OH WOW what an outstanding introduction to the series DI Amy Winter. I’ve read books by Caroline Mitchell before but this is way up there in the top spot.

Amy was adopted at the age of 4 by a well respected police officer and his wife and following in his footsteps, Amy joined the force and has made quite a name for herself where serial killers are concerned, she seems to be able to get into their mind but has never been able to explain it.

After the sudden death of her father, Robert Winter, Amy is in turmoil, she receives a letter from prison from Lillian Grimes, one half of a husband/wife serial killer team nicknamed “the Beasts of Brentwood” who killed and raped young girls at their home. The content of the letter shatters Amy’s world as she knows it as Lillian is claiming to be her biological mother, can this be true? Lillian has requested a visit from Amy in return for the location of three of the last three victims of Lillian and Jack Grimes and be able to give their families peace. Can Amy put her own personal feelings aside to help them?

In the meantime, 15 year old Hemmy goes missing, how does this relate to Lillian Grimes or does it? Amy must play along with Lillian’s games to get to the truth and find out exactly what Lillian wants and find Hemmy before its too late!!!

This is a fast paced suspenseful thriller that will have you holding your breath and reading into the early hours, you just need to know and the twists, oh holy f***, absolutely brilliant. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and will definitely be recommending this to my friends and family.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and of course the very talented Caroline Mitchell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I read what this book was about I thought what an intriguing story this might be little did I know this book would be great! Lillian and Jack were they really a murdering duo of serial killers or was Lillian just a pawn in her husband's sick fantasies? or was she the mastermind behind the torturing and killing of young girls? and now what is Lillian up to calling her daughter who is now a cop trying to get her to remember her past. Is it to reconcile? or does she have something more sinister up her sleeve? SO many questions and you really will need to start this book when you have time to just finish quickly because this book just grabs you from the first pages. Loved Amy Winter and glad to see this is book one in the series. Perfect suspenseful read. Loved it. Definitely would recommend to anyone who loves a great suspense book!!!

I'd give this book four stars for it's fast past and mystery details. I liked the protagonist who seemed to have what it takes to be a police detective. Her complicated personal life bleeds over into her investigations, and she is a well developed character. It was definitely a page turner. Some parts of it didn't seem believable, but I continued reading along because the plot moved so fast.

Detective Inspector Amy Winter is the adopted daughter of a highly respected policeman. All she wants is to be as good a law enforcement officer as her father was; someone he would have been proud to call his daughter. Sadly Amy’s father has just passed away as this opening story starts. Amy is in for the shock of her life. It is broken to her by renowned criminal Lillian Grimes, one half of the psychopathic team of murderers known as ‘The Beasts of Brentwood’, killer of nine young women. The letter came from prison and began a whirlwind of activity. Lillian offers to reveal the burial places of 3 of her husband’s victims. Of course she claims to be innocent and wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment. She tells Amy the truth of her parenthood; she, Lillian Grimes is her birth mother. Her father is dead. What a jaw-dropper!
This chilling thriller is a roller-coaster of a ride. I loved every minute of it with all its twisty turns, dark alleyways and an ample scattering of red herrings. I thought Amy was a fantastic character and I am already looking forward to finding out more about her. I think Caroline Mitchell’s writing is superb; tight, complex yet totally compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s so hard to put it down. The characters in her story are expertly created and developed throughout the novel. It’s a must-read crime procedural with plenty of thrills and spills.
I received this novel through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Thomas and Mercer, all in return for an honest review. It’s a 4.5* review from me. All the opinions are my own with no influence from other parties. It’s an excellent read for lovers of this genre

I devoured this book in 24hrs. Well written with deep characters that draw you in to their world.
Good twist that I didn't see coming.
Scarily thought provoking as to how one person can affect another person's life, and those around them, so profoundly.
I was left with questions at the end of the book and I imagine that's what the author wanted, just to get you thinking.
Would highly recommend this book a d I will be looking out for more books from this author.

Great novel. Had me hooked from start to finish. Fantastic characterisation and twists right until the last few pages.

How much can the world expect one person to go through in such a small amount of time. The stunted cycle of grief that Amy has to deal with within the first forty pages of the book shape the rest of the story. She has to fortify herself to gut her way through the mess that is now her life, her job, and her past. There are so many people out there that have years to wait to have to work through baggage that has been set aside, but to have it be decades and so much of a life lived. To then go back to something so painful and realize you are not who you thought you were and your identity has to shift with all the memories that come with this new knowledge. You feel so much of what Amy is going through and that is credited to the author, Caroline Mitchell and Truth and Lies is a great beginning to the DI Amy Winter series. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and am so thankful to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am completely over books with Lies, Secrets, Girl and Sister in the title, so was not going to request this, but having seen several 5 star reviews from GR friends, and having a weakness for tormented female detective series, went ahead, and I am very glad I did.

In some ways a fairly standard British police procedural, the hook here is that DI Amy Winter is the daughter of an infamous pair of serial killers, responsible for the murders of a series of young women and girls in the mid-eighties. Adopted by the detective leading the case when she was four, Amy has repressed all her memories of her time with her birth parents, but when she receives a letter from Lillian Grimes from prison, offering to reveal the location of three remaining bodies in exchange for a meeting, and vulnerable from the recent death of her Dad, she begins to remember some of the trauma, including the murder of her older sister, Sally-Anne. Meanwhile, her team are searching for a kidnapped teenager, whose captors have not asked for a ransom, but instead seem to be seeking Lilian's release...

I like thrillers where the writing is good enough not to become a distraction: there are enough descriptions to get a sense of what everyone looks like, and the atmosphere of specific locations, where relevant, without feeling the need to describe every room the heroine enters, or every cup of coffee she drinks. This was very well plotted, with a cast of suspects wide enough not to be able to work out whodunnit, but not so many as to be confusing. Some of Amy's team members are dealing with their own problems, some are arseholes, and some will hopefully be developed further in future books. We hear enough about Lillian's crimes to understand what a monster she is, but there is no gratuitously described violence or sexual abuse. Hemmy the kidnapped girl was spunky enough to make me care about her plight, and I am happy to report that the cat survives, and nothing bad happens to Amy's pug either.

The author is a former detective herself, which showed in the processes and relationships of the investigation. I will look forward to the next book in this series and am happy to match my friend's five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I would highly recommend to all my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

Detective Inspector Amy Winter has always wanted to be like her father - a great cop and an inspiration to all. She has followed in his footsteps all the way and now heads a special crimes unit that deals with serial killers and the lowest of the low in the crime world. She has a reputation for understanding criminals like nobody else, which has always made her question why.

Lillian Grimes is one half of the ‘Beasts of Brentwood’, a murderous husband and wife duo who tortured and killed numerous women and girls in the 1980s. Amy’s father put them away, but now that Robert Winter is dead, Lillian is reaching out to Amy to reveal a secret that will change Amy’s life forever.

Intermingled with her personal struggles is Amy’s wish to fulfil her father’s legacy and locate the bodies of the last three victims of the Brentwood murders. Plus, a new kidnapping has emerged; the daughter of a local celebrity has gone missing, but what does it have to do with Lillian Grimes and her games?

For the full review, please visit: https://vocal.media/authors/lestat-de-lioncourt

This was one crazy ride! I liked it and look forward to the next one (this is the beginning of a series). The characters, plot, and dialogue were interesting. There were quite a few twists, maybe more than necessary? Towards the end, I started to feel as though everything was tied together too nicely, unrealistically. Some twists were more obvious and others not so much. The epilogue was perfect.

This my first read by this author. I see that she was was a former detective and this apparent as her work feels authentic. I will definitely check out more of her work and would recommend you do too!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Amazon Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

Truth and Lies is the first book in a new series by Caroline Mitchell and the first book that I have read by this author.

The main character, DI Amy Winters, has a secret. Her biological parents were serial killers and now her mum had got in touch with her. Simultaneously a 15 year old girl has gone missing. What is the link? Is there a link?

The book then follows Winters as she tries to solve this mystery and hopefully prevent another death.

It is a fast moving story with a number of twists and turbos that will keep you reading. The ending also opens up various options for the follow up book.

Thoroughly recommended

Truth and Lies is the first book in a new series and I can honestly say that this could be one of my new favourite series and I will eagerly await the next book in the series.

We follow our main character DI Amy Winter, who is mourning the recent death of her father when she receives a letter from one half of the serial killer pair 'The Beasts of Brentwood', Lillian Grimes. Revealed in this letter is the shocking detail, that she is Amy's biological mother and that in exchange for visits between the two and her other siblings, Lillian will reveal the location of their final three victims. Throughout this Amy's team are searching for a kidnapped girl, and the case may have connections to the Grimes family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the majority of the side characters, they all had their issues and flaws but most of them had endearing qualities that redeemed them. I usually find with thrillers that I guess the criminal pretty soon into the story arc, however with Truth and Lies, I did not figure out who the kidnapper was until it was revealed as Caroline Mitchell kept it tightly under wraps with just slight hints dropped. This was a nice change to the typical thriller as how often do you see someone in the police force who is the spawn of satan?! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!

Truth and Lies is a brilliant dark crime thriller. DI Amy Winter was adopted at the age of 4 year by a police officer and his wife, she followed her father into the force and has made a name for herself as an excellent detective. Her father was instrumental in discovering and sending to prison serial killers Jack and Lillian Grimes.
After receiving a letter sent from prison by Lillian Grimes Amy discovers she was their daughter and was taken into care after shocking discoveries at their home and their subsequent inprisonment. Lillian writes if Amy comes to visit her in prison she will tell her where the remains of 3 missing girls bodies are to give their families final peace.
The reader is given flashbacks to what Amy starts remembering of her horrific childhood which are frightening and heartbreaking.
So starts a fight against time to find the bodies and also a missing 15 year old that has been kidnapped that Amy is sure is somehow linked to her evil birth mother.
Whilst Lillian is manipulating Amy there are a cast of other well thought out characters all adding to the depth of this book. The pace is relentless, with some twists I didn't see coming
A great read and I really look forward to reading more books involving DI Winter.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

Wow just wow . The word twisted is not enough for this story. It's dark it's twisted and it's emotional. Brilliant writing I can't wait for the next part to this series

Truth and Lies. Caroline Mitchell


Straight off, I loved this book.

Take a sprinkling of Fred and Rose West and add a pinch of Myra Hindley and there you have the main villain in this book.

Lillian Grimes is in prison for being one half of a husband and wife team that went from swinging to killing. Carrying out deprived sex attacks and killing their victims after luring them into their home. The victims were buried in the garden, under the cellar floor, and in the walls.

Lillian’s husband killed himself in prison but had already told police there were three other victims. He named them but didn’t say where they were buried.

Now Lillian is using that to her advantage. She wants to drip the information to detectives, but she has a price.

DI Amy Winter is a pocket rocket of a detective. At 5”2 she is not very tall but don’t ever underestimate her.

Amy’s dad was one of the cops who put Lillian in prison, his recent death has left a hole, but she is determined to carry on.

When Lillian gets in touch and says she will only deal with Amy, and will take her to the first burial site, Amy has no idea of the effect it’s going to have on her.

As Lillian plays her mind games a young girl is kidnapped. Amy and her team should be concentrating on the kidnapping, but Amy’s head is with the missing bodies and the revelations Lillian keeps making.

This book is tremendous. I can’t remember a book ever having me hooked so quickly, and keeping me hooked so thoroughly until the very last page.

Caroline Mitchell is an ex-Detective and her experience always shines through in the reality of her books; but this book has taken it to another level.

The tension is brilliant. The inter-weaving of the plot lines make the story play out wonderfully.

The reference to Fred and Rose, and Myra Hindley, at the beginning of this blog are not waffle. The crimes Lillian has been convicted of are Fred and Rose’s crimes, or bloody close to them. The fact that Hindley also tried to curry favour by taking the police to the moors to show where the bodies of some of the victims were buried, is also very reminiscent of Lillian’s behaviour.

But there was something else that Rose West and Myra Hindley had in common, and so has Lillian.

What an utterly compelling read. One that had me doing my own research to see if my thoughts were right. Just my kind of book.

Oh, and there’s a twist right at the end. Please let there be a sequel. I want to know what happens next.

Pages: 348
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publishing Date: 30th August 2018.

Truth and Lies

The start of a brand new series featuring D I Amy Winters. Adopted from the age 4 by Robert and Flora Winters, Amy grows up in a loving happy home eventually following her adoptive father Roberts footsteps into the police force. With a knack for understanding, cracking and bringing down serial killers D I Winters is exceptional at her job, not actually knowing that serial killers blood is running through her veins. Amy receives a letter from prolific child killer Lillian Grimes claiming to be her birth mother and promising to reveal the location of three victims - but Amy has to play along to her twisted games first. Brilliant start to a new series. I can’t wait for the next instalment !

This has gone straight in to my top ten books this year. Wow! Totally gripped from the very first chapter right to the end. I loved Amy's character what she had to go through and overcome. I lived the twist at the end it made me smile.
I think this would make a brilliant film

"In 1987, Lillian Grimes, nicknamed the beasts of Brentwood, was sentenced to life in prison for her part in the murders of nine young women." Six of those bodies had been recovered. Three families were still having to deal with the fact that their loved one had never been found, never been properly put to rest. Jack Grimes was the other beast, and he died in prison before he could tell. And Lillian wasn't talking. Until now. Lillian is convinced the police manipulated the evidence, and wants someone to help clear her conviction. And she knows just who should help her- DI Amy Winters.

Amy was shocked when a letter arrived from Lillian in prison. She knew she'd been adopted, but until now, she had no idea just what kind of life she had left behind. All those nightmares she'd been having- well they may have been memories. And if she wants to get the location of the remaining bodies, if she wants to get some closure for the remaining families- then she's going to have to play Lillian's game.

This was my first book by Caroline Mitchell. I'm not police, nor am i British, but it sure felt realistic as i read it. I thought Lillian Grimes was so well written. Her lies felt like truths. you might have fallen to her side if you didnt have Amy's memories. I appreciated that they were written in a way clearly depicted the depravity of the couple, yet didnt leave you needing to calm your stomach. . i thought the use of social media was very relevant and realistic. I liked the side characters, especially Paddy.Also, i did not form a strong opinion about who kidnapped Hemmy. Usually, i figure it out pretty early., but not this time. Not only that, there was a pretty big thing that i didnt see coming! This was was fast paced, well written, and hard to put down. I'm curious to see where the series goes next.

Thanks to Netgalley/ Amazon Publishing / Caroling Mitchell for this ARC