Never underestimate the horrific grip of addiction. It shows how easy it is convince ourselves that we are 'normal' and how we choose to ignore/disbelieve what others tell us. Gripping and compelling.

I was gifted a copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I feel that any disappointment that I experienced with this book is solely down to the expectation that it would be a crime thriller. In actual fact, this is a book about addiction and the devastating consequences for all involved. Particularly, in the ability to hold down a well-paid, respected jobs whilst in the throes of addiction and denial.

That said, I actually enjoyed the book and found myself drawn back to reading it so it was a nice quick read. I would have liked more information about the crimes themselves as I feel that part left the reader hanging a bit. I enjoyed the twists and turns and would recommend to others with the caveat…this is not a crime thriller!

Absolutely brilliant book,it got me gripped right from the beginning,it makes you understand about the problems an alcoholic suffers from,and also a really good storyline and I couldn't put it down!would highly recommend

I have mixed emotions on this book. I think the concept of the story was interesting but I feel it dragged on far too much.
I feel like the author couldn't make up her mind on what the ending was going to be and I felt done characters did not need to be in it.

Mixed feelings about this book. It was a real page turner and the character of Alex certainly held your attention. the issue I have with the book is that it was really all about the booze, Alex is an alcoholic in denial, the constant need for a drink and the constant reference to the need for a drink become a little tiresome. The "water bottle"of booze is familiar to anyone who has ever lived with an alcoholic and indeed is very hard hitting because it is hidden in plain view.

The twist at the end came as a bit of a surprise and the book is all the better for it. I would have liked a bit more about the reasons the four women were "chosen" and a bit more of the crime drama, if I am honest. The obsessions of the addictive personality and the endless need for self justification and indeed self denial are well portrayed and sad in themselves.

This is not my usual type of book and I am very grateful to the publishers (Canelo) and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it in advance of publication. The views expressed are my own

To me, a rather powerful story centred around journalist Alex who is an alcoholic in denial. Alex uprooted her life in Manchester a year earlier after a traumatic incident, compounded by her alcoholism, and took a new job as a TV crime reporter in London. She needed the drastic change to get her life back on track. That hadn't been going very well until a murder very close to her home. She convinced the channel that she could do this and give her career the boost it needs - which it does.

As the story unfolds you realise how bad Alex's life is, literally lunging from one day into the next with every new day being the one she is going to detox, start again, and have the life she longs for.

The murder mystery around the story is very overshadowed by Alex's lifestyle but I felt it was well written and pulled you into having hope for Alex and Sarah getting the help they both needed.

Alcoholism and the rebounding effects from this are the centre point to this book along side the gripping reality of a potential serial killer, stalking women on a dating app.
I literally read the book cover to cover in a day. Thought it was well composed and thought out.
Shall be adding this writer to my watch list for new releases in the future.

Alex South is a TV crime reporter who despite her protestations is an alcoholic and in deep denial. Her career is now stalled owing to her last inebriated television appearance. She is carrying deep psychological scars owing to a recent miscarriage and the breakup of the relationship with her fiancee. Meeting men through an online dating app she goes from one one night stand to another in an increasingly desperate attempt to become pregnant. But then rather fortuitously another opportunity to resurrect her faltering career is presented when the body of a woman is found in nearby London Fields, a present day park and an area of historically common land. When this murder is linked to two others in the nearby vicinity then the prospect of a serial killer at large catapults Alex back to the news screens. At the site of the murder the police find a gym membership belonging to a Sarah Wilcox who immediately becomes a person of interest to the police. Sarah is linked with Alex and it is the unraveling of their stories that will lead to the solving of the murders.

Alternating between Alex's story told in the first person and `Dear Diary` chapters that start a year before in 2017 which we quickly realise are from Sarah Wilcox we learn how the destructive addiction of alcohol has effected both lives and is covering deeper issues for them.

I read the book in two sessions which is always a good sign of approval and found there were enough red herrings and twists to keep me guessing until the end. Knowing that part of London well, the descriptive nature of the writing in conveying the local environment helped to add to the authenticity of the story. It is something of a slow burner which is to my liking and without doubt shows in stark terms the impact of an addiction and the need to confront what the root causes that lead to it are. I certainly think it is worth a read and will look forward to further offerings by Jody Sabral.

This book was ok not great but a struggle to read at times. I did finish it but probably wouldn't recommend it.

Interesting storyline, the main character being a functional alcoholic. This is a gripping story written in the first person, told by 2 characters . I enjoyed the story, and unlike other books in a similar vein, it was easy to tell which person was narrating which storyline. The main character I came to care about, and the ending did not disappoint me. I would recommend this book.

Alex is an alcoholic. She denies it to herself but she is. In order to get through the day she swipes booze from wherever she can: other people's houses, shops, hotel mini bars. She has a stash hidden around her house. Her life is falling apart as her addiction is affecting her job (she is a TV reporter) and her personal life (she has split up from her long term partner after a miscarriage). Instead of enjoying a successful career and family life she is always on edge about her job and uses dating apps to hook up with strangers in desperate attempts to get pregnant. She has just spent the night with one (who strangles her in a horrible sex scene) when news comes in that a third body has been found near to where she lives and she grabs this opportunity to revive her career. Her narrative is interspersed with diary entries from another woman, also an alcoholic who is obsessed with Alex. This helps us fill in some of Alex's missing back story; as an alcoholic she is prone to blackouts and has huge holes in her memory. I enjoyed this novel, finding Alex to be a sympathetic protagonist. The obvious comparison to be drawn is with The Girl on the Train but I thought this was better. I really liked the details about social media and how it can be used to track people down and keep tabs on what they're doing. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.

This is centred on the effects of alcoholism and Jody Sabral has obviously done a lot of research to write about such a topic in a really readable manner. The story begins with one murder and then is followed closely by three more. Alex as the crime reporter endeavours to solve these murders but finds herself heavily embroiled in the victims lives and because of her alcoholism does not know how to cope other than by lying to everyone. The book has been written in a fairly unique style as it is written in the present and diary entries from the past. It is not until the end that the diary entries author becomes clear which adds to the enjoyment of continually trying to calculate the true murdered. This was a very well thought out book that left me as a reader not wanting to put it down until the end.

This books revolves mainly around alcohol and I was a bit disappointed that this subject took over the whole story line. I wanted more on the crimes and the clues, and though we get tidbits, we don’t get enough. It’s mainly about Alex and her alcohol problems, she always ALWAYS needs a drink and I found I rolled my eyes the more times it was mentioned.

That ending was brilliant though! I didn’t quite see it coming until close to the end, though we’re still left in limbo-land, like we have to make our own final conclusions and I do like that in a book, it’s also made my brain hurt.

Alex South is a great character, weak, maybe a little incompetent, I definitely don’t see her career ‘cemented’ nor have I seen a character quite so lazy in such an important job. But she was good to read about. But in some places she’s quite a jumbled and complex character.

The storyline itself was good, realistic and mysterious (in some ways) and did make for a great read. I love this author’s writing style and would definitely read more from her. I just think this book may need a little tweaking. But that’s my god’s honest opinion.

Really believable and authentic portrayal of alcoholism and the battle people can have with regards to this. I enjoyed the two voices and the different way the story was told. I thought it kept the pace throughout and I wanted to finish it to find out what happened but then disappointed when I finished- always a good sign.

What I liked about I Neve Lie is that it was that is was slower paced, gave the story a chance to really build and the switch between Alex talking and diary entries from an unknown person who seems to know Alex, or so she thinks, makes for a more interesting read as it adds in details that might of otherwise remained unknown and also made for better plot twists throughout.

With each page turned there seemed to be another twist to the plot so just when I thought I had it all figured out and worked through the "who done it", a curve ball was thrown and I was left second guessing my decisions about who had actually done what. This meant that a book that was relatively slow paced remained an absolute page turner.

By the end I thought that I Never Lie was a novel that would definitely keep any reader guessing and that it would also leave said reader with mixed emotions not only on who to trust but also with who to sympathise with and who to really despise. A well paced and cleverly thought out book that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Alex South is a tv reporter and fully functioning alcoholic who is struggling to rebuild her career after a rant on live tv.She is handed a chance to redeem herself when the body of a young woman is found in a park near Alex`s home.Within the next few weeks two more bodies are discovered,both having been killed using the same method.Alex finds herself caught up in the biggest story of her career,a front page headline grabbing story that could cause her Twitter followers count to explode.She needs to be on top of her game,she`s fine! she`s in control of her drinking,no way is she an alcoholic! But why does she keep having blackouts and being left with no memory of what she has done during the missing time.As the story she is covering starts to creep into her life,is Alex a danger to herself - or to others.

Alternating between Alex`s story in the present day and `Dear Diary` chapters that start a year before in 2017,this is a gripping story of addiction,denial,obsession and revenge.Alex is a complex character who spends every day insisting that she is going to detox but always seems to find any reason to have just one more drink.The authors descriptions of the secretive and deceitful life of a addict where vivid and realistic.The blackouts,the gin filled water bottle,the fear and despair Alex felt when she couldn't find any alcohol,Alex suddenly discovering she had a bottle in her hand or bag that she couldn't remember picking up.Not being an addict myself,I found Alex`s self destructive behaviour very frustrating and to be honest the constant mentioning of detoxing was quite repetitive at times.The italicized Dear Diary parts of the story were intriguing and quite creepy.This person's back story was quite sad but who was narrating the diary and how did they fit into the story?

The story is well written and keeps the reader guessing,the killer could be any one of a number of characters.Although the story isn't action packed,it does have plenty of twists and turns,red herrings and short snappy chapters that hold the readers attention and give you a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome.

I Never Lie Jody Sabral

Split between the current day, and diary entries from last year, this is one of the most original plots I have ever read.

Alex South is a 39-year-old alcoholic. She is also a TV journalist who is has already had one “episode” on live TV.

When a woman is found murdered, in a park just around the corner from her house, Alex gets another chance and is sent with her cameraman and producer to the crime scene.

This is the third woman to be killed in similar circumstances in a few weeks and the press are saying there’s a serial killer on the streets.

The book is written in the first person from Alex’s point of view. The struggles of getting through the day without appearing drunk, trying to keep the balance between the sober shakes, and the outward drunk.

She struggles with panic attacks and blackouts. Her memory is shot, and things she did 24 hours ago are hazy at the least.

But she’s functioning, she’s managing to carry herself professionally, and convinces herself that she will get sober……one day. But first she needs to be the investigative reporter on-the-spot for the serial killer murders.

This book is brilliant. Jody Sabral is a journalist and so she knows the business, and it shows in the realism of this story. But what really puts this book above the others is the realism with which she treats the alcoholism of Alex.

The self-destructive cycle of life. Waking up in the morning convinced today will be a sober day, but reaching for wine instead of coffee, and there’s always a justification.

The pure panic when no booze is available. The waking up, sometimes next to a complete stranger, and having no idea who they are, or how you got to bed, and then actually finding comfort in somebody just being there.

The walking out of a shop with a bottle of wine, or vodka, in your bag you had no intention or recollection of buying

The water bottle with vodka in it.

The belief that you’re fooling the people around you.

I loved this book. The story is great, the characters are really well written, and I didn’t get anywhere near guessing the end.

Pages: E-book 951KB
Publisher: Canelo
Publishing Date: 11 June 2018

After a, somewhat, slow start I Never Lie hit me; unless in unplanned situations, alcoholics could function very well.. We're following Alex who, after a miscarriage, fled to London to start over. As a freelance journalist her carreer can be made with one story and broken with the next.
When she hits a rough patch in her personal life, she hits the jackpot as a journalist: A serial killer is on the lose, very very close to where Alex lives..

As someone who lives pretty close with a (not at all functional) alcoholist, it was difficult to sympathise with Alex, though reading about her daily struggle was enlighting to say the least. As for the other main character, that was a little creepy; loved it! Both POV's were well built, it did the story good to switch between 'dear diary' and Alex. The plottwists were not too predictable, except for the few you could see from a mile down.
Overall I really enjoyed this read, it was well built, after a slow start I basically 'flew' through it and it kept me on the tip of my seat throughout most of the story.
A big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this!