EXCERPT: I think again of Bellagio. Beautiful Bellagio, where we were so very happy.
And I feel scared, too, because I really don't know what to do for the best. I know that I don't want to be this angry person anymore. I don't want the bad dreams from my childhood. And the new ones from all of this.
But I also don't want to break my daughter's innocent little heart.

ABOUT 'TELL ME LIES': From bestselling author Teresa Driscoll comes a chilling thriller of past secrets and present terror. Deep in a rural hideaway, it’s only the owls watching them…right?

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

MY THOUGHTS: Teresa Driscoll certainly knows how to ramp up the tension! I, Queen of cool, actually felt quite anxious about Hannah's fragile mental state.

The story is quite a slow burn, but it's worth the wait. The tension increases infinitesimally, until the level reaches a nails digging into the palms level.

I couldn't figure out who was intimidating and manipulating Hannah, or why. But when I thought that I might know, I was way off base. Waaaay off. I just love it when an author keeps me guessing and this author certainly did that. I'm just sorry three owlets were sacrificed for the storyline.

I did have a little trouble with how daughter, Lily, was portrayed. She seems very 'babyish' for an eight year old, more like a five to six year old.

Otherwise, a good solid domestic suspense from an author I admire.

Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll is due for publication 18th April, 2023.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TellMeLies #NetGalley

I: @tkdriscoll_author @amazonpublishing

T: @TeresaDriscoll @Amazon Pub.

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR:
I decided to be a writer at the tender age of ten, starting epic novels in school exercise books. By the sixth form, I rather fancied life in a garret but a careers teacher- evidently fearing my starvation- steered me towards journalism. A good call.

I moved into television journalism, but writing has always remained the passion so I kept up freelancing for magazines alongside my TV work. When I left the BBC in my forties I built up the magazine work - short stories and features - and also enjoyed some fun years as a columnist for a range of newspapers and magazines.

Meanwhile the longing to write a book never went away. I finished my first a decade back and was thrilled to be offered representation by four literary agents. I chose the most enthusiastic - and held my breath as the MS went on submission. Within three weeks we had a major publisher on the phone. I thought - this is too good to be true. Sadly it was!
Three months later there was a change of heart. The publisher decided it wasn't my "launch book" after all - while declaring that "Teresa will definitely make it as an author".
Thankfully that prediction proved to be correct....though it took rather longer than I expected.
During the long wait for a book deal, I have been lucky enough to earn my living as a writer always with particular success in the short story market - writing regularly for leading national titles. At times I had to take a break from writing books in order to fulfill other writing contracts. But I never gave up the dream.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Hannah and Sam, in a last ditch effort for their marriage after Sam cheated on Hannah, decide to take their eight-year-old daughter Lily on a vacation to Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. However, things immediately begin going wrong - strange things - like dead owlets showing up on their doorstep, the power being cut to their cottage but no other cottages in the area, and mysterious knocks at the door. Hannah begins to question her sanity, as well as whether this vacation was a good idea after all. When the police become involved and Sam keeps deflecting her concerns, she begins to wonder if her trust in him is misplaced. Is there something sinister going on at Owl Cottage? And who can she trust?
I am a huge fan of this author, and she definitely hit it out of the ballpark with another great thriller. This one starts out a bit of a slow burn, but then it begins to snowball. Once it did, I couldn't put it down. It goes back and forth between past and present, and so you slowly see the events that lead up to what happens at the cottage. There is a big twist at the end that I was not expecting, that tied everything together. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you will definitely want to add this to your TBR pile!

Loved this one. It was dark and tense and at times creepy. My kind of book. I love these kinds of books with lots of tension bubbling under. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Tell Me Lies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After a major betrayal Hannah and Sam’s marriage is on the rocks, so they decide to get away from it all to the idyllic Owl Cottage in Cornwall along with their daughter Lily.

However their fragile relationship is not helped by some strange occurrences at the house, along with memories of Hannah’s traumatic past coming back to haunt her.

This was a brilliant page turner of a thriller and I flew through the short chapters in no time. The writing is sharp and although it is mostly told through the eyes of our unreliable narrator Hannah I enjoyed the other POV too, especially the introduction of Melanie Sanders who I think may feature in some of her other books

I’ve read and enjoyed her other books too but would say this is the one that has secured her place on my auto read list! This would be the perfect book to take along on a weekend staycation as you could easily fly through it in a couple of days.

Trying to rekindle the relationship with her husband and make new new memories for her daughter, a booked holiday at Owl Cottage starts becoming very unsettling. Dead crearures on the doormat and knockings on the door with no-one there. After a traumatic time and some traumatic events, an upsetting time with people that are supposed to be their fiends, the stay eventually brings back some old memories for Hannah, who has fought off remembering the truth behind her father's death when she as young. Great that DI Melanie Sanders and Investigator Matthew Hill join in the enquiry as to what is happening in the village.
Another great book from Teresa Driscoll - loved the twists!
Thank you Amazon Publishing Uk, Netgalley and Teresa Driscoll for an ARC in return for an honest review.

With another gripping thriller under her belt, Teresa Driscoll is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors when I want to read a suspenseful, chilling story.

Tell me lies is an addictive page-turner, with short snappy chapters that make this a very easy book to read in just a couple of sittings. Owl Cottage is a great setting and all the weird small things that happen there definitely play with your head - is something really wrong, or is it all in the head of the main character?

The ending was good and tied up all the loose threads opened in previous chapters (at some point there was so much going on that I seriously doubted all my questions would find an answer, but they did!).

Definitely a book I recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing U.K. for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I could not connect for real to this book. I felt mostly to sad for people that can not see what is really good and not good for them. I felt a strange friendship and hoped the betreyal would not be so devasted. I liked the writing but infortunatelly also a great background and lovely buddyreaders could not make me like the book more.

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Tell Me Lies’ by Teresa Driscoll in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

In a bid to save their marriage, Hannah books a week’s holiday for herself, Sam and eight-year-old Lily staying at Owl Cottage. From the first night Hannah hears knocking on the back door but there’s nobody there, and the following morning the remains of a young owl is left on the indoor mat. So many unexplained events happen that Hannah feels she’s losing all grips on reality and doesn’t know who she can trust.

The story of ‘Tell Me Lies’ starts from Hannah’s seventh day in Owl Cottage reverting to day one and moving forwards and the narrative is very much what’s in Hannah’s mind. It tells of when as a child her father took her on a picnic in the woods and she was alone with him when he died, and although she can’t remember what happened since then she’s been having nightmares. I’ve read several books by this author and although this isn’t my favourite it’s well-written with an interesting plot, tension that builds the further I got into the story, and an ending that I hadn’t expected.

As someone who enjoys a good thriller, I found "Tell Me Lies" by Teresa Driscoll to be a slow burn that eventually caught fire. The story was gripping in a subtle way, compelling me to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The protagonist, Hannah, is a morose character with a troubled past that seems to haunt her every move. However, I couldn't help but feel that her past wasn't traumatic enough to warrant her behaviour in the present. It felt like it had been blown out of proportion by those around her.
One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was how it was written in the second person as if Lucy was telling her story directly to her husband. This added an extra layer of intimacy to the story, making it feel like I was right there in the room with her.
The ending was a shocking and exciting twist that I didn't see coming. It was a satisfying conclusion to the story and left me feeling both surprised and satisfied. Overall, "Tell Me Lies" was a gripping and well-written thriller that kept me engaged until the very end.

"Tell Me Lies" by Teresa Driscoll is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

One of the aspects that I particularly enjoyed about "Tell Me Lies" is the way in which Driscoll developed her characters. Hannah is a complex and relatable protagonist, whose motivations and actions kept me engaged throughout the story. Similarly, the supporting characters are well-drawn and add depth to the overall narrative.

The twist in the story was unpredictable for me and completely caught me off guard. Driscoll's ability to build tension and suspense throughout the novel is so good and the final reveal was both surprising and satisfying.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Tell Me Lies" and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. I am eager to read more books by Teresa Driscoll in the future, and can see why she is a highly sought out author in the genre.

Another brilliant book by the incredibly talented Teresa Driscoll.

I’ve read all of Teresa’s books and loved each one, this one is no exception! With a gripping storyline that had me enthralled throughout and twists that I did not see coming, I highly recommend this book for any fans of psychological thrillers.

Hannah, Sam and their daughter Lily are on holiday in Cornwall, staying at a beautiful place called Owl Cottage. This is a bit of a make-or-break holiday for the couple after their marriage hit the rocks back home. Not long after they arrive at the cottage strange things start to happen, and the story takes a dark turn.

Is Hannah imagining things or has someone local taken a disliking to holidaymakers? Or perhaps she doesn’t know her husband as well as she thought she did! All I know is that this book messed with my mind just as much as it did with Hannah’s!

Teresa’s writing style is unique and it is one that I take to immediately. The story drew me in from the start and my attention never waned. I honestly couldn’t see where it was going and gave up guessing halfway so I could just let the story guide me to the end and what a fantastic ending it was.

I’m a big fan of PI Matthew Hill and whilst his part was a lot smaller in this story I love how Teresa still managed to include him. I’d love one day for Teresa’s books to become a TV series and then we can bring Matthew to life on screen!

Thank you so much to Teresa Driscoll, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my copy of this awesome book.

This is a great read but a bit of a slow burner.
It took me a while to get into this book but it’s worth sticking with it for the gripping conclusion.
Hannah and Sam are trying to save their marriage so take their daughter away to a beautiful cottage in Cornwall.
Strange things start to happen and Hannah soon becomes anxious and memories from her past start to haunt her.
With the death of a neighbour the Police are called and Hannah is keen to speak to them about the strange goings on in their cottage.
I won’t say anymore as it will spoil it, but I really enjoyed this book once I got into it.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I was instantly captivated with this story . I was kept in the edge of the chair the entire time reading. It’s one of those books you start and just don’t want to put down . Definitely was a little weird at times but I just needed to keep reading to see what happened .

Hannah and Sam are trying to get their marriage back on track and where better to do this than the idyllic Owl Cottage in Cornwall with their eight year old daughter Lily, but life is never that straightforward and when strange events begin to occur at the cottage Hannah wonders whether she's losing her mind, or could it simply be her past catching up with her?

Tell Me Lies is told from multiple perspectives, mainly Hannah but also Sam and the police and the timeline shifts between the days during their holiday and also before. I was drawn in right from the first page and spent most of the book intrigued as to where Driscoll was heading with this, it's a slow burner where we discover why Hannah doesn't feel like she can trust Sam, but also delving into her past as well, feeding us shreds of the issues she's faced since her childhood. The twist, when it comes, is a totally jaw dropping moment, you see books that have the strapline 'a twist you won't see coming' and this is definitely one of those books. I've read a few books by this author and once again she does not disappoint, I couldn't put this one down and read it in a matter of hours. If you like a domestic thriller that is dark, intense and intriguing from start to finish and will have you second guessing throughout, then this is one for you.

I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I have read two other books by this author and both I Will Make You Pay and The Promise were four-star reads for me as well. Driscoll is not the type of writer that writes adrenaline-rush thrillers but she is the queen of domestic suspense, that feeling of excitement when you know something is going to happen but it’s a slow burn to get there and you learn about family dynamics. The great way the author told this story with multiple points of view and now and then chapters made that feeling of tension and anticipation all the more palatable. I couldn’t believe how anxious I felt while reading this.

My curiosity was piqued from the start and I kept changing my mind about the culprit. The highlight of this book for me was that I could not figure out what was going on and when I thought I had things figured out close to the ending, the author threw in a little curve ball to keep things interesting. The book is well written with a cast of characters and a storyline that is contemporary and believable. It is a very emotional book and one that I didn’t want to put down. I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but she has been on my radar for a long time and I certainly will read more.
Hannah is known as ‘The Girl In The Woods’ after a traumatic incident in her childhood but has no memory of that time. Now married to Sam with daughter Lily, their marriage has been derailed by an indiscretion by Sam. After receiving marriage counselling they decide a week away by the coast at Owl Cottage sounds healing. But strange and unsettling incidents start happening and Lily wonders why no one believes her.
Tell me lies did start slowly and I wondered if it would hold my interest but certainly by half way the tone changed and almost became a little menacing. I really did not know the way the story would take me and it certainly had me in suspense. Very enjoyable that certainly held my interest once I settled into the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher to read

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

What an amazing boo, loved every page of this read. Highly recommend!

I can honestly say that This book wasn’t for me!! I was so disappointed by this book. It wasn’t keeping my attention at all. I had to put it down

Hannah and Sam travel to Cornwall with their young daughter to stay in Owl Cottage, a idyllic getaway from the problems they are all trying to run away from.

Their friends and family are worried about them. Sam has had an Afghans Hannah has always experienced mental health issues, since witnessing her fathers death when she was a child.

Very twisted and one to read carefully or you may miss some vital clues. Good writing and I loved the reintroduction of some of the authors previously well loved characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

Grippingly unpredictable. Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and tense from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️