Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#OneWhiteLie #NetGalley

The tantalising blurb for this book is like a siren-song for lovers of crime fiction everywhere. It is a psychological thriller that lives up to its billing, and I savoured every exquisitely written page. Leah Konen certainly knows how to keep her reader on the edge-of-their-seat. Indeed, I felt there was no 'natural' point in the story where I could safely put the book down without wondering what was coming next. Konen's prose is sharp, crisp and evocative, matched only by her meticulous plotting. Domestic abuse constitutes one of the main threads of the book, characterised by the battered and bruised, Lucy, but there is more to this multi-layered book than a straightforward domestic-noir. The rabbit hole of sub-plots expands to include Lucy's neighbours, Vera and John. Circumstances conspire, a Faustian pact is made. Vera and John can help Lucy with her problem - an abusive ex, in return Lucy will tell a lie for Vera and John. A neat, elegant solution, you may think. Wrong. At this point in the story the plot veers into unexpected territory. Murder being just one of the outcomes. Then there are the questions about the purported integrity of our characters. Are they who they seem? Well, answers to such questions have no place in a book review. Read this book instead. You won't be disappointed.

I could really relate to the predicament of the central character and the story was developed in an exciting and very readable way, always leaving me wanting to keep reading. I was disappointed for the first time ever in the proof copy as it was totally filled with line numbers in the middle of sentences which I found very distracting. I have never seen this before in a Netgalley proof and it would put me off reading others which came looking like this. A shame as it was a really good story. A good author, a good story.

Oh what a web we weave when first we practice to decieve!! If ever a book fitted this quote this one does.
Lucy has escaped Davies her abusive ex, she befriends her neighbours Vera and John who she becomes very close to, Vera and John are trying to find a way to escape rumours of John sleeping with a young girl, they come up with a plan for him to "disappear" Lucy helps them make it believable by saying she's seen him fall off a cliff!! However a body turns up and Lucy and Vera are suddenly part of investigation into murder!! Lucy especially appears to be being set up for the murder, Davies finds her but again not all is as it seems. When we finally think we know the true murderer yet another twist happens and the biggest twist of all is Lucy not being who we are led to believe

This a very well crafted story offering intersting insights into the psychologically damaged leading character,Lucy-or is that really who she is? Escaping from an abusive relationship and hoping to disappear,her need for protection and friendship leads Lucy into an amazing series of problems. Then it becomes a murder investigation. Every time the reader assumes who committed the crime,evidence emerges to change the tale. The rural area chosen as the retreat from New York seems to be populated by people with issues of one kind or another but all contribute to the mystery of the book. It has an unexpected ending for the murder and a reassuring conclusion for Lucu-if thats who she is! It is a good read.

This draft was impossible to read as there are numbers on nearly every line of text.Apalling. I don’t know why I wasted my time trying to read it.

Good book but seemed to be very rushed in places. Too much happening then not enough happening. Maybe it just wasnt for me

This was an OK book. It started off very slowly and it got to about 80% of the way through before things started to speed up a bit

This is an unexpected masterpiece. I’m in love, this author has a beautiful writing style and had discussed topics which are real in a sensitive way. This is utterly fantastic.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a very different story, set in a small mountain town in USA. Great setting and a very good feel of "small town America" The characters were an interesting mix and seemed to be believable. The narrative romped on and it was hard t put the book down. You really had not idea where the story was going or where it could possibly end. This is definitely a well-worth-reading book.
Thank you Penguin, another gem from your lists.

One White Lie is a very well-written book. For maybe the first three-quarters of the book, it ratchets up the tension slowly and unbearably, making it hard to read but almost impossible to put down. The gradual revelation of secrets, only to peel back yet another layer and find that some of those secrets aren't the truth after all, is very well done. And Konen's depiction of a woman escaping an abusive relationship, part of her still wanting to go back to it, is pitch perfect. It's never as straightforward as it looks from the outside.

I wasn't sure I bought Lucy's sudden extreme attachment to John and Vera; that was the only thing that marred those first three-quarters of the book for me, since it was the foundation on which everything else was built. Still, I was willing to suspend disbelief – and indeed that paid off, since as the book progressed and I gained more insight into Lucy's character, I began to realise just how much of an unreliable narrator she was and how in-character that violent attachment might be. However, by then, I had another issue.

For me, the final part of this book didn't quite work. It piled on one twist too many. Once a certain person was revealed not to be a threat (trying to avoid spoilers!) it felt like a fair bit of the tension was lost, and instead everything became rather implausible. Lucy crossed the line from 'unreliable but basically sympathetic' to someone I didn't like very much, meaning that by the end, I found it hard to care.

Don't get me wrong: this is a very good book and I would recommend it. Konen clearly has a great deal of writing talent. I just didn't love it as much as I initially thought I would.

One White Lie is an unexpected masterpiece! Don’t get me wrong the synopsis sounds good but it doesn’t do the story justice!

After leaving her abusive ex Lucy is ready to make a new life for herself away from his gaslighting and controlling ways, she immediately becomes great friends with her neighbours. They’re also in trouble and together they make a plan....

Honestly I’m in love, the writing style is beautiful. There were sections of text that could have cut out and been poetry! Leah’s storytelling definitely gripped me and will be keeping an eye out for future books from her.
There’s some great twists in One White Lie as well, big small and all over the place. The ending shocked me but that’s all I’m saying unless you want spoilers, ;)

5/5.

When a woman escapes a bad relationship with just a few items and some injuries, she takes a fresh start in a new area where she quickly becomes friends with her neighbours, a fun, friendly couple. The happy times don't last and the woman starts to fear her ex finding her, and also finds out that her neighbours are in trouble and need to escape. If the woman can tell just one little lie, life will get better for them all. Or will it? Things quickly spiral out of control and someone turns up dead. What follows is a thrilling, tense tale with twists and turns, secrets and surprises. A great read that will keep you guessing and in anticipation until you reach the end.

#OneWhiteLie #NetGalley
Every word of this novel is a mystery. Wonderfully written with brilliant characters.
I haven't read such a great book in a long time.
Imagine you've finally escaped the worst relationship of your life, running away with only a suitcase and a black eye.
Imagine your new next-door neighbours are the friends you so desperately needed - fun, kind, empathetic, very much in love.magine they're in trouble. That someone is telling lies about them, threatening their livelihoods - and even their lives.
Imagine your ex is coming for you.
I must say to everyone that this book is a must read for all. Please give it a go.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for giving me an advance copy.