I have mixed feelings about this book .I thought the plot was great the idea of a child going missing on their first trip abroad independently is realistic and scary. I thought the characters were okay ,but the tension didn't ramp up as I wanted it too .Not a bad read though but maybe lacking some thing for me.

There's a lot about this book that isn't really what I would normally read. At its heart, it's actually pretty straightforward with no big surprises and the 'twists' aren't really fully realised to make perfect sense. Yet there's something about it that made me want to read on and discover what was going on. I suspect it's because Perks does an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and I love character driven plots.

It's not thrilling enough to be classed as a thriller for me, but still, it's an enjoyable read that engages you to the end.

Compelling, Urgent..
What lengths would you go in order to keep your child safe? Single mother Jess and daughter Issie have a close bond but things are about to change when Issie meets Dylan. Their plan to go travelling together terrifies Jess - quite apart from her daughter’s age, Jess does not trust her boyfriend. So, when Jess stops hearing from Issie she is understandably concerned - but when it becomes clear that Dylan is refusing to talk, Jess is distraught. With the police no help, what can she do to find her daughter? Tense and menacing with a compelling and urgent narrative, credible and well drawn characters and a pacy plot with often wholly unexpected and surprising twists.

This is my first time reading a Heidi Perks book but it won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept me hooked on every page.

Amazing loved it. Really thought provoking storyline. How far will a mother go to protect her child. This book certainly takes the reader on an adventure. So cleverly written changing my opinion of characters in the book throughout its pages

Heidi Perks has done it again with Someone is Lying, a really great and gripping read from this fantastic author.

We meet main character Jess who has a brilliant relationship with her daughter Issie and you can really feel the bond between both these females. Issie meets boyfriend Dylan and they decide to go travelling. When Jess comes to realise that Issie is missing she fights to find out what has actually happened to her daughter.

Someone is Lying is fast-paced and I thoroughly enjoyed it, quite sensitive issues though as being a mum to my daughter myself this is literally a mothers worst nightmare coming true.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh wow, what a tangled web we weave! Every parent's nightmare looks like it's happened, teenagers go off on holiday and disappear - or have they? Ho far would you go to protect your child? This was a great read, and kept me invested to the last page, wanting to know the final outcome of this twist tale.

I love Heidi Parks novels and this one was up to her usual standard. Excellent storyline and fascinating characters. I would thoroughly recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It is the first book I have read by Heidi Perks. I found I was gripped from the beginning as I think any mother would be. I found the characters a bit frustrating at times but that added to keeping me reading! Makes you really think what you would do as a parent in that situation.

This brilliant book is terrifyingly relatable for any parent of a teen! How much freedom do you give them to spread their wings, while keeping them safe?

Seventeen year old Issie heads off travelling with her boyfriend, Dylan. Issie's mother, Jess, doesn't like or trust Dylan, and although she knows she could try to prevent Issie from going, she also recognises that's a surefire way to push Issie away from her and even closer to Dylan. On the eve of Issie's 18th birthday, she messages her mum and then goes quiet. Jess is convinced that something has happened to Issie, but she is now a legal adult and Jess is dismissed as an over-bearing and over-protective mother. Until a body is found.

The story is told by Jess and by Kay, Dylan's mum. There is a well written and very interesting class divide in play between the two women, both single mothers, but with very different social backgrounds and financial circumstances. What is always consistent though, is the lengths any mother will go to, in order to protect her child. There is also a podcast interwoven within the story and I thought that worked really well, as a summary of what had happened in the case so far. There was a big twist early on in the book, which completely floored me as it was so unexpected and the writing style and pace kept me hooked right to the end, which was another gasp out loud moment!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Heidi Perks and Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Heidi Perks delivers a fast-paced and thrilling story in Someone Is Lying, following Jess and her daughter Issie. The plot kicks off when Issie, who is on a backpacking holiday with her boyfriend to celebrate her 18th birthday, goes missing, prompting Jess to report her disappearance.

While the story is undeniably gripping and moves at an exciting pace, it does have its flaws. At times, the plot felt a bit unrealistic, and I managed to guess the twist fairly early on, which dampened some of the suspense. Additionally, I struggled with the character of Issie. As a parent of a teenager myself, I found her behavior frustrating and unlikable. Jess's actions to protect Issie also felt extreme and unrelatable—no way would I have uprooted my entire life in the way she did for a child who seemed not to appreciate the sacrifices made for her.

That said, Jess does show growth throughout the story, and her arc is somewhat satisfying. Unfortunately, Issie doesn’t seem to learn from her mistakes, which left me feeling like the resolution was unearned on her part. Ultimately, while the book is entertaining and full of twists, it left me conflicted about the characters and the choices they made.

A very good read with an intriguing storyline.. Well written. I particularly enjoyed this book as it’s set in my home town of Bournemouth so I was able to relate to all the locations that Heidi used in the storyline. An enjoyable read. I throughly recommend this book.

This book blew my mind. The povs from the two mothers make you see how far a mother will go to protect their child. I would have liked to see pov from the 'children'.

I did end up guessing what would happen, but that was quite far into the book. Would definitely recommend this book.


Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked all the way through. My only negative is I wish there was more twists and turns, something to shock me. I also think a POV from Issie and Dylan would have been good. This was my first book from Heidi Perks. Looking forward to reading some others.

Single mother called Jess has a special bond with her daughter called Issie
Then she meets Dylan then she is going to travelling said Issie
But Jess does not trust her daughter with Dylan
She gets terrified that Issie has not got in topic with her and Dylan does not talk at all
Can the police get information
I had an ARC

This was my first book by this author and I hope it won’t be my last. This was a gripping read and I had a fun time, would recommend to a friend

Someone is Lying follows Jess - mother of Issie who at age 17 has gone travelling Europe with her 19 year old boyfriend Dylan - and Kat, Dylan;'s mother. The novel starts with Jess working because she hasn't heard from her daughter, not even on her 18th birthday. The police don't seem interested and she's increasingly frantic. Alongside this there is a podcast that we get snippets of throughout the book that sets up what is coming and keeps you turning the pages. It initially seems like this novel is inspired by a real life case a couple of years ago so I felt sure I knew where it was going but then the rug gets pulled from under you and the book takes a turn in another direction. I loved how the author misdirected the reader and kept me on my toes. I did eventually see where this was going but only once I was very far into the book and even then I was absolutely sure of how it would end. I loved the exploration of class but also the perception of absent parents and the harm that does, but not always the way you think it will. This was a gripping thriller and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. On the surface, it's a mystery - two teenagers are missing abroad. Where are they & what happened on the night they disappeared?

Deeper between the covers is an uncomfortable look at class stereotypes; good parenting Vs bad: good moral character Vs bad, and where do we learn our deep-seated morals.

Perks is a great character writer. I really cared what happened to these people and I thought about them when I wasn't reading about them. This is a really good read & raises lots of questions for a good book group discussion. Recommended

A fantastic storyline. Loved the additional insight from the blogger. I kept thinking I had it worked out, but didn't until near the end. Great thriller

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.