3.5 stars

I Know You Lied (originally titled What We Hide) by Lesley Sanderson is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Nell is living in London when a solicitor informs her of her mother's death.  He must be wrong.  How can this be?  Her mother died when she was a child.

Her Grandmother Lilian, who raised Nell after both her parents died in a car crash, had lied.    Why would she do this, and why would her mother have abandoned her?

Nell travels back to the seaside town in which she was raised, to find answers to her questions.  But the secrets go back many years, and there are reasons that Lilian kept them from Nell.



My Opinions:   

This book centers on obsession, on families, and on secrets and lies.

The story was told from different perspectives and time-lines.  In this way we found out what really happened with Nell's Mom, as well as her Grandmother's thoughts.

The pace was good, as was the writing.  Although there were no real shocks, the story remained interesting from start to finish.  It may have been a little bit rushed at the end.  It was a fast read.

I don’t even know where to start with this book! It’s just THAT good I feel a little lost for words! What do I say to do it ENOUGH justice!

So the main character called Nell, her life just completely turns upside down one day when she finds out her mother has only just died when ACTUALLY she was told her mother had died many years in an accident!

Nell through her suprise, shock and heart break makes it her mission to find out what happened to her mother and why she’s been lied to! This means going back to her home town and talking to her estranged grandmother and stay back in the house she grew up in!

She uncovers a lot of horrible truths along the way but always forms a bond with her late mother!

I absolutely LOVED all the twists in this book they were shocking and engrossing and addictive! I couldn’t wait for the next big twist!

This book is NON stop! You are always finding out something new and I really couldnt guess which way it was going to go! So many strange things start to happen to Nell which it makes it creepy at points!

I really felt for Sarah, she had such a hard life all the way through and struggled through the years after having Nell. Living with Lillian obviously made things so much harder, living under her strict rules, harsh opinions and judgements and controlling ways!

Lillian to me was just pure evil, how she could put Sarah through what she went through all them years she clearly was the unstable one!

Nell I just formed this huge like for, she had made something of her life, however she struggled with the pace of her life and although what she found out about her mother was awful, it really all came at the right time! To be able to learn about her mother and feel some bond with her was just lovely to read!

I literally read this book within 24 hours because I just COULDN’T put it down! It’s an EPIC psychological thriller, with exceptional twists, immensely written and absolutely GRIPPING!

It’s just an easy 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ from me I wish there was a way I could give it more it’s just THAT BLOOMING GOOD!

My FAVOURITE! Enough said…

A quick easy read. I thought that the plot was predictable and a bit slow in places. Lillian was totally unlikeable but still an interesting character.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Nell was raised by her grandmother. She was under the impression that her mother died when she was a baby, so imagine her surprise and confusion when in her 20s she receives a letter from a solicitor claiming her mother has only just died! The book follows her as she returns to her hometown for answers.

Unfortunately I didn't like this book as much as I hoped to. Some very emotional topics were covered but I found the writing of the characters to be very flat so I didn't really care about them.

There was very little in the way of mystery as the reader was always one step ahead of the characters, and for me this broke absolutely no new ground in the psychological thriller genre. Sinister warnings, break-ins, creepy phone calls, it's all been done to death.

I would give this a rating of 2.5 stars rounded up because whilst it was predictable, it was a quick read and reasonably entertaining. The story had a lot of potential that it just never quite reached for me.

I had this one figured out by chapter 14. That's disappointing because I love a thriller that holds my attention and keeps the suspense going until the end. This was a good story. I think the writing could be a little better, but it was interesting. I really wish Nell would have known the truth between her mother and her grandmother. Maybe somehow finding the journals from her mother. Did Nell ever receive the letters Lillian wrote to Mary? Guess we'll never know. The story just ended abruptly.

Nell has always believed that she is an orphan. Raised by her cold, imperious paternal grandmother Lilian, she was told that her parents died in a car accident when she was a baby. Then, out of the blue, a lawyer contacts her about the reading of a will. Her mother’s will. The mother she thought has died years ago.

Distraught because she has lost years of her mother’s life, Nell returns to the home she fled at 16 to confront Lilian. She finds her home occupied by only her supposed cousin Adam who is doing repair work. Lilian is in a nearby home for the elderly. Adam reluctantly lets her stay in the house Nell believes he assumes is his inheritance. Although made uneasy by mysterious and threatening happenings, Nell visits Lilian looking for answers. Some of those answers are found in the diary written by Nell’s mother Sarah. Others are found in letters written by Lilian. The truth is both sad and unpleasant.

I Know You Lied is a fast paced psychological thriller until the final chapters. I had the feeling that the author was just trying to wrap things up quickly and I would have enjoyed more of the earlier suspense. However, this is a great, one sitting only read. 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lesley Sanderson for this ARC.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Nell was told her mother, Sarah, died when she was a baby and receives a letter 30 years later, that her mother has died. Her grandmother, Lilian, that raised her, has lied to her. This book is written in the present (a few chapters at a time), then flashes back in time to tell Sarah's story (1 chapter at a time), and then a few letters from Lilian are sprinkled in. This is a well written, easy, fast read. Nell goes back to Seahurst to confront her grandmother, to get answers, only to find out she has moved out of her home. A man has moved in, claiming to be her cousin. She is met with hostility, break-ins and vandalism. Who is trying to scare her away? I thing about Lilian, she is not your typical loving grandmother. She is wealthy and not overly affectionate. I won't say this was a predictable story, although some of it I did guess before it was revealed, but I would recommend this book.

This story intrigued the heck out of me and I knew I had to read this. Not to mention the fact that I love a good thriller/suspense story. Unfortunately this story did hold my interest as I would have liked, was slow moving, and the thrill level was not as prevalent. While this may not have been a story for me, I encourage others to give it a read because it may turn out to be one their favorites.

Nell discovers her Mum has died via a call from a solicitor, to say she is shocked is an understatement as to her knowledge her Mum died many years ago, she then goes on a journey of discovery to find out about her past, her Mum and her Gran who has the answers to all the questions
It is much more a family drama than a psychological thriller imo but there are shocks, spills and secrets aplenty along the way
Nell is frustrating at times as is the time it takes her to find things out but she is likeable enough and I was ‘willing her on’ throughout
The other characters were basic tbh although Lillian her grandmother put my in mind of the Dowager Countess from Downton minus the humour!
It was a goodish read, nothing over challenging and had a surprising if mega quick ending
7/10
3 Stars

Nell had always believed that her parents had died when she was a baby. She was shocked when she received a letter notifying her that her mother had died. So why had her grandmother, Lilian lied to her. Nell sets out to uncover the truth.

The story is told in the past and present day. As the story unfolds, we learn all about the family Lilian had refused to ta,k about. This is quite a good read with plenty of twists. The tension builds with every turn of the page. The ending did feel a bit rushed.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Lesley Sanderson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Know You Lied is a fast-paced thriller that kept me up reading all night. Nell has always believed her mother had died when she was a baby, but then she gets a mysterious letter informing her of her recent death. Who has lied and why? The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Lesley Sanderson.

Nell, living in London since she was 16 and estranged from her only relative, her grandma Lilian, has her world turned upside down when she receives word that her mother has died. Her mother, who she was told died when she was an infant along with her father. To uncover the truth, she must return to the home she left years ago to find out what secrets await her. As the story unfolds and we learn about the family Lilian refused to talk about, you can’t help but wonder, what other secrets await Nell? And who is preventing her from finding them out?

I wanted to love this book so much! A women whose mother who she thought has been dead for years passes away. Such a promising start. The first half of the book had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know how Nell's grandmother could have kept this from her all these years. Why was she so mean to Nell as a child, no wonder Nell ran but to keep a secret so large? This drew me in. Sadly the book ended up becoming very predictable and I found myself rushing to get through it.

I never repeat the blurb. This was a quick and easy read and the plot shifted from distant past to present as Nell seeks to unravel long buried family secrets and lies. Worth a read definitely.

A brilliant book so well written with descriptive characters which I soon got involved with.

I found this to be a fast paced read with plenty of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, I particularly liked the chapters from the past and the present and Lesley drew everything together with an excellent ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this great book.

First of all, huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher @bookouture and the author for an ARC of this book ahead of its publication on June 23rd. As a lover of the psychological thriller genre I am always thrilled to find a new author and after spending an hour engrossed in @lesleysandersonauthor 's "I Know You Lied" I found myself looking on Amazon. I was surprised to see other books by this author which I will definitely be ordering. The book begins with our main character Nell receiving a letter from a solicitor informing her of the recent death of her mother but Nell was under the impression that her mother had died along with her father years ago. Nell is desperate to uncover the mystery and sets off to her paternal grandmother to find the answers to the questions that are multiplying given her recent news. Family secrets and betrayal are at the heart of this book as Nell slowly finds the answers to her questions. The switching of narrative voices, the diary entries and letters as well as the moving between past and present are excellent narrative device to allow us to uncover the hidden secrets. I loved Lesley's narrative style and although I guessed one of the pretty big hidden secrets rather early on, it didn't make it any less enjoyable at all. I have recommended friends pre-order this book and know that it is one they will really enjoy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Imagine being told your mom passed away when you were under the impression she died years ago. Being raised by your grandmother only to find out years later your grandmother knew your mom really hadn’t passed away.

This is the set up for the adventure ahead. The story itself was well written. I could feel the emotions Nell felt as each secret was uncovered. You also could understand clearly Lillians personality. Definitely reminiscent of the old school feel no emotion, appearance is everything, generations.

I will say I felt the book was a bit predictable. I guessed main points of the story about half way through. There was nothing too “thrillerish” that made me want to keep reading.

All the main secrets were revealed in the last two or three chapters of the book. It was so quickly unveiled that it was almost as an afterthought.

While I enjoyed the book I’m not to sure I’d say it was great. It was probably just good.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC

Entertaining book but somewhat predictable. I would have given it three and a half stars of I could have. While I knew how it would end about a third of the way through the author kept me interested enough to see how she got there. I didn’t feel it was as much a psychological thriller as a suspense novel.

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The description of this book (What We Hide/I Know You Lied) really pulled me in. "The news of her mother’s death hits Nell as if she’s been shot. The letter must be some kind of prank, but who could be so cruel? Because Nell’s mother died nearly thirty years ago." It gave me a bit of a feeling of the old VC Andrews books - so much family horror! How sad it would be to miss your parents all your life only to find your mother had been alive all that time and lived nearby! And your grandmother lied to you all your life! It really pulled me in.

Overall, I'm not a fan of altering POV's in books. This one I felt needed altering POV's, but it felt like the time lines didn't meet up, leading to confusion as I read. I wished for a print copy so I could easily flip back a few times, to sort out the time lines and what all was going on. And I couldn't really get a good hold on the characters of Nell and Sarah. Maybe I read too many thrillers, but I could see the new 'twist' coming, so there were few surprises. But overall it was a very readable book, pulled me in, and kept me entertained. For those who are new to thrillers or don't read many, this would probably be a very enjoyable read.

This was a fairly good read but I expected more of a psychological thriller but it turned out to Bea family drama. A good easy read that kept my interest throughout the story. 3.5 stars