Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was an interesting novel that kep me interested throughout. Charlotte is trying to escape her past having been given a new identity after release from prison however her past isn't quite so keen to let go of her.
I enjoyed this, and found it an intriguing plot, clearly having taken inspiration from real life. The writing was good and I found the switching between past and present really pushed the story along.
Enjoyable story that I'd recommend.

One More Lie by Amy Lloyd is a pyschological thriller about a child who committed a serious crim and is now free as a young adult and the book follows Charlotte's journey still haunted by shame and guilt,

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Wow a disturbing and thrilling read, I ploughed through this in a few hours and will be looking for more from the author.

It was a very good storyline and even though the characters committed the crime they did as children you couldn’t help but feel for them in a way, it’s hard to feel for them after what they did but somehow you do!

A real page turner in the classic sense and one that will have you wondering about it after you’ve finished, I found the whole book fascinating though it was also gut churning in the same way.

I’ll be recommending this to my friends as I thought it was a really good read even though the subject matter was disturbing in parts.

I loved The Innocent Wife so was hoping that One More Lie would be just as good. It was! A psychological thriller told in both Charlotte and Sean’s POV’s it switches from the past when they were children and charged with murder to the present when they have been released on tag.
This was a really interesting read, it had me enthralled from the first few pages to the end.
I was fascinating, although sickening too.
The author wrote this extremely well with great character development and a great plot.
Amy Lloyd has definitely done it again, another brilliant book! It is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time.

Sean and Lily were the most hated children in Britain when they are arrested and convicted of an awful crime. Years later, and now with new identities, the interest in them hasn't died. As they struggle to integrate into their new lives, having to lie to all around them they are carefully drawn back to each other and the past.

I've read some good books recently but my reading mojo has definitely been low. Books that took me hours to read before have been taking me a week or more. But this really pulled me, so much so I found myself back to thinking my kindle would have to be surgically detached! This is a great read, putting the reader in the odd position of sympathizing with that most hard to understand criminal - the child. Amy Lloyd has definitely proven the Innocent Wife was no fluke, this is an author to watch!

A sad tale based upon a child's loss of parental love and the subsequent jealousy of other children which have it.
Amy Lloyd has a good writing style and the story held enough mystery to keep me reading until the end. However, it was a bit of a struggle and if it wasn't for the style I don't think I could have finished it.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me.. An Interesting premise, and good writing, but I just couldn’t get into the story.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Century for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Amy Lloyd blew me away with her previous novel, 'The Innocent Wife', based around a women who falls in love with a killer. However, she has done it again and in fact, outdone herself with her latest offering, 'One More Lie'. Once again, the author has taken on a taboo subject in society - kids who commit evil acts. With this book, Lloyd focuses on a young woman, 'Charlotte' who is trying to make a fresh start with her life, after being imprisoned as a child for an unspeakable crime. However, as is often the way, the past has a way of creeping up on people. The book jumps between the past, during the protagonist's childhood and the present, as the story is slowly unravelled for the readers. The writing is crisp and evocative and full of suspense. I look forward to what Lloyd crafts next.

Charlotte wants a fresh start. She wants to forget her past, forget her childhood crime – and, most of all, forget that one terrible moment.

It’s the reason she’s been given a new name, a new life. The reason she spent years in prison.

But even on the outside, with an ankle monitor and court-mandated therapy, she can’t escape the devastating memory of the night that turned her and her only friend into national hate figures.

But now her friend has found her.

And despite the lies she tells to survive, she soon finds herself being dragged deeper and deeper into a past she cannot confront.

Even if it’s going to cost Charlotte her life...

I enjoyed this book. 3.5*

I had such high hopes for this book, especially after The Innocent Wife, however, to me this just felt flat. I couldn't connect to the characters and I felt like this was a little dragged out.

It’s a disturbing thriller and s good read. Had me hooked.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Random house for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

When Charlotte was a little girl she and her best friend Shaun were convicted for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy. Their families were splintered, broken apart and the news of their horrifying actions attracted waves of hate and revulsion from the public. Some blamed Shaun, others laid most of the blame on Charlotte. Everyone was heartbroken for the grieving mother who had lost her poor son and agreed the two friends got what they deserved: prison.

Now, Charlotte is on parole and determined to leave the past behind. She has been given a new identity and set up in a halfway house with funding and help to kick-start her into a new life. She must wear an ankle monitor and attend weekly sessions with her therapist but other than that, she is free. If she ignores the headlines that read “Evil Duo released from prison” and tries her hardest to forget Shaun, she might just achieve her goals and escape the past. No one recognises her. She was arrested as a little girl. The world changed whilst she was in prison and if she is careful to keep her identity safe, she will be ok.

But memories of that day, of what happened with the little boy, return, quickly, quickly until she is trapped with it as a constant torment. When Shaun tracks her down, she has no choice but to face up to her crime, to what has made her who she is and what cannot be undone.

This is such an unnerving book, it really does get under your skin. (In a good way.) The characterisation and structure is incredible. Charlotte and Shaun are a fascinating duo. The author paints a nuanced portrait of their friendship, allowing us a glimpse of their innermost fears and desires as both children and adults, by alternating between the past and present. How they cope and manage their problems, the different ways they are battling with their history, the fear of being condemned all over again contrasting with the need to be seen and heard. This really is a brilliant character study and makes the reader ponder their situations and wonder if everything is as it seems to be. All the way through, the author keeps the current of tension and emotion running along until that final chilling conclusion. I couldn’t stop reading. Such a thought-provoking, tense and fervently emotional book!

A fascinating yet disturbing thriller. I found it s not slow paced at times but thoroughly enjoyed it & would recommend it to anyone.

A very gripping story about a vulnerable woman (Charlotte) convicted of a crime as a child. Having grown up being familiar with the Bulger case in the 90s this felt disturbingly similar throughout, without any specific references to what actually took place. Lloyd draws you in and keeps you page-turning with a desire to find out exactly what happened, as Charlotte too is desperate to regain her memories of the event. A story that really makes you think about a side of crime that is often overlooked; that of the criminal, and young ones in particular. Captivating, uncomfortable, and tense right through to the end. I would really recommend it to lovers of thrillers and suspense novels.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Sean and 'Charlotte' after Charlotte is released from prison with a new identity after a disturbing crime where they killed a disabled child as children themselves. As you can imagine the nature of this story is quite unpleasant but its told well and in such a compelling way you just have to read to the end to see what really happened. Its the first book I have read by Amy Lloyd and I am looking forward to reading more!

Phew! A tough read, but brilliant.

“EVIL DUO RELEASED FROM PRISON” are the opening lines of this very complex novel. “Charlotte Donaldson” and “Tanker” have finally been released after killing a disabled child, when they themselves were young children.

Was the death of the child deliberate?

Were they both involved in the murder?

Told alternately by “Charlotte” now but looking back on her life leading up to the murder and “Tanker” now, we follow this harrowing storyline to the bitter end.

This is the first time I’ve ever given Five-stars to a storyline and characters who I loathed. However, I have to because Amy Lloyd has written one of the most compelling, intricate and gripping stories of all times. I wanted to throw the book out of the window. Hide under my duvet. Put loud music on to drown out the story going round and round in my head, but it kept me within its claws, and I read every single word.

Amy Lloyd has left me questioning what we, as a society do when disturbed children are neither recognised nor treated by professionals while young? It raised other questions too, like; What makes a dysfunctional family? How do we protect children from terrible traumatic childhood events - events that will scar them for the rest of their lives? How do we prevent children from being bullied at school? And that's precisely why this book deserves to be read, talked about and reviewed, not just by us the unqualified lay readers, but by professionals as well.

Amy Lloyd is an author who encourages her readers to think and ask questions long after they’ve read the final page.

Imbali

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I really enjoyed this book - it has a great plot, excellent main characters and is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I like this author and could not wait to review this. What a great disturbing thriller. Had me hooked right from the beginning. Recommend to thriller readers.