What do you think?
Rate this book
Madison Attalee #2
The Lies We Tell
Last night I betrayed my husband.This morning my daughter disappeared.My husband may have forgiven my first mistake. But he will never forget this.And so I have to find her.Before it's too late. For all of us.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2019
21 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Niki Mackay
11 books85 followersI am a writer and a bookworm. I studied Performing Arts at the BRIT School. It turned out I wasn’t very good at acting but quite liked writing scripts. I went on to take a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama. I later won a full scholarship for an MA in Journalism.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 15, 2019
Full review to follow for the tour.
October 18, 2019
The Lies We Tell by Niki Mackay is a great read, hugely exciting and packed with action. Dark and twisted, it was creepy to the very end.
Miriam is married to Nick, a gentle, undemanding man and a notable, big cheese film director. She has a great career as a radio presenter as well as her lovely daughter,Tabitha, however her life with Nick lacks that certain something. When her first love unexpectedly reappears in her life she is again charmed by him. Then Tabitha disappears and desperate to find her, Miriam hires P.I. Madison Attallee to find her. But as Madison starts her investigation it soon transpires that this case goes much deeper than a missing teenager…
Very well plotted, this totally gripping book was evil, harrowing but incredibly absorbing and I did not want to put it down until I knew the truth. Miriam was selfish, self-obsessed and difficult to like though this took nothing away from my enjoyment of the story. Madison was far more personable and even though she had her own set of struggles to cope with, her openness, honesty and determination to succeed were most endearing qualities.
The Lies We Tell by Niki Mackay was compulsive and compelling from beginning to end and I would recommend it without any hesitation.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Miriam is married to Nick, a gentle, undemanding man and a notable, big cheese film director. She has a great career as a radio presenter as well as her lovely daughter,Tabitha, however her life with Nick lacks that certain something. When her first love unexpectedly reappears in her life she is again charmed by him. Then Tabitha disappears and desperate to find her, Miriam hires P.I. Madison Attallee to find her. But as Madison starts her investigation it soon transpires that this case goes much deeper than a missing teenager…
Very well plotted, this totally gripping book was evil, harrowing but incredibly absorbing and I did not want to put it down until I knew the truth. Miriam was selfish, self-obsessed and difficult to like though this took nothing away from my enjoyment of the story. Madison was far more personable and even though she had her own set of struggles to cope with, her openness, honesty and determination to succeed were most endearing qualities.
The Lies We Tell by Niki Mackay was compulsive and compelling from beginning to end and I would recommend it without any hesitation.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
July 13, 2019
When Tabitha, Miriam’s teenage daughter goes missing, she doesn’t panic. Miriam has seen Tabitha knocking about after skipping school before but the whole thing soon turns more sinister when Tabitha doesn’t return home. Miriam has her reasons for holding back the news of the disappearance from her famous film director husband, who works out in the US more than he is home. When she finally has to involve the police a leak to the press soon escalates into front-page news. Now Miriam has to explain why she hadn’t told him. Miriam brings in PI Madison Attallee to help find her daughter knowing that it could mean the end of her marriage.
As the story is told from many characters it soon becomes apparent that everyone has something to hide. This is a very dodgy house of cards which is so very fragile that it could come tumbling down at any point. The story drops back to when Miriam was a young girl trying to fit in at home. Her mum and her and her step-dad and his son.
I love a story with timelines, one in the past and one present day, you just know that when they come together that there is going to be something big but I wasn’t expecting the outcome that I got. I hadn’t thought big enough, I hadn’t thought it could be so crushing and so unthinkable. This turned this book from an OMG read to mind-blowing. I was thrown into attack mode as my rage built as I read and re-read.
The reasons that I couldn’t connect with certain characters began to make sense and how I felt about others changed. This is a read with a fantastic build and superb conclusion.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
As the story is told from many characters it soon becomes apparent that everyone has something to hide. This is a very dodgy house of cards which is so very fragile that it could come tumbling down at any point. The story drops back to when Miriam was a young girl trying to fit in at home. Her mum and her and her step-dad and his son.
I love a story with timelines, one in the past and one present day, you just know that when they come together that there is going to be something big but I wasn’t expecting the outcome that I got. I hadn’t thought big enough, I hadn’t thought it could be so crushing and so unthinkable. This turned this book from an OMG read to mind-blowing. I was thrown into attack mode as my rage built as I read and re-read.
The reasons that I couldn’t connect with certain characters began to make sense and how I felt about others changed. This is a read with a fantastic build and superb conclusion.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
July 5, 2019
Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Lies We Tell! Many thanks to Tracy Fenton for the invite and Orion for the eARC through NetGalley!
Wave a book at me with “lie” in the title and I’ll want it, no questions asked. I love lies and their unravelling (only in fiction though, please!) but in this case I hadn’t foreseen in the slightest what secrets and lies would come floating to the surface…
This is the story of Miriam Jackson. At least, that’s where we start. Miriam’s life is great from the outside looking in: she’s a successful and popular radio show host, she’s married to a handsome and wealthy film director and she has a beautiful teenage daughter. In truth, Miriam is not always as happy as outsiders might think. Her husband Nick, though kind and loving, is often abroad and her daughter Tabitha has grown sullen and moody and rude and Miriam sometimes feels like she’s at the end of her tether. When she bumps into Ben, her first love, she becomes enthralled by him all over again and throws caution to the wind. But then Tabitha, who spent the night at a friend’s house, doesn’t come home. Miriam doesn’t know if she’s overreacting but she feels things aren’t right, that Tabitha could be in serious trouble. The police seem to think that Tabitha is just being a regular teen, that she’s bound to show up again, tail between her legs. However, the senior investigator happens to be in a relationship with Madison Attallee, a private investigator, and passes on her details to Miriam.
Madison Attallee is quite the complicated character. Being a mum of a thirteen-year-old girl herself, Miriam’s story resonates with her and she won’t leave a stone unturned in her search for Tabitha. However, every stone she turns reveals a little more of the cesspool that’s been hidden for the longest time. Moreover, Madison is a recovering alcoholic, still fighting the urge and her demons. Maddison was by far my favourite character. She’s moody, sarcastic, acerbic, tough, strident. If you’ve read Helen Fitzgerald’s Worst Case Scenario, and loved its main character Mary, you’ll feel right at home with Madison. For the record, this is Madison’s second outing, last year she appeared in I, Witness, but I hadn’t realised that and I didn’t have the feeling that I was missing anything while reading The Lies We Tell. I do have I, Witness in my library, it has been on my e-reader since last year, and I’m definitely bumping it up!
The third POV is from Ruby Williams in 1994, and it becomes clear quite early in the novel how Ruby’s story is connected to the others’. Towards the finale, one of wrong-doers Maddison so eloquently calls “fuckers”, has a say too and we get a few chapters from his POV. These two POVs were really hard to read, they made my blood boil and my skin crawl to the point that I was tempted to throw my e-reader in the pond!
I won’t beat about the bush: a main theme, if not THE main theme in The Lies We Tell is child abuse, organised child abuse at that. It made for a harrowing, at times uncomfortable read. It reminded me of Deborah O’Connor’s The Dangerous Kind in this way, the difference being that I read the latter in 10 staves on The Pigeonhole, so I was never quite so immersed in the darkness as I was now in The Lies We Tell which I binged in a weekend. It’s not overly detailed, there’s no cheap gruesomeness or gore, it’s just a very difficult subject, always has been, always will. Not in the least because we are all aware that there are fuckers out there that do the shit we read about in fiction such as this. Men who probably actually think the things Niki Mackay makes one of them think in his chapters: that they are the brave ones, the honest ones, the ones who feel they can just take what they want without ever even thinking that 1. It’s not normal to want what they want and 2. Even if it were, taking whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want it is not alpha male behaviour, it’s caveman behaviour and it should have gone extinct ages ago. (Books like this get me worked up, can you tell?) At this point I’m just clutching at Maddison’s words that the world is not a dark place, there are just some dark people in it, and as long as there are bright people like her, we might all be okay in the end.
An intense, chilling, twisty, clever and harrowing read that broke me and left me mangled the way only a really good book can. Recommended.
Wave a book at me with “lie” in the title and I’ll want it, no questions asked. I love lies and their unravelling (only in fiction though, please!) but in this case I hadn’t foreseen in the slightest what secrets and lies would come floating to the surface…
This is the story of Miriam Jackson. At least, that’s where we start. Miriam’s life is great from the outside looking in: she’s a successful and popular radio show host, she’s married to a handsome and wealthy film director and she has a beautiful teenage daughter. In truth, Miriam is not always as happy as outsiders might think. Her husband Nick, though kind and loving, is often abroad and her daughter Tabitha has grown sullen and moody and rude and Miriam sometimes feels like she’s at the end of her tether. When she bumps into Ben, her first love, she becomes enthralled by him all over again and throws caution to the wind. But then Tabitha, who spent the night at a friend’s house, doesn’t come home. Miriam doesn’t know if she’s overreacting but she feels things aren’t right, that Tabitha could be in serious trouble. The police seem to think that Tabitha is just being a regular teen, that she’s bound to show up again, tail between her legs. However, the senior investigator happens to be in a relationship with Madison Attallee, a private investigator, and passes on her details to Miriam.
Madison Attallee is quite the complicated character. Being a mum of a thirteen-year-old girl herself, Miriam’s story resonates with her and she won’t leave a stone unturned in her search for Tabitha. However, every stone she turns reveals a little more of the cesspool that’s been hidden for the longest time. Moreover, Madison is a recovering alcoholic, still fighting the urge and her demons. Maddison was by far my favourite character. She’s moody, sarcastic, acerbic, tough, strident. If you’ve read Helen Fitzgerald’s Worst Case Scenario, and loved its main character Mary, you’ll feel right at home with Madison. For the record, this is Madison’s second outing, last year she appeared in I, Witness, but I hadn’t realised that and I didn’t have the feeling that I was missing anything while reading The Lies We Tell. I do have I, Witness in my library, it has been on my e-reader since last year, and I’m definitely bumping it up!
The third POV is from Ruby Williams in 1994, and it becomes clear quite early in the novel how Ruby’s story is connected to the others’. Towards the finale, one of wrong-doers Maddison so eloquently calls “fuckers”, has a say too and we get a few chapters from his POV. These two POVs were really hard to read, they made my blood boil and my skin crawl to the point that I was tempted to throw my e-reader in the pond!
I won’t beat about the bush: a main theme, if not THE main theme in The Lies We Tell is child abuse, organised child abuse at that. It made for a harrowing, at times uncomfortable read. It reminded me of Deborah O’Connor’s The Dangerous Kind in this way, the difference being that I read the latter in 10 staves on The Pigeonhole, so I was never quite so immersed in the darkness as I was now in The Lies We Tell which I binged in a weekend. It’s not overly detailed, there’s no cheap gruesomeness or gore, it’s just a very difficult subject, always has been, always will. Not in the least because we are all aware that there are fuckers out there that do the shit we read about in fiction such as this. Men who probably actually think the things Niki Mackay makes one of them think in his chapters: that they are the brave ones, the honest ones, the ones who feel they can just take what they want without ever even thinking that 1. It’s not normal to want what they want and 2. Even if it were, taking whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want it is not alpha male behaviour, it’s caveman behaviour and it should have gone extinct ages ago. (Books like this get me worked up, can you tell?) At this point I’m just clutching at Maddison’s words that the world is not a dark place, there are just some dark people in it, and as long as there are bright people like her, we might all be okay in the end.
An intense, chilling, twisty, clever and harrowing read that broke me and left me mangled the way only a really good book can. Recommended.
July 19, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley
THE LIES WE TELL by Niki Mackay is a dark and twisted tale of abuse and control and it made my skin crawl to the very end.
Miriam has a wonderful life married to Nick, a gentle, undemanding man who also happens to be a hot-shot film director. She has her career as a radio presenter and her beautiful daughter, Tabitha. But beneath the surface, Miriam knows that her life with Nick lacks something and when her first love unexpectedly appears in her life again, she cannot help but be charmed by him. And then Tabitha disappears and Miriam's life changes beyond recognition. Desperate to find her and not wanting to disappoint Nick yet again, Miriam hires P.I. Madison Attallee to find her baby. But as Madison starts to dig it soon becomes clear that this case goes much deeper than a missing teenager. Can Madison find Tabitha and uncover the truth before it is too late? And will Miriam ever get her daughter back?
I'm not going to lie, this book was much more evil and harrowing than I expected but it gripped me and I was desperate for the vulnerable characters in this book to get justice, and could not put the book down until I knew the truth. Miriam is a strange character in that I didn't always like her and while I always felt sorry for what she was going through with her daughter, there were times when she was so selfish and self-absorbed that I wanted to shout at her. Madison is much more likeable and relatable and even though she has her own struggles to deal with, her honesty and willingness to keep trying are endearing.
THE LIES WE TELL by Niki Mackay will make you uncomfortable, will make you stop and think, and will horrify you at times and for those reasons alone it is a book that must and should be read everywhere. A compelling and engaging novel from start to finish with moments that truly shocked me.
THE LIES WE TELL by Niki Mackay is a dark and twisted tale of abuse and control and it made my skin crawl to the very end.
Miriam has a wonderful life married to Nick, a gentle, undemanding man who also happens to be a hot-shot film director. She has her career as a radio presenter and her beautiful daughter, Tabitha. But beneath the surface, Miriam knows that her life with Nick lacks something and when her first love unexpectedly appears in her life again, she cannot help but be charmed by him. And then Tabitha disappears and Miriam's life changes beyond recognition. Desperate to find her and not wanting to disappoint Nick yet again, Miriam hires P.I. Madison Attallee to find her baby. But as Madison starts to dig it soon becomes clear that this case goes much deeper than a missing teenager. Can Madison find Tabitha and uncover the truth before it is too late? And will Miriam ever get her daughter back?
I'm not going to lie, this book was much more evil and harrowing than I expected but it gripped me and I was desperate for the vulnerable characters in this book to get justice, and could not put the book down until I knew the truth. Miriam is a strange character in that I didn't always like her and while I always felt sorry for what she was going through with her daughter, there were times when she was so selfish and self-absorbed that I wanted to shout at her. Madison is much more likeable and relatable and even though she has her own struggles to deal with, her honesty and willingness to keep trying are endearing.
THE LIES WE TELL by Niki Mackay will make you uncomfortable, will make you stop and think, and will horrify you at times and for those reasons alone it is a book that must and should be read everywhere. A compelling and engaging novel from start to finish with moments that truly shocked me.
June 27, 2019
I finished reading this book a few minutes ago, and I am trembling, quite unable to type this review. This was everything which thrilled me but scared me equally to my core. The secrets that spilled out were horrifying and evil; it showed me how truly dark some humans could be.
Niki Mackay is a brilliant writer who took me down the road of this slow burn thriller where I was introduced to radio presenter Miriam and her film director husband Nick and their routine life when their daughter Tabitha who went missing. Police and investigator Madison were called to find her daughter.
I assumed this book would be a routine thriller with a missing child arc. I glided happily down the pathway till the first twist hit me, I was delighted. When the pathway got way twisted, the thrills became darker, yet I couldn't stop reading even when I knew I was going into nightmarish area. The power of this story kept me hooked. I could guess the major twist, but that didn't stop me from reading this book.
Three POVs, two timelines, dark twists and perversions, and a prose that kept taking me deeper into this literary quicksand made this book a standout thriller, something which will remain with me for a long time.
Niki Mackay is a brilliant writer who took me down the road of this slow burn thriller where I was introduced to radio presenter Miriam and her film director husband Nick and their routine life when their daughter Tabitha who went missing. Police and investigator Madison were called to find her daughter.
I assumed this book would be a routine thriller with a missing child arc. I glided happily down the pathway till the first twist hit me, I was delighted. When the pathway got way twisted, the thrills became darker, yet I couldn't stop reading even when I knew I was going into nightmarish area. The power of this story kept me hooked. I could guess the major twist, but that didn't stop me from reading this book.
Three POVs, two timelines, dark twists and perversions, and a prose that kept taking me deeper into this literary quicksand made this book a standout thriller, something which will remain with me for a long time.
June 3, 2019
I don’t usually read private investigator books because I find that some of the dialogue that the authors use to discribe things goes right. Over my head. But I was both shocked and delighted to be gripped by this book from the very first page until the very last and I didn’t want to put it down until I had figured it all out. Extremely excited well written. Thank you.
April 1, 2019
I couldn’t put this book down. I loved it the characters are great and the storyline was gripping and I read it in one sitting. I hope there is another instalment in Madisons story at some point in the future.
June 24, 2019
I admit to finding this a slow burner which may sound odd given that it begins with a 16 year old girl going missing. That sounds eventful and alarming, but this novel does not rush things, the scene is set up slowly with intense characterisation until halfway through and such an abrupt twist in the tale occurs that you need a neck brace. And the revelations just continue to rain down to the very last page.
Tabitha is a 16 year old girl, her parents are well known,they are in the public eye and she has gone missing. Her mother, Miriam (or Mim) is a radio show host who wasn’t there to notice Tabitha had gone because she was having an ill advised dalliance with a ex. Her father, Nick,a film maker,is in L.A filming, and hasn’t a clue what is going on as Miriam hasn’t told him Tabitha has gone. To do so would bring her marriage down around her ears.
After ringing around Tabitha’s friends, it soon becomes clear that Miriam’s daughter has been telling more than a few mistruths over the week leading up to her disappearance, so she turns to the police for help-as Miriam has reported Tabitha missing before but she turned up safe and well, she is turned away and told not to worry. This is where Niki’s heroine, Maddie Attalee, ex-cop, P.I and recovering alcoholic steps in.
I did struggle to start with in seperating Miriam and Maddie’s voices, the chapters were very short and it resulted in almost simultaneously listening to two conversations at once. These narratives, both first person, were then joined with a third, that of a girl named Ruby, set again in first person in the 90’s whose significance to the story quickly becomes apparent.
There is quite a bit of repetition in terms of plot details which at first I struggled with in the terms of ‘was this new information ?’ and so I ended up flipping back and forth between parts of the book. As readers of these blogposts will be aware, I am dyslexic and this is very likely on me as a reader. I found it hard to engage with to start but then something clicked and I am so so glad that I persevered.
I think as well, sometimes you read an awful lot and the expectation of a reader coming immediately from a 5 star book that you ‘got’ straight away is to demand, emperor like, ‘ENTERTAIN ME!’ from an author and you forget the value of a slow burning, character driven novel.
Miriam has secrets from her past which she only viewed through a rose tinted haze and Maddie’s race to find Tabitha becomes intensified when she realises what is truly underneath a seemingly ordinary teen rebellion and runaway.
At the same time, Maddie is facing her reality as an ex-cop in a budding relationship with a cop, her upbringing with an alcholic mother and her struggles to be a good parent to her daughter,Molly. On top of this she is building her business as a P.I on the back of her first major investigation covered in Niki’s debut, ‘I,Witness’ ( a must read after this).
Both mothers are so well written, they have layers of complexity which are built up, as they are simultaneously stripped away across the hunt for Tabitha, leaving them raw, vulnerable, yet determined to uncover the truth. And it is extremely unpleasant. What an absolute gem of a novel, one I am so so glad to have stuck with as it does not give up its secrets easily.
To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Lies We Tell’, I was on the edge of my seat racing to the finish, fell asleep reading it several times and am about to shove this book on any and all of my bookish friends!
Tabitha is a 16 year old girl, her parents are well known,they are in the public eye and she has gone missing. Her mother, Miriam (or Mim) is a radio show host who wasn’t there to notice Tabitha had gone because she was having an ill advised dalliance with a ex. Her father, Nick,a film maker,is in L.A filming, and hasn’t a clue what is going on as Miriam hasn’t told him Tabitha has gone. To do so would bring her marriage down around her ears.
After ringing around Tabitha’s friends, it soon becomes clear that Miriam’s daughter has been telling more than a few mistruths over the week leading up to her disappearance, so she turns to the police for help-as Miriam has reported Tabitha missing before but she turned up safe and well, she is turned away and told not to worry. This is where Niki’s heroine, Maddie Attalee, ex-cop, P.I and recovering alcoholic steps in.
I did struggle to start with in seperating Miriam and Maddie’s voices, the chapters were very short and it resulted in almost simultaneously listening to two conversations at once. These narratives, both first person, were then joined with a third, that of a girl named Ruby, set again in first person in the 90’s whose significance to the story quickly becomes apparent.
There is quite a bit of repetition in terms of plot details which at first I struggled with in the terms of ‘was this new information ?’ and so I ended up flipping back and forth between parts of the book. As readers of these blogposts will be aware, I am dyslexic and this is very likely on me as a reader. I found it hard to engage with to start but then something clicked and I am so so glad that I persevered.
I think as well, sometimes you read an awful lot and the expectation of a reader coming immediately from a 5 star book that you ‘got’ straight away is to demand, emperor like, ‘ENTERTAIN ME!’ from an author and you forget the value of a slow burning, character driven novel.
Miriam has secrets from her past which she only viewed through a rose tinted haze and Maddie’s race to find Tabitha becomes intensified when she realises what is truly underneath a seemingly ordinary teen rebellion and runaway.
At the same time, Maddie is facing her reality as an ex-cop in a budding relationship with a cop, her upbringing with an alcholic mother and her struggles to be a good parent to her daughter,Molly. On top of this she is building her business as a P.I on the back of her first major investigation covered in Niki’s debut, ‘I,Witness’ ( a must read after this).
Both mothers are so well written, they have layers of complexity which are built up, as they are simultaneously stripped away across the hunt for Tabitha, leaving them raw, vulnerable, yet determined to uncover the truth. And it is extremely unpleasant. What an absolute gem of a novel, one I am so so glad to have stuck with as it does not give up its secrets easily.
To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Lies We Tell’, I was on the edge of my seat racing to the finish, fell asleep reading it several times and am about to shove this book on any and all of my bookish friends!
April 21, 2022
4-
TW:
Apparently it's been almost 4 years since I read I, Witness, so perhaps it's not surprising that I've forgotten the details. I do remember that I really enjoyed it and that I loved Madison as a character. I still enjoyed this one, though it goes to some really dark places.
Perhaps partly because of this, I enjoyed it slightly less than the first book - this was boderline what I can tolerate with my level of sensitivity. But it was a solid story, exciting and with engaging characters - it kept me hooked throughout.
This time Madison takes on the case of missing teen Tabitha, daughter to high profile parents, whom the police assume is just out gallivanting until things take turn to the sinister. I didn't see the biggest twist coming until quite shortly before it was revealed, and yet it felt natural and not out of the blue, which is honestly the best kind of twist and says something about Mackay as a writer.
I still found Madison very likeable and sympathised with her, though there were times I got a bit frustrated with her defensiveness, and I found there were too many passages of her driving and blasting [band name].
I also found it a bit hard to keep track of all the side characters and had a few "who is this again?" moments.
So all in all, while this was definitely a well-written and engaging crime/mystery novel, it wasn't quite as strong for me as the first one. That being said, I am totally there for the third one if/when it comes.
TW:
Apparently it's been almost 4 years since I read I, Witness, so perhaps it's not surprising that I've forgotten the details. I do remember that I really enjoyed it and that I loved Madison as a character. I still enjoyed this one, though it goes to some really dark places.
Perhaps partly because of this, I enjoyed it slightly less than the first book - this was boderline what I can tolerate with my level of sensitivity. But it was a solid story, exciting and with engaging characters - it kept me hooked throughout.
This time Madison takes on the case of missing teen Tabitha, daughter to high profile parents, whom the police assume is just out gallivanting until things take turn to the sinister. I didn't see the biggest twist coming until quite shortly before it was revealed, and yet it felt natural and not out of the blue, which is honestly the best kind of twist and says something about Mackay as a writer.
I still found Madison very likeable and sympathised with her, though there were times I got a bit frustrated with her defensiveness, and I found there were too many passages of her driving and blasting [band name].
I also found it a bit hard to keep track of all the side characters and had a few "who is this again?" moments.
So all in all, while this was definitely a well-written and engaging crime/mystery novel, it wasn't quite as strong for me as the first one. That being said, I am totally there for the third one if/when it comes.
July 16, 2019
The Lies We Tell is another gripping and thrilling mystery, this time focusing on a missing person. I think I enjoyed it even more than I, Witness. I love Madison and enjoyed seeing how her MA Investigations team has settled into its stride and – dare I say it – her personal life is on a more even keel.
The central mystery initially takes a sadly familiar track but is given a shot in the arm by central character Miriam’s particular circumstances, and takes this book to an even more disturbing level.
The story jumps back and forth in time to build a terrifying picture and web of intrigue. The flashbacks are not for the squeamish and the book goes to some extremely dark places. It is compelling throughout, however, the investigation gaining pace and racing towards a dark conclusion and its horrifying twist.
I have thoroughly enjoyed both of Niki Mackay‘s Madison Attallee books so far and I really hope there are more to come. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a British PI story and a dark and gritty mystery thriller.
The central mystery initially takes a sadly familiar track but is given a shot in the arm by central character Miriam’s particular circumstances, and takes this book to an even more disturbing level.
The story jumps back and forth in time to build a terrifying picture and web of intrigue. The flashbacks are not for the squeamish and the book goes to some extremely dark places. It is compelling throughout, however, the investigation gaining pace and racing towards a dark conclusion and its horrifying twist.
I have thoroughly enjoyed both of Niki Mackay‘s Madison Attallee books so far and I really hope there are more to come. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a British PI story and a dark and gritty mystery thriller.
June 26, 2019
4.5 stars
What a gripping story!
I loved everything in this book, from the writing style to the built up in anticipation for the next scenes , the characters that very well crafted and let’s be honest, which mother won’t do anything to find their daughter and save her marriage.
There are so many twists and turns that kept me wondering at every point what will really happen next, I thought I seen it coming but nope, nothing of that.
I enjoyed the slow burn and the steps that the investigation took to solve this mystery.
I did liked that the story was told in more POV as I could read both women voices while reading their respective chapters.
Overall was a very good slow burn book with everything that I love in my mystery books.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review to NetGalley and the publisher.
What a gripping story!
I loved everything in this book, from the writing style to the built up in anticipation for the next scenes , the characters that very well crafted and let’s be honest, which mother won’t do anything to find their daughter and save her marriage.
There are so many twists and turns that kept me wondering at every point what will really happen next, I thought I seen it coming but nope, nothing of that.
I enjoyed the slow burn and the steps that the investigation took to solve this mystery.
I did liked that the story was told in more POV as I could read both women voices while reading their respective chapters.
Overall was a very good slow burn book with everything that I love in my mystery books.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review to NetGalley and the publisher.
July 2, 2019
I was a huge fan of this author’s first book, I witness, so I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her second book especially as Madison was making another appearance.
Once again the author has written a fantastic, unique psychological thriller that was incredibly gripping. I read this book whilst up with ill children and it was great company in those hard hours as the interesting story line meant I didn’t mind!
Madison was once again my favourite character and I enjoyed following her as she solved her latest investigation. She’s a very fiesty, strong and able woman who, despite battling a few personal issues, manages to do a great job. Her team of Emma and Claudia were equally kick ass and I loved the interaction the three shared.
I thought this was a fast paced, gripping book that had lots of twist that kept me guessing until the end. The author manages to handle a difficult subject sensitively and very realistically which makes the emotions of the characters very poignant. It is my worst fear to lose one of my kids so I felt a lot of sympathy towards them as they dealt with everything.
This is the second book in the series and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.
Once again the author has written a fantastic, unique psychological thriller that was incredibly gripping. I read this book whilst up with ill children and it was great company in those hard hours as the interesting story line meant I didn’t mind!
Madison was once again my favourite character and I enjoyed following her as she solved her latest investigation. She’s a very fiesty, strong and able woman who, despite battling a few personal issues, manages to do a great job. Her team of Emma and Claudia were equally kick ass and I loved the interaction the three shared.
I thought this was a fast paced, gripping book that had lots of twist that kept me guessing until the end. The author manages to handle a difficult subject sensitively and very realistically which makes the emotions of the characters very poignant. It is my worst fear to lose one of my kids so I felt a lot of sympathy towards them as they dealt with everything.
This is the second book in the series and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.
June 20, 2019
This is a great read and I’m looking forward to reading the authors previous book.
Miriam Jackson has the perfect life. She’s a famous radio presenter and is married to a film director. She will do anything to keep her perfect life so when her daughter goes missing she hires a private investigator.
This is a great read that had me gripped from start to finish. Definitely an author to keep your eye out for.
Miriam Jackson has the perfect life. She’s a famous radio presenter and is married to a film director. She will do anything to keep her perfect life so when her daughter goes missing she hires a private investigator.
This is a great read that had me gripped from start to finish. Definitely an author to keep your eye out for.
December 11, 2019
Had to put this one down at p.170 - that was the longest 170 pages of my reading life so far.
I'm afraid this could have done with a serious proofread before it was published, there's a lot of repetition going on here.
I'm sorry, but this is not one for me at all. Finishing each chapter telling the reader what music one of the main characters is listening to in the car doesn't make her seem edgy and cool, it just looks like you're trying too hard.
Also had to do a huge eye roll at sentences such as this: 'I'm humming as I sit down at my desk to make lists on Post-its'. Earth shattering stuff I'm sure you'll agree.
I'm afraid this could have done with a serious proofread before it was published, there's a lot of repetition going on here.
I'm sorry, but this is not one for me at all. Finishing each chapter telling the reader what music one of the main characters is listening to in the car doesn't make her seem edgy and cool, it just looks like you're trying too hard.
Also had to do a huge eye roll at sentences such as this: 'I'm humming as I sit down at my desk to make lists on Post-its'. Earth shattering stuff I'm sure you'll agree.
July 18, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the first outing for Private Investigator Madison Attalee in I, Witness so there was no way I was missing out on this second book by Niki Mackay. And I’m thrilled to report that if you loved I, Witness then The Lies We Tell is going to completely blow you away! It’s absolutely bloody brilliant with unexpected twists, thoroughly unlikeable characters and a strong female protagonist who doesn’t let anything get in the way of solving her case.
There were a few different viewpoints here that took a while to get my head round, mainly because I was desperate to know how they all interlocked together! Miriam Jackson is married to a film director who is often away from home. Despite this they have a good but rather boring marriage and a daughter plus Miriam has a great job as a radio presenter. But when her daughter goes missing, Miriam seems to be inexplicably scared about letting her husband know for some reason! What secrets are being kept to make her afraid of admitting that Tabitha has disappeared? So when the police don’t take too much notice of the situation, Miriam seeks out Madison to dig deeper for her and hopes that she can find Tabitha before Nick has to know anything is wrong…
Wound around the threads dominated by Miriam and Madison, there is a storyline surrounding a young girl called Ruby back in 1994. This was a tough to read section of the plot and I frequently wondered how it would relate to the disappearance of Tabitha but bare with this part of the book as it really does tie everything together and not with a nice neat bow either!! The plot went places that I wasn’t expecting and there were shocks galore that came thick and fast towards the end. I was completely gripped as everything started to come together and I had my jaw firmly dropped onto the floor most of the time!
Niki Mackay has exceeded my expectations with her follow up to I, Witness and delivered a dark, slow burner that gradually creeps up on you, drawing you in until the truth finally dawns on you and you know that this book is going to give you a MAJOR book hangover! I loved it from start to finish!
There were a few different viewpoints here that took a while to get my head round, mainly because I was desperate to know how they all interlocked together! Miriam Jackson is married to a film director who is often away from home. Despite this they have a good but rather boring marriage and a daughter plus Miriam has a great job as a radio presenter. But when her daughter goes missing, Miriam seems to be inexplicably scared about letting her husband know for some reason! What secrets are being kept to make her afraid of admitting that Tabitha has disappeared? So when the police don’t take too much notice of the situation, Miriam seeks out Madison to dig deeper for her and hopes that she can find Tabitha before Nick has to know anything is wrong…
Wound around the threads dominated by Miriam and Madison, there is a storyline surrounding a young girl called Ruby back in 1994. This was a tough to read section of the plot and I frequently wondered how it would relate to the disappearance of Tabitha but bare with this part of the book as it really does tie everything together and not with a nice neat bow either!! The plot went places that I wasn’t expecting and there were shocks galore that came thick and fast towards the end. I was completely gripped as everything started to come together and I had my jaw firmly dropped onto the floor most of the time!
Niki Mackay has exceeded my expectations with her follow up to I, Witness and delivered a dark, slow burner that gradually creeps up on you, drawing you in until the truth finally dawns on you and you know that this book is going to give you a MAJOR book hangover! I loved it from start to finish!
February 9, 2023
Wow what a read!
This is the 2nd book in this series, and although this one took a little longer for me to get into it, once i had, I was hooked and absolutely devoured it.
Very much my sort of read - very fast paced, lots of little twists where you literally suspect everyone.
This book was pretty brutal to be fair, and if paedophile rings are a hard trigger for you, then this may not be the book for you. Although it doesn't massively go into detail, it's there and it's hard to read at times.
I think this could potentially be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading the first in the series first as there are small references to the last book, and it's also an amazing read.
Would highly recommend - easy 5 stars from me.
This is the 2nd book in this series, and although this one took a little longer for me to get into it, once i had, I was hooked and absolutely devoured it.
Very much my sort of read - very fast paced, lots of little twists where you literally suspect everyone.
This book was pretty brutal to be fair, and if paedophile rings are a hard trigger for you, then this may not be the book for you. Although it doesn't massively go into detail, it's there and it's hard to read at times.
I think this could potentially be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading the first in the series first as there are small references to the last book, and it's also an amazing read.
Would highly recommend - easy 5 stars from me.
January 23, 2020
Full of twists all the way through - very good book.
June 24, 2019
This is a great read and I hope there will be more to come about Private Investigator Madison Attallee.
Miriam has a great life - a successful radio career, a very well off husband and a teenage daughter.
She bumps into an old friend one day and is tempted to see more of him as her life has lost its excitement.
The day after she gives in, she realises her daughter is missing and feels such guilt at what she was doing, that she doesn’t tell her husband that Tabitha is missing. He’s working away which makes it easier but soon events get out of control.
Maddison is employed to help find Tabitha but as she digs deeper, she doesn’t like what she finds.
This is a great detective thriller with some great twists to keep you on your toes.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Miriam has a great life - a successful radio career, a very well off husband and a teenage daughter.
She bumps into an old friend one day and is tempted to see more of him as her life has lost its excitement.
The day after she gives in, she realises her daughter is missing and feels such guilt at what she was doing, that she doesn’t tell her husband that Tabitha is missing. He’s working away which makes it easier but soon events get out of control.
Maddison is employed to help find Tabitha but as she digs deeper, she doesn’t like what she finds.
This is a great detective thriller with some great twists to keep you on your toes.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
October 28, 2021
Don't know why but as soon as I opened and started reading this book the fact that it started off with smoking which I'm against,that put me off reading, but what also put me off reading the book was was the two people in the story saying I love you in the first two paragraphs of the Book, no explanation of who these people are what their relationship is with each other, and not even mentioning what their names are put me right off reading past the first page.
June 25, 2019
I loved I, Witness, the first book in the Madison Attalee, Private Eye series. The Lies We tell can be read perfectly well as a stand- alone though, without having read the first book. Madison Attalee is an ex-cop turned Private Investigator. The firm is doing well after their first case garnered positive publicity and that’s an impetus that Madison is trying to hold on to.
Divorced with a teenage daughter, Molly, Madison is in a fairly new relationship with Peter, a detective whom she first met when both were cops. A recovering alcoholic, Madison is also trying to give up smoking, a combination which isn’t adding to her sense of humour.
Miriam Jackson is a radio presenter. Married to Nick, a director of Hollywood Rom-coms, they are parents to Tabitha, a bright 16 year old. Nick is often in L.A. making his movies, but the couple have a good relationship and Miriam is content with her life.
Then Tabitha goes missing and Miriam can’t get the police to treat her disappearance seriously. Unbeknownst to her mother, Tabitha hasn’t been to school for several days and when she checks, many of her clothes are missing. The police think she has run away and will come back. Miriam is distraught and consumed with guilt, because she was with someone she shouldn’t have been when Tabitha failed to come home from a stay with a girlfriend. She’s hoping that Tabitha will be home before she has to tell Nick that their daughter was ever missing. Peter is the detective she sees and he refers her to Madison.
Maddie’s race to find Tabitha becomes intensified when she realises what is underneath this seemingly ordinary teenage behaviour.Told in the characters’ various voices, The Lies We Tell is a strong and uncompromising story which lays bare the horrible world of child exploitation.
Pacy and propulsive, Niki McKay keeps readers guessing as Madison and her team, Emma and Claudia, seek out the information leading to Tabitha’s disappearance.
Running through this contemporary narration is the story of Ruby Williams, dating back to 1994, who died in her brother’s arms.
Moving easily through a dual timeline, McKay cleverly weaves a tale of tragic circumstances where poverty and vulnerability combine with addiction to create difficult family situations where abuse prevails from generation to generation. Combined with a dark story highlighting that there are always those who will seek to take advantage of those at their lowest ebb and exploit them for financial gain, she has written a compelling story that shows that irrespective of class, scum will always rise to the surface.
What grasped me though, was the fact that this kind of exploitation surrounds us. It can happen to anyone and there are always going to be predators who look for an opportunity to take advantage of any vulnerability. You may never know who the predator is and where their prey will come from.
Verdict: The Lies We Tell is disturbing, chilling and well plotted fiction. I don’t think this is going to be the case that allows Madison to give up the fags…
Divorced with a teenage daughter, Molly, Madison is in a fairly new relationship with Peter, a detective whom she first met when both were cops. A recovering alcoholic, Madison is also trying to give up smoking, a combination which isn’t adding to her sense of humour.
Miriam Jackson is a radio presenter. Married to Nick, a director of Hollywood Rom-coms, they are parents to Tabitha, a bright 16 year old. Nick is often in L.A. making his movies, but the couple have a good relationship and Miriam is content with her life.
Then Tabitha goes missing and Miriam can’t get the police to treat her disappearance seriously. Unbeknownst to her mother, Tabitha hasn’t been to school for several days and when she checks, many of her clothes are missing. The police think she has run away and will come back. Miriam is distraught and consumed with guilt, because she was with someone she shouldn’t have been when Tabitha failed to come home from a stay with a girlfriend. She’s hoping that Tabitha will be home before she has to tell Nick that their daughter was ever missing. Peter is the detective she sees and he refers her to Madison.
Maddie’s race to find Tabitha becomes intensified when she realises what is underneath this seemingly ordinary teenage behaviour.Told in the characters’ various voices, The Lies We Tell is a strong and uncompromising story which lays bare the horrible world of child exploitation.
Pacy and propulsive, Niki McKay keeps readers guessing as Madison and her team, Emma and Claudia, seek out the information leading to Tabitha’s disappearance.
Running through this contemporary narration is the story of Ruby Williams, dating back to 1994, who died in her brother’s arms.
Moving easily through a dual timeline, McKay cleverly weaves a tale of tragic circumstances where poverty and vulnerability combine with addiction to create difficult family situations where abuse prevails from generation to generation. Combined with a dark story highlighting that there are always those who will seek to take advantage of those at their lowest ebb and exploit them for financial gain, she has written a compelling story that shows that irrespective of class, scum will always rise to the surface.
What grasped me though, was the fact that this kind of exploitation surrounds us. It can happen to anyone and there are always going to be predators who look for an opportunity to take advantage of any vulnerability. You may never know who the predator is and where their prey will come from.
Verdict: The Lies We Tell is disturbing, chilling and well plotted fiction. I don’t think this is going to be the case that allows Madison to give up the fags…
April 19, 2024
Ever wondered what you'd do if your daughter disappeared after a sleepover, leaving no trace? Most parents would hit the panic button, but not Miriam Jackson, a popular radio personality married to the ever-patient film director, Nick Jackson. Her daughter, Tabitha, has a habit of vanishing, causing Miriam to tread cautiously before calling the authorities. Her husband, Nick, often away on business, and a strained relationship with her daughter only add to Miriam's isolation. A chance reunion with an old flame, Ben, ignites a spark in Miriam, leading to a whirlwind and passionate affair.
When Miriam wakes up to news of Tabitha's disappearance, she hesitates to involve Nick, opting instead to wait it out. With the clock ticking, Miriam turns to private investigator Madison Attallee for help. As the search for Tabitha unfolds, the narrative weaves through three perspectives: Miriam's, Madison's, and a haunting voice from the past, Ruby Williams. And just when you think you've got it all figured out, a surprise POV shakes things up in the book's final act.
The initial chapters were a struggle; Miriam's self-pity grated on me, and her priorities seemed skewed. Her monologues and self sympathy was an eye roll for me. However, by the 20th chapter, the story found its footing. I was hooked by the newfound momentum, devouring each short chapter eagerly.
What truly made me enjoy the book is its narrative. It's fast-paced, easy to read, and kept me utterly gripped at least from after chapter 20. While there weren't many plot twists or cliffhangers, the storytelling was compelling and kept me turning pages late into the night. Moreover, I absolutely loved the short and punchy chapters.
And let's not forget Madison Attallee. Her tenacity as a private investigator dealing with her own problems, added depth to the investigative aspect of the story. Though her relationship dynamics left much to be desired.
One aspect that stood out to me was how the author handled the depraved villains. They were truly despicable characters, but the author didn't delve too deeply into their depravity. Instead, we were given just enough glimpse of the horror without it becoming overwhelming. It struck the perfect balance, adding to the tension of the story without making it unnecessarily graphic.
However, towards the end, Ben's presence felt fleeting. Despite being mentioned throughout the book, his sudden absence from the narrative left me puzzled.
Overall, "The Lies We Tell" is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of suspense and thriller genres. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions that will keep you guessing until the very end. And hey, here's a heads up: this book stands strong as a standalone, so no need to worry about missing out on the series.
A 3.5 rounded upto a 4 star
When Miriam wakes up to news of Tabitha's disappearance, she hesitates to involve Nick, opting instead to wait it out. With the clock ticking, Miriam turns to private investigator Madison Attallee for help. As the search for Tabitha unfolds, the narrative weaves through three perspectives: Miriam's, Madison's, and a haunting voice from the past, Ruby Williams. And just when you think you've got it all figured out, a surprise POV shakes things up in the book's final act.
The initial chapters were a struggle; Miriam's self-pity grated on me, and her priorities seemed skewed. Her monologues and self sympathy was an eye roll for me. However, by the 20th chapter, the story found its footing. I was hooked by the newfound momentum, devouring each short chapter eagerly.
What truly made me enjoy the book is its narrative. It's fast-paced, easy to read, and kept me utterly gripped at least from after chapter 20. While there weren't many plot twists or cliffhangers, the storytelling was compelling and kept me turning pages late into the night. Moreover, I absolutely loved the short and punchy chapters.
And let's not forget Madison Attallee. Her tenacity as a private investigator dealing with her own problems, added depth to the investigative aspect of the story. Though her relationship dynamics left much to be desired.
One aspect that stood out to me was how the author handled the depraved villains. They were truly despicable characters, but the author didn't delve too deeply into their depravity. Instead, we were given just enough glimpse of the horror without it becoming overwhelming. It struck the perfect balance, adding to the tension of the story without making it unnecessarily graphic.
However, towards the end, Ben's presence felt fleeting. Despite being mentioned throughout the book, his sudden absence from the narrative left me puzzled.
Overall, "The Lies We Tell" is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of suspense and thriller genres. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions that will keep you guessing until the very end. And hey, here's a heads up: this book stands strong as a standalone, so no need to worry about missing out on the series.
A 3.5 rounded upto a 4 star
July 21, 2019
This is brilliant!
Miriam has a wonderful life – she’s a famous radio presenter, is married to a super famous film director, has a beautiful instagrammable daughter and has all the money she could dream of. The perfect life some might think….but then she has a liaison with someone from her past and everything starts to spiral out of control.
Her teenage daughter goes missing. The police think it’s just a ‘teenage’ thing, she’s done it before but Miriam has that feeling in her gut…..and it appears there’s more to it than everyone anticipated.
She hires Private Investigator Madison to find her. And Madison uncovers a world that Miriam didn’t know existing. A world that she’s been wrapped up in longer than she knew. But will they find her daughter? And will Miriam’s past truly come back to haunt her?
I was completely gripped with this and couldn’t put it down! It’s one of those where you think you’re sussing it out (and in part I was right in the beginning) but there is SO much more than you can imagine! The suspense was brilliant, and there were twists and turns when you didn’t think there could be anymore!
The characters are brilliant. Miriam is a self-assured confident woman – or so she appears. We learn that there is much more to her than first appears. Madison is a fantastic protagonist. She’s battling her own demons which really helps her to understand some of the characters we meet, and she goes all out to crack the case. The supporting cast are also brilliant – I absolutely love Peter!
The writing style is clear, easy to read and to follow. The chapters alternate between characters and its clear throughout which part of the story you’re at. It’s worth noting that there are some sensitive issues in this – prostitution, rape of underage girls and paedophilia so maybe best to avoid if you may find this upsetting.
However, I really enjoyed this book and now NEED to read Niki’s first book so I can meet Madison from the beginning! The story absolutely can be read as a standalone – I didn’t feel I was missing anything from the first book but because I loved this so much I just HAVE to read it!
Absolutely brilliant book the will keep you on your toes, suck you in and blow you away!
Miriam has a wonderful life – she’s a famous radio presenter, is married to a super famous film director, has a beautiful instagrammable daughter and has all the money she could dream of. The perfect life some might think….but then she has a liaison with someone from her past and everything starts to spiral out of control.
Her teenage daughter goes missing. The police think it’s just a ‘teenage’ thing, she’s done it before but Miriam has that feeling in her gut…..and it appears there’s more to it than everyone anticipated.
She hires Private Investigator Madison to find her. And Madison uncovers a world that Miriam didn’t know existing. A world that she’s been wrapped up in longer than she knew. But will they find her daughter? And will Miriam’s past truly come back to haunt her?
I was completely gripped with this and couldn’t put it down! It’s one of those where you think you’re sussing it out (and in part I was right in the beginning) but there is SO much more than you can imagine! The suspense was brilliant, and there were twists and turns when you didn’t think there could be anymore!
The characters are brilliant. Miriam is a self-assured confident woman – or so she appears. We learn that there is much more to her than first appears. Madison is a fantastic protagonist. She’s battling her own demons which really helps her to understand some of the characters we meet, and she goes all out to crack the case. The supporting cast are also brilliant – I absolutely love Peter!
The writing style is clear, easy to read and to follow. The chapters alternate between characters and its clear throughout which part of the story you’re at. It’s worth noting that there are some sensitive issues in this – prostitution, rape of underage girls and paedophilia so maybe best to avoid if you may find this upsetting.
However, I really enjoyed this book and now NEED to read Niki’s first book so I can meet Madison from the beginning! The story absolutely can be read as a standalone – I didn’t feel I was missing anything from the first book but because I loved this so much I just HAVE to read it!
Absolutely brilliant book the will keep you on your toes, suck you in and blow you away!
June 17, 2019
Meet Miriam Jackson, she's a famous radio presenter with her own daily talk show. She is married to a very successful film director Nick and she has created the perfect life for herself, up until her daughter goes missing.
Miriam is desperate to fine her before her husband finds out and her perfect life will start to crumble around her. But her daughter has gone missing before so has she just run away or is there something more sinister going on?? She calls on the only person who can help, in the for, of Private Investigator Madison Attallee, who has just solved the biggest case of her career.
Can Madison find Miriam's daughter before it's too late and more importantly will Miriam share the truth about her past??
Well, where do I start with this...........I didn't just like it, I LOVED it, full of suspense, mystery and fear was palpable on each page I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I finished it in two sittings which is at times unusual for me with life always getting in my way but I couldn't put it down.
The sociopath/kidnapper character was absolutely brilliant, very well written and cleverly constructed. They were everything you'd expect with a sociopath - cold, calculating, manipulating and has no regard for anyone's feelings or who they hurt on their path of destruction. It was a spine-chilling, pulse pounding roller coaster ride of a read and at times, I could feel I was right there with the characters and felt my blood pressure rising on a couple of occasions, especially towards the end.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
A really well researched and well written book, I'm really looking forward to reading what Niki writes next (no pressure) but in the meantime I will be reading her previous novels.
The Lies We Tell is available in all good bookshops and libraries from June 27th, on audio and on Kindle where it is currently £4.99 at the time of publication of this review.
Miriam is desperate to fine her before her husband finds out and her perfect life will start to crumble around her. But her daughter has gone missing before so has she just run away or is there something more sinister going on?? She calls on the only person who can help, in the for, of Private Investigator Madison Attallee, who has just solved the biggest case of her career.
Can Madison find Miriam's daughter before it's too late and more importantly will Miriam share the truth about her past??
Well, where do I start with this...........I didn't just like it, I LOVED it, full of suspense, mystery and fear was palpable on each page I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I finished it in two sittings which is at times unusual for me with life always getting in my way but I couldn't put it down.
The sociopath/kidnapper character was absolutely brilliant, very well written and cleverly constructed. They were everything you'd expect with a sociopath - cold, calculating, manipulating and has no regard for anyone's feelings or who they hurt on their path of destruction. It was a spine-chilling, pulse pounding roller coaster ride of a read and at times, I could feel I was right there with the characters and felt my blood pressure rising on a couple of occasions, especially towards the end.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
A really well researched and well written book, I'm really looking forward to reading what Niki writes next (no pressure) but in the meantime I will be reading her previous novels.
The Lies We Tell is available in all good bookshops and libraries from June 27th, on audio and on Kindle where it is currently £4.99 at the time of publication of this review.
June 27, 2019
I haven’t read the first book in this series and although I assume it gives more insight into the character of Madison, it isn’t necessary to read it before this one.
So Miriam has a problem. Her daughter is missing, police aren’t too interested as she is 17 years old, her husband is famous and she’s hiding a huge secret. The only option she can find is to call upon Madison Attallee – private investigator to help before her secret is out.
Despite being a slow burner I was hooked from the start. Most of all I love that the main protagonists are both strong, intelligent but flawed females. For me, this made the characters both relatable and fascinating. Neither were overly likable at times but for some reason it was impossible not to empathise and feel what each was going through. The more details emerge, the more we learn about each woman.
Written in short chapters that are told from Madison or Miriam’s perspective the reader is given small snapshots into their past and current lives. Dispersed throughout are chapters from the past voiced by a character named Ruby who initially has no bearing on the situation. As the narrative unfolds and we learn more about Madison’s past, the more twists begin to unfold. Each chapter provides a glimpse of insight into events and information but it’s only when the pieces begin to slide together that the clever storytelling becomes apparent.
A brilliant slow burner suspense novel with two female protagonists and a cleverly written plot. Brilliant!
So Miriam has a problem. Her daughter is missing, police aren’t too interested as she is 17 years old, her husband is famous and she’s hiding a huge secret. The only option she can find is to call upon Madison Attallee – private investigator to help before her secret is out.
Despite being a slow burner I was hooked from the start. Most of all I love that the main protagonists are both strong, intelligent but flawed females. For me, this made the characters both relatable and fascinating. Neither were overly likable at times but for some reason it was impossible not to empathise and feel what each was going through. The more details emerge, the more we learn about each woman.
Written in short chapters that are told from Madison or Miriam’s perspective the reader is given small snapshots into their past and current lives. Dispersed throughout are chapters from the past voiced by a character named Ruby who initially has no bearing on the situation. As the narrative unfolds and we learn more about Madison’s past, the more twists begin to unfold. Each chapter provides a glimpse of insight into events and information but it’s only when the pieces begin to slide together that the clever storytelling becomes apparent.
A brilliant slow burner suspense novel with two female protagonists and a cleverly written plot. Brilliant!
July 8, 2019
So to start with, this was a lot more of a thrill than I bargained for! This book had me up until the silly hours of the morning because I needed to know where it was going... I also kind of didn’t want to!! But I needed to keep going.
The story is split into three perspectives as well as past and present, sounds confusing but somehow it has worked really well for the Author. It flowed brilliantly and kept me guessing from the start to the very end!
The story is not only thrilling, but deliciously and disturbingly dark by turn, it’s the perfect “OMG” factor which in part repulses and makes us cringe inside, but also has you devouring page after page to see where this is going. If this was a movie, I imagine I would be cuddling a pillow and eating popcorn while not daring to blink.
This is far more than a missing child thriller, and the twists just keep on coming! None of the storyline went where I expected it to! It was wholly engaging, though at times I almost wished the story wasn’t as gripping. I found myself NEEDING to see what the next twist was be, desperately trying to beat the author to it and failing at every point. I have to admire the author for the skill involved in that! So many Missing child books, you might not see all the twists, but you can guess a general flow to the book.
Nope.
Throw your expectations away, grab a pillow and snacks, plenty of drinks and get comfy. You won’t want to look away even when you really do!
The story is split into three perspectives as well as past and present, sounds confusing but somehow it has worked really well for the Author. It flowed brilliantly and kept me guessing from the start to the very end!
The story is not only thrilling, but deliciously and disturbingly dark by turn, it’s the perfect “OMG” factor which in part repulses and makes us cringe inside, but also has you devouring page after page to see where this is going. If this was a movie, I imagine I would be cuddling a pillow and eating popcorn while not daring to blink.
This is far more than a missing child thriller, and the twists just keep on coming! None of the storyline went where I expected it to! It was wholly engaging, though at times I almost wished the story wasn’t as gripping. I found myself NEEDING to see what the next twist was be, desperately trying to beat the author to it and failing at every point. I have to admire the author for the skill involved in that! So many Missing child books, you might not see all the twists, but you can guess a general flow to the book.
Nope.
Throw your expectations away, grab a pillow and snacks, plenty of drinks and get comfy. You won’t want to look away even when you really do!
July 8, 2021
The Lies We Tell by @nikimackaywriter is 5 star 🌟 read..
Madison Attallee Is back with another case and another 10 packets of cigarettes
You and your husband are both very high profile people but what happens when your daughter goes missing on the same night you cheat on your husband, Miriam Jackson had it all her dream job a loving successful husband and a beautiful daughter but a night of passion with an angel from the past turns out to be the devil of her nightmares..
Omg I loved this book more then the first, The Lies We Tell is a much darker story it goes quite deep emotionally the story is very on point to what actually dies happen, the characters again feel real I enjoyed Ruby's story very much and how it all connected together, this book makes you think alot even though this is fiction these stories have and do still happen and that's what makes it more gripping.
I'm also very pleased Claudia from the first book is back its fantastic to see her grow and develop I really love the dynamic between Madison,Emma and Claudia three different women but brilliantly together the set up just works, In my mind I can see Anna Friel play Madison and Rupert Penry-jones playing Peter I can just picture it, I enjoyed everything about this book there's so much to enjoy and love and I really hope there will be a 3rd and 4th of Madison Attallee as I think there's so much more potential..
Madison Attallee Is back with another case and another 10 packets of cigarettes
You and your husband are both very high profile people but what happens when your daughter goes missing on the same night you cheat on your husband, Miriam Jackson had it all her dream job a loving successful husband and a beautiful daughter but a night of passion with an angel from the past turns out to be the devil of her nightmares..
Omg I loved this book more then the first, The Lies We Tell is a much darker story it goes quite deep emotionally the story is very on point to what actually dies happen, the characters again feel real I enjoyed Ruby's story very much and how it all connected together, this book makes you think alot even though this is fiction these stories have and do still happen and that's what makes it more gripping.
I'm also very pleased Claudia from the first book is back its fantastic to see her grow and develop I really love the dynamic between Madison,Emma and Claudia three different women but brilliantly together the set up just works, In my mind I can see Anna Friel play Madison and Rupert Penry-jones playing Peter I can just picture it, I enjoyed everything about this book there's so much to enjoy and love and I really hope there will be a 3rd and 4th of Madison Attallee as I think there's so much more potential..
June 5, 2019
-----------------
Miriam is married to a famous film producer Nick,who spends most of his time in the USA. She is successful herself having a show on a radio station and so the pair are seen as local celebrities. Her first love was Ben who she bumped into again a few weeks ago which brought back memories of when they were young and of his step sister Ruby who sadly died at a rave. Miriam’s daughter Tabitha has gone missing- something she has done once before and someone at the police station told the press and because of the couples fame the press went mad. This time she is not staying at her friends, and she has skipped school despite Miriam having seen in in her uniform for the appropriate days. Miriam reports it to the police but also hires a private investigator, Madison, in order to get things moving along quicker. We are told the story from several characters viewpoints and also from that of Ruby in 1994. There are two stories interwoven. That of Tabitha having gone missing and Ruby’s story from the past. One to keep you turning the pages and a few surprises along the way. A well written crime novel that had me gripped.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
-----------------
Miriam is married to a famous film producer Nick,who spends most of his time in the USA. She is successful herself having a show on a radio station and so the pair are seen as local celebrities. Her first love was Ben who she bumped into again a few weeks ago which brought back memories of when they were young and of his step sister Ruby who sadly died at a rave. Miriam’s daughter Tabitha has gone missing- something she has done once before and someone at the police station told the press and because of the couples fame the press went mad. This time she is not staying at her friends, and she has skipped school despite Miriam having seen in in her uniform for the appropriate days. Miriam reports it to the police but also hires a private investigator, Madison, in order to get things moving along quicker. We are told the story from several characters viewpoints and also from that of Ruby in 1994. There are two stories interwoven. That of Tabitha having gone missing and Ruby’s story from the past. One to keep you turning the pages and a few surprises along the way. A well written crime novel that had me gripped.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
-----------------
June 19, 2019
I am so glad that I decided to read this despite this not being my usual type of book I absolutely loved it, I was hooked from the very first page.
This crime fiction novel is told from three perspectives, Miriam Jackson, Madison Attallee and Ruby Williams.
Miriam Jackson is a famous radio presenter, and is married to a successful film director. From the outside Miriam looks to lead the perfect life with the perfect family. That is until her daughter, Tabitha, goes missing.
Madison Attallee is a private investigator and has just solved the biggest case of her career. She is hired by Miriam after she calls the police and they don’t seem to be worried about her daughter.
Whilst Ruby Williams story is from 1994, and without wanting to give away what happens hers is a key part to the story.
Madison is hired to look for Tabitha and as she does Miriam’s world continued to unravel. Will they be able to find Tabitha? And how much trouble is she in?
This is not the first of Niki Mackay’s books that feature Madison Attallee, there is also I, Witness. I have not read this but having been obsessed with The Lies We Tell I will be checking this out and keeping an eye out for anymore of Mackay’s books.
This crime fiction novel is told from three perspectives, Miriam Jackson, Madison Attallee and Ruby Williams.
Miriam Jackson is a famous radio presenter, and is married to a successful film director. From the outside Miriam looks to lead the perfect life with the perfect family. That is until her daughter, Tabitha, goes missing.
Madison Attallee is a private investigator and has just solved the biggest case of her career. She is hired by Miriam after she calls the police and they don’t seem to be worried about her daughter.
Whilst Ruby Williams story is from 1994, and without wanting to give away what happens hers is a key part to the story.
Madison is hired to look for Tabitha and as she does Miriam’s world continued to unravel. Will they be able to find Tabitha? And how much trouble is she in?
This is not the first of Niki Mackay’s books that feature Madison Attallee, there is also I, Witness. I have not read this but having been obsessed with The Lies We Tell I will be checking this out and keeping an eye out for anymore of Mackay’s books.
May 20, 2019
The Lies We Tell by Niki Mackay 🖤
Thanks @nikimackaywriter @orionbooks @netgalley for my ARC
Publication date 27th June 2019
‘My daughter is missing. My husband can never know’. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Wow. What a book. This was read in nearly one sitting. If only life hadn’t got in the way 😊. Miriam’s seemingly perfect life is in turmoil when her teenage daughter disappears on the night she spends with another man. Miriam is torn. She cannot tell her husband for fear of ruining her family’s lives. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was a fantastic story and although I could not relate or condemn what Miriam had done I could sympathise. The story is told on alternating chapters showing Miriam’s past and present and we get to see a clearer picture of why she is in the situation she is. The story covers some dark subject matter but is done with such great skill and expertness that it was easy enough to read. I don’t want to say too much in fear of spoilers but I would highly recommend for fans of fast paced psychological thrillers xx
Thanks @nikimackaywriter @orionbooks @netgalley for my ARC
Publication date 27th June 2019
‘My daughter is missing. My husband can never know’. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Wow. What a book. This was read in nearly one sitting. If only life hadn’t got in the way 😊. Miriam’s seemingly perfect life is in turmoil when her teenage daughter disappears on the night she spends with another man. Miriam is torn. She cannot tell her husband for fear of ruining her family’s lives. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was a fantastic story and although I could not relate or condemn what Miriam had done I could sympathise. The story is told on alternating chapters showing Miriam’s past and present and we get to see a clearer picture of why she is in the situation she is. The story covers some dark subject matter but is done with such great skill and expertness that it was easy enough to read. I don’t want to say too much in fear of spoilers but I would highly recommend for fans of fast paced psychological thrillers xx
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews