Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

I’ve not read any books by this author before. I felt the story started off slowly and took a while to pick up. I thought Martha, the main character was very naive and didn’t particularly like her at the beginning, but as the book progressed I started to like her more. Fran, her mother took Martha away from all she knew and moved them to an isolated area in Cornwall when she was 9 years old. Years later Martha wanted to know why her mother did this and to know more about her father. Like Martha, I didn’t like Fran particularly at the start, or their relationship. Fran grew on me as the story developed and I understood her better and the reasons behind her actions of moving them from one part of the country to another. The book follows Martha’s journey of finding out about her father with some twists and turns along the way (which I suspected) as she finds out other secrets that had been kept from her. The story was told by Martha and Fran and moved from past events to present times very easily. All in all I began to enjoy this book after its slow start and thought it had a good ending leaving no loose ends. I would give this 3.5 stars.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Mother’s Lies’ by Rona Halsall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Martha was nine when her father walked out on her and her mother Fran and now fifteen years later she wants some answers. She discovers where he lives and pays him a visit but when they come face-to-face he says he’s not her father and to ask her mother, and she accidentally knocks him to the floor as they argue. Martha’s going through a bad patch, she’s lost her job and Fran’s an alcoholic and suffers from ill-health, and when her friend Izzy offers to move into their cottage with them and look after Fran she willingly accepts, but some of the things Izzy says don’t ring true and she doesn’t know who to believe, Izzy or Fran.

The story alternates between the past where we find out more about Martha’s childhood before her father leaves and the present time but it’s long and drawn-out especially the first half of the book, and it’s only when we reach the second half that it becomes more interesting and I want to keep reading. I didn’t warm to any of the characters and despite feeling sorry for Martha and the difficult situation she finds herself in, at times I wanted to shake her for being weak and acting younger than her twenty-four years. ‘Her Mother’s Lies’ was easy to read and although there was nothing wrong with it I felt it could have been so much better. It’s not the most exciting book I’ve had the privilege to read but it certainly isn’t the worst and I’m grateful I was given the chance to read it.

I have read all Rona’s books and loved them, and I looked forward to when her new book comes out. I was a bit apprehensive at first, as I found this book quite slow to start with but, I am glad I persevered.
Martha lives with her mother Fran in desolate corner of Cornwall. Their relationship is not the best at times. Her mother is a diabetic and swarming in debt and poor Martha works all the time. Her father Greg abandoned her 15 years ago. Never to be seen again. The only other person they see is their neighbour Anna who is a writer and Fran draws illustrations for. For payment of living in the house as it is owned by Anna. But when Fran gets ill and ends up in hospital. Secrets about Martha’s past life is revealed, and others are not telling the truth.
I thank NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book. I Love Rona’s book but, this one I found hard to get into and hard to like the characters. Yes, it had a great story how far a mother will go to protect her child. This book is fall of twists and turns and secrets and lies and the full picture didn’t come to the very end. But it was tough going. 3.5 stars from me.

Her Mother's Lies is a book that grabs you from the first chapter to The End.

One lie can snowball. That lie will look like a shattered windshield by the time the lies keep multiplying.

Martha , who at times I wanted to shake and ended up feeling so sorry for her, is at the beginning of the lie.

This book has lies, secrets which is not the same as lies, murder and one mixed up family.

Twists and turns keep you turning the pages quickly. I knew I had figured out one part but then wait a page or 2 more twists are coming !!!

How far would you go to protect your family?

A gripping read that you should add to your TBR pile and don't miss out on Rona Halsall books .

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the privilege of reading Her Mother's Lies.

This was one of those extremely chaotic roller coasters of a book. We start by meeting 24 year old Martha and her obsessive mother Fran. After Martha suffers a tremendous loss in the passing of her friend, mentor, and employer, she is left with nearly nothing. Her mother Fran is a diabetic alcoholic, and not a good one at that. Martha goes in search of her father, but knows him only to be a local named Greg. When she shows up at his home, he basically slams the door in her face but not before telling her that he is not her father. Throughout the book we meet Anna, the neighbor who seems to have "too much" of an interest in Martha and Fran's lives, and Izzy who infiltrates their world, posing as a good friend. Greg ends up dead and things begin to spiral out of control.
The book alternates between past and present which makes it a bit confusing at times. One thing I did not like about the book was I felt it was almost too drawn out and could have been packed into a shorter book. I lost interest towards the middle and skipped several pages just trying to get through it.
As the story comes to a close, the 'shocking twist' is revealed. Fran has been lying to Martha her whole life. She is not even her true mother...who is? Why was neighbor Anna so obsessed with Fran and Martha's lives? Must read to find out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced copy of "Her Mothers Lies" by Rona Halsall.

Having read "The Honeymoon" by this author and absolutely loving it- as soon as I saw this had come up on Netgalley, I requested it!.

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

Just this one line had me wanting to know more! Thankfully it wasn't long before I got to be hooked on this storyline, as with all great Physcological Thrillers- you can sense something is off, try to guess the outcome, fail miserably and be absolutely amazed as the actual plot twist unfolds, holding you in suspense at every chapter!
I could not for the life of me have guessed who Martha's slightly odd friend "Izzy" would turn out to be!

The storyline wasn't rushed and all loose ends were tied up, with a few final little twists to surprise you towards the final chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Her Mothers Lies" and would recommend this for a good Physcological Thriller read to finish 2019 with!

Fifteen years after her father left with no warning, Martha searches him out only to find he is not her real father and that her mother has kept secrets from her for her entire life. I didn't really enjoy this. None of the characters were likable, the dialogue felt forced (especially between Martha and Izzy), and I was not really surprised by any of the twists. I mostly kept reading just to be done with it. Two stars, because the story itself was interesting - I just didn't like the writing, and I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters.

Another new author for me,loving these dark psychological thrillers with a twist!
Great characterisation, Martha her mum fran and friend Izzy, and neighbour Anna all very different but bound by lies and deceit! As more and more revelations are revealed the plot thickens and kept me guessing right until the end! A novel full of family dynamics, lies, deceit, and the lengths a mother will go to to protect her child.a read that will grip you to the end!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Wow what a read! This book started a bit slow for my liking; but it picked up its pace and left me completely stunned at the end.
Martha’s father walked out on her and her mum Fran years ago. They’d been doing it tough but had some good friend support. Anna, was Frans friend and co-worker; she’d always been there and had become close to both of them. Martha has recently made a new friend in Izzy. She helped Martha when Fran got sick, helped clean and basically was a great friend!
But what happens next when Fran and Izzy meet is just compelling. To put an even bigger spin on it; there’s another person involved in a whole lot of lies

Ah... What can I say about this book that would better describe it. There were just 3 words I was left behind with... Suspense, pathos and senseless deaths.

All the characters in the book were stuck in the different sections of the web that the author Rona Halsall had caught them in. If only they had communicated better, they could have escaped the trap that she had put them in.

The main characters mother Fran, a graphic designer and an alcoholic diabetic prone to go into coma and daughter Martha who looked after her with hardly any freedom. The duo were hiding in an isolated cottage with just a neighbor Neil and landlord and friend Anna who came down from abroad a few times a year. The father Greg had disappeared 15 years ago. Martha's friend and support, Izzy who was godsend and almost too good to be true.

There was a web of deceit that was sequestered around Martha, and with her mum in hospital, things started getting unfurled. The loose ends of life now wanted to have their day under the sun. With only these characters, I could guess the plot of the story easily, but Rona's writing kept me hooked to the prose, wanting to know if I was right.

The story kept moving back and forth in timelines and also in mother-daughter's decisions. Life had a way of getting in the middle of their honest talks and that kept the suspense going. A few visits by the cops added to the conclusions I had drawn in my brain.

The best part of the book was the ease with which I could understand this story. Many things weaved in and out, but the trail remained the same. I just had to follow the breadcrumbs left by the author. A fun read. Started the day with this book.

Martha has got it tough. She lives with her mum Fran an alcoholic diabetic who is drowning in debts. When Martha discovers that her mum still has the details for the dad who abandoned them fifteen years ago, she sees light at the end of the tunnel. However, after travelling to Wales to confront Greg he announces that he is not her father.
Martha along with her friend Izzy the have to travel back to Cornwall to confront her mother.

I got the just of this book early on. And to be be fair had figured out the different characters. This did not stop me from enjoying the book.

Martha’s rather isolated life, with alcoholic mum starts falling apart when her vet boss (and surrogate dad) suddenly dies and her mum’s health takes a serious turn for the worse. Her dad is no longer in the picture after mysteriously walking out on them when she was 9. With no money, no job and no hope, Martha is desperate for anything to help pull her from despair. Her only hope is trying to find her dad again, to see if he can help - but this doesn’t go to plan. Her friend Izzy who lives far away up north, suddenly drops everything to travel down to help. Martha suddenly finds her whole life filled with questions she didn’t know existed. Why did her dad walk out on them? Why has her mum always been so secretive and kept them at a distance from life and others? Why hasn’t she been honest about their finances? Just what else hasn’t she told Martha? I have to admit this dragged a little for me most way in the book, and I didn’t really connect with Martha. The book takes you to some pretty dark places as it covers mental health and suicide. However, once all the answers were revealed this book was so much interesting and I didn’t guess the big reveal at the end!

Martha’s dad walked out when she was young and her and her mum Fran never heard from him again.

Some years later, Martha is caring for her alcoholic mother, and she is heartbroken of the death of her closest friend she decides she needs some answers so she goes to find the father who left them behind. Except when she sees him she finds out that he isn’t her father after all and that her mother has been telling her lies all her life.

The story is slow paced throughout as Martha’s Mother’s lies unfolds. I did find the book very long, but I think that was down to me, It wasn’t making me turn the pages quickly enough to find out what was going to happen. I thought the storyline was good and the characters were well developed. I liked the way they all had a major part in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Martha and her mum, Fran, don’t have the best relationship. Fran drinks and doesn’t have a clue about money while Martha works her socks off but to no avail. Soon Fran is taken ill and secrets emerge about Martha’s past.

Oh what a brilliant story that just for better and better! Rona writes another gripping thriller that just keeps you guessing to the end! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out very slow for me. I felt like it went on and on and could have been shorter.
When I finished reading the story I felt satisfied and I liked it but it wasn't amazing to me.
The twist in the story didn't come until the last third of the book and then by then I had guessed the other twists in the book. It was a good book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it but I only give it 3 stars.

I was really looking forward to reading this latest book by Rona Halsall as I really enjoyed ‘The Honeymoon’ earlier this year. However, I’m afraid this was nowhere near as enthralling.
I almost gave up on it (at my cut off point of 25%) as it was just such a slow start. However, I read the other reviews on NetGalley and was assured it was worth sticking with for the twists at the end. So I did stick with it.
The reviewers were correct; the twists are brilliant, shocking, and everything does come together. However, I’m not sure if they were worth getting through the first 80% of the book for. There was nothing majorly wrong with the majority of the book; it was just so slow. There are no little hooks to keep you turning the page. The characters are not that likeable. Martha really needed to give herself a shake and get start being strong to be able to sort out all the problems that life was throwing at her. Yes, I did feel sorry for her, I’m not sure how any human could cope with everything that was going wrong, but she had such a weak personality. Fran was mildly interesting, she obviously has this big secret, but she has succumbed to the evils of addiction.
So, unfortunately, I was disappointed by this book. It felt like hard work to get through it as it just wasn’t as gripping and as exciting as I would have expected. Maybe I had too high expectations from all the five-star reviews, or perhaps I was missing something, but this book just wasn’t for me, sorry!
I am giving it three stars instead of two purely for the twisty ending.

Suspense, done very well
Sometimes you look at a title after reading a book and wonder where the title ‘fits in’, this one is 100% right!!
Martha lives with her Mum Fran in a remote area of Cornwall, very cut off, very private and for Martha quite restrictive
Enter Izzy, via Martha’s love of dogs and job at the local vets, they form a friendship and Izzy helps Martha come to terms with some shocking events and news
Izzy seems too good to be true, a beacon of light in Martha’s ever troubling world, along with sensible reliable Anna, life long family friend and neighbour Martha will get through the seemingly never ending problems
Poor Martha, her troubles are only really just beginning
A superb tale of lies, deceit, wrong footed trust and past’s everyone wants to keep firmly buried
Good characters, great settings and descriptions of Cornwall with a nod to Leeds and Bingley make a true page turner that was unpredictable, tense and enjoyable
10/10
5 Stars

Thanks Netgalley for the advance ecopy. This was a fast paced story. Amazing Psychological Thriller. Great twists. The characters draw you right in. My first book by Rona Halsall and I was not disappointed!

Horrors and thrillers are my top two genres. Recently, I have noticed an increase in psychological thrillers, which have always been quite fascinating to me. However, some of them tend to be forgettable. This book was one of the few I would remember for a long time.

Her Mother’s Lies is based on Martha’s life. She lives with her mother, Fran, who has numerous health issues largely due to her alcoholism. Her father, Greg deserted them both fifteen years ago when Martha was only nine. However, Martha’s boss who is like a father to her has recently died. On top of that, her mother has to be rushed to the hospital. With the very traumatic events, Martha decides to search for her long-lost father and find out why he just disappeared from their lives. However, he makes a life-shattering revelation. He is not her father. Martha leaves his house determined to find out what exactly her mother has been hiding from her. With the help of her friend, Izzy, Martha sets out to reveal the truth.

This book was extremely addictive. From the first paragraph, I was engrossed in the story. I found myself very reluctant to put down the novel when I started. I just wanted to get to the end and find out what Fran was hiding.

The character development was excellent. I found myself feeling quite a lot of pity for Martha. Nothing seemed to be going her way. Fran was not instantly likable but as the book progressed, and I got to know her better, I found myself feeling sorry for her too. Fran loved her daughter fiercely and was extremely protective of her. She made some mistakes along the way but her feelings for Martha were obviously genuine.

I figured out part of the twist ending before it was revealed. I was actually quite proud of myself for understanding it because it was quite spectacular. Rona Halsall is quite skilled at what she does, and only by taking notice of particular details she mentioned earlier was I able to reveal the truth.

Conversations and descriptions were well done. I felt as if I was another character in the book experiencing firsthand what was going on. The dialog flowed naturally and key information was revealed without being obvious.

There was very little profanity and the little talk about sex was not graphic. There were some very intense scenes and a bit of violence, however, so maybe this book should be read by adults and older teenagers. Anyone who enjoys thrillers would love this book. Reading this is not a decision anybody would regret.

Brilliant read! Had me gripped the entire way through. So many surprising twists and turns! Would definitely recommend it!