There are multiple lies being told in this story about a family consisting of father Tom, mother Sarah and son Freddie. The story starts with Freddie coming home very late one night and saying that he had killed someone. Sarah’s first thought is to protect her beloved son and Tom’s is to inform the police. The story then goes back to where Tom and Sarah meet and eventually marry. They are a most unlikely couple, with Sarah and her bohemian lifestyle teaching life drawing and Tom, a rather stiff and buttoned up actuary. When they marry Sarah ends up living a life she could never have dreamed of, living in a nice house with plenty of money and well to do friends but their differences start to become a problem after Freddie is born. As an only child Sarah smothers Freddie with love and Tom starts to feel excluded from their close relationship. The story really develops the night Freddie claims to have killed someone and Sarah takes the decision to protect him no matter what. I did like the passages written in italic which added a bit of mystery to the story as we are not told who they refer to. Sarah’s attempts to smother Freddie make sense as she is desperate to have more children and has a number of miscarriages in her attempt to have a bigger family. Overall it is an easy story to read and the characters are well written and believable. I have read a number of Jane Corry’s books and although I enjoyed reading this it wasn’t a favourite. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I requested this book after being absolutely mesmerised by Jane’s first novel I MADE A MISTAKE. I was interested by the premise of the back cover and thought it would be as thrilling as the previous.

Whilst this book is beautifully written and the characters well fleshed I just found the story to be a bit meandering. That’s not to say a book can’t be slow and brilliant but I think I was just expecting more. After the initial chapters I was a bit taken aback in the change of direction. From the initial discovery of her son committing a crime. The book then travels back 15 years prior and told from both Tom and Sarah’s perspectives of their budding relationship and the break down of their marriage.

If I were to describe this book I’d say it falls much more closely to family drama that a hard hitting crime fiction novel.

I liked it but I loved her first book more! Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The heart of the book is about the dilemma that 15-year-old Freddie’s parents face when he comes home one night and tells them that he has killed someone. Tom’s instinct is to ring the police, while his wife, Sarah, just wants to run away with Freddie and protect him. We rewind to when Tom and Sarah first met, and learn that they are from completely different backgrounds, and both have dark secrets which are slowly revealed. Lots happen throughout the story and it is full of twists, turns, and interesting characters. I couldn’t get to the end quick enough to find out what would happen! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was absorbed in it throughout. It’s about relationships and lies, and for me it posed the question ‘Should a couple stay together for the sake of their children?’ My answer is no. Neither Tom nor Sarah were happy in their marriage, and I think this could have had a lot to do with the way Freddie turned out. A great read and very well written.

What a great book. It is about Sarah who has made many mistakes in her teenage and early twenties and then she meets Tom. Sarah has been to art school and is a painter, doing classes. Tom is an actuary. Their paths cross and they are so different from one another that it should not work on paper when the met. Tom’s friend, Hugo, is shocked when Tom and Sarah marry. Children are on the list but that proves so difficult but eventually they have Freddie. On the day Freddie is born Tom learns secrets about Sarah which causes many problems. Sarah wishes she had been honest from the beginning and when Tom asks her if that is all the secrets she is not honest with him which will cause friction in the future. Freddie is a lovely child and completely attached to his mother but she is not strict at all coming from a complicated background herself. Tom is not happy about this and it causes trouble in their triangle as Freddie is allowed to get away with too much. When Freddie is 15 something happens which tears the family apart and Sarah and Freddie disappear. The story continues for several years of drama and happiness for Sarah until Freddie returns to face the consequences of his mistakes which is written really well and something you need to get through to find out what happens in the end as it is compelling. I loved this book from start to finish even though at times it made me very sad. Although I cannot relate to the story (thankgoodness) I have met people in my life who have and it was written very sympathetically from a mother’s perspective – nature or nurture comes into mind

Lies. Some are bigger than others but we all tell them and I think that the moral of this story is 'There but for the grace of God go any of us.'
Tom and Sarah both have things in their past that they want to keep a secret. Things that they have lied about to cover up. They are thrown together at a time when they both needed what the other had to offer but is that enough to base a strong relationship on? Maybe not when you consider what they are keeping from each other. The one thing that holds them together is their son Freddie but when he starts to repeat their mistakes will they be strong enough to survive?
This is a story of human life on it's most basic level. What would you do to survive and protect the ones that you
love the most?
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and thanks to the author for a cracking read.

Wow what a fabulous page turning novel. When Sarah and Tom meet they are very different personalities and they both have a troubled past which they keep secret from each other, so its always going to be a difficult relationship. Desperate for a family of her own, when they eventually have a son things come to light which makes Tom wonder if he can make the marriage work. A fantastic story with strong characters if a little flawed and the powerful pull of a mother's love in which they will do anything to protect their children. Brilliantly written and a story that grips you from the first page. A definite 5🌟read I loved it

I love Jane corrys books so was thrilled to read The lies we tell and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
A brilliant read that will make you think and ponder upon your own actions and what you would do if faced with the same situation! The power and intensity of a mother’s love for her child and the depths she would go to help him whilst also implicating herself!
Tom and Sarah are in a pretty staid middle aged marriage when their teenage son Freddie comes home with some devastating news! Tom and Sarah who have many secrets from their past handle the situation very differently and what follows is an intense moral dilemma that affects Sarah,Tom and Freddie in different ways and the decisions that they make! Past mistakes,crimes and actions are revealed and ultimately new snd very different lives lived!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Jane is a great writer and I have really enjoyed her previous novels so I was eagerly awaiting this one. It was a good read overall, but it seemed to lack a spark of her previous novels.

I’ve always loved Jane Corry’s writing style and enjoy her previous books.

The Lies We Tell is exceptional, I finished this one at 3am this morning. I simply could not put it down and needed to know the outcome. That’s how good Jane’s writing is.

The story starts with Sarah and Tom’s son, Freddie confessing to have murdered someone. We go back to when Sarah and Tom first met, learning of their pasts and the secrets they hold. How Freddie grew up, to the point of the night of his confession. What follows, I’m going to keep hush hush on. I don’t want to spoil your reading.

It’s one of those books you read and need to know what happened Next.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Jane's book always have a great description. get me hooked at the beginning, and then lose my fairly quickly from there. I don't know why but I have liked one of her books and been disappointed since.

I have read all of Jane Corry's other novel and overall I always really enjoy them.

The Lies We Tell, while still a decent read, did not blow me away as all her other books have done.

I would still recommend this, but I would not read it again.

Sarah and Tom's son Freddy comes home one night with a shocking revelation - he has killed someone. Sarah and Tom must decide how far they are willing to go to protect their son. With they push themselves and their marriage to the limit? When an opportunity arises, Sarah must make a choice - save her son, or herself... I found it a bit hard to get into this but the story does have shocks, secrets, twists and turns and is an interesting enough thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

I love Jane Corry's books - although this one isn't my top book by her it's still great. I love the characters and the internal angst the mother goes through regarding her son and the secret they both keep is so well done. There are lots of twists and turns along the way and I was very satisfied with the ending. I highly recommend this book and thanks to the publisher for the preview copy.

Okay, I love Jane Corry. I loved this book. It was not my favourite of hers that I have read, but it was still heaps better than a lot of other authors I could have chosen! I found this an interesting read and I found myself questioning how I would act if I were in the same position. Another great book from this author.

Tom and Sarah’s relationship is revealed in the opening pages and gives a foretaste of what is to come. Sarah, is over-worrying, over-protective about their teenage son, Freddy. Tom on the other hand feels that she indulges him too much. Always ready for an excuse; already to defend him. But he has, she reluctantly admits, been more problematic, abrupt, and hard to manage. It is the early hours of the morning and he has not yet come home. When he does, he has arrived soaking wet, crying and scared. He then reveals that he has killed someone. Tom feels that the police must be called immediately. Sarah springs to protect her son.

So what would you do? Actually, I don’t even want to think about it – so fraught it is. I shudder to think.

Loved it, loved it, loved. The characters, the pace, the structure. Must admit though, sometimes I was just a bit exasperated at Tom and Sarah.

That said, cannot praise it enough. It’s a five from me.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I didn't really warm to this thriller even though the premise was interesting. Corry is a great writer but I didn't really warm to or engage with any of the characters despite the intricate plotting and flashbacks. And I felt the Cornwall section just wasnt' believable.

Having enjoyed Jane' Corry's other novels. I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of 'The Lies We Tell.'

Tom and Sarah come from completely different backgrounds. Tom had attended boarding school, while Sarah was brought up in a commune. They meet at an art class where she is the tutor and he is the student. As the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that they both are hiding secrets from their past.

The main focus of the book is the dilemma presented by their son Freddie. At 15 years old, he comes home past his curfew confessing that he has killed someone. As a parent, our instinct is to protect our children. It poses the question what would we do in that situation?

The story is told from the perspective of Tom and Sarah, but there are snippets from another narrator peppered throughout. Jane Corry has a talent for drip-feeding information before the big reveal and this was evident here.

I felt engaged in the journey of the characters. There was also a nice set of supporting characters including Olivia- Sarah's bubbly best friend and the villagers, particularly Gladys.

I enjoyed this read. My only criticism is that the dialogue of certain characters is more authentic than others.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I want to say that this was another outstanding book by Jane Corry, but sadly I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous books.. Don’t get me wrong it’s extremely well written as fans of Jane would expect, the characters are good, a little dysfunctional as a family but interesting in their own ways, but it didn’t ‘grab’ me . That said we’re all in uncertain times at the moment and I have to say that my concentration does have lapses, some days I simply can’t get to grips with a book. So to fans of Jane Corry I would say give.it a try because it could be me that’s just out of kilter.

I love Jane Corry's writing and this was no exception.
The story of Sarah, Tom and Freddie drew me in immediately with an excellent title. Certainly I was left to wonder how far you would go to protect your child from the most heinous crime they say they have committed.
The story of two parents who are planets apart in every way but fell in love. Slowly their past crimes and behaviour start to trickle out deepening their disparity.
The division takes a leap forward when Freddie admits to what he has done and his parents take totally differing views as to what they should do about it. Sarah takes a decision and is left living with a moral dilemma which casts shadows over every aspect of her life for many years.
This is an extremely thought provoking book which had many different and unexpected turns to it . I raced through reading it and was pleased there was a proper conclusion.

Sarah and Tom are worlds apart in personality, yet they meet, fall in love and eventually have a son Freddie. Life isn't always easy and there are many arguments, but their marriage stays together for their son.
Freddie is a difficult teenager and when he returns home one night and tell his Mum he's killed someone, what will Sarah and Tom do?
The book takes us into the past into Sarah and Tom's life, as well as the present and the future. Both Sarah and Tom have secrets that have been kept hidden. Sarah escapes with Freddie to save her sone from prison but was the the right thing to do and will time catch up with them?

I enjoy Jane Corry as an author and enjoyed this book. There were a few far fetched moments that I wasn't sure about, and in some places there was a lot of information given in a short space of time, but an easy and enjoyable read nonetheless.