Twisted Menace…
With an underlying current of twisted menace this tale of the human possibilities of manipulative control unfolds in earnest with a credible and well crafted cast of characters. Nothing is quite as it seems. Who exactly is in control here? A solid psychological suspense which is both compelling and intriguing.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley and Simon Schuster UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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As far as I am aware this is Kate Ruby’s debut novel and it was definitely one she should be extremely proud of.

3 Women. 3 Secrets. How long will they stay hidden and how dangerous will they be?

#TellMeYourLies is a suspenseful psychological thriller following Nick and Lilly, their daughter Rachel who is addicted to alcohol and drugs and her therapist Amber.

As you read more about the family, you begin to understand why the kids all have their individual issues, Rachels being the centre of the book. After too much partying and one too many trips to the hospital after drug and alcohol binges her parents decide something needs to change. They enlist the help of Amber, a therapist and healer who may seem to be causing more problems than solving them.

Told from the retrospective viewpoints of Rachel and Lily, the author does a great job of diving into the heads of some very messed up people and exploring their family dynamics.

I must admit, I figured the twist out a few chapters ahead of the big reveal but it was done so well that I then was desperate to read the read of the book to see if I was right. Usually, I’d see this as a bit of a disappointment but it just made the ending even more riveting.

If you are a fan of domestic thrillers, then this is one you should pick up when it is released in May 2022.

What a fantastic story which centres on the complex and destructive relationships between members of a family and the eventual intervention with the daughter. The adage "Oh what a tangled Web we weave when first we practice to deceive" is very alt for this story. I really enjoyed it and thoroughly recommend it. It's not often I devour a book in a few hours but it was definitely the case with this one.

An outstanding and thrilling tale of addiction and parental love and revenge. Highly recommended to all readers that enjoy a solid domestic thriller.

This is the type of domestic thriller that will surely resonate with all parents out there. The struggle of a loving mother to break her teenage daughter’s cycle of addiction turns even more nightmarish when the “guru” they are supposed to trust on their way to recovery turns out to be rather sinister… A great and insightful read!

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller that had some nice ideas. I thought it was interesting that it was based off a true story as I enjoyed the gripping nature, feeling like an original novel

Tell Me Your Lies is a dark domestic thriller focussed on a long-troubled mother/daughter relationship. Lily's daughter Rachel is a notorious party girl whose drug and alcohol binges have landed her in hospital too many times - something needs to change. At her wit's end, Lily enlists the help of alternative practitioner Amber, who claims to be able to turn her daughter's life around. As family tensions intensify, and her daughter moves further and further from her grasp, and long-buried secrets rear their heads again, Lily soon begins to question who Amber really is, and what her true intentions are.

I found this book to be quite an easy read - although it touches on some intense topics, it remains fairly surface level, so they don't overpower the overall narrative. The story itself is interesting, and I was keen to keep reading to find out what was going to happen, even though I didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging. As in life, each character was flawed in their own way, however they feel a little one dimentional - again, everything is a bit too surface level. Overall, the novel was enjoyable, though not something I would want to read a second time.

I was provided with an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This psychological thriller is the story of Lilly and her daughter Rachel. Rachel is addicted to drugs and alcohol and when she ends up in hospital, Lily arranges a therapist, Amber. She’s supposed to help Rachel, but does she actually?

Tell Me Your Lies is a dark story about manipulation in all kinds of forms including lots of secrets, complicated characters and difficult family relationships. I always like complex characters in a story, and even though Rachel tried to manipulate from the first page, I wanted to know what happened to her, why she acted like she acted. When she met Amber, a shiver ran down my spine. I immediately disliked Amber immensely. It felt like she hypnotized Rachel with that sweet-voiced voice. Rachel herself called it a natural high … And then Lily. Like Rachel said: full of love and anxiety. Sacrificing her piece of mind for her family. Always taking care of them. Almost suffocating them. How far are you willing to go for love?

I liked Kate Ruby’s writing. It felt rather light while the story could be really dark at times. I liked the concept of the story and the darkness and I felt all those different forms of manipulation. There was one thing though that I couldn’t let go. When I’m reading a psychological thriller I want to be on the edge of my seat, guessing and second guessing what happened. Sadly, I wasn’t that invested because I found the pacing rather slow. When I started guessing the twists I even got a bit bored. Overall, I believe Tell Me Your Lies is an okay thriller for readers who like darker stories and plot twists.

This was a dark thriller with complex characters, none of whom were without failings. Rachel is the grown up middle child who really needs to get her act together, after an incident that leaves her hospitalised her mum Lily turns to therapist Amber for help, a decision she comes to regret when it seems to cause more problems than it solves. I felt more sympathy for Rachel as the story progressed but in honesty none of the characters were likeable, I found Lily hard to get a grip of in terms of her motivations and Amber was quite creepy. The story is simple but well told from the retrospective viewpoints of Rachel and Lily, 7/1o

A gripping story about a woman with a drink problem, the secrets her family hold and a therapist that wants to unearth the secrets. Tell Me Your Lies was a very well written piece of fiction, though I did find it a struggle to initially get in to the book. Once I got there though, I was eager to read more. Told through the perspective of Rachel, the alcoholic daughter and her mother, Lily, the problems of the family are messily exposed thanks to Rachel’s therapist, Amber. Amber is an untrustworthy character that you are suspicious of throughout the story, although arguably the lesser of two evils when faced with Lily. It was a really enjoyable read, though I did find the the last couple of chapters of the epilogue a little confusing. I would recommend this book!

Absolutely brilliant plot! It was expertly woven together and I couldn't put it down.
I would definitely recommend that you give this book a try.

Billed as a psychological thriller, this novel had me hooked from the first page. We are introduced to Rachel Appleby, a Londoner who has been admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to recover from a drink and drugs binge. Deeply worried about her and keen to help their daughter on the way to recover, Rachel’s parents Nick and Lily arrange for sessions with therapist Amber Greville.
I liked the shift in perspectives, in that both Rachel and Lily get to tell their sides of the story. Bit by bit, as each layer of family life is stripped back for analysis, we realise how unhappy the Applebys actually are, what role Rachel’s younger siblings Josh and Sophie may play in the dysfunctional set-up, what secrets Nick and Lily are keen to guard, and what Amber’s true motives may be. Not an easy read but very highly recommended! My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC they granted me in exchange for this free and honest review.

Read through netgalley
Anyone dreading the thought of Christmas because of their own dysfunctional families has found a friend in this book. This is the story of Rachel who starts seeing therapist amber at her mother Lilly’s request after some difficulties with addiction. I read this over 2 days and was kept wondering and hoping it all worked out right until the last pages.
I thought the portrayal of someone with binge drinking issues was fairly accurate (I have worked professionally in this field) and I liked the characters and the dark undertones. Felt genuinely anxious for Rachel at times too. Would recommend.

Three really strong female characters, two with agendas that are not completely open and one battling addiction and seeking help wherever she can find it.
The interaction between the characters, particularly Rachel and Amber are at times disturbing and make you want to grab Rachel and shake her out of her hero worship!
The web woven by Amber is intense, crafty and dangerous and her true motives are not revealed until you are on the edge of your seat screaming at Lilly and Rachel to do something to escape her clutches!
A great read!

Lily Appleby is at rock bottom and it all links to her daughter Rachel. Backtrack one year earlier and Rachel is in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital recovering from an excessive drink and drugs binge and a close call with death. She seems to be in a self destructive cycle of behaviour - but why? In order to help her, Lily and her husband Nick pay for some therapy sessions from Amber Greville, something Lily will live to regret. Lily and Rachel both tell their stories which works really well and is very illuminating.

This is a good psychological thriller, it’s not a pretty tale and gives rise to numerous questions including which one of these three women is the truth fairy? There are some fascinating dynamics of a dysfunctional family, at times it’s positively toxic in the delusional, fractured world of Appleby household but there are other dysfunctional relationships in the spotlight too. The Appleby’s are an ‘interesting’ family, it’s no wonder Rachel is as messed up as she is and as for her brother Josh, well, there’s a punchable character if ever there was one. Thankfully his smug odiousness is counter balanced by Rachel’s younger sister Sophie who is the best of the bunch. The characterisation is good as is their emotional responses to each other and to Amber. With several of the characters you aren’t sure what their deal is, what their motives are, if their behaviour is justified or whether they are being controlled or manipulated. You frequently wonder what Amber is up to, what game she’s playing and she definitely needs to come with brightly flashing amber warning lights. There’s a bucket load of psycho babble that comes out of her mouth, much of it is positively woo-woo and makes you cringe as it’s meant to. There are secrets that have been hidden but which are now bubbling close to the surface, there’s anger, dashes of hatred and several characters living internally dark lives, perpetuating lies. As the conclusion approaches, scales fall from eyes and I really like how it all ends.

Overall, this is a good, enjoyable thriller and a very good portrait of fractured lives.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Hmm..... I actually really liked this story. I love these kind of twisty, thrown together with a new group of strangers and waiting to see what secrets and lies are uncovered, type stories! And this one really did keep me interested. The characters are realistic and the lead is relatable and you do actually like her!!! The end was a bit predictable but that still didn't take away from the enjoyment I had from the twists and turns and reveals as they unfolded. You won't regret giving this book a shot

I received in advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Hecking heck, this was twisty! I was riveted throughout, and when I figured out the twist about 3/4 in it was satisfying instead of a letdown. We definitely recommend to all

This was a pretty average thriller. It had slow parts as well as some grippy bits that were more fast-paced. The core characters were interesting but not very relatable. The plot was promising but the ending did not deliver for me.

I felt completely invested in Rachel’s journey from the beginning and felt compelled to find out where her story led.

When Rachel finds herself out of control with drugs and alcohol, her parents intervene, paying for therapy with Amber. However Lily and Nick have secrets be of their own to protect.

It was so interesting to see how Amber entices Rachel, almost as if she has her under her spell. It seemed as if the crux of the story was whether Rachel would choose her family or her therapist until everyone’s secrets are gradually revealed.

This was very well plotted and paced. The author does a great job of exploring family dynamics. I will definitely be recommending this read.

Thanks indeed to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I found this a really enjoyable book to read and I loved the fact that it is loosely based upon a true stpry as it mae me want to find out more about the original story. It was gripping with so many twists and was so unpredictable. I loved the protagonist and found her really relatable.