This was the second book in a detective series. I was admittedly not a fan of the first book in the series but was intrigued enough by the synopsis to give this one a chance. I’m so happy I decided to give this series another chance! This second installment was a huge improvement and I loved the case! This centered around the murder of a young girl, on the cusp of leaving for college. There were many twists and turns and at some point in the book, I suspected everyone. The conclusion was fast paced and shocking. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for honest review.

The story started out exciting and immediately you know there is something off with the family concerned. Their 18 year old daughter is murdered and they all seem shady and like they are hiding something, but what actually happened?

It’s a police/crime story from America which is rather different from British crime stories and is in fact book 2 in a series. There are references to what happened to the police consultant Liam in the first book and also to what Susan Adler, the detective, went through in that book, but not the full story. It doesn’t sum it up entirely what happened in book 1, but I can imagine it does ruin some of the surprises book 1 would hold. Book 2 is so full of twists I can’t imagine book 1 also not being like that.

After many twists the story is tied up nice and clean at the end. No open ends which is good, now if there will be a third book with Susan and Liam it will be a whole new story and one I would look forward to reading.

Wow. I don't know where to start with this. Tell Me The Truth is part of Adler & Dwyer series (book 2), I've never read the prequels or book 1, but I was hooked from the first lines.

The writing was excellent, there were many unexpected turning points and some were absolutely jaw dropping shockers. I loved the way Susan & Liam worked together and conversed, in and out of work. I love that it does include some information from a previous book, I would recommend to read these in order (I certainly would have had I paid attention to it being part of a series) to gain knowledge that is mentioned throughout part of the book.


TW:
Child murder, child molestation and rape, murder, forced feeding drugs, abortion, suicide attempt

These are great police procedural mysteries. This book cycles through the perspective of the two detectives, Susan and Liam, along with the father and the brother of the girl found dead in the first chapter. The novel is full of twists and turns, but not the type that feel forced or put in for shock but don't make any sense within the story. A great read, and I'm looking forward to book three.

Tell Me The Truth
3 Stars!

Right from the get go this one had me guessing whodunnit with giddy anticipation as potential suspect after potential suspect was introduced. The fact that the first in line was the girl’s mother and then quickly followed by the possibility of it being her brother added to the suspense—after all who wants to believe a member of her family could do this to her. With more people popping up who could’ve been the killer it definitely kept me on my toes and fully invested in the story and characters for most of the first half.

However as much as I was enjoying the mystery filled with twist, turns and the quintessential red herrings about half way through I started to feel the drag. The writing itself was good but the story became quite tedious and I eventually found myself skimming the parts about Susan's home life, her kids and her feelings about Liam. It wasn’t something I cared about or felt was necessary and honestly pulled me out of the story.

Because this is the 2nd book in a series (it can be read as a stand alone) the references to past events in Susan and Liam’s lives were thrown in quite frequently and started to bother me in a way since I hadn’t read the previous book/books. Others may not have this same experience though.

Overall would I recommend Tell Me the Truth? Sure, to fans of this author and his previous books. Those who enjoy a slower paced mystery with lots of twists and turns and characters meant to pull you into their own personal lives—outside of the immediate cases they are working will probably find it quite entertaining.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 22, 2021
“Tell Me the Truth” is the second novel in the Adler and Dwyer book series, by author Matthew Farrell. I was first introduced to Farrell through his novel, “I Know Everything” and immediately became addicted to his pulse-pounding, suspense-filled stories, and “Tell Me the Truth” fits right in!
Jenny Moore is eighteen years old, and looking forward to her bright future at Duke University. One summer day, Jenny is found brutally stabbed in the woods behind her home. When Susan Adler and Liam Dwyer come to investigate, they immediately feel that something is off. Why did the mother come inside the house, in the early morning hours, covered in blood? Why did the father come home from his business trip a day early? Why was Jenny seeing a priest months before she died, for counseling and advice? The secrets continue to pile up and the Moore family continues to look more and more guilty. But which one is responsible? And why?
The Adler and Dwyer series is new to me, and I haven’t read the first one. Luckily, you don’t really need to. Although some of the back story between the pair obviously developed in the first book, the main plot is easy to follow without that knowledge. The chapters are short, which make the novel a fly-through-the-pages read, and I was easily able to plow through this one in a day.
There are many secrets in this novel, and many questions to answer, so the reader is always left guessing. There is a twist and turn in nearly every chapter, and this definitely kept me entertained and invested throughout.
All of the Moore family members are likable, but you know something is off about them instantly. Farrell makes all of them look guilty, and innocent, all at once and as the blame is shifted and the questions keep mounting, the suspense builds until the final twist hits and all is revealed. The ending was surprising and satisfying, while still being believable.
Farrell delivers a tense police procedural about the secrets a family keeps to protect each other. Adler and Dwyer are two characters I will definitely look forward to seeing in the future.

I liked all the twists and turns that this story took, and I liked knowing the characters were lying, but not knowing why. I changed my mind so many times on who did it, and I still ended up being wrong. Overall it was just a really fun thriller/mystery, and I can't wait to read more by this author.

I received this ebook through NetGalley in échange for an honest review. The book centres around the murder of a teenage girl who was found in the woods behind her house. An investigator from the State Police, Susan, is brought in to help in the investigation. She has a new partner, Liam who it seems she met in the first book in those series. I didn’t read the first book but I don’t think it was necessary to read before this one.

There are several twists and false leads as the case evolves which keeps you interested in the story. I found the characters weren’t developed enough for my liking, leaving me not able to care much about any of the characters. I felt like the book was written from a list of events and characters and there wasn’t enough thought put into how they would all blend together to create the story.

In general it was a good book but it lacked the excitement and suspense that makes for a great book.

Fantastic storyline and overall great book!!!!! Got hooked after the first chapter! This is just the type of story that is very easy to fall into. i couldn't put it down!

Fantastic storyline! Very well written and loved the characters as well. . Can't wait to read more by Matthew Farrell

I received this free book through Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review .

Tell me the truth by Matthew Ferrell was a very enjoyable thriller. There were many twists and turns so you couldn't be sure who the killer was. Just when I thought I had figured it out, something new would be revealed. I now want to read the first book and am anxiously awaiting any books in the future from this author.

A page turner that will keep you guessing until the end. A solid murder mystery with a cast of potential suspects.
Original whodunit story. The writing was great. I wasn't overly thrilled with it but it was a fun read.

This was a strong police procedural, and I happened to be in the mood for one, so it was perfect. I probably will go back and read the first book in the Adler/Dwyer series. I really let myself go along with all the plot twists, and I really liked the different POVs, especially Charlie’s, Jennifer’s little brother. The tension of waiting to see when a small child will crack under the weight of keeping the secrets of adults was almost unbearable.

Jennifer is an 18-year-old girl, full of promise and on the cusp of her first year at Duke University when she is murdered and found in the woods near her home.
I didn’t love the budding relationship between Susan and Liam—there was something inauthentic there. But Susan struggling with her work-life balance and the intrusion of her professional life with its dangers into her private one was well-described.
I did figure out who the murderer was, which was a bit disappointing, and the twists and turns became a bit forced at the end, but ultimately this was a good, solid procedural that I would recommend.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

Once I got into the story it was absolutely fantastic, but it felt like a slog to get to a point where I was truly absorbed in the book. The premise was interesting and the twist at the end was fantastic. There were several red herrings that were convincing enough to keep the reader guessing who it actually was, and even up until the 85-90% mark I hadn’t completely figured it out. Overall a great book that I would recommend to others. The trouble getting into it was likely due to my hectic schedule and slight reading slump. Looking forward to reading more by the author.

I received a free digital copy of “ Tell Me The Truth” by Matthew Farrell, from Net Galley to read in return for an honest review.

Matthew Farrell has written another excellent novel in “ Tell Me the Truth”. He certainly has the talent to set up a story and to involve the reader so deeply that it is difficult to stop reading . Maybe it is the expectation of twists and turns in the plot- there was more than one moment when I lay my Kindle down at a surprising revelation in the plot. Certainly it is that Mr. Farrell has created a good character in Susan Adler, investigator with the NY State Police. She is a steady, competent woman doing her job while trying to be there when her children need her. One of the character traits I like about her is that the author does not give in to the current meme of making her a feisty chick, full of sass and as prickly as a cactus. No, she goes about her work with quiet authority.
In “Tell Me The Truth” Susan, and her assistant, Liam Dwyer, a forensic expert in training, are called to the scene of a horrible murder that take place in upstate NY. A 17-year old college- bound girl has been found dead by her father in the woods behind her family’s home. Her mother is catatonic with shock; her younger brother stunned and the father overcome with grief. But Susan notes suspicious circumstances. One is that the bathroom and master bedroom are almost clinically clean and smell of bleach. Another is that the bedroom floor shows an area area unbleached by the sun, as if a rug has been taken away. Another is that, while the father says that the killing happened in the woods, Liam spots some droplets of blood in the hall.
No more because I do not want to spoil anyone’s reading pleasure. After all, the book is a police procedural, with the reader following as Detective Adler investigates, unraveling what happened in the Moore household that night. Clues leads to suspicions and suspicions lead to
suspects. And suspects lead to “ Aha! moments that make for a good mystery. The best part is that not even the reader can be sure until the final chapter is finished. At least not this reviewer.
One other great thing about Mr . Farrell’s books: They contain no sex, graphic or otherwise, and I recall no bad language. They are suitable for all adult ( because of the violent crimes involved) readers.
Easily a s five star recommendation form this reader.

When eighteen-year-old Jenny Moore is viciously stabbed and left for dead, it’s her mother who finds Jenny’s body underneath the pines outside their home in the upscale town of Lewisboro, New York. State police investigator Susan Adler and her consultant partner Liam Dwyer are called to investigate the crime scene, but they sense something’s off right away.

The clues contradict the story Jenny’s parents keep telling, which makes the entire family suspects. Was it the wealthy father? The disappointed mother? The strange, quiet little brother? The jealous best friend? An ex-lover?

This is an engaging mystery, sure to keep readers guessing as stories change, and new suspects pop up, Tell Me the Truth will have you turning pages far into the night. Highly recommended.

Thank you, Thomas Mercer and Net galley for this ARC.

One dead girl. So many motives. So many twists. Two detectives. A secret beneath the mystery.

This book was intense. I loved the mystery and following the crime to its shocking end. I was kept guessing to the very last page. The only thing I could have done without was the whole thing between the detectives. Otherwise, this thrilling mystery was superb and I look forward to reading more from Farrell.

I found a new favorite author! Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Ferrell in exchange for an honest review. I had gotten 2 of his books before I got this one from Netgalley, yet I hadn't gotten around to reading them yet. I got this book and thought I'd give it a go. The power went off where I live shortly after I started, which was nice in that all I was able to do was read. I managed to read this book in two days. It was so good! I loved the way the story developed. I was immediately drawn into who killed Jennifer. Was it her mom who showed up covered in blood? Her brother, who was hiding a secret? Her father who's story kept changing? Or someone else? I loved the investigators Adler and Dwyer and how personable both were. I am definitely going to read the other 3 books he has written.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This thriller is about the death of 18-year-old Jenny Moore who's found dead by her mother in the area behind her house. Stella Adler and her partner, Liam Dwyer are called in to investigate the case full of twists and turns.

I realized after reading that this was technically the second book in a series about Adler and Dwyer, but I didn't feel lost at all! This was first Matthew Farrell book and I thought it was pretty good. The first chapter is immediately gripping and made me want to read more.

Some of the writing felt stuff to me at times, mainly the character descriptions but also some dialogue. The pace was also a bit slower than books I normally read, but I still enjoyed it, it was a good read. Thriller-lovers will definitely love this one!! A solid 3 stars from me!