Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A deliciously entertaining and absorbing read.

There are no dearth of novels that use social media and technology as a plot device. Some are good and some are atrociously bad, with twitter, facebook, Instagram or whatever either entirely superfluous to a story -included to attract the 21st century media savvy reader, or with only a glancing relevance to the plot. Jenny Blackhurst's "Someone is Lying" is certainly one of the better novels that uses the tools of a surveillance society to propel the narrative forward, with one particular podcast proving intrinsic to the plot. You see everyone thought that Erica Spencer had tripped down the stairs and died accidentally... well that is until a podcast is released on a school website which evidently suggests otherwise. As it turns out there are many in gated community where Erica lived that may want her dead, including the six individuals named by the anonymous podcaster. At a rattling pace the story progresses, suspects are revealed and eliminated, with Blackhurst keeping the reader guessing in the expert fashion of a true proponent of the mystery genre. This is a wonderfully twisty thriller with some deliciously unlikable characters hiding dark secrets. "Someone is Lying" is also a timely reminder that in our social media obsessed world nothing stays truly hidden forever.

Summary:

One year after Erica Spencer falls from a treehouse at a lavish Halloween party, the residents of the exclusive gated community where she lived have comes to terms with her death and moved on with their lives.
Until one day, a post on the school's website announces there will be a podcast to expose what really happened on the night of the accident. Six suspects are named, with the podcaster promising to reveal the murderer by the end of the series.
Everyone in this community has secrets to keep, and one of them is already a killer...

This is a twisty psychological thriller which takes place in Severn Oaks, an affluent gated community in Cheshire.

A year after Erica, one of the neighbours, fell to her death from a garden tree-house during a Hallowe’en party a mysterious podcast is broadcast online. It alludes to the fact that Erica may not have fallen, but may instead have been pushed by one of her neighbours. Six suspects are named.

As we get to know each of these suspects and their families in turn it seems they all have at least one secret of their own and they are adept at lying, so who is telling the truth?

I enjoyed this book and it held my attention for the most part, but I struggled at times to remember who each character was. All in all a worthwhile read for fans of psychological thrillers.

A brilliant book from an amazing author. Keeps you wanting to read more. Don’t go to any Halloween party after reading this.

Keep your friends close, but your enemies in your pocket. Never was a statement more fitting. The residents of the gated luxury community of Severn Oaks all know each other well - or so they thought until a mysterious social media post threatens to blow apart the friendships they work so hard to maintain.

One of their number, well respected community organiser Erica fell from her neighbour's tree house during a Halloween party the previous year; an accident so the police and coroner decided some months before the podcasts started. Whoever the author of these announcements is sees it differently, and not only that wants the world to know "the truth" of what happened that night - and states they have evidence to back up their claims. This book follows events from the first podcast, predominantly from one of the resident's points of view but also spotlighting various other neighbours' involvements too. At first the local constabulary are reluctant to get involved with the social media circus which the podcasts create but when another resident goes missing they are forced to start asking questions.

The pace of this book is perfect, with virtually every person who lives behind the gates seeming to have an influence on events at the Halloween party or a possible motive for wanting to cause Erica harm. It's a very flowing read with lots of possible scenarios being pitched at the reader throughout the book which keeps the pages turning quickly. Just about any one of them could be responsible for Erica's demise - including the latest missing person. After all, why else would they disappear - unless they are the one recording the podcasts? The more questions the detectives ask, the more secrets are uncovered which only leads to more head scratching back in the incident room.

I felt this book to be quite reminiscent of The Couple on Cedar Close by Anna Lou Weatherley where the residents appear to be good friends however under that veneer of friendship nobody properly trusts one another. The final chapters certainly shocked me, the plotting throughout the book definitely managing to throw me well and truly off the scent. I look forward to being able to discuss the ending with people once this book is published and I can see it being a popular book club choice over the coming months.

This is a really good murder mystery set in a gated community, with everyone suspecting each other. Erica fell to her death at a Halloween party, but was it an accident or was she pushed?
A year later a podcast is leaked which says it will gradually expose what really happened on the night of the accident. Six suspects are named, with the podcaster promising to reveal the murderer by the end of the series.
This was quite confusing at first as it jumped around from character to character, and didn’t really give you the chance to get to know them.
As the book progressed I got used to this and was keen to know what really happened.
The people suspected all have something to hide, but could they be capable of murder?
This is a gripping mystery thriller and I’d like go thank Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Who is responsible for Erica’s death and why is Mary-Beth missing.

The residents of Severn Oaks all have secrets over what happened at a Hallowe’en party where one of their friends died. Someone seems to think one of them is responsible and is letting everyone in the area know their secrets via weekly podcasts. The residents all have their secrets.

Personally I found the story very choppy and the story kept forward in weeks. Was far fetched but came together in the end.

My thanks to Headline for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Someone is Lying’ by Jenny Blackhurst in exchange for an honest review. It was published in ebook/audiobook in May 2019 with its paperback edition being published on 14 November.

At a lavish Halloween party the previous year Erica Spencer died after falling from a tree house. The inquest ruled her death an accident and the residents of the exclusive Seven Oaks gated community have begun to move on with their lives.

Then a post appears on the local school’s FB page announcing a podcast that “brings to light new and never heard evidence that will cast doubt on everything you think you know about this ‘tragic accident’ and expose a murderer.” The anonymous podcaster names six suspects and promises to reveal the murderer by the end of the series.

It turns out that everyone in the community has secrets.

Although this was a quite readable domestic noir, it failed to really engage me. l found it hard to care about any of its rich, entitled characters and they tended to melt into each other. In addition, the number of secrets and lies were so numerous that it began to feel like one of those over-the-top daytime soap operas. I know these are popular but are just not my thing.

The residents of the gated community of the exclusive Severn Oaks estate are amongst the elite, money, huge houses, privilege, the children attend successful public schools, and they are all doing well in their fields of work. At a lavish Halloween party Erica Spencer had fallen to her death from a tree house, it had been ruled as an accidental death. But what if it wasn’t an accident?

Everyone seems to have come to terms with her death, and begun to move on with their lives, until at a community event, a Facebook page is put up on the school website, informing everyone that there will be several podcasts broadcast, revealing what really happened that Halloween night, at the end of all the podcasts the guilty party will be exposed, six people are involved and one of them may have killed Erica but why? Everyone is hooked on the podcasts.

Initially they believe the post is just a joke, a hoax, until the first podcast is broadcasted, and when the police become involved re-opening the case, looking at what initially was seen as a simple accident, now points to foul play..

Podcasts being as good as they are now and with more and more people listening to them on a daily basis this plot line feels very relevant and current. As you are reading or supposedly listening to the podcasts the tension starts being ramped up and you are on the edge of your seat wondering which person Killed Erica. Trying to work out from the clues given, who is the most likely to have committed the crime and what was the motive? What did the killer gain?

Every one of these people have secrets, but what are their secrets, is someone’s secret that bad it’s worth killing for?

From an enclosed close knit community, with gates surrounding them to keep people out, someone within those gates could be a killer. So who is safe the ones inside the gates or the ones outside?

This is a really well thought out story with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, the story flows well, it’s entertaining, cleverly plotted, a good psychological thriller, and who doesn’t like one of those. Overall a good book from Jenny Blackhurst.

My only small thing is the amount of characters and keeping track of who is married to who and the children, at times it could get a little confusing, but once you have them all figured out it’s ok. Some of the characters are so shallow but somehow that added to the fun.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I've read several books in a similar vein over the past few months, someone dead in a close community full of rich entitled people, all harbouring secrets of one kind or another. It feels like an overdone subject to me now and was too much like those books for it to maintain my interest really. The characters were not particularly likeable nor did I feel anything bordering on sympathy or empathy for the victim. However, this is only my personal opinion and I wish the author every success.

Thank you for the opportunity in exchange for an honest opinion.

I found Someone is Lying an ok read however I did find any of the main characters particularly empathetic and that let the book down

Hooked from the first page, a murder mystery par excellence. I just had to know the truth. So many secrets and so many lies and a podcast that will bring them all out. This book was well written,many characters which were far from likeable. A real whodunnit which kept me guessing and constantly changing my mind. I read this book in one sitting tapping my kindle faster and faster I HAD TO KNOW THE TRUTH. A bloody good thriller which kept me reading late into the night. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Well, this was the book that kept on giving. Chock full of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour! If I have to be honest (and I do) maybe a little too chock full. There was so much going on in this book that I almost won house at psychological thriller bingo! It basically had it all!
One year after the death of Erica Spencer, the residents of the exclusive gated community in which she lived are all shocked when a post appears on the school's website claiming to know what really happened on that Halloween night. And threatening to expose the guilty party in a series of podcasts, naming the six suspects hinted at along the way.
There's an eclectic mix of cast in this book. Most of whom having something to hide. Some secrets are obvious from the off, others notsomuch and occasionally, not what was expected. They are all pretty horrid people when push comes to shove too. So much so that I was kind of hoping that it would be all of them and they would all get their comeuppance! Once the finger started pointing some of their true colours came out and there was quite a bit of delicious infighting to be had. The whole shenanigan was exacerbated by the early disappearance of Erica's best friend. Victim or something to hide?
The cast was baffling to me, especially as I was introduced to a bunch at the same time, so I had to resort to writing me a list. Unlike some books which I have to do this for, I found myself still referring to this list quite far into the book. Whether that speaks more to my own failings or that of the author, the jury is still out on that, but it happened, so I'm mentioning it!
What I did enjoy was the interaction between the characters, the fighting, the backstabbing, the secrets and lies and all the masks they hid behind. That side of things was handled very well indeed. Definitely not a bunch I would invite round my house for a party!
I also found the podcasts to be a great way of progressing the story yet at the same time, dragging it out to the point of intrigue and teasing. Yes that does make sense, honest! Along with the rest of the cast, I was gagging for the next episode - thrilled at the anticipation of what it might reveal.
The ending... well, although it was very well plotted - as demonstrated when the truth finally came out - it was delivered at a rate of knots and it all got a little muddled for me. Once I got my head around everything, it all worked out to my satisfaction but I did have to work at it a bit.
All in all, a solid read that kept me on my toes throughout and left me satisfied (eventually) at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It’s not my usual genre but it’s fast paced storyline kept me interested and intrigued right up until the end.

“Someone is lying” is a highly addictive but although confusing psychological thriller with a lot of “Big Little Lies” vibes.

Severn Oaks is a gated community where only good situated people live. Those of them who have children form the inner circle. Last year Erica fell to her death from a tree house while attending a Halloween party. It was declared as an accident by the police. But now someone is announcing a podcast about Erica’s death. And they say six people are involved and one of them killed Erica because she knew their secrets. This causes a lot of distress among the community. And on the same time someone goes missing. Erica’s best friend Mary-Anne is gone and nobody seems to know what happened to her. Then the first episode of the podcast is aired and names are dropped. All the families are shaken because every one of them has something to hide.

Oh my, so many strange people with so many dirty secrets. This is a highly unrealistic but at the same time entertaining story. I had some problems find into the story because there where so many people and I mixed them up (especially the husbands, there were all the same to me). I had problems to keep track who was married to whom. The female characters are a bit more developed but they also sometimes act out of character. That is the main problem here. To tell all those very similar characters apart and how they are connected in a tangled web of lies. But it is fun to read. It reminded me a lot of “Big Little Lies” for several reasons. But the story is different, though. It was just something about those women and their friendship. The podcast thing was a bit underused. There are other books out there who deal with this medium far better. But it is still an entertaining and easy read.

This has got to be the juiciest crime thriller I have ever read – it filled all the voids left in my heart by Pretty Little Liars and Desperate Housewives. The main characters are a small group of people living in a gated community in Cheshire, focusing mainly on the women who seem to live the in the centre of a lake of gossip.

What sets the format of this mystery apart from others is that all of the main characters are pretty much equally suspicious and that’s to say: VERY suspicious. There’s no subtle little red herring here and there to whet your appetite, it’s just a rollercoaster of clues and secrets being revealed about everybody. After the death of their friend Erica, almost a year ago, someone has released a podcast which threatens to reveal all of their secrets – this podcast gives a sense of time to the story and keeps everything on track.
The writing style is fantastic and had me hooked from page one, switching perspectives between some of the characters so we get a broad view of what’s going on. The characters are excellently written, they’re all complex and have distinctive personalities, with a range of both likable and dislikeable qualities which make them seem more real.
The grand finale is suitably sensational to keep up with the rest of the book, without being ridiculous. It really is the perfect balance of all the ingredients I look for in a crime thriller.

This story is about Erica who dies at a neighbours Halloween party the year previously. This is a gated community where everyone knows each other and their children all attend the same school. One day at a school picnic a post appears on the schools social media page saying that a new podcast will be looking into the six people who were at the party and evidence that Erica’s death was not an accident.

This was just an okay read for me. I really would have preferred it if the podcast was the main part of the book but it wasn’t. The book was mainly about secrets and lies amongst a group of rich people.

4.5/5 ⭐

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Someone Is Lying in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s the first book that I read by Jenny Blackhurst but it won’t be the last one! I loved it!!

I loved it from the start. I loved the prologue. It was narrated by Erica, who unfortunately?? died a few months ago. There is a bit of controversy surrounding her death and soon enough we found out why and who was involved.

Erica was part of a neighbourhood called Severn Oak and her neighbours are obviously very sad for the events. However, do they know more about it than they are letting on? Is any of them involved? Erica was such a nice person, sure no one would wish her harm, right? But Someone Is Lying and everyone is going to find out the truth in the worst possible way.

What a wild ride this book was!! Literally, everyone was lying. Every character, every couple, every neighbour was holding some information. None of them were telling the whole truth and, although it made the police investigation rather difficult, I loved the process of finding out the culprit and the motive.

Like in so many other thrillers that I read, life behind close doors is usually pretty different to what we think but I never enjoyed that saying this much! I just couldn’t believe all the lies the characters were telling. I just couldn’t believe that everybody has something to hide. I loved it!!

And the podcasts!?? There is apparently this neighbour that knows everything that happened the night Erica died as he has got hold of her diary and he wants to make sure everyone else knows the truth by posting a series of podcasts with entries of Erica’s diary as well as some information that he knows.

Oh God! That drove everyone crazy!! I enjoyed it so much!! It reminded me a lot to Big Little Lies and that for me is a big YES!!

I liked the writing style, it was very easy to understand. I liked the length of the chapters, I liked the characters, I liked the storyline and I liked the end. I really liked this book!

Highly recommended!

Well oh well what a deliciously dark novel with a huge dose of acerbic humour this book sure turned out to be real winner.
Lots of suspects with a whole heap of secrets this is a real twister of a ride and you need to keep your wits about you as we are slowly drip fed little snippets of information which just made this book a cut above many other mystery thrillers.
Teasing the reader and following a gripping storyline that keeps you guessing throughout this is so well written by the fabulous Jenny Blackhurst who sure knows how to write a page turner with characters that are extremely well portrayed and I laughed many times at just how shallow some of them were and yet we all know people like them !!!
So a well recommended read and a definite 4+ stars from me
My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed reading this one!

The story had a lot of twists and turns and I really thought I know who had done it but I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was wrong.
Most of the characters aren't very likable, which is what I truly enjoy reading about

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I have not read any of the authors books before but will certainly look out for them in future

I thoroughly enjoyed this - very Big Little Lies - which I loved so if you liked that this is definitely one for you

I'm not one for going through plots - I like to discover them for myself - if you give away the plot I always think there's no point reading the book. This is well worth making an effort for

I found this cleverly written, with some sympathetic characters and some not so much - much like life really. Lots of plot twists here to keep things interesting - unexpected - I didn't see some of them coming !!

A great summer read - If thrillers are your genre you will love this