Lie to Me is unpredictable and addictive. Meri finds an old videotape of her four-year-old self telling a strange story while her mom coaches her. Her mom disappeared shortly afterward and Meri needs to find out if what's on the tape is true or not. If only she would have listened to her dad, who asked her forcefully to burn the tape... but, once she tries to stop the events that she set in motion, it is too late and Meri's life will never be the same. All the supporting characters are well built and their actions are perfectly reasonable based on their personality. They all seem to be hiding something. But is it an innocent secret, a darker mystery or murder? A few of the characters are really unlikeable - and they have their reasons, maybe if they had all had normal lives, they would have been the nicest people. Other characters are endearing, even if they may be up to no good. At the center: four women at the heart of the mystery. Flawed, damaged, irresponsible but mostly trying to do their best. Well written and entertaining, Lie to Me is an excellent and suspenseful read.

This book was an easy book to read. Events in the past need to be investigated in order that the future generation can understand. The plot is interesting and the characters come to life under the pen of jess Ryder

I was very impressed with this book. Generally I don't enjoy a book when I can figure out who is guilty before it is revealed but this one is different.

I figured out who the murderer was early and I truly loved how the characters in the story really pieced it together.

I wanted a bit more at the end for a closure for the main character and her mother. Other than that this book was just excellent.

What happens when you discover your memories of your childhood might be a lie, and worse you could be linked to a murder? When Meredith finds a decades old video tape of herself as a four year year old she doesn't expect that just a few minutes later her life will be turned upside down. Driven to find out more she embarks on a search that will not only change what she knows about herself, it will also threaten her life.
The book is predominantly told from Meredith's point of view, it is mostly through her investigation that we gradually learn the truth of what happened years ago. However, some chapters are also seen through either the eyes of the murder victim, Cara or the man acquitted of killing her, Christopher Jay. I always enjoy books with multiple narrators, particularly when, as here, they feature different time settings. Meredith's story is told in the present, Cara's in the past, with Jay serving as the link between the two. Each chapter has a clear narrative voice with good, defined characterisation. Meredith is a likeable protagonist on the whole although perhaps although she sometimes felt a little immature albeit for reasons that become clear later. Cara is a genuine, slightly naive young woman and there's an underlying poignancy to her words, knowing her eventual fate. Other characters are less easy to warm to, although the author still manages to elicit some sympathy for even the most unpleasant of them.
The mystery itself unfolds with a few twists but I wasn't altogether surprised by the resolution. The story eventually builds to one tense scene that is the gripping moment I was waiting for, however I'd have perhaps liked a few more sections that set my heart racing. On the whole though Lie to Me is an enjoyable and well structured thriller with a absorbing mystery and a satisfying conclusion. An excellent debut then and I look forward to reading more from Jess Ryder in the future.
Many thanks to the publishers for my copy received through Netgalley in return for this review.

Excellent book! Great characters and a brilliant storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

This is a book about a life turned upside down just after watching a video from the past. A lot of questions emerged and the search for the answers began.

I enjoyed most parts in the story. I liked the switch between Cara and Meredith, also Jay. From the start I thought that Meredith's father had something to do with it because of the way he reacted. I honestly didn't understand what the fuss was about when Meredith found the tape. But what was revealed at the end made things clear. At some parts the story seemed to drag a bit and I just didn't see the whole connection with the main plot that was happening. Also when the person responsible for the murder was revealed I kind of expected it so I wasn't that surprised about that twist.

Nevertheless I liked the story and it was worthy of my time. I do see great potential in Jess Ryder's writing and I am sure that after time more great books will be written by her.

~Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.~

2.5 stars

This review is going to be short and sweet:

An okay mystery.

I wasn't a fan of the characters and it dragged on a bit too long as often happens when you don't connect with a book.

I thought the epilogue was going to tie up some lose ends and provide better closure, but that was a fail in my opinion.

Moving on....

ARC provided by NetGalley

A good 'who done it' fantastic storytelling and a great debut, looking forward to reading more by this author.

Lie to Me by Jess Ryder begins with an old videotape that Meredith discovers in the attic. When her father realize that she has the tape, he is upset and attempts to seize it, but Meredith keeps it and is later stunned to see her four-year-old self with the mother who disappeared shortly after the tape was made. Meredith's investigation into the meaning of the tape and what happened to her mother leads her to a crime that occurred thirty years ago.

Putting the pieces together reveals a number of surprises associated with the murder that took place at Dark Pool and questions about who was responsible. Meredith researches the trial and meets some of the people involved. Since the hypnosis and past life segment wasn't really pursued, I wish it had been left out, but Meredith's persistent search for answers kept me interested although I didn't always find her behavior reasonable.

Told from three perspectives, the plot has several twists.

NetGalley/Bookouture

Crime/Suspense. April 19, 2017. Print length: 388 pages.

A crime/physiological thriller with some great twists. A story of a missing mother, a disturbing video, a loving, loyal father Meredith who starts the process of putting the pieces together. A good narration of three characters with a murder connecting them, A satisfying whodunnit. A great debut novel.

A brilliant book from a newly discovered author!! I honestly didnt want the book to finish but couldnt put it down! I loved each of the characters. The different character stories were easy to follow. Gripping storyline to the end and an unexpected twist kept me on the edge of my seat right to the end!! Thankyou Netgalley.

I didn't really enjoy this book very much. It seemed like it was going somewhere good but got lost.

This,was a brilliant book. Kept the suspense right to the end!!! Really enjoyed the twists and turns as the story unfolded.
Highly recommended read

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed this book and it was very well written. However, I'm tired of books being compared to Gone Girl. The cover of this book states that there is a twist at the end - so expect a twist! When you're expecting a twist, the book becomes less interesting and when the twist arrived, you've probably already figured it out. This is pretty much how I felt; I even felt a little let down. Had I not been expecting a SHOCKING TWIST, I would have been more blown away. I felt let down by the cover description - I think it builds up to something more.

I liked this book, despite the fact that the cover of it tells you there's going to be a SHOCKING TWIST. Reading it, I could tell that the reader was going to be misled with liars (ie - the title of the book) on top of the fact there were mental health issues. I kept looking too far into it - everything that everyone said was false. It was a good read though, I just wish I wasn't told that there was a SHOCKING TWIST AT THE END. I expected more than the book delivered.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for an ARC of this title. The review is honest and unbiased.
This book had me hooked from the first page, and realizing it's a debut makes it even better. I didn't like some of the characters, and I saw some of the twists coming, but that didn't spoil any of the read for me. It was well done, and I'll look forward to the author's next book.

Meredith hasn't seen her mother for decades. For all she knows, her mother could very well be dead. When she finds a videotape hidden away at the bottom of a box, it raises a lot of questions. Three minutes is all it takes for Meredith's life to be turned upside down. Why is her mother acting so weird? Why is she asking her daughter to say these strange things on camera. What is her father hiding? And who are Cara and Christopher?

Meredith is desperate to find the answers and her search leads her to Darkwater Pool, the scene of a murder some thirty years ago. The chapters switch between Meredith in the present and Cara in the past. This book is quite an interesting character study on how lies can affect people decades down the road.

While I enjoyed this story most of the time, it seemed to drag on a bit sometimes. I felt quite a few things were highly predictable and there's a part I thought was completely unnecessary as it didn't really help move the plot along. As a whole, I didn't find it as gripping as the cover promises but the character development is fascinating. There is a twist, yes, but when you read a lot of books in this genre, it wasn't all that hard to figure out.

However, I do see the potential in Jess Ryder's writing and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Wow! What an amazing debut! Loved it from start to finish. I did not want it to end even as I was turning the pages to find out what had happened, what the truth was. A multi-layered, masterful story from a very skillful storyteller. I loved every word. Intriguing and thrilling, packed with twists and turns that I did not see coming. I am so glad to have discovered this author and will be looking forward to more from her. Highly recommend this amazing book to everyone.

Jess Ryder knows how to write a mesmerizing story that will hook your attention from the first chapter and pull you across the emotional spectrum as the story and characters unfold. Ryder is the pseudonym for Jan Page who happens to have over twenty years’ experience as a screenwriter, playwright and award winning TV producer, all of which shines through her first ever debut crime novel.

I loved her characters as she made them intriguing, easy to fall for and really created a great father-daughter relationship between Meredith and her father.

Her storyline was really good and her talent definitely showed through when just as you think she’s going to use some cheesy, stereotypical, over done plot device she makes a left turn into something better. When you think you know who the murderer is I promise you will be wrong because the real one comes out of the wings as Ryder knows how to play up red herrings for all their worth.

Her story line shouldn't be able to get any better but wait until you reach the conclusion which was simply charming and aided by the alternating points of view. She added so much depth to her plot by using the different time periods and alternating character stories which may seem confusing at first but level out.

This was billed as a psychological thriller and it really doesn’t feel like that as it feels firmly entrenched in the standard crime genre but that didn’t make it any less good you just need to alter your expectations going in.

I felt it was a strong debut and hope to see more in this area from her in the future.

Wow!! Couldn't put this book down. Great storyline and full of suspense. I was hooked from the first chapter. The plot centres around a character called Merri.
Merri was helping her Dad move house and whilst in the attic came across a video with her name written on it. The writing is her absentee Mum's. Merri's mum disappeared when she was 5 years old. As she suffered from mental ill health it was assumed that she had taken her own life. However what is revealed on the tape sets about a chain of events that will change the whole course of Merri's life forever. Lie to me kept me on tenderhooks some of the twists took me completely by surprise. Read this book and enjoy. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advance copy.