Martha is living in a remote part of Cornwall with her diabetic mother who is also an alcoholic. When she loses her job at a local vets she thinks that things can’t get any worse. The relationship between mother and daughter is strained. Martha feels stifled by Fran both financially and emotionally. When Fran is rushed to hospital Martha makes a decision to find her father, who left very suddenly fifteen years previously. Martha feels that she has to gain control, she needs answers to questions that her mother refuses to answer, but she could never be prepared for what she finds out.

My heart went out to Fran, with a sick mother she had no support network apart from friend Izzy and landlady Anna. The author describes how remote the rented cottage is and you get a real feeling of how isolated Fran is. With no car and few job prospects, it is entirely understandable that Fran needs to seek answers. Why did her mother feel the need to take her to somewhere so remote and why did her father leave so suddenly?

The book is written from both Fran and Martha’s POV and slips between now and fifteen years previously. The story gathers speeds towards the end of the book and really keeps the reader guessing. I had my suspicions about certain aspects but Rona Halsall was always one step ahead. The intricate web of lies unfurled to a dramatic and enjoyable conclusion with many surprises along the way.

Martha and Fran are as close as mother and daughter can be. They moved to an isolated part of Cornwall following the collapse of Fran's marriage to Martha's dad years before. They live a very sheltered life but things tick along okay until the day that Martha loses her job with local vet Pete, a man she respects and holds very dear. Her whole life seems to fall apart from that point on with her mother's health failing and the chances of finding another job seeming slim. In desperation Martha decides to visit her father in Wales to ask him for help in their hour of need. She mentions her plan to visit to her friend Izzy who lives up north and nobody is more shocked than Martha when Izzy offers to accompany her on the trip. Whilst very grateful to Izzy, Martha decides to set off on her own to face her father - decision she is glad of when the visit doesn't turn out anywhere near any of the scenarios that Martha had considered.
This is the point where the book really changes pace and the questions start to pile up: why did Martha's dad react the way he did? What did he mean when he told Martha to ask Fran for the answers she is seeking? And why is Izzy so intent on helping her?
The author has fed the reader a few tiny crumbs of information early on in the book regarding Fran's background and Martha's birth. We know Fran is hiding something but the vital clues are missing for us to be able to build up the complete picture. I felt very mistrusting of Izzy - in some ways she's such a great help and support for Martha but in others she seems very controlling and a little bit spiteful in the way she speaks to her. Her hidden motive for helping had me turning the pages to find out more, and I stayed up much later than I had planned in my (and Martha's) quest for the truth.
The emotions both Fran and Martha are going through are described well by the author, with mum knowing far more than daughter and having information she really doesn't want to come to light. What is the secret she fears will take Martha away from her? It must be something big to break the tight bond they have.
The conclusion is explosive and there are curve balls from various directions, some which had been possibilities in my mind, others were big surprises to me but on thinking back once I had completed the book there were subtle hints in the relevant earlier chapters which I had completely misunderstood due to clever smoke screening.
The plotting in this book is good and the setting of the isolated location added to the storyline very well. The characters are well drawn, all of them had flaws and strengths which fitted the story perfectly. Rona's previous book The Honeymoon also had characters with a controlling behaviour. and I feel it is one of the strengths of her writing to be able to portray this behaviour in a realistic manner. Her ability to make the reader as convinced by the character's manipulation as the victim in the book is quite unnerving, but lets us see how easy it is to be taken in by a person like that.
Add Rona Halsall to your watch list as I feel she has many more tales in store to keep us entertained with.

Wow and wow again. Rona Halsall has done it again. Her Mother's Lies is a fast paced roller coaster ride that is packed full of so many twists and turns that by the time you reach the final twist,you are left feeling so dizzy that all you want to do is lie down in a dark room for a few hours or until your head stops spinning.

This is the enthralling story of three diverse women Martha,her mother Fran and Martha's best friend Izzy. The story is set in the present day but also has fingers that reached back into the past. It's a story of multiple deceptions,lies,manipulations and how decisions made in the past can have repercussions in the present.

Martha's life is shattered into a millions pieces when she finds a text from her estranged father,Greg on her mother's mobile. Her father walked out on Martha and her mother when Martha was nine years old and Fran has always insisted that she has never had any contact with him. Martha never got over her father leaving and is determined to find out why he abandoned her. Only when she does track him down,he tells her that he is not her father.

So is Greg telling the truth and if he is then who is Martha's father? If Fran can lie about her father's identity then what else would she be prepared to lie about?

Poor unlucky Martha must have broken a whole factory`s worth of mirrors at some point because her life was just one long struggle to get through each day.Pete,her boss and dear friend at the veterinary surgery where she worked had just died. She was stuck living in a run down cottage in the middle of nowhere with her alcoholic mother with whom she had a very acrimonious relashionship. At least she could share her problems and get advice from her best friend Izzy and lovely Anna next door. So it was quite understandable that Martha was a mixed bag of emotions,prone to flashes of temper and indecisiveness.

Appearances can be deceptive,people are not always who they appear to be as Martha learns in this twisty,unputdownable thriller that had me hooked in from the first page,totally entranced by the tightly plotted,gripping story that was unfolding as I frantically turned the pages.The characters were realistic and vivid,the story was packed full of red herrings,misdirections and had one hell of unexpected jaw dropping twist.I love Rona Halsall`s amazing thrillers,she really is a consistently talented author. Well worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.This book is definitely going to be on my list of my favourite reads of this year.

Wow! More twists and turns than a roller coaster, my mind is still reeling. The psychological thriller, HER MOTHER’S LIES, is the first book that I’ve read by Rona Halsall and can’t wait to read more. I really enjoyed this novel; my heart broke throughout as I sat cringing at every turn, along with Martha, the main character. To say I empathize with her situation would be an understatement! Definitely, Recommend!

LOVE YOU GONE, a gripping psychological crime novel is going to be my next Halsall read! Both books are available for purchase now.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Publishing, for providing me with an advanced copy of HER MOTHER’S LIES in exchange for an honest review.

Rona Halsall's novels just get better and better with every release. Her Mother's Lies is a deceptive and twisty tale of deceit with an explosive and unexpected reveal of an ending that had me holding my breath! What a dramatic, fantastic last few chapters.

The story centers on the lifestyle of Martha who has a mother that has held back from her many, many dark secrets. In her quest to find some answers about her estranged father, Martha starts to unravel a whole new life that had been kept away from her, all stemmed from a hateful mother.

The first few chapters are a slow starter and lead you into the lives of characters that you start to find hatred for, but I found it hard to put down due to being reeled further into the mysteries that Rona has cleverly paced throughout the book.

An excellent story, and a great read.

Her Mother's Lies is a well-plotted story about a young woman who discovers that her mother has been lying and keeping secrets from her. It's a twisty tale of family secrets, deceit, and the lengths a mother can go to to protect her child. This book is set in the Cornish countryside and is told from the perspectives of Martha and her mother Fran. The plot was intriguing and provided just the right amount of tension and suspense to keep me guessing. The characters were complex and interesting. Martha was the only likable character in my opinion. My heart really went out to her for having to put up with such a selfish, toxic mother like Fran. The last few chapters were action-packed and full of twists and turns. Overall, I really liked this book and will read more by this author. If you like thrillers with family drama and dysfunctional families then this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Martha has had a missing piece in her life for years. She remembers a loving father that did a lot of things with her. However, all she can remember is that after her ninth birthday, she never saw him again. She never was able to get much of an answer about her father from her mother.

When she discovers a rather odd message on her mother's phone, Martha feels it is finally time for her find the answers she most desperately needs. She does a remarkable job and she finally finds him. Martha is devastated beyond belief when he actually tells her that he is not her father.

Fran isn't saying a word. Fortunately Martha meets Izzy and they become fast friends. Izzy becomes extremely helpful and this is really a good thing. This is so because what Martha has to learn about her father's identity is really too much to bear. There is someone else in Martha's life at this point, her neighbor Anna. Anna is also there for Martha.

Boy as I was reading this I felt that Martha might have wished she never wanted to know the truth. Her Mother's Lies was a very well-written story. It made complete sense as to why Martha's mother chose to lie to her. Logical, but extremely heart-breaking. Martha has a lot to discover, and as a result, a lot to deal with.

What Martha learns about her mother Fran makes perfect sense when it comes to seeing why her mother has deteriorated. Martha resents her mother's drinking. She resents being the primary breadwinner. Her feelings of anger towards her mother grow exponentially the closer she gets to Izzy.

There were a lot of surprises in this book. This is a story about lies and secrets. I couldn't help but turn the pages quickly one after another. I felt for Martha when it came to her dealing with her mother, and especially how she was forced to deal with the revelations as they were exposed. This is an excellent read and my second by Rona Halsall. She writes great twisty tales that definitely capture my attention.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. The plot was very interesting but I could not get into the characters. Martha was very confusing for me because at times she was very self absorbed and at other times she was very selfless.

I was hooked from the start with this psychological thriller, although I can’t say I particularly liked any of the characters. Martha and her mum Fran live an isolated life in Cornwall deliberately in hiding.Martha has just lost her job, her mum is an alcoholic and very needy and money is extremely tight. This is a rollercoaster of a storyline which sees Martha making an impromptu road trip with friend Izzy to visit her estranged father which has unexpected consequences. Events are then set in motion that leave you wondering about Izzy as a character as there’s something not quite right with the way she is behaving. I was intrigued as a reader to discover Izzy’s true motivation for going to such great lengths to support Martha. A menacing feeling pervades this novel setting the scene for the first big twist that I really did not see coming. My jaw literally dropped to the floor!! Martha is confused as it’s apparent Fran has been lying to her, keeping secrets and she is determined to uncover the truth. Are any of the people in Martha’s life actually who they say they are?? Appearances can be deceptive and this is certainly the case in this page turner of a book. With revelations coming thick and fast the ending is quite explosive and again unexpected. Perhaps a bit far fetched for me to give this a five star review but I definitely recommend. Thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book, although some parts were rather slow. It wasn't too hard to figure out the true identity of Izzy, but I wasn't expecting what she revealed. The book was definitely full of twists and turns. Pretty much every single person in Martha's life lied to her, and she ended up living an extremely sheltered life. She seemed more like a teenager than someone in their twenties. She was very trusting of strangers and never thought Izzy acted strange. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. Fran really wasn't that great of a mother, she kept her daughter home from college because she didn't want to be alone, spent all her money on alcohol and was in debt up to ears and of course lied about everything. I think I was expecting something else after reading the description of the book. The best art of the book was finally finding out who was behind everything.

I loved the author' s previous books and look forward to reading more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A bit of a slow burner coming into it’s own in the last third of the book. Would have enjoyed it a lot more if the pace throughout the novel had been consistent. Saving grace being the twist towards the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Just Brilliant!!!!

Her Mother's Lies by Rona Halsall was a fantastic book and I was hooked within the first few pages and ended up reading it in 2 sittings!
This book was fast pace with lots of family secrets, with twists and turns that will leave you shocked! OMG with another Big Twist!!! Then, another Big Twist!!!!! I didn't see that coming!
Blimey what a cracking read! The last few chapters I was stunned and it left me speechless and that means a Brilliant book and a must read!!!

"What if the person you trust most in the world, has been lying to you for your whole life?"

Martha, Fran, Izzie, Greg and Anna are the main characters within this book.

Martha is in her mid-twenties and still lives with her mum Fran. They both live in a remote pretty cottage in the Cornish countryside. Martha would do anything for her mum. Fran has a lovely job, where she paints and illustrates children's books for a local children book writer and friend Ann. Ann is also a very close and nearly only friend of the family and always looks out for them..............
Martha is training to be an animal nurse which she is loving every minute of it.

Martha becomes friends with someone called Izzie through their love of dogs and they form a very close friendship with each other.

Martha sees a strange message on her mother’s phone – apparently from her estranged father Greg.

But, why did Greg leave her mum? Their relationship always seemed to be a happy one.
Martha remembers her dad taking her out for an ice-cream etc at weekend, helping with her homework, being a loveable dad to Martha.......Then a few days before her ninth birthday, he walked out on her and her mum.

Fran becomes ill and is taken to the local hospital. Martha's relationship with Izzy takes another step and they become closer.

Poor Martha, her troubles are only really just beginning!!!

But Who is Lizzy?

What happened to her father Greg? Where is he?

What has Ann got to do with it all? What is she hiding? Who is Ann really?

I highly Recommend Her Mother's Lies its a Brilliant psychological thriller that will keep you Hooked.

You will want to know what happens to Martha and her Mum Fran etc and will just leave you stunned!!!!

WoW..............What a brilliant book!

10/10 read!

Big thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased

My goodness -- this story had more twists and turns than the switchbacks on a Colorado mountain road! Although I guessed the truth very early on, it was a fun ride to the conclusion. Definitely a domestic drama that was also quite sad considering how things turned out.

Martha, age 24, lives with her mother, Fran, in "the forgotten corner of Cornwall." They had moved to this isolated spot when Martha's dad, Greg, left her and Fran when Martha was just 9 years old. Martha was working as a vet assistant and dreamt of going to school and Fran was a freelance illustrator who often collaborated with Anna, their occasional neighbor and landlord, on children's books. As time goes by, Martha and Fran aren't getting along so well as diabetic Fran has also turned to alcohol and is not taking care of her health. Martha wants to leave and be on her own and feels tied to home. Things come to a head when Fran is hospitalized and Martha finds that her new role might end up being as permanent caregiver. Fortunately, Martha has a good friend, Izzy, who offers to help. Things might have gone well for them all except for one thing -- Martha finds out that her entire life has been a lie. Can someone just tell her the truth? NO SPOILERS.

This was quite the story and is told in alternate points of view and shifts in time. As you read the different perspectives, it is a bit difficult at first to get the necessary information to guess who is telling the truth. There's a lot of angst, bitterness, regret, and emotion as well. I struggled to find empathy for the characters as each seemed very selfish while complaining about how they had given up everything for the other. This was a quick book that was easy to read in a single sitting. Definitely off the charts in straining credulity but certainly entertaining with all the convolutions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The first two-thirds were slow for me and then all of a sudden it took off. I liked the author's style and writing, the characters are all unreliable and not very likeable. All in all, a good read.

I love Rona Halsall’s books and this one is an absolute cracker!
Martha’s life as she knows it comes tumbling down around her when she finds out the man she thought was her dad, is not.
Her friend Izzy is on hand to help pick up the pieces and with her mum in hospital, she needs the support.
Her mum, Fran, has struggled with alcoholism and Martha soon finds out they are in a lot of debt as well.
Having just lost her job she doesn’t know which way to turn.
This book is full of family secrets and twists and turns and just when you think you’ve got your head round it, another twist is thrown in.
I loved the final few chapters as the pace was relentless and left me speechless.
This is a great psychological thriller that will keep you up until the early hours once you start it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is told from Martha and Frans perspective. The storyline is slow at the beginning but picks up pace. The book is filled with many twists and turns. The characters are well developed. There was a point in the book where I really didn’t like Izzy. She even disturbed me but as I read further and got more details those feelings changed.
The ending was a complete surprise and I didn’t guess that was where the story was going. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Rona is a great author and can’t wait for another book from her.

I wanted to like this book but to be totally honest i struggled to get through it. The plot was alright but it took a very long time for me to get in to and some things seemed repetitive or overly reiterated. It was way to drawn out in the beginning without much actually happening. I didnt love the characters either, they also seemed a bit dull. The last 1/3 of this book was much better, faster paced and had a great ending with a great twist. I just wish t he whole book could have moved at that pace.

I really do not know where to begin with this book! Another book by Rona and another story where she has spun so many plates I do not know how she managed to keep them all spinning without dropping anything!

The first half of this book is slowish, in terms of the scene is being set, creating so much tension I was on edge, curveballs are being pitched and characters are being introduced. It is not until the second half of the book where I was urging the characters to catch up with me did you see the proverbial mud hit the fan and it just did not stop. One reveal and then another and another. I was kept completely on my toes, where I was not sure where the book was going for about 60% of the book, Her Mother’s Lies is like a steam train flying down the track for the last 40%.

We have a small pool of characters with Martha, Fran her mother, Izzy the friend and Anna the neighbour. Each and every one of them plays a role in Martha’s life, the main character, all intertwining and tightening that web around Martha with their lies. Will she see things before it’s too late? Will anyone just tell the truth? Pah, don’t be silly where is the fun in that! Because if everyone told the truth we wouldn’t have the mess we have now and poor Martha wouldn’t be poor Martha.

I did find it hard to “like” any of the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but I just did not warm to the characters. I found at times it was a bit hard going when all Martha and Izzy would do was cry. Do not get me wrong I completely get why they were crying, they were exhausted, there were lies, there was anger but I just wanted to shake them and make them wake up and smell the roses. That being said they all played their part well and kept me engrossed in their lives.

Nothing is ever what it seems in Rona’s books and I love that about her writing! She creates a hailstorm of lies making you question everything and just when you think you have got the eye of the storm, she leaves you with uncertainly and definitely with a chill down your spine and she always has the final say.

Her Mother's Lies by Rona Halsall is a book about a very dysfunctional family, and my first book by this author. Martha life is falling apart, her boss died and she lost her job. Than her mother, who is an alcoholic who ends up in the hospital. There is so many twists and turns in this book, that it keep me reading page after page. I was right there with Martha looking for answers. I will be reading more books by this author, highly recommend.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Bookouture. Thank you.

I have read a few of Rona Halsall's books and have enjoyed them all, and Her Mother's Lies is no exception. It's a gripping read packed full of mystery and suspense.
I really liked Martha and had so much sympathy for her. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, not helped by the fact her mother has only a fleeting acquaintance with telling her daughter the truth.
I can't wait to see what Rona has to offer next, she is a super talented author and her books are ones I will always pick up