So when I started this book I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I was hooked 5 chapters in.

You can see where Caroline Mitchell got her influence for this book; Fred and Rose West. Although the crimes in this book are quite brutal and are mentioned multiple times throughout the book, they are not always so graphic which I think is always quite good. 

Throughout the book I was constantly on edge for Amy as she is holding back a major secret which could put her career in jeopardy and even though I was aware there are a further 2 books in the DCI Amy Winter series it didn't help.

I would advise this book if you really enjoy crime novels, especially with a strong female protagonist.

Amy is the biological daughter of serial offenders Lillian and Jack Grimes. Adopted at a young age, her past is back to haunt her. Her biological mother is willing to reveal the burial site of three of their victims in return for favours from her estranged daughter. A young girl goes missing and there is too much going on in Amy's life to make sense of anything at all. 
The book is short and crisp, making sure it has your attention. I really enjoyed reading about so many parallel events and how it all came together. I loved the way different events were linked without making the book too lengthy or going into unnecessary details. I was wondering how the author has managed to gain so much insight into how Cops work, but her background as one surely reflects in the writing. The plot was interesting and the writing took it to the next level. Though at one point I did feel like I knew where it was heading, but I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't say that it was an excellent read, but definitely a good one!
Overall, Truth and lies kept me engaged, kept me guessing, and left me surprised and satiated.

I loved the idea of this book and the story, but the characters need more work. I feel like we didn’t get to know them that well and what they went through between then and now. I wanted to know more about her childhood and teenage years and how all that went.. That said, it wasn’t bad. The story does take you to Amy’s past and explains what happened. Amy went through a lot and her story still isn’t over, hopefully the next one answers all of my questions.

Caroline Mitchell has done it again.  It's not hard to think how Caroline got the idea for this book.  I loved the characters and it was well-written.  Cant wait to read book two.  4 stars

I will start this review by admitting that I am a hardcore fan of Caroline Mitchells books and as many of you will know when an author leaves behind a beloved character to start a book series with a new character it can be….well…you nearly feel like you are cheating on you first loved character! So because I love Ruby Preston so much I really wanted to hate this new DI..I really wanted to dislike her or find fault with her…but I couldn’t…I LOVED this first book (no one tell Ruby Preston I said that).
I was totally and utterly hooked from the very first chapter, Amy grieving the loss of her father who was also in the police forces gets focussed on a case where a little girl has gone missing. She then receives a letter from a convicted murderer Lillian Grimes requesting that Amy visit her. 
This book was so very well written and the characters were expertly developed…I felt for Amy with all the devastating realisations she made and I hated Lillian Grimes and her husband. I would absolutely recommend this book

Truth and lies by Caroline Mitchell. 
This was a fantastic read with great characters.  Although I didn't like Lillian at all.  I was surprised about Amy. I did like Amy. This was full of action and it was a very good plot. What a twister.  Didn't see that coming. I do hope  there is more to come.  5*.

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #TruthandLies!

If you think you’re family is bad, you should really read this book!! Amy Winter received a letter one day from a serial killer, Lillian Grimes, claiming to be Amy’s birth mother. It is shocking to read how a woman could do such horrible things to these young girls. This book really takes you on a rollercoaster with so many different characters and makes you wonder how everyone fits into the story... but just you wait because all will be revealed and it is quite surprising!

A Gripping & Relentless Thriller 

Even if you forget your past, it still remembers you. 

DI Amy Winter has a lot going for her: Young, Competent and a rising star in the police force. Apart from being the daughter of a highly respected police officer father, she is also leading the investigation on several crucial cases. Still grieving after the demise of her father, Amy receives a letter from a prison inmate and her whole world comes crashing down. 

Amy is not the daughter of a police officer but the daughter of a notorious serial-killer couple. Responsible for a string of heinous murders of young girls, her father is now dead and her mother is now incarcerated. Now, she wants to make a deal with Amy—but only if Amy plays along with her twisted game. Amy must confront her own dark past. Amidst the drama, Amy faces a race against time to solve a high stakes kidnapping case. Can Amy overcome all the odds in the most challenging case of her career?

Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real. 

Reading a new detective series right from the series is always a joy & as the first book in the DI Amy Winter Series, Truth and Lies delivers. As a story, Truth and Lies is an excellent psychological thriller and one of the best starts to a detective series. The book wastes little time in introducing the cast and dives straightaway in the plot. The story is extremely fast paced with twists & turns right till the end. The story keeps shifting from the past to the present, or from Amy’s story to the kidnapping case, without losing momentum. Despite the multiple storylines, the story never gets confusing. 

The mind games between Amy & her mother, Lilian were the most interesting part of the story. Like a chess game, the moves go back & forth right till the end. The climax of this book and the final revelation were both well done. It would interesting to see how the storyline between Amy & Lilian plays out in the next book. My only gripe with the story is that major focus was on Amy’s story and the current police case was relegated slightly to the background.

As for the characters, characters of Amy & Lilian were really well written. Amy’s resilience, despite the turmoil in her personal life was well brought out.

Caroline Mitchell is a former CID with an experience in handing abuse cases. Her knowledge clearly reflects throughout the book. Her attention to detail regarding investigation, police protocol and especially the flashbacks were top notch. All in all, Truth & Lies is an excellent police procedural and a great start to an exciting series. I am really looking forward to seeing what book 2 has in store for Amy. Read this book before the next book is published later this year.

This was an interesting book that made me feel a lot of conflicting emotions. At some points, I really liked it, at other points, I got really frustrated with the main character. I think what saved it for me was the ending. 

The most interesting part, I think, was the push and pull between Amy and Lilian. The cat and mouse game did intrigue me and kept me pretty hooked. 

Overall, a pretty good book, with the main character growing on me. While it's not a favourite, it was well done, I will most likely be reading future books in the series and from the author. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy.

After the sudden death of her father, DI Amy Winters receives a letter from the ‘Beast from Brentwood’ Lillian Grimes claiming she’s her mother. She also claims that she’ll give her the locations of the remains of the last victims but only if she does as Lillian says.

At the same time a young girl, Hemmy, is kidnapped with precious few leads but Amy’s focus is not on the case. Can Amy and her team pull it together before something happens to Hemmy?

This is another ‘why didn’t I read this sooner’ book! This was such a riveting read, with so many twists and turns...I just loved everything about it!

The way the two main characters Lillian and Amy play off each other is so fascinating and I think would make an excellent TV show (throwing the hint out there ITV). 

Serial killers I think for the most part fascinate most people but Lillian is the rarer type being a woman. She is an utterly despicable character, reminding me of someone like Rose West or Myra Hindley.  A complete psychopath that can turn from charming to cruel at the drop of a hat but what I enjoyed most was the way the author casts doubt, was she framed or is it just more lies?

At first Amy is so confident, ambitious, head of her own team, she’s on her way to making DCI then she finds out she’s the daughter of serial killers. It’d be enough to throw anyone through a hoop, never mind a police officer. She starts to doubt herself, feeling tainted and wondering if she could be psychopath herself.

An honourable mention goes to Amy’s second in command, DS Patrick Byrne who is a bit of a complex character, unable to leave his abusive wife but he’s fallen in love with another woman. I like the way that it spotlighted the fact that domestic abuse doesn’t just happen to women.

Overall Truth and Lies is an utterly brilliant book with so many compelling characters, a must for fans of serial killer thrillers.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Amy Winters is dealing with the death of her beloved adoptive father and the unfolding events surrounding her father's last high profile case. I was hooked from the start and cannot wait for the second book (hopefully there is one) in this series.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a while since I've read a police procedural thriller as engaging as this. It isn't uncommon for them to have the basic plotline of 'serial killer takes a special interest in the main detective character and plays games with them' but this is the first one I've heard of that has the added layer of the main character being related to the serial killer. I was uncertain how well this would work in execution but I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. Truth and Lies not only delivers on its premise, it is a fantastically written and engaging thriller on the whole.

Truth and Lies is about our main character, Amy Winter, who receives a letter from an infamous female serial killer confessing that she is Amy's real mother. Once more, the serial killer is willing to reveal the locations of her last three victims if Amy plays along with her requests. What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse game where Amy is trying to keep their connection secret from her coworkers whilst also wrestling with the serial killer's demands. The stakes get raised when a young girl is kidnapped in the present day and Amy is uncertain whether it is connected to her birth mother or not.

As a main character, Amy was immensely likable and very understandable in her actions and motives. There are plenty of side characters in this and they were all well-developed and interesting to read about. Ultimately this is what drives the story, along with the trail-of-breadcrumbs reveal of what happened in Amy's past and what the serial killer is demanding in the present. The pacing is pretty much spot on, although I wasn't as invested in the modern-day kidnapping story as perhaps I should have been. The ending as well is satisfactory but not really more than that. This didn't bother me as there was plenty of other things to be invested in and I wasn't really reading for a shock ending, but I can see some people potentially being unsatisfied by the resolution of part of the plot.

Overall, Truth and Lies is an excellent example of the police procedural thriller genre done right. The writing is very skilled and there is plenty of meat in the plot to keep you interested in what's going on. I'm intrigued to see if another thriller with the same detective character could be as engaging without the 'related to a serial killer' aspect (assuming this isn't involved in the plot of a sequel) but I would definitely be interested in checking out more from the author and she has managed to capture my interest in a thriller genre that is not my favourite.

Overall Rating: 4/5

This fabulous maze of a book kept me hanging in so many different ways (all good)  great story lines some that stick in the back of your head and stay low, but some explosive and really fast paced that make your heart race, an amazing transition of feelings down on paper is not easy to do but Caroline Mitchell manages it yet again 
Everyone should read this as a killer-thriller it’s awesome as a first read of genre but also if you are a seasoned reader of this type

This is a new series from Caroline Mitchell and just like her previous books this one is unputdownable. The characters are brilliant and I was really impressed with the way domestic violence against men was covered. Roll on book 2!!

I have absolutely no words to describe how good this book is.  I started it at work this morning (please don't tell the boss...) and just couldn't stop reading it! It had me gripped from the beginning and seriously did not leave me until the end, which I did not expect in any way!
As it is I'm watching old episodes of the old television series, Revenge.  Revenge has more plot turns and surprises that I could imagine, and this absolutely fantastic book could easily be compared to Revenge.  Just as soon as you think you have a plot line figured out, something new or else happens.
One of my most favorite reads of 2018, without any doubt!

DI Amy Winter is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her father.  Everything is turned upside down when she gets a letter in the mail from a murderer who claims to be her biological mother.  She is the case her father has never gave up on, and Lillian is willing to give the locations of the last three victims but on her terms.  She must travel to each site with Amy for starters.  Can Amy help close the case and not let anyone find out about her biological parents.  I enjoyed this book.  Just when I thought I had it all figured out there was more twists and turns.

I was drawn into Truth and Lies by the premise – the idea of a Detective inspector being, unknown to her, the biological daughter of a serial killer was too intriguing to pass up.  Unfortunately, the delivery didn’t really do it for me.   I was expecting a police procedural – and it would be entirely fair to say that my expectations are what let me down here – but there wasn’t really much sleuthing done.  Everything came together a little too conveniently, and I wasn’t entirely convinced by the story or its conclusion.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Poppy’s life in the Grimes household at the age of four, but I felt that the suppressed memories came back a little too conveniently, and it raises the questions of memories being unreliable without really exploring this in full.

I thought that the characters were well done, particularly Lillian Grimes and Amy Winter.  Lillian is one of those absolutely fantastic villains that you love to hate, and she was extremely convincing as a manipulative psychopath.  Amy and the dilemma she finds herself in was also very convincing.

A great read and a really good introduction to what I gather will be a series involving DI Amy Winter. Really liked Amy's character and her past was both horrible and intriguing. I was drawn in from the very beginning and it made me want to keep picking it up again and carrying on. Nice twist at the end too!

It’s very exciting when an author you love has a new series to sink you’re teeth into and I couldn’t wait to start this book. 

D.I. Amy Winters receives a letter, after the death of her police officer father and discovers her real parents are the notorious serial killers “beasts of Brentwood”. Lillian her mother is in prison and will give her the location of 3 bodies, Only if she jumps through hoops for her!!

A wonderful story that depicts good and evil beautifully and has plenty of twists. An ending that leaves you wanting more. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I have to admit, when I heard about this new series, I wasn't sure what to expect. Mitchell is a wonderful author but I adored her Ruby Preston series and was gutted when it ended, I suppose I wasn't sure how I'd gel with this new officer. And the lack of my #bookboyfriend Nathan Crosby wasn't something I was looking forward to either.
I needn't have worried.
At all.
DI Amy Winter is bloody brilliant and what an introduction to her we have!
Recently promoted to head up a new team in the force, Winter is a firecracker of an officer all set to follow in the footsteps of her late father, until a letter arrives which changes everything.
Lillian Grimes is the remaining half of serial killer duo, the Grimes, who back in the eighties were responsible for the murders of an unknown number of young women.
Lillian is the author of Winter's life-changing letter … and reveals that she's her biological mother.
Grimes starts blackmailing Winter to visiting her under the promise of information that will allow the families of her victims some closure. Winter has no choice but to do as she's told.
From the off, Truth and Lies takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. I was immediately hooked to the characters and Winter is set to be a favourite. A strong woman who has made it in a "mans' world", she has earnt the respect of those around her and is confident in her abilities. Until that letter arrives.
Mitchell has taken the police procedural to another level with this one and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for DI Winter. What a bloody brilliant idea … a police officer who is the daughter of not one, but two serial killers but who was brought up by a high ranking police officer.
The nature vs. nurture argument is evident throughout this one and it's fascinating. Winter has repressed all her memories of her time with her parents, but as soon as she discovers the truth of her parentage, she starts to question everything about herself, and those around her. Is the goodness of the parents who raised enough to outweigh the evil which runs through her veins?
ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!! I need book two now!
As the plot moves forward with the police investigations, Mitchell adds in chapters which take us back in time as Winter starts to remember her childhood … we discover what it was like or her growing up in the home of two serial killers. And it wasn't pleasant. It's no wonder she has buried those memories as deep as she could.
With hints of the true crimes of Moors murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, Truth and Lies is a gritty and harrowing read in places but Mitchell deals with it sensitively. It's one my favourite books of the year and I cannot wait for the nest one!