Thank you netgalley, Claire McGowan and Thomas & Mercer publishers for the e Arc of Truth Truth Lie.

This is a great mystery thriller and ' Whodunit" involving the game Truth, Truth, Lie. I felt that the book is well paced and the characters fleshed out well. I also loved the dynamics between the group in their early 20s. All of them knowing each other, bar one, Amira. As the truths start to spill out, no wifi or internet and a killing. Amira starts to piece together the secrets that these people, including her husband have been keeping.

This was my first book from Claire McGowan ( Ive been eying her books up on the shelves for a while!) so ill be seeking out more from her!

This is another author who I discovered through a police procedural series (Paula Maguire) and have gone on to also love her standalone thrillers. This book was no exception to that even though, at times, it did skirt the line of bonkers and I did a few eye-rolls along the way. It was fun fun fun nevertheless.
So... we start with fraternal twins celebrating their 40th birthdays on a remote Scottish island, the one their family used to own but sadly had to sell due to, consequences.
Along with them are 6 friends - two from their university days, and various other halves. We also have three children.
As the party starts on the first night, a game is suggested... The one referenced in the title of the book. Two truths and a lie. Which is exactly what it says on the tin. Everyone writes down two true statements and one lie, puts them in a hat, pull each one out in turn, and guess who wrote it and which is the lie... drinking forfeits occur, obviously...
All goes relatively well-ish until they realise that there is one extra piece of paper. On it is written...
Everyone here has killed someone.
There is no way off this island.
You will all either kill or be killed here.
And that's all I am saying as you really need to read the warts and all as the author intended for maximum oomph. Suffice to say it all degenerates into a bit of a accusation and fight fest as they all throw dirt at each other. Until the first death, and then it all escalates...
It's a bit bonkers and does skirt the line of farce a wee tad but, when all is said and done and the whole truths laid well and truly bare, you have to sit back and applaud the author for a cracking plot. Interesting, intriguing, interconnected and very very clever...
Most of the characters are all completely horrible. Deliciously so. And for that, I loved each and every one. Some of them were unlucky and got a bad deal but others were downright despicable and well deserved of their comeuppance. Differentiating them was often tricky!
And the ending, the sting in the tail... Brilliant!
All in all, another winner from another favourite author... Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Having been let down by her husband, Vicky arranges her own 40th Birthday Party on a remote island that used to belong to her parents. She invited a group of her close friends along. Playing Truth Truth Lie starts to reveal secrets about deaths that no-one knew about. An extra piece of paper with a set of statements was found among theirs but who was it written by? and can they all really be blamed for someone dying?
When some of the group start to be killed they realise there is no escape from this island, no contact to the outside world. Is there a murderer amongst them or is someone else hiding on the island. Who will be next to be killed?
Another great read from Claire McGowan.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Claire McGowan for an ARC in return for an honest review

I was hooked on this story, as we try to work out just what is going on when a game of two truths and a lie gives a rather unsettling result.

From there we get to see a group implode on itself, and no one is safe.

This is a group of friends on a remote Scottish Island that is very hard to get to. We get chapters from various characters' points of view, and it really does make for compelling reading.

I really wasn't sure who was behind everything, and loved discovering things at the same time as everyone in the book. It's an addictive book that I couldn't get enough of.

Slightly claustrophobic, it feels like it is kill or be killed, but who can you trust to keep you safe. And just what are you capable of when pushed to extremes.

This was certainly a weekend away to remember for all of the wrong reasons. Which made it into a fabulous story for the reader.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A familiar plot line- someone on the island is a killer- but McGowan has layered in a few extras with the truth truth lie aspect. Amira thought it was going to be a party and it is, sort of, except that it's also a round robin chase to figure out who the villain is. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Would be a good travel read.

Wow, this is some book! So many twists, you just don’t know where to look. While almost 99% of the characters were unlikable. This didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story. The book primarily takes place on a small Scottish Island. There are multiple narrators, but it’s easy to keep track. Everyone is there to celebrate twin brother and sister’s 40th birthdays. I’ve read several of the authors other books, and this one is just as great as the rest. I’ll be looking for more of her novels to read in the near future.

I loooooved this super compelling mystery from Claire McGowan, which follows a group of friends who come to a private island to celebrate two of their 40th birthdays only for them to start dropping like flies. It felt super reminiscent to And Then There Were None which I thought was absolutely fantastic, and had the added benefit that every single character was kind of despicable so it didn't result in you feeling bereft when any of them started dying.

The pacing of this was superb with an almost non-stop succession of deaths and plot twists that really paid off in the end. At no point did I have everything figured out, and I loved that nothing that happened was predictable.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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 and secrets start bubbling to the surface. Then an extra slip of paper emerges, scrawled with three chilling threats. Who wrote it? Are two of the statements really true—have they all been responsible for someone’s death?

This is one wild thriller! Truth Truth Lie is a lot like And Then There None. A group of characters headed to an isolated island with no way off. Bodies start dropping. There isn't a single likeable character. I spent my time trying to figure out who, what, and why. And I was fascinated by people's thoughts and behaviors. Can they really be that nasty, I wondered.

We get most of the story from two character's perspectives. It took me a while to figure out the characters and their relationship with each other. We also get several more short chapters here and there from people we don't know. You'll be wondering for a while what they have to do with anything.

There are so many secrets, maybe a few too many. It's the characters' actions though, before and during the party, that grab your attention and keep you stuck with them on an island that quickly turns into a nightmare situation. If you're willing to suspend some disbelief you'll enjoy watching the characters play the game!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196218505-truth-truth-lie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mhXgIJROM3&rank=1

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Loved the plot on this one, a vacation gone wrong. What to do with no phone service and some scary notes? Definitely a mystery whodunit.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Claire McGowan and Netgalley.
Had you asked me a very few, scant years ago about this author, then I'd have said to stay clear. But...It's this author has proven to me that she can fucking rock some shit!
This book? Yeah, that's the good shit! Sniff it. Snort it. Smoke it.
You do any of that and lol, you're probably too messed up for this!😜
Seriously? This story came together more than I would have guessed.
Good stuff.

A seemingly innocent game where you tell two truths and a lie shapes up to be the centre of Claire’s latest unsettling novel. It is unsettling, because a group of university friends, their partners and children, are on a private Scottish island for the weekend. It’s a chance to celebrate a 40th birthday with decadence and no expense spared. Until they play the game and longstanding friendships and relationships begin to fall apart. An anonymous entry suggests there’s no way off the island, another statement reveals they’ll all kill or be killed while there. Which, if either, are true, or is it true that everyone who’s meant to be enjoying a special weekend has blood on their hands? Expect a pacy, packed storyline with plenty of raised eyebrow moments and wicked plot that’ll ensure you’ll keep reading to the end.

Such a good one! I loved the isolated island setting and the group of frienemies. When they play a game, it has unimaginable consequences. I liked seeing how all the stories came together and how everybody was involved. Such good twists in this one!

For a group of friends celebrating a milestone birthday on an isolated Scottish island things take a sinister turn during a game of two truths and a lie.

Stories featuring groups of people stranded on an isolated island, with their lives in danger, are quite common. Author Claire McGowan has managed to put a novel spin on her version of the genre in Truth Truth Lie, resulting in an enjoyable and intriguing read.

Eight adults, many of them friends since university, along with a teenager and five-year-old twins descend on an isolated island to celebrate the fortieth birthday of twins Vicky and Jonathan. The pair already have an association with the island as their family used to own it but there are frequent hints that it had to be sold as a result of something that happened in the past.

Most of the group have known each other for over twenty years having met at university. Amira, however, is still classed as a bit of an outsider as she’s only been one of them since she married Paddy fifteen years ago. You can feel the resentment and built-up anger from Amira as she has to deal with regular snubs from Vicky and her best friend Fiona. Another outsider is Rachel, Jonathan’s new girlfriend. The group is hostile towards Rachel, not only is she much younger but Jonathan used to be married to Fiona. Rachel, however, is too thick-skinned, or more worried about not being able to post to Instagram, to notice.

It is during a game of two truths and a lie that events take a sinister turn. After the first couple of rounds, it is obvious that the group don’t know each other as well as they thought. Then someone pulls out a slip of paper saying;

Everyone here has killed someone.
There is no way off this island.
You will all either kill or be killed.

Panic mode sets in. The group begins to wonder if they are truly alone on the island or does one of the group have malevolent intentions. At this point, it is great to see the author poking fun at the genre as one of the characters points out they shouldn’t split up as that’s when the murders usually start.

The reader slowly learns that the first statement is true. We get insight into periods of time over each person’s life where they have been responsible for the death of another person.

When one of the characters is discovered dead, quickly followed by another, panic sets in. No one can be trusted, particularly when secrets are uncovered.

The tension builds as each person is faced with simply surviving until they are rescued. You don’t feel invested in any of the characters as none of them are particularly likeable. I was intrigued to know who was responsible though and if anyone would survive. Numerous twists kept me guessing until the very end.

Truth Truth Lie is mysterious, suspenseful and will fill you with anxiety. A story in which panic, paranoia and murder take center stage. Claire McGowan keeps you guessing by making everyone a suspect while concurrently having them all fear for their lives. It’s intense!

A group of friends congregate on a private Scottish island to celebrate the 40th birthdays of two members of the crew. As the festivities begin, they play the game two truths and a lie, leading to reading a slip of paper that insinuates everyone present is responsible for someone’s death, there’s no way off the island and that they will all either kill or be killed. But who wrote these statements, and which one is the lie? As old actions, secrets and resentment are revealed, tensions and paranoia increase with violence seemingly inevitable. And then someone turns up dead. Then the fun really begins.

Claire McGowan pulls off a neat trick in Truth Truth Lie. She spills the tea on each character and their unsavory past, yet somehow keeps several of the characters worthy of sympathy. Not all of them mind you. Some of the character’s actions are more despicable and unforgiving. But even then, there are little moments where you might feel sorry for them. Which brings depth to the story and a way for readers to pick which people they believe are behind the devious plot versus which ones they cheer for to be innocent. That’s the beauty of this book. Each reader could have a different view of each character. Which makes for fun book club discussions.

Crime, suspense and the psychological collide in Truth Truth Lie. A thriller that will leave your nerves frayed and your mind on edge.

This kept me guessing throughout — a pacy, gripping, tense + engrossing thriller that I flew through. The twists kept me captivated and the writing style was brilliant.

Thank you Netgalley + the publisher for my ARC!

Claire McGowan is a great writer. Truth Truth Lie is a closed room thriller taking place on a Scottish island. University friends gather and things quickly go awry. You will not be able to guess the ending of this one!

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I could not stand our main character Amira, I found her insufferable and hated being in her head. The book just felt way too slow and repetitive, and I did not find myself engaged with the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Truth Truth Lie by Claire McGowan started off strong for me and stayed that way for the entirety of the book. I was on the edge of my seat a couple of times. I wasn’t able to guess the ending at all- so a total win in my book.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Shamefully my first book by this author, despite her having written so many! A group of family and friends head off to a remote Scottish island for a weekend break. When playing an evening game of Truth, Truth, Lie where three anonymous statements are written by each person and the others have to guess who wrote it and which is the lie, they find an extra slip of paper in amongst the others with three chilling statements on it - 1) Everyone here has killed someone, 2) There is no way off this island and 3) You will either kill or be killed here. The guests have no idea who wrote it and which one of the statements is a truth or a lie.

This was a great read which gripped my attention from the beginning. The group of people who are on the island are all family and friends who have known each other for years. Whilst there aren't too many characters to deal with, it did take me a little time to remember who was who and who was with who! For me, none of the characters were particularly likeable, but I don't think we were necessarily meant to like them. They all had their own secrets and the three statements written made them all start to look at themselves and their friends differently. I loved how their secrets slowly began to tumble out and by human nature, they all began to look out for number one and nobody seemed to trust each other!

It's a dark, thrilling read and the atmosphere of the lonely cold island certainly gave me chills down my spine as I read. I didn't have a clue who was behind it all and, like the characters in the book, I began to question every single person! The story is told from the perspectives of only a couple of the main characters and the local detective who has come onto the island after the weekend to investigate what has happened. You do get a few little snippets along the way from an unknown person, but all becomes clear who this is as the story moves on.

It was a really enjoyable read with a taste of a classic whodunnit theme. There are plenty of twists, turns and surprises to keep you hooked on the storyline throughout. Would definitely recommend!