4.5 stars.

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 luxurious private Scottish island. When they decide to play ‘two truths and a lie’, years of resentment start bubbling to the surface. And then an extra slip of paper emerges, scrawled with three chilling threats. Who wrote it?

I went in expecting a light popcorn thriller, but this ended up being more layered! I didn’t expect the tangled relationships the characters had - what an epic drama! The fact that multiple individuals had had a past relationship with another person within the group at one point or another was so messy right from the start.

I thought the story build-up was excellent, especially as an audiobook. The escalating tension felt natural and believable, and I was fully immersed in the story from the start to the end. This was my first Claire McGowan book, and is definitely not my last one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Claire McGowan & Brilliance Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

This was a “locked room” mystery thriller based on the game Two Truths & a Lie.

This was just a so-so read for me with a star rating of 3.

I love locked room thrillers & the concept was very intriguing. While I wasn’t bored enough to DNF it, it lacked anything special that makes it stand out. To sum it up in two words – Easily Forgettable.

The pacing was quick enough, but the characters are where it went downhill. There were just so many to try to keep track of & the entire story was going around & around & around with each character & why they were a suspect. Yes, I know that’s typically the point of a story like this, but it didn’t have a natural flow from one to the next. It was literally a hard switch between each person. Maybe that was the intention, but I didn’t enjoy it.

By the end, it was just a hot mess express of drama & everyone fighting. I had honestly lost interest at that point & can’t even remember who the killer actually was.

I do typically enjoy McGowan’s work, so I’ll still be reading her in the future. This one was just a miss for me.

⛧Truth Truth Lie by Claire McGowan - At first, I wasn't really feeling the book. A lot of obsession about getting pregnant and kids tends to throw me off. As the story progressed, it got a bit better, but my lord it definitely got messy. And to think, no one was supposed to die. But what do you expect when you leave a bunch of entitled people on an island and try to make them see the error of their ways?

This audiobook is narrated by Clare Corbett

•Thank you to @brilliancepublishing & @amazonpublishing

I just finished Truth Truth Lie by Claire McGowen on audio - Narrator Clare Corbett and here are my thoughts.

When a group of friends get together for a birthday, they do it in style. Booking an expensive private island off the coast of Scotland, champagne, a famous chef to cook the birthday girl a meal… Luxury in spades.

When the night turns to games, they decide to play two truths and a lie… When one of the pieces of paper comes out with one heck of a statement, the whole group starts turning on each other. Who wrote it? Why are they threatening the group? How do they know they have all been responsible for someone's death?

When the radio disappears and people start turning up dead, they have to decide whether they can trust the people they are with or whether someone else is on the island with them.

The narrator was absolutely fantastic on the audio. It takes the right voice to bring the menacing undertones and just the right hint of despair to a thriller.

If you like books where no one is likable… This is the book for you. I usually have real problems with that, I need someone to root for and connect with but I was so invested in watching all these people fall apart that I didn’t need to like anyone. I was happy to watch the insanity unfold.

The concept of friends turning on each other isn’t a new one but oh man, the level of backstabbing in this book made me rub my hands together. It was so carefully crafted and each thread was weaved into the next with expert skill.

The ending was the only bit of a downer, I would have liked more carnage but I was very entertained so I can overlook that. I am a big thriller reader so I have pretty much seen it all but this book had just the right level of creepy and the pace was perfect.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @brillancepublishing for my gifted copy

Such an interesting thriller, kept me in my toes till the very end.. and the moral of the whole thing at the end.. is just 👌🏻.
I got confused for a bit because of the time jumps and the huge amount of characters in the book. However, how everything wrapped up at the end was so shocking I want to reread it just to figure out the hows and whys and everything in between!
I would loved if there were different narrators for each character but i know i will literally need a town since we got all the POVs for every passing person in this novel. It was good but needed extra focus.
Thanks to the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange of an honest review

Despite its promising premise, Claire McGowan’s 'Truth Truth Lie' struggles to deliver a truly gripping thriller experience. While the secluded island setting and the tension-filled game of 'two truths and a lie' initially draw readers in, the novel ultimately falls short in execution.

One of the major drawbacks of the book is its convoluted timeline and plethora of characters, making it challenging for readers to fully engage with the story. McGowan’s attempt to weave together multiple narratives and perspectives leads to confusion rather than suspense, leaving readers struggling to keep track of who’s who and what’s happening when.

Furthermore, while the central mystery of the extra slip of paper and the chilling threats holds promise, the resolution feels disappointingly derivative. The twists and turns lack the originality and depth needed to truly captivate readers, ultimately resulting in a predictable and underwhelming conclusion.

Despite these flaws, 'Truth Truth Lie' does offer moments of suspense and intrigue, particularly in its exploration of the characters’ hidden secrets and motivations. However, these moments are overshadowed by the novel’s narrative shortcomings.

Overall, while 'Truth Truth Lie' may appeal to fans of the genre looking for a quick and entertaining read, those seeking a truly immersive and original thriller experience may find themselves wanting.

I have to give this book a mixed review. I enjoyed the overall story and the plot. I did find the characters confusing. I couldn’t always tell who was with who and who did what but I was still able to keep the story together. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a good job

Note: I read this book and loved it so much it, I just had to listen to it on audio too !

The narration was perfect and I picked up on things I missed the first time .

I know this might sound bizarre but I find listening to audio thrillers, “relaxing”.

I had a wild day (my sister just had a baby) and I needed some time to unwind

I saved the best for last (for the night)

Drumroll please…..

Truth Truth Lie

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?

I did the audiobook for this one and keeping up with all the characters was so tricky! There are SO many people in this book and EVERYONE has something that adds to the story.

A group of couples/long-time friends spend a weekend away on an island. They end up having no service and decide to play a game where they write 2 truths and a lie down on a piece of paper. The others have to guess who wrote what. There is one extra piece of paper with some frightening accusations on it which causes everyone to second guess why they all decided to come. Everyone has a secret and once someone dies they realize that they might not get off this island alive.

I liked this one because it was so twisted and when we get to the end we realize none of this had to happen. However, there is one thing that happened that did start a domino effect on everything else.

There are multiple characters and different timelines. Author has shared the events from each characters perspective. The setting of haunted island and all the unthinkable happenings kept me on the edge. The suspense and mystery stayed till the end. There is a myth that author shared in the beginning. All the creepy elements were spot on. The secrets and truth were shocking. Twists and turns were so unpredictable. The narrator did a good job despite the multiple characters in a story. I wasn’t expecting that ending.

Eight friends along with 3 kids get stuck on a scottish island. The myths, secrets, mystery and unexpected happenings surrounds the island. There is no escape from it, either the people will kill or get killed and everyone has killed someone. The game of Two Truths and Lie turns into a nightmare. Every character knows something and you won’t be able to find the killer till the end. The victims die so suddenly and mysteriously.

The book will keep you guessing till the end. In this book, everyone is a suspect and everyone becomes suspicious of each other. I liked Vicky’s and Jonathan’s perspectives. The truth shook me. Every detail is important in this book If you miss anything, you miss the story.

Thanks to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley

TRUTH TRUTH LIE is an entertaining story! It's fast-paced and filled with unlikable characters. The mystery itself was pretty good and I did become invested in wanting to know who was behind all of it. By the end, I was satisfied with the conclusion. If you like books that keep you guessing, I think this one is a great choice to add to your TBR list.

Many thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

The premise of this book is the reason I requested it, it sounded really good. A locked room mystery on an island yes please. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it and it just went round and round and never truly amounted to anything. Also, the narrator did not work for me and made me tune out mostly.

Locked room thriller fans - here's another recommendation for you!  Set on a private island, we follow the group who play a game of Truth Truth Lie only to find one extra slip of paper with a sinister message. Then the bodies start accumulating. Who is behind it all? With so many suspects, I found myself constantly trying to decide who the killer was. In the end, I didn't manage to get it right but I enjoyed the journey. With lots of twists and juicy secrets, this was my kind of thriller! The audiobook narration was fantastic too - kept me intrigued throughout.

⭐️: 3.5/5

This weekend getaway among friends takes a sinister turn after a game of two truths and a lie. Everybody has some pretty terrible secrets and they’re about to come out very quickly.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but the way the characters were introduced and written, I couldn’t keep everybody straight. There were a lot of friends on the trip, each with a unique story. I was halfway through the book and realized I still didn’t know who was who. In fact, even now I’m not confident I could pass a quiz about which character belongs to which storylines. That being said - this group of friends kind of all sucked. But I’m pretty sure that was the point. I didn’t really feel bad when bad things happened to them but I was absolutely on the edge of my seat until the end of the book. There is one tiny little thing about the end that really bugged me but I won’t say anything else because I don’t do ✨spoilers✨

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

With a storyline that delves into dark themes involving deceased children, "Mystery on the Remote Isle" may prove to be a challenging read for some. The narrative unfolds with a sense of suspense and intrigue, drawing readers into a world filled with mystery and uncertainty.

For enthusiasts of locked room mysteries, this novel offers a compelling tale that keeps you guessing until the very end. The choice of setting on a remote island, devoid of any signals, adds an extra layer of isolation and tension to the plot, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the story.

However, the motives behind the destructive events that unfold throughout the narrative may at times seem unclear or insufficiently explained, leaving readers searching for answers. Despite this, the journey through the twists and turns of the puzzling mystery is sure to captivate those who enjoy a challenging and immersive reading experience.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!

This was just wow!!!! Another great read by this author! The plot twist the twist at the end. I enjoyed the story and all of the characters are great and I also like the dual POVs and dual timeline.