Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is one twisted tale! At first I was quite confused as to what, where, and why but then it came together! Hannah is one disturbed individual and I'm still not quite sure about that ending. A sequel perhaps?

This twisty dual POV thriller is sure to please Camilla Way's established fans and draw in new ones. A solid addition to to a crowded genre.

Do you promise not to tell?

This twisty, dark story is told in the past time line and the present time.

In the past we see Beth, mother to Hannah, a dark and extremely disturbed little girl. Beth struggles with the love she has for her daughter and the fear for herself and her new baby.

In the present we have Clara. Clara's boyfriend, Luke didn't come home one night. And now she is finding threatening emails sent to him and combined with a couple of break ins, this is starting to look like foul play. When Luke's sister pops up after having been missing for years, things begin to not make any sense. What exactly is she hiding? And did Clara really know her boyfriend?

Somehow these two stories come together. But how? Why? Oh such a twisty tale. I for one was properly creeped out by Hannah.  And the ending? Wow!

Well Done!

Netgalley/October 9th 2018 by Berkley Books

Dual perspectives, one in the past and one in the present, weave together to stitch a story that will leave you guessing as you read, and haunt you after you finish. I cannot stop thinking about this book!

In the past, a mother, Beth, realizes that her daughter isn't like other young girls. Her daughter's behavior continually worsens, putting at risk not only her marriage but also her new infant child. Some of these scenes were so chilling, right out a parent's worst nightmares for their families.

In the present, we have Clara whose significant other, Luke, has gone missing. Did he have a stalker? Is he in danger? Or worse? And what secrets has he been hiding? These are all things Clara uncovers as she searches for answers to the biggest question of all - where is he now?

I was immersed from the first couple of pages and enjoyed the balance between the disturbing characters in the past and the urgency of trying to find Luke in the present. This book was as disturbing as it was entertaining and had everything I love in a psychological thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2539521198?book_show_action=false

This psychological thriller is told from two points of view. Beth tells her story beginning in 1981 and Clara tells her story beginning in 2017.

Beth talks about her and her husband Doug's strong desire for a child and their disappointment when she doesn't conceive. Then the story switches to when their miracle child Hannah is born and Beth's gradual realization that something is terribly wrong with her. She talks about Hannah's lack of emotion and love of causing pain. She talks about fights and fires. She talks about her terror when she gets pregnant and has a son named Toby. She fears for his life because of seven-year-old Hannah's animosity.

Meanwhile Clara tells her story of waking up one morning and finding the her live-in boyfriend Luke hasn't come home from work. At first, she isn't too worried. They live a pretty carefree partying lifestyle and Luke could have partied too late and crashed at a friend's place. But then she recalls that he has an important interview at work and wouldn't miss it. She contacts their best friend Mac to see if he has any insight but he doesn't seem very worried.

After contacting all of his friends, she decides to travel to his parents' home to see if Luke had gone there. She didn't want to give them the news that he was missing over the phone. She has a very close relationship with Luke's parents - much closer than her relationship with her own parents. But Luke isn't there.

As the days go on, Clara gets more and more worried. When Mac tells her that Luke had an affair with a co-worker, Clara is shattered. She fell for him so completely and hasn't stopped looking at him through rose-colored glasses for the whole three years of their relationship. The more she looks into Luke's past the more she begins to wonder if she ever knew him at all.

Meanwhile, Beth is chronicling Hannah's growth since the day she overheard Beth and someone talking about something that Beth is feeling very guilty about. This sets Hannah on a path of harassment and revenge for things she perceives as slights.

At first the two stories seem very separate, but gradually the connections begin to come clear. This was a very twisty story filled with secrets and lies. No one, with the possible exception of Clara, is without substantial guilt. I was impressed with the amount of damage one sociopath can do to a bunch of lives. Of course, other characters' bad decisions and crimes did give her fertile ground to sow her own brand of chaos.

The Readers Guide at the end of the story asks if rehabilitation would be possible for Hannah but I don't see how. She certainly feels no remorse for her actions. I think, like Beth, that something essential is missing in Hannah. I don't think empathy and emotion can be developed in sociopaths even though they can act like they have them.

This was an entertaining, but sad, thriller. So many broken lives and relationships. There are a few bright, hopeful outcomes. But Hannah is just waiting to get out of prison to ruin more lives.

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way is almost like two different stories, the way it goes back and forth in time and with two different voices. The Lies We Told is one of the books that even when you aren't actually reading the story it will seep into your mind, making you wonder what happens next and where it is going. Fair warning, there will come a point where this book is near to impossible to put down. I was given an early copy to review.

This is a fun, twisted, keep you on your toes ride. A great thriller that weaves the story of Clara's missing boyfriend with another family with a very disturbed daughter Hannah. How these two stories finally come together is a wild ride that I hesitate saying too much about because you will not want to have an hints of what and how the stories collide. Trust me that it's a great read!

Unfortunately, for me this book is the perfect example of what s wrong with the psychological thriller genre. The genre is heavily in demand with the continued success of Gillian Flynn' s books, and we have been quickly inundated with many stories whose twists and turns have become largely pedestrian.

I literally could not put this book down; I consumed it in one day. The suspense of trying to find out the relationship between the interlocking stories of Hannah, a sociopathic child growing up in the 80s and the disappearance of Clara’s boyfriend, Luke, in 2017 kept my eyes glued to to the page.

So often the way authors tie stories together disappoints, but Camilla Way did so successfully. Secrets, deceit, veracity, trust, obsessions, twists, and turns galore in this psychological thriller.

A daughter
Beth has always known there was something strange about her daughter, Hannah. The lack of emotion, the disturbing behavior, the apparent delight in hurting others…Sometimes Beth is scared of her and what she could be capable of.

A son
Luke comes from the perfect family, with the perfect parents. But one day, he disappears without a trace, and his girlfriend, Clara, is desperate to discover what has happened to him.

A life built on lies
As Clara digs into the past, she realizes that no family is truly perfect, and uncovers a link between Luke’s long-lost sister and a strange girl named Hannah. Now Luke’s life is in danger because of the lies once told and the secrets once kept. Can Clara find him before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: In the beginning pages of The Lies We Told, we are introduced to two families: Doug, Beth, and their daughter Hannah, living in Cambridgeshire, in 1986; and Luke and Clara, young adults living in London in 2017. Luke’s parents, Oliver and Rose Lawson, have become like a second family to Clara.

Our story takes us back and forth, and we watch Hannah’s life grow more troubling with each year that passes. Her horrific and sociopathic behavior gets more dangerous with time. The behavior, and a dark secret dating back to Hannah’s infancy, keeps this family on tenterhooks.

Meanwhile, in contemporary London, Clara’s world is upended when Luke goes missing. Before he was “taken,” there were e-mails and strange events. Luke, obviously, had a stalker.

Seeing the connections slowly come together for these characters kept me glued to the book. I had figured out that there were very dark links between them all, but just how deep the ties went and how twisted they were would not be revealed until close to the end.

Like dropping bread crumbs, some of the characters lead us along their pathways, while the others try to follow, hoping to learn more about each of them: their lives, their lies, and their secrets. How will each of the characters put everything together? Will they find Luke? What will happen between them all when the sordid secrets are finally out in the open?

Hannah was a frightening character, but Luke was no saint. His flaws contributed to his vulnerability, and his family’s secrets and lies made him the perfect target. I kept turning pages rapidly as the layered and captivating story reached its denouement. 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Lies We Told.

The book flips between Clara and her missing boyfriend, Luke, in the present, and Beth’s life with her husband, young (disturbed) daughter, and baby boy, about 20 years in the past. At first, Clara’s narrative was rather boring. Beth’s was very good, keeping me tearing through Clara’s chapters just to get to Beth’s. I was curious where they would overlap... When they finally did, I’ll admit, I wasn’t totally surprised, as I had surmised some of it, but it was still a very good read. I enjoyed this one!

4.5 Stars* (rounded up)

Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
INXS - 1982

Mystified: That my friends is the theme of “The Lies We Told” by Camilla Way. This is one captivating, engrossing and utterly wicked read and it will keep you up until all hours of the evening trying to figure out what in heck is going on and once you do?! WOWZA!

The 1980’s: Hannah is a very bad girl. She’s not like other children and frankly, neither her mother or father have any idea what to do about it.

2017: Clara has been dating Luke the man of her dreams for 3 years - and she couldn’t be happier until he goes missing. One day turns to two, two to three... and so on. Frantic, Clara contacts his best friend Mac, and his parents, neither of whom have seen him. When Clara begins searching for clues she uncovers more and more about her boyfriend and it ain’t pretty!


Talk about bewitching! I did my best to figure out how these two storylines were related and well, I’m sure you can guess, I was completely mystified. This psychological thriller kept me enthralled from start to finish. The author did a bang up job with this one - intertwining both storylines and keeping me stumped up till the end. This is the second book that I’ve read by Camilla Way and I am now eagerly awaiting her next novel.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Camilla Way for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Twitter on 9.13.18.

This is a taut, well-constructed thriller that is sure to be a hit this fall. Told in two different viewpoints and time periods, the connection between the two stories takes quite some time to figure out. One side of the story focuses on Beth and Doug, an English family living in a small village twenty years ago, raising a daughter who shows every characteristic of a sociopath. Some deep, dark secrets exist in this family and the author spins them out slowly. The other story is of Clara and her missing boyfriend Luke, as she and Luke's best friend do their own detective work to figure out what happened in today's world. Luke's family has some pretty mysterious secrets of their own, particularly considering their first child disappeared years ago as well. I had a hard time putting this book down, yet was a tad disappointed in the ending and ultimately not all that surprised. The do-it-yourself detective work was also a bit unrealistic for me but perhaps I am being too picky? Close to a 4-Star for me, but missing just a couple pieces. This is a great vacation read if you love a good thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is told in two different point of views. The first is of Beth. Beth has longed for a baby but has been unable to have one. When her daughter Hannah comes along Beth wants to believe that everything is normal. Beth has always known there was something strange about Hannah. The lack of emotion, the disturbing behavior, the apparent delight in hurting others...Sometimes Beth is scared of her and what she could be capable of.

The second POV is told by Clara. Her well to do boyfriend, Luke, has disappeared. No one has been able to find any clues about what happened to him. As Clara digs into Luke and his past to try to find him she starts to learn things that she might wish she didn’t know. What would you do to protect a secret?

Even though the two stories don’t seem to have anything to do with one another a surprising twist brings the two together. A great psychological thriller.

The storyline switches back and forth between the past with Beth, Doug and their strange daughter; and the present with Clara and her missing boyfriend, Luke. Part of the mystery is trying to string the seemingly two very different families together and figure out how the two stories are connected. 

As the title suggests, the deeper Clara digs trying finding her boyfriend, the more lies and secrets she uncovers. The characters are mostly believable, but the book doesn’t dive that deep into characterization which is a bit of a waste. There’s a storyline that offers ample opportunity for characters to stand out or make big changes, but they’re really just ‘meh’. 

The plot has a few twists: most of them are a bit predictable or too much of a trope to find very interesting. 

Overall, The Lies We Told was an alright read. It would be a good book to read on slow, rainy days.

The Lies We Told starts off with Clara waiting in her flat for her boyfriend Luke to come home... but he never shows up. She calls on her boyfriend's friend Mac for help finding him, eventually going to Luke's parents to tell them he is missing. His parents are devastated because Luke's sister, Emily, also disappeared when Luke was 10. As Clara and Mac investigate his disappearance on their own several secret start to come up and Clara is beginning to think she never really knew how Luke was.

We are also taken back into the past to another point of view with a lot of family drama. It really reminded me of the recently released book Baby Teeth and I waited and waited for the past and present to catch up to each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lies spread throughout this book because it really keeps you guessing all the way until the end. The author does a great job of slowly revealing each lie and the hidden truth behind everyone's past. A wonderfully crafted psychological thriller!

This was a quickly paced book that grabbed my attention from the start. I always enjoy a good past and present, alternating timeline, too. A solid book.

First of all, fantastic read! I devoured this ARC that I was fortunate enough to be able to read ahead of publication. This psychological suspense novel had me hooked from the first chapter! The creepiness of Hannah's character was one that I could NOT stop reading about, even way past my bedtime. Absolutely loved how the secrets and lies just kept on piling up on me while reading. The author did a wonderful job of putting this book together.

Wow!
Prepare yourself to be twisted into a psychological pretzel🥨! This book has so many misdirections and dead-ends that you’ll be guessing from beginning to end! And I do mean guessing. Good luck to all of my fellow armchair detectives out there! This one will test your skills...big time!

Clara recently moved in with her boyfriend Luke and feels like finally, everything is falling into place for her. She’s happier than she’s ever been. She feels loved and life is good!

That is until she wakes one morning to find Luke’s cell phone sitting in the apartment...but no Luke! Brushing away the foggy sleep, Clara realizes he never came home last night after work.
Logically of course, her first three questions are, is he cheating on me? Was he in an accident? And why hasn’t he contacted her?

There’s a second, seemingly un-related story running simultaneously from the past regarding Beth, a wife and new mother. She struggles bringing up her daughter Hannah who is best and delicately described as... well let’s just say, not “an angel” and with NO heart of gold. (I think you get the picture.) I have to say, this part was so well done! So real. So believably chilling!

OK my Sherlock Holmes wannabes’… it’s up to you to stitch the pieces of these two stories together!
I can’t tell you how many times I thought I had it, only to be proven wrong!
Maybe I’m losing my touch? No chance – it’s just that good. Very curious to see how well you all do!!

Camilla Way does a brilliant job weaving the story-lines together. Leaving you shocked and desperate for more. If you’ve been looking for that thriller that will rock your literary world, look no further! This is it!

I highly recommend!

A twisty buddy read with Susanne!!🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group and Camilla Way for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

In this captivating psychological thriller, two families lives are explored and what happens when dark secrets come to light. Because they always do... 1980s: Beth has longed for a child since the early days of her marriage, so when she finally gets her beautiful baby girl, Hannah, she is overjoyed...at first. But Hannah's not an ordinary little girl and Beth can no longer ignore the signs.... Cut to the present day... Clara and Luke are happily co-habitating and enjoying their new relationship when Luke fails to come home one night. At first Clara isn't too worried, but as the days pass with no contact from Luke, she is forced to try and find out the truth, but now it seems that a grown-up Hannah may be the only one with answers.