The Sixth Lie by Sarah Ward was a bit slow in parts and was not as thrilling or edge-of-your-seat as I had hoped. The story is set in Wales, which provides a good atmosphere. And I liked Mallory and getting to know this new character.

The premise of the story is that on New Year's Eve 2011, 3-year-old Huw Jones disappeared from his bedroom while his father and five friends were downstairs. His body was later discovered on the nearby cliffs at St Non's. That night, all six friends lied in their statements to the police. Over a decade later, Huw's mother, Heledd is found dead.

Mallory Dawson, retired from the Met but asked to be a civilian investigator, must uncover the lies lurking in the tight-knit community of St Davids. But someone has kept their secrets for years, and they would kill to protect them.

The story had some good twists, and I look forward to reading more about Mallory.

A 3.75 (rounded to 4) out of 5 stars.

#TheSixthLie #NetGalley

Absolutely Awesome - what great fun!

10 years ago, 3 year old Huw Jones disappeared in the Welsh countryside and was found later dead in the forest. 6 adults were present in his home for New Year's Eve but police never determined a suspect. Now, Heledd, Huw's mother is found dead and a mysterious note stating that all of "them are lying" turns up. It's up to
Mallory Dawson to determine the lies and the one that will lead her to solve the mystery of years ago.

Great Welsh characters and small town close-knitness.. A mystery that will keep you guessing and waiting for more Mallory stories to come!

#Canelo #TheSixthLie #SarahWard

I really loved The Birthday Girl so I went into this with really high hopes, and I think my expectations might have been too high. I really like Mallory as a character, and enjoyed the sections about her and her son.

Sadly, I just didn't find the central mystery interesting. The six lies weren't juicy or surprising enough, and I didn't really care about the outcome.

The book was well written and as previously mentioned, I do like Mallory a lot so I will definitely pick up future instalments, I just hope the plot is more my cup of tea next time!

Just an editing note - In chapter 15 Duncan says he had a G and T whilst he waited for Heledd, but a couple of pages later says he hasn't had alcohol for years.

New Year's Eve 2010, toddler Huw Jones disappears from his bedroom during a get together of his father with five friends.
More than 10 years later, Huw's mother Heledd is found dead in a field.

Retired police detective, Mallory Dawson is called in to assist, and to uncover secrets that were kept, and lies that were told.

This is a very good read. I like a strong female lead in a police procedural, and I like that the main character's family is included in the book, it makes them more human, in my opinion.
Mallory, despite her injuries sustained in the line of duty, is a strong woman, a dedicated Police Detective, determined to get to the truth. She is protective of her teenage son, who has serious problems of his own.
I hope that over the series, he will be helped.

I do recommend this book, there are twists and red herrings, and I did not have the correct killer or motive!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Mallory, who has retired from the Met on medical grounds is working part time in a cathedral shop when she is asked to be a civilian investigator for the local police. A woman called Heledd has been found dead, and years ago her three year old son Huw went missing and was found at the bottom of a cliff. Mallory is asked to look again at the circumstances surrounding the boy's death in the light of a mysterious note which claims each of the six main witnesses told a lie.

I found this an easy read, although it didn't always make a lot of sense - why was Mallory asked to help out in this way? Was she really so much cheaper than using a real police officer? I found it hard to believe that Gruffydd in particular had not immediately come clean. The whole story of the note was a bit of a stretch and the unveiling of the murderer at the end came out of nowhere. This might have been a better read if any of the characters had been likeable. Heledd seemed nice in the first chapter, but she was a shadowy presence after that.

I have the first book in this series Birthday Girl and I enjoyed that just as much as this one. A thriller based in Wales with so much suspense is a guaranteed great read in my eyes!

In Mallory Dawson, Sarah Ward has come up with a flawed but compelling character. It will be interesting to see her personality develop further in the forthcoming books in this series. Generally speaking, this is clearly a writer skilled in character development since all the dramatis personae are well-drawn and well-differentiated, including the many liars.

Set in atmospheric Wales, the story exams the possibly interlinked deaths of a young man and his mother, several years apart. This is a tight-knit community, with a lot going on that is not visible on the surface. Mallory will need to do a deep dive to discover the truth.

In 2010, on New Year's Eve, Huw Jones  mysteriously disappeared from a house that also held his father and his five friends. More than a decade later, his mother Heledd was also found dead. The question is whether - and if so, how - the two deaths are linked.

Huw's body had later been discovered on the nearby cliffs. On the night of his disappearance all 6 of the friends lied to the police during questioning. But why would they do that? And who really knows the truth of what happened to Huw and Heledd?

This is a satisfying crime story with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader - and the investigator - guessing. Ward has certainly got off to a promising start with Mallory Dawson's adventures. I give this 3.5 stars.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, gas lighting, a great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was an incredibly easy read. I finished it in no time.
A good cast of characters , the six that lied especially, trying to figure out the dynamics of the group, and what the lies might be.
The main character Mallory comes with her own baggage, and it's stuff I'll happily catch up on in future books.
An enjoyable read.