I keep saying I need to stop reading the “20 years ago…” types of mysteries, because they all sound different and new when I read the synopsis, but then they’re almost always the same. Unfortunately, this was another book with the same formula: 20 years ago at a university beach party, a shy and bullied girl named Pippa was found dead the next morning. Now, the friends who were there are brought together by another tragedy, and the secrets they all hold may be their undoing.

That’s about it - if you read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, you know the drill. Becky and Richie, as well as Emilia and Tom, are married now and Becky is pregnant (a side story that just kind of vanished in the end). Their friend Jodie, who was at that beach party years before, has killed herself and now the group is back together for her funeral. Only, after talking to her therapist and her ex-partner, at least one of them believes this wasn’t suicide. All of the friends are now turning on each other, even their spouses, as the police start asking more questions.

There were some twists in this, but they were relatively small ones. The ending was good and unexpected, but not anything that shocked me. The characters wanted to be developed, as the book jumped between Pippa in the past and the others involved now in the present, but they weren’t very interesting or deep. I feel like I’ve read this variety of book dozens of times, and historically, they usually aren’t my four and five star reviews, so I think I’m going to pass the next one up. For this one, 3.5 stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Sheryl Brown and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on November 18, 2024.)

I have read many of this author’s books and have always enjoyed them and this one was n exception.

The book moves between past and present as we learn about this particular group of friends, what has happened before that now brings us to where we are today. The author did a great job of setting the story up and as it moves forward, we are given read herrings along the way that kept you on your toes thinking as to who the guilty party was.

The main theme of the book focuses on revenge, and we are presented with characters we do not always like but do add a lot to the story. All of them seem to have secrets and these secrets keep the book moving along at a good pace.

I do have to say that I did figure out one of the main culprits from about half way through the book but was quite taken aback by the ending, I did not expect the final twist.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Becky has never gotten over Pippa’s death at a beach party during their university days, and when her friends from back then start dying suspicious deaths twenty years later, the past has clearly come back to haunt them. I enjoyed this thriller but didn’t love it as much as the author’s previous books. Perhaps it’s because the trope of past cover-ups from university days is a common theme amongst psychological thrillers, and although the final twist was shocking, it came rather out of the blue. With a cast of horrible characters, the author does a fabulous job of character development and there are plenty of plot twists. I will definitely be reading the author’s next book.

Thank you to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture and Netgalley for my advance copy.

I raced through this pacy thriller in two days and it was a wild ride. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I knew I wanted to follow…..⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A small group of students partying on the beach one night sets the stage for a gripping mystery. When outsider Pippa is teased and storms off alone, her body is found the next morning - but none of the partygoers reveal what they know. Was someone with Pippa that night? Who knows more than they’re letting on? And, most importantly, what really happened to Pippa? How did she die?

From there, the story jumps forward twenty years, unraveling through alternating perspectives, with a strong focus on Becky, one of the friends at the center of the drama. The shifts between past and present keep the tension high as we dig deeper into the web of secrets, betrayals, and lies that everyone’s been hiding for years.

I love how Sheryl Browne writes unlikeable characters — it gives the story an edge, like watching a group slowly self-destruct while you can’t look away. There’s plenty of backstabbing, cheating, and cold-blooded revenge, making it a satisfyingly juicy read. The suspense is solid, and the twists kept me hooked, though I have to admit, I guessed who was taking revenge for Pippa fairly early on, which took away some of the shock at the end.

That said, it’s still a dark, intense, and thoroughly entertaining read. If you enjoy twisty thrillers packed with secrets, lies, and messy relationships, it’s definitely worth checking out. A solid three stars from me!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Sheryl Browne for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I enjoyed this book but not quite as much as other books I have read by this author. It didn't really grip me and I did guess what was going to happen except for the very ending and wow that was a real shock.

Another great read from this author. This time we meet a group of old friends who come together for the funeral of a friend and it starts to bring up bad memories of another friends death many years ago and the secrets and lies that surrounded her death. As bad things start to happen to the group and a new man comes into their lives will the truth tear all of them apart and is the facts of that night even darker than any of them can imagine. A great dark thriller.

A great addictive read from one of my favourite authors which kept me involved in the storyline from the beginning.

The characters were well described but not all likeable but this was just one brilliant book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the concept of this psychological thriller element to it. The characters were everything that I was looking for and was engaged with the storyline going on. Sheryl Browne was able to tell this story and was wanting more.

16th book read by this great author and the 16th time I have enjoyed the authors book (s)!

This is a story of revenge,cold and calculating and the people that could be the guilty party/ parties and who then deserves what is coming to them

Going between the present and the past we find out one of the group of friends,Jodie can no longer feel guilty of the past and what happened to another of the group one night many years ago and after this sad event questions are re asked and old wounds re opened,it is then a readers ‘whodunit’ really to see who the culprit is,as with any good thriller you never quite know

Intense and dark at times the writing kept me reading as I thought i knew the answers…..but did I?…..

Any book that mentions ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ has to gain an extra point for nostalgia as well

A good exciting read

Rebecca and her friends are enjoying a party on the beach, but when Pippa, a girl any of them really didn't bother with is found dead things take a turn.

Fast forward and now Rebecca is an expectant mother....with a stalker..

I loved this book. It is pacy and has more than few OMG moments. It is twisty and shocking and Oh how I didn't expect IT..

just brilliant

I've just read a book very similar to this so found myself getting my head confused between the plots! That being said, a good read that kept my attention.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Years ago Becky and her friends were at a beach party, when an outsider, Pippa, died. None of them know what happened but they had cruelly rejected her and so kept quiet. Now Becky is pregnant and someone is stalking her and her friends.

Couldn’t put this down! Loved the slow reveal., the teasing and the complete twists. The characters all were believable if not likeable. All were flawed, and I knew they all had secrets. The big reveal when it came was good. I had an inkling and although I was correct it didn’t ruin the story. I do feel that the ending was a little unsatisfying. What happened to Pippa was a little unclear to me. Sometimes leaving a few loose ends is good as I can’t stol thinking about this book! Highly recommend.

Rebecca (Becks) is determined to get her circle of friends to come together and face their past—the death of Pippa at a year-end beach party a number of years before.

Was the death accidental? Was it more sinister? And what happens when another person from their group dies?

This book had lots of twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. Wow! And what a finish!

Sheryl Browne has done it again. I'm looking forward to her next psychological thriller.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

One More Lie
By: Sheryl Browne
Pub Date: November 18, 2024
Publisher: Bookouture
A celebration a beach for the last day of school turns into a NIGHTMARE. Pippa, a shy newcomer has been found the morning after dead.
On the twentieth anniversary of Pippa’s death, another person winds up dead. Friends gather around for another again. Are the death related. How long can one keep a secret?
Another fast-past, suspenseful and fun novel by Brown.

This is a great twsity read, full of secrets and lies. Sheryl always writes solid novels and this is another good one. I read this in one day on holiday recently, it's really engaging and well written.

this Author will never disapoint her readers always an addictive read with twist and turns. Becky has never forgotten Pippas death her husband and friends keep telling her to forget it leave it alone. and one of there closest friends has just died .Becky does not believe Jodie committed suicide. and now things are happening to her and her and her friends. its just so good someone wants them to pay lies decite will keep you gripped until the very end

Captivating, compelling and a cunning twist at the end which I didn’t see coming. This is another fantastic psychological thriller from Sheryl Browne, which just keeps the twists coming. Something happens on night on a beach party with a group of friends and everyone else seems to move on, but it haunts Becky even years later. Then suddenly the friends all realise they are in danger. Is it connected to that dreadful night? Becky is convinced it is and will stop at nothing until she gets the truth, but the truth isn’t what she had imagined. Sheryl is skilful at suspenseful scenes which are full of emotion.. She never disappoints.

I have just read and reviewed another ARC that has almost the same plot as this one. Same twists, in fact, almost a carbon copy of this book.
If it wasn't for that, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more, as I am a huge fan of this author.

3/5 stars from me.

Sheryl Browne has once again wrote an interesting book. I finished this in one sitting. Plenty of twists and turns.