Book Review: Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll
Published by Amazon Publishing UK and Thomas & Mercer, April 18, 2023

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars)

I've heard a lot about British mystery writer Teresa Driscoll but had never previously read her books.

When I first opened "Tell Me Lies", I thought , no, I'm not the audience for this suspense thriller.

Presented in the first person, Author Teresa Driscoll portrays a wife's fawning reportage to her husband, almost as though in a confessional. And, alternatively, in third person omniscient, the story from the perspective of the husband.

Then, as "that" horrible twist unfolds, I understand, feel utterly enlightened how the author's writing style for this novel perfectly fits the gripping finale.

And quite cleverly so!

- - - - -

// "Tell Me Lies" by Teresa Driscoll (2023) //

"Owl Cottage"
Cornwall, West Country, England

Hannah's a trust fund baby. Resolutely romantic so as to forego a prenup with the man she loves.
Against everyone's advice.

Sam's a lawyer. Who turns out to be an unfaithful spouse, caught cheating.

If they divorce, he gets a windfall. Half of the couple's conjugal property.

They have a sweet little girl named Lily.
So Hannah and Sam try to reconcile.
The marriage counselor suggests a family vacation trip.
And they find an idyllic place. In Cornwall.

The first vacation lie comes promptly. On Day One. Dead owlets on their doorstep.

Then she hears him whispering on the phone in the next room, unbeknownst to himself.
"...I don't have access to the trust fund..."

The stage is set.

Seven days in historical, quiet, scenic West Country. Of secrets and deceit.

Utter terror. And death.

And no. It's not what you think....!

---------

Thoroughly enjoyable, well-written psychological "English cottage" mystery thriller of the first order.

Review based on an advance reading copy courtesy of Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.

I haven't read much by Ms Driscoll before, but I did enjoy this enjoy immensely and will read more of her books in future. The book was full of twists and turns, and really had me gripped until the end! Recommended.

Is it ok to tell white lies?

My husband believes Louis Vuitton is a target brand . He is completely clueless when it comes to my shopping habits. Burberry? Um hellloooo it’s cheaper than Old Navy, don’t judge me .

And you ask how he doesn’t see the charges? I use PayPal which I pay our household bills from. This is pure evil isn’t it? So are the lies and deceit you will experience while reading this book .

There is nothing juicier than a synopsis that teases lies, deceit, secrets and domestic suspense .

This is one heck of a book and I promise you don’t want to miss it! Don’t believe me? See for yourself

Teaser :

From bestselling author Teresa Driscoll comes a chilling thriller of past secrets and present terror. Deep in a rural hideaway, it’s only the owls watching them…right?

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

This is my first Teresa Driscoll book and it will not be my last. I enjoyed this crazy ride. The story was a slow burn, but definitely worth the wait. I was also try to guess the next twist.

I love domestic thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Thanks to netgally for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In order to try and save their marriage Sam and Hannah, with their daughter, Lily, decide to spend a week at Owl Cottage in Cornwall. Almost immediately there are some disturbing incidents that leave Hannah a little rattled. As she tries to come to grips with Sam’s infidelity, Hannah begins to wonder if she’s losing her grip on reality.

Tell Me No Lies definitely has its moments and that’s when the book was difficult to put down. But, there were also times that I wanted to yell at Hannah to move along and take charge. The characters are well-developed and, overall, the book maintains a fairly suspenseful mood. The final chapters were not anticipated and it certainly was a smashing way to end the story. For that reason, I will bump my 2.5 stars up to 3.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I’ve read a couple of books by this author before and have enjoyed them so was pleased to get a chance to read and review Tell Me Lies.

I’m a big fan of a creepy, isolated getaway as a base for a story and this one did not disappoint. Hannah and Sam arrive at Owl Cottage with a fair few issues which serves to set the tone for what’s in store for them. With the narrative pinging between both Sam and Hannah and also Hannah’s mother, Maud, we are given sufficient insight into the couple and particularly Hannah.

The story is thick with tension, the setting is perfectly atmospheric and the sense of foreboding is strong. Another enjoyable read from this author!

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK & Netgalley for an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Tell Me Lies is the first book I’ve read by Teresa Driscoll — I’ve quickly added her backlist to my TBR because I thought it was was a superb read.

The chapters were just how I like them — short and snappy, they really drew me into the story, captured my interest and heightened the feeling of suspense throughout the book.

Driscoll has penned an excellent read and chapter after chapter she kept me wanting to know more. The cast are well-developed and believable (some nicer than others).

The book is full of twists and turns, some more obvious than others and some proper spine-tingling, goose-bumpy moments (creepy doll alert!).

Tell Me Lies is an excellent read, with an underlying, foreboding atmosphere to add to the sense of unease. To top it all off was an ending I didn’t predict. Brilliant!

Wow! No wonder this author's books are so highly rated and popular.

This story is so tightly woven with multiple people who are well characterized and have secrets they are holding to tightly while throwing out some very convincing lies. It's difficult to get a grip on what isn't being said and that has kept me glued to the pages.

This book is worth every bit of 5 stars.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Two couples. Four good friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Now THIS is what I call a psychological thriller. Something that messes with your mind. Makes you believe in things that may or may not be there. Has you imagining all sorts. Dreams; nightmares...are they memories? Or is someone playing with your mind? TELL ME LIES is the fifth thriller by Teresa Driscoll I have read and it has reminded me why I enjoy them so much. Not only does she play at gaslighting us (just a little, maybe) but she brings back two of her characters that have featured in at least three other books of hers I've read - "I Am Watching You" , "The Promise" and "I Will Make You Pay" . I certainly hope they continue to pop up in future thrillers.

Hannah's past has kept her from maintaining fulfilling relationships until she met her husband Sam and he swept her off her feet with a heartwarming trip to Bellagio in which he wanted to give her new memories to help overcome the old. She never thought she would ever find happiness, never thought herself deserving. To everyone else, she had always been "the girl from the woods" and ever since she was a little girl she has tried to put that traumatic part of her life behind her. Unfortunately, her past seems intent on catching up with her, haunting her at every turn in nightmarish dreams almost every night. At least with Sam she knew she was safe and they were happy...until he betrayed her.

Now months later, after intense counselling and the promise of a fresh start, Hannah and Sam decide to take a holiday to picturesque Owl Cottage in Cornwall with their 8 year old daughter Lily. It is their greatest hope that this time away will help them to reconnect and find their way back to each other.

As soon as they arrive, Hannah is overcome with the beauty of the place and the owls dotted all over the cottage. She tries sharing her excitement with Lily but her daughter finds the birds' eyes scary. Hannah, though, has always found solace in them. The cottage is as remote as it gets with only one neighbour and a secluded beach that is just a stone's throw away. Almost at once, Hannah begins to feel at ease here and relaxes into the hope that this is just the fresh start that she and Sam need.

But then strange things start happening from their first night with Hannah waking to a dead owlet (baby owl) on the mat and a knocking on the door only to reveal no one is there. Lily, already spooked by the owls surrounding them, is frightened and begs for a night light to remain on. And then when the lights go out one night as she begins to descend the stairs, Hannah falls resulting in a bad sprain and her foot having to be strapped in a boot for the duration...thus making holiday trekking impossible.

And just when things couldn't get any more tense, friends Amy and Adam turn up unannounced for a surprise visit. Hannah has felt increasingly uncomfortable with Amy after the arguement they had before she and Sam left for their holiday. And she certainly didn't want to go over old ground...not when she and Sam were working on putting the past behind them and moving forward. But Amy has more news to impart regarding Sam's betrayal that she feels Hannah has a right to know. And once the thought takes hold...

Maybe Sam is behind the disturbing events trying to frighten Hannah...but then why would he? Still, there is no one else around for miles but them so it could really only be Sam. Maybe his affair is ongoing and he wants rid of her to be with his mistress, gain access to her trust fund and be set up for life. But is she just seeing problems that aren't really there? But someone is doing this. She can't be imagining it, surely? Is she? Is Hannah losing her mind or is someone doing it for her?

I thoroughly enjoyed TELL ME LIES. It was the perfect reminder why I love Teresa Driscoll's thrillers so much and leaves me questioning why I have taken so long in picking up another? I was delighted with the reappearance of DI Melanie Sanders and Matthew Hill, who I first met in "I Am Watching You" closely followed by "The Promise" and then "I Will Make You Pay" . It's refreshing to have recurring characters in stories that aren't actually part of a series. I certainly hope they continue to pop up in the future.

TELL ME LIES is a psychological thriller with atmospheric proportions. Cornwall is the perfect setting for a such a thriller and is one of my favourite settings for such tales. There is a sense of foreboding throughout the entire book that something sinister is afoot. The story becomes quite dark with a few unexpected twists along the way. This book serves as the perfect reminder that I must dig out Driscoll's other thrillers I have yet to read and add them to my TBR pile that is bound to overtake me one day.

Overall, addictive and compelling reading that will have you turning the pages until you figure out just who or what is behind the sinister happenings at Owl Cottage...or if it really is all in Hannah's mind?

I would like to thank #TeresaDriscoll, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #TellMeLies in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Hannah is a mother and a wife, and a woman of independent means, but she is damaged by her early childhood experience which has left her susceptible to paranoia, depression and self-doubt. When her husband Sam admits to an affair - a one-night stand, he claims - and their counselling sessions are ineffective in restoring Hannah's trust, they take a family holiday at Owl Cottage in Cornwell in a last-ditch attempt to save their marriage and protect their daughter Lily from painful divorce.
The holiday however brings its own problems and further undermines Hannah's confidence in her husband. And now it isn't just about an affair - Hannah is finding dead owlets deposited on their doorstep, Lily's toys are destroyed and strange noises in the night leave Hannah fearing for her life and the safety of her child.
Driscoll takes us on down a fuzzy memory lane to the tragic event of Hannah's past which she had managed to block from her mind, and deeper yet into her present-day predicament where she has to separate fact from her the imaginary fathoms created by her inflamed mind. Soon, Hannah (and the Reader) will discover whether she is going insane or the danger is real and present.
This is my first Teresa Driscoll book. I enjoyed the tension bubbling in Hannah's head presented in non-nonsense, brisk prose, in the second person address to Hannah's husband Sam.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Teresa Driscoll - 4 stars!

Hannah and Sam are trying to save their marriage after a betrayal. They book a remote cabin, hoping that the time away with their young daughter, Lily, will set them back on the right track. But from the beginning, things at the Owl Cottage don't seem right - Hannah finds dead owlets on the doormat and hears knocks on the door when no one is there. Sam dismisses these issues which makes Hannah wonder all the more.

This was a great thriller with a possible unreliable narrator, a creepy cabin, and Hannah's mysterious past all coming into play. Told in both the present and past, you learn just enough to keep you guessing and turning the pages as quickly as possible. You'll find yourself questioning everyone and everything. I'm a fan of Driscoll's books and this one is another winner!

This is a first for me. The first Teresa Driscoll book that is. I will definitely be looking for more of this author's work. This book was very good.

Two couples. Four good friends. What can go wrong? When one of them does the unthinkable. One spouse cheats on the other. Can things ever be the same again. What happens to friendships in this case. When one spouse cheats...

This is the story of two couples. Each has their problems. Each has a small child. Hannah and Sam have a daughter, Lily. They seem to be so happy and content with their life. Then everything falls apart. Sam has cheated on Hannah. Can she ever forgive him? Should she?

Amy and Adam are married and have a small son. Amy and Hannah met at a swimming pool where their children are getting swimming lessons. Neither want their child to be afraid of water. Amy and Hannah become very good friends. The best of friends. Soon the two couples are doing things together. They are friends....

Something is not as it seems. Someone is not as they appear. Hannah and Sam go to Owl Cottage where they hope to be able to fix their broken marriage. They have their daughter Lily with them and seem to be doing ok. Then things start happening. Things that Sam seems to be shrugging off. Making light of. Hannah has already had a terrible experience in her life. When she lost her dad on a picnic when she was just a child. She's never really come to terms with that loss.

This book is a good thriller that will keep you on the edge in places. Wondering what will happen next. Wondering who is doing things and who can you trust. Or more accurately who can Hannah trust. Seems like her husband has a few secrets. Her best friend Amy is not totally trust worthy and even Adam is hiding something. Who do you trust? Who can you trust. A neighbor who may have been murdered. Owlets that are turning up dead on the inside of the cottage. Knocks at the door and no one is ever there. What is going on? A mystery and a thriller. A book that has a lot going on but it's fairly easy to follow.

Told from a few different people's perspectives and the before and after this book will keep you turning the pages. Keep you guessing. I did guess one part but to me it was a bit obvious. But the rest I didn't see coming...

Thank you #NetGalley, #TeresaDriscoll, #AmazonPublishingUK, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five stars and worth each of them. I do highly recommend this book.

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into free-fall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

Ohh, I just loved this! The whole book had a strong sense of foreboding right from the start to the climatic ending. An isolated setting, dead owls and a claustrophobic atmosphere - add in lies, secrets and manipulation and you have a winner!

Many thanks to @netgalley and Amazon publishing UK for an advanced reading copy.

4.5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

For me, the litmus test of a great mystery/thriller is when a five-day buddy read turns into a 100-meter sprint, with everyone abandoning the schedule and haring through the book like Usain Bolt pursuing gold. Such was the effect of Teresa Driscoll’s latest nail biter on our little group. And like the Olympic champ, we left scorched earth in our wake.

Tell Me Lies is the story of Hannah and Sam, who set off to Owl Cottage in Cornwall with their young daughter Lily in a last-ditch attempt to save their marriage after a horrible betrayal. It quickly transpires, though, that it is not the idyll they hoped it to be, as all manner of mysterious goings on — including a suspicious death — threaten to tip an already rattled Hannah over the edge.

It’s hard to describe what a compulsive read this is, propelled along by short, punchy chapters, each ending on a tempting cliffhanger that makes you want to read just one more. I’m a sucker, too, for an unreliable narrator, and Helen — still struggling with childhood trauma — is increasingly so. I couldn’t decide whether she was losing her mind, or if someone (Sam?) was pulling her strings.

Driscoll does a masterful job of building tension and pace. The atmosphere has a deliciously dark feel to it; spooky even, with a teasing hint of the paranormal. There’s a string of events with no rational explanation: knocks on the door by an invisible hand; dead owlets left inside a locked house; Lily’s doll ripped apart.

Right up until the closing chapters, I had no idea what was going on, or how things could possibly be resolved. But I should know by now not to doubt Driscoll’s fiendishly clever mind. Of course, she ingeniously slots all the pieces into place, and what’s more, without the merest hint of implausibility.

A relentlessly gripping, sharply plotted, page-turner of a read. Running shoes recommended.

3,5 ⭐️

After an infidelity Hannah and Sam’s marriage is going through a rough patch, so they decide to go on vacation to a picturesque cottage in Cornwall, Owl Cottage, to make a decision about their marriage. But some disturbing events added to some deeper issues relating to her father’s death when she was a child will put a strain on Hannah’s mind. Is she losing her mind or can she really trust her husband?

Tell Me Lies is Teresa Driscoll’s sixth psychological thriller, with special emphasis on the psychological, as it reads like a deep study into Hannah’s character more than as a fast paced thriller.

The story begins a bit slowly but builds up nicely, picking up the pace once the police is involved, and creating a creepy foreboding atmosphere with plenty of uneasy vibes that go along perfectly with Hannah’s descent into insanity. Is she imagining things? Can she really trust her mind? Is her husband gaslighting her? She is really well characterized and her fragile mental state is depicted in a very realistic way, managing to great the author some real doubts around her character.

Hannah’s past will play an important role in the plot. Even though she can’t exactly remember that night, what happened in the woods when she was a kid has defined her whole life. Are her memories real or a product of her mind? The mystery surrounding her father’s death is alluded several times but, after such a strong build up, I was hoping for something a bit more shocking.

There were not a lot of characters in the story, so it was interesting to try to form a theory around them with the small nuggets of information we get along the way. The ending turned out to be simple (and I don’t mean that in a bad way) but unexpectedly dark, and I loved it. Some things I would not have predicted in a million years!

When I had lost hope DI Melanie Sanders and PI Matthew Hill would make an appearance, they were thrown straight into it. They had a role in the story too, though much smaller than I would have like. I’ve always liked their chemistry and I love reading about them.

Tell Me Lies was an interesting domestic suspense with a compelling psychological side. I’ve now read all Teresa Driscoll’s books, except her first one, and can say she really knows how to build the tension.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and @fmcmassociates for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I immediately wanted to read this book after reading the synopsis. It had the makings of everything I loved in a thriller, fast paced with multiple POV's and short chapters. While it was a decent read, I wasn't as hooked into it as I had hoped. I'm not sure if it was the book or my mood that made this one fall a little flat for me. In any case, I did enjoy the writing style of the author and I will definitely pick up her next book.

Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishinguk for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this one. It was rather slow at the beginning as we were introduced to the characters, but once it took off it was a solid page turner.

Owl Cottage, in a coastal town in Cornwall, seems like the ideal place for a couple with marital problems. A betrayal is not easy to forgive but Hannah is adamant to give her marriage one last try, especially for their little daughter Lily.

But Hannah's trust in her husband is put once more to the test when strange things start happening in the house. Dead owlets are being placed on their doormat, and someone keeps knocking on the door, but when Hannah answers, no one is there. Not to mention Lily’s doll, which is found in pieces in the garden. It doesn't help that the child has an imaginary friend too!

Hannah is still reeling from a childhood tragedy, and now the nightmares that haunt her at night seem to have intensified.

I loved all these scary little details that made me question the main character's sanity. But her husband was also suspicious and as the story developed I started to suspect everyone, even the owls!

This was my first book by this author and I’m so glad I found her! She writes short and snappy chapters with a cliffhanger at the end.

You can't help but turn to the next page to find out what’s happening!

A solid psychological thriller from Teresa Driscoll. A relocation to Cornwall for a family dredges up some secrets. Hannah is unsure that her husband is taking her concerns about their house seriously. Does he know more about the house than he is telling Hannah?
A good read.

EXCERPT: I think again of Bellagio. Beautiful Bellagio, where we were so very happy.
And I feel scared, too, because I really don't know what to do for the best. I know that I don't want to be this angry person anymore. I don't want the bad dreams from my childhood. And the new ones from all of this.
But I also don't want to break my daughter's innocent little heart.

ABOUT 'TELL ME LIES': From bestselling author Teresa Driscoll comes a chilling thriller of past secrets and present terror. Deep in a rural hideaway, it’s only the owls watching them…right?

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

MY THOUGHTS: Teresa Driscoll certainly knows how to ramp up the tension! I, Queen of cool, actually felt quite anxious about Hannah's fragile mental state.

The story is quite a slow burn, but it's worth the wait. The tension increases infinitesimally, until the level reaches a nails digging into the palms level.

I couldn't figure out who was intimidating and manipulating Hannah, or why. But when I thought that I might know, I was way off base. Waaaay off. I just love it when an author keeps me guessing and this author certainly did that. I'm just sorry three owlets were sacrificed for the storyline.

I did have a little trouble with how daughter, Lily, was portrayed. She seems very 'babyish' for an eight year old, more like a five to six year old.

Otherwise, a good solid domestic suspense from an author I admire.

Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll is due for publication 18th April, 2023.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TellMeLies #NetGalley

I: @tkdriscoll_author @amazonpublishing

T: @TeresaDriscoll @Amazon Pub.

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR:
I decided to be a writer at the tender age of ten, starting epic novels in school exercise books. By the sixth form, I rather fancied life in a garret but a careers teacher- evidently fearing my starvation- steered me towards journalism. A good call.

I moved into television journalism, but writing has always remained the passion so I kept up freelancing for magazines alongside my TV work. When I left the BBC in my forties I built up the magazine work - short stories and features - and also enjoyed some fun years as a columnist for a range of newspapers and magazines.

Meanwhile the longing to write a book never went away. I finished my first a decade back and was thrilled to be offered representation by four literary agents. I chose the most enthusiastic - and held my breath as the MS went on submission. Within three weeks we had a major publisher on the phone. I thought - this is too good to be true. Sadly it was!
Three months later there was a change of heart. The publisher decided it wasn't my "launch book" after all - while declaring that "Teresa will definitely make it as an author".
Thankfully that prediction proved to be correct....though it took rather longer than I expected.
During the long wait for a book deal, I have been lucky enough to earn my living as a writer always with particular success in the short story market - writing regularly for leading national titles. At times I had to take a break from writing books in order to fulfill other writing contracts. But I never gave up the dream.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Hannah and Sam, in a last ditch effort for their marriage after Sam cheated on Hannah, decide to take their eight-year-old daughter Lily on a vacation to Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. However, things immediately begin going wrong - strange things - like dead owlets showing up on their doorstep, the power being cut to their cottage but no other cottages in the area, and mysterious knocks at the door. Hannah begins to question her sanity, as well as whether this vacation was a good idea after all. When the police become involved and Sam keeps deflecting her concerns, she begins to wonder if her trust in him is misplaced. Is there something sinister going on at Owl Cottage? And who can she trust?
I am a huge fan of this author, and she definitely hit it out of the ballpark with another great thriller. This one starts out a bit of a slow burn, but then it begins to snowball. Once it did, I couldn't put it down. It goes back and forth between past and present, and so you slowly see the events that lead up to what happens at the cottage. There is a big twist at the end that I was not expecting, that tied everything together. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you will definitely want to add this to your TBR pile!