“Page-turner” definitely describes this book, but not in a thrilling, seat-of-your-pants way. Rather, it was unwinding tension that slowly crept up, making me wonder if anyone was telling anyone else the truth.
Although it wasn’t twisty like the characters were pathological liars. It was an astute and highly accurate portrayal of the lies that people tell each other (and themselves) to simply maintain some kind of normalcy or relative calm in their lives.
The author starts with the murder of a young woman and spirals the story out from that point. Each character has a connection to the woman and some of those are more obvious than others. As the investigation into her death proceeds the reader learns just how many secrets there are in the small town.
The story is told in alternating points of view between the three female characters, Caroline, Evvy, and Daisy. I thought that the character development was extremely well-done. I could sense their changes in perspective as they came to realizations about their lives. This was especially true of Daisy. I think she was my favorite
Although Caroline and Evvy had their own growth, I got the sense that they were held back by their own feelings of being too old – choosing (for the most part) to accept what life was handing them.
For example, Caroline never really wanted to stay on the island; she thought it would be temporary. After decades of marriage and raising a family, it is what it is (to her). But, when something happens late in the book, and she has the opportunity to finally leave, she realizes that she has built a home and leaving might not be as easy as she thought.
Daisy, however, shows real growth and maturity as she struggles between loyalty to helping her mom and embracing opportunities to better herself and her situation. I really enjoyed her chapters, as I felt her to be the most sympathetic.
Once the case is solved, all that’s left is for the characters to pick up the pieces. I did figure out who the killer was, but I think many people will be surprised. I would definitely recommend this family drama story for taut storytelling and sharp commentary on the lies we all tell – whether we realize it or not.

Everybody Lies is a very well written murder mystery/thriller. Well crafted plot that will keep you turning the pages. Suspense fans will not be disappointed. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

A murder rocks a small community on Great Rock island, and people's lives will be irrevocably altered. Told from the perspective of three women, the book describes how people respond to this tragic event that is inextricably tied to them and their families. Secrets are kept and truths hidden until the truth of that night finally shakes everything free in an unexpected way.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. I could relate to these women and what they were going through. I wanted their sadnesses and problems to be fixed. I was rooting for them and wanting them to realize their own strengths.

The book engaged me. Not too fast, not too slow. I wanted to keep reading and find out the truth at the heart of these families. I recommend this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Evvy has lived on the island of Great Rock all her life. Every year, after the holidaymakers have departed, storms begin to roll of the Atlantic and the island returns to a small group of locals who, like her, have decided to make it their home. But when abody is found on a snow covered beach it sends shock waves through the community. The dead woman had worked on the island the previous summer and it's strange that she returned out of season. Evvy learns that her partner, Ian, was the last person to see the woman alive.

The story is told from Caroline, Evvy and her twenty year old daughter, Daisy's points of view. Layla Dresser's body had been discovered on Osprey Beach. It took me a ltitle while to get into the book and I felt it was more of a drama than a mystery. This story covers: drug addiction, domestic abuse, secrets and lies. I also found it a bit confusing and repetitive and that the ending was a bit abrupt. With all that said, I still enjoyed the book.

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

This is a great mystery thriller.
Great Rock is a small island that is busy in the summer months and quiet in the winter months.
A girl is found murdered on the beach after a festival and the whole community is shocked. It turns out she worked there in the summer, but what was she doing there in the winter?
The story is told from three points of view - Caroline, Evvy and her daughter Daisy. We learn what’s happened in their lives and realise there’s a few things being hidden.
Caroline and the chief of Police are having a trial separation but with their son, Connor, gradually becoming out of control, they need to pull together.
Evvy’s partner Ian is suspected of some involvement in the girl’s death which leaves Evvy and Daisy in shock.
As the story progresses more and more comes to light and there’s a few shocks in store.
I really enjoyed this book as the chapters from different characters gave different views of the situation and it all came together really well.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Everybody lies takes place on the island of Great Rock, a small island that booms in the summer months, and shrinks to the locals in the winter months. A girl is found murdered on the beach after a festival and the whole community is shaken, wanting to believe the murderer left with the last ferry that night. Examining secrets kept between and within two families and the impact the opioid crisis can have on a family and a community, this book is gripping and keeps you engaged from the word go.

I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough. It's heavy, not just with the topic of drug use, but also with the realities of lives that didn't end up as planned, wanting to break free and yet being held back by the past. Despite it's heaviness, the story moves well, the writing is fantastic and the characters are incredibly relatable and real. I didn't see the murderer's identity coming, and the heartbreak of the reveal was something I felt deep within. I give it 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller with incredibly realistic elements.

Wonderful mystery and thriller all in the same book. You will fall into the story of this little town and be wondering what is next!

Just beautiful, heartbreaking and poignant. The writing is stunning. This is a story of secrets and families,love, loss and betrayal and the lengths we go to for those we love. Loved loved loved this book. I will read anything thus author writes. Cannot wait for her next.

A slow burn suspenseful read which had a lot of mystery embroiled within the characters. My first book by author Emily Cavanagh, the prose was beautiful where each word carried its weight in emotions. Secrets and twists were the norm, like every thriller, this had many false clues and suspects.

The book was set on an island where everybody knew everything, yet it didn’t give a cozy feel to the story. I liked that; it added to the atmosphere around the characters and made it appear eerie. Friendship was bonded between the main characters Caroline and Evvy who were once married to cops. New partners saw them going through the usual relationship rigmarole when a murder occurred on the beach.

Told in multiple POVs, the story took shape when Caroline and Evvy pieced the clues together, getting the information of the investigation via their husbands. The suspense was tinged into the prose, but there was also the added trope of friendship and relationships with their kids. Great character development gave a depth to the story where the ladies were strong and flawed. They were real.

The clues leading to the identity of the killer were slotted slow and steady into the prose with the backdrop of the problem of drugs in the island life. Here secrets were more than its residents, or so it felt ofttimes. Layers were nuanced in subtly which made it slightly a slower read. At its core, it was still a murder mystery, where I enjoyed getting to tighten the noose around the killer’s identity.

Overall a good whodunit.

Gripping storyline with twists and turns that you will not see coming!

The author Emily Cavanagh has brought to life characters that will resonate with you and jump off the pages into your thoughts. The three ladies Evvy, Caroline, and Daisy all have such a different take on living on the Island and their own personal growth as to how they are affected by this dead woman’s body.

The death of the woman is the beginning and end of so much pain and yet happiness as well. The author is truly masterful in the nuances that she introduces ways for each character to develop and we as readers can see and feel and learn as we to discover these growths.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC! This review is based on my honest opinion.

In a nutshell, a woman named Layla Dresser was found strangled on the beaches of a sleepy island, Great Rock. The story actually tells about how the murder of this girl had affected the lives on the people living in the island, particularly the lives of the three women--Caroline, Ennvy and Daisy.

The story is realistic and well written though I should say there were some parts in the story that was a bit boring. The story is told from the perspectives of Caroline, who is dealing with the separation of her husband, Jack, who is the chief of police in the area and whose son, Connor is suffering from drug addiction, Ennvy, who is in a relationship with a man named Ian, who is the suspect of the woman's murder and who is suffering from domestic abuse and Daisy, Ennvy's daughter and Connor's friend. It's actually interesting to know what each of these women think about this whole situation but I thought it was a bit unnecessary to highlight more on Daisy and her developing relationship with Todd. I like how the author did a good job of highlighting about how parents deal with their children who are addicted to drugs, the dangers of drug addiction and at what length they would do to protect their children from drugs. So I would say the author did a good job making the story realistic as possible. Some parts of the story captivated the reader and sometimes, it was a bit emotional story.

Overall, it was a good story. Worth three stars however.

Everybody Lies is a book told from three different points of view. Caroline, Evvy and her daughter Daisy. They live on a small island off of Massachusetts. Being on an island, also a small town, makes it difficult to keep secrets. But most of these people do to some extent or at the very least not everyone knows the whole story of each of the people involved. These people experience death of a child, drug abuse, divorce, and physical abuse and they all think no one knows what is going on. The discovery of a young women murdered is a pivotal point in each of these women and their families. There will be heartbreak, love, and personal growth for all.

Everybody Lies by Emily Cavanagh

Evvy made her home on Great Rock Island unlike most who visited during the holiday travel seasons. It is a quaint town in the winter and most know you by name off season. One day however, when everyone had gone home and a layer of snow blanketed the island, a body was found. On an island where there are absolutely no secrets and word of mouth spreads like wildfire, it doesn’t take long for Evvy to find out her live in boyfriend, Ian, was the last to see the dead woman alive. Evvy knows Ian and she knows his temper all too well. She has the bruises to prove it. But, could Ian be a killer? Why was that woman on the island after the season was over? Evvy knew she had worked on the island previously so there must be a reason she was back. This story actually has three POV’s. Caroline, Caroline’s best friend Evvy, and Evvy’s daughter Daisy. I loved this story and the fact that a murder mystery could take place in what is supposed to be a tranquil destination had me enthralled with the book. I could not put this one down. I know I have said in other reviews how much I loved the book, I think this one would be very close to the top. The author had me guessing until the last couple of chapters. I honestly did not see the ending coming. I highly recommend this novel and want to read more by this author.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled to get into this book and gel with any of the characters so it wasn't my favourite read this year.

The story is told from three peoples POV, Caroline, her best friend Evvy and Evvy's 20 year old daughter Daisy. The body of Layla Dresser is discovered on Osprey Beach, Great Rock Island.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A good read overall. This is a quick read with plenty of action. It is slow In places but the storyline kept me reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Oh my goodness I love these thrillers! Seriously the ending was such a good suspense ending and honestly throughout the whole book I didn’t know what was going to happen. A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Everybody Lies" in exchange for an honest review.

This book was written in 3 voices: Caroline, her bestfriend Evvy and Evvy's 20 year old daughter Daisy. A woman named Layla Dresser is killed on Osprey Beach on Great Rock Island. Caroline's husband Jack Doherty is the police chief on the island. He tells Caroline that he's coming over to talk and she believes that they are finally going to talk about their separation and possible divorce. Instead he tells her about a young woman found strangled on the beach.

Evvy and her husband Cyrus divorced after the death of their daughter Serena. For the past 6 years she has been living with Ian. He beats her but she stays because she doesn't want to be alone. When Ian is arrested for killing Layla she starts to think about her life. Did Ian really do this? Is he capable of murder? Or is he a handy fallguy for some else.

Someone is bringing drugs on the island and Caroline and Jack's 21 year old son Connor is an addict. Are the drugs linked to Layla's murder? She did not live on the island and why would she be visiting in the middle of winter.

A surprise end to the story brings new paths for everyone. A bit confusing to read with the switching of characters and seeing whose voice is being used. Also moved quite slowly in parts.

While to most Great Rock Island is a summer-holiday destination, to Evvy and a small group of locals, it is home. Every year, when the cold rolls in carrying storms off the Atlantic, the island reverts to being just theirs for a few months. However, the discovery of an outsider’s body lying on the snow-covered beach shakes the community. Evvy’s own life is plunged into fear and chaos when it comes to the light that Ian, her partner, was the last person to see the victim alive. As questions, suspicions, and gossip mount, Evvy will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter.

The promise of a murder-mystery set to the backdrop of an isolated community where beauty turns to nightmare and tight-knit to claustrophobic had me running to read Everybody Lies by Emily Cavanagh. Sadly, I soon discovered it was more small-town drama and less mystery — specifically that of two families and their twisted lives. Between the lies, the cheating, the drugs, and enough bad decisions between them to sink the entire island, I couldn’t connect or empathize with any of them. The writing itself is not bad, but with no likable characters to keep me invested, I found myself skimming after the forty percent mark, even then only because I had committed to reviewing it.

In the end, I think the main issue was a book not reaching the right hands. A reader looking for a family drama, a story that dwells on the downward spiral of poor choices, and the heartbreaking effects of drugs could like Everybody Lies.

Great Rock is a small place to live in. Everybody knows everybody there, people bump into a couple of familiar faces wherever they go. In such a community, it's pretty normal that nothing remains as a secret. Rumour spreads faster than lightning. But, behind closed doors, the scene is different. As the story progresses and we get to know the characters, we notice all the terrible things that they keep hiding from each other, friends keep secret, families keep secret. So when there's a murder at seemingly 'peaceful' Great Rock, bitter truths starts getting discovered. The whole thing gets messy, tangled up, runing many peoples' life.

I liked the book from the very beginning. The author's writing style caught my attention instantaneously and I was hooked to the story. Loved the twist, the character developments. I hated some characters so much time to time but I guess the ending was neat. Looking forward to her other books.

Atmospheric American setting for a murder mystery.

'Everybody Lies' by Emily Cavanagh is set in Great Rock Island, a small island in Massachusetts, near Boston, USA. The book is told from the points of view (POV) of Caroline, Evvy and Daisy, who live on Great Rock Island. Daisy is Evvy's daughter. Caroline and Evvy are close friends who were married to the top cops on the island, respectively Jack and Cyrus. Since her separation, Evvy has been in a relationship with Ian, a sailor on the ferries that go daily to the mainland. Another important character is Caroline's 20-year-old son, Connor, who has moved out of the family home. Similarly-aged Connor and Daisy have grown up together, and have formed an on again / off again relationship.

The prologue opens with the pursuit of a frightened girl on a beach in the deep of the night; it is told in her POV. Further into the book we find that young Layla was a hospitality worker during the island's booming tourist season. She returned a few times during her holidays. Following the murder, gossip ensues amongst the members of the small community as to who has been seen with whom, and more importantly, who was at the bar where Layla worked on the night she died.

Caroline and Evvy learn of the progress of the investigation through their estranged ex-husbands, with whom they each has formed an on again/ off again relationship, the bonds remaining strong. Illegal recreational drugs and heroin have become a problem on the island, having led to several deaths from overdoses. When Caroline suspects that Connor may be using, she initially keeps the information to herself. However, she soon finds out that she is one of the last to know. The reader fears for the safety of both Connor and Daisy, especially when Daisy meets and befriends a stranger.

This well-written suspense mystery turned slowly, giving a deep personality portrayal of all the main characters as well as of some of the side ones. Emily Cavanagh made the characters come to life, each flawed in their own way yet likeable, as they were believable. You wanted Evvy's, Caroline's and Daisy's relationship wishes to come true.

While reading the book, the reader suspects many of the characters, including the first whom the police arrest. However, if you are a frequent reader of the crime trope, you know that this is either a red herring, or other antagonists will be revealed. The author avoids most of the tired clichés of this genre. This isn't the usual police procedural or psychological thriller with adults vying with each other. It is more literary and nuanced. The author knows what she's talking about; her writing style is lyrical, yet authoritative.

The bleak wintry setting of Great Rock Island made a character of its own, forming an eery backdrop for drugs, murder and other nefarious deeds. Caroline's perspective of a late comer to the island gave the story a stifling feeling. (And in Covid-19 times, don't we all know what claustrophobia feels like!)

I totally recommend 'Everybody Lies', a well-written suspense story told with loads of humanity and feeling, twists and turns in terms of human drama, engaging characters and a sinister setting.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for this advanced review copy for an honest review.
This review also appears in https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2020/09/everybody-lies-by-emily-cavanagh-4.html, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3566595112 and amazon.com (post publication day).

*Potential Spoiler* The author, Emily Cavanagh, has avoided the tired clichés of the main characters being either threatened or killed or captured. I was so relieved to read that.