Lying To You

This is another novel that is told in alternating chapters. Funnily enough though, we mainly follow Jess, and Marks wife Karen. We also hear from Mark in a round about way when Karen finds a novel on his PC which turns out to actually be an account of what happened all those years ago. I liked the idea of following Karen, because we got the perspective of someone outside of the equation rather than following the account of two people as the court would have done during the trail. Right at the end, we also got to read a couple of chapters from other characters including Mark, which I thought was a fantastic idea as it really helped in wrapping up a couple of things.

Amanda has created some really great characters here. They have incredibly likable personalities and from the very start you begin to create an imagine in your head of what each character looks like and who you trust. I felt like I was in the room with Jess when she was having her therapy sessions and even when Karen was reading Mark’s writing. Everything just felt so believable.

Finally I have to mention the writing. This is Amanda’s second novel, and even though I haven’t read her debut novel “Close To Me”, I think her writing is fantastic. I don’t tend to physically start a book anywhere but in bed, in the bath or somewhere extremely quite a I think the start of a book is really important in getting to know the plot, and I need all of my concentration to be focused on every single detail. However I finished a current read whist at an appointment and deiced to start this one and I was hocked straight away. The writing is fluid and the plot captured my attention so fast that I found myself flying through the pages.

In all honestly I really enjoyed this book and as it was all being wrapped up I really expected to be giving it 5 stars. However, even though I enjoyed the plot, the charterers, the writing & conclusion, I still felt that there was something missing.

This is a book full of lies and secrets !!!! It all starts when Jess Tidy is a 16 year old schoolgirl and makes accusations against her teacher, Mark Winter. Mark is found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in jail, despite him maintaining his innocence. But who is really telling the truth ?

The book is the story of Jess coming home 10 years after the accusations, after her Mum suddenly dies. The chapters are split between Jess and Karen, Mark’s wife, as well as interview transcripts from Jess’ therapist. I really liked how the book was written and it was very easy to follow as well as leading to snippets of information about the fateful night being revealed.

If you love a book that is full of secrets and lies you will love this. Who will you believe, the 16 year old girl from the troubled family or the well respected married father and teacher ?

A great read that keeps you guessing right until the very end !!

It has been ten years since Jess Tidy moved away to escape what happened when she was a young girl. Now, with a new job and a new flat in London, her life is just how she wants it. But unbeknownst to her, it teeters on the precipice of tragedy once more. When news of her mother’s death reaches Jess, it pulls her back to the place she fled, the village where so many years ago, her mentor Mark Winters was sentenced to three years in prison because of her accusation. But Mark, who has always claimed his innocence, still lives with his wife in the village. And now she will have to face the lies and deceit that pollute her past. She
will have to face him.





It wasn’t only Jess and Mark’s lives that were affected and dictated by what happened years ago; Mark‘s wife, Karen, who stood loyal by his side through all of it, is beginning to question what she thought she knew. Her life is fraying round the edges, and as she secretly reads her husband’s account of it, she is finally privy to the real version of events. I think Karen’s chapters were my favourite, because she and the reader are discovering the truth together.





I love Amanda Reynolds’ writing, they way she slowly increases the tension toward the end, until you’re biting your nails to the quick and your heart is hammering away like a drum. The characters in this book are unnerving and extremely intriguing, their thoughts and actions hooking you to every word on the page and making this book completely unputdownable!





As soon as I was invited to join this blog tour, I jumped at the chance because of how much I enjoyed Amanda Reynolds first book, Close To Me. Lying To You is just as wonderful, if not better! I loved it and I couldn’t stop turning those pages. I read it in a day, gripped from cover to cover. I’m going to be a fan of Amanda Reynolds for a long time to come – can’t wait to see what she comes up with for her third book!





If you’re a fan of psychologists thrillers, Lying to You is the perfect new addition to your bookshelves. With a brilliant set of characters, beautiful writing and a story to rock you to your core, this is the ultimate book to curl up with and get lost in! Fully recommend this cracker of a book!





Dark. Chilling. Fabulous!

4☆ Full of Juicy Twists and Secrets!

Lying to You is a twisty turning psychological thriller that plays with your mind.

It took a little while for me to get into the plot as it felt a little confusing and disjointed. But once I got to grips with the style I loved it.

It is written in a style I haven't come across much.
It was written as a story told by Karen and Jess each chapter written in different dates. Then we also had interview entries when Jess was being interviewed by her counsellor sponsor who supports her on her journey to become a counsellor.

I really enjoyed the interview entries as it gave the reader an inside look at Jess's past. Which was so important.

You see something happened to Jess with a teacher but you don't find out straight away you get plenty of teasers which I loved. All you know is he out of prison and he is not allowed anywhere near Jess.

Jess has to come home as her mother has died and her older brother Will needs her. By going back she will have to face her past head on!
Jess is vulnerable, damaged, had a rough upbringing with indications of sexual abuse. But I really liked her character.

Karen is Mark's wife.
Mark is the teacher who went to prison because of Jess.
Karen comes across as Minipulative, broken, suffering with mental health and calculating. When she sees Jess in a supermarket she intimidates Jess when anger and rage/jealousy takes over!

Lying to You is FULL of Secrets, Lies, twists and Turns that kept me guessing the whole way through.
I loved uncovering the truth as I had my suspicions.

If you enjoy thrillers that get under your skin, keep you guessing, juicy twists and secrets then you will love this fabulous new thriller. It's one i will definitely be recommending!

I was utterly gripped by this book. I hadn't read Amanda's first book but I certainly will be now. Ten year's ago Karen's husband Mark was accused of a terrible crime but he maintained his innocence. Now his accuser is back and Karen is questioning everything her husband told her. But who is lying - Karen, Jess, Mark - or someone else?

I enjoyed the pacing of this book and the way everything is revealed and the different points of view. I was also impressed by how Reynolds handled the sensitive subject matter, especially in light of everything happening with the #metoo movement and #ibelieveher

I'll definitely be buying Amanda's next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wildfire for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Have read and enjoyed the debut novel Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds, I was really looking forward to this second book! And what a darkly, dramatic and unputdownable read it was!

What I loved about this book was the how the plot revolved around a current issue that seems to be reported in the media much more nowadays-that of a teacher abusing their position of trust. When Jess returns to her home town for her mothers funeral, its the first time she has returned since a court case that we gradually come to realise was related to such an issue. Mark has been in prison for what happened but is now back home with his wife and daughter who are devastated to see Jess back. But what really happened between Jess and Mark? His wife Karen has her own secrets but she trusts her husband and knows he was telling the truth about that night so why is she sneaking around behind behind his back? And who is targeting Jess and why? All these questions were flying around my head as I became more and more involved in the lies and deceit surrounding these two families.

Whilst the characters in Lying To You were never particularly likeable, this gave an added edge to the narrative as I was never really sure where my sympathies lay. Jess was very much a closed book, we find out more about her through her chats with her supervisor, as she’s become a trained councillor herself since what happened ten years ago. But it’s through her interactions with her brother, her ex best friend and police support officer that we realise that maybe everything isn’t as clear cut as we had first thought.

I would describe this as a bit of a slow burner as Amanda Reynolds takes her time setting the scene and building up her characters as the plot twisted it’s wicked way towards the end. I was desperate to know the minute “ins and outs” of how this student/teacher relationship had caused such devastation for all concerned because, sadly, no one escaped the toxic fallout.

I have added Amanda Reynolds to my “must read” author list. Her unsettling insight into her characters dark and enthralling domestic lives helps to slowly unravel their intriguingly flawed natures therefore bringing them vividly to life in the best possible way. This is my kind of psychological drama!

Lying to You falls into the category of books that I love so I couldn't wait to get stuck in and learn all about Jess Tidy and her chaotic upbringing. The story comes together through the voices of Jess Tidy, her teacher and 'attacker' Mark Winters, his wife Karen and Jess' counsellor superviser. Flicking between present day and flashbacks that are detailed in Mark's biography the story ultimately has us guessing about who the liar in the book is.

In the beginning Jess is asked to come back home by her older brother Will due to the her mother's death. We soon learn that she is reluctant to go back home and the reason why is that she was raped by her teacher. But as the story takes its expected twists and turns we are left wondering if Jess' account of the past is entirely accurate. Is Mark's insistence of his innocence really genuine and how will this checkered history impact Mark's wife, Karen, and his daughter, Freya?

As intrigued as I was with the story I really could not warm to any of the characters yet I really had to read on and find out if Jess was genuine or not. Lying to you really is a rollercoaster ride with so many twists and turns and an ending that will genuinely take your breath away.

A brilliant book full of twists and turns. Very heart wrenching. Brilliant read.

I read the author's first book and this one is just as good if not better. Jess Tidy is living alone in London when she gets a call to say her mother has died and to return home. Jess left her home town after she was raped by her teacher Mark Winter ten years previously for which he was sent to prison. Jess knows when she returns home that she will see Mark and his wife Karen who stood by him.
But who is telling the truth about the rape and about what happened that night?
The book draws you in as Jess and Karen narrate their own account of the events of the past and present.
Definitely recommended.

Lying to you by Amanda Reynolds.
Wasent sure what to expect from this book ,but I couldn’t put it down,not expecting the ending,would recommend to family and friends

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. This is told from two perspectives and they switch seamlessly. It did start slightly slow but the book hooked me in and I stayed up late to finish. Worth a read

Jess's mother's death has brought her back to the village where she grew up, and where Mark Winter, the man she accused and subsequently had sent to prison, still lives with his wife. Will the truth about that night ten years ago which nearly destroyed them both finally come out?

Excellent book with a brilliant storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

Perfect combination of twisty and gripping, didn't let go from one page to the next. A must read for any psychological fiction fan.

A gritty psychological thriller. Well written and tastefully covering a difficult topic from an alternative aspect.