of the story reminded me very much of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It was obvious not long after meeting a certain character that things weren’t quite right and there was a reason for why they were being so friendly to Steph.
Poor Steph already has a few issues due to things that have happened in her past. When she starts getting strange things left on her doorstep as well as disturbing phone calls and emails, I was as creeped out as she was. With Mark working away, Steph is obviously nervous as well as scared and it makes her somewhat irrational. I felt so frustrated on behalf of Steph, she feels like she is going mad, which is what everyone in the area is also starting to think.
Tell Me No Lies is a gripping and nail biting read. The whole build up and tension is unbelievably chilling. My heart was literally racing as I turned each page awaiting the out come and wow, that ending! I disliked it yet loved it at the same time. A story that is seriously going to mess with the readers head.
My thanks to Netgalley and Carina for copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Steph and Mark have just moved to a new area hoping for a fresh start. They already have a cute little boy, Henry and Steph is pregnant with their second child. Steph is looking forward to settling into their new home and making new friends, but she gets more than what she bargained for.
At Henry’s school it soon becomes very clear that she is not going to win any friends there. The mothers all seem to be part of the PTA committee which Steph, after having a bit of a run in with the main member, decides it’s not a group she wants to get involved in, which doesn’t go down to well.
Luckily for Steph she has a gorgeous next door neighbour, Laurence and a lovely woman called Lila, who lives opposite to help her settle in and make her feel welcome.
The whole feel of the story reminded me very much of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It was obvious not long after meeting a certain character that things weren’t quite right and there was a reason for why they were being so friendly to Steph.
Poor Steph already has a few issues due to things that have happened in her past. When she starts getting strange things left on her doorstep as well as disturbing phone calls and emails, I was as creeped out as she was. With Mark working away, Steph is obviously nervous as well as scared and it makes her somewhat irrational. I felt so frustrated on behalf of Steph, she feels like she is going mad, which is what everyone in the area is also starting to think.
Tell Me No Lies is a gripping and nail biting read. The whole build up and tension is unbelievably chilling. My heart was literally racing as I turned each page awaiting the out come and wow, that ending! I disliked it yet loved it at the same time. A story that is seriously going to mess with the readers head.
My thanks to Netgalley and Carina for copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2016
Steph and Mark Gordon are just moving in ... this is a new start for both of them. Earlier, when Steph delivered her little boy, she suffered from post-natal depression and did and said a lot of things. Mark made himself feet better by having an affair. This is their attempt to save their marriage. And they are both worried because she is pregnant again.
Things seem to go well, but then his job takes him away for weeks at a time. Still feeling a little bit vulnerable, she does make new friends. One is the man next door .. he seems very nice, very helpful. The other is the lady who lives across the street. She is almost overbearing in her friendship.
Can you ever really start again? Once marital trust is broken, can it ever be earned again?
Someone is going to great lengths to make things difficult for Steph. Who is leaving dead flowers for her, both outside and inside the house? Who is erasing her phone messages at home? Who stole her mobile phone and is sending texts in her name? Why does no one believe her? Why is her husband so reluctant to believe anything she says?
This started out as an awesome book... a psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you turning pages. The reader can almost guess at what is really happening.. almost, but not quite.
This was a 5-star read in my opinion... but the ending brought it down to a 4. The ending seemed unfinished.... rushed. I closed the book with a feeling of disappointment.
Many thanks to the author / Carina UK / NetGalley who furnished a digital ARC.
Things seem to go well, but then his job takes him away for weeks at a time. Still feeling a little bit vulnerable, she does make new friends. One is the man next door .. he seems very nice, very helpful. The other is the lady who lives across the street. She is almost overbearing in her friendship.
Can you ever really start again? Once marital trust is broken, can it ever be earned again?
Someone is going to great lengths to make things difficult for Steph. Who is leaving dead flowers for her, both outside and inside the house? Who is erasing her phone messages at home? Who stole her mobile phone and is sending texts in her name? Why does no one believe her? Why is her husband so reluctant to believe anything she says?
This started out as an awesome book... a psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you turning pages. The reader can almost guess at what is really happening.. almost, but not quite.
This was a 5-star read in my opinion... but the ending brought it down to a 4. The ending seemed unfinished.... rushed. I closed the book with a feeling of disappointment.
Many thanks to the author / Carina UK / NetGalley who furnished a digital ARC.
November 23, 2016
I cannot continue with this, really I can't. Life is too short to spend any more time with this awful book.
Steph is married to Mark a workaholic who indulged in an extra-marital affair after their son, Henry, was born. Steph is pregnant again but, selfishly, Mark decides to move the family out of their familiar territory to the other side of town where Steph knows no-one, suspects everyone and is a total wreck given to bouts of paranoia, depression, weeping and blushing. Oh how she blushes, but then everyone in this book blushes at the slightest provocation.. One day a small bunch of flowers is left on Steph's doorstep; this sends her into a state of high anxiety. Yes, really. A dead animal, a poison pen letter, or a hatchet buried in the door I could understand, but a bunch of flowers? Come on.
I must admit to negative feelings even on the first page of the first chapter when I came across the dreaded Bad Grammar: “.....it's a chance for Mark and I to put straight everything....” This cropped up time and again, the use of “I” when it should have been “me”, and it really grated on me, as did the clunky writing. Every single detail is stuffed into these pages; every single thing is explained, nothing is left to the reader's imagination, and it is so repetitive it's like being bludgeoned with words. The use of more and more and more words is not only silly it's irritating. More is not better!
The use of present tense in a novel often works very well, but in this case it didn't. Perhaps had the story been told from Steph's point of view, rather than third person, it might have improved that aspect of the book. But nothing could rescue the awful writing which, I'm assuming is written by an adult, even though it reads as though penned by a teenager.
I have my one third rule – if a book hasn't grabbed me by that stage it's unlikely to; I didn't get beyond page 99 of it's 351 pages. I should be able to sympathise, if not empathise, with the main character, but I honestly couldn't care less what happened to Steph.
Would I look for anything else from this author? What do you think?
Amazon sent me a copy specifically for review purposes
Steph is married to Mark a workaholic who indulged in an extra-marital affair after their son, Henry, was born. Steph is pregnant again but, selfishly, Mark decides to move the family out of their familiar territory to the other side of town where Steph knows no-one, suspects everyone and is a total wreck given to bouts of paranoia, depression, weeping and blushing. Oh how she blushes, but then everyone in this book blushes at the slightest provocation.. One day a small bunch of flowers is left on Steph's doorstep; this sends her into a state of high anxiety. Yes, really. A dead animal, a poison pen letter, or a hatchet buried in the door I could understand, but a bunch of flowers? Come on.
I must admit to negative feelings even on the first page of the first chapter when I came across the dreaded Bad Grammar: “.....it's a chance for Mark and I to put straight everything....” This cropped up time and again, the use of “I” when it should have been “me”, and it really grated on me, as did the clunky writing. Every single detail is stuffed into these pages; every single thing is explained, nothing is left to the reader's imagination, and it is so repetitive it's like being bludgeoned with words. The use of more and more and more words is not only silly it's irritating. More is not better!
The use of present tense in a novel often works very well, but in this case it didn't. Perhaps had the story been told from Steph's point of view, rather than third person, it might have improved that aspect of the book. But nothing could rescue the awful writing which, I'm assuming is written by an adult, even though it reads as though penned by a teenager.
I have my one third rule – if a book hasn't grabbed me by that stage it's unlikely to; I didn't get beyond page 99 of it's 351 pages. I should be able to sympathise, if not empathise, with the main character, but I honestly couldn't care less what happened to Steph.
Would I look for anything else from this author? What do you think?
Amazon sent me a copy specifically for review purposes
October 17, 2016
4.5*
After reading this book I can guarantee that you will Never.Trust.Anyone.Ever.Again. When newly pregnant Steph and her husband Mark move to a new town with their young son Henry it is supposed to be a fresh start for them both. Times have been tough, for various reasons (which are revealed) but someone is determined to make Steph scared and uncomfortable. Mark has to travel a lot for his work and so Steph and Henry are left alone and vulnerable – just to add to the suspense.
The characterisations in the story are excellent – even some of the peripheral characters will have you grinding your teeth. Steph is portrayed as someone quite fragile mentally but who is trying her best to be strong and overcome past issues and this is where I had a lot of sympathy for her. She has trust issues which means that she doesn’t make friends easily and so when Laurence, her charming and good looking next door neighbour and Lila, a young woman from across the road attempt to befriend her, she tentatively accepts. However it becomes clear that someone is trying to intimidate and scare her, the question is who? There appear to be many suspects, some from her past as well as her present. Is she just being paranoid? Is someone really targeting her – or is she the book world’s best unreliable narrator? You can make up your own mind.
I have to admit that there were times when out of sheer frustration, I wanted to shake Steph and shout at her to bring her to her senses. She seemed incapable of joining the dots together and making a picture. I could see it – why wouldn’t she!
This book will truly mess with your head. I think I probably suspected almost everybody in turn before making my mind up and even then I had some doubts. The story rolls along at a pace and it was certainly an addictive book that I wanted to keep going back to. Tell Me No Lies is one seriously twisty thriller that shows how difficult it can be to leave the past behind…and that ending. I didn’t see that coming!
After reading this book I can guarantee that you will Never.Trust.Anyone.Ever.Again. When newly pregnant Steph and her husband Mark move to a new town with their young son Henry it is supposed to be a fresh start for them both. Times have been tough, for various reasons (which are revealed) but someone is determined to make Steph scared and uncomfortable. Mark has to travel a lot for his work and so Steph and Henry are left alone and vulnerable – just to add to the suspense.
The characterisations in the story are excellent – even some of the peripheral characters will have you grinding your teeth. Steph is portrayed as someone quite fragile mentally but who is trying her best to be strong and overcome past issues and this is where I had a lot of sympathy for her. She has trust issues which means that she doesn’t make friends easily and so when Laurence, her charming and good looking next door neighbour and Lila, a young woman from across the road attempt to befriend her, she tentatively accepts. However it becomes clear that someone is trying to intimidate and scare her, the question is who? There appear to be many suspects, some from her past as well as her present. Is she just being paranoid? Is someone really targeting her – or is she the book world’s best unreliable narrator? You can make up your own mind.
I have to admit that there were times when out of sheer frustration, I wanted to shake Steph and shout at her to bring her to her senses. She seemed incapable of joining the dots together and making a picture. I could see it – why wouldn’t she!
This book will truly mess with your head. I think I probably suspected almost everybody in turn before making my mind up and even then I had some doubts. The story rolls along at a pace and it was certainly an addictive book that I wanted to keep going back to. Tell Me No Lies is one seriously twisty thriller that shows how difficult it can be to leave the past behind…and that ending. I didn’t see that coming!
February 12, 2017
I'm sorry, I'm clearly in the minority here, but this book was not for me, despite it being an easy read. One of my least favourite tropes in a film or soap opera or drama is when a character tries to tell someone something important, but gets interrupted and doesn't finish doing so - and this book is full of it and it's so frustrating.
Unfortunately I thought that the who and the why of the mystery was so obvious from their first appearance that I continued to read assuming there would be a twist at the end, but there wasn't. Several other plot strands are thrown in but are ultimately unrelated to the main plot or are just left hanging and there is a lot of unnecessary repetition of information. Many of the characters are presented as stereotypes (the husband-with-a-past, the nicotine-and-alcohol-soaked-cougar publisher, the militant PTA leader) and I lost count of the number of times people behaved completely unreasonably, blushed for no good reason or were greeted with "a peck on the cheek".
All of this, plus a couple of continuity errors, and I found the book incredibly frustrating, but I am grateful to NetGalley and Carina UK for the opportunity to read the ARC.
Unfortunately I thought that the who and the why of the mystery was so obvious from their first appearance that I continued to read assuming there would be a twist at the end, but there wasn't. Several other plot strands are thrown in but are ultimately unrelated to the main plot or are just left hanging and there is a lot of unnecessary repetition of information. Many of the characters are presented as stereotypes (the husband-with-a-past, the nicotine-and-alcohol-soaked-cougar publisher, the militant PTA leader) and I lost count of the number of times people behaved completely unreasonably, blushed for no good reason or were greeted with "a peck on the cheek".
All of this, plus a couple of continuity errors, and I found the book incredibly frustrating, but I am grateful to NetGalley and Carina UK for the opportunity to read the ARC.
November 2, 2016
I read and LOVED Between You And Me by Lisa Hall earlier this year. I was blown away by it to be honest! I was super excited to get an early review copy of Tell Me No Lies to read, and I know I was a little apprehensive that it may not live up to BYAM. I needn’t have worried because Tell Me No Lies was absolutely brilliant!
Psychological thrillers are the BIG thing this year. There has been a glut of them and I read so many, that unless there is something special in there, they all blur into one when I try to remember anything about them. Lisa’s books have the something special and then some!
Tell Me No Lies starts out innocuously enough, but just as with a spider web and a fly, the reader gets pulled in and cannot escape the inevitable. I devoured this book, I didn’t want to put it down. At times I had to remind myself to relax as my body was knotted with tension at some parts of the book.
When I finished, both angry and breathless in equal measure, I had to message Lisa with a shouty emoji message!!! I just couldn’t comprehend what I had read! In the best way possible obviously! I won’t go into the plot, especially seeing as how the blurb is quite ambiguous, but I will say it’s absolutely an excellent book!
Tell Me No Lies has most of what I look for in a psychological thriller. A great cast of characters, a fast-paced plot, tension and frustration in equal measure! I loved it, really LOVED it. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Psychological thrillers are the BIG thing this year. There has been a glut of them and I read so many, that unless there is something special in there, they all blur into one when I try to remember anything about them. Lisa’s books have the something special and then some!
Tell Me No Lies starts out innocuously enough, but just as with a spider web and a fly, the reader gets pulled in and cannot escape the inevitable. I devoured this book, I didn’t want to put it down. At times I had to remind myself to relax as my body was knotted with tension at some parts of the book.
When I finished, both angry and breathless in equal measure, I had to message Lisa with a shouty emoji message!!! I just couldn’t comprehend what I had read! In the best way possible obviously! I won’t go into the plot, especially seeing as how the blurb is quite ambiguous, but I will say it’s absolutely an excellent book!
Tell Me No Lies has most of what I look for in a psychological thriller. A great cast of characters, a fast-paced plot, tension and frustration in equal measure! I loved it, really LOVED it. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
December 7, 2016
this book was OK but not very exciting for me sorry Lisa hall but i did have my suspicion of one of the characters from the start
March 10, 2017
This book frustrated me to no end. I wanted to smack Stephanie silly. No, wait - she already was silly. I needed to smack some sense back into her. I guess sometimes violence is the answer.
October 26, 2016
I was wondering if this book would be as good as her first "Between You and Me" and I am delighted to say that it is as good and maybe even better than her first. Once I picked this book up I found it very hard to put down and also it is only approximately 180 pages but they are packed with a punch. Steph and Mark Gordon are moving into a new home and this is meant to be a new start for the couple. After the birth of her son Steph suffered from post-natal depression and Mark's answer to this was to have an affair. This book asks questions about trust, how well do we really know our partners and are our relationships really secure. Someone is making Steph's life a misery, strange things are occurring, someone is leaving her dead flowers in her home, her phone messages have been deleted and someone is using her mobile phone to send text messages pretending to be her. What is really going on?, you will have to read this book to find out and it is well worth it.
October 20, 2016
Having read Lisa Hall's debut novel Between You and Me and actually suffered from my first book hangover for a couple of days (which for me is a loooong time) I was desperate to read her second book to see if she was just a one-book wonder! The answer is a huge resounding NO she is bleeding brilliant. Without wanting to give any of the clever storylines or spoilers away this book takes you on an emotional roller coaster. With characters you trust one chapter and suspect the next I didn't know if I was coming or going. A truly gripping page turner which left me wanting more! 5 stars
September 29, 2019
Pregnant Stephanie and her husband Mark and son Henry have moved into a new house. A new house is the perfect fresh start for Stephanie and Mark's marriage. But it isn't long before her husbands has to start spending weeks away from their new home.The idea was to start over, after her husband had an affair. Unfortunately life is not so simple for Steph, she suffered an attack a long time ago and begins to get very scared when things start happening after they moved.
October 4, 2016
Steph is a young pregnant mother with a small child who has recently moved to a new neighbourhood to save her marriage and make a fresh start. Life is not easy, with her husband Mark working away for long periods of time, leaving Steph in charge of the household without her old support network. As Steph is trying to settle into her new life, strange and scary things start happening to her, terrifying gifts appear on her doorstep and she is accused of actions she is certain she did not commit. Even her best friend does not want to have any more to do with her. Steph is convinced that someone out there is wishing her harm, and yet no one believes her. Who can she trust, when even those nearest and dearest to her won’t listen to her?
The concept of Tell Me No Lies is clever and chilling – a fragile lead character with a traumatic past and a mental health history, trying to make a fresh start but soon realising that someone near her is trying to destroy her life. Without her support network – her best friend has moved away, her mother is estranged, and her husband is working away – Steph is especially vulnerable. Which makes her perfect prey. Doubting her own ability to cope, Steph tries to find people she can lean on and trust – but do those people have her best interest at heart? Or do they have their own agendas?
Seeing all the high ratings on Goodreads, I am obviously in the minority when I say that the book did not fully work for me. When I read a psychological thriller, I hope to be thrilled. Unfortunately this did not happen – whilst I loved the general concept, I found the events were just a bit too predictable, the characters’ motives too obvious. It is difficult to explain this without giving away any spoilers that would ruin the book for others, but I will try. For the book to be thrilling, I needed to have doubts regarding Steph’s mental state and her reliability as a narrator, like the character of Christine in S. J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep, for example. I wanted to question Steph’s story and her perception of reality, but this never happened. To me, the events unfolding and the characters’ motives held no big surprises, with Steph being infuriatingly blind to the obvious, which was more exasperating than thrilling. I hate it when characters are frustratingly obtuse to make the plot work, and that was my feeling here. Yes, Steph has a mental health history and a traumatic event in her past. Yes, she is doubting herself. Yes, she is needy and lonely and falling apart. But still, I was not convinced, and at times Steph’s voice did not ring true for me and I felt like grabbing her through the pages of the book and shaking some sense into her. Shame – other readers were obviously able to move past this discrepancy and enjoy the story nonetheless. I wanted a bit more. I wanted to be thrilled and chilled, I wanted to doubt everything I was reading, I wanted to question my own perception of the plot and gape open-mouthed when the final reveal threw everything into doubt once again. The twist at the end was clever, but sadly I also saw that one coming, as this particular character’s motives were so blindingly obvious to me from the very start. All in all, for me it lacked that certain “wow-factor” that makes me turn the pages and devour a book. 2.5 stars from me, but it obviously worked well for others, so don’t take my word for it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of Tell Me No Lies is clever and chilling – a fragile lead character with a traumatic past and a mental health history, trying to make a fresh start but soon realising that someone near her is trying to destroy her life. Without her support network – her best friend has moved away, her mother is estranged, and her husband is working away – Steph is especially vulnerable. Which makes her perfect prey. Doubting her own ability to cope, Steph tries to find people she can lean on and trust – but do those people have her best interest at heart? Or do they have their own agendas?
Seeing all the high ratings on Goodreads, I am obviously in the minority when I say that the book did not fully work for me. When I read a psychological thriller, I hope to be thrilled. Unfortunately this did not happen – whilst I loved the general concept, I found the events were just a bit too predictable, the characters’ motives too obvious. It is difficult to explain this without giving away any spoilers that would ruin the book for others, but I will try. For the book to be thrilling, I needed to have doubts regarding Steph’s mental state and her reliability as a narrator, like the character of Christine in S. J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep, for example. I wanted to question Steph’s story and her perception of reality, but this never happened. To me, the events unfolding and the characters’ motives held no big surprises, with Steph being infuriatingly blind to the obvious, which was more exasperating than thrilling. I hate it when characters are frustratingly obtuse to make the plot work, and that was my feeling here. Yes, Steph has a mental health history and a traumatic event in her past. Yes, she is doubting herself. Yes, she is needy and lonely and falling apart. But still, I was not convinced, and at times Steph’s voice did not ring true for me and I felt like grabbing her through the pages of the book and shaking some sense into her. Shame – other readers were obviously able to move past this discrepancy and enjoy the story nonetheless. I wanted a bit more. I wanted to be thrilled and chilled, I wanted to doubt everything I was reading, I wanted to question my own perception of the plot and gape open-mouthed when the final reveal threw everything into doubt once again. The twist at the end was clever, but sadly I also saw that one coming, as this particular character’s motives were so blindingly obvious to me from the very start. All in all, for me it lacked that certain “wow-factor” that makes me turn the pages and devour a book. 2.5 stars from me, but it obviously worked well for others, so don’t take my word for it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2016
**3.5 stars**
Tell Me No Lies is a psychological mystery with bite that kept me turning turning those pages, to see whether it was madness or messing that was the cause of all Steph's problems - loved how Lisa Hall wrote it so it really could have been either.
Making a new life start, Steph hopes to leave her rather emotional past behind her, but odd things keep happening and she can't really trust anyone - least of all herself. As a reader I didn't trust anyone either and whilst I was ultimately right about who was doing what to who and why I always felt there was a slight chance I was wrong, a lot of this story is highly unsettling which is what you want from a psychological thriller.
It is one of those books that flies by you in no time, getting engrossed into this tale of woe was no problem at all. Add a bit of a killer ending (if I had one bugbear it was that it was very sudden and possibly unlikely due to some other events) that makes you go OH NO and you've got a banging read.
Really enjoyed it. One for a rainy sunday afternoon (of which we will have plenty living here in the UK) when you want to curl up with a good book and lose the world for a while.
Tell Me No Lies is a psychological mystery with bite that kept me turning turning those pages, to see whether it was madness or messing that was the cause of all Steph's problems - loved how Lisa Hall wrote it so it really could have been either.
Making a new life start, Steph hopes to leave her rather emotional past behind her, but odd things keep happening and she can't really trust anyone - least of all herself. As a reader I didn't trust anyone either and whilst I was ultimately right about who was doing what to who and why I always felt there was a slight chance I was wrong, a lot of this story is highly unsettling which is what you want from a psychological thriller.
It is one of those books that flies by you in no time, getting engrossed into this tale of woe was no problem at all. Add a bit of a killer ending (if I had one bugbear it was that it was very sudden and possibly unlikely due to some other events) that makes you go OH NO and you've got a banging read.
Really enjoyed it. One for a rainy sunday afternoon (of which we will have plenty living here in the UK) when you want to curl up with a good book and lose the world for a while.
August 3, 2021
This book was frustrating. The main character was so naïve, I wanted to shake her. There were no unexpected twists, but I still read this book in a couple of days to find out if I'd guessed the ending correctly.
September 17, 2017
Fast paced and twisted. A good read.
March 15, 2025
Frustrating and predictable. Protagonist Steph Gordon couldn't have been more stupid if she tried. It's blatantly obvious who the bad guy is (not only to the reader but to anyone in Steph's position with half a brain), so the entire book you're just waiting for this dumbass to figure it out.
This is basically how it goes:
Steph: Hmm, someone's been deleting my emails and sending out vile messages from my phone, I wonder who it could be?
Me: Gee, Steph, I don't know, maybe consider the new relatively strange neighbour whom you gave your password to and who has constant access to your laptop and mobile?
Steph: Oh no I won't even consider the possibility of it being her. Maybe I just sent those vicious emails (which have ruined a close friendship) and flirty suggestive texts to another man (which my husband found out about and are threatening to ruin my marriage) without realising. Yes, that's it, my head's all over the place at the moment, I might have maybe sent those texts.
Steph: Hmm, various items such as my expensive coat and diamond earrings are missing from my home, I wonder where they are?
Me: Well, Steph, I'm no detective, but maybe consider the neighbour who is constantly in your house and flaunting the EXACT COAT AND EARRINGS right IN FRONT OF YOUR GODDAMN FACE, YOU ABSOLUTE NUT.
Side note: Who leaves their small child alone with someone they've only known for, like, 10 seconds? Steph, that's who. Find someone else to babysit or don't leave him at all in the hands of a woman who could potentially be a psycho (turns out she is, of course).
Steph: Hmm, I see that someone left me flowers on my porch (I know, ominous, right?), and instead of going around and asking people I know if it was them, I'll just stress myself and everybody out by believing it's a crazy stalker out to get me, even though I'm too bland to warrant a stalker's attention. (Granted, Steph was attacked when she was younger and thinks it may be the attacker coming to get her, but if that's the case, a simple phone call to find out if he's still in jail would have sufficed. Instead, she drags it out and keeps going on about the blasted flowers until later in the book where she is inflicted with a rare bout of Common Sense and thus decides to find out what happened to her attacker).
Steph: Hmm, I have an unsettling feeling that someone's been in my house. .. Oh hello, neighbour, who I have on more than one occasion seen heading out of my driveway whilst I was out, do YOU have any idea who it could be?
Steph: I now have viable evidence that this woman is not who she says she is. Instead of keeping the evidence to show to my husband (who is an unsupportive piece of shit but I don't blame him, his wife's an idiot), I will proceed to LEAVE THE PROOF OF MY SANITY exactly where it is, in the evil person's house where it can be easily deleted, and instead of dealing with this like a supposedly mature grown woman I'll just repeatedly scream "Please believe me! You have to believe me!" in a hysterical sobbing manner without once attempting to display said evidence. Also, I will physically lash out at the evil person at the WORST POSSIBLE TIME, so everyone believes that I'm a violent nutcase. Oh, and when I'm being carted away to the local madhouse, I'll further perpetuate this belief by shoving my husband and a social worker against a stone mantelpiece in full view of everyone.
Yeah, nice going, Steph. Well done.
This is basically how it goes:
Steph: Hmm, someone's been deleting my emails and sending out vile messages from my phone, I wonder who it could be?
Me: Gee, Steph, I don't know, maybe consider the new relatively strange neighbour whom you gave your password to and who has constant access to your laptop and mobile?
Steph: Oh no I won't even consider the possibility of it being her. Maybe I just sent those vicious emails (which have ruined a close friendship) and flirty suggestive texts to another man (which my husband found out about and are threatening to ruin my marriage) without realising. Yes, that's it, my head's all over the place at the moment, I might have maybe sent those texts.
Steph: Hmm, various items such as my expensive coat and diamond earrings are missing from my home, I wonder where they are?
Me: Well, Steph, I'm no detective, but maybe consider the neighbour who is constantly in your house and flaunting the EXACT COAT AND EARRINGS right IN FRONT OF YOUR GODDAMN FACE, YOU ABSOLUTE NUT.
Side note: Who leaves their small child alone with someone they've only known for, like, 10 seconds? Steph, that's who. Find someone else to babysit or don't leave him at all in the hands of a woman who could potentially be a psycho (turns out she is, of course).
Steph: Hmm, I see that someone left me flowers on my porch (I know, ominous, right?), and instead of going around and asking people I know if it was them, I'll just stress myself and everybody out by believing it's a crazy stalker out to get me, even though I'm too bland to warrant a stalker's attention. (Granted, Steph was attacked when she was younger and thinks it may be the attacker coming to get her, but if that's the case, a simple phone call to find out if he's still in jail would have sufficed. Instead, she drags it out and keeps going on about the blasted flowers until later in the book where she is inflicted with a rare bout of Common Sense and thus decides to find out what happened to her attacker).
Steph: Hmm, I have an unsettling feeling that someone's been in my house. .. Oh hello, neighbour, who I have on more than one occasion seen heading out of my driveway whilst I was out, do YOU have any idea who it could be?
Steph: I now have viable evidence that this woman is not who she says she is. Instead of keeping the evidence to show to my husband (who is an unsupportive piece of shit but I don't blame him, his wife's an idiot), I will proceed to LEAVE THE PROOF OF MY SANITY exactly where it is, in the evil person's house where it can be easily deleted, and instead of dealing with this like a supposedly mature grown woman I'll just repeatedly scream "Please believe me! You have to believe me!" in a hysterical sobbing manner without once attempting to display said evidence. Also, I will physically lash out at the evil person at the WORST POSSIBLE TIME, so everyone believes that I'm a violent nutcase. Oh, and when I'm being carted away to the local madhouse, I'll further perpetuate this belief by shoving my husband and a social worker against a stone mantelpiece in full view of everyone.
Yeah, nice going, Steph. Well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2019
Honestly, i hated this book! I really have to learn to stop reading when I'm not enjoying it. The way everyone around Steph, including her "loving" husband, treated her & just had no faith in her whatsoever. It just frustrated the hell out of me! (No spoiler there.. It's a major aspect to the book from the very beginning.) I get that there are "reasons," but the relationships still felt shallow & unrealistic to me. Besides that, i realized exactly what was going on very early on. To be fair, if there had been more of a description of the book on the cover, i probably would have skipped it.. But then once i was halfway through, i think part of why i finished it was because i was hoping i was wrong & that something else was going on. & then the ending? Ugh. I absolutely hated it. It was stupid & i feel frustrated with myself for suffering through!
dnf
March 1, 2021DNF @19%
2017; Carina/HarperCollins
I am going to pass on this one as it has taken me awhile to get into the book. Based on other reviews I don't think this one will be worth reading for me.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2017; Carina/HarperCollins
I am going to pass on this one as it has taken me awhile to get into the book. Based on other reviews I don't think this one will be worth reading for me.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
October 3, 2016
I received the ebook in exchange for an honest review on Netgalley.
Wow, this is a bonegripping thriller. The whole it was clear to me who was the bad guy, but I was still at the top of my seat reading this story. It is a very dangerous and anxious story.
Wow, this is a bonegripping thriller. The whole it was clear to me who was the bad guy, but I was still at the top of my seat reading this story. It is a very dangerous and anxious story.
February 5, 2017
How underwhelming. I found this interesting at first, but so incredibly predictable. I guessed the ending very quickly and found myself growing frustrated with it as a whole. Such a shame as I loved Between You & Me, this just disappointed me.
September 10, 2023
Read like a bad Hallmark movie and I hated the ending.
October 16, 2016
After being totally wowed by Lisa Hall's debut novel, Between You and Me, I was ecstatic when I knew that she had written another book and I just had to have it.
Moving house, expecting a second child and trying to get over the affair that her lying cheating husband had, doesn't really make for a picture perfect scene of domestic bliss for Steph. In fact from the very first chapter the tension is so electrically charged that it could light up a small town! You just know though that there must be more going on than you first think there is.
I just love how Lisa Hall can take a situation that is quite common and tweak it here and tweak it there and before you know it she has moved into your head and playing with your emotions and mind. She isn't a highly descriptive writer about the scenery around you. Yep, here is a house, a garden and a family. That is more or less what you get, well perhaps a little bit more but you know what I mean. What she does do is open up peoples heads and lets you go inside. Lets you move in and feel the insecurity, the doubt of other people but most of all the doubt about themselves. What is real and what is imagined you shall have to decide. It isn't always easy as you will see.
The novel centres around only a hand few of characters really, some you won't like and others you will like even less. There were only a couple of people that I really warmed up to. This is a truly fascinating book. I loved the whole thing.
I received an arc copy of this book from Carina UK via Netgalley and I chose to leave a review
Moving house, expecting a second child and trying to get over the affair that her lying cheating husband had, doesn't really make for a picture perfect scene of domestic bliss for Steph. In fact from the very first chapter the tension is so electrically charged that it could light up a small town! You just know though that there must be more going on than you first think there is.
I just love how Lisa Hall can take a situation that is quite common and tweak it here and tweak it there and before you know it she has moved into your head and playing with your emotions and mind. She isn't a highly descriptive writer about the scenery around you. Yep, here is a house, a garden and a family. That is more or less what you get, well perhaps a little bit more but you know what I mean. What she does do is open up peoples heads and lets you go inside. Lets you move in and feel the insecurity, the doubt of other people but most of all the doubt about themselves. What is real and what is imagined you shall have to decide. It isn't always easy as you will see.
The novel centres around only a hand few of characters really, some you won't like and others you will like even less. There were only a couple of people that I really warmed up to. This is a truly fascinating book. I loved the whole thing.
I received an arc copy of this book from Carina UK via Netgalley and I chose to leave a review
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