I honestly didn't know this was a part of the Adler and Dwyer series. However, I was not lost and it was a great book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

So wowza, this was such an excellent book! Well written. Well paced. Intricate plot full of twists and turns. Well developed and likable characters. Usually I am very good (if I say so myself 😂) at sherlocking out the person(s) responsible in these type of mysteries, but this one had me stumped and then shocked, right until the end. So kudos to the author for that! I can't wait to see what is up next for this duo.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

A book that will keep you guessing and twist your mind. Poor Jennifer and her family. The price people pay for the truth is terrifying. This story will keep you captivated and enthralled. Even though this is book 2 in the series it stands alone. The prequels told their individual stories and each book has a new mystery. I was excited to get an early copy and have written my review voluntarily.

Pretty average thriller for me. It had a really interesting premise but ended up being a little too predictable for my taste. It would be a good choice for readers who are new to the thriller genre.

Susan Adler and Liam Dwyer are back in “Tell Me the Truth” by Matthew Farrell. This fast paced murder mystery starts in the early morning hours when Jennifer Moore’s mother finds her dead in the woods behind their home. As more and more details come to light, it seems everyone in the family had something to hide, but what secret was big enough to lead to Jennifer’s murder? Adler and Dwyer are on the case, and won’t stop until the truth is revealed.

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Farrell creates an excellent story by weaving together so many secrets that it’s hard to guess what big secret actually led to Jennifer’s murder. Even when I thought I figured it out, there was one last twist that Farrell holds back until the end, so I was surprised.

Susan Adler is a loveable character who worries about solving cases and balancing her family life. I think with each book she becomes more and more three-dimensional. At the end of this book, I am more interested in finding out what happens in her life than I am in solving another mystery, which is unusual for me, because (shocker) I’m usually only in it for the mystery.

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars. It was quick and clever and left me wanting another book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a marvellous, quality read! Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Farrell featuring Susan Adler and partner Liam Dwyer certainly grabbed my attention. It's not necessary to have read Farrell's other novels (What Have You Done? (book 0.5), I Know Everything (book 0.75) and Don't Ever Forget (book 1)) to fully enjoy this one. I was thrown in from the get-go and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough on my kindle!

With great characterisation, the pacing was good throughout and there was no superfluous padding to distract. This was a well written, researched and crafted thriller that had me reading well into the night. The beauty of this book and the clincher for me was the psychological nuances in the story. It kept things interesting and added a deeper element. Clever, creative, and thoroughly enjoyable, Tell Me the Truth is well worth a read!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my own request from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Adler and Dwyer saga continues with this gripping tale of mystery and suspense. When everyone lies, how do you know who to trust? A beloved daughter is brutally murdered and everyone seems to be hiding something. Eventually, the threads begin to unravel as we race towards a thrilling conclusion to this horrific crime.

Susan and Liam continue to be fleshed out. They grow as members of the police force and as individuals. The writing and pacing is top notch and keeps you guessing until the very end. There are many red herrings that all help lead to the real culprit of this murder.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

2.5 * rounded up. I have mixed feelings about this book: it certainly kept me guessing, but by the end there had been almost too many twists and turns. I skipped all the sections which harked back to the first instalment in this series and all the chapters about Adler's twins' birthday party and the trips to the party store and whether they would get a puppy and how the daughter broke her am etc etc. Once I had started skipping those I found myself skimming most of the rest. So the plot itself was quite good, the rest not so much.

How far will you go to keep your status, lifestyle and wealth? A teen is dead and Susan and Liam are tasked with solving the case of who killed her. The twists are scatter throughout the whole book. So many possible guilty parties and the ending is super twisted. A good story for sure.

I LOVED this book!! I was so engrossed that I purchased the audio book so I could listen when I couldn't read.

I absolutely love the two main characters and they're relationship. It's sweet and realistic and gives the story a softer edge and another dimension without veering off into a romance. That aspect was perfect.

I also love the way the story twisted and turned. For a small portion of the end there it seemed like a few too many revelations all at once, but it kept it in check and wrapped it all up nicely in a surprising way.

I hope there's a lot more to this pair's saga...and that Netflix options this one!

Thoughts: So, prior to getting this eARC I did not read the first book in the Adler and Dwyer series, Don't Ever Forget. Enough backstory is included so that readers won't feel completely lost if this is the first book they pick up, but the backstory sounds too interesting to pass up and would probably make the romantic tension between the two main characters a bit more compelling so I would recommend starting with Don't Ever Forget if you haven't already. Despite not reading the first book, I really did enjoy this story. The murder plot was intriguing (this is one messed up family!) and there were plenty of red herrings to leave readers wondering "whodunit"; honestly, I thought I knew where it was going when I was only a third of the way through, but I was way off in my assessment -- the one time I don't mind being wrong! The chapters were short, which is my personal preference for a mystery/suspense, and the friendship/romantic dynamic between Susan Adler and Liam Dwyer was very realistic and nowhere near being over the top, which I really appreciated. Susan is also a relatable character and Liam and incredibly likable, making them both characters readers will want to invest in. This isn't the most complicated mystery plot I've ever read and some of the twists were obvious early on but it is fast-paced and interesting, and would make a good distracting beach read.

**Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Farrell is a highly recommended murder mystery featuring investigators Susan Adler and Liam Dwyer.

Noel Moore returns home at 2 AM from a business trip to find only his 13 year-old son, Charlie, asleep in his bed. When he sees a light out the window in the woods behind the house he goes outside to investigate. What he finds is horrific. His wife, Mindy, is covered with blood, holding a knife, and says their 18 year-old daughter, Jennifer, is dead in the woods. After seeing Jennifer's dead body, stabbed, in the woods, Noel immediately takes charge. He takes Mindy inside, cleans her up, and cleans up the mess. Charlie, woken up by the commotion, witnesses the bloody mess but is told to go back to bed. Finally, at 8 AM Noel calls 911 to report his daughter's murder. Mindy is catatonic and Charlie is instructed to say he was asleep and saw nothing.

New York State Police investigator Susan Adler and consultant partner Liam Dwyer, a forensics specialist, are assigned the case to assist the local authorities. Dwyer immediately feels that something is being left unsaid or information is being hidden by the family. As the crime scene is processed and more information uncovered, the story the family told is increasingly suspect. The family is being protected from further questioning by their high priced attorney, Charlotte Walsh. The whole family is suspect, but there are also several other suspects that have been uncovered along with an increasing number of secrets.

This is the second book with Adler and Dwyer, but it works fine as a standalone novel. Enough of their history and backstory is explained to easily follow their relationship. This is good, because you have a handful of other characters which require closer observation and consideration in this procedural. As the evidence points to falsehoods being told and misdirection happening, almost everyone is a suspect as they are all keeping secrets from each other as well as the investigators. The characters are all believable as they are introduced to the story.

Chapters alternate from the point-of-view of Adler, Dwyer, Noel, and Charlie. and also give a look into the personal life and burgeoning relationship between Adler and Dwyer. Honestly, while I appreciate a glimpse into the personal lives of the investigators, I like my professionals in procedurals to act like professionals and not develop a burning desire for each other, so I could have done without that story line. I will grudgingly admit that it acted as a pause between new suspects emerging and new information being exposed, but that could have been accomplished without the hidden desire. It detracts from the case, which is why I would be reading the novel.

Cudos must be given to Farrell for keeping the plot moving at a steady pace and the intrigue high. The chapters are short which assists in the steady pacing. (Admittedly, I quickly read over the chapters featuring Adler's personal life because they added nothing to the plot.) This is a novel that is hard to predict the outcome because the investigation keeps uncovering new suspects as well as new discoveries. This writing strategy works well as it keeps your interest high and the pages turning. The ending was a surprise for me.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and submitted to Amazon.

This book jumps right into action! Jenny’s body is discovered in the woods behind her house. She has been stabbed multiple times and sadly, her mom is the first person to stumble upon the scene. Jenny’s mother manages to make her way back to their home, but completely shuts down from shock. Jenny’s father knows their family will likely be the prime suspects and does everything he can to control the narrative before police arrive. As readers we know the family is lying from the get-go, but we don’t know what they’re covering up or who is responsible for Jennifer’s murder.⁣
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Throughout the rest of this book, we are left to figure out what happened to Jenny. And wow…this is one of the few murder mystery stories where I was truly left guessing until the very end and I didn’t expect such a dark turn. I didn’t realize this is the second book in a series. I think to understand the dynamic between the detectives it would be helpful to know their backstory so I recommend beginning with the first book of this series. ⁣
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This is my second time picking up something from Matthew Farrell and he did not disappoint. His books are fast paced and definitely binge worthy reads. Thank you Netgalley for this advance reading copy. Tell Me The Truth was published on 6/22/21.

This book was a "slow" thriller, but one that I couldn't put down because I wanted to see if I could solve the crime. Even though it was a slow thriller, it was intense. There characters were full of drama and that led to the reader being caught in the web of intrigue. At times I felt as if I was running through a maze with no way out! It's amazing just how lethal lies can be!

I do recommend this book! It has everything you want....intrigue, murder, mayhem! Thank you #TellMeTheTruth and #NetGalley!

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jenny Moore has been found close to her home, deceased. Secrets and lies threaten to erode the case from the start. Following the evidence will be a challenge. What is the family covering up? When does protection become subterfuge, compromising the entire investigation? Twisting and entertaining crime novel! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
( Note: in error, I posted a review on another book in this books place. I wondered apologize for this mistake)

Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Farrell is the second in the Adler and Dwyer detective series. However, there are another two books featuring the backstory of each individual character who are referenced in Tell Me the Truth. This was my introduction to the series, having not read Matthew Farrell’s work previously and was suitable as a standalone read. A young boy awakens in the middle of the night to find his mother covered in blood and bloody towels in the bathroom. His sixteen-year-old sister, weeks away from leaving for college, is discovered murdered in the nearby woods. So, the investigation begins and there are many clues to be discovered, numerous suspects and multiple motives to untangle. The truth of what happened that night is an enjoyable police procedural that comes with a three-star rating. Thanks to the author, Thomas & Mercer publishers and NetGalley for the review copy.

Tell Me The Truth is the second instalment in the State Police Investigator Susan Adler and partner Liam Dwyer series and is a real whodunit about the bloody crimes that keep families together and tear them apart. 18-year-old Jennifer Moore is viciously and repeatedly stabbed to death and left for her mother, Mindy, to find under the pines outside their upscale NY home. Susan Adler of the New York State Police and her partner Liam Dwyer are called to investigate, but they sense something’s off right away. Noel Moore, Jenny’s father, is cognizant that the story he told Susan about him arriving back home from a business trip in Florida to find his wife in a catatonic state over the discovery of her daughter’s body does not ring true. Noel and Mindy’s 13-year-old son, Charlie, also knows that their version of events is a pack of lies and he holds himself responsible for his sister’s murder a mere few weeks from her moving out to accept her place at Duke University. Mindy is in such a bad way that questioning of her cannot commence for several days and until several rounds of sedation have been prescribed.

But the police are starting to believe that they would only be treated to yet more untruths should she talk to them. Contradicting stories point to Jenny’s own family as suspects for the murder. With so many suspects and too many secrets, Adler and Dwyer have their work cut out for them…especially with the killer just getting started. Can Adler ably assisted by Dwyer get to the bottom of what happened to a teenager with her whole future ahead of her? This is a cross between a police procedural and a domestic thriller, and I must admit I found it far more compulsive than I initially thought I would. The suspect pool is quite large and I loved the way everyone close to the family was analyzed with a fine-tooth comb. There is a twisted trail of secrets, betrayal, lies and deceit all of which are highly disturbing and the impeccably placed twists and red herrings ratcheted up the tension and had me believing I knew where the story was heading before the author sternly showed me just how wrong I was. Highly recommended.

Tell Me the Truth is the second book in the Adler and Dwyer series. I haven't read the first book but that didn't really matter, I was able to read and enjoy this story.
There were plenty of twists and turns in this book and it kept me guessing right up to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review. Tell Me the Truth is available June, 22, 2021!

After a work trip, Noel comes home to a quiet house only to find his wife covered in their daughters blood. Someone murdered their eighteen year old, Jennifer but the pieces aren't adding up. Will the family pull together to share what they know with the police or will they remained tight lipped to save themselves?

This was a good read. The author does a great job of keeping the storyline interesting - introducing new suspects and new twists all throughout the book. I saw parts of the ending coming, but some parts were a total shock. This was a hard one to put down and finished it in about 2 sittings. Be sure to grab yourself a copy!

This is the second book in the series, and fourth starring the characters. For the very best experience, you'll do well to read the previous three - strangely numbered 0.5, 0.75 and 1. That said, the main crime is wholly self contained but the characters' motives and back stories will make more sense if you do.
So... Jenny Moore is off to college. But it seems that there are those who would like her to rather not. And then this becomes real when she is found stabbed and left for dead. Not too far from the home she shares with her parents and brother. The State Police are called in to help investigate - in the form of Susan Adler with her consultant partner Liam Dwyer. Attuned to working with each other, they soon start to think that there's something a little hinky about the scene they have been called to. The narrative being supplied by the father, the mother remaining catatonic.
We, the reader, knows that something is off. We know more of the truth of what happened that night - well, in the early hours anyway. We also know that the brother knows more than he's telling. But we don't know the full truth. It's up to Adler and Dwyer to guide us down the rabbit hole and back up again. Until all the secrets and lies have been exposed - and there are some doozies in this book - and the duplicitous behaviour seen through. And then, finally, the whole sordid - and really rather shocking - truth is laid bare.
I really loved this book. It grabbed my attention straight from the off - from the blood filled opening scene - all the way through to the final denouement when, and I'm sorry about this, it lost a star so I did feel a tad cheated. I can't go into detail here but I think I'm saying that there was something so fundamental that the Police should have checked properly that basically put the cat amongst the pigeons and, well kinda spoiled the ending for me a tad.
All in all, apart from that medium niggle that did make me leave the book not quite as satisfied as I'd have liked to have been, it was a solid read and one that did make sense at the end, Police glaring error aside. I am quite forgiving and am still going to look out for the next book.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.