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I Never Lie
Is she the next victim? Or is she the culprit…?
Alex South is a high-functioning alcoholic who is teetering on the brink of oblivion. Her career as a television journalist is hanging by a thread since a drunken on-air rant. When a series of murders occur within a couple of miles of her East London home she is given another chance to prove her skill and report the unfolding events. She thinks she can control the drinking, but soon she finds gaping holes in her memory, and wakes to find she’s done things she can’t recall. As the story she’s covering starts to creep into her own life, is Alex a danger only to herself – or to others?
This gripping psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Fiona Barton, B A Paris and Clare Mackintosh.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2018
112 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Jody Sabral
5 books9 followersJody Sabral is based between the South Coast and London, where she works as a Foreign Desk editor and video producer at the BBC. She is a graduate of the MA in Crime Fiction at City University, London.
Jody worked as a journalist in Turkey for ten years, covering the region for various international broadcasters. She self-published her first book Changing Borders in 2012 and won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2014 for her second novel The Movement.
In addition to working for the BBC, Jody also writes for the Huffington Post, Al–Monitor and Brics Post.
Jody worked as a journalist in Turkey for ten years, covering the region for various international broadcasters. She self-published her first book Changing Borders in 2012 and won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2014 for her second novel The Movement.
In addition to working for the BBC, Jody also writes for the Huffington Post, Al–Monitor and Brics Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
June 12, 2018
It’s easier to deny to yourself that you don’t have a problem with alcohol when you’re (mostly) successful at your career (except for that one time that Alex appeared on the news, wasted). She’d been relegated to the desk after that fiasco, but when murdered women’s bodies show up not far from where she lives, she manages to get herself back on camera at key news-breaking moments.
The novel flashes back to a year earlier where we get posts from someone who knew Alex from Alex’s attempts at AA (to get her long-term boyfriend off her back about her drinking). They are diary entries which we know because they all begin with the words, “Dear Diary.” I’ve kept a journal since I was nine years old and every entry begins with the day of the week and the date. Do real people actually write “dear diary”?
Alex tells herself she’s drinking all day just to stave off detoxing so she can function, at least sort of. As she tries to get scoops, she realizes she has some knowledge of the people who died or the men being interviewed as possible suspects in their deaths.
You could see the ending well before things were revealed, and while there was some good stuff in this book, actively living through the lenses of two people who talk endlessly of simultaneously wanting another drink while also wanting to get sober is repetitive.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
The novel flashes back to a year earlier where we get posts from someone who knew Alex from Alex’s attempts at AA (to get her long-term boyfriend off her back about her drinking). They are diary entries which we know because they all begin with the words, “Dear Diary.” I’ve kept a journal since I was nine years old and every entry begins with the day of the week and the date. Do real people actually write “dear diary”?
Alex tells herself she’s drinking all day just to stave off detoxing so she can function, at least sort of. As she tries to get scoops, she realizes she has some knowledge of the people who died or the men being interviewed as possible suspects in their deaths.
You could see the ending well before things were revealed, and while there was some good stuff in this book, actively living through the lenses of two people who talk endlessly of simultaneously wanting another drink while also wanting to get sober is repetitive.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
June 2, 2018
Alex South is a functioning alcoholic who's career as a TV journalist has taken a turn for the worse after her on-air rant fuelled by alcohol. A number of murders then occurs in the area in which she lives, and she is given the chance to prove her worth. But, is Alex a danger only to herself or to others, too?
I NEVER LIE is a book that highlights the problems that come with being addicted to alcohol. It is not something I know a lot about as I drink very little. I can easily go 2/3+ years without a drink but this novel has given me an insight into what an addict goes through and the inevitable consequences of that addiction. It must be really difficult to wake up and the first you 'need' is an alcoholic beverage.
Sabral writes extremely well and knows exactly how to develop her characters so that they are realistic and believable. The story skirts the line between a character study into an alcoholic's lifestyle and a crime thriller.
I am not sure how well the book has been edited but I did spot a major error in the text, unfortunately. It was a tad offputting, I don't know how it could've gotten through the editing process but I certainly don't know enough about it to comment on that side of things. The error is only on one page - basically, it mentions squashing a fly, then a few sentences later, squashing a mouse which gives the impression that it has been changed but that someone has forgotten to delete the draft version sentence. This doesn't alter the reading experience, it's just a little confusing and you are left wondering how it is still there!
I would like to thank Jody Sabral, Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
I NEVER LIE is a book that highlights the problems that come with being addicted to alcohol. It is not something I know a lot about as I drink very little. I can easily go 2/3+ years without a drink but this novel has given me an insight into what an addict goes through and the inevitable consequences of that addiction. It must be really difficult to wake up and the first you 'need' is an alcoholic beverage.
Sabral writes extremely well and knows exactly how to develop her characters so that they are realistic and believable. The story skirts the line between a character study into an alcoholic's lifestyle and a crime thriller.
I am not sure how well the book has been edited but I did spot a major error in the text, unfortunately. It was a tad offputting, I don't know how it could've gotten through the editing process but I certainly don't know enough about it to comment on that side of things. The error is only on one page - basically, it mentions squashing a fly, then a few sentences later, squashing a mouse which gives the impression that it has been changed but that someone has forgotten to delete the draft version sentence. This doesn't alter the reading experience, it's just a little confusing and you are left wondering how it is still there!
I would like to thank Jody Sabral, Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2023
This book was a super page-turner, I was hooked from the very first page and the pace did not let up. This book offered something really different in the way of the plot from many other crime books out there at the moment. So if you fancy something a bit fresh this is a book for you.
A TV journalist is battling an ongoing alcohol addiction, trying to hide it from friends and co-workers. At the same time, she is trying to relaunch her career as a TV Reporter. She gets her big break when a woman is found dead in a park near her own home and follows the case all the way through.
What I really liked is that her character is incredibly real and flawed. She has a messy life and is trying to look like she has it all together on the outside. So she is not a picture perfect person and it presents a very real message of how not all alcoholics are living on the streets, drinking cider out of a paper bag.
The plot rolls along and it gets so interesting as more bodies show up and a person of interest is on the news with everybody looking for her. Nobody knows where she went. But the ultimate best bit of this book is the twist at the end. I had a tiny inkling it may be coming but it really did throw me a wobbly. Something that really gets the jaw-dropping!
This is a great read for both crime and psychological thriller fans as it really is a solid blend of both. Well worth grabbing to enjoy! I read this really quickly as the pace did not let up and I just had to know more! 4 stars from me. Loved it!
A TV journalist is battling an ongoing alcohol addiction, trying to hide it from friends and co-workers. At the same time, she is trying to relaunch her career as a TV Reporter. She gets her big break when a woman is found dead in a park near her own home and follows the case all the way through.
What I really liked is that her character is incredibly real and flawed. She has a messy life and is trying to look like she has it all together on the outside. So she is not a picture perfect person and it presents a very real message of how not all alcoholics are living on the streets, drinking cider out of a paper bag.
The plot rolls along and it gets so interesting as more bodies show up and a person of interest is on the news with everybody looking for her. Nobody knows where she went. But the ultimate best bit of this book is the twist at the end. I had a tiny inkling it may be coming but it really did throw me a wobbly. Something that really gets the jaw-dropping!
This is a great read for both crime and psychological thriller fans as it really is a solid blend of both. Well worth grabbing to enjoy! I read this really quickly as the pace did not let up and I just had to know more! 4 stars from me. Loved it!
May 16, 2019
Tv reporter Alex is a functioning alcoholic trying to get her career back on track after an embarrassing drunk performance on television.
When a body of a woman is found close to where Alex lives, this is her opportunity to redeem herself, with other bodies discovered this could be the biggest story of her career. Alex is desperately trying to detox but her continued drinking and her blackouts are not helping her focus.
We read the “Dear Diary” chapters where we meet someone trying desperately to give up their dependency of alcohol , I was very intrigued with who they are and how they fit into the story.
I enjoyed this well written book and it kept me intrigued, trying to guess who the killer was and why they were doing these atrocious crimes. The short chapters make this a book easy to read, I kept saying just 1 more chapter and before I knew it I had finished this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
When a body of a woman is found close to where Alex lives, this is her opportunity to redeem herself, with other bodies discovered this could be the biggest story of her career. Alex is desperately trying to detox but her continued drinking and her blackouts are not helping her focus.
We read the “Dear Diary” chapters where we meet someone trying desperately to give up their dependency of alcohol , I was very intrigued with who they are and how they fit into the story.
I enjoyed this well written book and it kept me intrigued, trying to guess who the killer was and why they were doing these atrocious crimes. The short chapters make this a book easy to read, I kept saying just 1 more chapter and before I knew it I had finished this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
June 23, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
TV reporter Alex South is trying to prove her worth again in front of the camera by offering to cover the story of a woman’s body being found near her home in East London. Alex had been on desk duty since she did a live broadcast drunk. You see, Alex is an alcoholic.
The murdered woman is the third to of been found in the local area in the last few weeks and it would seem that there could be a serial killer on the loose. Alex puts everything into covering the case, even heading to her home city to see if she can speak to a woman whose gym card was found at the scene.
Unfortunately, Alex’s drinking is starting to get out of hand and the more she is having, the less she remembers about parts of her day and night. Is she putting herself in danger, or is there more to what she is doing during these blackouts?
I Never Lie is an intriguing novel and to me was a unique novel too, following the life of a female drunk – I’ve read plenty where the alcoholic has been male. She did have a great life until alcohol destroyed it, living in Manchester with her boyfriend and was expecting their child – Now she is alone, having constant one night stands, trying to get pregnant again after she miscarried her child the year before.
Throughout the book, there are also diary entries from someone who knew Alex in 2017. These entries felt quite creepy at times and I was desperate to know who they were from and what part they played in the murdered women plot.
The book is a little predictable as I’d worked out the culprit way before the ending, but it didn’t take my enjoyment away from the story. It is a good psychological thriller with a great cast of characters that I found I had a love/hate relationship with.
TV reporter Alex South is trying to prove her worth again in front of the camera by offering to cover the story of a woman’s body being found near her home in East London. Alex had been on desk duty since she did a live broadcast drunk. You see, Alex is an alcoholic.
The murdered woman is the third to of been found in the local area in the last few weeks and it would seem that there could be a serial killer on the loose. Alex puts everything into covering the case, even heading to her home city to see if she can speak to a woman whose gym card was found at the scene.
Unfortunately, Alex’s drinking is starting to get out of hand and the more she is having, the less she remembers about parts of her day and night. Is she putting herself in danger, or is there more to what she is doing during these blackouts?
I Never Lie is an intriguing novel and to me was a unique novel too, following the life of a female drunk – I’ve read plenty where the alcoholic has been male. She did have a great life until alcohol destroyed it, living in Manchester with her boyfriend and was expecting their child – Now she is alone, having constant one night stands, trying to get pregnant again after she miscarried her child the year before.
Throughout the book, there are also diary entries from someone who knew Alex in 2017. These entries felt quite creepy at times and I was desperate to know who they were from and what part they played in the murdered women plot.
The book is a little predictable as I’d worked out the culprit way before the ending, but it didn’t take my enjoyment away from the story. It is a good psychological thriller with a great cast of characters that I found I had a love/hate relationship with.
June 12, 2018
I Never Lie by Jody Sabral sounded like it was a book that was right up my street. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the expectation. It wasn't bad, just not as good as I hoped.
Alex is an alcoholic in denial. She is a journalist on the downslide and desperate to have a baby. She has numerous one night stands with the intention of falling pregnant. When a number of bodies are found in her local area of East London she sees a way to redeem herself and get back on track. But the drinking leads to holes in her memories.. is she a danger to others as well as herself? Alex was not a likeable character at all.
Thanks to Candelo Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions
Alex is an alcoholic in denial. She is a journalist on the downslide and desperate to have a baby. She has numerous one night stands with the intention of falling pregnant. When a number of bodies are found in her local area of East London she sees a way to redeem herself and get back on track. But the drinking leads to holes in her memories.. is she a danger to others as well as herself? Alex was not a likeable character at all.
Thanks to Candelo Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions
June 16, 2018
BLOGTOUR REVIEW
Alex South is a tv reporter and fully functioning alcoholic who is struggling to rebuild her career after a rant on live tv.She is handed a chance to redeem herself when the body of a young woman is found in a park near Alex`s home.Within the next few weeks two more bodies are discovered,both having been killed using the same method.Alex finds herself caught up in the biggest story of her career,a front page headline grabbing story that could cause her Twitter followers count to explode.She needs to be on top of her game,she`s fine! she`s in control of her drinking,no way is she an alcoholic! But why does she keep having blackouts and being left with no memory of what she has done during the missing time.As the story she is covering starts to creep into her life,is Alex a danger to herself - or to others.
Alternating between Alex`s story in the present day and `Dear Diary` chapters that start a year before in 2017,this is a gripping story of addiction,denial,obsession and revenge.Alex is a complex character who spends every day insisting that she is going to detox but always seems to find any reason to have just one more drink.The authors descriptions of the secretive and deceitful life of a addict where vivid and realistic.The blackouts,the gin filled water bottle,the fear and despair Alex felt when she couldn't find any alcohol,Alex suddenly discovering she had a bottle in her hand or bag that she couldn't remember picking up.Not being an addict myself,I found Alex`s self destructive behaviour very frustrating and to be honest the constant mentioning of detoxing was quite repetitive at times.The italicized Dear Diary parts of the story were intriguing and quite creepy.This person's back story was quite sad but who was narrating the diary and how did they fit into the story?
The story is well written and keeps the reader guessing,the killer could be any one of a number of characters.Although the story isn't action packed,it does have plenty of twists and turns,red herrings and short snappy chapters that hold the readers attention and give you a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome
Many thanks to Canelo for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Alex South is a tv reporter and fully functioning alcoholic who is struggling to rebuild her career after a rant on live tv.She is handed a chance to redeem herself when the body of a young woman is found in a park near Alex`s home.Within the next few weeks two more bodies are discovered,both having been killed using the same method.Alex finds herself caught up in the biggest story of her career,a front page headline grabbing story that could cause her Twitter followers count to explode.She needs to be on top of her game,she`s fine! she`s in control of her drinking,no way is she an alcoholic! But why does she keep having blackouts and being left with no memory of what she has done during the missing time.As the story she is covering starts to creep into her life,is Alex a danger to herself - or to others.
Alternating between Alex`s story in the present day and `Dear Diary` chapters that start a year before in 2017,this is a gripping story of addiction,denial,obsession and revenge.Alex is a complex character who spends every day insisting that she is going to detox but always seems to find any reason to have just one more drink.The authors descriptions of the secretive and deceitful life of a addict where vivid and realistic.The blackouts,the gin filled water bottle,the fear and despair Alex felt when she couldn't find any alcohol,Alex suddenly discovering she had a bottle in her hand or bag that she couldn't remember picking up.Not being an addict myself,I found Alex`s self destructive behaviour very frustrating and to be honest the constant mentioning of detoxing was quite repetitive at times.The italicized Dear Diary parts of the story were intriguing and quite creepy.This person's back story was quite sad but who was narrating the diary and how did they fit into the story?
The story is well written and keeps the reader guessing,the killer could be any one of a number of characters.Although the story isn't action packed,it does have plenty of twists and turns,red herrings and short snappy chapters that hold the readers attention and give you a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome
Many thanks to Canelo for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
June 10, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This book seemed to have a pretty interesting premise. However I don’t think it quite delivered what I was looking for.
This was a thriller based around Alex South a journalist from East London who struggles with alcoholism. She is in denial throughout about her problem failing to accept it is causing her many problems and blackouts. She becomes obsessed over having a baby and tried to use strangers to do it - which I found really weird and made me pretty uncomfortable - luckily this wasn’t the main premise of the book.
I was hoping for this book to be suspenseful and thrilling - but I really did think it was unfortunately. I found the majority of the book to be quite slow in revealing details of the murders of the women Alex is reporting on and who may have done it. From the diary entries it became quite obvious early on what the whole shock moment/plot twist was which really took away from the enjoyment. This book was simply too predictable and too slow paced. I also noticed in one passage where a fly had been changed to a mouse at some point in the editing stage but not all the information had been correctly changed a hence why I knew a fly was originally used but it was probably changed to a mouse to be more disturbing.
Overall I was disappointed with this read personally due to its main focus being around alcoholism rather than investigating the murders and filling me with suspense. I can see how this read would appeal to others though and it does do a good job of covering issues linked to alcohol - it’s just not quite the book I thought it would be from being advertised as a psychological thriller.
This book seemed to have a pretty interesting premise. However I don’t think it quite delivered what I was looking for.
This was a thriller based around Alex South a journalist from East London who struggles with alcoholism. She is in denial throughout about her problem failing to accept it is causing her many problems and blackouts. She becomes obsessed over having a baby and tried to use strangers to do it - which I found really weird and made me pretty uncomfortable - luckily this wasn’t the main premise of the book.
I was hoping for this book to be suspenseful and thrilling - but I really did think it was unfortunately. I found the majority of the book to be quite slow in revealing details of the murders of the women Alex is reporting on and who may have done it. From the diary entries it became quite obvious early on what the whole shock moment/plot twist was which really took away from the enjoyment. This book was simply too predictable and too slow paced. I also noticed in one passage where a fly had been changed to a mouse at some point in the editing stage but not all the information had been correctly changed a hence why I knew a fly was originally used but it was probably changed to a mouse to be more disturbing.
Overall I was disappointed with this read personally due to its main focus being around alcoholism rather than investigating the murders and filling me with suspense. I can see how this read would appeal to others though and it does do a good job of covering issues linked to alcohol - it’s just not quite the book I thought it would be from being advertised as a psychological thriller.
June 3, 2018
With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
High functioning alcoholic Alex South had her own radio programme in Manchester. After suffering a miscarriage she left her fiance Greg and moved down to London . Alex now works in television but her career is in freefall after a drunken rant on TV.
The story begins on Alex's birthday when she wakes up in bed with a hangover from hell, laying beside her is Neil who she the night before over the internet. Later that day Alex discovers that the body of a unknown female had been found in a park close to her home. The body could be linked to the unsolved murders of Jade Soron and Maggie Horrocks. Seeing this as a chance to redeem her she rings the newsroom and volunteers to go straight to the crime scene.
Alex finds out that next to the body was a gym membership card in the name of Sarah Wilcox. The police try to trace Sarah but cannot find her. The body is later identified as Alice Fessy who regularly met dates on the internet. As Alex reports on the crimes her drinking increases causing her to blackout and waking hours later with injuries.
The story was told from the POV of Alex and Dear Diary excerpts from an unknown person from 2017 to the present day. I Never Lie was more about Alex's descent into alcoholism then the murders, I would of liked the POV of DI Brooks the detective in charge of the investigation.
I did not like Alex but but I was sorry she depended on alcohol to get through the day. My favourite character was her friend and next door neighbour Charlie who tried to look after her. The story went at a steady pace with plenty of red herrings. I was sure I guessed the cliff hanger to this tale but I only got it half right. The ending was clever but I would of liked a more cut and dried ending instead of leaving it to make my own conclusions.
Overall I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
High functioning alcoholic Alex South had her own radio programme in Manchester. After suffering a miscarriage she left her fiance Greg and moved down to London . Alex now works in television but her career is in freefall after a drunken rant on TV.
The story begins on Alex's birthday when she wakes up in bed with a hangover from hell, laying beside her is Neil who she the night before over the internet. Later that day Alex discovers that the body of a unknown female had been found in a park close to her home. The body could be linked to the unsolved murders of Jade Soron and Maggie Horrocks. Seeing this as a chance to redeem her she rings the newsroom and volunteers to go straight to the crime scene.
Alex finds out that next to the body was a gym membership card in the name of Sarah Wilcox. The police try to trace Sarah but cannot find her. The body is later identified as Alice Fessy who regularly met dates on the internet. As Alex reports on the crimes her drinking increases causing her to blackout and waking hours later with injuries.
The story was told from the POV of Alex and Dear Diary excerpts from an unknown person from 2017 to the present day. I Never Lie was more about Alex's descent into alcoholism then the murders, I would of liked the POV of DI Brooks the detective in charge of the investigation.
I did not like Alex but but I was sorry she depended on alcohol to get through the day. My favourite character was her friend and next door neighbour Charlie who tried to look after her. The story went at a steady pace with plenty of red herrings. I was sure I guessed the cliff hanger to this tale but I only got it half right. The ending was clever but I would of liked a more cut and dried ending instead of leaving it to make my own conclusions.
Overall I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Read
June 25, 2018Are you in the mood to read a book from the point of view of a thoroughly unlikeable alcoholic who spends most of her days in a haze in the grip of her addiction? Alex South is meant to be a crime reporter, but unfortunately she's got a bad rap because she can't stay sober. Given (not sure how in the world she managed to get the job) the chance to report on a serial killer in the neighborhood close to where she lives, Alex discovers that she knows all the women who are dead.
I'm not sure exactly how to classify this book. It's not a detective mystery, it's not a psychological thriller (unless you count the fact that Alex is delusional about herself), and it's not crime fiction. The prose centers mainly on Alex promising herself to detox and then proceeding to drink away. How she manages to actually do any on air reporting defies belief. She's not even remotely a "functional alcoholic" because she misses work, passes out, and has blackouts. I couldn't stand her character. It was obvious where this was going and I won't spoil it in case someone who reads it doesn't guess right off. How she could even manage to look presentable to go to work is beyond my ability to buy as well. The woman drank almost non-stop. I guess you could say I don't have any empathy for Alex and you'd be right. There wasn't much to get from this novel and I was disappointed with the pace and the revelations. The "pull it all together" epilogue at the end made me want to throw my Kindle AND Alex across the room!
I do thank NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I really don't like reading books with unreliable, nearly psycho narrators who have major issues, so I need to be more careful when reading the blurbs and selecting the titles.
I'm not sure exactly how to classify this book. It's not a detective mystery, it's not a psychological thriller (unless you count the fact that Alex is delusional about herself), and it's not crime fiction. The prose centers mainly on Alex promising herself to detox and then proceeding to drink away. How she manages to actually do any on air reporting defies belief. She's not even remotely a "functional alcoholic" because she misses work, passes out, and has blackouts. I couldn't stand her character. It was obvious where this was going and I won't spoil it in case someone who reads it doesn't guess right off. How she could even manage to look presentable to go to work is beyond my ability to buy as well. The woman drank almost non-stop. I guess you could say I don't have any empathy for Alex and you'd be right. There wasn't much to get from this novel and I was disappointed with the pace and the revelations. The "pull it all together" epilogue at the end made me want to throw my Kindle AND Alex across the room!
I do thank NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I really don't like reading books with unreliable, nearly psycho narrators who have major issues, so I need to be more careful when reading the blurbs and selecting the titles.
July 12, 2018
2.5 stars
This novel took me longer to read because I’ve had a busy week, also because it was hard to get into.
I don’t know what I can say about this novel except that it doesn’t really serve as a mystery or a thriller. It’s a novel more about alcoholism and I found that the author focused so much on that, that it stole what could’ve been a very well written thriller. I’m not an expert on writing, but I’ve read my fair share of thrillers. This book had lots of potential because I did enjoy the story, it just focused so much on drinking, that I didn’t get the goosebumps I usually do when reading a mystery or thriller.
The main character, Alex, kind of bugged me. She drank so much throughout the novel and that’s all that really happened with her. And the ending to the novel and what happened to Alex was just so out of the blue, that I was shocked at what was going on in the novel.
One think I liked about the novel was the very small about of suspense that was in it with figuring out who they killed was. Although it became obvious near the end of the novel, that was the only thing pushing me to finish it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
This novel took me longer to read because I’ve had a busy week, also because it was hard to get into.
I don’t know what I can say about this novel except that it doesn’t really serve as a mystery or a thriller. It’s a novel more about alcoholism and I found that the author focused so much on that, that it stole what could’ve been a very well written thriller. I’m not an expert on writing, but I’ve read my fair share of thrillers. This book had lots of potential because I did enjoy the story, it just focused so much on drinking, that I didn’t get the goosebumps I usually do when reading a mystery or thriller.
The main character, Alex, kind of bugged me. She drank so much throughout the novel and that’s all that really happened with her. And the ending to the novel and what happened to Alex was just so out of the blue, that I was shocked at what was going on in the novel.
One think I liked about the novel was the very small about of suspense that was in it with figuring out who they killed was. Although it became obvious near the end of the novel, that was the only thing pushing me to finish it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
May 17, 2018
This books revolves mainly around alcohol and I was a bit disappointed that this subject took over the whole story line. I wanted more on the crimes and the clues, and though we get tidbits, we don’t get enough. It’s mainly about Alex and her alcohol problems, she always ALWAYS needs a drink and I found I rolled my eyes the more times it was mentioned.
That ending was brilliant though! I didn’t quite see it coming until close to the end, though we’re still left in limbo-land, like we have to make our own final conclusions and I do like that in a book, it’s also made my brain hurt.
Alex South is a great character, weak, maybe a little incompetent, I definitely don’t see her career ‘cemented’ nor have I seen a character quite so lazy in such an important job. But she was good to read about. But in some places she’s quite a jumbled and complex character.
The storyline itself was good, realistic and mysterious (in some ways) and did make for a great read. I love this author’s writing style and would definitely read more from her. I just think this book may need a little tweaking. But that’s my god’s honest opinion.
That ending was brilliant though! I didn’t quite see it coming until close to the end, though we’re still left in limbo-land, like we have to make our own final conclusions and I do like that in a book, it’s also made my brain hurt.
Alex South is a great character, weak, maybe a little incompetent, I definitely don’t see her career ‘cemented’ nor have I seen a character quite so lazy in such an important job. But she was good to read about. But in some places she’s quite a jumbled and complex character.
The storyline itself was good, realistic and mysterious (in some ways) and did make for a great read. I love this author’s writing style and would definitely read more from her. I just think this book may need a little tweaking. But that’s my god’s honest opinion.
June 29, 2018
First of all, thank you so much to Ellie Pilcher for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and to Canelo Publishers for the free digital copy of I Never Lie in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I received the invitation to review this novel from Ellie and read the synopsis, I immediately knew I had to accept. It felt a bit "Girl On The Train-esque" and I do adore an unreliable narrator so this novel was a must read in my eyes. Now I normally hate comparisons to famous books like Gone Girl and Girl On The Train but let me assure you, the publishers have not promoted it in any way as being similar to these blockbusters, it's completely my own interpretation of an alcoholic female character as being somewhat familiar territory. Luckily, I was delighted to discover that the alcoholic lead is the only thing that I Never Lie has in common with Girl On The Train. This book stands completely on its own as a gripping story of a troubled woman trying to get back on her feet (and being hopelessly in thrall to her addiction) and it was a thrilling, highly enjoyable read.
As with most mysteries/crime fictions, to say too much more about the synopsis would be giving far too many spoilers about the novel and I'm certainly not one to ruin things for everyone! Our female protagonist is Alex South, journalist flying high in her career until one live drunken report which threatens to ruin everything for good. You see, Alex is an alcoholic who was already drinking excessively when living in Manchester with her boyfriend but after a devastating miscarriage and break-up, she moved to East London where she continues to deny she has a problem at all. When a body is found in a park close to her home, she seizes the opportunity to revive her career and begs for the opportunity to investigate and get involved. Then the bodies of further women are found who have been killed in the same manner and when Alex continues to be lead journalist on the story and begins to blackout from drinking binges, she begins to realises that there may be far more demons that she has to face other than the ones in the bottle.
Jody Sabral has had a lot of experience working as a journalist and this completely shines through in her writing. Not in that it's matter-of-fact and quite clinical in the story-telling but in her knowledge of the industry and how processes work, particularly in the field of crime reporting. The narrative itself is intriguing and although it isn't action-packed, I don't think it needs to be to tell an exciting story. The whole novel is much more character focused which I really love in a good mystery and is much more about Alex's internal struggles and colourful past rather than vivid descriptions of murder scenes. Alex is not particularly likeable and sometimes I did get frustrated and just wanted to shake her but she felt completely believable as a normal person with flaws and a seemingly unconquerable addiction.
One of my favourite parts of I Never Lie had to be the diary extracts from an unknown woman which are interspersed with Alex's story. Who is she and what connection does she have to Alex and to the murders in East London? Jody Sabral is an expert at slow, gradual reveals, red herrings and unexpected twists and just when you think you have it all figured out - you find you're completely wrong. I'm definitely excited to read something else by this author!
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
As with most mysteries/crime fictions, to say too much more about the synopsis would be giving far too many spoilers about the novel and I'm certainly not one to ruin things for everyone! Our female protagonist is Alex South, journalist flying high in her career until one live drunken report which threatens to ruin everything for good. You see, Alex is an alcoholic who was already drinking excessively when living in Manchester with her boyfriend but after a devastating miscarriage and break-up, she moved to East London where she continues to deny she has a problem at all. When a body is found in a park close to her home, she seizes the opportunity to revive her career and begs for the opportunity to investigate and get involved. Then the bodies of further women are found who have been killed in the same manner and when Alex continues to be lead journalist on the story and begins to blackout from drinking binges, she begins to realises that there may be far more demons that she has to face other than the ones in the bottle.
Jody Sabral has had a lot of experience working as a journalist and this completely shines through in her writing. Not in that it's matter-of-fact and quite clinical in the story-telling but in her knowledge of the industry and how processes work, particularly in the field of crime reporting. The narrative itself is intriguing and although it isn't action-packed, I don't think it needs to be to tell an exciting story. The whole novel is much more character focused which I really love in a good mystery and is much more about Alex's internal struggles and colourful past rather than vivid descriptions of murder scenes. Alex is not particularly likeable and sometimes I did get frustrated and just wanted to shake her but she felt completely believable as a normal person with flaws and a seemingly unconquerable addiction.
One of my favourite parts of I Never Lie had to be the diary extracts from an unknown woman which are interspersed with Alex's story. Who is she and what connection does she have to Alex and to the murders in East London? Jody Sabral is an expert at slow, gradual reveals, red herrings and unexpected twists and just when you think you have it all figured out - you find you're completely wrong. I'm definitely excited to read something else by this author!
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
July 24, 2018
Many books are described as gripping, by those who enjoy a good whodunit or want to play detective and see if they can figure out who the culprit is before all is revealed. Others afford this description to books that are page turners. “I Never Lie” is gripping for both reasons. It is the story of an alcoholic news reporter, Alex South, adept at lying and concealing her addiction, but at the same time lapsing into blackouts that play havoc with her memory.
Reckless and lacking empathy, Alex equates her success and being in control with the number of followers or likes she gets on social media. The descriptions of her reasoning and denial is an accurate reflection of how most addicts function and make her and other characters in this story realistic and credible and sadly, pitiful.
The appeal of this story is that it is contemporary, and moves quickly. It is easy to read and well contemplated, whilst giving a close understanding of the functioning of an alcoholic and the dominance of addiction...
If you’re looking for a gripping story, in the true sense of enthralling, this is the read for you. It gets a full five stars from me and I shall be on the lookout for more books by this talented story-teller.
Reckless and lacking empathy, Alex equates her success and being in control with the number of followers or likes she gets on social media. The descriptions of her reasoning and denial is an accurate reflection of how most addicts function and make her and other characters in this story realistic and credible and sadly, pitiful.
The appeal of this story is that it is contemporary, and moves quickly. It is easy to read and well contemplated, whilst giving a close understanding of the functioning of an alcoholic and the dominance of addiction...
If you’re looking for a gripping story, in the true sense of enthralling, this is the read for you. It gets a full five stars from me and I shall be on the lookout for more books by this talented story-teller.
June 11, 2018
I have mixed emotions on this book. I think the concept of the story was interesting but I feel it dragged on far too much.
I feel like the author couldn't make up her mind on what the ending was going to be and I felt some characters did not need to be in it.
I feel like the author couldn't make up her mind on what the ending was going to be and I felt some characters did not need to be in it.
August 3, 2018
Once I started reading this book, there was no putting it down. But I can’t figure out whether to classify this as a murder mystery thriller or a book that talks about a very serious, common and close to home issue- alcoholism.
So I’m not going to talk about the murder mystery much, but about the subject that I thought the author wanted to highlight in the book, via the story of a murder mystery- the struggles of dealing with an addiction. I loved how the author has taken this subject from the point of view of the person suffering from it, and she has also explored multiple reasons of how and why a person can go down the route of an addiction.
She has shown all the darkness and social stigma associated to being an addict- in this case an alcohol addict and at the same time, she has tried to make sure not to brand her characters as good or bad, but as a shade of grey. I think she wants the readers to think, about these characters and how we perceive them in real life. She wants us to ask ourselves, do we know who we are? This was the part that I liked about the book so much, because it is a subject that is very personal to me as well. I have someone very close in my family, who has this problem, or should I call it a disease? I know this person since I was a child and I still think of them as one of my idols. This person is intelligent, smart, funny, and very kind. And yet, somehow came under the control of alcohol in the later years of their life. I can see how much this person wants to rid of this habit, but I can also see the helplessness in trying to control it now.
I wish society was kinder to him, and would treat his problem like any other illness such as cancer. Sometimes I wonder if it is genetic and I fear for myself too, since I know the line is a thin one. And it felt like the author was reflecting all my thoughts and giving me more of an insight as to what must be going on in this person’s mind as well, through this book. Just because of this subject, if there was a hard copy of the book, I would keep it and read it aloud to this person, who I love very much. Just to tell him, that I understand and I don’t judge 😦
Coming to the murder mystery element, it starts with a very Jack the Ripper style storyline, but the ending wasn’t what I expected to be- just in terms of the whodunit factor. But overall, I thought the writing was good, simple and fast paced (easy to read for readers like me whose first language is not English:)), and the underlying message was a strong one. Will recommend this if you can deal with the trigger warning of alcoholism.
** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
So I’m not going to talk about the murder mystery much, but about the subject that I thought the author wanted to highlight in the book, via the story of a murder mystery- the struggles of dealing with an addiction. I loved how the author has taken this subject from the point of view of the person suffering from it, and she has also explored multiple reasons of how and why a person can go down the route of an addiction.
She has shown all the darkness and social stigma associated to being an addict- in this case an alcohol addict and at the same time, she has tried to make sure not to brand her characters as good or bad, but as a shade of grey. I think she wants the readers to think, about these characters and how we perceive them in real life. She wants us to ask ourselves, do we know who we are? This was the part that I liked about the book so much, because it is a subject that is very personal to me as well. I have someone very close in my family, who has this problem, or should I call it a disease? I know this person since I was a child and I still think of them as one of my idols. This person is intelligent, smart, funny, and very kind. And yet, somehow came under the control of alcohol in the later years of their life. I can see how much this person wants to rid of this habit, but I can also see the helplessness in trying to control it now.
I wish society was kinder to him, and would treat his problem like any other illness such as cancer. Sometimes I wonder if it is genetic and I fear for myself too, since I know the line is a thin one. And it felt like the author was reflecting all my thoughts and giving me more of an insight as to what must be going on in this person’s mind as well, through this book. Just because of this subject, if there was a hard copy of the book, I would keep it and read it aloud to this person, who I love very much. Just to tell him, that I understand and I don’t judge 😦
Coming to the murder mystery element, it starts with a very Jack the Ripper style storyline, but the ending wasn’t what I expected to be- just in terms of the whodunit factor. But overall, I thought the writing was good, simple and fast paced (easy to read for readers like me whose first language is not English:)), and the underlying message was a strong one. Will recommend this if you can deal with the trigger warning of alcoholism.
** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
June 2, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Canelo in exchange for an honest review.
I am literally so baffled. I genuinely loved reading this book. It is extremely well-written, the characters are interesting and I was definitely invested in the story. So why am I only giving it three stars? Because the only 'twist' of the book is mentioned on the cover and the blurb.
Let me make this clear-I am not going to spoil anything about the plot of this. But both the blurb and the cover hint strongly that Alex (the protagonist) might be the one behind the serial killings. The very possibility of this is not mentioned until well over 80% of the way through the book and I am dumbfounded. Again, I am not saying for definite whether Alex is behind it or not and therefore am not going to spoil the ending. But the fact that she may be behind it is treated as a twist in the plot and it's so stupid when it's mentioned on the cover and in the blurb!
If it weren't for this one major flaw, I would absolutely be giving this book 4 stars. Alex is a developed and fascinating protagonist, the side characters all feel like they could be real people and the general plot is very good. I've read thrillers about journalists and I've read thrillers about alcoholics before but Sabral's writing style means that it all feels pretty fresh and new.
There's also a pretty major editing mistake in one of the 'Dear Diary' chapters. The mystery POV character describes crushing a mouse and then a few sentences later, talks about squashing a fly instead. This was very distracting as it was clearly a fly in the original draft and was changed to make it more dramatic.
Overall, I would still recommend this book for a good read but don't expect to be surprised by anything. It's not the kind of thriller with a lot of twists (or any twists really) which is such a shame because it could have been so much better.
Overall Rating: 3/5
I am literally so baffled. I genuinely loved reading this book. It is extremely well-written, the characters are interesting and I was definitely invested in the story. So why am I only giving it three stars? Because the only 'twist' of the book is mentioned on the cover and the blurb.
Let me make this clear-I am not going to spoil anything about the plot of this. But both the blurb and the cover hint strongly that Alex (the protagonist) might be the one behind the serial killings. The very possibility of this is not mentioned until well over 80% of the way through the book and I am dumbfounded. Again, I am not saying for definite whether Alex is behind it or not and therefore am not going to spoil the ending. But the fact that she may be behind it is treated as a twist in the plot and it's so stupid when it's mentioned on the cover and in the blurb!
If it weren't for this one major flaw, I would absolutely be giving this book 4 stars. Alex is a developed and fascinating protagonist, the side characters all feel like they could be real people and the general plot is very good. I've read thrillers about journalists and I've read thrillers about alcoholics before but Sabral's writing style means that it all feels pretty fresh and new.
There's also a pretty major editing mistake in one of the 'Dear Diary' chapters. The mystery POV character describes crushing a mouse and then a few sentences later, talks about squashing a fly instead. This was very distracting as it was clearly a fly in the original draft and was changed to make it more dramatic.
Overall, I would still recommend this book for a good read but don't expect to be surprised by anything. It's not the kind of thriller with a lot of twists (or any twists really) which is such a shame because it could have been so much better.
Overall Rating: 3/5
June 11, 2018
Great use of the unreliable narrator(s). The novel is narrated by Alex, a 'functioning' alcoholic who continually deludes herself that everything is OK despite her memory losses and the diary enteries of another alcoholic Alex was connected with. It's the kind of novel where you don't know who to trust. Alex's interior monologue about drinking is extremely convincing. There is not a great deal of investigation going on, it's mainly a psychological thriller.
June 21, 2018
This is the first book by Jody Sabral that I have read but judging by how much I enjoyed reading ‘I Never Lie’, it certainly won’t be the last book by this author that I read. I really did enjoy reading this book but more about that in a bit.
I can honestly say that I did not like nor take to the character of Alex South one bit. The beginning of the book sees her waking up to another of her one night stands. It transpires that she is desperate to become pregnant and doesn’t care who is the father. She is also a journalist, whose career nosedived when she went on screen drunk and had an epic rant into the camera. Alex is an alcoholic, who has relapsed several times over the years. She drinks alcohol with the same frequency that I eat cake and sweets (that’s a lot in case you were wondering). She trots out the same excuse that she will cut down or she will stop but she never seems to actually do just what she says she will. It wasn’t until further on in the book that I realised that part of her alcohol addiction is her way of coping with the fact that she suffered a miscarriage and the break up of her relationship. That said that doesn’t wash with me. I am a bit hard in that respect. Alex wants to get her career back on track and when a body is discovered in a park nearby, she sees it as her way of getting her career back. The crimes begin to throw up some startling coincidences or connections that Alex just can’t explain. Not surprising for a woman, who drinks like a fish, gets hammered (drunk) and she literally has gaps in her memory. Now that is frightening for me because literally anything could happen to her in her drunken state and she wouldn’t know. On more than one occasion Alex has woken up next to a strange man in her bed and she doesn’t even know their names, let alone their histories. She seems to play Russian Roulette with her health but it doesn’t seem to bother her because she certainly doesn’t change her behaviour.
I have to say that this is one of the most original books that I have read in a fair while because it deals with a character who has memory lapses and so she has no idea if she has committed an awful crime or two or if she is innocent. I was hooked on this book from the moment I got to the bottom of the first page. I had no idea which direction this book was going in and it certainly kept me guessing all the way through. I became addicted to reading this book and the pages just flew past in a blur as I wanted to learn much more about Alex, if she carried on on the path to self destruction and if she really was guilty of a crime. The twists and turns just kept a coming and there were certain moments that I was so unexpecting.
This is a really well written book. The author has a writing style, which catches your attention and draws you in like a fisherman reels in a fish. The chapters are written in two different ways. There are chapters written about events as they happen in the present day and there are chapters written in the style of diary entries of the previous year, which go a long way to explaining why or how Alex is the way she is. The chapters interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly.
In conclusion I have to say that I really enjoyed reading ‘I Never Lie’, even if I wasn’t too keen on the main character. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Jody Sabral. The score on the Ginger Book Geek is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.
I can honestly say that I did not like nor take to the character of Alex South one bit. The beginning of the book sees her waking up to another of her one night stands. It transpires that she is desperate to become pregnant and doesn’t care who is the father. She is also a journalist, whose career nosedived when she went on screen drunk and had an epic rant into the camera. Alex is an alcoholic, who has relapsed several times over the years. She drinks alcohol with the same frequency that I eat cake and sweets (that’s a lot in case you were wondering). She trots out the same excuse that she will cut down or she will stop but she never seems to actually do just what she says she will. It wasn’t until further on in the book that I realised that part of her alcohol addiction is her way of coping with the fact that she suffered a miscarriage and the break up of her relationship. That said that doesn’t wash with me. I am a bit hard in that respect. Alex wants to get her career back on track and when a body is discovered in a park nearby, she sees it as her way of getting her career back. The crimes begin to throw up some startling coincidences or connections that Alex just can’t explain. Not surprising for a woman, who drinks like a fish, gets hammered (drunk) and she literally has gaps in her memory. Now that is frightening for me because literally anything could happen to her in her drunken state and she wouldn’t know. On more than one occasion Alex has woken up next to a strange man in her bed and she doesn’t even know their names, let alone their histories. She seems to play Russian Roulette with her health but it doesn’t seem to bother her because she certainly doesn’t change her behaviour.
I have to say that this is one of the most original books that I have read in a fair while because it deals with a character who has memory lapses and so she has no idea if she has committed an awful crime or two or if she is innocent. I was hooked on this book from the moment I got to the bottom of the first page. I had no idea which direction this book was going in and it certainly kept me guessing all the way through. I became addicted to reading this book and the pages just flew past in a blur as I wanted to learn much more about Alex, if she carried on on the path to self destruction and if she really was guilty of a crime. The twists and turns just kept a coming and there were certain moments that I was so unexpecting.
This is a really well written book. The author has a writing style, which catches your attention and draws you in like a fisherman reels in a fish. The chapters are written in two different ways. There are chapters written about events as they happen in the present day and there are chapters written in the style of diary entries of the previous year, which go a long way to explaining why or how Alex is the way she is. The chapters interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly.
In conclusion I have to say that I really enjoyed reading ‘I Never Lie’, even if I wasn’t too keen on the main character. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Jody Sabral. The score on the Ginger Book Geek is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.
August 16, 2018
Alex is a functioning alcoholic...she works as on ‘on air’ crime reporter for a 24hr news channel, ......she wants to get pregnant so has many hook up’s with men from dating apps, she has recently appeared drunk whilst reporting live on tv!!.....things aren’t great!😵 then young women start to get murdered near where she lives...she gets the role as lead reporter....THEN 3 men she has relationships ( current and past ) with are in the frame, shes blacking out...she detoxes every day...and fails...a woman who she met at AA becomes obsessed with her.....things are going from ‘not great’ to awful!! .....who is the murderer? Is it her??? Is it someone
In her life???....
A relentless story with no let up as the story starts and continues at a break neck speed
Not really a warning but maybe a trigger for some as alcohol and alcohol dependancy and the problems, physical and mental, are frequently described throughout and not in a sanitised way, in a raw, real and revealing way
The authors obvious experience of working for the BBC shines through and as a sideline the workings of a news channel and news presenting are really interesting and offer a lighter few minutes in the story throughout
The characters are explicit in their nature, some irritating ( as meant to be ) and some affording sympathy and empathy
A satisfying conclusion to the story and epilogue and all round a good read, told with passion and a ‘keeping it real’ tone and writing style that I liked
9/10 5 stars
In her life???....
A relentless story with no let up as the story starts and continues at a break neck speed
Not really a warning but maybe a trigger for some as alcohol and alcohol dependancy and the problems, physical and mental, are frequently described throughout and not in a sanitised way, in a raw, real and revealing way
The authors obvious experience of working for the BBC shines through and as a sideline the workings of a news channel and news presenting are really interesting and offer a lighter few minutes in the story throughout
The characters are explicit in their nature, some irritating ( as meant to be ) and some affording sympathy and empathy
A satisfying conclusion to the story and epilogue and all round a good read, told with passion and a ‘keeping it real’ tone and writing style that I liked
9/10 5 stars
June 25, 2018
Not a comfortable book to read.
I have broken one of my cardinal rules as a reviewer, I looked at the reviews this book has received on Amazon to see whether I’m doing my usual “little boy sees Emperor wearing no clothes” and yes, I am. I’ll now explain why I found the whole story so exhausting and unfulfilling.
“There’s a man in my bed. Shit. It’s not what I was expecting. They usually gone by now, but this one, well he’s different.” I should have guessed just from these opening words that this book was going to test me on several subjects, alcohol, trying to get pregnant regardless of who the man is and sleeping around. Gosh! This makes me sound so Mother Grundy!
Let me try to dig myself out of this very deep hole by giving a summary of the story. Alex South left her boyfriend of many years after suffering a miscarriage. She moves to London and starts working for the UKBC bureau. After a disastrous broadcast when she was so drunk she couldn’t stand up, she’s given a second chance when a body is discovered in London Fields. She’s asked to cover the story as it unfolds, especially as several more bodies of women are found with the same MO and in the same area.
This could have been a very good thriller because there are so many suspects, both male and female. However, you must wade through page after page of Alex’s alcoholic blackouts. Sipping vodka from a water bottle and talking about detoxing her body and coming off alcohol.
None of the characters is memorable. They all one dimensional. You very quickly work out who the killer is going to be, which then leaves you scanning the rest of the book to see if she can stay sober for just one day.
I think the author, Jody Sabral has been particularly brave having her main protagonist an alcoholic. She doesn’t pull any punches about her behaviour or how she behaves while trying to hide her drinking. I just can’t find it in my heart to have any feelings, either good or bad for her, nor for anyone else trying to find the killer. In fact, if there was one reasonably good portrayal of a character, it was that of the killer. You could almost feel empathy for them, just not enough to rescue this book only getting two stars from me.
Bluebell
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
I have broken one of my cardinal rules as a reviewer, I looked at the reviews this book has received on Amazon to see whether I’m doing my usual “little boy sees Emperor wearing no clothes” and yes, I am. I’ll now explain why I found the whole story so exhausting and unfulfilling.
“There’s a man in my bed. Shit. It’s not what I was expecting. They usually gone by now, but this one, well he’s different.” I should have guessed just from these opening words that this book was going to test me on several subjects, alcohol, trying to get pregnant regardless of who the man is and sleeping around. Gosh! This makes me sound so Mother Grundy!
Let me try to dig myself out of this very deep hole by giving a summary of the story. Alex South left her boyfriend of many years after suffering a miscarriage. She moves to London and starts working for the UKBC bureau. After a disastrous broadcast when she was so drunk she couldn’t stand up, she’s given a second chance when a body is discovered in London Fields. She’s asked to cover the story as it unfolds, especially as several more bodies of women are found with the same MO and in the same area.
This could have been a very good thriller because there are so many suspects, both male and female. However, you must wade through page after page of Alex’s alcoholic blackouts. Sipping vodka from a water bottle and talking about detoxing her body and coming off alcohol.
None of the characters is memorable. They all one dimensional. You very quickly work out who the killer is going to be, which then leaves you scanning the rest of the book to see if she can stay sober for just one day.
I think the author, Jody Sabral has been particularly brave having her main protagonist an alcoholic. She doesn’t pull any punches about her behaviour or how she behaves while trying to hide her drinking. I just can’t find it in my heart to have any feelings, either good or bad for her, nor for anyone else trying to find the killer. In fact, if there was one reasonably good portrayal of a character, it was that of the killer. You could almost feel empathy for them, just not enough to rescue this book only getting two stars from me.
Bluebell
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
May 30, 2018
Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.
After fleeing to London after a miscarriage, alcoholic Alex attempts to regain her composure by being the main anchor to cover the series of murders happening around her neighbourhood for her local news team. Desperate to get back into her job after being drunk on air, alongside a new producer with a need to get a story, Alex struggles to maintain her "detox" of no alcohol. This quickly does not go to plan. In need of one drink after another and being a serial dater, Alex falls into a whirlwind of blackouts and questions. Women are being killed, but who is killing them?
I really enjoyed this book and really loved Alex's narration. It was real to see the degenerative thought patterns of an alcoholic and how she completely rationalised all of her behaviours. Having drinks with a person of interest's mother etc it was really disjointed to see how she thought/felt. I liked the fact it was a double narrative by jumping between Alex's POV and the "dear diary" style entries for chapters. I knew this narrator straight away. I liked Alex as a main character and whilst I couldn't relate to the drinking etc I found her fun to read. Both narratives added those small details to build the plot that we may have missed with just one narrator.
The book was a tad slow paced with no real "big moment" happening and Alex having to save the day. She just reports on it and struggles whilst doing so, but with every chapter, I still wanted to know more and find out what was happening. The alcoholism overshadowed the murder mystery but I enjoyed the novel nonetheless and I think it will keep readers guessing until the end. It did me!
Overall, very enjoyable by a new author (for me). I loved that the chapters weren't too long and stretched like 10 minutes. Long chapters just drag the story down I think and so the diary entries by another POV altered the pace. Would recommend !
After fleeing to London after a miscarriage, alcoholic Alex attempts to regain her composure by being the main anchor to cover the series of murders happening around her neighbourhood for her local news team. Desperate to get back into her job after being drunk on air, alongside a new producer with a need to get a story, Alex struggles to maintain her "detox" of no alcohol. This quickly does not go to plan. In need of one drink after another and being a serial dater, Alex falls into a whirlwind of blackouts and questions. Women are being killed, but who is killing them?
I really enjoyed this book and really loved Alex's narration. It was real to see the degenerative thought patterns of an alcoholic and how she completely rationalised all of her behaviours. Having drinks with a person of interest's mother etc it was really disjointed to see how she thought/felt. I liked the fact it was a double narrative by jumping between Alex's POV and the "dear diary" style entries for chapters. I knew this narrator straight away. I liked Alex as a main character and whilst I couldn't relate to the drinking etc I found her fun to read. Both narratives added those small details to build the plot that we may have missed with just one narrator.
The book was a tad slow paced with no real "big moment" happening and Alex having to save the day. She just reports on it and struggles whilst doing so, but with every chapter, I still wanted to know more and find out what was happening. The alcoholism overshadowed the murder mystery but I enjoyed the novel nonetheless and I think it will keep readers guessing until the end. It did me!
Overall, very enjoyable by a new author (for me). I loved that the chapters weren't too long and stretched like 10 minutes. Long chapters just drag the story down I think and so the diary entries by another POV altered the pace. Would recommend !
June 24, 2018
A suspenseful plot, an authentic setting and an unreliable protagonist guarantee that I would read 'I Never Lie' and it didn't disappoint.
Fast-paced it moves between Alex a TV journalist's point of view and diary entries of a recovering alcoholic whose dark issues become apparent as the story unfolds.
Alex, a London based TV journalist, is on the precipice of career success. She moves to London to further her career but also because personal life implodes, and now threatens to impinge on her career.
Alex is an alcoholic in denial, and it makes her vulnerable in all area of her life. Someone is murdering women in London, and Alex's involvement seems serendipitous but is she in danger?
Alex is challenging, her constant denial of her alcoholism is tedious but authentic and an essential catalyst to the thriller's plot. The plot is well- executed with twists, some of which you may not see coming. I enjoyed trying to work out what is real and what is part of Alex's alcohol delusional state.
The final twist is a little disappointing for me; I imagined something different. However, full of suspense it does answer the questions raised by the plot.
Written by a TV journalist, the setting is authentic and absorbing and makes the perfect backdrop both for the murders and Alex life's disintegration.
Originality, cleverly built suspense and realistic characters are evident in this thriller, even if using an alcoholic as an unreliable protagonist is popular in many psychological thrillers currently.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Fast-paced it moves between Alex a TV journalist's point of view and diary entries of a recovering alcoholic whose dark issues become apparent as the story unfolds.
Alex, a London based TV journalist, is on the precipice of career success. She moves to London to further her career but also because personal life implodes, and now threatens to impinge on her career.
Alex is an alcoholic in denial, and it makes her vulnerable in all area of her life. Someone is murdering women in London, and Alex's involvement seems serendipitous but is she in danger?
Alex is challenging, her constant denial of her alcoholism is tedious but authentic and an essential catalyst to the thriller's plot. The plot is well- executed with twists, some of which you may not see coming. I enjoyed trying to work out what is real and what is part of Alex's alcohol delusional state.
The final twist is a little disappointing for me; I imagined something different. However, full of suspense it does answer the questions raised by the plot.
Written by a TV journalist, the setting is authentic and absorbing and makes the perfect backdrop both for the murders and Alex life's disintegration.
Originality, cleverly built suspense and realistic characters are evident in this thriller, even if using an alcoholic as an unreliable protagonist is popular in many psychological thrillers currently.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 10, 2018
I'm not sure if it was intentional, but I thought this carefully crafted novel sent out a powerful message about the dangers of alcoholism especially those in denial and also the need to be vigilant on dating sites. Certainly, it gives an amazing insight into alcoholism. Alex Smith is a journalist, but because of her obsessive drinking problem, with vodka, she becomes unreliable absent-minded and disorganised. She stresses about losing her job. She lives from one drink to the next as she tries to "manage" drinking by detoxing. Deep down I think there is an underlying theme of isolation, loneliness, running out of childbirth years, and other factors prevalent in our modern society which is saddening. I learnt the shocking facts about the agonising grip alcohol has on Alex - fighting hard against her need and also on Sarah Wilcox who wanted the oblivion of gin to block out pain and memories but becomes a recovering alcoholic. Sarah tries AA and goes onto Rehab. Is it really SO expensive!!!? It crossed my mind several times that Alex was not too kind to everyone in a bid to escape herself. Was that her dilemma side-effect of the evil drink? Sobriety must be hard to maintain. The slightest thing and you are so vulnerable to hit the bottle. I was fascinated by the job of a journalist. A mix of excitement and nerve-wracking! There was humour, four dead bodies and loads o suspects. It's a food-for-thought novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo.
June 28, 2020
This is quite an intense psychological thriller. Gripping and compelling.
I'm not sure quite what I felt about Alex, TV journalist: she's supposed to be a 'functioning alcoholic'. Seems to be a bit of an oxymoron to me. If you drink a bottle of vodka for breakfast, I wouldn't say you're functioning. If you blackout three times in a week, minimum, and can't remember what you did, you're not functioning.
Sympathy for her isn't at the top of my list. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I like her very much. She cuts rather a pathetic figure. Oh but, she's not an alcoholic, of course, she can control her drinking, and she can stop when she needs to. After a near career-ending drunken rant on air, she tries to rebuild her future. She's in a good place, doing well, with a growing Twitter audience. She's doesn't have a problem with alcohol. Certainly not.
Three murders, local to where she lives is the news story she's banking on to get her back on the ladder: it's her neck of the woods, she's the ideal person to take the lead on the reporting. But while she's trying to be the best, she's still fighting the battle with her notion that alcohol is not a problem. Even vital gaping chasms in her memory aren't spelling it out for her. It's all getting a bit messy. Especially when this huge story is edging into her life, past and present.
Alex is brilliantly drawn. The plot is well constructed and it's very well-written. No points for present-tense narrative, though…just not my thing…never works in my view. But that's just a by the by. It's a good, tense thriller that keeps your attention right to the end.
I'm not sure quite what I felt about Alex, TV journalist: she's supposed to be a 'functioning alcoholic'. Seems to be a bit of an oxymoron to me. If you drink a bottle of vodka for breakfast, I wouldn't say you're functioning. If you blackout three times in a week, minimum, and can't remember what you did, you're not functioning.
Sympathy for her isn't at the top of my list. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I like her very much. She cuts rather a pathetic figure. Oh but, she's not an alcoholic, of course, she can control her drinking, and she can stop when she needs to. After a near career-ending drunken rant on air, she tries to rebuild her future. She's in a good place, doing well, with a growing Twitter audience. She's doesn't have a problem with alcohol. Certainly not.
Three murders, local to where she lives is the news story she's banking on to get her back on the ladder: it's her neck of the woods, she's the ideal person to take the lead on the reporting. But while she's trying to be the best, she's still fighting the battle with her notion that alcohol is not a problem. Even vital gaping chasms in her memory aren't spelling it out for her. It's all getting a bit messy. Especially when this huge story is edging into her life, past and present.
Alex is brilliantly drawn. The plot is well constructed and it's very well-written. No points for present-tense narrative, though…just not my thing…never works in my view. But that's just a by the by. It's a good, tense thriller that keeps your attention right to the end.
June 29, 2018
Really enjoyed this book! Great writing by Jody Sabral. Story is told from Alex's perspective. We are introduced to her character as a functioning alcoholic (in denial), trying to convince herself and everyone around her that she doesn't have a problem. She is having blackouts, hiding booze that she doesn't even remember buying. Her water-bottles are laced with vodka! Meanwhile she is trying to become pregnant and is looking for a sperm donor through men she meets on a dating app.
She is also trying hold down a job on TV reporting on a murder which happened near her and trying to rebuild her career after a disaster a few years back. Coupled with this we have a murder enquiry and how everything is happening seems to be centring around her life but between the blackouts and her hardly being able to think straight if she knows these people or not as everything starts to unravel around her.
I really like author's portrayal of Alex's realistic character and battle through alcoholism and what she believed and what people around her saw.
Thank you NetGalley, Canelo and Jody Sabral.
She is also trying hold down a job on TV reporting on a murder which happened near her and trying to rebuild her career after a disaster a few years back. Coupled with this we have a murder enquiry and how everything is happening seems to be centring around her life but between the blackouts and her hardly being able to think straight if she knows these people or not as everything starts to unravel around her.
I really like author's portrayal of Alex's realistic character and battle through alcoholism and what she believed and what people around her saw.
Thank you NetGalley, Canelo and Jody Sabral.
June 16, 2018
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I was really looking forward to reading this one after I saw the blurb and the cover!
I thought that the storyline was really gripping and whilst at times it did focus heavily on alcoholism, it is needed for the story, although I do agree with some of the other reviewers that are times this did take the focus over the rest of the storyline when it should possibly have had more of a back seat at times.
The characters were strong and you can see the research that the author has done in the topic. It is well written and it really had me hooked at times and I was desperate to see how it would end and
we find out - right at the very last minute!
It also teaches a valuable lesson about the dangers of drinking excessively as well as the dangers from online dating and what could potentially happen- it is a scary to think having friends who have used this and do still now - plenty of food for thought there!
I really enjoyed the ending 4 stars from this one for me!
I was really looking forward to reading this one after I saw the blurb and the cover!
I thought that the storyline was really gripping and whilst at times it did focus heavily on alcoholism, it is needed for the story, although I do agree with some of the other reviewers that are times this did take the focus over the rest of the storyline when it should possibly have had more of a back seat at times.
The characters were strong and you can see the research that the author has done in the topic. It is well written and it really had me hooked at times and I was desperate to see how it would end and
we find out - right at the very last minute!
It also teaches a valuable lesson about the dangers of drinking excessively as well as the dangers from online dating and what could potentially happen- it is a scary to think having friends who have used this and do still now - plenty of food for thought there!
I really enjoyed the ending 4 stars from this one for me!
May 10, 2018
After a, somewhat, slow start I Never Lie hit me; unless in unplanned situations, alcoholics could function very well.. We're following Alex who, after a miscarriage, fled to London to start over. As a freelance journalist her carreer can be made with one story and broken with the next.
When she hits a rough patch in her personal life, she hits the jackpot as a journalist: A serial killer is on the lose, very very close to where Alex lives..
As someone who lives pretty close with a (not at all functional) alcoholist, it was difficult to sympathise with Alex, though reading about her daily struggle was enlighting to say the least. As for the other main character, that was a little creepy; loved it! Both POV's were well built, it did the story good to switch between 'dear diary' and Alex. The plottwists were not too predictable, except for the few you could see from a mile down.
Overall I really enjoyed this read, it was well built, after a slow start I basically 'flew' through it and it kept me on the tip of my seat throughout most of the story.
A big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this!
When she hits a rough patch in her personal life, she hits the jackpot as a journalist: A serial killer is on the lose, very very close to where Alex lives..
As someone who lives pretty close with a (not at all functional) alcoholist, it was difficult to sympathise with Alex, though reading about her daily struggle was enlighting to say the least. As for the other main character, that was a little creepy; loved it! Both POV's were well built, it did the story good to switch between 'dear diary' and Alex. The plottwists were not too predictable, except for the few you could see from a mile down.
Overall I really enjoyed this read, it was well built, after a slow start I basically 'flew' through it and it kept me on the tip of my seat throughout most of the story.
A big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this!
June 12, 2018
Alex has everything, a good job as a Radio DJ in Manchester, and a fiance and a baby on the way. But she is also a fully functioning alcoholic.
After a miscarriage, she moves to London leaving behind her job and Greg.
Getting a new job in tv, she is now beginning to feel happy, until a drunken rant on tv. After a night out, Alex wakes with a hangover, and learns that a woman's body has been found in the park, close to her home. and that it could be linked to the murders of two other women. As Alex begins to investigate, her drinking begins to spiral out of control. I Never Lie is a gripping read, heartbreaking and powerful, that goes along way, to show how devastating drinking can be.
After a miscarriage, she moves to London leaving behind her job and Greg.
Getting a new job in tv, she is now beginning to feel happy, until a drunken rant on tv. After a night out, Alex wakes with a hangover, and learns that a woman's body has been found in the park, close to her home. and that it could be linked to the murders of two other women. As Alex begins to investigate, her drinking begins to spiral out of control. I Never Lie is a gripping read, heartbreaking and powerful, that goes along way, to show how devastating drinking can be.
July 27, 2018
Thanks for the chance to read an early copy of this book Netgalley. I have just finished and enjoyed it very much.
This story takes you on a journey with Alex a up-coming news reporter where she has the chance to report on a number of murders that happen in her neighbourhood.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave an insite to the journalism world and also the other life in which Alex lives, her alcoholic life!! This is part of her problem when she has to do live TV!! But is acohol more of a problem than just interupting her live broadcasts?!?
This story takes you on a journey with Alex a up-coming news reporter where she has the chance to report on a number of murders that happen in her neighbourhood.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave an insite to the journalism world and also the other life in which Alex lives, her alcoholic life!! This is part of her problem when she has to do live TV!! But is acohol more of a problem than just interupting her live broadcasts?!?
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