Lucy Dawson (2)

Everything You Told Me is narrated by Sally Hilman, a woman with two young children. She thought having the first, Chloe, was hard but when Theo came along, the child that doesn't sleep, she feels exhausted. So when she wakes up 200 miles away and has no recollection of how she got there everybody is very worried about her. But Sally knows there's more to it than that.

Right from page 1 this is a book which packs a punch and it left me guessing all the way to the end (although I had thoughts show more that weren't far from the mark). Sally is what they call an unreliable narrator. Can you trust what she says? Can even she trust herself? I thought the author portrayed Sally's confusion and bewilderment really well. But what is really clever is how the author plants that confusion and bewilderment into the mind of the reader. There were several key moments where I was left wondering whether Sally really was struggling to cope and trying to convince herself otherwise, or whether she was absolutely fine and it was everyone else who didn't believe her.

All the story takes place within a week or two but there's enough background story given to make sure we have a good sense of Sally's life, both past and present. This all builds up to make us question everything that happens. Like most psychological thrillers, it's a bit fantastical but there was also a hint of plausibility. I quite liked Sally, despite her sometimes erratic behaviour and I did hope things would come good for her.

I raced through this book as I couldn't wait to find out whether Sally really did have suicidal thoughts and if not, then how did she end up in that taxi. The conclusion was a mixture of me thinking "oh, of course" and "gosh, I didn't expect that". I thought this was a really excellent read and a look at how easily family life can implode. show less

This started with a heart-stopping moment on the very first page as Sophie discovers an intruder in her bedroom. From that moment on, the book is impossible to put down as Sophie struggles to keep her family and her secret safe.

I absolutely loved this book, it had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to guess who was behind the letter and threat that Sophie received. I felt like I absorbed some of her anxiety as the 8pm deadline approached and my palms started to sweat. What is in the show more letter? What will happen at 8pm? Will Sophie's party go ahead or will her whole evening be ruined? So many questions were flying around my brain as I raced through the pages and I couldn't read fast enough to get to the breathtaking conclusion.

This is such a good psychological story, examining how we act and react to stressful events. I loved the interaction between Sophie and her sisters and also her boyfriend Marc, as I wondered if he was too good to be true. I don't think a single character escaped my suspicious glare as I thought any of them could be playing with Sophie's mind. I even thought at one point that it could all just be a bit of a wind-up but it was only the eye of the storm!

You Sent Me a Letter is so very well written and easy to read, casting suspicion over multiple characters and ensuring that the reader won't rest until the final page has been read. It's tense, gripping and full of suspense - I loved it!

I received this book from the publisher, Corvus, in exchange for an honest review. show less

The Night She Lied by Lucy Dawson is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Jude has recently lost her partner and switched to working nights shifts as an A&E nurse in a hospital. When her mother, Margaret, calls and tells her something terrible has happened, Jude is concerned for several reasons. Perhaps she shouldn't have shared any of this information with Rik, the new man she just met, but he seemed understanding. When Margaret won't answer her return call, she sends the police for show more a wellness check. This in turn sets off her mother, and causes a stir in the whole family which soon culminates in Margaret being charge with crimes committed twenty years ago.

Margaret gives off strong Mommy Dearest vibes at the start which continue throughout. This character flaw always makes it a bit difficult to believe that a grown adult daughter would keep putting up with the manipulative behavior but it also makes for a compelling narrative because you can't predict what a character who is this flawed will do next. While Margaret is truly an unlikable character, Jude isn't entirely sympathetic because something seems off about her at the start. They are both unreliable characters. This is a good time to note that if characters are eliciting this much speculation and analysis, they are probably well-written with this result in mind.

The narrative is told through multiple points-of-view and in multiple timelines, providing background information to the current action and further developing the plot. There are plenty of twists and new information divulged along the way, making the story additionally complicated and unpredictable. In turn, I enjoyed the novel while also shaking my head in disbelief, however, I read it to the end and was engaged in the story. 3.5.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/11/the-night-she-lied.html show less

It's all go in suburbia! White Lies is quite the coil of unreliable narrators roiling on a sand dune in a wind storm. I kinda loved that about it. I won't be giving spoilers on this one and have to give points to being surprised about the big reveal at the end. Dr Alex Inglis definitely stands as a reminder that having a one off shag when you're away on a girls' trip is a epically titan bad idea. Having it with a teenager (even unbeknownst) only multiplies that by infinity and I don't even show more know if there's a word to describe that level of bad. Throw in a list of supporting characters who are all vying simultaneously for Most Self-serving or Most Self-conscious in a media setting and things really threaten to go off the rails entirely. There's some first class awful behavior on display and it was a challenge for me to apportion my sympathies out equally. And I just couldn't look away. There are several nods to current events circulating around sexual harassment and what that means and looks like through the kaleidoscope of media. It's not pretty.

By story's breath taking end, I was equal parts relieved, surprised and sad to see it was over. I promptly popped over to my online book outlet of choice and purchased a copy of another of the author's book's and then over to her website to sign up for her book club. While reading this it reminded me in pace of the programme, Doctor Foster. Not that Alex was channelling Gemma but just the level of adrenaline flowing through the story and the awful voyeuristic feeling that it's going to all come crashing down due to some serious manipulations and no one is going to get out unscathed. So if that's your thing, this may well be too. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased review. show less