I found this book quite slow to start with and the story really is based on alcoholics. Alex is a functioning alcoholic so the story is all about her addiction and the consequences of it .There is crime involved so I expected it to be more of a crime thriller There are red herrings thrown in and the ending was brilliant though I was left a bit to make my own final conclusions .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

I have a few reservations about this book. Firstly, I’m a little confused about the title, which I still can’t quite work about its relation to the content of the novel. Secondly, a lot of the book is centred around alcoholism, which isn’t a topic that excites me to read about. However, with that out the way, I did really enjoy this book.

We all know I love a thriller and although some plot points were predictable, overall it was a good read that I finished within two days.

I’m a sucker for a good twist and this definitely had a few to keep momentum, but not one of my favourite books this year.

Alex South is an alcoholic. She suffers blackouts and memory loss. A key element of the story with constant reminders that I found tedious:

”I’m going to start my detox tonight, after I’ve had my last fix.”

“I’m pissed off that I wasn’t able to detox yesterday. It sucks, actually…”

“As normal as one can be when in the midst of a detox.”

*I’m desperately in need of alcohol this morning, just to get going.”

Besides being an alcoholic, Alex is a TV journalist who left her long-time boyfriend Greg in Manchester after suffering a miscarriage. In London she regains some notoriety until a drunken rant on air puts her career on hold. She is given another chance to cover a series of murders occurring in East London, close to where she lives. But the demon drink continues to ravage her every day; carrying vodka around in a water bottle, chugging wine by the bottle at home and suffering huge hangovers…

The plot is split between current day and diary entries (in italics) from the previous year. Entries that become more embittered as the story moves on. Who is writing the diary? There is a link here with Alex that keeps the suspense going as Alex not only struggles with her alcoholism but online dating, which happens to be a key element in the murder investigations.

I Never Lie is well written and the pace does pick up towards the end. But were all the references to detoxing and binge drinking really necessary? It became a major irritation for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A twisted tale of addiction and denial. Easy to read, fast paced and as addictive as it's content. A thoroughly modern thriller, with a satisfying conclusion. I read this in one sitting. Excellent book

I started out really enjoying this book, I found it intriguing and exciting. But the further in to it I got, I found myself desperate for it to end. It was a bit silly in places and I found the ending far-fetched and disappointing. However I loved Jody's style of writing and would definitely look into reading others.

An interesting premise that unfortunately didn't quite work for me. Alex South is a crime reporter for TV news and a functioning alcoholic. Having lost a high-profile job due to being drunk on air, Alex is about to hit rock-bottom when a string of murders very local to her give her the perfect opportunity to reclaim her position in front of the camera. She's unnerved by these crimes, which appear to be targeting women using online dating, much as she is. But she's mostly focused on where she's getting her booze from every minute of the day.

This is a story about alcoholism more than crime. The murders here appear in snapshots of red herrings and TV interviews - there's no depth to them. Alex has been through a lot, a failed relationship and a miscarriage, but that doesn't make her easy to identify or empathise with. Frankly, she's annoying and frustrating.

Inbetween her chapters are dear diary elements that lead readers in a pretty straight line to where the murders are going. That narrator is very broadly drawn to the point of cliche.

I did read the book in one day, but I don't think I'd recommend it.

Not bad, but I did struggle a bit with it, I think the fact that Alex was an alcoholic and she annoyed me somewhat! The story was quite good but I did skip through it. Not my usual crime thrillers, and as I said the drinking got on my nerves, sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Canelo for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Ellie from Canelo for organising the Blog Tour.

Alex South is a journalist who moved to London after her miscarriage and the breakdown of her relationship. She is bordering on pressing the self-destruct button, and seeks refuge in alcohol. Following an on-air rant, she is desperate to get back in the game of live TV journalism and when a series of murders occur very close to her home she is given another chance to report on the events. She doesn’t think her drinking is a problem but begins to suffer memory blackouts and finds that she done things that she can’t remember.

My first book by this author. For me, this book began rather slowly, but did pick up pace as the story moved on. The story was told mainly from Alex’s perspective, but did have a ‘Dear Diary’ page interspersed between the chapters from an ‘unknown person’ who obviously knew Alex very well. Alex is a difficult character to judge. As an alcoholic she seems to spend most of her time in denial, convincing herself that her actions are justifiable and her drinking is under control. Obviously it isn’t and things just go from bad to worse for Alex.

I found the fact that she was a journalist trying to solve a murder a ‘refreshing’ change! Usually, it’s the journalist getting in the way! I did find that I went on a rollercoaster journey with Alex! Sometimes I didn’t like her, other times I felt sorry for her and then I also loved her in places throughout the story. I did find the ‘alcohol’ storyline overshadowed the murder storyline a little bit, but I still found Alex’s story and day to day struggle really interesting. The ending was great and it was definitely worth reading to the last page.

A well written story based around a difficult ‘taboo’ subject. Would definitely recommend.

A great novel!

Our main character is a flawed person, on a path of self destruction. It was very interesting to read this and see what was actually going on. Full of tense moments

Alex South is alcoholic who is in denial big time. She has been on the radio, then she is offered a job in television. After a mishap on set live she was drunk and things went downhill. There is a murder where she lives and once again she is in the limelight, still drinking and still in denial. Alex knew the woman who was murdered but in her alcohol fuddled mind she can't remember where?
This story is a slow burner that never came to the boil.
I would like to thank the author Jody Sabral, Can help books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

I was a little unsure about this book in the beginning but I was soon gripped by the fast paced storyline. This book provided the fine line between uncomfortable reading about likeable characters and a compulsive need to read more that makes such great reading.

This is a very good book with a strong story line that makes you want to keep on reading.. For over half the book I thought 'yes, a bit predictable, I know who is the culprit'. Then about 75% through my initial prognosis appeared to have been blown out of the water but at the very end I was proved almost right! This is well worth a read if you are into mystery thrillers. Didn't give it 5 stars as I didn't think the 'was I or wasn't I involved' feelings did not materialise soon enough in the book (I expected this from the book summary). I generally have an aversion to books where the main character is a woman in her thirties who continually does things that make you wonder why. However this is different as the lead is already an alcoholic but who makes valiant attempts to overcome the addiction.

Alex is an alcoholic trying to hold down a job as a television reporter. Her personal life is a mess. A spate of murders occur near to where she lives and suddenly her career is back on track. However, the drinking is getting worse and she has times where she can remember nothing of where she has been and who she has seen. As the murders begin to have connections to herself is she in danger or is she the danger?

Never underestimate the horrific grip of addiction. It shows how easy it is convince ourselves that we are 'normal' and how we choose to ignore/disbelieve what others tell us. Gripping and compelling.

I have mixed emotions on this book. I think the concept of the story was interesting but I feel it dragged on far too much.
I feel like the author couldn't make up her mind on what the ending was going to be and I felt done characters did not need to be in it.

Mixed feelings about this book. It was a real page turner and the character of Alex certainly held your attention. the issue I have with the book is that it was really all about the booze, Alex is an alcoholic in denial, the constant need for a drink and the constant reference to the need for a drink become a little tiresome. The "water bottle"of booze is familiar to anyone who has ever lived with an alcoholic and indeed is very hard hitting because it is hidden in plain view.

The twist at the end came as a bit of a surprise and the book is all the better for it. I would have liked a bit more about the reasons the four women were "chosen" and a bit more of the crime drama, if I am honest. The obsessions of the addictive personality and the endless need for self justification and indeed self denial are well portrayed and sad in themselves.

This is not my usual type of book and I am very grateful to the publishers (Canelo) and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it in advance of publication. The views expressed are my own

To me, a rather powerful story centred around journalist Alex who is an alcoholic in denial. Alex uprooted her life in Manchester a year earlier after a traumatic incident, compounded by her alcoholism, and took a new job as a TV crime reporter in London. She needed the drastic change to get her life back on track. That hadn't been going very well until a murder very close to her home. She convinced the channel that she could do this and give her career the boost it needs - which it does.

As the story unfolds you realise how bad Alex's life is, literally lunging from one day into the next with every new day being the one she is going to detox, start again, and have the life she longs for.

The murder mystery around the story is very overshadowed by Alex's lifestyle but I felt it was well written and pulled you into having hope for Alex and Sarah getting the help they both needed.

Alcoholism and the rebounding effects from this are the centre point to this book along side the gripping reality of a potential serial killer, stalking women on a dating app.
I literally read the book cover to cover in a day. Thought it was well composed and thought out.
Shall be adding this writer to my watch list for new releases in the future.

This book was ok not great but a struggle to read at times. I did finish it but probably wouldn't recommend it.

Alex is an alcoholic. She denies it to herself but she is. In order to get through the day she swipes booze from wherever she can: other people's houses, shops, hotel mini bars. She has a stash hidden around her house. Her life is falling apart as her addiction is affecting her job (she is a TV reporter) and her personal life (she has split up from her long term partner after a miscarriage). Instead of enjoying a successful career and family life she is always on edge about her job and uses dating apps to hook up with strangers in desperate attempts to get pregnant. She has just spent the night with one (who strangles her in a horrible sex scene) when news comes in that a third body has been found near to where she lives and she grabs this opportunity to revive her career. Her narrative is interspersed with diary entries from another woman, also an alcoholic who is obsessed with Alex. This helps us fill in some of Alex's missing back story; as an alcoholic she is prone to blackouts and has huge holes in her memory. I enjoyed this novel, finding Alex to be a sympathetic protagonist. The obvious comparison to be drawn is with The Girl on the Train but I thought this was better. I really liked the details about social media and how it can be used to track people down and keep tabs on what they're doing. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.