I absolutely loved this! It'd got all the key points of a good thriller strong characters, a unique plot, plenty of twists you don't see coming and it jist had me hooked from the start! I've bn in a bit of a reading slump and struggled to find much that interested me but this was just such a fresh concept and the writing style was just a joy to read. I flew though it and loved every second. Highly recommended

Riverting book fom beginning to end. Two people share the same name Isabella Butterworth. When one of them is mistaken for someone else with that name and is threatened they decide to go undercover and try and warn the other person with the same name.
She soon becomes totally fixated on this person and what she does will make you say no don't do it. The ending was a nice suprise and not expected at all. I am hoping that the way it was left there could be another book to continue their story.

I absolutely loved the characters, the writing style, and the concept of Friends Don't Lie - but because there was so much going on, I found it very hard to keep track of who was who and exactly who was involved in the big reveal.

That said, I would still be interested in checking out other things by Nell Pattison because of how great the characters and concept was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to enjoy this interesting read!

I feel horribly unfair to the author.

See, I love when the author uses her books to talk about deaf culture and has deaf main characters. And while I understand that she may wish to branch out a bit, I find myself a bit disappointed when she does.

To be fair, our main character is hearing impaired – the thing is that it’s marginally important in the beginning of the book and then basically forgotten for the rest of the book. And I get it – the book is a suspense thriller that isn’t at all about deafness – but I still felt like since there was a focus on it in the beginning, it should have carried through.

That being said, it’s a good and suspenseful book and definitely has a surprise that I didn’t expect AT ALL. I mean, when we get the reveal, I literally stopped reading and then reread that section because I was so shocked. That was awesome!

A good book and a very good writer. I think I just need to get past my own expectations of her work!

*ARC via Net Galley

This book was very good from the off. I soon got into the story which was well written with some strong characters. It's the first one I've read by this author and will look forward to reading more in the future. I guessed the perp before the end but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Isabella (Izzy) Butterworth is a loner, her brother is in prison and due to her hearing loss she feels alienated from her friends. She's been receiving emails for another Isabella (Bella) Butterworth and when attacked by a guy looking for Bella she decides to find her and warn her that someone is looking for her. Still with me? Yep, this book can become slightly confusing, but in a good way. It was fairly slow going to begin with, mostly Izzy complaining about the downward turn her life has, but once we start hearing from Bella's point of view it becomes more interesting. The twist at the end was interesting and caught me unawares.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

A thriller that sent me off into the wrong direction. I thought I had it – I was wrong. So, did I miss clues, or did the author just totally steer me in the wrong direction?

Izzy Butterworth is an average woman who lives alone in a flat she co-wns with her brother as he is in prison. Izzy works from home and is slowly cutting herself off from friends as her hearing deteriorates. But, there is a lot more to it than this. She occasionally receivers emails for an Isabella Butterworth – a woman with the same name as her – which she thinks nothing of, an error – nothing more. That is until she is attacked in the street by a man wanted to kill Isabella Butterworth. Deciding that maybe the woman he is after is the one whose emails she keeps receiving, Izzy sets out to track her down.

This is a novel told from two perspectives – Izzy's and Isabella – and twe cover topics like internet stalking, grief and murder. There are secrets and twists that I didn't expect. The only thing that stopped it being a five star was that I wondered about some of Izzy's actions. Would a person really do that? But that is my opinion only.

This is the second Nell Pattison book that I have read and I will definitely pick up another. A really enjoyable read with twists I just didn't see coming.

Well written and good paced thriller type story. Kept me guessing. Good characters, but are they reliable? Slightly different from her other books. Enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

This is a very well written book, with some nice twist and turns that I think many readers will not see coming. The characters are all rather unreliable and you are not sure who to trust and it is written very well.

Blurred Perceptions..
Two Isabella Butterworths, around the same age and living in the same town. A coincidence? Perhaps. It would appear, however, that their lives are very different indeed and that one of them may well be in danger. Engaging suspense where not everything is quite as it seems, where perceptions may be blurred and ideals confused. Deftly drawn characters and an intriguing plotline make for an immersive read and with a very neat twist that the reader may not see coming.

Isabel Butterworth (Izzy) keeps receiving emails meant for another Isabel Butterworth who lives nearby, and decides one to befriend her, but under a pseudonym. It turns out the other Isabel’s (Bella’s) life is not as perfect as Izzy first thought and has concern her husband has a dark side.
An intriguing thriller, which you think you have worked out, then a colossal twist right near the end. An truly great piece of writing, rather cleverly told from the two Isabels perspective. A highly recommended read and top marks to Nell Pattison.

First I want to thank NetGalley for providing me an opportunity to read this advanced copy of the book in turn for an honest review.

This was an interesting book. It was a little slow to start and there are parts that I feel didn't fully develop as the book evolved. Izzy's character was slightly annoying as she constantly felt sorry for her self and tried to blame others for outcasting her. She is going deaf and she started to pull away from her friends, which is turn they started to do things without her and she started to feel truly alone. Her brother is in jail and it takes about three quarters of the book to find out why, then when you get the information it was a bit of a let down and not as dramatic as indicated. Then there was some confusion with the characters that added a nice twist to the book and then it gave things a whole new perspective. Finally the ending was predicable after you put all the pieces together and you saw how things were going to play out.

Overall, it was a solid three stars for me as it did keep you interested enough to want to see where it was going. There were a few twist and turns that I did not antiquate which made it interesting as well. I wish that if they author was going to bring up the main character being deaf, he would have kept that theme throughout, instead it just kind of goes by the sidelines. I would definitely read something else by this author to see how they evolve.

This was an interesting (though odd) read, and I felt that it was a bit of a departure from the author’s other books. It centers on Isabella, who leads a pretty unremarkable life when she is attacked by a man who thinks she is someone else. Isabella has gotten emails meant for another woman with the same name and the attack makes her realize (though slowly) that the other Isabella is in danger.

While the book starts with the first Isabella, you also get chapters from the other Isabella so you get to know both of them as the story continues. There is a pretty major twist which I found to be well done though a little confusing. There were some things the characters did that I didn’t think any reasonable person would ever do and I was sometimes frustrated with them, but I enjoyed the way it all came together at the end.

Overall, fun read that I’d recommend for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall a good read although it did take me a while to get into the storyline. When I did I found it to be well written with good characters but for me, personally, it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

There is no doubt this author is really getting into her stride. She is a rare talent. I hadn’t read anything by her before but will peruse the back catalogue.

Well written with a gripping storyline and well developed characters , some of which were absolutely hateful. Twisty and unpredictable, I couldnt put it down.

FRIENDS DON'T LIE by Nell Pattison
Published date: 29 September 2022
BOOK - 384 pages

Having read two previous books by Nell Pattison, & enjoyed both, I was intrigued to read FRIENDS DON'T LIE.
I enjoyed Pattison's writing style and links with BSL (British Sign language) allowing you to understand their difficulties in lifestyles. The first two chapters had me thinking this book was not for me, then wham bang, chapter three arrived and I was off and reading! The two protagonists I disliked in equal measure. There is not one character in the story that I liked! This book will keep you guessing to the end, with more twists than a Curly Wurly,

I would recommend this book and give a 4 star rating.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

Absoulutely thrilling, tense page turner. Kept me guessing and was not predictable at all.
The flow of the book is well paced and a fast paced ride right up until the end. First time i have read this author but im hooked to her addictive style.

Thank you to NetGalley Avon Books UK and the author Nell Pattison for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

The book starts off with Isabella Butterworth (Izzy) trying to find a Dr Palmeri for her brother who is in jail for negligent manslaughter and he needs to find Dr Palmeri. Izzy is having difficulty locating Dr Palmeri and receives a few emails for another Isabella Butterworth (Bella). Izzy is confronted by a man outside her house one day who threatens her until he realises she is the not Isabella he is looking for.

Izzy then takes it upon herself to find the other Isabella and befiend her with the intention of warning her about the man and then protecting her.

The last book of Nell Pattison that I read was Hide so I was aware of twists and turns in the journey but I was not expecting so many twists.

I found the pace a little bit slow early in the book, but hey you have to set the scene. After that I was right into the book and enjoyed the read.

I am tossing up between a 4 and a 5 rating, but will go with the 5. If you like mysteries with a twist this is for you.

Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will love this story! It’s a compelling thriller with some beautifully crafted twists and turns. A simple plot easy to follow but with real darkness and loneliness at its heart. It is a perfect example of how we can easily construct a world and a viewpoint, possibly incorrectly, when we only have one side of a story.

Well paced, a great book to curl up with as autumn arrives when published in September.

Thanks to @netgalley for an early read .