I really enjoyed this book and its exploration of bullying in many forms and the idea of comparison culture and 'keeping up with the Jones', which felt very timely in the age of Instagram. A suspenseful and surprising legal thriller, with just a hint of the uncanny haunted house about it.

Chilling!

I have not read Harriet Tyce before but this book had me gripped from beginning to end.

The story had many layers which all intertwined to present a complex situation where Sadie has returned to her childhood home, separated from her husband and trying to build a new life for her and her daughter in a place she vowed never to return.

The characters are believable and the tensions and parental rivalry at the school are scarily believable too. Sadie tries to fit in for her daughter’s sake but they are both faced with isolation, then bullying, until inexplicably they are welcomed into the inner circle. And that is when they really are in danger.

A gripping story of jealousy, rivalry and the lengths people will go to to get their children to achieve!

I read Blood Orange, the debut runaway success novel by Harriet Tyce quite recently and thought it was a great, twisty, psychological thriller. When I heard that she had another book on the way I was excited to read it, hoping for more of the same and I was not disappointed. I read it one evening and just had to know what was going to happen next.

Sadie and her daughter Robin have moved from New York back to London and are living on Sadie’s family home. It’s a cold and forbidding place, filled with ugly memories of Sadie’s childhood and it’s somewhere she swore she’d never return to, let alone live there with her child. Her husband is still in the US, their marriage has failed and she is reeling from the way he has treated her. Their escape to London is a fresh start but, things never run quite that smoothly.

Robin is enrolled at Sadie’s old school, a place she was miserable at, but as we discover, she has no choice but to send her there. It is a private school where the parents are more cliquey than the pupils and your social standing is a measure of your worthiness. The pack of mothers are ruled by a Queen Bee whose subjects fall into line and poor Sadie is the newcomer who is trying to work out what the rules of this made up game are. You don’t have to be a parent to get your hackles up at the snide comments, looks, giggles and nudges that these (grown) women throw Sadie’s way. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a group of mean girls and the depiction of their behaviour is on point. Of course as adults we would speak out or turn away but Sadie is aware that the way she behaves will impact upon Robin’s popularity and so she is forced to ingratiate herself.

This isn’t just a book about a bunch of bitchy women at the school gates though. It’s a multi-layered read which deals with divorce, motherhood, abusive behaviour and being a single parent. Sadie had put her career on hold to move to America and now she is back in London she attempts to get back to work, going cap in hand to the chambers where she used to work to ask for her job back. Now at the bottom of the pecking order she finds herself doing the grunt work for the defence team in a trial where a teacher is accused of grooming his female pupil.

These two storylines run parallel to one another, pulling Sadie in opposite directions. Her attempts to balance single parenthood with work run her ragged both mentally and physically. The PTA look down on her for working rather than investing all her time in ensuring Robin gets the best exam results and you just know the wheels are going to come off somewhere.

It’s got great characterisation and a well-constructed narrative which kept me turning the pages. The author was a criminal barrister and it shows; some of my favourite parts of the book were around the court case and the building of the defence. It’s cleverly written, drawing you in to the case and its events before whisking you back to the world of school politics.

This is a tense read and the book almost pulses with tension at times. There is something deeply wrong at the heart of the novel, we don’t quite know what, but it’s there, just peeking round the corner, just out of reach. Harriet Tyce does such a great job at dropping small clues and red herrings, leading us one way then another and all the time there is this undercurrent of threat.

It’s a twisty read with a lot going on and for the most part it is well handled, with the multiple plotlines dovetailing together nicely. There was a twist too many for me, but I did really enjoy it (I read it one sitting) and really love how well Harriet Tyce writes her characters; they’re full rounded and immediately visible in my mind’s eye. It’s a great psychological thriller which more than holds attention. Recommended.

I feel like this book is more of a 3 star plus. I enjoyed the book, weirdly finding a lot of similarities to The Night Lawyer which I recently read. Mainly because of the main character being a criminal barrister and the main case being about an accused rape.

I’m not sure if this is because I was reading a proof copy but the dates chapters in italics really confused me. For the majority of them I didn’t have a clue what they were about or even who they were really focused on. It felt like it should be a flash back but at the same time like it was a nightmare. I almost felt like skipping these because they just didn’t fit in at all.

The storyline itself was actually alright though, you got the impression that there was a hidden truth waiting to sneak up on you but I wouldn’t say it was as dramatic as other thrillers I’ve read recently. The title gives you the impression that a hidden truth is going to come up to threaten someone so you’re waiting to discover what this is throughout the whole book.

When the truth was revealed I have to say I wasn’t that shocked and felt it was revealed in a really calm manner. I also got quite annoyed at one point because I thought something had been spoilt but I read on and was relieved to be proved wrong.

The saving grace of this book was definitely the epilogue. I think I read this two or three times to check I was reading it right. The twist that I never saw coming was just sat there waiting for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildfire for an early copy.

There were lots of different things going on in the novel, too many different things which ended up diverting from the main storyline.

I love the idea of a completely toxic school environment (in a novel, obviously) that creates psychopath mothers and fathers, and a scary environment for everyone. I also really liked the atmosphere in the book, with the air of mystery and the background of conflicts which makes the new house a terrible place to start a new life.

Sadly, the many background stories, on which the author spend a lot of time, completely took my interest away from the main story. Even when the novel is at its most suspenseful, the story of the trial gets in the way, and so does the story with the husband.

There were really a lot of good ideas in the novel, and I truly loved the ultimate twist, but overall, it just didn’t grip me the way I love for thrillers to do. Too much going on, sadly.

After recently reading ‘Blood Orange’ I was very excited to read Harriet’s latest book. A dark psychological thriller/courtroom drama that was well written and had some interesting characters. A great storyline which had a shocking twist at the end. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The story revolves around Sadie and her daughter Robin, both very likable characters. The book is thoroughly gripping and what an ending. I will look for other books by this author

Harriet’s second book The Lies You Told is out on 20th August and certainly delivers the goods again after the huge success of her previous book Blood Orange. Sadie Roper has been forced out of a loveless marriage by husband Andrew. Forced to leave America shes back home in the UK again. After the death of her mother and the stipulations in her will means she has no choice but to go back to the childhood home she left 15 years ago.

She brings with her, Robin, her daughter who she would literally do anything for. But again her mothers will has taken control, for now, and Robin must attend the all-girls school Ashams. It’s the school Sadie went to and is difficult to gain a place, so when Robin shows up out of nowhere the current parents take umbrage that Robin will steal one of their girls places for the senior school, despite the fact it’s based on the eleven + exam results. Robin is flying through the tests and getting great results, her previous schooling in America has clearly been her saving grace.

New home, new school, a new job for Sadie and these pressures on top of making new friends are taking its toll, especially when the head of the PTA Julia takes a stance against Sadie and therefore Robin and the parents and children have no choice but to also join ranks and ostracise the newbies too. How alone poor Robin must have felt. Sadie’s had all this before herself, being an ‘old girl’ and it’s not until this is made clear that she’s proved her names on the board of old school captains and established her right to have got a longed-for place at the drop of a hat like they did. That is the reason isn’t it, that they got a place so suddenly? Because Sadie went to Ashams too, and this may have swayed Robins attendance, but also adds to Sadie’s foreboding for Robin. Sadie’s time at Ashams was not a happy one. Although she did make friends there that she still has now, Zora Shah, now a solicitor and it’s her that has helped Sadie get work again as a barrister.

Almost as she’s shown she’s an ‘old-girl’ the stance against Sadie and Robin is relaxed. Julia and Nicole sweep Robin up in a flurry of invites to sleepovers and Sadie is swept along. Quickly embroiled into their lives, as single mothers themselves they suddenly provide the stability that Sadie needs. But she’s still wary after their initial lack of a warm welcome, and she’d be right to follow her gut on this occasion.

Zora has got some work for Sadie, she has been brought into a case of he said/she said with a teacher – grooming a vulnerable pupil that has lies and scandal written all over it. Sadie is part of the defense team for Jeremy and has to prove that Freya the pupil, then 15 is lying. She has to trawl through Freya’s life to look for contact between the pair and can find nothing, to substantiate the claims being made. She of course, must believe her client Jeremy and as they spend time together she couldn’t imagine him being anything but the concerned teacher, trying to help out Freya and she is helping him to portray this in court and discredit Freya by means of social media and all that it has to reveal. And these days if you want to find out anything about people, that’s the first place to look. Jeremy’s overbearing mother thinks he’s still 12 and his pushy father whose presence is absent but lingering.

There’s also a narrative throughout, which becomes clearer when Sadie’s instincts are proven correct. Harriet’s characters are written so well that they could easier be anyone you know, pushy parents at the school gates have existed as long as the school pick up has and fake friends who wouldn’t think twice about taking the glory from others.

A gritty physiological thriller baited with implications and lies. Which are revealed bit by bit throughout, creating an air of mystery and puzzle pieces that need slotting together. A real page-turner, with courtroom drama thrown in adds extra substance and with Harriet having practiced as a barrister, who better to write about it.

The Lies You Told is a great book and strong second publication from Harriet Tyce that will enthrall readers.

After reading Harriet Tyce's book Blood Orange, I was extremely excited to give this book a read and I have to say I was not disappointed. Tyce has an easy to read writing style and I love how she weaves the little everyday aspects of life into her thrillers. It was a slower burn novel, but I definitely felt connected to the characters and intrigued by them and their story. Tyce left me wanting to read more right from the beginning! I will definitely pick up her next book after reading her first two novels!

I was hooked by this psychological thriller from the start, fascinated both by the sheer awfulness of school mom politics as well as the legal sub-story. Harriet Tyce’s effortless writing style whisked me along so that I read The Lies You Told at break-neck speed.

Sadie has to move herself and her daughter, Robin, to the UK from the US in a hurry to escape her husband. She is forced to send Robin to her old school, a prestigious but unwelcoming place that she herself hated. While trying to settle her daughter into this new life, she finds work as an assistant to a leading barrister at her old chambers.

It’s utterly terrifying the lengths some parents will go to to ensure their children succeed at school – and Sadie and Robin find themselves at the centre of this fierce competition. I really related to the schoolground politics. Harriet Tyce had the horrifying super-mums down pat, with their pettiness, tantrums and sense of entitlement. Poor Sadie! And of course poor Robin, who has the bear the consequences not only of being new, but also of being bright, and therefore a threat.

Sadie becomes involved in the defence of a teacher accused of grooming a minor, and I found this fascinating sub-plot a welcome break every now and again from the main story. Although watching Sadie trying to juggle her different roles was exhausting.

Harriet Tyce really writes a great story. There’s a dash of fun, some great humour, dark undertones and some truly horrific scenes. The Lies You Told captivated me and kept me reading. Don’t expect another Blood Orange. What you will get is a nail-biting, suspenseful story that mounts in tension towards an incredibly suspenseful ending, with a couple of twists along the way. Definitely worth a read.

At times, the plot and the network of subplots gets a little busy - the case Sadie takes on returning to work, the PTA dramas, the difficult relationship with Sadie's ex, etc. But we are in capable hands here, and the author deftly manages to keep multiple plates spinning. I enjoyed the turns this novel took, some of which were very unexpected, and I also liked the contrast between the issues Sadie is grappling with, both professional and domestic. A cleverly written and twisty thriller - I would recommend this to anyone who likes a thriller with a bit more substance.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley who provided me with a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

Sadie and her daughter have moved to London from the states after Robin is offered a place at a prestigious school on London, moving back into her childhood home is hard for Sadie and the mums at school make things harder. Eventually after settling and making friends with the hated mums life looks good for Sadie and Robin.

With plenary of twists and turns this book kept me turning the pages.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Headline publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very well executed psychological thriller, and the tension mounted up with every passing chapter. There were lots of little threads that slowly came together as the book went on.

Il be picking up blood orange by this author after reading this 👍🏻

Having not read ‘Blood Orange’ the previous best seller by the author ( not sure why as was always one I wanted to ) I was not sure what to expect
What I got was a good, solid psychological thriller, well written, at times scary and at others had me laughing out loud ( the chapter where the main character goes to her first PTA drinks party is delicious in its humour and I had to look away a couple of times such was the ‘oh no, that cant be happening’ farce that was unfolding
The books focus though is on a Mum and her daughter who move back to London and the stress of being ‘the newbies’ at London’s most prestigious day private school, in unflinching terms you learn how determined these Mum’s are for their daughters to succeed, and will stop at nothing and I mean nothing to reach their goals, another sub story in the book is the trial of a tracher accused of grooming a former student, will say no more on that but sometimes sub stories are there to just ‘fill in’, this isn’t
The book gets darker and darker until it reaches it’s twisty ending and then as suspected there was another little turn to make it even more horrific
Great characters take you through this shockingly good read that if your a parent will I am sure make you wary of ‘school gate’ friendships
Superb!

10/10
5 Stars

This is a brilliantly crafted psychological thriller about mothers and daughters. It's a bit like the 1812 overture, just when you think the author can't ratchet up the tension anymore in come the cannons and bells and that shattering final crescendo.
Sadie and her daughter Robin have moved back to London from America. They are both made to feel extremely unwelcome by the mothers and pupils at Robin's new school. It isn't until Robin is abducted that Sadie realizes just how dangerous one of those mothers may be.
Throw in a John Grisham-style court case as a major subplot and nerve-tingling twists and turns and you'll still be left gasping by the cleverness of the denouement.

Well this was quite a fast paced, convoluted, slow burner of a book. And I am aware that that is a quite contradictory statement. But, it's also true. For me anyway!
We follow Sadie and daughter Robin as circumstances dictate that they leave their US home to return back to Sadie's childhood home. Neither are happy about having to do this and Robin is especially upset when she finds out that her new school, Sadie's old one, is worst than she expected. Sadie hoped that times had changed since she attended it but, it seems not. Things are made even more difficult as Robin is picked on for being the new girl in an important school exam year, and Sadie is just a shunned as the mother who made it happen. But there's a will to consider, the terms of which are quite clear. This has to be as it is...
And that's just the main plot as it plays out among quite a few sub plots that it does tend to get a bit busy. There's the breakdown of Sadie's marriage to contend with, the trial she becomes embroiled in as she starts to work again, the PTA and all that contains. In fact, the main plot isn't as main as you'd think it should be. It's like a spider's web with this in the middle but many strands reaching out in different directions all making up the whole book. Some interconnected, others just there to nudge direction.
You see, now my opening statement starts to make sense...
Characterisation is a little strange as there is a lot that isn't what it seems but there were enough characters for me to be able to connect to / emote with to keep my head above water whilst reading this book. And when all was said and done, when the whole, sometimes ugly, truth was finally laid bare and it all finally made sense It actually turned out to be worth of the four stars that I have given it. My main fear, and my reason for mentioning it here, is that I fear that some may give up half way through. My advice to you, if that's you and you're struggling, is keep going. It is worth sticking with... I'm glad I did.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I was really looking forward to reading this after enjoying Blood Orange as I love a good psychological thriller.

It starts with Sadie and her daughter Robin being forced to move to London from the US, back into her childhood home. Her husband Andrew has turned nasty and driven them out of the country.

Sadie’s mother has left Robin the house and an inheritance but ONLY if Robin attends the private school that Sadie attended as a child. Sadie hated the school and is reluctant to send Robin there but they don’t have a choice.

The school is competitive and the school mums even more so pushing their daughter to be the best of the best. Sadie and Robin are intruders, a new threat and tensions run high.

Alongside all this, Sadie has to go back to work as a Barrister. Back to the chambers she left when she had Robin and moved to America. Her first case is for the defence of a teacher accused of a sexual relationship with a student.

Sadie’s just trying to get their lives back on track but life has other plans.

Unfortunately for me this book didn’t quite live up to expectations. There were far too many individual storylines, which didn’t even relate to each other.

The marriage split, the inheritance and Sadie’s past with her mother, the tension with the school mums and her legal case at work. Rather than one interwoven story there were four separate storylines each with their own resolutions.

It was a VERRRYYY slow start. I didn’t get into it until about a quarter way in to the book. Even then I wasn’t that invested.

I had zero interest in the school mum politics which was unfortunately the main storyline of the book. I much preferred the legal aspect of the book but this was just a side story as with Blood Orange.

I guessed who the “bad guy” was quite early on I think and the storyline with her husband was pretty far fetched.

Overall it wasn’t for me, so I’ve given it 2.5 stars rounded up, but like Blood Orange some people might like it and some people might hate it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Headline and the author for letting me read and review an advance copy of this book.

Disappointing. Although I felt for the main character at times, I found the main story line unbelievable and lacking in tension. I enjoy a legal drama/thriller, but this one added no real purpose to the story (nor did the other sub-plots) except from making the main character slightly distracted.

I'd not read a book by Harriet Tyce before this one, I thought it was brilliant.

A really good story, well rounded characters, some of them pretty scary!

Clever twist at the end.

I am certainly going to read more books by Harriet Tyce.