EXCERPT: 'Your work is compromised because it's commercial. You gave up any integrity your writing might have had when you decided to write for this market. It's so disappointing. And don't even get me started on Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey. She's a cliche if I ever met one.'

'Are you finished?' I asked.

'Do you not see it? How can you not see it? Don't you ever despair that you've sold out? Or perhaps you can't see it. I wonder about that sometimes.'

I stared at him, hoping there was a way those words could just retreat right back into his mouth and down into his stomach where the acid would fry them. I was outraged that he would sit here in this house, that he'd bought with my money, and suggest that writing thrillers was any easier than any other kind of novel, that I was a lesser writer because of it. That I was inferior to him. That Eliza was inferior. That my readers were.

I stood and picked up my plate. It gave me sweet pleasure to hurl it at the wall. Dan ducked out of the way dramatically as it flew past him, though it would never have hit him, I'm certain it wouldn't.

My towering outrage flew through the air with the plate, frisbeed alongside it, helped it create a deep dent in the plasterwork before shattering on the floor beside it, creating an unaccountable number of tiny shards like sharpened grains of spilled rice. The steak landed on the kitchen surface with a dull smack and peppercorn sauce dripped down the handmade tiles. I watched, with satisfaction, and thought, if this was in a book, depending on the scene, I might describe those as 'glutinous rivulets' and that would be okay with my readers and me.

I hated Dan so very much in that moment.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.

Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans. It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.

Now Dan has vanished. But this isn’t the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy’s life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy’s disappearance, to the detectives’ fury and her parents’ despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story—a talent she has profited from greatly.

But now Lucy’s a grown woman who can’t hide behind fiction any longer. The world is watching, and her whole life is under intense scrutiny. A life full of stories, some more believable than others. Could she have hurt Teddy? Did she kill Dan? Finally, now, Lucy Harper’s going to tell the truth.

Cross her heart.

And hope to die.

MY THOUGHTS: This is my first encounter with Gilly Macmillan, and it won't be my last! I read this over two nights - it would have been one had my three year old grandson not kept me occupied all day - my mind spinning, wondering, is this woman mad? Did she kill her little brother? Did she kill her husband? Are we ever going to know the truth? I didn't know if I could trust what she was telling me, or if she lived in the fantasy world where she creates her books.

The inability to trust plays a huge role in this book. People Lucy thought she could trust, turn on her. Even Eliza seems to be playing games with her. And those neighbours...they all seem to have their own agendas. 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching you.' Sometimes it seems like everyone is watching Lucy. And just who is #MrElizaGrey?

Gilly Macmillan can certainly create atmosphere. To Tell You the Truth is an excellent piece of writing. The ending is unexpected and well done, the chapters short and taut.

❤❤❤❤

#ToTellYoutheTruth #NetGalley

We humans like to look at the dark side of things, don't we? At the most twisted things. We like that feeling of shock and horror. It makes addicts of us.

THE AUTHOR: She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House, UK, Cornerstone, for providing a digital ARC of To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

In the newest novel by Gilly Macmillan we are following Lucy, a best selling crime fiction author whose husband goes missing. But this is not the only tragedy in our protagonist life - years ago her little brother disappeared while being out in the woods with her and was never found. The memories of her painful past are being dragged out once again and she becomes desperate to find out what happened to her loved ones.

I must admit I enjoyed the plot and the books about books and writers were always one of my favourite as they give us in insight into the author’s mind and publishing industry. It was such a clever, suspenseful novel full of lies, mysteries and secrets. I loved Lucy’s unreliable character and her conversations with the imaginary friend / split personality and the timeline switching between past and present was a brilliant idea.

I was a little bit disappointed with the open ending as it didn’t answer all my questions but nonetheless it was worth reading. It would make an ideal book club choice.

A very enjoyable read that will have you guessing to the end I got the book off netgalley I would recommend this book

To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.

Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans.  It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere...

.I really liked the context of the book but the personage didn't involve me, I found her relationship with the alter ego very tiring and without explanation. But the whole story was well constructed. I thank Netgalley for making this book available to me

To Tell You the Truth follows author Lucy as she finishes her latest novel and her life begins to unravel. Following the disappearance of her younger brother when she was a child Lucy has reinvented herself. But the past doesn't stay buried when her husband then goes missing. Eerily atmospheric and full of twists, red herrings and characters who leapt off the screen this book was a brilliant ride.

My first Gilly Macmillan book but definitely not the last I will pick up.

A really enjoyable mystery!

This is the second book of Gilly Macmillan that I've read and I really enjoy her style of writing. It flows well and it keeps you entertained from the beginning to the end. There's also always a nice twist that you don't see coming.

This is the story of Lucy Harper. She is a successful author of a popular crime series but her life is not moonshine and roses. She is married to Daniel who is jealous of her success and she made the mistake of letting him be in charge of her/their money. A very traumatic event when she was young is also still haunting her. Her brother disappeared and was never found and people suspected that she killed him. She has an imaginary friend, Eliza, who steps in when she can't cope. It feels like her life is spiralling our of control. Then her husband disappears and is found dead and soon her life turns into 1 of her own stories.

If you dont feel like too much gore and want to read an easy mystery this is definitely the book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Lucy was a best selling crime writer. Her main character is her childhood 'Imaginary Friend' Eliza. The trouble is Eliza is still very real to Lucy- she still hears & speaks to her & wonders sometimes if she sees her too. In an attempt to gain distance her latest 'Eliza' book sidelines the main character early on. This does not gone well with her publisher- or her husband, Dan, who has just bought a big house close to her childhood home. This was a place she wanted to forget. As a child she crept out into the woods across from her house on the night of the Summer Solstice. Her little brother came too but he never returned. Lucy has spent her life trying to escape the publicity from this. why has Dan done this. When Dan disappears Lucy's life slides into nightmare- should she really be listening to Eliza's voice?

This seemed to have all the ingredients for a good story but it didn't really hit the mark for me. Perhaps it was Lucy- who I never really warmed to & I definitely disliked Dan, so I never really cared what might have happened to him. Lucy's brother's story was one I was interested in but...

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

An excellent thriller, this flips between the present and the past clearly and keeps you guessing throughout. The plot flows well, though I did find myself zoning out slightly during the Lucy and Eliza discussions.

This novel centres around the disappearance of Teddy, younger brother of Lucy, one summer solstice night when the lure of the celebrations taking place in the woods behind their home was too tempting to ignore. With reference to spirits and faeries there is a magical, fanciful yet menacing tone from the very beginning, a hint of the stories to follow. That fateful night, with Teddy never found, still haunts Lucy who herself is now a bestselling crime writer. When husband Dan purchases a house, ostensibly as a surprise, near Lucy’s childhood home, she is forced to confront the events of that night and understand her role in Teddy’s disappearance. However, life is further complicated when Dan too disappears which surely can’t be a coincidence. With a timeline switching between past and present will the truth finally be revealed?

This is one of those novels where you have no idea who to believe, where the boundary between truth and fiction is blurred. Constantly keeping you guessing, the reader quickly understands that the protagonist Lucy Harper is an unreliable narrator. This seems to be a much favoured method employed by authors to create a sense of confusion, forcing the reader to question everyone and everything. In the process a complex and intriguing character can be conjured up so that you cannot fail to be hypnotised by their narrative, whether you choose to believe it or not. I think the author has achieved that brilliantly with the creation of Lucy and Eliza. Is Eliza her imaginary friend who has stuck by her since childhood, a comforting presence guiding her through stressful situations or difficult conversations or does Lucy have a split personality with Eliza encouraging her to do bad things? Whatever you decide, Eliza is the one urging Lucy forwards, with those frightening woods whispering her name, drawing her ever closer to the source of danger. Strangely I liked Eliza’s presence, sometimes believing her to be representative of Lucy’s inner strength or alternately seeing her as an evil spirit taking possession of Lucy’s mind.

Lucy’s relationship with husband Dan causes much concern. Whilst she is the one churning out the best selling series, Dan takes on the role of literary snob, criticising her writing but happy to live off her success which made my blood boil. He’s an easy character to detest especially with behaviour such as purchasing an incredibly expensive house with her income and without her knowledge. I had to ask myself why he would do such a thing knowing her background and being privy to her deepest darkest secrets. Presumably he has an ulterior motive rather than simply being a completely callous individual. In that sense he’s definitely painted as the villain especially when we learn of previous gaslighting issues. I had a difficult job caring about his disappearance thinking good riddance whilst at the same time being highly suspicious of Lucy’s involvement.

I liked the use of Lucy as a bestselling author to explore the pressure writers experience working to deadlines and delivering books that will satisfy both agent and publisher as well as the fans. The desire to write something that Lucy herself feels proud of rather than churning out books that will ensure mass appeal forms part of her narrative. Has she sold herself out to the demands of her publisher and what will happen if she chose to write something completely different. Her and Dan’s lifestyle is dependent upon the success of the Eliza Grey series which I think makes Lucy feel trapped.

My mind was in turmoil, not knowing who or what to believe which can be frustrating if you like things to be straightforward and neatly wrapped up. I was itching for some clarity throughout this novel but instead it’s up to the reader to draw their own conclusions. I really couldn’t decide whether Lucy was a character deserving of my sympathy and allegiance or whether she was mad bad and dangerous. Either way she is a great inventor of stories both in her personal life and through her imaginary detective Eliza Grey. Lucy and Eliza’s conversations make great reading so that I felt compelled to keep turning the pages, believing I would discover the truth behind Teddy’s disappearance. By the end I felt none the wiser regarding Lucy’s state of mind and would love to have discussed this with other book friends so it would make an ideal book group choice.

Definitely recommend and my thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Lucy has just finished her latest book but shes not sure how well it will go down after incapacitating her lead in the first chapter. To celebrate her husband has moved them to a house near her childhood home. A place she doesnt want to be as it brings back memories of the disappearance of her brother Teddy then her husband disappears.

This was such a good read and I read it in almost one sitting. The story just flows so easily you dont want to stop. The story jumps from present to the past but it doesnt affect the flow. The plot is steady building to a fascinating ending. There was some clever twists to the story that I really enjoyed. This is written so well and descriptive. Eliza added an interesting depth to the story and helped to lead you down a possible conclusion to the story. The ending was well done and I liked how it finished. I really liked Lucy and found myself warming to her straight away. A really good thriller with some great twists.

Having previously read and enjoyed The Nanny by the same author, I was delighted to be offered To Tell You The Truth by NetGalley. As a child, Lucy, a girl with a vivid imagination, takes her young brother to nearby woods in the middle of the night. It is the summer solstice and she delights in watching the pagan festivities, the bonfire, the dancing, the fireworks. Totally mesmerised by this spectacle, she failed to take proper care of the small boy and he disappeared. Many years later, as a successful author and married to Dan, she still had terrible feelings of guilt at not being able to protect her brother. As her marriage began to crumble and problems with her work began to take over her life, her nightmares from her past and present began to mingle. Lucy felt she was going mad, was she? A story with several layers that brought fear, mystery and a slightly bizarre imagination in the central character. An enjoyable book in the main but I was so disappointed that one mystery in particular was not answered and felt the ending was rushed or that the author had run out of ideas. A shame as the book had so much promise.

With thanks to NetGalley & Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.

Lucy is a highly successful crime author, wealthy and respected.
But she has a dark secret in her childhood.
She was 9 when her 3 year old brother went missing under her watch.
She also has a sinister alter ego/imaginary friend who has followed her for her entire life, Eliza.

When she has a fight with her over bearing and domineering husband he leaves their new home.
A few days later he is found dead.

The police are rightly interested in Lucy.

The story unfolds with a dual timeline, Lucy reliving her brothers disappearance as well as the ongoing investigation into her husbands death.
All the while there is the malevolent Eliza on her shoulder .
Connections between the two incidents soon become apparent and this leads Lucy down paths she really doesn't want to travel.

The story has plenty of suspense and a few sharp turns that throw you off balance.
The character of Eliza is unusual and very enjoyable.

A great story, expertly told.

Lucy Harper is a best selling author, married to Dan Harper. While Dan is a writer as well but not a successful one. He is jealous of Lucy's success and he manages all things for Lucy.

When Lucy was 9, her 3 year old brother Teddy, goes missing. Lucy spins a tale about his disappearance to her parents and the police. Years later she shares this secret with Dan. One day after an argument, Dan disappears and it seems like there was a side to him that he had hidden from Lucy. Skeletons threaten to tumble out.

The story has a few twists and though I found it a bit slow in the beginning, it picks up pace. Overall an enjoyable book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random Hope Uk for the ARC.

This is my first Gilly McMillan book and will not need my last.

The main character is Lucy Harper a successful crime writer who's main character is DS Eliza Grey. Lucy seemingly has written Eliza out of the current book much to the chagrin of hader publishers and her husband Daniel.

Lucy had a troubled past which she has, so far, successfully hidden. Whereby when she was 9 years old she took her 3 year old brother Teddy into nearby woods to see a solstice event and in a moment of carelessness leaves Teddy alone and he goes missing. The author simultaneously tells the story of that early event and a present day event where her husband Dan, a not particularly nice person subsequently goes missing. these are written from the perspective of Lucy and her alter ego Eliza who has been with her from childhood to the present day. Eliza is often the voice of reason and is largely ignored by Lucy.

Lucy's past comes to light and she naturally becomes a suspect in her husband's disappearance. The story it's well written with plenty of twists and turns. However, I scratched my head a little over the solution to the disappearance of Daniel. Nevertheless this is a good read and I highly recommend it.

I would liked to thank Netgalley UK, the author and Randomhouse UK, Cornerstone for and advanced arc copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone - Century for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘To Tell You the Truth’ by Gilly Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

“he talks you to the the moment when Teddy disappeared, you hear Eliza, and she tells you to give the answer you always give: ‘The fairy king took Teddy and he took him to his fairy land.’ - Lucy Harper.

When she was nine years old Lucy Harper’s three year old brother, Teddy, vanished in the woods near home on the night of the summer solstice. Lucy was the only witness and her story of the events of that night were crucial to the police investigation. Thirty years on, her brother’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Lucy is now a best selling crime writer with fame, fortune and loyal fans. Her central character, DS Eliza Grey, is based upon her childhood imaginary friend. However, Eliza has continued to be part of Lucy’s life.

“she’d been a voice in my head, my friend, confidante and protector. It had been amazing to bring her to life on the page. But she had evolved, somehow becoming more than words. It was as if she had been formed from clay and life breathed into her. When I was writing my third novel, she stepped right out of the pages and into my life. ‘I see you everywhere,’ I told her.”

With a strangely active imaginary friend, a brother disappearing at midsummer in the woods, and Lucy’s mention of faeries, this could easily have become a work of folk horror. Yet it remains firmly in the domestic noir/psychological thriller category. Readers can make up their minds as to the nature of Eliza and Lucy’s state of mind.

However, Lucy’s husband, Dan, was a real piece of work. He had aspirations to be a writer of literary novels but had been eclipsed by his wife’s success. Now he serves as her assistant though seems more interested in spending her money and undermining her confidence. I rather wish Eliza had exercised her influence to encourage Lucy to dump him. Still, Lucy is very much in love and keeps excusing his behaviour.

When he does something that forces her to confront her dark memories, I wanted to jump into the book and give him a kicking. Then he disappears though this brings the police back into Lucy’s life. Interspersed with the present day events are Lucy’s memories of that night and it’s aftermath. No more plot details in order to avoid spoilers.

This novel was a treat on a number of levels. Aside from that hint of something uncanny happening in the woods and a cracking domestic noir, Gilly Macmillan highlights aspects of the publishing industry; specifically the pressure that Lucy experiences from her publishers who want her to continue to produce a new DS Eliza Grey thriller each year and are deaf to her desire to write something different.

Then there is literary snob, Dan, who is clearly happy with the money the books make yet accuses her of selling out: “I honestly don’t think your work is going to win any prizes, do you? Not significant ones, anyway. And it’s hardly going to endure, is it? It’s only crime fiction!’” What a charmer - all the while swanning about in the white F-type Jaguar that ‘only crime fiction’ paid for. Grrrrr.

This was a great read and I certainly will be looking into reading her earlier titles and look forward to her future projects.

I say it right away: I did not like the book. Lucy is a horrible character and her husband Daniel is just the same. I just could not connect to the story which was told in an incredible boring way. Basically, it is an interesting story but at the same time it is just sooooo boring. But my main problem is Lucy. I just hated her. She is a difficult person. And she has her issues but I was so annoyed by her actions and I would have liked to understand what it was with Eliza. Is Lucy schizophrenic? Or has she multiple personalities? It is all so confusing and at the same time it is just ….meh.

I enjoyed “Burnt Paper Sky” from the author so I was excited to read a new book from her. But this was just disappointing for me in so many ways, especially because of Lucy. I just could not understand her. And the ending….what a disappointment. It was so unbelievable and unrealistic. The whole story is just not wrapped up to the end. And I just cannot stop saying how much I despised Lucy. Even more than her horrible husband. I forced myself to read this book and I am relieved that I finished it. I would not recommend it.

This is my first book by this author and although overall the plot was good I just didn’t gel with it all the way through. I was really enjoying it up until Dan went missing, then it just went a bit off-piste for me. I wasn’t keen on Eliza, Lucy’s imaginary childhood friend, especially towards the end of the book and I wasn’t sure what was meant to be achieved by her. I am keen to read other books by Gilly though. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Cornerstone for letting me read and review this book

Lucy Harper was 9 years when her 3 year-old brother went missing in the woods nearby. He has never been found and it still haunts her. She is now a very successful crime writer, selling millions of books. But one day fate brings her back near those woods, her husband goes missing and she finds herself in the middle of what could easily be her next plot. This book was creepy, atmospheric and fast paced. I loved the heck out of it. So well written and full of twisty turns! Thank you so much!

I felt engaged with this tale from the first page - there are two main themes with this novel, the first being what happened to Lucy's brother when she was young and the second being what happened as Lucy finished her latest novel.
Lucy, as a young girl, has an imaginary best friend, Eliza and life changes for their family oh the Summer Solstice and this shapes the rest of her life. She is a very successful author and her husband, Dan, manages the rest of her life. It is fascinating to hear how this author is taken over by her main character - a good imagination or an insight into the author's life?
Well written, absorbing mystery - Gilly Macmillan never disappoints.
Four and a half stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Gilly Macmillan/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was the first book by Gilly Macmillan that I've read and I absolutely loved it. It was dark, gripping and thrilling. This book had me constantly second guessing what was going to happen. I thoroughly recommend it for any psychological thriller fans. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin UK and Gilly Macmillan for an ARC in return for an honest review.