This novel really frustrated me because so much of it was good! But all of that was lost in these overly meandering chapters that dragged on and on and on, leaving all traces of intrigue behind.

I think one of the problems was that the pace was off - one moment the story picked up steam, fully engaged you, and then it dropped you in these long and boring chapters where nothing much happened other than the main character wondering what would happen to her/Freddie.

As a result of the pace being so off, the book as a whole felt messy. It’s as if it the author spent so long working on this, that the main thread of this story was lost and what made the story worthwhile right with it. If I were the editor I would have said, “cut this by at least 1/3 and tighten up the plot so readers don’t loose interest.”

My head is absolutely reeling from this. I did not see well the majority of the end section coming, while at the same time it all made complete sense.

I perhaps should have guessed from the title that the book may be filled with lies, secrets, revelations, but I also went into it blindly not having looked at the blurb at all, just knowing I love Jane Corry's books and would be in safe hands.

And well it only took a few chapters to be hooked, and I have spent most of the day basically ignoring the fact that it was a week day when I was reading this, with a mountain of work that should almost certainly have had my intention, and instead I just couldn't tear myself away from the story.

It raises all sorts of questions, and if I was a mother myself maybe I'd have an answer to the main question that is raises, which is just what would you do to protect your child, even if they have said that they had done the worst thing possible.

In the first half of the book we get a great feel for Tom and Sarah's life from both their perspectives from their first meeting, to the present day. We see Freddy growing up, and we learn about things that both of them hidden from each other from their own pasts.

There is just so much to get your head around in this, that all I can really say is this is Jane Corry at her twisty, compulsive best. I just loved this book so much, it was wonderful, and I always appreciate a book that makes me forget about real life for a few hours, and transports me into it's pages.

I can't help but think this will be playing on my mind a lot for at least the next few days, and if this is anything like some of the psychological suspense sorts of books I've read recently, may give me some rather weird and vivid dreams too!

Thank you to Viking Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

I loved this book.
Like
I’m peeling an onion there are so many layers .
Many times I felt such empathy and sorrow for Sarah’s character.
I couldn’t put this book down !

This was definitely not what I expected from the blurb! I felt it may be of the same ilk of many of the other books with a “how far would you go to protect your family theme” but it was totally different and unique! Told by the POV of husband Tom and wife sarah it goes through the lies/deceptions of both lives before and after their son is born! It was dusted with tragedy and sadness, but with some lovely parts too. I really enjoyed it.

What would you do if your teenage son came home and told you he had killed someone?
Well written book and gave you the backdrop to Sarah & Toms lives and then how Freddie dropped the bombshell and the story moves on from there.
Thought provoking through the book and sensitive issues raised throughout.
I enjoyed this book.

From being about a teenager admitting to his mother that he has killed someone, this novel quickly turns to the stories of the parents and their guilt from the past. The son is not even in the picture for much of the book.

Sarah and Tom are as different as chalk and cheese so it is somewhat difficult to believe in their long marriage.

Despite having many strong themes of killing, child abuse, drug dealing, extra-marital affairs, the story lacks pace and peripheral characters such as Olivia and Hugo who take up quite a lot of space are fairly one-dimensional.

I was irritated throughout by the passages in italics which sometimes occurred at the end of Sarah's chapters, sometimes Tom's, and the person they related to did not even feature in the book until the closing chapters so I was left wondering why they were there..

Overall I think the story lacks immediacy and it did not totally hold my attention. It has a potentially fascinating premise of how far parents will go to cover up for their children's misdeeds, but this theme has been explored more powerfully and convincingly by other authors.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. The story is completely engrossing, and the reader is completely drawn into the lives of Sarah Tom and Freddy from the very first page. I found myself thinking "what would I do?" at numerous points throughout the book, and Jane Corry brilliantly raises these questions whilst still telling a cracking story. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

Jane Corry is a wonderful storyteller who writes about quite ordinary people. However, a wrong word or deed can have devastating consequences and affect their whole lives. Her stories are multilayered and gradually reveal the truth. In The Lies We Tell, Sarah and Tom’s teenage son comes home late one night and says he has killed someone. What would you do? The right thing or protect him at all costs? The majority of the book is a build up of what leads to this devastating event. Their son is not the only one with secrets and as lies are unearthed, relationships suffer. Most people tell lies, protect loved ones from the truth or simply keep things buried believing they will not affect current circumstances. This book shows that one lie can easily lead to another and unhealthy mistrust can develop. The characters in this book were well conceived and although I disliked most of them at times, I had a sympathy with them too. Tom and Sarah were two completely different people who fell in love but could their differences allow them to survive life’s tragic events? A great read once again from Jane Corry and I look forward to the next one.

This excellent thriller poses a very real moral dilemma: Just how far are we willing to go for our children, and is there ever too far? A good yarn!

How far would you go to protect the one you love? A mother’s love knows no bounds... or does it. It’s amazing how our experiences affect our perceptions and therefore decisions that we make in life. Another great read from Jane Corry!

A wonderfully written book, full of strong characters and a plot that keeps on giving. Cannot recommend more highly - one of my top reads so far this year!

Unfortunately I could not get invested in this story.

It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I was expecting an emotional punch which i did not receive.

I feel that I will be the minority who feels this and others will love it.

Sarah and Tom are on the verge of moving house to try to start fresh with their son, Freddie, when he comes home and says ‘Mum I have killed someone’. Sarah will go to the ends of the Earth to protect their son but what are her reasons. Why have her and Tom drifted apart? They were like chalk and cheese when they met and never the ideal match but both kept their lies hidden until it was too late.
Oh this was a cracker. Such a gripping drama and I loved it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This book was very different to what I expected, the characters were very strong but not all likeable, the book was well written.

Wow! This had me hooked from the opening page. A great plot, characters to love and hate and ponder how you feel about them. A book that makes you think about what you bring out in the people closest to you. What is the right thing and what is the wrong?

Jane Corry is a new author to me and I will definitely be reading more of her books. This book had me hooked from the start, great story with twists and turns to keep you engaged. As a mother I did ask myself what would I do? Definitely recommend this book!

Jane Corry The Lies We Tell Penguin Books 2021

Thank you, NetGalley, for this copy for review.

Jane Corry brings her skills with characterisation into full play with this study of two people whose family backgrounds, guilt and lies impact on each other, their friends, and eventually, their child. At the same time each is treated as an individual, Corry places Tom and Sarah into stereotypical traditional roles: the demanding and critical father versus the ever forgiving and compliant mother. It is in these roles that they and their son Freddie, the three main characters, are introduced. Freddie is late home, despite Sarah’s negotiating an earlier curfew. The scene begins in the bedroom, packed boxes are evidence of a move, and Tom sees Freddie’s lateness as just more evidence that he cannot be trusted.
Tom’s concern with trust is ironic – he knows that he and Sarah have lied about their pasts and continue to lie about incidents in their current lives. Sarah, despite her anger and distress at Freddie’s absence continues to defend him; Tom can barely say his child’s name. The evidence of a move from what has been the family home suggests upheaval, but no-one can imagine the enormity of what it will encompass until Freddie arrives home, with devastating news.
The story moves smoothly between the event that begins this part of the story, Truro Crown Court, and the past. The past gives both Sarah and Tom a platform for their interpretation of their lives before they met, together as a couple, as parents, and after Freddie’s news. Both Sarah and Tom have unhappy stories to tell, but in Part 1 they are largely introduced in the images they have adopted to overcome their pasts. Sarah is a woman with a lovely smile, an art teacher who dismisses domestic tasks and is living on the small income garnered from her classes. Her happy demeanour covers the immense secret she is hiding. Tom has a practical occupation, as an actuary, but immediately appears more complicated than Sarah, although there are only a few clues to show her the figure he becomes. Tom has joined Sarah’s art class. While advertised under a bland title, it is a life class. Tom is disturbed by the naked middle-aged model but fascinated by Sarah. He quickly becomes totally enamoured of her, and they marry. Their different approaches to life seemingly add to the romance of the relationship. His friend, Hugo, has a past with Tom, and he and his wife, Olivia and their two children become an intermittent part of Sarah and Tom’s married life. At the end of some of the chapters is a section in italics – the anonymity of these statements and observations add to the tension as Sarah and Tom’s marriage changes: pleasurable, distressing while seeking a successful pregnancy, unhappiness mixed with contentment as the marriage grows older, work, and indications that neither is telling the truth about their past.
The narrative moves engagingly between past and present, the characters’ self-condemnation and guilt, self-justification, and relationships with each other, friends, and work colleagues. The writing is well paced, drawing the reader into the feelings as well as the actions of the characters. Corry places Tom and Sarah’s responses to Freddie and his behaviour in the context of their own upbringing and its impact on their parenting. However, as well as their backgrounds Tom and Sarah evidence immense guilt. I wonder about the level of guilt that they labour under. In both cases, incidents from Sarah and Tom’s youth, while serious and heart-breaking, seem to be overdrawn as a motivation for their behaviour as adults. I found the exploration of their guilt and its impact rather laboured.
In contrast with my concern about the way in which guilt appeared to dominate unduly at times I also found some lighter, perhaps peripheral moments rather lovely. The way in which Olivia, although a secondary character, is beautifully drawn in both personas she adopts was entertaining. Hilary, too, although a minor character, is an interesting addition to the cast, the descriptions of her appearance and behaviour rather sympathetic. Sarah’s later friendships make welcome additions to the story, both in behaviour and storyline. The ending was well conceived. It did not evade the realties that would arise from Freddie’s news, and his parents’ responses. At the same time, there are indications that the possibilities for each character are more positive than they could have envisaged. Perhaps this is a poor way of saying there is a ‘happy ending’ but to use this phrase would be unfair to the work Corry has done to achieve an ending that is consistent with a strong story in which reality and optimism blend.

What a great read this was. Gripping and extremely easy to curl up on the sofa and read from start to finish. The raw emotions were easily imagined and tears pricked my eyes on a couple of occasions. A must read.

Another superb psychological thriller by Jane, I couldn't put this one down! Cannot wait for the next!!

I have mixed feelings about this one.
The author had me putting myself in the shoes of Sarah. What would I do if my child came home and told me he had done something terrible? I could help but be pulled in to this story. As I got further in I realised that Freddie behaved like a spoilt petulant child which Sarah was too blind to see. Sarah and her husband had very different opinions on how to parent Freddie, with Sarah being more blinkered to his behaviour.
The story kept switching from the past to the present telling the story of how Sarah and Tom first met and gives an insight to why they parent Freddie the way they do.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.