This is a psychological thriller. This novel is slower paced than I like my thrillers. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters
I was surprised by the ending.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This was twisty, gripping and engaging, just what you need for a thriller! The plot was well written and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

A twisty domestic noir that's full of lies and secrets. The truth is slowly peeled away as we learn more about the complex characters.

A slow burner… took me a while to get into it. A lot of twist and turns nearer the end, where it redeemed itself. Definitely one to read!

A brilliant page turner.
This will have you hooked
Plenty of twists and turns
And the ending wow
You just have to read it
Thanks NetGalley

It's well written, pacy and has enough happening to keep you adhered to the pages until it concludes. Her ability to conjure the detailed ordinariness of everyday domestic life makes her writing all the more powerful when she evokes psychological menace and dramatic plot twists. I wasn't prepared for quite how easily I became sucked into the story and became invested in the characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. An interesting novel by a new author in my personal reading-sphere! I am sure others would enjoy it too. Good character portrayls, descriptive setting and gripping plot.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
A twisty turn paging intriguing novel. Full of secrets and a fabulous ending. Recommended.

Found this really hard to get into I’m afraid - took a very long time to get going and for the story to start. What a shame!

Caroline England writes a hugely engrossing and entertaining novel that deals with some contemplative issues.

The author delivers an exuberant story of women's relationships that features a woman called Ellie Wilson but in essence, could be about any one of us. She is a wife to Cam Hastings, a partner, a daughter and despite her best efforts she always feels she is underperforming in all roles. An old university friend reappears in her life and soon her worries about being a perfect wife and mum are replaced by fear that she may lose everything - Ellie has a closet of repressed secrets...

The novel’s great strength is in the way Caroline England paints portraits of her characters' lives, creating people who are so believable you forget they're fictional. They are flawed and complex but as the story progresses, it feels as though you have met them. You are getting to know what makes them tick then the author pulls the rug out from under you with twist after twist. As Ellie's suppressed memories are brought back in morsels through her nightmares, you think things can't get any worse... until they do. The final scenes deliver a rewarding finale.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Little, Brown Book Group/ Piatkus via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thanks to Caroline England, Little Brown publishers and NetGalley for being given an ARC of Truth Games

Ellie & Cam are on the surface happily married with 3 sons, but when an old friend comes back into Ellie's life from university days, secrets from Ellie's past threaten to tear their entire family apart.

At the beginning of this book we observe a game of truth or dare, which ends just as the female character is about to admit a shocking truth. As the book continues, we learn more about the lies, secrets and shocking past that will shake up everyones future.

This book is described as a psychological thriller but for me it was very slow burn and more of a domestic thriller, lacking some of the fast paced twists and turns that keep me gripped. I found the beginning half of the book very slow and at times found my mind beginning to wander. It is very character driven, and Ellie frustrated me a little, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

This was a really well crafted psychological thriller. Ticks all the boxes and keeps you gripped. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy the genre.

Ellie Wilson tries so hard to live a dream like perfect life, yet the past haunts her in her sleep with nightmares which soon find a way to haunt her when she is awake. She’s tried so hard to put the past behind her but when an old friend come back into her life, the past begins to reveal itself.

This was a well written psychological thriller with interesting and well developed characters. The twists within were clever and made for a gripping read.

I would recommend this title to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the review copy.

Ellie and Cam seem to have an almost perfect relationship; they met when they had rooms in the same house in their third year of university and although they lost touch for a few years, a chance meeting was enough to re-ignite the spark between them. Three sons and a lot of baby rabbits later, they might not be married but they appear to be solid. That is, until Sean, Cam's best friend and a fellow housemate from their uni days becomes a presence in their lives once again.
Truth Games opens with a prologue which features a group of students playing a drunken truth game. After a few of the unnamed characters reveal their secrets, one of the boys challenges a girl to disclose hers and that's where we leave them until much later in the book. Before we discover what she said, there are layers of intrigue, lies and omissions to be peeled away in this slow-burning, irresistible novel.
Fans of fast-paced thrillers might find Truth Games frustrating but it rewards its readers in different ways; Caroline England paints an intimate portrait of their lives, creating characters who are so believable, it's easy to forget they're fictional. They are flawed, complex people but as the story progresses, it feels as if we're getting to know who they are - and then she pulls the rug from under our feet with twist after twist - you may see one coming but I doubt you'll predict them all!
While Ellie's behaviour can be frustrating at times, especially her reluctance to confront issues head on, she is a character I could empathise and sympathise with. She is a good mother who works hard to support her sons, Toby, Jake and Harry and recognises their individual needs. I particularly enjoyed the compassionate, realistic portrayal of Jake, who is autistic. Others characters aren't as agreeable, most notably Cam and her father, Maurice. She experiences fraught relations with both the significant men in her lives; Maurice appears to have always been a cold, domineering presence, while Cam's apparent easygoing nature doesn't tell the whole story as to the person he really is. Her memories of Sean colour her interactions with him but as she begins to suspect she has been kept in the dark, could he hold the key to helping her unravel what really happened years ago?
As Ellie becomes increasingly concerned about what she isn't being told, her snatches of memories and disturbing dreams suggest something traumatic occurred in her past. It means there's a growing sense of trepidation and even after the first shocks, there remains a tantalising opacity to the proceedings in this intricately plotted, immersive thriller.
Truth Games is an irresistibly unsettling mystery, beautifully characterised and written with a deep, perceptive understanding of the facades people build to protect themselves from the horrors they are unable to confront. Suspenseful, surprising and engrossing from first to last, I thoroughly recommend it.

A slow thriller that builds tension and develops characters with skill and sophistication.

Ellie is married to Cam and they have 3 kids. Cam is away a lot and suspicions are rising, along with secrets and lies! A brilliantly written story!

Really enjoyed this!

I really enjoyed this thriller by Caroline England. Truth Games tells the story of Ellie who has a secret from her past which slowly and with a delicious creepiness begins to infiltrate and threaten her happy family life. Ellie is a good well rounded character and the regular nightmares she suffers from suggest something buried inside her is troubling her. Slowly the author reveals what this is and the various characters in her life begin to reveal their own secrets. An original, engaging read, I look forward to reading more books from this author.

A twisty, well written, slow burn thriller that’d sure to get you a few times. While I prefer fast paced, more thriller than domestic suspense (which I think this is), I have to admit this one did grab me and keep me with it until the end. Would definitely recommend to those looking for a twisty, chilling domestic suspense that’s sure to get you a few times!

I slow burning domestic style book that has plenty of secrets and lies.

Ellie is married to Cam and they have three sons. She has a strained relationship with her parents but she seems happy with her family life. But suddenly little by little Ellie’s life seems to fall apart.

The story is told in the present day but also has snippets from the past which hint at secrets that are gradually revealed. I really liked Ellie but did find her frustrating in places. Although it does have elements of a thriller I would say it is more a domestic drama, as a whole.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.