Typically I love this author, but this one wasn’t for me. I couldn’t follow the story it just seemed like something was missing. I felt like the chapters were short and choppy.

Well written but this story wasn’t for me.

I loved how this book twisted and turned through the points of view of the three women. I thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving it all together (she certainly kept me guessing). I also liked how they each were dealing with their personal issues, adding another layer to the tension. I have read several books by this author, and I think she keeps getting better. This one had a chilling mystery and a very taut story. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a pre-release digital ARC of the book.

Shalini Boland has a writing style that carries you away into the story and characters portrayed on the page. It’s so easy to visualise the settings and situations, to imagine the characters faces and expressions, as with each chapter you delve deeper into the lives of the people within the book.
I hate to give away plots in my reviews as I want every reader to be able to experience the same sharp intakes of breath or heart stopping moments that you experience whilst embroiled in the pages of a story.
I’ve read all of Shalini Bolands recent books and enjoyed them so much I’ve started on her older titles.
If like me you shout at the tv when the baddie has the upper hand, tell them to leave the house, don’t go upstairs .... and so on. Then you will never be disappointed with a book from this wonderful writer.

I’ve only recently found this author and after reading her previous novel ‘The Other Mother’ I couldn’t wait to start her latest and I loved it. I flew through the pages and although it was a tense thriller in places there was a softer side and I grew to know and love each of the characters.

The story follows three friends, Tia, Kelly and Fiona. They have gone through school together and got each other through a terrible event which happened to one of them during their school life. Now grown up they have their own families and very different lifestyles. Despite the passing years they have remained in contact and even though they may not be quite so close they are there for each other when needed.

I really warmed to the characters in this book and enjoyed the way that each chapter would focus on a different viewpoint until the point where the story is all tied together and the truth is revealed. My only little criticism is the start was a little disjointed as I came to grips with the characters and the setting but that soon passed and I was soon fully immersed in the story.

I mainly warmed to Tia in this book. She’s a down to earth mother and her family is the centre of her world. Fiona on the other hand It took me a little while to get to grips with. She is a bit of a cold fish and seems totally centered on her career but as you get to know her better it’s clear to see that this is not the case. As for Kelly, she’s just an all round good egg but has her own personal tragedies to deal with so when a stranger arrives on her doorstep as much as she wanted to turn her away she invited her in and welcomed her to the safety of her home.

This was a brilliant multi-layered read that kept me intrigued until the very last page. I was guessing until the very end who was out to wreck each of the characters lives and I found that in various points in the book I had each of the characters as the prime suspect. I was left a little sad to come to the end of this brilliant read.

An excellent book, which follows three women who have been friends since childhood. As the book progresses, we find out each one has a problem which they don’t confide with the other two nor their nearest and dearest and all three feel under threat.
The book reaches an exciting climax and everything is tied up neatly by the end. A highly recommended read.

Being a fan of Shalini Boland’s previous book I was looking forward to this one. Have to admit that this one definitely didn’t disappoint, another bestseller in my opinion.

The book revolves around three women who have been friends since school, Fiona, Tia and Kelly. Some relationships are a little strained but they remain there for each other but can they confide and trust each other ?

Fiona is married to Nathan and runs her own interior design business. Everything seems fine until, totally unexpected, two Tax Investigators arrive to do an audit of the business. Fiona is suddenly worried, but why ? And is she really as happy as everyone thinks ?

Tia is happily married to Ed but she receives a small packet in the post and her whole world is turned upside down. Are the photos in the packet real ? Surely they must be photoshopped but if they are who would do that to her ?

Kelly has recently lost her husband and father to her two boys. Ryan, the eldest, has become very withdrawn and at times violent but Kelly doesn’t know what to do for the best. One day a stranger appears in her garden, Sophie, and asks Kelly for help. Will Kelly help her ? What is Sophie so afraid of ?

The book covers the ups and downs of each of the three women’s lives and relationships. Suddenly over the space of a few days everything starts to fall apart for each of them but can they rely on each other to get through ?

A great psychological thriller and brilliantly written. We really get into the lives of the three women and I absolutely loved all three, in very different ways, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses which we soon start to discover. A real tale of friendships !!

Thank you to

I loved this book! A great psychological, twisty thriller that had me guessing until the very end! I would definitely recommend this book.

Fantastic book!! I felt every bit of the suspense built up for each of the three main characters and literally couldn't put it down before I found out what was actually going on. I had suspicions throughout and made one good guess....but even then I was still shocked at the way it all came out! Brilliant.

A really great book. Love this author and always look out for new ones. Kept me focused for a few days
Will definitely be recommending this book to others

An unsettling and unpredictable domestic noir thriller that explores the darker side of female friendship, Shalini Bolan’s One of Us Is Lying is a twisted tale of trust, revenge, rumours and the bonds that break guaranteed to keep readers hanging on to every word.

Tia’s five year old daughter Rosie is usually a happy child who talks nineteen to the dozen to her mother while walking back home from school, so why is she so quiet today? Has something happened? Has somebody upset her? Tia’s mind is full of frightening possibilities, but the reality turns out to be even more chilling and terrifying when Rosie asks her mother a question she never imagined in a million years she would ask: ‘Why did you kill someone?’ Tia is shocked to her very core, not just at the fact that her innocent daughter could have her young mind already corrupted by such evil nastiness, but because she cannot help but wonder who could spread such nasty lies. In a town as small as theirs, rumours spread like wildfire and it’s only a matter of time before Tia’s friends and neighbours hear this shocking piece of gossip. Worse, Tia cannot help but wonder whether Rosie asked this question because she heard it from somebody who remembers what happened that time a couple of years ago…

Tia had thought that she had put what had happened to her in the past behind her. Nobody really knows what transpired on that day that still haunts and terrifies her – except for two people whom she trusts implicitly. Tia had confessed her secret to Fiona and Kelly, two women she would trust with her life. She has never had any reason to think that they would betray her or blackmail her, but with Tia having only confided in the two of them all those years, could it be that her two friends aren’t so trustworthy after all? Someone is definitely out to get her and they will go to any lengths to destroy her. But who is it?

As Tia remembers the confessions, the secrets and the photos she shared, she cannot help but ask herself who is willing to destroy her? Have her friends been playing her all along? And when her dark past comes out in the open, will they stand by her? Or will all of their lives be ruined beyond repair?

Fans of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies are going to love Shalini Boland and her latest thriller, One of Us Is Lying. An intoxicating cocktail of shocking truths, deception and secrets, One of Us is Lying is a hair-racing and heart-pounding tale of past sins and old ghosts where the tension never stops and the suspense does not let up.
With plenty of twists and turns and revelations readers will simply not see coming, One of Us is Lying is a creepy, captivating and sinister read grip lit fans will simply lap up.

When one of Shalini Boland's books comes up for review, I must admit that I accept it even without reading the blurb. She is an exceptional writer and always manages to deliver. This is certainly the case with One of Us is Lying.

Tia always enjoyed picking up her children up from school. One day, however, she only sees her son leave the school. She discovers that her daughter Rosie is still in the classroom and is quite upset. It takes more than a little prodding but Tia finally discovers what is wrong with her daughter. Rosie wants to know why her mummy would kill someone. Where did her five-year-old hear such a thing? Why, in fact, does Tia feel more than a bit of guilt about the question?

Tia has a past, one hidden from everyone but her two best friends. Has someone discovered her past? and how could it have filtered down to her daughter? Her friendship with Fiona and Kelly was solid. However, hearing her daughter's question proves to be just the beginning of problems that go back to her past. Who is suddenly causing her problems? And Tia is concerned that her friendship bond will be shredded.

One of Us is Lying was a rather quick read, with the story alternating with the first person perspectives of each woman, Tia, Kelly and Fiona. Their hidden past is quickly unraveling and everything they've accomplished could fall completely apart. Things take a bit of time to evolve, but eventually everything is bared. I loved the flow of the book and felt like I was right there as I was waiting for the knowledge behind their secret pasts. As I have already stated, I will always grab one of Ms. Boland's books. I love being entertained while reading a book. In addition, solving jigsaw puzzles is one of my hobbies and I loved the feel of doing something similar while captivated by this book.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am still something of a Shalini Boland novice having only read two of her other books - The Marriage Betrayal and The Other Daughter. I was so impressed with this outstanding psychological thriller! The premise of the book beckoned to me and I knew that I had to read this novel!

In One Of Us Is Lying, Tia, Kelly and Fiona are schoolmates who all outwardly at least, have perfect lives, but underneath, are all experiencing their own difficulties. Someone is manipulating all three of the women, but who... and why?

With her particular brand of style and flair, Shalini Boland wowed me with this classy psychological thriller. The plot execution was tremendous, as was the characterisation, and pacing. There were no disappointments and I was completely gripped from the outset, loving the shock factor and twists.

The story was told in alternating chapters from the perspective of each friend, jammed full of secrets, lies and betrayal. Although it has a tried and tested story-line, the novel stood out among others for me as the clever narrative brought with it a unique view of each character’s frame of mind at their respective times. The fabulous formula of Shalini Boland kept me on the edge of my seat as I attempted to second guess everything. One Of Us Is Lying was everything I wanted in what was a pretty special psychological thriller, and I enjoyed how things played out in the culmination.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Narrated by all three friends Tia, Kelly and Fiona and interspersed with an unknown narrator in italics we get to see a variety of perspectives on their friendship and relationships. Developing a real close friendship from school they are now distant and no longer confide in each other. All three are facing trouble from either rumours at their child’s school circulating or tip offs to HMRC and someone is trying to destroy them. And I haven’t even got to the strange young woman turning up at Kelly’s seeking refuge and obviously running and hiding from someone or something.

Well this was my first book of Shalini’s and I have to say I’m impressed. None of the usual character tropes but instead three women who actually stood up as normal likeable women and a very plausible plot. You are thrown straight into the action and the pace is fast making this a strong easy read and all the cliffhangers push you to carry on reading.

This to me was a mash up of psychological thriller and women’s fiction, as it was as much about female friendship as it was the underlying mystery. With all the unraveled seams finally coming together it made for a really good conclusion and I now have another author to add to my booky radar.

Shalini Boland never fails to write a great story! I love the first person point of view from each of the three friends. It took a minute in the beginning to get them straight but then it all flowed easily. I read a ton of books in this genre so everyone was a suspect for awhile but I was able to work things out for myself before the end. I was very satisfied with the ending. I definitely recommend One Of Us Is Lying to anyone looking for a suspenseful book that holds your attention throughout!

Dark and twisted full of secrets and deceit. Shalini Boland Has once again crafted a tense tale packed with complex unreliable characters. Tia, Kelly, and Fiona have been friends ever since high school. Even though their lives have taken different directions they are still close. When Tia finds out that there are vicious rumors being spread about her around her daughters playground and receives some compromising pictures she doesn’t know what to think. Does this have something to do with what happened all those years ago? But how can it when the only people that know are her Besties Kelly and Fiona? But she’s not the only one who’s having rumors spread about them. Kelly and Fiona also appear to have someone trying to stir things up in their lives. So who knows their secrets? And what is their agenda?

The story is told from the perspectives of all three women. I sympathize with each of these women for different reasons and found their stories compelling. This book started tightly wound and then kept unraveling and unraveling and unraveling and unraveling. I could not figure out who was behind everything going on and I was very surprised at the outcome. Another addictive page turner from Shalini Boland.

This book in emojis 🚪 🤳🏼 ⛵️ 🍷 🔒

***Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Wow yet another fantastic gripping read from Shalini Boland. Three friends Kelly, Fiona and Tia have good lives, but suddenly things start to go wrong. Rumours start to spread and things start going wrong in their lives. Do they stay silent and try to sort things out for themselves or will their family and friends believe them and help them get to the bottom of these lies. Something happened to them when they were school girls could this be the reason their lives are starting to fall apart. A 5 star read.

I have never read a bad Shalini Boland book and this one is no different! The story is about 3 longtime friends and they each have secrets. It is told from the POV of each woman. I was able to relate to each of the 3 and there are a lot of surprises. I figured out the main gist , but not all........very good, fast read!

Thank you to Shalini Boland, Bookouture, and NetGalley for this ARC!

When I finished my first thoughts were – “Well that was one entertaining read!” And that more or less sums up how I’ve always found all of Shalini Boland’s books so far – ENTERTAINING. And One of us is lying is no exception – From beginning to end I was hooked.

This was an interesting, twisty and gripping domestic thriller that alternates between the 3 main characters along with an exciting flashback chapter that kept me guessing. Each chapter featured a different POV and all the chapters were short and snappy – meaning I kept on reading just one more, and then one more and then another… I’m sure you get the point.

I did sort of guess the ending but not the full reveal – it was good.

The writing was good, the pacing suited the story and the characters were all well developed. They weren’t always the best of friends or nicest of people but they did make for entertaining reading. And the setting was atmospheric and beautiful – just the sort of scenic lake I would like to visit right now.

With everything that is happening in the world right now One of us is lying is exactly the type of easy, fast and entertaining read that I crave. And I very much hope that Shalini is hard at work on her next book! I for one will be eagerly awaiting it.

Have you read it? Or any of Shalini Boland’s other books?

I received a copy of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley – Thank you! And thank you to Sarah for inviting me to join the blog tour.

What a compelling thriller this book is!

There’s an almost surreal and dreamlike atmosphere created by the setting, and initial pace of the book. Ashridge Falls is so beautiful, but almost too perfect to be true. And Tia, Fiona and Kelly seem to have it all. But beneath the surface, each of them has a secret, and suddenly someone seems to be using these secrets against them.

The cleverly woven plot flicks between the points of view of all three of them, interspersed with a flashback from the past, we don’t know who this relates to until nearer the end. The short chapters make this an impossible book to put down.

As the pace increases and the tension builds, it grips the reader even more. I stayed up late to finish this one, I just couldn’t wait to find out the ending.

I love Shalini Boland’s books, and they just keep getting better and better. Can’t recommend it highly enough. Superb.

Never am I ever disappointed with this authors books...
You are always guaranteed a cracking read from Shalini.
She entices you in slowly and before you know it, you are hooked and quite simply can't leave her books down..
This one was absolutely no different...
We meet friends Tia, Kelly and Fiona....
Each one of them have their own battles in their life and for some reason seem unable to confide in each other this time...
Someone is out to torment them and they are powerless to stop whoever it is...
The friendship between the girls appears somewhat fragile and you wonder will it survive this recent torment at all....
I enjoyed the main characters the author created, completely different to each other but very relatable in some ways.....
Soft, gentle Kelly who is suffering the loss of her husband Michael but still able to help others in their hour of need..
Glamourous, fragile Fiona who appears to have it all but all the while struggling with such a controlling husband Nathan..
And beautiful Tia who is terrified of losing her husband Ed and their family unit...
You sense throughout the story that these three ladies have a past that they would rather forget, only someone doesn't want them too and feels now is the time to enact revenge....

A brilliant read, well worth taking the time for this one....💞
Mysterious for sure, twists and turns at every opportunity.
Makes for a completely addictive read doesn't it.....