In spite of the fact that all the characters are flawed and not particularly likeable,I was hooked by the story and read this book very quickly.It tells the story of a ‘chalk and cheese’ couple,Tom and Sarah ,and their son Freddie, told by the two as narrators and moving from the present to the past in a series of flashbacks. When Freddie confesses to killing someone, we see the lengths that Sarah is prepared to go to to protect her son.
Both Sarah and Tom have things in their past that they don’t want to reveal to each other ,and these are slowly disclosed in the course of the story.I found it hard to like either of them-Sarah is dishonest and tells lies without hesitation, and can’t see that she has any responsibility for her son being so spoiled and self centred, and Tom is stuffy - so I couldn’t really sympathise with them ,but the book held my attention and would appeal to fans of suspense .
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I'd describe this as more of a domestic drama than a thriller but it is nevertheless a compelling story. It begins explosively with Freddie, the teenage son of Sarah and Tom, coming home covered in blood and a reluctance to give full details as to what happened which then becomes the focus of the story. His is only the first of many family secrets that have lain hidden over the years and which gradually begin to be exposed one by one with devastating results. The book then goes on to pose the question of how far a parent - and especially a mother - would go to protect her child. I felt this was quite a dark book with so much sadness running through it. Couples who were totally unsuited to one another and were extremely unhappy continued to struggle with marriages and relationships that often, were quite depressing and I found it hard to really like any of the main characters as they continued to lie and be deceitful to everyone they were involved with which, of course was the point of the book but it did make for rather bleak reading some of the time. I did love the final part of the story with the court scenes and the outcome was very well executed. Being honest I have to say that I didn't enjoy this as much as the last book of Jane Corry's that I read and really loved but it was well written and plotted nonetheless and I will look forward to her next book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

ARC REVIEW
4 stars.

The story follows Sarah, Tom, and their son Freddie, exploring the question of how far you would go for your child.

I thought it was a domestic thriller but I would probably describe it as more of a domestic crime drama.
There weren’t any twists or really shocking moments. It was quite predictable. That’s not a criticism. It was really really enjoyable! You get to know each of the characters in depth which I loved and hearing both Sarah and Tom’s points of view really added to the story.

I’d definitely recommend it but don’t expect a thriller.

The lies we tell is a web of deceit! It has a gripping start which really draws you in.

Sarah and Tom are very different people, both of whom are trying to escape their past. At first they seem to have found solace in each other, but then their world starts to crumble as the differences become more stark.

Things come to a head when their son Freddie comes home with a secret of his own.

The book meanders a bit in the middle, and could have been more succinct I think. But the ending is good and just as griping as the start.

A story of love, deceit, family, relationships, honesty and justice.

I am a bit torn as to what to feel about this one.
The story was solid, i liked how it told the story from start to finish, going back to when the parents met - you dont often get the background like that so it was a nice change. I liked the dynamic between the characters and how each of their backgrounds were explored. This means you don't reallt get into what the book is about until about the half way point, but I was still engaged.
The main story was just okay - it all stayed rather constant and there wasn't really a hige twist or shock which I like when I read thrillers.
It all tied up a little too conveniently for my liking and some of the logic was questionable.
But overall not a bad read, just not one I'm going to remember.

This is an author whose books I will automatically read. Her latest book is amazing! How far would a mother go to protect her son? How far would a father go to do the same thing? Sarah and Tom will soon discover this when their son Freddie walks in one night stating that he has killed someone.

This book is told from the alternating perspective of the parents. The first two chapters are from Sarah, and then the book begins with Part one. This section goes back to when Sarah and Tom met, their relationship and their lives as being a couple and then a family. It continues through for just over half of the book. The second part of the story is from Sarah's perspective.

This was a fabulous book and one that definitely needed the 500 to get across the whole story. The first part was great as it built up a background of Tom and Sarah, their views, their opinions and also their ways and habits. Being a couple changed when Freddie was born. Tom and Sarah had things in their pasts that had been discussed, but it turns out that not everything was laid on the table.

Using the first half of the book to discuss the dynamics of the family was a brilliant way of getting to know the characters. The author used this to great effect. There were also some italicised paragraphs that brought in other names. This helped to add more intrigue into the story and I thought added more suspicion.

The second section was equally addictive, it showed how Sarah reacted after Freddie's admission and why she did what she did. But, this section becomes twisted and so devious as more things are revealed. I am not going into much detail about his part of the book but the author had me dangling from every word. I thought the first part was brilliant, the second part blew my socks off!

This is a book that covers a few genres, so while it is contemporary fiction as it deals with the family. It is also a mystery as details are uncovered and also a crime because, after all, Freddie has admitted to killing someone.

This was such an addictive read, it was a book that I devoured over two sittings and did not want to put down. A fabulous book about family, about protecting the ones you love and admitting when you are wrong. This would appeal to many readers and it is one I would very definitely recommend.

Sarah and Tom have secrets. secrets neither have told the other. Then their son Freddie comes home one night and says he has killed someone and begging them not to tell the police and to help him.
What do Sarah and Tom do? What would you do? How far would you go and to what cost and will life ever be the same again?

The latest offering from Jane Corry is unique and gripping in its nature.
Tom and Sarah are an unlikely couple ,they say opposite attract don’t they? They marry and have a son Freddie , Sarah loves being a parent , she doesn’t find it easy but she manages , on the other hand Tom feels excluded from the child/ parent relationship. Tom is a very staid character and finds it hard to show his emotions.
Both Sarah and Tom have a past and try hard to keep it from each other but the past catches up with them and we see the repercussions this brings to their relationship.
Freddie is nurtured by Sarah and seems to resent his father , and grows up to be an unruly teenager until one night something unthinkable happens.
All of their lives are changed for ever , and deception and lies are the strands running throughout this book. What would you do in Sarah’s situation?

The writing is fast paced , poignant and thought provoking at times. The writing is of the calibre that I have come to expect from Jane Corry. a distinctive and enjoyable read .
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK.

The Lies We Tell is a novel full of plot, characters, secrets, and motivations. For me, it reads more as a book club/contemporary novel than a thriller. This isn't a criticism. Jane Cory has a talent for creating detailed backstories for her characters which have ramifications for the present.

There are a lot of characters with secrets but this is fiction!

Enjoyable and well told.

This book started out okay, but for me it went downhill really quickly. It wasn't dreadful, but it was dull. I found it very slow, certainly not a thriller with characters I really couldn't take to. Sorry to be so harsh but it really wasn't something I enjoyed reading.

I enjoyed this novel for asking some big questions, what would you do to protect your child? How responsible are we for other people's actions? How does childhood trauma impact on adult life? to name a few. However, I felt the story got lost along the way and there seemed to be so many convoluted secrets to be shared I got a bit fed up with them. I didn't feel it was one of Ms Corry's better books, but am stop looking forward to her next one.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

Jane Corry has published roughly one book a year since 2016, and this one is certainly in her style. It is likely to be classified as a psychological thriller but, to my mind, it is not really a thriller but rather a novel of suspense, because there is a lot of suspense (even dread) but it is focussed tightly on the main character’s feelings and I don’t believe she Sarah, is ever thrilled by her situation. The reader (even a male reader such as I) is bound to identify strongly with her.
The story opens at around three o’clock in the morning with Sarah and her husband Tom waiting for their fifteen year old son, Freddie, to return home. When he does, it is to announce that he has just killed someone. He gives no details. Tom and Sarah, driven by their own demons, react differently to this devastating disclosure. He immediately wants to inform the police; she wants to protect her son at all cost. In a series of flashbacks, written in the first person alternately from her and his point of view, we learn their back stories and come to understand their different rationales. They are an unlikely couple, self-described as “Chalk and Cheese”. Sarah, an artist, was brought up in a commune or in care and had served time for manslaughter as a result of her dealing in a bad batch of pills. Tom, an actuary, was public school educated, abused by a teacher and is haunted by the death of a former schoolmate he had bullied. The second part of the story describes, from Sarah’s perspective, what happens over the years following the murder. This is the major reason why I said ‘suspense’ rather than ‘thriller’.
Interspersed with the main body there are short descriptions of someone unspecified being hustled in the dark and the rain towards some feared outcome. This does have some sort of rationale within the plot but I’m not convinced it is a useful addition. My main problem with this book is the constant feeling that it is over-written, which I found detracted from the intensity of the feelings being exposed. I also found the actions of the characters hard to envisage in any form of reality.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I really struggled to get through this book, the text on the cover had me hooked, but seemed like it belonged to a different story and the story had me thinking this isn't what I signed up for.
I didn't really like any of the characters, Sarah seemed childish and Tom like an old fuddy duddy, they didn't seem to like each other and I didn't agree with the choices they made, it seemed like if they'd had an adult conversation everything could have been avoided.
I initially liked the chapters about their pasts, but then it just seemed to drag on and nothing much happened to make it worthwhile.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for my eARC in return for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Jane Corry and loved this book. It had a unique storyline which kept me hooked from the first page. It was definitely a page turner and I would recommend this book

Sarah and Tom have a child together. Life can be complicated when you have lied about your past so when Freddy admits to a crime, will more lies be told?
So well written and great characters. Forces you to consider what you would do to protect the ones you love and how to live one lie after another.
Really enjoyed, hope you do too.

Do we ever really know the people around us and do they ever really know us? We all keep secrets, some bigger than others, but what if those secrets start to come out?

I really enjoyed this book

A beautiful written story about love,family and redemption.
How far would you go to protect the ones you love?
A bit of a slow burner but kept me reading.

Sarah has a past that she strives to keep hidden from her husband Tom, a rather dull and old-fashioned partner. When baby Freddie arrives he becomes the centre of Sarah's world until one day he admits to having done something so terrible that Sarah immediately runs away with him, leaving her failing marriage behind. Making a new life for herself, Sarah immerses herself in resuming her artistic skills while Freddie disappears, on the run only for the past to catch up with them both eventually. A great storyline but quite a slow burner with a fast paced ending that felt a bit too contrived to enable the story to finish. A good read though.

The lies we tell by Jane Corry is an interesting story with characters that you can really dislike and it wasn’t until the end of the book that I began to feel any empathy for any of the main characters. The storyline concerns a husband, wife and son and how they interact with each other and whether it is because none of them tell each other the truth about events which happened to all three individually. The husband and the wife about events which happened to them when they were growing up and the wife in her teenage years. The son about a night when someone was killed and the repercussions of that event on all three.
The book is an interesting study in moral dilemmas and how events change the course of people’s lives and affect other innocent people.
Highly recommended

The lies we tell is a story of the many lies surrounding a family and the lengths taken to protect a son.
The story surrounds Sarah and Tom who are a very mismatched couple and begin their relationship on a web of lies and hiding their true selfs from one another.
Sarah is desperate for a child, to have the family life, she never had. Along comes Freddie and over the years, after not quite the family life she wished for, his behaviour changes for the worse and a terrible incident occurs.
Switching between the past and present we learn the back story of the different characters.
The storyline was fantastic, however, I found it to be very stretched out and quite a slow burner but I stuck with it and it delivered some very good twists and turns.