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Those Who Lie
‘[A] scorchingly good thriller ’ – Lisa Hall, bestselling author of mega-hit Between You and Me ‘A tantalising and taut thriller with more twists and turns than a corkscrew. Red herrings swim all the way through it. An excellent page turner ’ – Sally (Goodreads) At first, signs point to a tragic accident. Yet, as Emily pieces together the events leading up to the accident and her own memory loss, she begins to suspect that her husband’s death may have been the result of more than a terrible twist of fate… But the accident is only the beginning. Because while Emily’s physical scars will heal, the trauma of the accident has awakened old ghosts. She hears strange sounds, catches things that can’t possibly be there in the corner of her eye… Before long, everywhere she looks, she seems to see her husband. Emily doesn't know who to believe or who she can turn to. And suddenly, she finds herself asking the most dangerous question of Can she really trust herself? Reviewers love Those Who Lie : ‘This is a must read for anyone who lives to delve into psychological thrillers!’ – Linda Strong, Netgalley ‘With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page turner . I would highly recommend this book.’ – Stephanie Collins, Netgalley ‘I absolutely adored this book’ – Lu Dex, Netgalley ‘Great book.. keeps you guessing !! If you love twists and turns then this book if for you!’ – Diane Merrit, Netgalley ‘With twists and turns that will wrong-foot you all the way , a dash of dark humour and a strong emotional punch, this is an excellent debut that more than earns its place within the genre.’ – S.J.I. Holliday, author of Black Wood Don’t forget to leave a review and tell us what you thought!
281 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2017
360 people are currently reading
1382 people want to read
About the author
Diane Jeffrey
7 books289 followersDiane Jeffrey is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author.
She grew up in North Devon and Belfast in the United Kingdom. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.
She has written seven psychological thrillers, all published by HQ/HarperCollins.
THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane's third novel, was a USA Today bestseller.
Her fourth novel, THE SILENT FRIEND, was a Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA.
THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE, Diane's fifth psychological thriller, won the 2023 International Thriller Writers award for the best ebook original novel.
THE CRIME WRITER is Diane's latest psychological thriller, published in March 2025 in ebook, paperback and audiobook.
Diane is an English teacher. When she's not teaching or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.
Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Author website: https://www.dianejeffrey.com
Readers can also follow Diane on Twitter @dianefjeffrey
or on Instagram @dianefjeffrey
or on Facebook.com/dianejeffreyauthor
or via her website: https://www.dianejeffrey.com
She grew up in North Devon and Belfast in the United Kingdom. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.
She has written seven psychological thrillers, all published by HQ/HarperCollins.
THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane's third novel, was a USA Today bestseller.
Her fourth novel, THE SILENT FRIEND, was a Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA.
THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE, Diane's fifth psychological thriller, won the 2023 International Thriller Writers award for the best ebook original novel.
THE CRIME WRITER is Diane's latest psychological thriller, published in March 2025 in ebook, paperback and audiobook.
Diane is an English teacher. When she's not teaching or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.
Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Author website: https://www.dianejeffrey.com
Readers can also follow Diane on Twitter @dianefjeffrey
or on Instagram @dianefjeffrey
or on Facebook.com/dianejeffreyauthor
or via her website: https://www.dianejeffrey.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 193 reviews
November 24, 2021
Emily's story grabbed me from the beginning. She wakes up in the hospital and finds out that she missed her husband's funeral. They were both in a car accident which she survived. And she was driving. . . All mixed up in Emily's story are prior events that include incest, murder, animal cruelty, and alcoholism -- just to name a few. Lots of trauma in her past and some secrets she does not even know. Then she starts getting FB messages from her dead husband, seeing him around town, etc. Is Emily going crazy? Who could blame her? This was a story that kept me guessing and was quite evenly paced. I was not a huge fan of Emily the character or her sister Amanda, but their younger half-brother Matt is simply adorable. This book gets an extra star from me for the pet names. There is a dog named Chewie (after Chewbacca from Star Wars) and that is the name of our dear family dog who just died this past summer. There are some fabulous cat names, too: Mr. Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie, and Rumpleteazer. Hello, "Cats" and T.S. Eliot fans!
Thank you to HQ Digital and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to HQ Digital and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2019
Hi, I was really pleased to be able to read and review Diane Jeffrey's first book after thoroughly enjoying ‘He Will Find You’ published a few weeks ago ( fantastic book and some friends have read it since publication and loved it )....it is always interesting to ‘go back’ and read an authors previous work if you love their current book......
Emily Klein wakes in a hospital bed.......she is told its her husbands funeral, that day, she is shocked!, then more shocked when she is told she killed him!
The story then takes on a past/present form as via Emily’s narrative you discover what happened to her as a child/teenager and as an adult and in true ‘psychological mystery’ style you are piece by piece left trying to work out if she did kill her husband, if so, why? And if not then who did?
A large ( ish ) supporting cast and with each person playing an important role in the story you have to keep your thoughts clear to keep up with who has done what etc ( not a criticism but important to the story)
The story does include various trigger points re abusive family relationships including sexual abuse which is not OTT in its description or a massive part of the narrative, but is there
I enjoyed the references to Facebook and various ‘find my phone’ Apps ( relative to the story) and makes you think exactly how much info we, sometimes unwittingly, give to anyone who wants to look for it
A solid psychological thriller that enjoyed and once again thoroughly was at ease with the authors clear and informative writing style
9/10 5 stars
Emily Klein wakes in a hospital bed.......she is told its her husbands funeral, that day, she is shocked!, then more shocked when she is told she killed him!
The story then takes on a past/present form as via Emily’s narrative you discover what happened to her as a child/teenager and as an adult and in true ‘psychological mystery’ style you are piece by piece left trying to work out if she did kill her husband, if so, why? And if not then who did?
A large ( ish ) supporting cast and with each person playing an important role in the story you have to keep your thoughts clear to keep up with who has done what etc ( not a criticism but important to the story)
The story does include various trigger points re abusive family relationships including sexual abuse which is not OTT in its description or a massive part of the narrative, but is there
I enjoyed the references to Facebook and various ‘find my phone’ Apps ( relative to the story) and makes you think exactly how much info we, sometimes unwittingly, give to anyone who wants to look for it
A solid psychological thriller that enjoyed and once again thoroughly was at ease with the authors clear and informative writing style
9/10 5 stars
August 30, 2021
This one had me gripped from start to finish.
Lots of guessing.
To wake up in a hospital with no recollection only to find your husband is dead….and guess what? You killed him!
I loved how the author planted seeds in my brain only to be watered and no growth at times….I was none the wiser. It wasn’t misleading it was really provoking eagerness in me to keep turning the pages and I definitely did that!
The characters were real, I connected with them so much.
It’s a 5* from me.
I flew through this book in no time.
Lots of guessing.
To wake up in a hospital with no recollection only to find your husband is dead….and guess what? You killed him!
I loved how the author planted seeds in my brain only to be watered and no growth at times….I was none the wiser. It wasn’t misleading it was really provoking eagerness in me to keep turning the pages and I definitely did that!
The characters were real, I connected with them so much.
It’s a 5* from me.
I flew through this book in no time.
January 5, 2017
Emily Klein's husband is dead. She doesn't know it yet .. she's in the hospital. And she has very little memory of the car accident that took his life.
As her sister and best friend rally around her, she tries to make sense of what has happened. But then strange things begin to happen. She gets a text message from her husband .. but the message then disappears. She sees a man wearing an article of her husband's clothing ... but he ran before she could see him clearly. Someone is getting into her house, moving things, taking things, putting things back.
Is she losing her mind? Is her husband really dead?
And then there are things that take her back to her childhood ... awful things that happened.
The story moves seamlessly from the present to the past and back again. There are lots of twists and turns .. and an ending I didn't see coming. The characters have been meticulously crafted and are quite credible.
This is a must read for anyone who lives to delve into psychological thrillers!
I wish to thank the author / HarperCollinsUK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this highly suspenseful novel. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
As her sister and best friend rally around her, she tries to make sense of what has happened. But then strange things begin to happen. She gets a text message from her husband .. but the message then disappears. She sees a man wearing an article of her husband's clothing ... but he ran before she could see him clearly. Someone is getting into her house, moving things, taking things, putting things back.
Is she losing her mind? Is her husband really dead?
And then there are things that take her back to her childhood ... awful things that happened.
The story moves seamlessly from the present to the past and back again. There are lots of twists and turns .. and an ending I didn't see coming. The characters have been meticulously crafted and are quite credible.
This is a must read for anyone who lives to delve into psychological thrillers!
I wish to thank the author / HarperCollinsUK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this highly suspenseful novel. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
February 7, 2017
The synopsis for this was brief but undoubtedly intriguing. I'm so glad I decided to read it. Full of suspense and drama with rich, developed characters. A great book. I really cared about the characters and had fun trying to figure out what was going on. I've read a lot of books that deal with fractured memory, but this one never felt stale.
Emily wakes up in the hospital with two police officers by her side and no friends and family. At first, she has no idea why she's there. She soon learns that she's been in a car accident. While her injuries are painful, they aren't life-threatening. Her husband isn't as lucky. He's gone. She was driving, and reportedly suddenly veered off the road which led to the accident. She can't remember exactly why... which is a big problem. The book jumps back and forth from past to present, including details about childhood abuse and the subsequent murder of her father. Her best friend, sister, brother, and mother are very supportive after the untimely death of husband Greg, but they can't help her with everything. Strange things begin to happen in her house. Things vanish and then reappear. She gets messages from Greg's phone and Facebook. Is he somehow still alive, or is someone playing a horrible trick on her? Or perhaps her dark past has led to a mental breakdown and she's imagining things... or she's doing these things herself and forgetting about them. One thing is for sure: as things escalate, she must figure it out... because it's starting to look like she's in danger. The question is: is it from herself?
Great psychological thriller. Quick and absorbing. I highly recommend it! I was given an ARC of this book by Net Galley and HarperCollins UK, thank you! This in no way affects my review.
Emily wakes up in the hospital with two police officers by her side and no friends and family. At first, she has no idea why she's there. She soon learns that she's been in a car accident. While her injuries are painful, they aren't life-threatening. Her husband isn't as lucky. He's gone. She was driving, and reportedly suddenly veered off the road which led to the accident. She can't remember exactly why... which is a big problem. The book jumps back and forth from past to present, including details about childhood abuse and the subsequent murder of her father. Her best friend, sister, brother, and mother are very supportive after the untimely death of husband Greg, but they can't help her with everything. Strange things begin to happen in her house. Things vanish and then reappear. She gets messages from Greg's phone and Facebook. Is he somehow still alive, or is someone playing a horrible trick on her? Or perhaps her dark past has led to a mental breakdown and she's imagining things... or she's doing these things herself and forgetting about them. One thing is for sure: as things escalate, she must figure it out... because it's starting to look like she's in danger. The question is: is it from herself?
Great psychological thriller. Quick and absorbing. I highly recommend it! I was given an ARC of this book by Net Galley and HarperCollins UK, thank you! This in no way affects my review.
August 27, 2022
2 1/2 - 3 Stars
"Everything looks the same, but everything has changed. She has the strange impression that she has just stepped into someone else's life. "
"She feels as if two entities are fighting inside her head to take control: one of them wants her to get to the truth, the other is trying to protect her from the truth, and maybe even from herself. "
I have mixed feelings on Diane Jeffrey's debut novel, Those Who Lie. Though the premise was intriguing, I found the back and forth timelines, were often abrupt, confusing and just felt disjointed.
Filled with many very graphic, disturbing scenes...Trigger Warnings: Sexual Abuse, Incest, Rape, Child Abuse, Extreme cruelty to animals, to name a few.
I've made a major point in my reviews, that I just don't want to read, especially in graphic detail, about any kind of abuse, especially by men...over and over again.
At times, I got characters confused and kept having to reread to clarify.
But yet, at times, the tension was palpable, with disturbing, creepy occurrences happening more and more often, with increasing intensity and frequency! There was no one, absolutely no one, family or friends, you could trust. With a history of multiple personality disorder, the protagonist often doubted her own sanity? Was she being gaslighted, and by whom, among multiple suspects? Was she getting perilously close to a spiraling depression or a psychiatric breakdown or was someone, or maybe more than one person, dragging her back down into her horrible abusive childhood?
More to come.
"Everything looks the same, but everything has changed. She has the strange impression that she has just stepped into someone else's life. "
"She feels as if two entities are fighting inside her head to take control: one of them wants her to get to the truth, the other is trying to protect her from the truth, and maybe even from herself. "
I have mixed feelings on Diane Jeffrey's debut novel, Those Who Lie. Though the premise was intriguing, I found the back and forth timelines, were often abrupt, confusing and just felt disjointed.
Filled with many very graphic, disturbing scenes...Trigger Warnings: Sexual Abuse, Incest, Rape, Child Abuse, Extreme cruelty to animals, to name a few.
I've made a major point in my reviews, that I just don't want to read, especially in graphic detail, about any kind of abuse, especially by men...over and over again.
At times, I got characters confused and kept having to reread to clarify.
But yet, at times, the tension was palpable, with disturbing, creepy occurrences happening more and more often, with increasing intensity and frequency! There was no one, absolutely no one, family or friends, you could trust. With a history of multiple personality disorder, the protagonist often doubted her own sanity? Was she being gaslighted, and by whom, among multiple suspects? Was she getting perilously close to a spiraling depression or a psychiatric breakdown or was someone, or maybe more than one person, dragging her back down into her horrible abusive childhood?
More to come.
January 31, 2017
Lots of twists, turns and red herrings but I feel it needed a bit more depth. As it is, it's a good story but for me it didn't quite achieve the "gripping" level it promises.
January 24, 2019
I need a sequel please and thank you!! 😬
November 8, 2023
This just didn't really do it for me I'm afraid. It did take me a while to work out who the culprit was, but it was all a bit typical of this kind of thriller. Nothing wow-ed me and I wasn't a fan of the writing style.
June 20, 2024
Psychological Thrillers
Publication date : January 27, 2017
Narrated by: Karen Cass
Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
I enjoyed this author's The Other Couple, so I've checked out this author other stories. This one has lies, secrets and amnesia plot that I'm not very fond of. It also has some disturbing topics like that can be difficult things to handle for some readers.
Story constantly jumps between Emily's past and her present, so you have to read carefully to understand which timeline you are in and what is going on and when.
When listening to this story I couldn't help but wonder where Emily's
The narrator sounded a bit too robotic for my taste.
Publication date : January 27, 2017
Narrated by: Karen Cass
Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
I enjoyed this author's The Other Couple, so I've checked out this author other stories. This one has lies, secrets and amnesia plot that I'm not very fond of. It also has some disturbing topics like that can be difficult things to handle for some readers.
Story constantly jumps between Emily's past and her present, so you have to read carefully to understand which timeline you are in and what is going on and when.
When listening to this story I couldn't help but wonder where Emily's
The narrator sounded a bit too robotic for my taste.
March 15, 2017
Emily wakes in hospital on the day of her husband’s funeral. She has survived the car crash in which he died – and she was driving. Her memory isn’t clear on the moments just before the accident and as that returns, so do traumas from her earlier life. Someone is trying to convince her that her husband is still alive. She doesn’t know if she can trust her friends, her family, or even herself. The accident is being investigated by the police but when she fears her house in being invaded by a stranger, she doesn’t want to tell the police as she’s keen to draw attention away from the problems of her early life. She’s in a bind and it’s easy to sympathise with her.
This is a nicely paced book in which we range back and forth between Emily’s teen years, the more recent past and current times. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. It became obvious to me before the end who was responsible but the whys and wherefores were still to be explained. A very enjoyable read.
This is a nicely paced book in which we range back and forth between Emily’s teen years, the more recent past and current times. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. It became obvious to me before the end who was responsible but the whys and wherefores were still to be explained. A very enjoyable read.
November 24, 2021
“Who can I tell? Who can I trust?”
These are the questions that our protagonist, Emily Klein, has towards the end of the book, and they are the questions that arise throughout the entire story. When your memory is foggy, when you’re dealing with loss, and especially when you feel like you’re being targeted, I’d imagine it’s hard to find people who you feel like you can trust.
This book begins with Emily waking up in the hospital, and the police are right there to question her. She has been in a car accident with her husband, and he didn’t make it - in fact, his funeral is happening as she’s hospitalized. The police are trying to find out more about the crash, to see if Emily had anything to do with it. Eye witnesses saw some arguing beforehand, and they are worried that Emily crashed their car on purpose.
Emily is not only shocked and devastated by the news that her husband is dead, but she’s worried about not being able to remember what happened. Is it really possible that she killed her husband? Why do the police keep asking her questions? Why does she feel like something is terribly wrong? Emily has been under scrutiny by the police before, and she doesn’t trust them. After reading why, I don’t blame her!
As she’s trying to get on with her life as a young widow, strange things start happening. She’s getting disturbing messages and calls, she feels like she’s being followed and she knows somebody has been in her home. She’s reluctant to go to the police, but she’s starting to worry that she’s in danger.
This is all what the synopsis talks about, but this book is about so much more than that. There is a big family dynamic, a back story about sexual abuse, and a lot of people involved. Don’t worry though, it didn’t get convoluted. The entire book entertained me, and I was wavering between three and four stars during the first half. Then in the second half, I changed that to a four or five star rating. I’ll split it down the middle at four stars, but the ending of this was fantastic.
At one point, there were almost a dozen people that I was suspicious of. There were red herrings everywhere, which always make a book more fun. I had so many ideas about what the ending might be, and I was right … but not until the very end, and even then I only figured out part of it. If you’re looking for a twisty suspense novel, I’d recommend this one as an easy and entertaining read.
(Thank you to Harper 360, Diane Jeffrey, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for my review.)
These are the questions that our protagonist, Emily Klein, has towards the end of the book, and they are the questions that arise throughout the entire story. When your memory is foggy, when you’re dealing with loss, and especially when you feel like you’re being targeted, I’d imagine it’s hard to find people who you feel like you can trust.
This book begins with Emily waking up in the hospital, and the police are right there to question her. She has been in a car accident with her husband, and he didn’t make it - in fact, his funeral is happening as she’s hospitalized. The police are trying to find out more about the crash, to see if Emily had anything to do with it. Eye witnesses saw some arguing beforehand, and they are worried that Emily crashed their car on purpose.
Emily is not only shocked and devastated by the news that her husband is dead, but she’s worried about not being able to remember what happened. Is it really possible that she killed her husband? Why do the police keep asking her questions? Why does she feel like something is terribly wrong? Emily has been under scrutiny by the police before, and she doesn’t trust them. After reading why, I don’t blame her!
As she’s trying to get on with her life as a young widow, strange things start happening. She’s getting disturbing messages and calls, she feels like she’s being followed and she knows somebody has been in her home. She’s reluctant to go to the police, but she’s starting to worry that she’s in danger.
This is all what the synopsis talks about, but this book is about so much more than that. There is a big family dynamic, a back story about sexual abuse, and a lot of people involved. Don’t worry though, it didn’t get convoluted. The entire book entertained me, and I was wavering between three and four stars during the first half. Then in the second half, I changed that to a four or five star rating. I’ll split it down the middle at four stars, but the ending of this was fantastic.
At one point, there were almost a dozen people that I was suspicious of. There were red herrings everywhere, which always make a book more fun. I had so many ideas about what the ending might be, and I was right … but not until the very end, and even then I only figured out part of it. If you’re looking for a twisty suspense novel, I’d recommend this one as an easy and entertaining read.
(Thank you to Harper 360, Diane Jeffrey, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for my review.)
March 22, 2019
(Quick tip for AUDIO listeners!👍🏼 The narrators were really good, very natural, & added quite a bit in my opinion. If you're looking for a psychological thriller to listen to, not too deep & easy to follow.. Go for it!) Besides that, i guess this was a pretty good book.🤷🏻♀️ The main character was likeable & i was rooting for her. The other main players were interesting too & certain relationships made sense. I just wasn't hooked.. It started dragging for me about 1/2 way in. I was hoping the ending would be worth it, but unfortunately it turns out it was all pretty obvious from the beginning. I did notice that it has a lot of very good reviews, & I'm not wholly disagreeing. It was a quick, easy read.. There wasn't anything "wrong" per se, we just didn't click! It's also a pet peeve of mine when a character is described as being 1 way (at length, with many examples provided,) & then it turns out they are actually the exact opposite- just because the plot needs it to be that way. I mean, i love thrillers! I know that that can work, but there has to be some kind of valid explaination & I'm sorry but with this 1, I just didn't buy it.
October 4, 2020
I found this story to be a so-so read and extremely wordy however, I did enjoy the ending quite a bit. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 24, 2017
Those who lie by Dinah Jeffrey is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
Emily Klein doesn’t know her husband has died until the day of his funeral.
But, as she pieces together the events before his death – events which led to her own memory loss – Emily begins to suspect that his death may not have been such a tragic accident after all.
If only she could remember…
The question is: are there some memories which Emily should leave alone?
This was a really good read with good characters. Little slow in places then you can't put it down. I really didn’t know who to trust. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
Emily Klein doesn’t know her husband has died until the day of his funeral.
But, as she pieces together the events before his death – events which led to her own memory loss – Emily begins to suspect that his death may not have been such a tragic accident after all.
If only she could remember…
The question is: are there some memories which Emily should leave alone?
This was a really good read with good characters. Little slow in places then you can't put it down. I really didn’t know who to trust. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
October 26, 2021
“Emily Klein doesn’t know she has killed her husband until the day of his funeral”. An opening sentence that held so much promise, but the novel that follows didn’t quite get there for me. Emily wakes up in the hospital to find her husband was killed in a car crash and she was the driver… was it an accident? She doesn’t remember the crash but her hazy memories of the moments leading up to are troubling. Not only does she not remember, but Emily is also a bit of an unreliable narrator as a result of terrible childhood trauma.
Then Emily starts getting mysterious messages and texts that seem to be from her deceased husband. And she thinks she’s catching glimpses of him. Things are moving around and going missing in her home, and she’s missing chunks of time. Could Greg still be alive, or is she losing her mind?
The concept is a good one, but the execution is clunky. The story is told in third-person-limited in the present tense, so we get a lot of Emily’s thoughts in real time. Because of this perspective, it ends up feeling like a lot of telling instead of showing; first person might have been more effective. None of the characters besides Emily are very well developed, and the male characters all kind of ran together. Also, some things didn’t ring true to me, such as Emily’s complete tech illiteracy, which was annoying to the point of distraction. It was necessary for the plotline, but a mid-30s woman in 2014-2015 would know what Find My iPhone and pop-up ads are.
I did figure out the culprit fairly early on, but there were still a couple of twists at the end that were unexpected, making this an overall decent read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper360 for providing me an advance copy of this book.
Then Emily starts getting mysterious messages and texts that seem to be from her deceased husband. And she thinks she’s catching glimpses of him. Things are moving around and going missing in her home, and she’s missing chunks of time. Could Greg still be alive, or is she losing her mind?
The concept is a good one, but the execution is clunky. The story is told in third-person-limited in the present tense, so we get a lot of Emily’s thoughts in real time. Because of this perspective, it ends up feeling like a lot of telling instead of showing; first person might have been more effective. None of the characters besides Emily are very well developed, and the male characters all kind of ran together. Also, some things didn’t ring true to me, such as Emily’s complete tech illiteracy, which was annoying to the point of distraction. It was necessary for the plotline, but a mid-30s woman in 2014-2015 would know what Find My iPhone and pop-up ads are.
I did figure out the culprit fairly early on, but there were still a couple of twists at the end that were unexpected, making this an overall decent read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper360 for providing me an advance copy of this book.
February 7, 2017
At the moment books described as mystery thrillers seem to be very trendy, and I was really lucky as most of those novels that I've read turned out to be really brilliant. Only lately I've read two or three books with similar pattern as this one and the tension in them was incredible, so being on a good roll I requested "Those Who Lie" on NetGalley, as it seemed to ideally place itself in this trend and the very lapidary synopsis sounded more than intriguing, implicating murder, manipulations and not knowing whom to trust. Brilliant, right?
However, guys, this book. When I reached the "10% read" symbol I knew who the culprit is and the further I read, the more I was sure that I am right. There were all the hints and signs and it was impossible not to know that this is this person. Sure, I was hoping that perhaps there is the hugest twist coming our way that is going to change everything but eventually there came a moment that I knew it's not going to happen. So the end was absolutely not a surprise to me - sadly. Maybe I should be happy instead that my detective skills have gone public this time, hmmm? But no, rather not, I want the book to keep me hooked, I want to feel the tension and I want all the things in my brain to work. I also can't not to compare "Those Who Lie" to the previous books with a similar outcome that I've read this year already, and in comparison this book seems too amateurish, full of clichés and situations that were absolutely predictable and made the read much too flat. Also, I couldn't come to terms with writing style and the way the story was told, I mostly had a feeling I am reading a children's book where everything must be explained: firstly they did this, then they went there and after that Emily had a shower. Sometimes it also felt too chopped, the changes in situations and perspective were too sudden and I had a feeling that I've missed something. I might be spoiled be the previous books but really the scenes and situations didn't carry an earmark of danger for me and one of the last scenes, including knife, it... well, it made me roll my eyes. I also had some problems with the male characters - to be honest till the very end I wasn't sure who is who and to whom they belong and what is/was their role - maybe except for Matt.
There is a dual timeline in the story, jumping between Emily's childhood and the present. The chapters set in 1995 are crucial in revealing Emily's past and are explanation for her mental state, as she suffers not only from depression now but also personality disorder - though, to be honest, I didn't spot it and was all the time thinking if it is something that THE character wanted her to think she has? The novel is told in the third person, in Emily's point of view so that means that we get to know her mostly and we know her thoughts although I am really not sure if the first person narration wouldn't be better here. Maybe it would add more tension to the whole story and maybe it would made me connect with the characters, as it didn't happen?
As with this genre, the characters weren't there for us to like them. They were portrayed with all their flaws, they were not perfect and they made mistakes. They all had secrets and they lied to each other, and eventually Emily started to see that she can't trust them. But is Emily really the innocent one? What with her tendency to depression? The author touches upon many gentle and tricky issues and I must admit that the scenes at the beginning made me feel shock - deep, profound shock and I was shocked at the detailed way Diane Jeffrey went into the awful details. She also goes into relationship between daughter and alcoholic mother who turns a blind eye at what is happening.
It could be a great psychological thriller, and maybe it is, but not for me - sadly. It is not that I've read too many similar books, because when they're good I can read thousands of them and they will never be boring. It is just that I guessed who and what happened and it turned out that I am right. However, I of course appreciate how the author tried to put the wool over our eyes, how she tried to complicate the things and draw us into the tangled web of lies and secrets. It's just that for me it all sounded too implausible, as if the author herself wasn't sure if she's able to pull it off. It just didn't convince me, the playing with Emily's brain is poorly done in my opinion. But if you're looking for a story about stalking, manipulating, mind games give this book a go - you may find hooking.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Read
March 10, 2017Not gripping at all
I never found out how the car accident happened and didn't care. This is not a spoiler as it's in the first chapter. By chapter 4 I had figured out the plot, the who and the why. I soldiered on until chapter 8 and then went straight to chapter 28 when what I thought was confirmed. It was pointless to read 20 more chapters, predictable chapters. This has a plot done in movies and other books. The difference is that they were gripping. I'm not a writer and I could have written this book. There were only 3 characters I liked. The rest fell flat. The mother character was unbelievable and if she made one more cup of watery tea I was going to scream. Remember, this was only chapter 8 I read until. This is an old plot, nothing new or exciting here at all. I'm glad I didn't give this bok more of my time. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was a waste of my time and money and it was boring!!
I never found out how the car accident happened and didn't care. This is not a spoiler as it's in the first chapter. By chapter 4 I had figured out the plot, the who and the why. I soldiered on until chapter 8 and then went straight to chapter 28 when what I thought was confirmed. It was pointless to read 20 more chapters, predictable chapters. This has a plot done in movies and other books. The difference is that they were gripping. I'm not a writer and I could have written this book. There were only 3 characters I liked. The rest fell flat. The mother character was unbelievable and if she made one more cup of watery tea I was going to scream. Remember, this was only chapter 8 I read until. This is an old plot, nothing new or exciting here at all. I'm glad I didn't give this bok more of my time. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was a waste of my time and money and it was boring!!
April 22, 2019
Emily Klein doesn't know her husband Greg is dead until the day of the funeral. From her hospital bed, she doesn't yet know that she killed him. Once home and beginning to recover from the dreadful car crash, she sees her husband at a distance, in coffee shops, around town and in his car, yet when she gets home the car is on the drive. Posts appear on his Facebook account and she begins to get text messages from him, it can only be him as he's the only one who called her Alice when her name is Emily. She thinks she's losing her mind and the reader is reminded of her past when she was in a mental institution after killing her father.
The book switches back to her childhood home with her sister and their abusive father. We get an idea of Emily's mental state and the reason behind her spell in a mental institution. Emily's sister is key throughout the story giving support when she's just lost her husband. Most of the story is in present day, just a few switches to childhood as memories resurface.
Emily's friends are all under suspicion of imitating Greg and she doesn't know who to trust or believe. There are several twists and jaw-drops before all lies are revealed and unravelled at the end.
The book switches back to her childhood home with her sister and their abusive father. We get an idea of Emily's mental state and the reason behind her spell in a mental institution. Emily's sister is key throughout the story giving support when she's just lost her husband. Most of the story is in present day, just a few switches to childhood as memories resurface.
Emily's friends are all under suspicion of imitating Greg and she doesn't know who to trust or believe. There are several twists and jaw-drops before all lies are revealed and unravelled at the end.
February 12, 2020
Great book.. keeps you guessing!! If you love twist and turns then this book if for you!
Thanks to Net Gallery for a pre-release of this book
Thanks to Net Gallery for a pre-release of this book
March 22, 2017
I love to read the odd Thriller and as I liked the sound of the blurb, I was happy to give this a go.
When Emily Klein, wakes up in hospital after a car crash, she doesnt remember much and is devastated to find out her husband died in the crash. As the weeks move on, Emily thinks her husband is still alive, she gets texts from his phone, messages from his facebook, someone has been in her house, she keeps getting glimpses of him whille out running and thinks she is being followed. Emily starts to doubt herself and even her nearest and dearest. Is Emily really going mad or could her answers lie alot closer to home?.
I was gripped from the start, I really got into this story and found myself turning the pages in anticipation to what was coming next. Its been a very thought out story and although the clues were there from the beginning looking back, I didnt call who was behind it all until the end. I dont think it was a predictable read and it was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed getting to know Emily and learning of her dark childhood. It was evenly paced with a good support cast. Some reviews have said the ending was rushed, but I didnt think so, Diane Jeffrey wrapped it up brilliantly and what a wrap it was. This is why I feel it deserves 5 stars. I am now looking forward to more from this Author in the future.
When Emily Klein, wakes up in hospital after a car crash, she doesnt remember much and is devastated to find out her husband died in the crash. As the weeks move on, Emily thinks her husband is still alive, she gets texts from his phone, messages from his facebook, someone has been in her house, she keeps getting glimpses of him whille out running and thinks she is being followed. Emily starts to doubt herself and even her nearest and dearest. Is Emily really going mad or could her answers lie alot closer to home?.
I was gripped from the start, I really got into this story and found myself turning the pages in anticipation to what was coming next. Its been a very thought out story and although the clues were there from the beginning looking back, I didnt call who was behind it all until the end. I dont think it was a predictable read and it was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed getting to know Emily and learning of her dark childhood. It was evenly paced with a good support cast. Some reviews have said the ending was rushed, but I didnt think so, Diane Jeffrey wrapped it up brilliantly and what a wrap it was. This is why I feel it deserves 5 stars. I am now looking forward to more from this Author in the future.
February 5, 2017
Finished reading: January 17th 2017
“Everything looks the same, but everything has changed, she realises with a jolt. She has the strange impression that she has just stepped into someone else's life.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
February 5, 2017
Originally reviewed on Hummingbird Reviews.
Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey is a complex and clever puzzle of a novel that I was incredibly eager to figure out. So many secrets, teasing and taunting, had been hidden between the pages, revealing themselves only when the author gave them permission to do so, and always just at the right time. It's safe to say that Those Who Lie begins with a bang. In a harrowing scene, we're introduced to Emily Klein, the leading lady of this novel, and Jeffrey ensures that it is one that we won't forget quickly. This scene truly sets the tone and the foundations for the rest of the novel, and gave Emily a shocking history which helped to define her character in the present day and also lay behind some of the decisions she made. When Jeffrey brings readers forward to the present day, Emily wakes up in a hospital bed, with little to no memory of how she ended up there, or why. The police want to speak to her. They have questions they would like to ask. Does she know that her husband is dead? Does she know what happened on that day of the car accident? Does she remember anything? Only time will tell.
In the most tantalising of ways, Diane Jeffrey begins to reveal this novel's secrets piece by piece, like that of a jigsaw puzzle. It's only once Emily has been discharged from the hospital and is back in the familiar surroundings of her home that she begins to put together what happened that day, however sketchy her memory is turning out to be. It's a tough position to be in. The house is empty without Greg there. But her family, along with her best friend, are there to remind her that she is not alone, and help is on hand if she needs it. But then strange things begin to happen, before Emily can become used to her new life without Greg. Things that she tries her best to explain but can't seem to find logical reasons behind why they're happening. Like Facebook messages from Greg, despite him no longer being alive. Like bizarre telephone calls, and sightings that she is certain are her husband. Or is it just Emily's mind playing tricks on her? She isn't quite sure of what to make of it all, because who on earth is going to believe the things the she is having to deal with?
I adored the mystery behind this novel. I'm really not sure what I would have done if I had been in Emily's shoes. Her past was being used to taunt her in the most unsettling of ways, and I couldn't
help but to study each person who knew Emily in the hopes of figuring them out and discovering
whether they had a part to play in the nasty game that was happening in Emily's life. As if missing
the funeral of your husband wasn't bad enough in the first place, she now had the tricks being played
on her to deal with. It would be enough to drive even the sanest person mad, and have them beginning to question their sanity. This in itself added a truly tense and dark atmosphere to the novel that only remained right the way through. It was dark, intriguing, and certainly kept me on my toes. I couldn't wait for the truth to be revealed and I felt as though I read the entire book with baited breath, only able to exhale once the final conclusion had been reached. That's a long time hold one's breath for, don't you think?
All in all, Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey was a secretive novel with plenty of twists to surprise the reader with. Just like Emily herself, I couldn't quite ever decide whether what was happening was real or not. My suspicions swapped and changed repeatedly throughout the novel, never sure of whether I was right or wrong, and when the truth was finally revealed, I was struck speechless.
Hummingbird Reviews is rating Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey with four out of five stars. A fantastic debut from this author, and I can't wait to see what she has got in store for her readers next. If Those Who Lie is anything to go by, then it will be a read that will get beneath your skin.
Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey is a complex and clever puzzle of a novel that I was incredibly eager to figure out. So many secrets, teasing and taunting, had been hidden between the pages, revealing themselves only when the author gave them permission to do so, and always just at the right time. It's safe to say that Those Who Lie begins with a bang. In a harrowing scene, we're introduced to Emily Klein, the leading lady of this novel, and Jeffrey ensures that it is one that we won't forget quickly. This scene truly sets the tone and the foundations for the rest of the novel, and gave Emily a shocking history which helped to define her character in the present day and also lay behind some of the decisions she made. When Jeffrey brings readers forward to the present day, Emily wakes up in a hospital bed, with little to no memory of how she ended up there, or why. The police want to speak to her. They have questions they would like to ask. Does she know that her husband is dead? Does she know what happened on that day of the car accident? Does she remember anything? Only time will tell.
In the most tantalising of ways, Diane Jeffrey begins to reveal this novel's secrets piece by piece, like that of a jigsaw puzzle. It's only once Emily has been discharged from the hospital and is back in the familiar surroundings of her home that she begins to put together what happened that day, however sketchy her memory is turning out to be. It's a tough position to be in. The house is empty without Greg there. But her family, along with her best friend, are there to remind her that she is not alone, and help is on hand if she needs it. But then strange things begin to happen, before Emily can become used to her new life without Greg. Things that she tries her best to explain but can't seem to find logical reasons behind why they're happening. Like Facebook messages from Greg, despite him no longer being alive. Like bizarre telephone calls, and sightings that she is certain are her husband. Or is it just Emily's mind playing tricks on her? She isn't quite sure of what to make of it all, because who on earth is going to believe the things the she is having to deal with?
I adored the mystery behind this novel. I'm really not sure what I would have done if I had been in Emily's shoes. Her past was being used to taunt her in the most unsettling of ways, and I couldn't
help but to study each person who knew Emily in the hopes of figuring them out and discovering
whether they had a part to play in the nasty game that was happening in Emily's life. As if missing
the funeral of your husband wasn't bad enough in the first place, she now had the tricks being played
on her to deal with. It would be enough to drive even the sanest person mad, and have them beginning to question their sanity. This in itself added a truly tense and dark atmosphere to the novel that only remained right the way through. It was dark, intriguing, and certainly kept me on my toes. I couldn't wait for the truth to be revealed and I felt as though I read the entire book with baited breath, only able to exhale once the final conclusion had been reached. That's a long time hold one's breath for, don't you think?
All in all, Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey was a secretive novel with plenty of twists to surprise the reader with. Just like Emily herself, I couldn't quite ever decide whether what was happening was real or not. My suspicions swapped and changed repeatedly throughout the novel, never sure of whether I was right or wrong, and when the truth was finally revealed, I was struck speechless.
Hummingbird Reviews is rating Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey with four out of five stars. A fantastic debut from this author, and I can't wait to see what she has got in store for her readers next. If Those Who Lie is anything to go by, then it will be a read that will get beneath your skin.
September 26, 2019
Well written and enjoyed even though I figured out who was messing with the main character early.
April 14, 2020
Too predictable..... guessed it very early on.
January 27, 2017
At the moment there is a trend to follow the title of a new books with claims of unexpected twists, psychological thrills, or that it is the next big "Gone Girl" release. Not only does "Those Who Lie" not do this, it also carries one of the most brief blurbs I have come across in a while. The effect? I want to read it even more.
"Those Who Lie" could easily carry a subtitle along the lines of "Be warned, this psychological thriller is full of secrets, lies and memories....Who do you trust when you can't even trust yourself?" It could easily add the claim that if you liked "The Girl on the Train" or love writers like Samantha Hayes or Elizabeth Haynes then this must be your next read. But it doesn't. This book relies merely on the tantalising implication that this is a story about murder, memory and nothing being as it seems. And it was that short taste of what might reveal itself in the pages of the novel (and the cover design) that attracted me to the book.
Of course, this is a great psychological thriller and yes it will sit very well alongside its contemporaries in this genre. It deserves to sell well and it deserves to be read by all fans of Grip Lit. The opening line is a killer in itself:
"Emily Klein doesn't know she has killed him until the day of his funeral. Her loved ones, including, of course, her husband, are all at the church rather than at her bedside. That explains why there are no familiar faces around her this time when she regains consciousness."
It hooked me in right away.
I really enjoyed the opening chapter. It's full of questions and Jeffrey really captures the distraught and confused state of Emily as she awakes in hospital unable to piece together why she is here, what happened, why the police are there and why her husband is not at her bedside.
"What's going on? What do the police want? Emily can't shake off the unnerving impression that something is very wrong. .............Something doesn't feel right. Emily's mind is even foggier, and she's struggling to organise her thoughts."
Just like Emily, the reader is on the edge of their seats waiting for some sort of revelation that will clarify what happened, just what the police are accusing Emily of and what events preceded the car accident. You have to wait a long time. Jeffrey reveals little clues, hints and tit bits as the plot develops and allows us to piece together a lot of the story, but don't be deceived into thinking that this book won't have some final twists and turns thrown in on the very last pages!
As with all satisfying psychological thrillers there is a dual timeline flitting between Emily's childhood in 1995 and 1996 and the present day of 2014 and 2015. Jeffrey manages both narratives really well and it is a great way of getting us to read as we try to solve the mystery facing Emily about events in the present day.
Returning to 1995 helps us get to know Emily much better as a character. Her childhood is very traumatic but it also reveals her relationships with her mother, father and sister. It helps give us a better picture of all the characters and the relationships between them. Jeffrey starts these sections with little details that immediately show the reader something unsettling is going on - I don't know if there is a word which means a 'cliffhanger in the opening line of a chapter' but if there is one, this is what Jeffrey does. Not only does she leave you wanting more at the end of each chapter, she also drags you right into the next chapter.
"Her stomach was heavy with dread. She was terrified she wouldn't be able to go through with it."
Emily's relationship with her mother Josephine is complicated. She is not portrayed as a likeable character; a drunk and a mother who turns too much of a blind eye leaves us feeling little sympathy for her and even as she appears to sober up in the present day storyline there still seems to be a huge void between mother and daughter. Like Emily, we are unable to determine exactly what is going on in Josephine's mind and exactly what she thinks about events.
"Josephine's expression is inscrutable."
The sections set in 1995 are also crucial in revealing Emily's fragile and vulnerable mental state. Jeffrey has been very ambitious with her main protagonist who suffers from depression, anorexia, a personality disorder and issues with identity. Emily has memory loss and often seems to get distracted or a little hypnotised by smells, flashes of recollection, things she thinks she sees. Her quote from Alice in Wonderland is absolutely perfect:
"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir," said Alice, "because I'm not myself you see."
What is most effective about this aspect of Emily's character is that we then start to distrust her and be wary of what she perceives to be happening around her - or indeed happened to her in the past. Can we rely on her? Is she telling the truth? Is she even able to discern what is the truth and what is a dream, a memory, a false memory? And if we don't trust her, who else is there that we can trust?
And again, the quote from Alice in Wonderland encapsulates the thoughts of Emily and the reader!
"It would be nice if something made sense for a change."
This is also a novel about love. What happens when you love someone too much, when you love the wrong person, when you misjudge that love, when you can't trust yourself to love or when you are too trusting in your love that you can't see what is really going on in front of you? It is a novel about families, jealousy and revenge. It is also a novel about art and I liked the extra dimension that Emily's paintings added to the exploration of her personality - of her feelings of darkness and confusion and then the emergence into colour and light.
This novel also reminds us of the impact of social media on our lives. Facebook features as a perfect vehicle for stalking, trick playing, mind games and anonymous comments. Again, it also questions what we know, what we see, what we believe and what we are prepared to reveal to each other.
Emily and Amanda are convincing characters. I thought the relationship between them was authentic and Jeffrey manages the conflict that we see in Amanda really well. Amanda seems incredibly protective towards Emily in one way yet clearly bothered by something more underlying and, as the novel progresses, it is clear she is harbouring some deep secret.
I felt that I developed a relationship with both of them but obviously we are particularly encouraged to align ourselves with Emily despite her unreliable narrative and her delicate mental state of mind. If I had one quibble with the story is that I might have preferred the book to be in first person from Emily's point of view. This is her story and Jeffrey's use of close third person means that we hear much more from her point of view than anyone else's and often share her internal thoughts so I wonder if first person would have given Jeffrey more opportunity for this? I wonder if the use of third person creates a little bit of distance and objectiveness and actually, particularly because of Emily's depression, memory loss and confusion, a first person narrative might emphasise this further and help exaggerate the tension and suspense?
Jeffrey's control of the narrative is very effective though. She manages the two different threads of past and present well and draws everything together in a dramatic climax. I would say she finishes with a satisfying conclusion but there is nothing satisfying about the last line and there is no neat conclusion! Jeffrey pulls a great last punch in her final words.
I enjoyed "Those Who Lie". The story is well structured and contains all the ingredients for a exciting psychological thriller. There are lots of twists, turns, revelations, hidden secrets and moments of confusion which leave the reader wondering who they think is lying and who they think is telling the truth. A good first novel!
"Those Who Lie" could easily carry a subtitle along the lines of "Be warned, this psychological thriller is full of secrets, lies and memories....Who do you trust when you can't even trust yourself?" It could easily add the claim that if you liked "The Girl on the Train" or love writers like Samantha Hayes or Elizabeth Haynes then this must be your next read. But it doesn't. This book relies merely on the tantalising implication that this is a story about murder, memory and nothing being as it seems. And it was that short taste of what might reveal itself in the pages of the novel (and the cover design) that attracted me to the book.
Of course, this is a great psychological thriller and yes it will sit very well alongside its contemporaries in this genre. It deserves to sell well and it deserves to be read by all fans of Grip Lit. The opening line is a killer in itself:
"Emily Klein doesn't know she has killed him until the day of his funeral. Her loved ones, including, of course, her husband, are all at the church rather than at her bedside. That explains why there are no familiar faces around her this time when she regains consciousness."
It hooked me in right away.
I really enjoyed the opening chapter. It's full of questions and Jeffrey really captures the distraught and confused state of Emily as she awakes in hospital unable to piece together why she is here, what happened, why the police are there and why her husband is not at her bedside.
"What's going on? What do the police want? Emily can't shake off the unnerving impression that something is very wrong. .............Something doesn't feel right. Emily's mind is even foggier, and she's struggling to organise her thoughts."
Just like Emily, the reader is on the edge of their seats waiting for some sort of revelation that will clarify what happened, just what the police are accusing Emily of and what events preceded the car accident. You have to wait a long time. Jeffrey reveals little clues, hints and tit bits as the plot develops and allows us to piece together a lot of the story, but don't be deceived into thinking that this book won't have some final twists and turns thrown in on the very last pages!
As with all satisfying psychological thrillers there is a dual timeline flitting between Emily's childhood in 1995 and 1996 and the present day of 2014 and 2015. Jeffrey manages both narratives really well and it is a great way of getting us to read as we try to solve the mystery facing Emily about events in the present day.
Returning to 1995 helps us get to know Emily much better as a character. Her childhood is very traumatic but it also reveals her relationships with her mother, father and sister. It helps give us a better picture of all the characters and the relationships between them. Jeffrey starts these sections with little details that immediately show the reader something unsettling is going on - I don't know if there is a word which means a 'cliffhanger in the opening line of a chapter' but if there is one, this is what Jeffrey does. Not only does she leave you wanting more at the end of each chapter, she also drags you right into the next chapter.
"Her stomach was heavy with dread. She was terrified she wouldn't be able to go through with it."
Emily's relationship with her mother Josephine is complicated. She is not portrayed as a likeable character; a drunk and a mother who turns too much of a blind eye leaves us feeling little sympathy for her and even as she appears to sober up in the present day storyline there still seems to be a huge void between mother and daughter. Like Emily, we are unable to determine exactly what is going on in Josephine's mind and exactly what she thinks about events.
"Josephine's expression is inscrutable."
The sections set in 1995 are also crucial in revealing Emily's fragile and vulnerable mental state. Jeffrey has been very ambitious with her main protagonist who suffers from depression, anorexia, a personality disorder and issues with identity. Emily has memory loss and often seems to get distracted or a little hypnotised by smells, flashes of recollection, things she thinks she sees. Her quote from Alice in Wonderland is absolutely perfect:
"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir," said Alice, "because I'm not myself you see."
What is most effective about this aspect of Emily's character is that we then start to distrust her and be wary of what she perceives to be happening around her - or indeed happened to her in the past. Can we rely on her? Is she telling the truth? Is she even able to discern what is the truth and what is a dream, a memory, a false memory? And if we don't trust her, who else is there that we can trust?
And again, the quote from Alice in Wonderland encapsulates the thoughts of Emily and the reader!
"It would be nice if something made sense for a change."
This is also a novel about love. What happens when you love someone too much, when you love the wrong person, when you misjudge that love, when you can't trust yourself to love or when you are too trusting in your love that you can't see what is really going on in front of you? It is a novel about families, jealousy and revenge. It is also a novel about art and I liked the extra dimension that Emily's paintings added to the exploration of her personality - of her feelings of darkness and confusion and then the emergence into colour and light.
This novel also reminds us of the impact of social media on our lives. Facebook features as a perfect vehicle for stalking, trick playing, mind games and anonymous comments. Again, it also questions what we know, what we see, what we believe and what we are prepared to reveal to each other.
Emily and Amanda are convincing characters. I thought the relationship between them was authentic and Jeffrey manages the conflict that we see in Amanda really well. Amanda seems incredibly protective towards Emily in one way yet clearly bothered by something more underlying and, as the novel progresses, it is clear she is harbouring some deep secret.
I felt that I developed a relationship with both of them but obviously we are particularly encouraged to align ourselves with Emily despite her unreliable narrative and her delicate mental state of mind. If I had one quibble with the story is that I might have preferred the book to be in first person from Emily's point of view. This is her story and Jeffrey's use of close third person means that we hear much more from her point of view than anyone else's and often share her internal thoughts so I wonder if first person would have given Jeffrey more opportunity for this? I wonder if the use of third person creates a little bit of distance and objectiveness and actually, particularly because of Emily's depression, memory loss and confusion, a first person narrative might emphasise this further and help exaggerate the tension and suspense?
Jeffrey's control of the narrative is very effective though. She manages the two different threads of past and present well and draws everything together in a dramatic climax. I would say she finishes with a satisfying conclusion but there is nothing satisfying about the last line and there is no neat conclusion! Jeffrey pulls a great last punch in her final words.
I enjoyed "Those Who Lie". The story is well structured and contains all the ingredients for a exciting psychological thriller. There are lots of twists, turns, revelations, hidden secrets and moments of confusion which leave the reader wondering who they think is lying and who they think is telling the truth. A good first novel!
May 2, 2018
Emily wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there. Two police officers sit by her bed, wanting answers that she can’t give. There was a car accident. Her husband Greg is dead. And she is the one who killed him. The only thing Emily can remember is there was an argument before the wreck. She told Greg something she can’t tell the cops. She told him that it was her father. Her father whose death she also caused — over fifteen years ago.
As she tries to move forward with her life as a widow, it’s more than just Greg’s death coming back to haunt her. It’s her past too. As the story alternates between the events following her father’s death and those of present-day, it also begins to weave them together.
She starts to see her dead husband everywhere.
She hears things and see things out of the corner of her eye that make her think she’s being followed.
There’s a too-recent picture of her husband in front of her childhood home.
There’s the sound of a baby crying in her guest room, but no baby.
There’s a man wearing her father’s jacket.
Is it her subconscious playing tricks on her, or is someone out to drive her mad? She needs the two people closest to her to believe what she’s experiencing is real. Yet, her best friend Pippa and older sister Amanda start to question her sanity as her tales grow more bizarre and even less believable. Emily can hardly blame them.
She’s not sure that she can trust herself.
In fact, she’s not sure if she can trust anyone at all.
“Those Who Lie” by Diane Jeffrey is what all psychological thrillers should be. Taut and chilling, the plot is a continual corkscrew that leaves you unable to predict what’s around the next turn. Red herrings swim in schools throughout the pages. What you think is the truth hardly ever is. You’ll feel like your mind is engaged in an exhilarating game of Twister as you try to solve the mystery one minute – and get caught up in Emily’s emotional story the next.
It’s hard to believe “Those Who Lie” is just the debut for Diane Jeffrey. It’s the novel all writers wish they could create – the one that leaves the reader bound to the edge of their seat. Jeffrey accomplished it straight out of the gate. She’ll blow your mind as the story unfolds, then finish off with an ending you won’t see coming until you’re already there. If you don’t want to miss out on an exciting, page-turning thriller, “Those Who Lie” is a must-read for you.
As she tries to move forward with her life as a widow, it’s more than just Greg’s death coming back to haunt her. It’s her past too. As the story alternates between the events following her father’s death and those of present-day, it also begins to weave them together.
She starts to see her dead husband everywhere.
She hears things and see things out of the corner of her eye that make her think she’s being followed.
There’s a too-recent picture of her husband in front of her childhood home.
There’s the sound of a baby crying in her guest room, but no baby.
There’s a man wearing her father’s jacket.
Is it her subconscious playing tricks on her, or is someone out to drive her mad? She needs the two people closest to her to believe what she’s experiencing is real. Yet, her best friend Pippa and older sister Amanda start to question her sanity as her tales grow more bizarre and even less believable. Emily can hardly blame them.
She’s not sure that she can trust herself.
In fact, she’s not sure if she can trust anyone at all.
“Those Who Lie” by Diane Jeffrey is what all psychological thrillers should be. Taut and chilling, the plot is a continual corkscrew that leaves you unable to predict what’s around the next turn. Red herrings swim in schools throughout the pages. What you think is the truth hardly ever is. You’ll feel like your mind is engaged in an exhilarating game of Twister as you try to solve the mystery one minute – and get caught up in Emily’s emotional story the next.
It’s hard to believe “Those Who Lie” is just the debut for Diane Jeffrey. It’s the novel all writers wish they could create – the one that leaves the reader bound to the edge of their seat. Jeffrey accomplished it straight out of the gate. She’ll blow your mind as the story unfolds, then finish off with an ending you won’t see coming until you’re already there. If you don’t want to miss out on an exciting, page-turning thriller, “Those Who Lie” is a must-read for you.
February 17, 2017
Diane Jeffrey’s debut, Those Who Lie, is perfect for fans of Fiona Barton’s The Widow, a tense story that will have you gripped right up until the final page.
I was excited to read this book after spotting it on social media and I was lucky enough to win a copy on publication day thanks to the publisher. I wasn’t disappointed.
In Those Who Lie, Emily Klein’s husband has been killed in a car accident. She awakes in hospital to find two policemen seated beside her bed intent on questioning her. They are convinced that Emily isn’t telling them all that she knows about the car accident.
Emily has had to rebuild her life on the shattered remains of a childhood she has long since tried to forget. The story is told over two time periods, in 2014/2015 when Emily is coming to terms with her husband’s death and in 1995 when we learn of the true horrors she faced when she was a young girl. In the present day, Emily has started to receive messages on Facebook from her late husband, Greg’s account. She begins to think of the possibility that he might still be alive and is trying to get a message to her. The timelines were managed really well and I didn’t find myself getting lost or confused as this can sometimes happen when a novel is told over dual time periods.
Emily is a complicated character, it is clear that she is still suffering from the trauma that she faced when she was a child, and when events start to spiral out of control she finds herself making rash decisions, some of the decisions she makes, for me, didn’t paint her in a very good light and at times I found it difficult to like her. But by the end of the novel I really felt that I understood her.
I did find it a little unusual at the start of the novel, for the police to be sitting beside Emily’s bed waiting for her to wake up. I would have thought that the doctors would have kept them outside and made sure that Emily was well enough to talk to them. I didn’t like one of the detectives, who seems to dislike Emily right from the start. The detectives were great tool to use for suspense as I kept wondering when was the moment going to come when they would make their move or when they were going to announce that they had found something. I really liked the ending and I thought that Diane pulled it off in a really neat and satisfying way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I’m interested to see what Diane will do next! Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy to read.
I was excited to read this book after spotting it on social media and I was lucky enough to win a copy on publication day thanks to the publisher. I wasn’t disappointed.
In Those Who Lie, Emily Klein’s husband has been killed in a car accident. She awakes in hospital to find two policemen seated beside her bed intent on questioning her. They are convinced that Emily isn’t telling them all that she knows about the car accident.
Emily has had to rebuild her life on the shattered remains of a childhood she has long since tried to forget. The story is told over two time periods, in 2014/2015 when Emily is coming to terms with her husband’s death and in 1995 when we learn of the true horrors she faced when she was a young girl. In the present day, Emily has started to receive messages on Facebook from her late husband, Greg’s account. She begins to think of the possibility that he might still be alive and is trying to get a message to her. The timelines were managed really well and I didn’t find myself getting lost or confused as this can sometimes happen when a novel is told over dual time periods.
Emily is a complicated character, it is clear that she is still suffering from the trauma that she faced when she was a child, and when events start to spiral out of control she finds herself making rash decisions, some of the decisions she makes, for me, didn’t paint her in a very good light and at times I found it difficult to like her. But by the end of the novel I really felt that I understood her.
I did find it a little unusual at the start of the novel, for the police to be sitting beside Emily’s bed waiting for her to wake up. I would have thought that the doctors would have kept them outside and made sure that Emily was well enough to talk to them. I didn’t like one of the detectives, who seems to dislike Emily right from the start. The detectives were great tool to use for suspense as I kept wondering when was the moment going to come when they would make their move or when they were going to announce that they had found something. I really liked the ending and I thought that Diane pulled it off in a really neat and satisfying way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I’m interested to see what Diane will do next! Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy to read.
March 30, 2017
Emily Klein didn't know she had killed her husband until the day of his funeral.
She's lost her memory of the event but, she knows that she has to figure out what it was Greg, her husband, told her before he died. This is no novel experience for her, she's already once been charged with the murder of her father- an act done in self defence. As she attempts to solve the family drama, she runs into her past as you would expect. And she soon finds the answers to the questions she had stopped asking. This book will take you right into the midst of a crisis, and it will help you get at the heart of the family drama, and understand Emily's confusion and paranoia.
There comes a devastating moment when you are left reeling in shock, when you are emotionally abandoned and thinking about who you can trust. This is Emily's moment. You think you know who you can trust but, what if you don't know whether you can trust yourself? Someone's playing with her but, what is it they really want? And how do they know her so well?
This story is one that you might read on the news, the kind of story you might hear from a neighbour, the kind that serves as small talk. Not to suggest that it's a common story or even to suggest that it's predictable. It isn't. It's actually quite shocking but, not difficult to imagine and, it's read like a storyteller's story. We are told everything, just as it unfolds. The reader is the witness. There's panic and an eagerness to figure things out, to escape the tension and secrecy. I enjoyed this: the guessing of the criminal. I guess it'd have been a little better if other characters were made suspect also. What made it a four star read was the shocking truths that come out at the end of the book, had they in some way been hinted at earlier it would have worked better. They are of a confessional sort of nature, the kind of truths you might reveal were a gun being held to your head. Except, there was no gun.
I see potential for the author to write a sequel for this title. I'm thinking Emily as a character, with her dissociative identity "Em", would be worth a read.
I received this book from the author for review consideration.
She's lost her memory of the event but, she knows that she has to figure out what it was Greg, her husband, told her before he died. This is no novel experience for her, she's already once been charged with the murder of her father- an act done in self defence. As she attempts to solve the family drama, she runs into her past as you would expect. And she soon finds the answers to the questions she had stopped asking. This book will take you right into the midst of a crisis, and it will help you get at the heart of the family drama, and understand Emily's confusion and paranoia.
There comes a devastating moment when you are left reeling in shock, when you are emotionally abandoned and thinking about who you can trust. This is Emily's moment. You think you know who you can trust but, what if you don't know whether you can trust yourself? Someone's playing with her but, what is it they really want? And how do they know her so well?
This story is one that you might read on the news, the kind of story you might hear from a neighbour, the kind that serves as small talk. Not to suggest that it's a common story or even to suggest that it's predictable. It isn't. It's actually quite shocking but, not difficult to imagine and, it's read like a storyteller's story. We are told everything, just as it unfolds. The reader is the witness. There's panic and an eagerness to figure things out, to escape the tension and secrecy. I enjoyed this: the guessing of the criminal. I guess it'd have been a little better if other characters were made suspect also. What made it a four star read was the shocking truths that come out at the end of the book, had they in some way been hinted at earlier it would have worked better. They are of a confessional sort of nature, the kind of truths you might reveal were a gun being held to your head. Except, there was no gun.
I see potential for the author to write a sequel for this title. I'm thinking Emily as a character, with her dissociative identity "Em", would be worth a read.
I received this book from the author for review consideration.
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