Martha, age 24, lives with her mother, Fran, in a remote area of Cornwall.  Their home always needs a lot of maintenance.  Fran is an illustrator working mostly for her neighbor, Anna, who writes children’s books.  Anna has the house next door and Fran rents the one theirs from her.  Anna lives in Leeds but comes to Cornwall often and is always willing to help Fran and Martha.

Martha has been working for a vet who recently died of an aneurysm leaving her without a job.  Martha has never had any close friends except for one person, Izzy.  She met her at a dog show that she went to with her boss.  Since then, Martha and Izzy chat often on Messenger.

Fran drinks a lot and is a diabetic which worries Martha.  Her father, Greg, left when she was just 9-years-old leaving her devastated.  Fran told her that he had died, but she has just learned that Greg is alive and lives a few hours away.  Martha is determined to meet him and find out why he left them.  But something happens when they meet and she is left terrified.  Returning from visiting Greg, she finds Fran in a diabetic coma.  She then calls Izzy and she offers to come be with her and help her. 

But there is more to this story than Martha knows about.  As the truth comes out, she is shocked and overwhelmed as more frightening and dangerous things occur.  Where will it end?

This is a well written and very complex mystery with some great characters.  I have read this author’s books before and am quite impressed by her.  I’m sure readers will love it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Her Mothers Lies is the second book by Rona Halsall I’ve read and doesn’t disappoint.
This book is about the relationship between Martha and her mother Fran. The book is set out with alternate chapters of Martha and Fran which worked well as when the lies and betrayals start being revealed it had more depth and made it a believable storyline. I found the pace a little slow at the start but maybe that was because I was eager to get to the nitty gritty of the story! 
Martha and Fran have an almost distant relationship even though they live in the same house, Fran is an alcoholic and diabetic and a liar. Martha thinks her father just upped and left when she was young so being older she wants to find out why. She finds his details and sets out to meet him but when she does he tells her something that makes her mother out to be an even bigger liar.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Her Mother’s Lies is yet another fantastic psychological thriller by Rona Halsall. It sucked me into the story from the very first page, taking me on a journey of intrigue, secrets and lies as we follow Martha on her quest to find out more about why her estranged father left when she was nine years old.

Desperate for answers, Martha tracks her father down, but when she meets him face to face she isn’t prepared for what he tells her: he isn’t her biological father and her mother has been lying to her for all these years. But that is only the beginning. Martha soon finds herself caught up in a nightmare situation where she doesn’t know who she can trust. What else has her mother, Fran, been lying about? And is her life now in danger?

What follows is a tale that’s full of the twists and turns that make a psychological thriller so enjoyable to read, something that Rona Halsall is so good at and has down to a fine art. The story carried me along on a wave of intrigue as Martha slowly uncovered the truth about what really happened all those years ago. With only a small cast of characters, knowing who to trust is never easy and the rising sense of suspense and foreboding is palpable as Her Mother’s Lies races towards its thrilling conclusion.

This is the kind of book I love, and Rona Halsall has written a very readable and entertaining psychological thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Having enjoyed Rona Halsall's The Honeymoon so much I knew her next book was a one I needed to read. The title and tagline were both pretty alluring, too.

Training to be an animal nurse, twenty-something Martha lives with her mum, Fran, in their remote, pretty cottage in the Cornish countryside and will do anything for her. Fran spend her time painting illustrations. One day, Martha sees a strange message on her mother’s phone—apparently from her estranged father. 

Following a series of very traumatic events, one of which was the sudden death or her boss at the vets where she works and a downturn in the general health of Fran who suffers from alcoholism, Martha searches for her long-lost father, Greg and find out why he just disappeared from their lives. Greg deserted them both fifteen years ago when Martha was a nine-year-old. When Martha catches up with him in Wales, he makes a shattering revelation. He is not her father. Martha is determined to find out what exactly her mother has been hiding from her and with help from her friend, Izzy, Martha sets out to reveal the truth

Rona Halsall delivers an unrestrained and exuberant story of with a toxic concoction of lies, secrets, grief, deceit, loss and the lengths parents will sometimes go to, in order to protect their children. Her Mother's Lies is beautifully plotted, a cracking story and a book I revelled in all the way through. As enthralling as I knew it would be, the author did a brilliant job of slowly drawing me into the plot, capturing and commanding my attention with her superbly drawn characters and their secrets, while adding in clever twists designed to throw me. It brought no disappointments and everything was well wrapped up with no loose ends in the fabulous finale. 

A riveting, stellar and exemplary thriller that I'm delighted to recommend. 

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Rona Halsall is fast becoming one of my go-to authors. HER MOTHER'S LIES is just the second book I have read of hers and while it was a little slow to begin with, the pace soon picked up turning it into a twisty ride right through to the conclusion.

What if the person you trust most in the world has been lying to you your entire life?  This is the question Martha is faced with when cracks start to appear in the safe and quiet life her mother has created for them both...and thus begins to unravel.

Martha is 24 and lives with her mother Fran in a "forgotten corner" in Cornwall having moved to the isolated area after Martha's father Greg left them 15 years ago. Their house, a semi-detached cottage, belongs to their friend Anna who lets them live there for a very low rent and is the perfect place for Fran to draw on her creativity and work as a freelance graphic designer. As well as being their landlord, Anna is also their occasional neighbour in the other attached cottage though she spends most of her time living abroad in Spain, often returning to refresh as well as to collaborate with Fran who provides illustrations for her children's books. 

Martha lives a very sheltered life in the isolated cottage - not even having a licence which would give her the little more freedom for which she craves - and often resents her mother for keeping them in the back of beyond. She works as a vet assistant with a local practice with dreams of going to college to train to become a vet. But she is tied to her feeling of responsibility towards her mum, who is diabetic and an alcoholic and sometimes unable to look after herself. Martha fears what would become of her should she leave. 

Her world begins to unravel when she turns up to an empty practice one morning - no staff, no animals, no nothing. When she knocks on the adjoining cottage door, she is then told that her boss Pete, her friend and mentor, had died in the night of an aneurysm leaving Martha devastated. Now without a job and her mother's sporadic design work, Martha doesn't know how they will make ends meet. Fran has always taken care of the bills but Martha suspects enough to know that money is tight. 

As much as she loves her mother, the women share a difficult relationship. Martha wants nothing more than to leave Cornwall and be independent but feels that Fran is keeping her tied there. Her mother doesn't look after her health and Martha feels somewhat responsible for her. Things come to a head when Fran falls into a coma after and is hospitalised, leaving Martha feeling guilty for having argued with her that night. It is then that she realises everything has changed and her future becomes imminently clear as Martha finds herself facing her new role as her mother's permanent caregiver.

Fortunately, Martha has a wonderful best friend in Izzy with whom she chats to almost everyday via Facebook video messenger. She is grateful for Izzy's friendship and feels so connected to her, as if they were soulmates, knowing that if it wasn't for Izzy, she doubts she would be able to cope. 

Then when Martha discovers a text message on her mother's mobile phone from her father Greg, she is suddenly faced with the possibility that her mother has been in contact with him all this time. Deciding to head to Wales and confront her father for the first time in 15 years, Martha is grateful that Izzy offers to drive down from Leeds and be there as moral support. But Martha elects to go a day earlier and face him on her own. But nothing prepares her for what she's confronted with.

Heading back to Cornwall with Izzy, the journey seems to take forever at the snail pace her friend appears to be driving while Martha is anxious to return to her mother to find out the truth. But before she can get there, Fran suffers a massive heart attack and Martha fears she may lose her. It becomes clear that changes have to be made to Fran's lifestyle so Martha and Izzy endeavour to clear out the cottage that seems to be filled with so much junk in preparation of the assessment that will determine whether Fran can return to her home of 15 years or move into residential care. But as she pours through her mother's papers, Martha discovers the depth of their debts as well as uncovering several confusing payments going back years...and stopping when she was 21. What did it all mean?

But for her friendship with Izzy, all would have gone well...until Martha discovers that her entire life has been a lie.

Now Martha doesn't know who to trust or who to believe as this complex tale of secrets unravels a tangled web of lies.

The title itself - HER MOTHER'S LIES - alludes to the lifetime of secrets Fran has been keeping from Martha...but who else is caught in the same web? And who else is keeping the truth from her? Who can she trust?

The story unfolds through Martha and Fran's perspectives primarily in the present day and occasionally jumping back to key points in the past, but it is easy to follow throughout and necessary by way of explanation which will become clear by the story's end. With so many secrets, so many lies, as each one is unveiled still it leaves more questions.

HER MOTHER'S LIES is slow to start with and while I have realised that I prefer a book to hook me from the first pages and moving at a fast pace, I discovered that this book soon reeled me in and its pace picked up sending me on a twisty journey for the truth.

A multi-layered, complex and emotionally-charged thriller, HER MOTHER'S LIES is cleverly plotted with skill and suspense that had me on the edge of my seat and reading well into the night unable to put it down till I finished. While I did have several key points worked out, others I did not, and some not until just before they were revealed.

HER MOTHER'S LIES is filled with surprises and characters that are not really all that likable. I found I wasn't trusting any of them to tell the truth and began questioning their motives almost from the start. While it is a thriller, HER MOTHER'S LIES is also a domestic drama that is heartbreaking as well intriguing. 

I thoroughly recommend anyone who enjoys psychological and domestic thrillers.

I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerMothersLies in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be very slow until about 75% through. Not as good as Rona's previous books in my opinion

Review for 'Her Mother' s Lies ' by Rona Halsall

Available to read and review on NetGalley

This book hooked me on from the start and kept me hooked until the very unexpected end. I really enjoyed the fact that the story was told from both Fran and Martha' s perspectives so we get to see both sides. The characters were all very realistic and the storyline was filled with love, lies, deceit, suspense and everything in between. A must read for fans of psychological, suspense and thriller books. I loved the twists and although I did suspect there was going to be one I couldn't have guessed on the several there was so well done Rona Halsall for keeping me guessing. I would definitely read more from this author and rated it 5/5 on Goodreads. Feel free to add me for more reviews

I devoured this twisty page-turner in a day! If you’re into dysfunctional family dramas with a slight thrill, this is for you. It was obvious throughout the novel that each character was not as they seemed, but I would have never guessed the final ending! Rooting for Martha to find her truth is what really made this unputdownable.

Oh my goodness, this book took so long to get to the heart of the mystery, which was more of a family drama than mystery, actually.  And when it did, it was somewhat easy to figure out where it was going, with the exception of a serious incident (no spoilers).  The story revolves around Martha hating her life in the countryside and wishing she had a relationship with her father.  At the same time, she loses her job, and with no car, little chance of finding employment she desperately needs to keep up with her mom’s debt.  When she finds clues that lead her to the man who raised her, she finds everything is not as she expected.  She meets up with her best friend Izzy, and starts to finally find some hope for the future., when her mother is taken ill, tying her to the house, the debt, and lack of transportation.   And that’s when things finally start to pick up (about 80% in on my Kindle) and why I went on to finish the book.  I think if we had been given more background and clues early on, this would have been a much easier read.

Martha has led a sheltered life. Since her father walked out when she was nine she & her mother Fran have lived in a remote cottage in Cornwall. Fran's health is poor & her finances have been getting out of control. She has been trying to blot out her worries with drink. Martha's one bright spot has been her job at a veterinary surgery, but when the vet dies suddenly she is bereft. When Fran is hospitalised Martha finds evidence the her mother knew where her father was & goes off to find out why they have ended up where they are.

First off I must say I loved the last three Rona Halsall books so I was expecting to really enjoy this one, but sadly I really struggled with it. It was a very slow start & by 20% I was wondering if I could face any more. It did move a bit more quickly & stirred my interest but overall it was a disappointing read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

Loved the twists in this book. Kept me guessing, you think you've got it then you're hit with a twist.
Recommend this book, gripping reading. Find out what happens when Frans daughter Martha discovers her father is not really her father, people aren't who they appear to be. Is Martha in danger?

It took a little while to get into this book but once I persevered through the first chapter or so it was gripping. A recommended read.

As always, Ms. Halsall delivers with a psychological thriller that kept me guessing until almost the very end. I love the way this author writes: there is always a moment in the story that makes me go back and re-read a section or two because I made assumptions that were not accurate (makes for twisty and interesting reading). I thought the characters were realistic and were victims of their own decisions. This was a twisty read and I highly recommend it. For a detailed review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.

A proper psychological thriller!  An array of flawed and damaged characters.  A dark story of secret.  When Martha delves into a discovery she made her life is thrown into the most disturbing sequences.  This book is full of twists and what a shocker when the secrets all out.  A really thrilling read.

What is all you knew was your mother and her friendm and you think you have no family. And then through a chance look at your mother's phone, you realize that they man you've always thought of your father, who disappeared, has been talking to your mother but not to you? Would you do anything different than Martha, and want to run and go see him? Or would you exercise caution? Martha is a character we can all relate to, who when she realizes there's a mystery to be solved involving her parents, she seeks to solve it. But what she ends up getting into is a convoluted web of lies, that leads her around and around and around, as her mother gets first worse in the hospital and then starts a slow recovery. As Martha works through her thirst for independence, she has to deal with the lies that are now out in the open, and threaten her. A real page-turner, this book will have you guessing all along the way and the last couple chapters may surprise you. It was nice having an after chapter, to let us know what happened to Martha. This is a book you definitely don't want to miss.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of her mother’s lies by Rona Halsall. This is an author I have read previously and really enjoyed so I was looking forward to this one. It was definitely a thrill ride and I really enjoyed it. If you are a psychological thriller fan please check this one out.

What if everything your mother told you about your father was a lie?  Martha finds out that her father is not who her mother said and that is just the beginning of the twists in this book!  This was a great read that I couldn't put down!

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.