My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin General UK for the ARC.

This story is so cleverly woven, so intriguing, with excellent characters and dialogue. It really draws the reader in - from an explosive start in the present, and then back to the past (Part 1) - to the continuing present (Part 2) leading to an explosive conclusion followed by a rounded ending. How far would/should a mother go to protect her only son?

The night before the family is due to move house, Fifteen year old Freddie arrives home at past 3am, soaked to the skin and wearing a jacket which doesn't belong to him. He's distraught as he blurts out to his mum, Sarah, that he's killed a man. Her husband, Tom, hears this and insists the Police are called whilst Sarah begs him not to.

We're then taken back to the past to where Tom, an Actuary and Sarah, an art teacher, meet. A very unlikely couple - chalk and cheese, and both have secrets in their past. Gradually Sarah finds herself in situations where she has to reveal her secrets especially and the cracks in their marriage begin to show. Told from both Sarah's and Tom's points of view, as Sarah's desperately-longed-for child grows up, we are brought forward to the end of Part 1 as Sarah takes action to protect her son.

There's lots of twists and turns to this absorbing story, along with feelings of desperation and fear regarding the possibly consequences of Sarah's and Freddie's actions. But, as the truth of that dreadful night is finally and fully revealed, there's a lot of tenderness and hope.

Excellent Read.

Fifteen year old Freddie arrives home one night and confesses that he has killed someone but won’t be drawn on the details..... His parents Sarah and Tom now face the dilemma of how they now proceed and the choices they make could irrevocably change all their lives forever. Two very different people with very different perspectives.

We are then taken back several years and to the beginning of Sarah and Tom’s relationship and the story unfolds of how they all arrived at that night. There are several supporting characters introduced who all are likeable and have their own stories and secrets. The characters of Olivia, Gladys and Blockie were wonderful!

Later in the story we move forward past that fateful night and discover exactly how things turned out. The story was unique, well thought out and well executed. I did really enjoy it and found myself turning the pages long into the night. The books flowed well and for me is a recommended read.

Thank you to the publisher Penguin General UK and NetGalley for an ARC of this story an exchange for an honest review.

I have read most of Jane Corry’s books so when I got this ARC I could not wait to read it. Like Corry’s previous stories, you are hooked right from the beginning, she is certainly one of my go to authors when in need to read a good read.

When Sarah and Tom’s 15 year old son Freddie returns home one night confessing he has killed someone, Sarah does everything in her power to protect him. The story starts with the present and then goes back in time to when Tom and Sarah meet, does Sarah’s past have an impact on the way she is protecting Tom? This page turner will keep you enticed throughout, the characters are really likeable and that is shown through the way Corry has written the story, I also loved the flow of how the story unfolds, In some stories where they are told in different timelines it can get confusing however this was spot on, you could easily follow and the tension builds up at a steady pace to keep the reader interested.

Thankyou netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some great twists, turns and secrets that keep you reading.

The story goes from the past to the present, Tom and Sarah`s 15yr old son comes home 3am upset saying he`d killed someone, his dad wants him to hand himself in while his mother wants to protect him. So she takes Freddie and flees from her husband to a small village in Cornwall.

Then the story goes back to when Tom and Sarah met and the problems they had to conceive and the differences in personality. Drip feeding you secrets throughout the book.

There are many twists and secrets they all have that keep you reading to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review, will definitely read more from this author

A multiple character viewpoint novel with two unreliable narrators told over the span of several decades. Contemplative and at times melancholy it really digs deep into the character motivations and the circumstances that shaped them. This worked really well despite it being akin to picking at scabs. I'm aware this doesn't seem like a flattering description but trust me, this is a great read.

This is an interesting tale of a couple who should not really be together and how they deal with the dilemma of a horrendous confession by their son.
This was very well written, with fully developed although not always likeable characters. I enjoyed how it was told from the viewpoint of the two main characters and their perspective of their joint story.
There were a number of twists which kept me interested and made me want to know how it was going to end.

A mismatched couple struggling in their marriage but both determined to put their son first. Until the terrible disclosure from their teenaged son that he has killed someone. Instantly, the parents are of opposing views of what to do - report or run? A challenging moral dilemma and a decision that has long lasting consequences. What would you have done?

A tense and twisty emotional rollercoaster! I was immediately drawn in by the premise and loved the claustrophobic drama between the main characters and the way the plot was teased out. Jane Corry does a wonderful job getting inside these characters’ heads and portraying a marriage in crisis, based on resentment, suspicion and guilt. I've read a few books by this author and this is my favourite of all of them. I'd highly recommend to fans of powerful domestic dramas.
Full review at https://katyjohnsonblog.wordpress.com/2021/04/19/book-review-the-lies-we-tell-by-jane-corry/

This author doesn’t ever fail to deliver.
Wow what a book! Captivating with a twist I didn’t see coming at the end.
I definitely felt the emotions through this book. It’s not what I’d say is a thriller, but there’s still murder and lies.

Rating: 2.3/5

This is the first book by Jane Corry that I have read.. From the accompanying blurb I had been anticipating a suspenseful thriller, but that really isn't an accurate description of this novel. It is far more of a domestic / family drama dealing with moral dilemmas. As such, it poses some thought-provoking questions along the way, but I couldn't help feeling that it ultimately shied away from fully addressing some of the darker aspects in favour of a cosier emphasis.

The story is divided into two parts. I found "Part One" quite engaging. A shocking announcement by teenager, Freddie, leads to an extended and enlightening flashback looking at the personal histories of his parents, Sarah & Tom. Although this direction was not something I had been expecting, I found myself drawn into the background stories of this unlikely married couple.

At this stage, it would already have been fair to describe "The Lies We Tell" as a slow-burner, but it was, nonetheless, holding my attention. However, during "Part Two" the storyline lost momentum and meandered around somewhat aimlessly at times. This was a disappointing development after a promising foundation had been established, but it was the latter stages of the novel, when a series of cathartic revelations emerged, that it all became a bit too much! It was almost getting to the point where I expected Jasper, the chocolate labrador, to develop the power of speech and confess that he, too, had done things in his puppyhood that he deeply regretted.

On the whole, I liked the premise and felt that the first half of the book had a lot going for it, but ultimately it didn't really deliver on its potential.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A gripping story based around he question of what a mother will do to protect her child. The organisation of the story is excellent looking at the perspectives of different characters. Well worth a read of you like family drama and crime.

# The Lies We Tell # Netgalley
A very well written book about a family who are put into a almost possible situation by their son Freddie . When Tom and Sarah first met they where like chalk and cheese. Tom having to boarding school we’re Sarah used to live with her aunt and uncle. They could not have been further apart. Yet somehow they seemed to make things work. With a lie here and there omitting the truth. Then Freddie come along and changes everything both wanting to be parents and being a proper family, Freddie is a insular typical teenager. When one night he went out came back asking for help from his parents as he had done something bad. It’s intense full of twist and turns. It actually does really make you think as a parent what one would do in that same or similar situation. It’s a truly deep thought provoking book. I can’t honestly say as a mother if I would have done the same. I know in reality what you should do but it’s your child, I have questioned myself over and over a few times being a mother what I would do in Tom and Sarah’s position.. I know it would be a extremely difficult situation if your actually in that position than just reading about it. But honestly it really made me question myself as a mother. Having the maternal bond. I could say I would agree with Tom or no I agree with Sarah, not just is it a brilliant thought out well written novel that once I had started it didn’t want to put it down. It’s one that there are so many twist and turns, I don’t think as a parent there are any right or wrong answers. Of course we all now what we should do it. But I being a parent myself.. I would love to say I would. Do this this and that. But would I ... before I wrote this review having finished it at around 6.10 am not having slept I thought perhaps I would get some sleep before I wrote my review. However I lay in my bed. Just going over and over about what I would do. How many books can you say make you think that deeply about a family in crises and truthfully question yourself as a parent as a family. I know it can be said it’s only a book. True it is, but it’s about a family who have to make big decisions that are not that easy as a family as a mother as a farther I genuinely did question how far would you go to protect your children, any self respecting parents would question themselves. I can say oh this is wrong this is right, but when it comes to brass tacks and it’s actually one of your own children if any parent after reading this said I would do what’s right I don’t think you really would be being honest with yourself. I am actually working out in my own head the real truth of what I would do thr biggest part of me says I would go with Sarah. Then I suddenly look at it at a moral point then think no I would go with Tom it’s one of those things you are swinging from side to side. I hand on heat as a mother genuinely do not know for certain which way I would go. Such a intense family situation I would hate to find myself or anyone else in. This is a fantastic nook and highly recommended. Just brilliant

How far would you go to protect your son? What if your son was a murderer?

Sarah has had a troubled life. Losing her parents at a young age, a strict upbringing and a desperate desire to be loved results in her making the wrong choices on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, Tom’s childhood has taught him to repress his emotions. They make a very unlikely couple.

Should you stay in a marriage which is clearly not working simply for the sake of your child? This story explores the repercussions that come from such a difficult decision.

The book tells Sarah’s and Tom’s stories from their own perspectives, starting from the point when they meet, gradually revealing their characters and giving us glimpses into their backgrounds which provides the motivation for each of their actions. They are very different characters but the author shows how and why they end up being a couple.

All of the characters in the book are flawed but we have sympathy with them as we begin to understand what has motivated them to make the choices they have.

I really enjoyed this book and the way in which each character’s backstory was gradually revealed. I found it gripping and hard to put down. Towards the end I felt it lost momentum slightly and jumped around a bit, and I’m not sure every element of the story was completely plausible, but this wasn’t enough to spoil the book.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I nearly gave up on this book thought it was a bit drawn out, but decided to keep reading. In the end I couldn’t put it down. A story of a mother’s love for her son and the outcome.

The Premise of the book is something that immediately hits home and strikes the imagination, A normal family, good people? the son comes home and he has done something terrible. In this case murder. How do you deal with that? how do you resolve the need to protect and the need to do what is right and the law expects. The book hits the ground running in the first pages, Straight to the heart of the plot.

We then relive the back story of how we got there. The story of parents Sarah and Tom. Two very different and somewhat damaged people, who are brought together under the shadow of lies or half-truths. Lies that eventually come out set up the events of the book. Both character's stories are told from their own point of view and compelling. You build a relationship with both equally. The world is set up in fantastic detail, You are living with them, and getting inside their heads, The pathway to that fateful night feel natural and real. It's real and is far from predictable. It's an enjoyable journey. The pace of which never dips.

We then move past the night and into how far Sarah is prepared to go to shield her son. She gives up everything and risks so much but there is only so much running and hiding you can do, Thing has to be faced up to.

The conclusion is well-paced and is balance, and is paced right. The temptation to rush is avoided. There are some real surprises and I have to be honest neither you understand both Tom and Sarah, I never found myself fully coming down on the onside.

A great and gripping page-turner of a story Really enjoyed it. Fully recommend.

What a wonderful rollercoaster of a read! This one really stayed with me after reading it and couldn't put it down.
As a mother I really resonated with the main character and felt torn by her decisions but also completely understood where her passion and decisions were made.
Excellent read!

I have read this author’s work before so was very pleased to have the chance to read it.

It is a thought-provoking tale of loyalty, family bonds and made me wonder how I would deal with a similar situation. This, in my mind, is the sign of a great book that it drew me in.

The writing style is very easy to get into and an enjoyable read

I really struggled with this book in spite of enjoying previous books by this author. Sadly this one isnt for me

This was a gripping book and I was certainly interested to find out what happened, but there were some parts that really grated on me.

I have teenagers and I’ve worked with teenagers. Freddie was not a well rounded character and did not behave as I expected in any way. I also found it farcical that a child who had begun GCSE courses was babysat? Not to mention that Olivia’s girls, who were already on the scene when Sarah and Tom met, somehow managed to be only a couple of years older than Freddie? And were also willing and needed to be collected from school? I also disliked the stereotyping of the backwards countryside village where the farmer proudly announced his granddaughter was to get married at 17 and he hoped to be a great grandfather before the year was out.

Aside from these niggles, I did enjoy the story. It’s definitely more about Sarah than Tom and I think I’d have preferred a more balanced back story, but I did want to know how it would end and I could relate to Sarah’s decision, even though I agreed with Tom.

It’s a long, twisting book with plenty going on and it will make an excellent summer read. I’d definitely try other books by this author as the parts that irritated in this novel were not to do with plot or writing style. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

A real struggle to get involved in this book, however struggled on with it and really glad I persevered. The more I read the more involved I became. An intriguing look into the lives of a married couple from their own perspective, developed into a real page turner a very enjoyable end.