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Just One Lie
Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s.
Alison loves being a mother which is why she is finding it so hard to come to terms with the recent loss of her baby daughter. She still has her young son Adam whom she adores, but the grief is always there…
Everyone can see she is struggling.
And they don’t know the half of it. Alison has a terrible secret she has never shared with anyone – not even her husband, Dan. She knows if he ever discovers what she did, her family will be destroyed forever.
But someone seems to know, because Alison gets a sinister message. And then bad things start to happen – her website is hacked, her business is sabotaged, there’s a fire in her home… then more threatening messages.
Alison is in no doubt that someone means to destroy her by exposing her to the world. But who? And why?
Can she discover the truth before it’s too late? Or is the terror that fuels her sleepless nights about to become all too real?
Alison loves being a mother which is why she is finding it so hard to come to terms with the recent loss of her baby daughter. She still has her young son Adam whom she adores, but the grief is always there…
Everyone can see she is struggling.
And they don’t know the half of it. Alison has a terrible secret she has never shared with anyone – not even her husband, Dan. She knows if he ever discovers what she did, her family will be destroyed forever.
But someone seems to know, because Alison gets a sinister message. And then bad things start to happen – her website is hacked, her business is sabotaged, there’s a fire in her home… then more threatening messages.
Alison is in no doubt that someone means to destroy her by exposing her to the world. But who? And why?
Can she discover the truth before it’s too late? Or is the terror that fuels her sleepless nights about to become all too real?
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2022
1192 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Harrow
13 books136 followersRuth Harrow is known for her gripping psychological thrillers. Born and raised in England, Ruth discovered her passion for writing in 2018. Her debut novel, In Her Footsteps, swiftly became a bestseller, marking the beginning of her journey in the genre. She continues to captivate readers with her jaw-dropping twists. For exclusive updates on her latest releases, visit RuthHarrow.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
May 28, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
Everyone can see she's struggling. And they don't know the half of it. Alison has a terrible secret she has never shared with anyone - not even her husband, Dan. She id he ever discovers whet she did, her family would be destroyed forever. But someone seems to know, because Alison gets a sinister message. And then bad things start to happen - her website is hacked, her business is sabotaged, there's a fire in her home.... then more threatening messages.
The pace is slow to begin with and it can be a bit confusing at times. Alison is struggling after the loss of her baby. She comes across as a little unhinged. She has a big secret she hopes no one would ever find out about. The story is told from Alis0n and an unknown narrators perspectives. There's a few characters who I didn't like or trust. Filled with suspense and twists makes it harder to figure the story out. You never know who you can trust.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author #RuthHarrow for my ARC of #JustOneLie in exchange for an honest review.
Everyone can see she's struggling. And they don't know the half of it. Alison has a terrible secret she has never shared with anyone - not even her husband, Dan. She id he ever discovers whet she did, her family would be destroyed forever. But someone seems to know, because Alison gets a sinister message. And then bad things start to happen - her website is hacked, her business is sabotaged, there's a fire in her home.... then more threatening messages.
The pace is slow to begin with and it can be a bit confusing at times. Alison is struggling after the loss of her baby. She comes across as a little unhinged. She has a big secret she hopes no one would ever find out about. The story is told from Alis0n and an unknown narrators perspectives. There's a few characters who I didn't like or trust. Filled with suspense and twists makes it harder to figure the story out. You never know who you can trust.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author #RuthHarrow for my ARC of #JustOneLie in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2022
All in all, this was a good story but I felt it was confusing to read throughout. It centers on Alison who is trying to get past the death of her baby daughter and opens a photography studio. She becomes suspicious of her new friend Rebecca when strange things start happening that lead her to believe that someone knows a secret she has never told anyone- one that threatens to tear apart her life.
Why is it confusing, you ask? I felt that in an effort to add suspense, the author didn’t give the reader quite enough info to connect the dots. There were also dream sequences and allusions to previous events that just made it hard for me to connect with with what really happening. There were chapters narrated by another person that you don’t find out until the end and sometimes it wasn’t clear when POVs shifted. I walked away thinking that the story itself was really good but could have been executed better.
In terms of the characters, I thought Alison regularly jumped to conclusions and sometimes had trouble buying into her train of thought. I was a bit surprised she managed to keep this big secret so long when she was clearly unraveling all these years later.
Overall, this book didn’t totally do it for me but I did like the story itself and I find that I enjoyed it more looking back than I did while reading it. It’s a unique take and does elicit genuine questions throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Why is it confusing, you ask? I felt that in an effort to add suspense, the author didn’t give the reader quite enough info to connect the dots. There were also dream sequences and allusions to previous events that just made it hard for me to connect with with what really happening. There were chapters narrated by another person that you don’t find out until the end and sometimes it wasn’t clear when POVs shifted. I walked away thinking that the story itself was really good but could have been executed better.
In terms of the characters, I thought Alison regularly jumped to conclusions and sometimes had trouble buying into her train of thought. I was a bit surprised she managed to keep this big secret so long when she was clearly unraveling all these years later.
Overall, this book didn’t totally do it for me but I did like the story itself and I find that I enjoyed it more looking back than I did while reading it. It’s a unique take and does elicit genuine questions throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2022
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!
I'll start by saying that the size of this book was intimidating, as someone who prefers shorter books, but I was intrigued and happy with the short chapters. However, a lot of it was filler, especially at the beginning. I didn't think a lot of the chapters were necessary and probably full of red herrings. The pace didn’t start picking up until halfway.
An indication of whose POV was which would’ve been helpful at the start but it all pieces together the more you read and I realized it kept the mystery going. I think a better indication of the past and present would've made the story more solid and less confusing.
A lot of the twists were trippy, and I needed to reread some parts because my instant reaction would be “wait, what?” I still think I’m confused by some that weren’t explained so well. I’m pretty sure all loose ends were tied by the end. This book certainly was better once I finished reading it since I dragged on completing it.
I'll start by saying that the size of this book was intimidating, as someone who prefers shorter books, but I was intrigued and happy with the short chapters. However, a lot of it was filler, especially at the beginning. I didn't think a lot of the chapters were necessary and probably full of red herrings. The pace didn’t start picking up until halfway.
An indication of whose POV was which would’ve been helpful at the start but it all pieces together the more you read and I realized it kept the mystery going. I think a better indication of the past and present would've made the story more solid and less confusing.
A lot of the twists were trippy, and I needed to reread some parts because my instant reaction would be “wait, what?” I still think I’m confused by some that weren’t explained so well. I’m pretty sure all loose ends were tied by the end. This book certainly was better once I finished reading it since I dragged on completing it.
June 16, 2022
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.
Just One Lie is a psychological thriller that has you guessing all the way through. Alison is very protective of her son Adam and is recovering from the loss of her baby daughter. Dan, her husband, seems worried that Alison is doing too much and taking on too much with starring her own photography business. After hiring a local lady to help her run the business strange things start happening - missing money, ominous messages, an attempted break in, a fire, sabotage to her business and being lead on a wild goose chase to name but a few. Alison is suddenly suspicious of everyone around her even her husband. Someone knows a secret she's been harbouring for ten years and will not stop at exposing her and bringing it to the surface. But can she discover who it is before it's too late and she loses her son forever?
I was glued to this book! Such a cleverly plotted story which had you jumping to conclusions and suspicious of anyone and everyone!
Just One Lie is a psychological thriller that has you guessing all the way through. Alison is very protective of her son Adam and is recovering from the loss of her baby daughter. Dan, her husband, seems worried that Alison is doing too much and taking on too much with starring her own photography business. After hiring a local lady to help her run the business strange things start happening - missing money, ominous messages, an attempted break in, a fire, sabotage to her business and being lead on a wild goose chase to name but a few. Alison is suddenly suspicious of everyone around her even her husband. Someone knows a secret she's been harbouring for ten years and will not stop at exposing her and bringing it to the surface. But can she discover who it is before it's too late and she loses her son forever?
I was glued to this book! Such a cleverly plotted story which had you jumping to conclusions and suspicious of anyone and everyone!
May 15, 2022
A plot that explores the lengths that a mother would go to for her child.
Alison Burnham, a photographer, is constantly on edge from the secret and lies that she has been harbouring for many years now. Coupled with the recent loss of her unborn baby, her grief and her guilt makes it difficult for her to let go of the past and focus on the future. And when she begins to receive threatening messages and her business is attacked, Alison realizes that her lies have finally caught up with her, and that she can trust no one.
I am a bit on the fence regarding this book. It was slow-paced with a gradual build-up in the suspense over the chapters. The two main characters were totally unlikeable. The parts depicting Alison's grief were repetitive and exhausting - as a reader, I just wanted to skip it and move on. I do not know if the author intended for Alison's character to garner sympathy, but I must say that I felt absolutely none for her; considering her one 'little' lie, she was dealt with pretty lightly at the end.
I found the story pretty much meh until the plot twist and the antagonist were revealed - that part was simply awesome - and couldn't help wondering if only the narrative until then had a bit more depth to it, with a little less rambling, then I'd have enjoyed it more. The climax was quite thrilling, but the denouement was disappointing.
Overall, an average story with a great climax. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Alison Burnham, a photographer, is constantly on edge from the secret and lies that she has been harbouring for many years now. Coupled with the recent loss of her unborn baby, her grief and her guilt makes it difficult for her to let go of the past and focus on the future. And when she begins to receive threatening messages and her business is attacked, Alison realizes that her lies have finally caught up with her, and that she can trust no one.
I am a bit on the fence regarding this book. It was slow-paced with a gradual build-up in the suspense over the chapters. The two main characters were totally unlikeable. The parts depicting Alison's grief were repetitive and exhausting - as a reader, I just wanted to skip it and move on. I do not know if the author intended for Alison's character to garner sympathy, but I must say that I felt absolutely none for her; considering her one 'little' lie, she was dealt with pretty lightly at the end.
I found the story pretty much meh until the plot twist and the antagonist were revealed - that part was simply awesome - and couldn't help wondering if only the narrative until then had a bit more depth to it, with a little less rambling, then I'd have enjoyed it more. The climax was quite thrilling, but the denouement was disappointing.
Overall, an average story with a great climax. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2023
Alison is finding it hard to cope after the death of her baby daughter. She has a son Adam who she adores and she has started a photography business. But the grief is always there and never goes away.
Alison has a secret and she can not tell anyone ... not even her husband. If anyone was to find out her family would disown her forever. So this secret must stay buried.
But someone seems to know her secret ... because Alison receives a sinister message and then bad things start to happen. Who and why do they want to destroy her?
A very addictive book which was brilliant from the start. I highly recommend this.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Alison has a secret and she can not tell anyone ... not even her husband. If anyone was to find out her family would disown her forever. So this secret must stay buried.
But someone seems to know her secret ... because Alison receives a sinister message and then bad things start to happen. Who and why do they want to destroy her?
A very addictive book which was brilliant from the start. I highly recommend this.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2022
Thanks to netgalley for the arc ebook.
I found the characters really unlikeable, the pace a little too slow to start with, and the story just a tad too unbelievable.
I found the characters really unlikeable, the pace a little too slow to start with, and the story just a tad too unbelievable.
June 14, 2022
★★★★ 4.5 stars
Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s. And it all started with a lie.
So many people have said that this was a slow paced book, so when I read that I thought "oh no" as I hate slow burns. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't think it was slow paced at all. It does begin with a build up that does, admittedly, leave the reader a little confused at first. Especially with the alternating narratives changing every few chapters and BOTH are in the first person, so it is easy to mistake the second narrative as Alison's...until there is a few words that hint at it being an entirely different narrator. Some of the chapters are titled with "Before" making them easier to identify but some of the others are not which makes it confusing. I found this to be a confusing inconsistency.
The main narrator is Alison and is told predominantly from her perspective When the second one stealthily makes their way into the story in the second chapter, we stop to wonder who this could possibly be. We are drip-fed information to lead us thinking we know where the story is leading and who the mysterious narrator is...but we don't. I was left scratching my head cluelessly until a light bulb went on in my brain and it all became comparatively clearer. Didn't it? But like all good psychological thrillers, JUST ONE LIE has us chasing our tails and second guessing ourselves all the way through.
Beginning with an intriguing prologue another unnamed person is swimming with their child in the warm waters of somewhere quite obviously abroad until fate deals them a deadly blow. And the reader is left wanting to know who, what, why and when this all happened. But one thing we learn throughout the story is that time is relative.
Alison Burnham thought she had the perfect life. She thought she and Dan had the perfect marriage and they were incredibly happy together...until Adam was born. It was a difficult birth and for a time, Alison and her son were separated with him being in the neonatal unit shortly after his birth. But it wasn't long before they returned home together and the perfect life Alison thought they would be enjoying crumbled. She spiraled into a postpartum depression and found caring for a newborn incredibly trying as well as the changes to their family unit. It wasn't until a year or so had passed that Alison finally found her feet and a new appreciation for her beautiful baby son. But her's and Dan's relationship had taken a battering and they found it even harder to regain that equilibrium again.
Eight years later, and Alison is now mourning the loss of their stillborn daughter she had hoped would get her and Dan back on an even keel again. Now they couple barely speak and when they do she finds Dan patronising instead of understanding. Having lost her previous successful career in marketing after Adam's birth, Alison has been through a few failed ventures to help contribute financially to the household while Dan works as an undervalued chef at a local restaurant. Now Alison has begun a career as a photographer specialising in maternity and family photos, an idea that formed during her own recent pregnancy. She takes on an employee, Rebecca, who thrives in being at the forefront of organising bookings and the photo shoots, an ability Alison can only admire and envy in equal measure.
But then strange things begin to occur. Her studio is broken in. The electrics short-circuit having been filled with water. Strange phone calls where no one speaks. Anonymous messages sent to her Facebook account. And then her website is hacked. And she has this strange sense of being watched. Is it any wonder that Alison has trouble sleeping? That she barely eats? But is it the mysterious happenings occurring now or the deep dark secret she has carried for so long?
Her behaviour becomes so erratic Dan believes she is falling into a depression again and instead of showing her understanding, Alison finds every thing he does and every thing he says patronising. But when she returns home one day to find he has done the unthinkable without discussing it with her first, she is livid. And to be honest, I thought she had every right to be. What he did was cruel, even if he thought he was doing the right thing at the time. Just because it was right for him doesn't mean it was right for Alison. But to go behind her back without telling her...well, that was just cruel. As if she hasn't got enough to contend with.
And then she gets a phone call from the school...Adam has disappeared whilst on a school excursion. Has Alison's greatest fear come to fruition at last?
Pretty much WOW! Despite the ambiguity and confusion with the failure to clearly separate the two narratives in the beginning, JUST ONE LIE is just one wild ride! It wasn't slow paced at all. I found it began with a relatively steady pace that offered mystery and intrigue, picking up quickly as I raced to turn the pages long into the night. Just when I thought I knew who the unnamed narrator was, I discovered I'd been cleverly hoodwinked.
Alison is not an entirely likeable character and she is clearly unreliable as a narrator as well. Do we believe her perception? Or is it all in her mind? Is she suffering postpartum depression again only adding to her grief? Or is she right to be worried? Does someone know her secret?
I didn't particularly like Alison much but I liked Rebecca. Dan was not a very understanding husband particularly with some of his actions. But Alison was constantly second guessing herself and throughout the entire book she just figuratively threw her hands up and declared "That's it! I've failed as a wife! I've failed as a mother!" What mother hasn't thought that at times? But she just goes on about it every time something went wrong or threatened Adam's safety...which in Alison's was just about everything. Including a harmless birthday gift of walkie talkies, thus thinking someone could hack the frequency and lure her little boy away. Seriously? She just got on my goat a bit.
However, regardless of how annoying she could be, I thoroughly enjoyed JUST ONE LIE. It was fun, fast paced and entirely intriguing and entertaining. I had fun trying to work out who it could possibly be and I was able to work out the anonymous narrator long before their identity was revealed.
JUST ONE LIE is a brilliant, fun fast pace read with all the thrills and chills and clever twists along the way to keep you entertained throughout. I did find it ended a little abruptly though and found that a bit of a letdown considering everything else had concluded nicely, only for it to end...just like that.
Still an intriguing read that I recommend for fans of psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators.
I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #JustOneLie in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s. And it all started with a lie.
So many people have said that this was a slow paced book, so when I read that I thought "oh no" as I hate slow burns. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't think it was slow paced at all. It does begin with a build up that does, admittedly, leave the reader a little confused at first. Especially with the alternating narratives changing every few chapters and BOTH are in the first person, so it is easy to mistake the second narrative as Alison's...until there is a few words that hint at it being an entirely different narrator. Some of the chapters are titled with "Before" making them easier to identify but some of the others are not which makes it confusing. I found this to be a confusing inconsistency.
The main narrator is Alison and is told predominantly from her perspective When the second one stealthily makes their way into the story in the second chapter, we stop to wonder who this could possibly be. We are drip-fed information to lead us thinking we know where the story is leading and who the mysterious narrator is...but we don't. I was left scratching my head cluelessly until a light bulb went on in my brain and it all became comparatively clearer. Didn't it? But like all good psychological thrillers, JUST ONE LIE has us chasing our tails and second guessing ourselves all the way through.
Beginning with an intriguing prologue another unnamed person is swimming with their child in the warm waters of somewhere quite obviously abroad until fate deals them a deadly blow. And the reader is left wanting to know who, what, why and when this all happened. But one thing we learn throughout the story is that time is relative.
Alison Burnham thought she had the perfect life. She thought she and Dan had the perfect marriage and they were incredibly happy together...until Adam was born. It was a difficult birth and for a time, Alison and her son were separated with him being in the neonatal unit shortly after his birth. But it wasn't long before they returned home together and the perfect life Alison thought they would be enjoying crumbled. She spiraled into a postpartum depression and found caring for a newborn incredibly trying as well as the changes to their family unit. It wasn't until a year or so had passed that Alison finally found her feet and a new appreciation for her beautiful baby son. But her's and Dan's relationship had taken a battering and they found it even harder to regain that equilibrium again.
Eight years later, and Alison is now mourning the loss of their stillborn daughter she had hoped would get her and Dan back on an even keel again. Now they couple barely speak and when they do she finds Dan patronising instead of understanding. Having lost her previous successful career in marketing after Adam's birth, Alison has been through a few failed ventures to help contribute financially to the household while Dan works as an undervalued chef at a local restaurant. Now Alison has begun a career as a photographer specialising in maternity and family photos, an idea that formed during her own recent pregnancy. She takes on an employee, Rebecca, who thrives in being at the forefront of organising bookings and the photo shoots, an ability Alison can only admire and envy in equal measure.
But then strange things begin to occur. Her studio is broken in. The electrics short-circuit having been filled with water. Strange phone calls where no one speaks. Anonymous messages sent to her Facebook account. And then her website is hacked. And she has this strange sense of being watched. Is it any wonder that Alison has trouble sleeping? That she barely eats? But is it the mysterious happenings occurring now or the deep dark secret she has carried for so long?
Her behaviour becomes so erratic Dan believes she is falling into a depression again and instead of showing her understanding, Alison finds every thing he does and every thing he says patronising. But when she returns home one day to find he has done the unthinkable without discussing it with her first, she is livid. And to be honest, I thought she had every right to be. What he did was cruel, even if he thought he was doing the right thing at the time. Just because it was right for him doesn't mean it was right for Alison. But to go behind her back without telling her...well, that was just cruel. As if she hasn't got enough to contend with.
And then she gets a phone call from the school...Adam has disappeared whilst on a school excursion. Has Alison's greatest fear come to fruition at last?
Pretty much WOW! Despite the ambiguity and confusion with the failure to clearly separate the two narratives in the beginning, JUST ONE LIE is just one wild ride! It wasn't slow paced at all. I found it began with a relatively steady pace that offered mystery and intrigue, picking up quickly as I raced to turn the pages long into the night. Just when I thought I knew who the unnamed narrator was, I discovered I'd been cleverly hoodwinked.
Alison is not an entirely likeable character and she is clearly unreliable as a narrator as well. Do we believe her perception? Or is it all in her mind? Is she suffering postpartum depression again only adding to her grief? Or is she right to be worried? Does someone know her secret?
I didn't particularly like Alison much but I liked Rebecca. Dan was not a very understanding husband particularly with some of his actions. But Alison was constantly second guessing herself and throughout the entire book she just figuratively threw her hands up and declared "That's it! I've failed as a wife! I've failed as a mother!" What mother hasn't thought that at times? But she just goes on about it every time something went wrong or threatened Adam's safety...which in Alison's was just about everything. Including a harmless birthday gift of walkie talkies, thus thinking someone could hack the frequency and lure her little boy away. Seriously? She just got on my goat a bit.
However, regardless of how annoying she could be, I thoroughly enjoyed JUST ONE LIE. It was fun, fast paced and entirely intriguing and entertaining. I had fun trying to work out who it could possibly be and I was able to work out the anonymous narrator long before their identity was revealed.
JUST ONE LIE is a brilliant, fun fast pace read with all the thrills and chills and clever twists along the way to keep you entertained throughout. I did find it ended a little abruptly though and found that a bit of a letdown considering everything else had concluded nicely, only for it to end...just like that.
Still an intriguing read that I recommend for fans of psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators.
I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #JustOneLie in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
September 21, 2024
This is the story of Alison's life that started to crumble because of one lie.
Alison is the kind of character in books that I don't like. I should have expected that basing it on the title and synopsis of the book. I honestly don't know what prompted me from downloading this on netgalley. Alison tends to lie her way out of difficult or even mildly uncomfortable situations. Or just try to forget and procastinate when problem arises. It was frustrating to read and made me almost dnf this book.
The book in my opinion tried so hard to be VERY MYSTERIOUS that it became a confusing read for me. A lot of hints and foreshadowings were thrown in to confuse the reader that it became a chaotic mess.
The characters did a lot of dubious things that can be explained in two ways that also added to my confusion. There was one character that was there clearly just to hide the fact of who the real villain is. This character in my opinion is very weird, like she's there to be a shield to prevent readers from knowing about the villain. The excuses to defend her is flimsy and lame.
The means by which the villain did all those things to Alison was not explained. How is the villain able to do those? 😑
I gave a passable rating because it was a fast read and the attempts at mystery are quite interesting at some parts. But unfortunately, it was just a so-so read for me.
*Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for review via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*
Alison is the kind of character in books that I don't like. I should have expected that basing it on the title and synopsis of the book. I honestly don't know what prompted me from downloading this on netgalley. Alison tends to lie her way out of difficult or even mildly uncomfortable situations. Or just try to forget and procastinate when problem arises. It was frustrating to read and made me almost dnf this book.
The book in my opinion tried so hard to be VERY MYSTERIOUS that it became a confusing read for me. A lot of hints and foreshadowings were thrown in to confuse the reader that it became a chaotic mess.
The characters did a lot of dubious things that can be explained in two ways that also added to my confusion. There was one character that was there clearly just to hide the fact of who the real villain is. This character in my opinion is very weird, like she's there to be a shield to prevent readers from knowing about the villain. The excuses to defend her is flimsy and lame.
The means by which the villain did all those things to Alison was not explained. How is the villain able to do those? 😑
I gave a passable rating because it was a fast read and the attempts at mystery are quite interesting at some parts. But unfortunately, it was just a so-so read for me.
*Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for review via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*
June 15, 2022
This was my first Ruth Harrow book and will not be my last. I found the characters to be well developed, flaws and all. I found myself suspecting all of the characters at one point or another and that I couldn't get through this book fast enough. I had to know how it ended. The story is told from alternating perspectives that added a depth that made the story much more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this author!
I recommend this book to all psyhoclogical thriller lovers!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Inkubator books, Ruth Harrow, and Zooloos Book Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
I recommend this book to all psyhoclogical thriller lovers!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Inkubator books, Ruth Harrow, and Zooloos Book Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
July 8, 2022
jumps all over..
Chapters jump from one person’s perspective to another’s without warning or a chapter “title” of who is speaking. I ended up jumping to the end just to give myself closer. Wouldn’t recommend.
Chapters jump from one person’s perspective to another’s without warning or a chapter “title” of who is speaking. I ended up jumping to the end just to give myself closer. Wouldn’t recommend.
July 31, 2022
Didn't finish. I liked the premise, and at first like the main character, Allison. But it got to be very repetitive. Same thing over and over, she worried about Adam. Nothing's happening.
June 14, 2022
My Thoughts: everyone has secrets, some are small, some are insignificant but Ali knows that if hers comes out so many lives and hearts will be broken including her own.
This was absolutely brilliant and I was gripped from the start, it’s one of those books that although the story was what I would call a slow burn I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, surprised I didn’t get friction burn on my fingers or create a dent in the screen of my kindle 😂
Ali is trying to get over the loss of her newborn daughter whilst raising her son, keeping her marriage afloat and run her new photography business, that’s a lot of plates for one person to carry, something is bound to fall… but which one will it be?
The pressure starts to build, she starts forgetting to pick her son up from school and prioritising the wrong things, then she starts getting emails.. someone knows her secret!
So many characters, all of whom could be guilty & tbh I doubt every single one of them at one point or another!
The story is told from 2 different perspectives which added a whole new layer to it & left me questioning myself throughout!
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then this is a great one to sink your teeth into.
This was absolutely brilliant and I was gripped from the start, it’s one of those books that although the story was what I would call a slow burn I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, surprised I didn’t get friction burn on my fingers or create a dent in the screen of my kindle 😂
Ali is trying to get over the loss of her newborn daughter whilst raising her son, keeping her marriage afloat and run her new photography business, that’s a lot of plates for one person to carry, something is bound to fall… but which one will it be?
The pressure starts to build, she starts forgetting to pick her son up from school and prioritising the wrong things, then she starts getting emails.. someone knows her secret!
So many characters, all of whom could be guilty & tbh I doubt every single one of them at one point or another!
The story is told from 2 different perspectives which added a whole new layer to it & left me questioning myself throughout!
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then this is a great one to sink your teeth into.
January 7, 2025
This was good but also I was really confused throughout it.
It focuses on Alison who is trying to grieve from the death of her daughter, and has a big secret that will tear her world apart.
It was confusing because the author made it hard for me to connect to the characters and the multiple POVs, it really didn’t become clear until the end whose POV you have been reading at that time..connecting the dots was really hard for me personally. It was a very slow book where parts I felt like skipping as it felt redundant. Taking me 11 days to read..
The story itself was good but just wasn’t executed well, it’s probably something I’ll forget about.
It focuses on Alison who is trying to grieve from the death of her daughter, and has a big secret that will tear her world apart.
It was confusing because the author made it hard for me to connect to the characters and the multiple POVs, it really didn’t become clear until the end whose POV you have been reading at that time..connecting the dots was really hard for me personally. It was a very slow book where parts I felt like skipping as it felt redundant. Taking me 11 days to read..
The story itself was good but just wasn’t executed well, it’s probably something I’ll forget about.
August 6, 2022
My review
Though the title did intrigued me - I did find that the book started out slow for me my attention wasn't grapsed so it toke me alittle while to get into it but when I started trying to figure out how these
women figured into the story and the lie it did finally get my attention and I was quickly able to finish. But for some reason I still feel like there's a missing lie since the beginning makes it seem.
Though the title did intrigued me - I did find that the book started out slow for me my attention wasn't grapsed so it toke me alittle while to get into it but when I started trying to figure out how these
women figured into the story and the lie it did finally get my attention and I was quickly able to finish. But for some reason I still feel like there's a missing lie since the beginning makes it seem.
March 1, 2023
Very confusing
January 21, 2024
3,5 !
The storyline was good, but it was confusing at times, which gave me a hard time to really get into this book.
The storyline was good, but it was confusing at times, which gave me a hard time to really get into this book.
June 14, 2022
What the heck did I just read? So so good!
December 4, 2022
Ooof my head hurts from this book, it has made it completely spin out of control! I spent so much time trying to figure out, who, what and why in this book, that I felt my head was spinning like Regan in the Exorcist! I was turned upside down and around and around.
I still don’t think I fully appreciated what was going to happen until I got to the end. There were so many red herrings, and so many misdirections and it was just FANTASTIC!
I loved this storyline, well it was quite hard-hitting, maybe love is a bit strong but the plot, yes the plot I loved. I couldn’t imagine being put in the situation that Ali finds herself in. You are also given the complete feels of an unreliable narrator, and who doesn’t love one of them, it was just so fascinating to watch everything unfurl!
Ali slowly unravels in front of our eyes as she is trying to hide her secret. I mean, what a secret (When we find out) and gosh it’s a humdinger! Everything in this book just kept me on my toes! I haven’t read a book like this for so long. Where if I wasn’t lying down already when reading this, I would need a lie-down!
I was addicted to Ruth’s writing, having never read anything by her before I know I need to rectify that now! Her writing is just so tantalising, it’s addictive and very much the ‘Oh just one more chapter.’ I just needed to know what the frick was going on!
I mean, Jesus! I was just blown away, to be honest.
I was just fascinated by the slow unraveling of Ali. I couldn’t and didn’t trust anyone just as she didn’t. I suspected everyone! I think I accused every single character of something and including Ali.
However, only a small niggle, Ali did get a bit annoying at times, she repeated herself about her secret and Adam, and I was like yes, I know you have a secret and you are hiding something. However, it was still so suspenseful.
The chapters that are set “before” – eek these were so harrowing and cold! It was somebody I wouldn’t want to cross and then when it links to now…. well that was a reveal and a half and made me on the side of that character, well only a small bit.
I hate to admit it but I could understand to an extent their actions and reasoning, which I really didn’t expect, making it all very hazy! I really didn’t expect to fill like that after everything!
I loved that Ruth made up feel empathy and kind of sorry for the character. I mean they ruined themselves with their behaviour but at the same time, those feelings arose.
All I can say is, what.a.book!
I still don’t think I fully appreciated what was going to happen until I got to the end. There were so many red herrings, and so many misdirections and it was just FANTASTIC!
I loved this storyline, well it was quite hard-hitting, maybe love is a bit strong but the plot, yes the plot I loved. I couldn’t imagine being put in the situation that Ali finds herself in. You are also given the complete feels of an unreliable narrator, and who doesn’t love one of them, it was just so fascinating to watch everything unfurl!
Ali slowly unravels in front of our eyes as she is trying to hide her secret. I mean, what a secret (When we find out) and gosh it’s a humdinger! Everything in this book just kept me on my toes! I haven’t read a book like this for so long. Where if I wasn’t lying down already when reading this, I would need a lie-down!
I was addicted to Ruth’s writing, having never read anything by her before I know I need to rectify that now! Her writing is just so tantalising, it’s addictive and very much the ‘Oh just one more chapter.’ I just needed to know what the frick was going on!
I mean, Jesus! I was just blown away, to be honest.
I was just fascinated by the slow unraveling of Ali. I couldn’t and didn’t trust anyone just as she didn’t. I suspected everyone! I think I accused every single character of something and including Ali.
However, only a small niggle, Ali did get a bit annoying at times, she repeated herself about her secret and Adam, and I was like yes, I know you have a secret and you are hiding something. However, it was still so suspenseful.
The chapters that are set “before” – eek these were so harrowing and cold! It was somebody I wouldn’t want to cross and then when it links to now…. well that was a reveal and a half and made me on the side of that character, well only a small bit.
I hate to admit it but I could understand to an extent their actions and reasoning, which I really didn’t expect, making it all very hazy! I really didn’t expect to fill like that after everything!
I loved that Ruth made up feel empathy and kind of sorry for the character. I mean they ruined themselves with their behaviour but at the same time, those feelings arose.
All I can say is, what.a.book!
December 19, 2022
Alison is under a lot of stress starting her new photography business while still coping with the recent loss of her daughter. Even though she still has her young son and husband, her heart is shattered. It makes the secret she is keeping even that much more unbearable.
This story was wild! It is told from alternating points of view from Alison and another person (no spoilers, we don’t find out who that person is til later). As Alison is trying to move forward with her life, the grief of her loss and the burden of her secret make her question her own sanity at points. But the one thing that keeps her going is her devotion to her son. The other people in her life even become questionable and at points I suspected them of all of being sketchy. I love when books have multiple characters that make it difficult to guess who is the “bad guy”. At times, it was a little confusing differentiating the points of view but other than that, this book was SO good! The first I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last.
“Just One Lie” comes our June 6th! Thanks to Netgalley, Inkubator books and Ruth Harrow for the ARC. This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (books_by_the_bottle) shortly.
This story was wild! It is told from alternating points of view from Alison and another person (no spoilers, we don’t find out who that person is til later). As Alison is trying to move forward with her life, the grief of her loss and the burden of her secret make her question her own sanity at points. But the one thing that keeps her going is her devotion to her son. The other people in her life even become questionable and at points I suspected them of all of being sketchy. I love when books have multiple characters that make it difficult to guess who is the “bad guy”. At times, it was a little confusing differentiating the points of view but other than that, this book was SO good! The first I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last.
“Just One Lie” comes our June 6th! Thanks to Netgalley, Inkubator books and Ruth Harrow for the ARC. This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (books_by_the_bottle) shortly.
June 14, 2022
This was such an intense and gripping novel by author Ruth Harrow, it was my first by her and I'm so glad I read it.
Alison suffered a terrible loss from the death of her baby and is trying to come to terms, but understandably it's not easy. Her husband Dan wants to get rid of all the baby's items but she's reluctant to do it.
She starts a photography business (failing her other startups) hires an assistant and opens a shop but soon things start to go wrong, someone is trying to make her business fail because something happened in the past that Alison knew about but didn't do anything and it's consuming her.
I loved the well-written characters, I thought I knew who the culprit was but got it wrong every single time!!.
It started a bit slow but early on it started to get intense and couldn't put it down, a real page-turner. It's such a suspenseful read and couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out the ending which was totally unexpected.
Alison suffered a terrible loss from the death of her baby and is trying to come to terms, but understandably it's not easy. Her husband Dan wants to get rid of all the baby's items but she's reluctant to do it.
She starts a photography business (failing her other startups) hires an assistant and opens a shop but soon things start to go wrong, someone is trying to make her business fail because something happened in the past that Alison knew about but didn't do anything and it's consuming her.
I loved the well-written characters, I thought I knew who the culprit was but got it wrong every single time!!.
It started a bit slow but early on it started to get intense and couldn't put it down, a real page-turner. It's such a suspenseful read and couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out the ending which was totally unexpected.
June 16, 2022
Just One Lie is about how one lie can turn your whole life upside down. We follow Alison who is still dealing with the death of her infant daughter and trying to run a business. But Alison is hiding something and that something will ruin everything for her but someone knows and they will do whatever it takes to reveal the truth. The story is slow burn that builds as the story develops. There was a few times I was confused about who's point of view I was reading but for the most part it was a good read and a few twists that lead to a great ending!
Thank you Zooloos Book Tours and Ruth Harrow for sharing this book with me!
Thank you Zooloos Book Tours and Ruth Harrow for sharing this book with me!
March 25, 2023
This was a great psychological thriller, it was full of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Plenty of twists and turns throughout that keeps you turning the pages. The characters were good, the story itself was exciting and the style of writing was perfect. This is the first book I have read by this author so far, I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next one out.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.
June 2, 2022
Just One Lie by Ruth Harrow.
Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s.
A brilliant read. Read in one sitting. I like Alison and Charlotte and Adam. Evelyn I really didn't trust at all. 5*.
Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s.
A brilliant read. Read in one sitting. I like Alison and Charlotte and Adam. Evelyn I really didn't trust at all. 5*.
June 1, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Inkubator books for an advanced reader copy of this book. I am a little delayed in writing this review because I hit a bit of a reading slump, but I have to say I could not have picked a better book to get me out of it. This is one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. The story was really good and kept me guessing til the very end. While there were elements I figured out along the way, the overall picture was not totally obvious once the first couple pieces came together, which I liked. However, at the same time it wasn't overly complicated or based on information that wasn't given to the reader. Other than one specific detail, the reader had pretty much everything they needed to solve the puzzle by about halfway through the book, you just needed to pay attention. And while the book continued for awhile later, it did not feel drawn out or unnecessarily long.
This next bit is gonna be a little spoiler-y so proceed with caution if you want to go in to the story blind. I'm not going to spoil the actual ending but I am gonna discuss a couple characters who were not the culprits. One thing a lot of mystery/thriller authors fall flat on is believable red herrings, that is one of the places this book particularly shined, I went back and forth on Rebecca so many times while reading this book and even once I became 99% sure she was innocent in the back of my mind I was still thinking "But is she REALLY?" I was very happy to find out that yes, she was in fact innocent, just acting a little odd because of the rough time she had had in her own life.
The other thing that really impressed me is how the relationship with the husband was handled at the end. Husbands in thrillers are notorious for treating their wives like crap and most of the time they end with it all being forgiven even though they just assumed their spouse was crazy/paranoid for no reason. In the final chapter of this book the main character references going to therapy with their husband, not only for the things that had happened to them, but also for the issues between them including his treatment of her during the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I will be checking out other books by this author as well.
This next bit is gonna be a little spoiler-y so proceed with caution if you want to go in to the story blind. I'm not going to spoil the actual ending but I am gonna discuss a couple characters who were not the culprits. One thing a lot of mystery/thriller authors fall flat on is believable red herrings, that is one of the places this book particularly shined, I went back and forth on Rebecca so many times while reading this book and even once I became 99% sure she was innocent in the back of my mind I was still thinking "But is she REALLY?" I was very happy to find out that yes, she was in fact innocent, just acting a little odd because of the rough time she had had in her own life.
The other thing that really impressed me is how the relationship with the husband was handled at the end. Husbands in thrillers are notorious for treating their wives like crap and most of the time they end with it all being forgiven even though they just assumed their spouse was crazy/paranoid for no reason. In the final chapter of this book the main character references going to therapy with their husband, not only for the things that had happened to them, but also for the issues between them including his treatment of her during the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I will be checking out other books by this author as well.
September 5, 2022
Just One Lie by Ruth Harrow is the kind of psych thriller that leaves me with mixed feelings. There is a decent plot, but some of it gets lost in the telling of the story. I’ll also start with a warning that the whole thing revolves around kids. I mean, a LOT is about kids. So, if you don’t like them, or have issues with stories that feature them heavily, be warned. The story is told from two different points of view (at least as far as I could tell) but one of them is very ambiguous. As a result, I spent a lot of the book in a state of confusion, trying to figure out what was happening to who and when. I think also that the author, in trying to be cagey and sustain the psych suspense, didn’t provide enough information for the reader to easily follow along. If you focus on the story, maybe you will have better luck figuring it out than I did. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Inkubator Books.
August 17, 2022
Story was a little confusing at times so I’m having a hard time writing a review about it But I did enjoy the book.
The story is about Alison who is having marital problems and dealing with the death of her baby girl. Her son, Adam, is the only thing that brings her real joy in life. She is overly protected of Adam. If anyone ever finds out about her BIG secret she may lose everything, worst…Adam. So when things start happening, she becomes paranoid of every she comes in contact with.
The story is about Alison who is having marital problems and dealing with the death of her baby girl. Her son, Adam, is the only thing that brings her real joy in life. She is overly protected of Adam. If anyone ever finds out about her BIG secret she may lose everything, worst…Adam. So when things start happening, she becomes paranoid of every she comes in contact with.
January 6, 2023
Loved it but was confused
I loved the whole story, the intricacies, the characters and the length. But it didn't occur to me that the mother.in.law from hell wasn't our protagonist and that it was her son and Adam who had drowned and she began taking care of her daughter.in.law. so it was that scooting back and forth that confused me but by the last part of the story it made sense.
I loved the whole story, the intricacies, the characters and the length. But it didn't occur to me that the mother.in.law from hell wasn't our protagonist and that it was her son and Adam who had drowned and she began taking care of her daughter.in.law. so it was that scooting back and forth that confused me but by the last part of the story it made sense.
September 18, 2022
A Very Riveting Book!
This was a good book but it got confusing. So many dark secrets, twists and turns that had me Al confused about what was going on. It held my attention throughout. It finally all come together in the end. It was definitely nail biting and suspenseful. I didn’t know who to trust or who to blame. It was worth the read though.
This was a good book but it got confusing. So many dark secrets, twists and turns that had me Al confused about what was going on. It held my attention throughout. It finally all come together in the end. It was definitely nail biting and suspenseful. I didn’t know who to trust or who to blame. It was worth the read though.
January 7, 2023
This book was good, not great. The premise is interesting and the twist was surprising but came too early. Once it was revealed it moved slowly despite the attempt to continue the suspense. The protagonist lacked proper development - would have loved to hear more about her postpartum depression and psychosis rather than it just being alluded to. It wasn’t my favourite thriller but worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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