Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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Every family has secrets. Would you kill to keep yours?

It’s midnight in the hospital when Jude’s phone rings, interrupting her precious fifteen-minute break. When she sees it’s her seventy-year-old mother, Margaret, she braces herself for the usual complaints. But her blood runs cold at four words that will change everything... ‘Something terrible has happened.’

Margaret has been accused of an unspeakable crime committed twenty years ago. She insists she’s not guilty, and begs Jude to help her prove it. But as Jude is drawn into the dark secrets of her family’s past, she starts to question whether her mother is really as innocent as she claims to be.

Soon, Jude realizes what happened twenty years ago is more entangled with her own life than she could ever have imagined. And as she stands face-to-face with her mother’s accuser, she knows the cost of protecting her family will be someone else’s life...

Family secrets are always a great premise for a novel and this one will keep you entertained for hours: deep, dark, twisty and utterly enjoyable!!!
#shortbutsweetreviews

This is one of those books where you struggle to figure out exactly what is going on and whose narrative can be relied upon. Jude is burnt out from her stressful job as a nurse in the A & E Department.

When she receives call from her elderly mother one night, she assumes that it will just be the usual litany of complaints, but it turns out that her mother is being sued for sexual harassment that is alleged to have taken place many years ago.

In the meantime Jess, who appears a little naive, has been befriended at work by Rik. Somewhat lonely, she could be viewed as a vulnerable target.

But it turns out that Rik is the one who is accusing her mother of harassment. So why on earth would he approach Jess?

Things are a lot more complicated than they seem on the surface, but as twist after twist plays out, we get a little closer to the truth... This is an absorbing read, with a surprise or two to offer.

How far will Jude go to protect her mother Margret?

Margret is accused of some horrendous crimes. Jude knows her mother can be harsh, but this? Not the always in control Lady Fawkes.

A suspenseful journey to find the truth behind Suspected murder of Richard Shand. I could put this book down! A definite must read for all thrill seeking readers. Lucy Dawson has you on the edge of your seat until the end!

A dark thriller filled with twists. Lucy Dawson has done an amazing job of creating utterly loathsome characters and a deeply toxic family in this well-plotted novel. This complex phycological thriller is a real page -turner.

I have DNFd this book. When I read suspense thrillers, I usually finish them in 2-3 days bc I want to get to the end asap to find out what happened. I didn't feel that with this book. Half way through it and I don't care about any of the characters or the plot.

What the whaaaat?
This book had me on edge throughout the entire story.
From the beginning, I was instantly trying to decipher who was sane and who was on walking the line of sanity. Instantly, I was drawn into the family drama of these characters, wondering who the heck Rik is and why he "happened" to show up when he did, trying to understand Margaret's motives, and it only continues that way from chapter one. Throughout the whole book I was reeling from twist to twist! This is an emotional rollercoaster from the start, and left me out of sorts on more than one occasion.
It was absolutely so well laid out and designed; 100% un-put-downable!

Thank you, NetGalley for this digital ARC. It has been one of my favorites to date!

The Night She Lied was a gripping thriller about what it's like to have loved and lost, to have everything you care for taken away and what it can mean to let a small lie get easily out of hand.

This book was the first I had ever read by Lucy Dawson so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I had a vague idea of the blurb and went in almost blind. Which, in turn, makes a thriller all that bit more thrilling, no?

Lucy Dawson is a fabulous writer. The Night She Lied was gripping and was full of twists and turns and at times could be quite challenging to follow what was and wasn't a lie. But that all added to the novel.

This book gave a great description what it like to live in a wealthy manor on a fabulous estate and how sometimes what looks on the outside can be concealing underneath.

Jude was a fantastic character with depth and meaning. You find yourself most gripped to her, feeling for her, trying to understand her and her life. I loved the character development in this book, Lucy knows how to write a very dynamic family structure in a very realistic way.

The ending had me shook. I almost didn't see it coming, I kind of got the gist a few pages before the end but it does leave you feel uneasy, unaware and definitely entrusting of what you know or what you think you know the entire way through.

Lucy Dawson definitely knows how to write a thrilling novel with fantastic characters hosting a wealth of personality and storylines that'll leave you eager to find the truth.

“This was not the tale of two people who were always destined to meet, finally finding each other by moonlight, rather the darkest stuff of nightmares”

Jude, an A&E nurse, is supporting her 74 year old mother through a court case. Lady Margaret Fawkes is on trial for historic abuse charges. But how does Jude end up the one in the dock? And can she make the jury believe she’s not guilty?

This is dark! A really twisty psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the court proceedings at the end and the flitting between past and present. Oh my, there’s some really nasty characters in this book! Jude was a bit too naive for my liking, but I liked Johnnie and their relationship and also the twist with Yas.

“It was a hot, late-summer night… but make no mistake, this was a very cold-blooded murder indeed”

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.

Rounding up to 3.5 ⭐️

The beginning of The Night She Lied immediately sucked me in and I enjoyed the ending however the middle fell flat to me. I couldn’t find anything relatable in the main character as she seemed weak and more naive as the book went on. The twists were a hit predictable and I found myself to be quite confused at what exactly happened, what was real & what was a lie. While I enjoyed the concept of this book, I don’t believe it packed the punch I was looking for.

THANK YOU to the author, Netgalley & Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Great story. Kept me interested. I hated certain characters...as I imagine was the authors intention. Good ending too.

The Night She Lied is an action packed suspenseful thriller that sucks you in right from the beginning. There were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the very end. This one had it all- mystery, suspense, action and characters that you loved to hate. The relationship between the mother and daughter was disturbing to say that least-the plot was very well written and I really enjoyed reading this.

Jude is a hardworking nurse who gets dragged into a lot of family drama, but things take a drastic turn when the police turn up. This book was impossible to put down and very captivating! A thoroughly enjoyable story to read.

This book was great, I could hardly put it down.
Author Lucy Dawson did an amazing job with this mystery /thriller.
This story has so many twists and turns it keeps you engaged and wanting more. The is a tale of a wealthy family that has a past filled with secrets and lies that unravel throughout the book. A tragic untimely death occurs. Murder? Suicide? The author keeps us guessing wrong on how this novel ends.
One of the main characters, Jude, is a nurse and is so conflicted as she is caught up in the middle of this twisted tale. Family, love, loss, friendship, this book has it all.

I am giving this book 3 stars as I kept going back and forth as to whether I found the plot and mother-daughter relationship is realistic. Jude Works so hard to please her mother and cover up any of her mistakes and I know that children being manipulated by their parents is something that happens but the book didn't set up enough of the manipulation throughout Jude's life meaning that I kept getting frustrated with Jude every time she fell for her mothers manipulation. I have recommended this book to others as I enjoyed the characters and concept and am intrigued to see how others find the mother-daughter relationship.

The bond between a mother and a child should be the strongest connection ever. Mothers should always protect children and not only their own ones. In fact it's quite simple: an adult should always make sure a child is safe and protected. No questions asked.

Unfortunately their are some exceptions to that rule. In comes Margaret, Jude's mother. She should never have been allowed to be around children. She does protect alright, but who does she protect...

Margaret's actions are textbook examples of how it should not be done.

A great story showing us that some people would do anything to anyone in order to keep their secrets hidden. They could not care less if they have to throw someone under the bus for that. In the end, that's just collateral damage, right?

Even though you think everything is buried deep, secrets have the ability to surface and some people will do what every it takes to make sure those lids remain firmly closed.

Most despicable character in this book? There were two who were neck and neck, but my vote goes to Margaret. 5 stars

Thank you

Excellent book. The main character and her dragon mother were interesting psychological studies and the ancillary characters were fascinating as well. The narrative and writing flowed really well, and the twist at the end was superb. Highly recommended.

Really struggled with this one. It started off well but then i felt surely Jude couldn’t be that gullible giving in all the time to her manipulating mother. Felt it dragged a bit for me. Thanks for the copy

Jude is a burnt-out, exhausted nurse working late nights and barely getting by, so when Rik shows up offering to be her friend, she appreciates the kind gestures he shows to her. Shortly thereafter, her mother Margaret is accused of a horrific crime, and Jude discovers that Rik is the accuser. As the court case unfolds and Jude begins to question her perception of reality, it becomes unclear whether she should be defending her mother or asking deeper questions. The choices Jude makes will lead to irrevocable outcomes that will have devastating consequences should she make the wrong decisions.

The Night She Lied is a quick-paced thriller with murder elements, a bit of a true crime vibe, and a heart-pounding court case. I was flipping pages so quickly, I had to go back a couple of times to make sure I didn't miss anything! Following the trail of clues the author left was incredibly fun, and this was a delightful thriller that explored themes of parenthood, mental health, and personal relationships right alongside the adrenaline inducers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a well crafted novel, compelling enough to pull you through and very quick read. I enjoyed it so much from the first page till the end. A good story like this needs a quiet afternoon, a sofa and a warm blanket.

Jude is a nurse who is working permanent nights due to her inability at the moment to sleep normally. At a cafe she meets Rik who also is a night owl, working from home, something to do with IT. Jude’s Mother Margaret calls her saying something is dreadfully wrong and hangs up which leaves Jude understandably worried. It turns out to be nothing, but leads into something more. Margaret has been accused of a historical sexual crime- an assault and cruelty of a groom from many years ago. Margaret insists to Jude that she is innocent and wants her to intervene to try and get the man to drop the case. Jude accidentally discovers the man involved is Rik, or Richard as he once was. When one thing leads to another both women are up to their necks in the situation. Can they prove their innocence and will Margaret’s trump card come to light if it even real?

OMG! A read that suddenly grabbed me and made me think what on earth? An innocent woman seemingly doing her best for her mother is swept up and dragged along without knowing the full story as her mother is difficult to say the least and has only ever told Jude (and others) what puts her in a good light, something some of us can perhaps relate to. One sentence stuck with me “ a mother should make you feel safe”, sadly not always the case. A drama ending in a court case, which could irreparably change someone's life. A thrilling, gripping read I thoroughly enjoyed.