This has all the twists and turns you would expect from Lucinda Berry. So many secrets and lies that will reveal themselves in time. I love the dual timeline, giving the reader a picture of the past as well as current day. Each of the female characters had trauma and/or secrets influencing their actions and there will be repercussions even years after their shared teen camp experiences. I would definitely recommend for fans of the psychological suspense genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: July 23, 2024

Being able to read this as an ARC was so enjoyable. I love Lucinda's writing, and this did not disappoint. It kept me on my toes and I read it in just a few days, which is saying a lot when I have two kids at home! I kept reading because I HAD to know what happened next. I have read so many of her books and this one will be in the top 3 for me. I love the different perspectives of different characters, which keeps me invested the most. If you want a fast-paced book, this is it!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a thriller I was invested in quickly, and had a really hard time putting down because I just had to keep reading to see how it all ended. The chapters span back and forth between all the summers when the girls were young, and to current time; and they also have a different narrator each chapter. Usually this can get confusing when reading a thriller, but it was very seamless and easy to follow.

The last chapter was shocking, when you find out the truth of everything that’s gone on, but I felt like it did leave me with quite a few unanswered questions. I also would have liked to see the ending played out a little bit longer, and see what it entailed for each girl, not just one of them. Basically the ending just felt too rushed and too short.

My only other complaint is that this book was not only very violent, but it was very graphic violence. I would have appreciated a trigger warning at the beginning. (Includes gruesome and graphic murder with descriptions, sexual abuse and rape of a child, binge eating disorder and bulumia, attempted murder of babies). See why a trigger warning should have been included?

Overall, it was a great thriller, I just think this authors gruesome style of writing isn’t for me.

Lucinda Berry has done it again! This book was a wild ride from the beginning. Kept me on my toes and hard to put down. Thank you for the advanced copy. I can’t wait to buy a copy for myself to add to my Berry collection!

Lucinda Berry has done it again! A group of girls at summer camp make a series of bad decisions that come back to haunt them decades later. This story is gripping from the very beginning, detailing the individual stories and points of view of each member of the group, with a twist that left my jaw on the floor. Lucinda hasn’t written a mediocre story yet!

This is everything you expect and want from Dr. Lucinda Berry, which is to say batshit and we’re eating it up.

I’m clearly in the minority with my opinion because this book has many 4/5 star ratings but it just unfortunately wasn’t for me.

If You Tell A Lie follows Blakely, Meg, Thera and Grace at summer camp. When they all conspire to tell a lie, things spiral out of control drastically.

I liked the summer camp setting of the book and I always love reading multiple POVs. The chapters were short and easy to fly through.

Unfortunately the book read very YA for me. The book alternates back and forth between the past at summer camp and the present, 20+ years later. Even the present dialogues felt immature to me though. The actions the characters took, their personalities - I just couldn’t stand any of them.

I don’t mind suspending disbelief for books but this one was just a little too much to the point I was rolling my eyes so much, it was starting to hurt. 😂 The twist felt silly and ridiculous and the abrupt ending left so much up in the air.

I personally didn’t enjoy it, but many have so it just wasn’t for me.

Thank to to NetGalley for this ARC!

I am a Lucinda berry girly and DNF this one. I did not enjoy it at all unfortunately, but it's a one off for me cause I love her other books!

For the first 50% of this book I was so uninterested. It felt like a high school story about horny teenagers and eating disorders. I felt bamboozled to be honest, but then things shift and I was delivered the thriller I had signed up for. I was completely blindsided and my head spun around a million times. If the first half would’ve give what the second half gave, it would be a 5 star read. 3.75 stars and I’ll be posting a review on my TikTok @kurryreads on Monday July 8th

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC of this book!!

2.5⭐️ rounded up. This book started off very slow and I was told it would pick up. There were some parts that had me invested but ultimately it fell flat for me. This makes me incredibly upset since I have absolutely loved every other Berry book I’ve read! Unfortunately, this one was not for me.

If You Tell A Lie was another great, psychological thriller by Lucinda Berry. It grabbed your attention at the very beginning when you find out that something bad happened involving four friends at a camp. The reader slowly unravels exactly what happened and then wonders who was responsible, as there are several different options. There are shocks, and twists and turns all the way through. Very good at keeping your interest and keeping you guessing!

This book was a wild ride! When one lie leads to another and another then suddenly someone dies. Sercerts kept coming out even weirder and worse than the others. There was so many twists and turns. You thought you had it figured out but you weren't even close.
Never tell a lie!
Thank you for this arc!

Lucinda Berry has done it again! I was very lucky to receive an ARC. This book kept me reading and wanting more. It was a fun summer thriller due to a lot of the plot taking place at a summer camp. I enjoyed the dual timeline as the story jumped around and pieced together. As always with Lucinda books, I would highly recommend this book to any fellow thriller lover.

I think that I may have missed something critical because this book just didn't do it for me. Lucinda Berry is my girl and she's written some of my favorites, but If You Tell a Lie just wasn't her best work. It felt predictable. The (technically) 9 different perspectives to tell the story got muddled and made it so you couldn't connect with any characters. It just felt messy.

I don't think you realize how much that hurts my heart to write...

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read an ARC of If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry.

4 childhood friends, now in their 40s, have each received a note saying, "I Know What You Did That Summer." They haven't spoken to each other since their senior year at Camp Pendleton when something tragic happened.

The story flips back and forth 26 years Then and Now. It is multiple POVs among the friends and one other person named Regina. This story was unhinged, dark, twisted, and gritty.

There are trigger warnings in this book including SA, eating disorders, body mutilation, bullying, etc. As long as you are okay with those, then I would recommend this book. Lucinda did a great job describing the lives and mindsets of teenage girls. Mix that in with some messed up events that occur (past and present) and you get a great thriller! I enjoyed this story, it was different and darker than other thrillers I have read.

Lucinda berry absolutely does it again. Another 5⭐️ read for my favorite psychological dark thriller author. Huge thank you to @lucindaberryauthor and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. I loved this book and did not see the ending coming

Four friends.
Sworn to secrecy.
We were just kids.
We didn't mean to do anything wrong.

Overall 4.5 stars.
Written in multiple POV and a then and now timeframe. This book was a little confusing to get into as I didn't know which character's point of view it was and did have to go back and see who's POV I was reading. (Which was a relief I could see when I clicked on the kindle page.)


I like this authors writing style. I don't mind reading books that touches on heavy topics. This book mentions bulimia, mental health and SA. Sadly this happens in the real world.

This book kept me guessing until the very end thinking what happened that summer. And I was shocked! Will definitely push this authors previous books up my TBR list.

I want to thank the author and publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #IfYouTellALie

An absolute page turner! This story is told by each character from her past and present. Grace, Meg, Thera and Blakely meet at a summer camp when they are in middle school. All the girls are out casts at home but at camp, they have each other and can be everything they can't be at home.

Until their final year at camp, when Blakely sets her eyes upon the new counselor. She's determined to catch his eye. The story then flashes forward hinting at something bad happening at camp and all 4 girls keeping a secret. Until one day, 20 plus years later, they all receive a note in the mail from someone who claims to know what they did that summer.

A total Rollercoaster ride of a book! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I want to thank Lucinda Berry and her publisher for allowing me to have the opportunity to read this.

The story was gripping and diabolical to say the least. It was told from five different perspectives and two different time frames. That seems that it would be confusing, but it actually worked out nicely to pull everything together. I have to say I do not think I’ve ever hated main character as much as I hated one of these main characters. The fact that Lucinda Barry can make me want to reach through the pages and slap, one of the characters is pure talent. I love this book. I love the story. I love this concept. I highly recommend this book. Lucinda is my absolute favorite author.

(3.5🌟 rounded up)

If you're looking for a fun summer thriller with a summer camp theme, "If You Tell a Lie" by Lucinda Berry is for you. This book hooks you right away with its mean girls vibes, minus the comedic edge, making it a gripping read.

Set in 1999 with dual timelines—one 26 years ago and the other in the present day—I found myself loving the 1999 setting and its references to "I Know What You Did Last Summer." There were some fun twists throughout the story. The story revolves around four girls—Grace, Thera, Blakey, and Meg—who share cabin Naomi at summer camp. It's written from the perspectives of these characters, which adds depth to their experiences and secrets. We also get a 5th POV which I’ll leave for you to find out.

Summer camp during their senior year was supposed to be the best yet. Each girl had her struggles at home, but at camp, they stood out and were mostly well-liked. However, camp this year becomes their worst nightmare, and they are sworn to secrecy over the events that unfold.

Have you ever lied as a child and had that lie come back to haunt you? On a scale of 1-10, this lie is a hundred and definitely comes back to haunt these girls. The book highlights peer pressure at its finest and how a lie can snowball out of control.

I loved the short chapters written from each perspective. It made for a quick, engaging read.
If you’re looking for a typical Lucinda Berry book with those crazy domestic ‘Mama moments,’ this isn’t it, but it still delivers plenty of crazy thrills. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second, particularly the summer camp timeline over the present day.

I will say the ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying for me, and I was left wondering about a couple of the characters, which prevented me from giving it a full 5 stars.

While "If You Tell a Lie" wasn’t my favorite novel of hers, it’s still better than your average thriller and a fun, thrilling summer read that I would recommend you check out for yourself.

Also, I’m an audiobook girly and will definitely give it a go once it releases as Lucinda’s audiobooks are some of my favorites. Once I finish that, I will update my review if it changes my rating.

It’s a yes for me!🖤

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and Dr. Lucinda Berry for the ARC copy. It was my pleasure.

@deannsdailydrop