Alex a former DJ with her own radio show in Manchester has now moved to London and is becoming a respected news reporter for a major broadcasting network. Well she would be if she could get control of her drinking issue which is part of the reason she had relocated on the back of a miscarriage and also breaking up with Greg her former finance, this was a year ago. Now it's about turning her life around which has already had one epic fail when she was making a live report whilst under the influence and started ranting on about the government hence she had been working at a desk making and researching reports rather than airing them. However the finding of a body just around the corner from her home opens the door to a live report that begins to open doors to prime time reports she just has to get her drinking under control long enough to do her work and make a name for herself but as anyone suffering from alcoholic addiction will know that is not a easy task.
This is a extremely well written and informed book that treats its subject matter incredibly well it's about a series of murdered girls with connections to on-line dating sites and a date rape drug but you need to read the rest so i won't say any more about the story line. It is another of those books you won't want to put down but makes you uncomfortable as a true thriller must to fulfil its requirements but this does so much more as the twist build and turn you upside down and you will never truly know what's next until it's finished and then you can breath again.
This book is a highly recommended book in my view and if you like your thrillers to feel real with truly believable characters and plausible plots then this is for you. Obviously you don't expect that many murders around the corner to you but sometimes the facts or possibilities just happen. I was given this copy of Jody's book from NetGalley and here is my honest review I hope you enjoy it as much as i have.

Alex is a high functioning alcoholic, after a miscarriage she flees her Home town to start afresh. When a serial murderer starts to strike in the area she lives, she uses this to try and boost her failing career as a tv crime reporter.

I have to admit, I struggled a little with this, which is the reason for only giving 3
Stars. Great story idea but it just didn’t flow for me, and it was a little bit predictable.

With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

High functioning alcoholic Alex South had her own radio programme in Manchester. After suffering a miscarriage she left her fiance Greg and moved down to London . Alex now works in television but her career is in freefall after a drunken rant on TV.

The story begins on Alex's birthday when she wakes up in bed with a hangover from hell, laying beside her is Neil who she the night before over the internet. Later that day Alex discovers that the body of a unknown female had been found in a park close to her home. The body could be linked to the unsolved murders of Jade Soron and Maggie Horrocks. Seeing this as a chance to redeem her she rings the newsroom and volunteers to go straight to the crime scene.

Alex finds out that next to the body was a gym membership card in the name of Sarah Wilcox. The police try to trace Sarah but cannot find her. The body is later identified as Alice Fessy who regularly met dates on the internet. As Alex reports on the crimes her drinking increases causing her to blackout and waking hours later with injuries.

The story was told from the POV of Alex and Dear Diary excerpts from an unknown person from 2017 to the present day. I Never Lie was more about Alex's descent into alcoholism then the murders, I would of liked the POV of DI Brooks the detective in charge of the investigation.

I did not like Alex but but I was sorry she depended on alcohol to get through the day. My favourite character was her friend and next door neighbour Charlie who tried to look after her. The story went at a steady pace with plenty of red herrings. I was sure I guessed the cliff hanger to this tale but I only got it half right. The ending was clever but I would of liked a more cut and dried ending instead of leaving it to make my own conclusions.

Overall I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Story of Alex, a permanent drunkard, struggling to do her job of reporting through a drunken haze. When murderers occur of local women in her neighbour, she gets herself on the story. The latest victim is known to Alex and she is determined to solve the murder mystery. Story is told from Alex's view with excerpts from a diary of an unknown person. Gripping story with Alex's drink problems well described, great characters and a shock ending makes this a must read!

Alex South is a functioning alcoholic who's career as a TV journalist has taken a turn for the worse after her on-air rant fuelled by alcohol. A number of murders then occurs in the area in which she lives, and she is given the chance to prove her worth. But, is Alex a danger only to herself or to others, too?

I NEVER LIE is a book that highlights the problems that come with being addicted to alcohol. It is not something I know a lot about as I drink very little. I can easily go 2/3+ years without a drink but this novel has given me an insight into what an addict goes through and the inevitable consequences of that addiction. It must be really difficult to wake up and the first you 'need' is an alcoholic beverage.

Sabral writes extremely well and knows exactly how to develop her characters so that they are realistic and believable. The story skirts the line between a character study into an alcoholic's lifestyle and a crime thriller.

I am not sure how well the book has been edited but I did spot a major error in the text, unfortunately. It was a tad offputting, I don't know how it could've gotten through the editing process but I certainly don't know enough about it to comment on that side of things. The error is only on one page - basically, it mentions squashing a fly, then a few sentences later, squashing a mouse which gives the impression that it has been changed but that someone has forgotten to delete the draft version sentence. This doesn't alter the reading experience, it's just a little confusing and you are left wondering how it is still there!

I would like to thank Jody Sabral, Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Canelo in exchange for an honest review.

I am literally so baffled. I genuinely loved reading this book. It is extremely well-written, the characters are interesting and I was definitely invested in the story. So why am I only giving it three stars? Because the only 'twist' of the book is mentioned on the cover and the blurb.

Let me make this clear-I am not going to spoil anything about the plot of this. But both the blurb and the cover hint strongly that Alex (the protagonist) might be the one behind the serial killings. The very possibility of this is not mentioned until well over 80% of the way through the book and I am dumbfounded. Again, I am not saying for definite whether Alex is behind it or not and therefore am not going to spoil the ending. But the fact that she may be behind it is treated as a twist in the plot and it's so stupid when it's mentioned on the cover and in the blurb!

If it weren't for this one major flaw, I would absolutely be giving this book 4 stars. Alex is a developed and fascinating protagonist, the side characters all feel like they could be real people and the general plot is very good. I've read thrillers about journalists and I've read thrillers about alcoholics before but Sabral's writing style means that it all feels pretty fresh and new.

There's also a pretty major editing mistake in one of the 'Dear Diary' chapters. The mystery POV character describes crushing a mouse and then a few sentences later, talks about squashing a fly instead. This was very distracting as it was clearly a fly in the original draft and was changed to make it more dramatic.

Overall, I would still recommend this book for a good read but don't expect to be surprised by anything. It's not the kind of thriller with a lot of twists (or any twists really) which is such a shame because it could have been so much better.

Overall Rating: 3/5

I found this book quite slow to start with and the story really is based on alcoholics. Alex is a functioning alcoholic so the story is all about her addiction and the consequences of it .There is crime involved so I expected it to be more of a crime thriller There are red herrings thrown in and the ending was brilliant though I was left a bit to make my own final conclusions .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

I have a few reservations about this book. Firstly, I’m a little confused about the title, which I still can’t quite work about its relation to the content of the novel. Secondly, a lot of the book is centred around alcoholism, which isn’t a topic that excites me to read about. However, with that out the way, I did really enjoy this book.

We all know I love a thriller and although some plot points were predictable, overall it was a good read that I finished within two days.

I’m a sucker for a good twist and this definitely had a few to keep momentum, but not one of my favourite books this year.

Alex South is an alcoholic. She suffers blackouts and memory loss. A key element of the story with constant reminders that I found tedious:

”I’m going to start my detox tonight, after I’ve had my last fix.”

“I’m pissed off that I wasn’t able to detox yesterday. It sucks, actually…”

“As normal as one can be when in the midst of a detox.”

*I’m desperately in need of alcohol this morning, just to get going.”

Besides being an alcoholic, Alex is a TV journalist who left her long-time boyfriend Greg in Manchester after suffering a miscarriage. In London she regains some notoriety until a drunken rant on air puts her career on hold. She is given another chance to cover a series of murders occurring in East London, close to where she lives. But the demon drink continues to ravage her every day; carrying vodka around in a water bottle, chugging wine by the bottle at home and suffering huge hangovers…

The plot is split between current day and diary entries (in italics) from the previous year. Entries that become more embittered as the story moves on. Who is writing the diary? There is a link here with Alex that keeps the suspense going as Alex not only struggles with her alcoholism but online dating, which happens to be a key element in the murder investigations.

I Never Lie is well written and the pace does pick up towards the end. But were all the references to detoxing and binge drinking really necessary? It became a major irritation for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A twisted tale of addiction and denial. Easy to read, fast paced and as addictive as it's content. A thoroughly modern thriller, with a satisfying conclusion. I read this in one sitting. Excellent book

I started out really enjoying this book, I found it intriguing and exciting. But the further in to it I got, I found myself desperate for it to end. It was a bit silly in places and I found the ending far-fetched and disappointing. However I loved Jody's style of writing and would definitely look into reading others.

An interesting premise that unfortunately didn't quite work for me. Alex South is a crime reporter for TV news and a functioning alcoholic. Having lost a high-profile job due to being drunk on air, Alex is about to hit rock-bottom when a string of murders very local to her give her the perfect opportunity to reclaim her position in front of the camera. She's unnerved by these crimes, which appear to be targeting women using online dating, much as she is. But she's mostly focused on where she's getting her booze from every minute of the day.

This is a story about alcoholism more than crime. The murders here appear in snapshots of red herrings and TV interviews - there's no depth to them. Alex has been through a lot, a failed relationship and a miscarriage, but that doesn't make her easy to identify or empathise with. Frankly, she's annoying and frustrating.

Inbetween her chapters are dear diary elements that lead readers in a pretty straight line to where the murders are going. That narrator is very broadly drawn to the point of cliche.

I did read the book in one day, but I don't think I'd recommend it.

Not bad, but I did struggle a bit with it, I think the fact that Alex was an alcoholic and she annoyed me somewhat! The story was quite good but I did skip through it. Not my usual crime thrillers, and as I said the drinking got on my nerves, sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Canelo for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Ellie from Canelo for organising the Blog Tour.

Alex South is a journalist who moved to London after her miscarriage and the breakdown of her relationship. She is bordering on pressing the self-destruct button, and seeks refuge in alcohol. Following an on-air rant, she is desperate to get back in the game of live TV journalism and when a series of murders occur very close to her home she is given another chance to report on the events. She doesn’t think her drinking is a problem but begins to suffer memory blackouts and finds that she done things that she can’t remember.

My first book by this author. For me, this book began rather slowly, but did pick up pace as the story moved on. The story was told mainly from Alex’s perspective, but did have a ‘Dear Diary’ page interspersed between the chapters from an ‘unknown person’ who obviously knew Alex very well. Alex is a difficult character to judge. As an alcoholic she seems to spend most of her time in denial, convincing herself that her actions are justifiable and her drinking is under control. Obviously it isn’t and things just go from bad to worse for Alex.

I found the fact that she was a journalist trying to solve a murder a ‘refreshing’ change! Usually, it’s the journalist getting in the way! I did find that I went on a rollercoaster journey with Alex! Sometimes I didn’t like her, other times I felt sorry for her and then I also loved her in places throughout the story. I did find the ‘alcohol’ storyline overshadowed the murder storyline a little bit, but I still found Alex’s story and day to day struggle really interesting. The ending was great and it was definitely worth reading to the last page.

A well written story based around a difficult ‘taboo’ subject. Would definitely recommend.

A great novel!

Our main character is a flawed person, on a path of self destruction. It was very interesting to read this and see what was actually going on. Full of tense moments

Alex South is alcoholic who is in denial big time. She has been on the radio, then she is offered a job in television. After a mishap on set live she was drunk and things went downhill. There is a murder where she lives and once again she is in the limelight, still drinking and still in denial. Alex knew the woman who was murdered but in her alcohol fuddled mind she can't remember where?
This story is a slow burner that never came to the boil.
I would like to thank the author Jody Sabral, Can help books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

I was a little unsure about this book in the beginning but I was soon gripped by the fast paced storyline. This book provided the fine line between uncomfortable reading about likeable characters and a compulsive need to read more that makes such great reading.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

After fleeing to London after a miscarriage, alcoholic Alex attempts to regain her composure by being the main anchor to cover the series of murders happening around her neighbourhood for her local news team. Desperate to get back into her job after being drunk on air, alongside a new producer with a need to get a story, Alex struggles to maintain her "detox" of no alcohol. This quickly does not go to plan. In need of one drink after another and being a serial dater, Alex falls into a whirlwind of blackouts and questions. Women are being killed, but who is killing them?

I really enjoyed this book and really loved Alex's narration. It was real to see the degenerative thought patterns of an alcoholic and how she completely rationalised all of her behaviours. Having drinks with a person of interest's mother etc it was really disjointed to see how she thought/felt. I liked the fact it was a double narrative by jumping between Alex's POV and the "dear diary" style entries for chapters. I knew this narrator straight away. I liked Alex as a main character and whilst I couldn't relate to the drinking etc I found her fun to read. Both narratives added those small details to build the plot that we may have missed with just one narrator.

The book was a tad slow paced with no real "big moment" happening and Alex having to save the day. She just reports on it and struggles whilst doing so, but with every chapter, I still wanted to know more and find out what was happening. The alcoholism overshadowed the murder mystery but I enjoyed the novel nonetheless and I think it will keep readers guessing until the end. It did me!

Overall, very enjoyable by a new author (for me). I loved that the chapters weren't too long and stretched like 10 minutes. Long chapters just drag the story down I think and so the diary entries by another POV altered the pace. Would recommend !

This is a very good book with a strong story line that makes you want to keep on reading.. For over half the book I thought 'yes, a bit predictable, I know who is the culprit'. Then about 75% through my initial prognosis appeared to have been blown out of the water but at the very end I was proved almost right! This is well worth a read if you are into mystery thrillers. Didn't give it 5 stars as I didn't think the 'was I or wasn't I involved' feelings did not materialise soon enough in the book (I expected this from the book summary). I generally have an aversion to books where the main character is a woman in her thirties who continually does things that make you wonder why. However this is different as the lead is already an alcoholic but who makes valiant attempts to overcome the addiction.

Alex is an alcoholic trying to hold down a job as a television reporter. Her personal life is a mess. A spate of murders occur near to where she lives and suddenly her career is back on track. However, the drinking is getting worse and she has times where she can remember nothing of where she has been and who she has seen. As the murders begin to have connections to herself is she in danger or is she the danger?