Oh man, I just don't know about this one?! It was so um weird I guess?! This book had suspense, action, and cult like stuff? Its not really my type of genre to read. It was interesting, I guess that's why I finished it but like I said not my cup of tea! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I absolutely loved this book, and didn't want to put it down.
I very much expected it to be your run-of-the-mill true crime story, but actually it took a bit of a turn and started going down the more 'supernatural' cult type story. Now I'm trying not to give any of the story and twists and turns away, but if you are purely looking for a true crime story, then this might not be the one for you.

I absolutely loved the direction the book took, it added a whole new level of interest to the story line and really helped me speed through the last quarter of the book because I just needed to know what happened next!

Definitely a must read for me!

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

PC Mitch Prescott has resigned from the police force after his involvement in a riot goes horribly wrong. He returns to his childhood town with great reluctance after receiving a phone call from the hospital at Green Acres about his father who has died. His marriage to Lucy has hit a rocky patch and he promises her they will try to get back on an even keel. Mitch has a sister, Bella and Lucy can't understand why Bella isn't volunteering to sort things at Green Acres, as the elder child.

Told via chapters flitting between Mitch and Bella's perspectives this was a creepy read with an undertone of menace. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-told tale finding it unpredictable and intriguing. The Family Lie, my second novel from P.L. Kane was very worthy and I expect I'll be picking up his next read. Highly recommended.

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

Although I enjoyed this book and read to the end I did find myself a little confused. Initially I thought the book was set in America, but then I realised it must be the UK - although it didn’t really feel like the UK. I happily read the book but did find some of the plot a little unbelievable. Saying that, I would read another book by the same author. I’m wondering if it had more to do with not having read the earlier novel in the series where the characters and their relationships were established and explained.

Slow Burn Suspense….
When Mitchel Prescott returns to the small town he once called home, following the death of his father, he knows that things do not sit right and he soon becomes certain that his father’s death was no accident. An unsavoury can of worms is about to be opened. A slow burn suspense, tense and immersive. Compelling reading.

Oooooh I liked this. It was a page turner. I was kept enthralled by the story tellers ability to suck me in rapidly.

Unfortunately I only managed part way through this before giving up.

It had a strong opening, but after that it struggled to keep me gripped to the point where I had no interest in what happened to the characters.

I'm sure this would be a great book for others but unfortunately this time it just wasn't for me.

Thanks for the ARC.

There were so many times I nearly gave up on this book but I promised #NetGalley that I’d give my honest review of #TheFamilyLie in exchange for an e-copy.

I tried to enjoy/ like this book I really did.

The Family Lie had such a strong and promising start. I mean a man on fire. I had questions I needed answering, I had to find out who this ‘walking flame’ was and how and why this had happened.

However gripping the start was this did not continue.

Unfortunately it became very slow paced and those answers I had just weren’t getting answered. About halfway through and I still didn’t know who this ‘walking flame’ was or why he was on fire ? And I nearly ended up giving up on this novel; I didn’t but it took me approximately the whole of September to finish.

I found it a very arduous read which is shown in my one star review. I was very disappointed in this book.

Well I had no clue what to anticipate from this story and it didn’t disappoint. I was completely gripped by the prologue especially when it involves someone getting burned alive. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t wish that on anyone but what a great way to start this book. I also thought this would be a police detective thriller thanks to Mitch but it went down a completely different road which involves cults. I’m not going to say anymore on that as it will give it away but honestly you all need to read this book.

This book was really addictive once I got stuck in! Lots of mystery and intrigue, I'd like to think it's far fetched but I guess this kind of atuff does happen somewhere in this crazy world!! It gave me some Hot Fuzz vibes in places - I hope that's not offensive?! Great characters, interesting story and total surprise ending!! Was not expecting that 😂 Looking forward to reading more from this author ❤

THE FAMILY LIE has one of the most gripping and atmospheric openings I've read in a crime novel this past year. The novel literally starts with a man on fire! And so sets up a tale of twisting intrigue as Mitch Prescott tries to uncover what really happened to his father, and the family secrets that lie within.

P L Kane has a strong grasp on grabbing the reader's attention to begin with, but I must admit I did find the noel a struggle – the middle slowed down a lot, and I was losing interest if I was honest... DNF

This is a fantastic thriller I was scared some scenes were quite a shock in this story with amazing writing style I loved every page. Plenty of mystery and drama in the story to keep you guessing plenty of things happening and more clues every chapter a suspense. The characters I loved and every chapter a new scene and mystery plot loved it. Thank you for the email book

Wow this book certainly starts with a bang, instantly sinking its proverbial claws into you and dragging you in.

The family lie is a story about family, loss and the damage that one big secret can cause. After a stressful few days, Mitch arrives in his hometown to deal with his deceased father’s affairs and prepare the house to sell. But as more details emerge about his father’s demise he can’t help but don his police hat and investigate the matter further. He has no idea what he is getting himself into, and just how deep this secret really runs.

The switch of chapters between Mitch and his sister, Bella gave us an idea of both characters who are vital to the story. It’s really intriguing to see the contrast of the two siblings and how both deal with emotion and stress. Their strained relationship is stretched to its limit upon their father’s death and we see both react in different ways.

I did feel that the pace was quite slow at times. The beginning chapters started with such exciting, surprising events that it was expected that this would continue. I will admit that at times it was difficult to read due to the pace and lack of action.

Nevertheless I enjoyed the story line and the twists in the story which were not all expected. I especially liked Bella and her personality, however I felt that Mitch was lacking in the same depth which Bella was given. The ending was dramatic and tensions rose in the last few chapters but I feel like the tension wasn’t there all the time in the main body of the story. But, I liked where the story went in the end, it was a twist which we haven’t seen as much in thrillers and was a refreshing change from the norm.

 – a good, intriguing thriller. Not the most action packed or tension filled but still a unique story line and not one we have seen as much.

Mitch Prescott finds himself all at sea after resigning from the police force in the wake of a riot that went horribly wrong, for which he lays the blame entirely at the feet of his incompetent superiors. It doesn't help that this calamity happens on the same day he finds out that his estranged father has died and he is expected to return home to the small town he has been avoiding for years in order to organise a funeral, rather than his sister who seems to be conspicuous in her absence.

The strain of his current predicament is weighing heavily on Mitch as he heads back to Green Acres, leaving his girlfriend Lucy behind with no idea if their relationship will survive recent events, and he can only hope that he will be able to tie up his father's affairs in double quick time and find a way to get his life back on track. But what he finds in his boyhood hometown has him bemused.

Things in Green Acres seem decidedly off. No one wants to talk to him about what happened to his father, a prospective property development is causing waves with the locals, and a strange commune that looks all too much like a cult in Mitch's eyes has established itself in the neighbourhood in his long absence. Things only get weirder when Mitch discovers that the circumstances of his father's death are highly unusual - how on earth did he come to be wandering around the woods late at night, let alone catch fire in the process? What was his father up to? And where the hell is his sister?

As Mitch uses is investigative skills, and his uncanny sixth sense, to try to uncover what is going on in Green Acres, attracting some very unwelcome attention in the process, he becomes convinced that something is afoot in this small community, and he is going to to his best to find out what it is.

The Family Lie is a slow burn tale of secrets. lies and conspiracy that builds its tension nicely as Mitch goes about finding out exactly what is going on in both his home town and at the dark heart of his fractured family. It starts its life as a police procedural that goes way left of field into the delicious realms a mystery that draws heavily on folklore, witchcraft and weird small community dynamics to ham up The Wicker Man vibes to the max, throwing in some nice horror scenes along the way.

I must admit that I wasn't too sure whether this story would hook me at the start, but the supernatural vibes ended up dragging me right into the eerie goings on in Green Acres. It's a quick, easy read that makes for an entertaining, cross-genre tale, and it has a rather splendid cat in it too, who ended up being my favourite character. There is some scope here for a sequel that could team up Mitch and his sister in a supernatural investigative venture, which would be quite intriguing. Lots of fun, especially in the run up to spooky season.

I just was consumed by this book! The plot just had me hooked from the start, this is exactly the type of story that I love. A bit dark and creepy, the wee hint that something just isn't right hut you can't put your finger on what exactly. It's very well written and was a delight to read.

I rather enjoyed that! The Family Lie is pretty creepy with an underlying hint of menace and the town of Green Acres is definitely somewhere I would not want to visit! Its oddness reminded me of the setting of Royston Vasey from The League of Gentlemen but the characters in The Family Lie are more threatening in a duplicitous kind of way.

Although it has quite a gruesome and intriguing beginning, it took me a little while to get into the story as it flicks back and forth between Mitch and his sister Bella. When their father dies, Bella refuses to return to Green Acres so Mitch is the one who goes back home to arrange his father's funeral. Mitch has just quit his job in the police force but he sniffs out something sinister about his father's death and begins to investigate, but someone seems intent to stop him.

I loved the character of Bella and her psychic ability which added a supernatural air of mystery to the whole proceedings. There is so much more to Bella's story than meets the eye and I loved discovering everything about her. It's odd but I didn't really take to Mitch as much as Bella, although I loved Mitch's interactions with the cat, but I think perhaps I just found Bella to be a more interesting character.

Chilling and intriguing with a hint of the supernatural, anything could happen in The Family Lie which makes it impossible to predict and difficult to put down. I enjoyed it; it's an entertaining, disturbing and imaginative crime thriller.

I chose to read a digital ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A scream cut through the night as they watched flames engulf the woodland. Fire ripped through the trees, leaving only charred branches behind. And then they saw it… on the ashen forest floor… was a body.
Police officer, Mitchel Prescott answered the phone with a shaking hand. It was the one call he had been dreading. It was the hospital at Green Acres… his father Thomas, had died in the night.
Returning to the small town he had been avoiding since he was a child, Mitch must lay his father to rest.
When he arrives, the close-knit residents refuse to speak about Thomas’ death, other to explain he was found burnt to death in the woods and his dementia was the likely cause.
But when Mitch discovers traces of accelerant on his father’s body, he’s certain it wasn’t an accident. Then his childhood home is broken into, his father’s study ransacked, and a rock thrown through the window warning him to leave.
Mitch is convinced Thomas had discovered something that had got him into trouble… something that would threaten his entire family.
But what secret is worth killing for?

What a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great drama and suspense with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I was eager to read this book, and I was hooked from the beginning. I did find myself getting bored toward the end, and it was a push not to quit reading the book. Pretty disappointing that the book started so great and lost steam. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I found this book quite intriguing. I’ve never read a fiction book on this topic before (don’t want to say too much in case I spoil anything!!) so this was a first for me.

The book started off with a whammy and I was instantly thinking “wow wtf?!” However, rather than the galloping thrilling rollercoaster I had anticipated, it was a slow burn that revealed its murky evil at the end.

I feel the book was based a lot on the characters and who they are, or were…. (as there were quite a lot of them - some rather unlikeable, especially at the end!) rather than focusing on twists and suspense. I actually liked both Mitch and Bella while also finding them rather frustrating - sometimes Mitch’s actions can come across “cop out-ish” and I wanted to say “come on man, grow a pair!” But there was a vulnerable and humorous side to him, his relationship with Cat (bless) and Lucy (oh god, Lucy! haha) Bella on the other hand I really wanted to know why she wasn’t there helping her brother out.

There did at times feel like there was sometimes unnecessary detail throughout, and I was left wondering where it was all going, but then a little titbit of a twist would appear and I would think hhhhmmm ok …. HOWEVER…. If you are feeling like you don’t know where it’s going, or that Mitch’s decisions / actions are frustrating you, I would encourage you to read to the end for the final reveal - it really will explain it all!!

The final reveal is quite a good one. A little far fetched? Maybe. But it’s fiction so fair enough. In fact, it wasn’t dark enough for me, and I feel there was the opportunity to go daaaaaark with this one, but maybe that wasn’t where the author wished it to go. Oh and there’s one last little surprise at the end….

I liked this book and I’m very thankful to the author, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it. I had originally rated it 3.5 stars, simply due to it being a slower burn and not as dark as I’d have liked, but while writing this review I’ve realised it was a four star for me!