I find that for me Claire's books are a bit of hit and miss and for me this one wasn't one of the best. I didn't like any of the characters but did enjoy the fast pace of the book and all the characters secrets being unravelled. It did seem a bit far fetched and coincidental which put me off it a bit. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I have a sort of mixed relationship with Claire's work some her novels I have devoured and loved some I have disliked. The last two I enjoyed, in particular "This Could Be Us"

That being said I was delighted to be approved for this ARC so thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley. I was interested to see the author returning to domestic thrillers. I would say this is by far her best work I have read not only terms of her stand alone novels but it also in her series of books featuring Paula McGuire. Her writing style has really matured, her characters stronger and plots have got more interesting with a strong finial pay off for the reader.


Set on a closed off Scottish island we are invited to join a group of university friends reuniting for two of groups joint 40th. I had instant "and then there were none" vibes. Not a bad thing.

Told in third POV mainly from three main characters set in the present with the police officer and in the immediate past from two of the party.

From the first chapter we know something has happened on the island this right away set the tone for the full novel right away. Blood and bodies found by the returning boatman, the main lands only police officer sent over to investigate to what has happened and search for the missing guests. Chills.

The moment the party arrive there is a atmosphere between the friends which was ever growing resulting in uneasy tension this set along with the simmering of the unsaid issues between the party guests created a sinister feel that kept you reading way into the night. This becomes more and more so after the party game that hints all not what they seem. The suspense is further heighten by the chapters set in the past, we hear from a number of characters who have lost a loved in a number of accidents or misjudgements. Have they all killed someone as the party game suggests?

From here we go back and forth till we get to the conclusion of what happened. These chapters are well paced and plotted with contrasting point of views of the same situation which makes for great character development, I didn't like any of the party guests including the children but they made for compelling reading, and gave a sense of who can the reader trust. Towards the end it does drag on slightly but the end is worth it, there is twists and turns right to the very end.

The writer takes great care in passing comment on social and political issues and weaves these ideas into the plot without giving her own personal moral judgements she leaves that very much up to you. Like the great Agatha Christie.

The full book for me was like a modern day "and then were there none" from the setting, the cast of characters, the style of writing and the ending. A lot of book recently have given me this vibe but none have worked quite as well.

A solid four stars for me. I have taken a star off from giving it five as I feel the title could do with some work along with cover this book deserves better than a stereotypical looking run of the mill domestic thriller look..

I just concluded my last book of the evening (lies) it’s only 8:56pm and that means I have one last one in me before my head hits the pillow.

I know, I know, you think I’m crazy but after a wild week, the only way I know how to reset and recharge is when I sit down in my reading room with my books.

I saved the best for last (for the night)

Drumroll please…..

Truth Truth Lie

I bounce around from thrillers to romcoms, I know, wild and drastically different but I love both so much!

A good friend of mine hooked me on Claire McGowan, a few years ago and I haven’t been the same since . I absolutely adore these books and Truth Truth Lie, is no different! This book right here is literally and literary, everything.

I had to catch my breath a few times but never once lost interest. I was completely invested in the storyline from page one. I mean, this is to be expected, it’s Claire McGowan, we are talking about.

I felt the electricity in my soul and my just couldn’t believe what I was reading . This book has bestseller written all over it.

Don’t believe me, I dare you, instead, find out for yourself. Here’s a teaser:

Everyone here has killed someone.

There is no way off this island.

You will all either kill or be killed here.

One of these statements is a lie. But which one?

Amira’s less than thrilled to be spending the weekend with her husband’s university friends. Two of them are hosting a joint fortieth on a private Scottish island, with vintage champagne, expensive gifts, and soaks in the wood-fired hot tub. Despite the luxury, Amira knows she’s going to feel left out, not to mention freezing cold and cut off.

When they decide to play ‘two truths and a lie’, anonymously posting three statements about themselves into a box, years of resentment start bubbling to the surface. And then an extra slip of paper emerges, scrawled with three chilling threats. Who wrote it? And are two of the statements really true—have they all been responsible for someone’s death?

With no phone reception and no way off the island, the group are trapped here until the end of the weekend. And as tension rises and secrets are spilled, they can’t shake the feeling that they’re not the only ones here. Is someone watching them? Someone who wants them dead? Or is it one of them who has murder in mind?

A group of friends travel to a remote Scottish island for the fortieth birthdays of two of their number - when the party games begin the festive atmosphere doesn't last long as death threats are revealed.
The friends begin to question each other and it is not long before deeply held secrets come to the fore.
I loved the pace of the book as I tried to work out who was responsible.
The characters were strong and the twists kept coming
Brilliant read.

A locked room-esque myster this time set on a stranded Scottish Island that brings a group of old friends together secrets emerge not helped by playing a game of 2 truths and a lie. This story then brings lots of deaths and suspects. None of the characters are particularly warm or likeable but that doesn;t necessarily detract from the overall book. There are aspects of the book which become a little far-fetched towards the end, but it is still a very enjoyable read.

Truth Truth Lie is a good thriller from a new-to-me author, and one that gripped me from the very first chapter. My enjoyment did unfortunately wane a bit towards the middle of the book, but the ending more than made up for that. There are some great twists and turns too, only one of which I saw coming!

I really liked Claire McGowan’s style of writing, utilising multiple points of view and different timelines. At first I was confused as to what the people in the past and their stories represented, but once it all clicked together, I realised it was a very clever way of telling the overarching story.

When books feature a lot of characters, sometimes it’s easy to get them confused, but that wasn’t the case here. Everyone has very distinct personalities, and, honestly, I don’t think I liked a single one of them. Amita was probably my favourite if I had to choose, but even she had some questionable moments. Overall, I found them to be a very unlikable group of characters, each as bad as the other and mostly deserving of their fates. I’m not sure if that was the reaction the author was going for, but that’s what I got from it.

Fans of thrillers will enjoy Truth Truth Lie, thanks to its accessible writing, fast pace and web of secrets and lies. I can’t promise you’ll like the main players, but I’m not sure that’s the point here — nobody is firmly on the side of good or bad, right or wrong, and that’s explored really well here. I’m definitely interested in reading more from Claire McGowan!

Truth Truth Lie by Claire McGowan

Amira’s less than thrilled to be spending the weekend with her husband’s university friends. Two of them are hosting a joint fortieth on a private Scottish island, with vintage champagne, expensive gifts, and soaks in the wood-fired hot tub. Despite the luxury, Amira knows she’s going to feel left out, not to mention freezing cold and cut off.

I really loved the plot of this book. Full of suspense and intrigue and twists that keep you turning the pages til the last chapter . Throw in the great characters ( and the not so great ) a d you have a winner of a fab read.

I was really excited about this book but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. There were too many characters to learn about and I got very confused. The book didn’t read smoothly at all.

Bone chilling and jaw dropping. This is a very creepy story about the depths of humanity and how fear and panic can cause a human to make a judgement call that will change lives. When you are faced with a perceived situation how will you react? Fight or flight? And was your response based on fear in the moment or fact. A series of events takes this novel from a party with friends to not knowing who you can trust. The mind games that being “off the grid” can play when you have no one to call for help and you don’t know who you can trust.
Very twisty and turny and dark.
A great read

If you’re looking for a story with likable characters, this one is not for you! Apart from reminding me quite a bit of another story with a title I can’t remember, I kept thinking about how obnoxious the people are. Amira is the closest to a main character and she and her husband, Paddy, have been invited to a birthday celebration on a private Scottish island with his close friends from university. She’s always felt left out of their group so she’s not looking forward to it and it’s not like her husband does anything to make her feel welcome. He’s a complete jerk for the entire story and the worst part is that it’s never explained! He treats her like dirt for absolutely no reason at all, and she just takes it, every time.

The birthday is for Jonathan and his twin sister, Vicky - their family used to own the island. They’re extremely wealthy and completely arrogant. Vicky is accompanied by her husband, Daniel, and young twins so it’s not an adult-only gathering. Jonathan is accompanied by his young girlfriend, Rachel. Another friend who joins them, Louise, has been out of the country for several years doing missionary work. She’s not rich and stuck-up but she’s not exactly a ray of sunshine, either. The last of their group is Fiona, Jonathan’s soon-to-be ex-wife, and their teenage daughter, Darcy. The tension that creates certainly keeps things interesting because of course Rachel is everything Fiona is not, and she never fails to remind Fiona of that.

They all arrive by ferry and are left by themselves for the remainder of the weekend. Everyone settles in and tries to relax by drinking and playing games. That’s where the title comes in – the game is called “two truths and a lie” and it changes everything about this trip. Someone has written a sinister message on their slip of paper that no one finds funny. Is it a bad joke? Or does someone have a deadly ulterior motive for this getaway?

What follows is a blend of paranoia mixed with flippant disregard. At the very least, the characters aren’t sure how to enjoy a getaway with someone who is clearly set on upsetting their friends, taking advantage of being stranded on the island for the weekend. Because of course, there’s no cell reception or wi-fi available. Who will survive the trip and who will never leave the island? You’ll have to read this intriguing story to find out!

So, this is yet another ‘And Then There None’. But it’s also a good one!

Remote island. Birthday party. Friends with deadly secrets. You know the drill.

But the secrets are definitely juicy and the little game they play brings all sorts of drama and resentment boiling to the surface.

Our characters are fun (some despicable) and I was definitely all in on the murderous mystery here.

I enjoyed this one!

• ARC via Publisher

A dark mystery that borders on horror. Everyone is a suspect. But there's only one killer in a room full of red herrings. An intense and riveting thriller.

Amira’s less than thrilled to be spending the weekend with her husband’s university friends. Two of them are hosting a joint fortieth on a private Scottish island, with vintage champagne, expensive gifts, and soaks in the wood-fired hot tub. Despite the luxury, Amira knows she’s going to feel left out, not to mention freezing cold and cut off. When they decide to play ‘two truths and a lie’, anonymously posting three statements about themselves into a box, years of resentment start bubbling to the surface. And then an extra slip of paper emerges, scrawled with three chilling threats. Who wrote it? And are two of the statements really true—have they all been responsible for someone’s death? I was worried this would be another version of And There Were None but its not even close. This author puts her own unique spin on the concept and turns it into this riveting thriller. And what an end! Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. A twisty thriller set on a private remote Scottish island, for the 40th birthdays of twins Jonathan and Vicky and their university friends. We know from the beginning that bodies have been found when police woman Myari sets out to the island after the birthday celebration weekend

The book is told from different characters points of views. as the mystery unfolds after a game of two truths and one lie takes a sinister turn and this really is a who done it that keeps on giving

I loved the plot, writing style and suspense. I will be recommending this to others and looking out for new ones from Claire

This one was a definite oage-turner! The chapters are from different characters perspectives and was initially a bit confusing at first, but I had a feeling it would pay off. I was right and it all came together spectacularly. The twists were great and just kept coming until the very end. The plot was unique and interesting. This was a wonderfully enjoyable read!

I feel like I just read ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. However, it was Truth Truth Lie. This played out straight like a horror film/book. Fans of locked room thrillers just might enjoy this.

We have 8 adults and 3 kids going away for a birthday celebration for Vicky. Her big 40th birthday party. All family and friends. They take a boat over to an island, one they used to own when they were young. As the party gets started, they decide to play Two Truths and a Lie. Everyone adds a slip on paper into a hat with their truths and lies. Then one is pulled out saying ‘Everyone here has killed someone. There is no way off this Island. You will all either kill or be killed here’. Which ones are the truth and which one is the lie?

This started off pretty promising, I tell ya. Then after a while I felt like I was on a hamster wheel. Ugh. Everyone is a suspect and round and round we go through our list of suspects. The last third of the book was just everyone accusing one another and lots of fighting. That started to annoy me. I just wanted to wrap it up, since I chose to read it during my Thanksgiving travels. Then when the end came, it just felt rushed and I still had many unanswered questions.

If you enjoy locked room thrillers and I Know What You Did Last Summer, you might want to check this out. There are some better reviews out there for this one, so what do I actually know?

Thank you Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley, and Claire McGowen for an advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own
—- 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another fantastic gripping thriller from Claire MCGowan. I was gripped from start to finish. Excellent gripping book with some shocking twists and turns. I definitely didn't see it coming especially the ending which was a jaw dropping ending after a rollercoaster of a read. It was very well written I like how it is told from different perspectives and going from past to present it definitely helped build the suspense. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
Great read! A vacation on a private island with old school mates, lots of good food and drink, a time to have fun and relax and catch up with your friends... what could go wrong?
Unfortunately, a lot; as simmering resentments come up and a game goes wrong. The nightmare begins.
I loved it, couldn't tear myself away. None of the characters were likeable, which probably made the book even better. The ending was very good; just desserts were served!

An easy one to get into with unlikeable characters and a locked-room style mystery. Some of the plot twists were better than others, and there was nothing really original. Nonetheless, the story is definitely entertaining and much better than the author’s previous book, which I DNF’d.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A good mystery that really kept me going. This is a great weekend read to escape in. Thanks for the opportunity to read as I thoroughly enjoyed.