Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To Tell you the Truth follows the story of Lucy Harper, a successful thriller writer who has a dark past; her younger brother Teddy went missing in the woods near her house, and she was the only witness to the events. However, Lucy's memory is foggy, and the majority of this book centers around these memories returning to her, and the process of her trying to figure out what happened years ago, though her judgement is clouded by those around her, including her husband Dan, who is a failed writer, and incredibly controlling.

The things I did like about this book include the pacing; I enjoyed the short, snappy chapters, that helped to build a sense of tension and growing suspense. I also enjoyed the character development of Lucy, she is a complex and multi-faceted character, and I found the presence of Eliza to be really interesting and unique.

However, I did also struggle with this book. Though there were elements that I enjoyed, and I loved the idea of this book, I was a little bit bored, and didn't feel as immersed as I maybe would have liked. Saying that, Gilly Macmillan is definitely a fantastic writer, and I would not hesitate to read more of her books, this one just didn't grab me. A good read nonetheless!

The story is a clever one, but I couldn't get into it. The main character was unlikeable, and I didn't really believe in her. I found the book slow-moving, and not particularly easy to read; it was more of a chore than a pleasure to read unfortunately.

A great read, such a roller coaster! It pulled me in from the first page worth its twists and turns. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of thrillers, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one. A crime fiction writer called Lucy, finds herself the subject of what could be a plot from one of her own books when her husband goes missing. However, this isn’t the first time Lucy has been at the heart of a mysterious disappearance..

I jumped at the chance to review this as I thought it was usual enough to stick out and make me curious to see how it all played out. What a great story! It crackles along at a great pace, flashing back to the disappearance of Lucy’s younger brother Teddy, which has never been solved, in between the progress of the story in the current day. There are a lot of factors at play here, including family and personal relationships, focusing on the age old question of just HOW well can you ever know your spouse? What happens when the power dynamic within a relationship shifts, and one party becomes the main breadwinner. How much trust can you place in your partner - should it be absolute, or should you always retain some agency?

I really enjoyed this book, it’s well paced, the characters are good and feel realistic - they hold grudges and not all of them are there purely to provide clues to help move the plot along. I thought the author did a good job of not flogging every avenue of questions to death - not everything was tied up in a neat little bow, so it felt more realistic to me, to be honest, as not every single question was answered. This felt like a fresh take in a genre that I love, but that can easily become formulaic. I’d definitely read other books by this author, and would happily recommend it to friends as a good read!

An engrossing thriller I could not tear myself away from. Incredibly well written and a book you can absolutely lose yourself in.

This book unfortunately wasn’t for me as I found it very difficult to get into. There were a lot of words that I felt were used unnecessarily which meant the writing, for me, didn’t flow. I also found it hard to believe the character of Lucy could be such an esteemed author but have a life full of such turmoil.

On a positive note, I didn’t predict the ending like I do with some books and I definitely did not expect what DID happen. However I didn’t get the outcome at the end that I’d hoped for.

I would like to thank Cornerstone and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review, I feel very lucky.

A slow starting read and took a while to get into but once I got past the first third it went like a train. Was enjoyable, well thought out and we'll written

I have a confession, after around a quarter of this book I was ready to put it down and not finish it, but I did and I certainly glad I did. It’s a slow burner but stick with it. You become immersed in it, you almost become Lucy.
Incredibly intricate and not my usual read but it’s great and well recommended to anyone.
The ending took me totally by surprise and I don’t think I’ll be the only one
I haven’t read the author before but I’ll be reading more!

Fantastic read. The plot quickly grabbed me and I was turning pages quickly to see what happened next. Great characters. I would read other books by this author.

Well this book is certainly different. I must admit I struggled with it to start with, especially with Lucy and her alter ego, Eliza. I have to be brutally honest and say I nearly gave up on it, as I found it a tad boring, but the curiosity in me kept me reading it. It turned out far better than I thought.

It was obvious to me that Lucy had this alter ego long before Teddy went missing, and of course Eliza was with her all through her crime writings, with Eliza being the main character in her book. I didn’t like the husband, nor the characters around the new house they bought, but too much like Stepford Wives for me, a rather odd bunch, but I guess I was meant to feel like that to keep my interest in what was happening.

The husband Dan, was another control freak, so along with Eliza I don’t think she stood much chance! I know she worked hard, but I can’t imagine how she let Dan take over her life to the extent he did. As the story unfolds, and Dan goes missing, a different slant on events occurs.

The police have of course discovered who she was in her younger days and about her brother being missing puts Lucy in the spotlight.

As she tries to establish her innocence, Lucy takes matters Into her own hands to find out what happened to Dan.

The ending had quite a good twist to it, better than I’d originally envisaged and for that I’ll give it 3 stars.

My thanks to the author, the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.

Adore it. The protagonist was likeable though a plot hole wasn’t explained as thoroughly as I’d like, all I can say is, was Eliza real? Or a figment of Lucy’s imagination? Teddy sounded lovely. Overall I’d recommend Gilly Macmillan with no hesitation.

For a book meant to be about a writer, I don't think it's particularly well written. In fact, at one point, the protagonist criticises her husband's 'overwritten' prose, which is laughable given the quality of the text.

Having said that, what carries this book is the plot. The characters are all unlikeable caricatures, drawn into a murder mystery following the mysterious disappearance of Lucy's brother when she was a child. She changes her name to hide her identity, having been suspected of being responsible for his death, and becomes an author who writes about a detective who happens to be based on her imaginary friend who still talks to her even though she's an adult.

It's a typical unreliable narrator tale, but there's enough intrigue to keep the pages turning. In the hands of a better writer, this would be incredible, but as it is, it's still pretty entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Lucy Harper, bestselling crime fiction author, has just put the finishing touches to her latest novel in the Eliza Grey detective series. Experienced in tragedy, Lucy has come to live, sleep and breathe her protagonist, so much so that she carries her with her daily, her voice a continual presence that at times transforms itself to the physical. Husband Dan is Lucy's biggest supporter. A would-be author himself, Dan is the constant that keeps the wheels of life churning whilst Lucy writes, but takes a decision which significantly oversteps the mark, one which will force Lucy down a path she has avoided since childhood and has the potential to uncover some truths which are better left buried.

Thank you to @netgalley and @arrowpublishing for the #arc of this book.

My first Gilly Macmillan read and what a whirlwind! I finished this in a single sitting, the punchy short chapters, interspersed at times with a telling of Lucy's backstory, grabbing my interest from the get-go. The first few pages gave me a real Misery vibe and I thought I immediately knew the story's path, but I was quickly proven wrong, which became a common occurrence as the book progressed.

In the shoes of Lucy, I particularly enjoyed the tidbits revealed about the writing process and the research novelists must undertake to ensure authenticity. It's difficult to say whether I liked Lucy - her personality is so multi-faceted I'm not sure I fully established who the true Lucy Harper is. I can say that I disliked her husband Dan from the beginning, a feeling that became cemented within the first few chapters. An easy read, I found myself fully absorbed from start to finish, wanting more as I reached the finale and theorising how a potential sequel may emerge.

Extremely happy to have discovered Gilly Macmillan's talent and highly recommend this offering to anyone looking for their next reading fix when published next month. Five stars from me and I hope you enjoy too!

A relatively slow starter about a crime writer and her childhood imagery friend that builds into a truly gripping murder mystery that kept me hooked and guessing right to the very end. Terrific read and well worth the read.

Loved this book. An exciting storyline with lots of twists and turns and ended up differently than what I predicted. A first time reading a book by this author, will look out for others. A great read

To tell you the truth by Gilly Macmillan

To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.

Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans. It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.
Now Dan has vanished. But this isn’t the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy’s life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy’s disappearance, to the detectives’ fury and her parents’ despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story—a talent she has profited from greatly.

Wow. This book grabbed me hook, line and sinker. I could not stop reading this for anything. The storyline was great, characters likeable, and it flowed so well. Really enjoyed The Nanny also by this author so was excited to read this title. Definitely recommend!

A good atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. I did feel that it was a little slow in places and I found that the ending did not answer all of the questions that I had.

A terrifying collision of past and present. Lucy a successful novelist struggling to change direction in her writing genre against the wishes of her husband, a jealous failure as a writer, and her publishing team , all only interested in the financial rewards of her hugely profitable, tried and tested format and characters. Confident that no one is aware of a traumatic tragedy in her past but increasingly debilitated by the fear and uncertainty of what had really happened and struggling to separate fact from fiction; is history repeating itself when her husband disappears. Police appear convinced she is somehow involved and past and present collide in our novelist becoming the story rather than the writer of it. Unable to differentiate between those she can trust and those baying for blood instinct takes over as she attempts to solve the most frightening mystery of her life where danger looms at every turn. A real page turner where no one and nothing is as it seems. I was reluctant to reach the conclusion which after a successful and slow build up of fear and tension appeared not to do justice when tying up the numerous loose ends in this excellent well written mystery. Perhaps what would have satisfied was several more chapters . Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

Lucy was nine when her brother disappeared in the woods outside their house. Although she was interviewed by the police as to what happened that night he is still missing.

Thirty years later Lucy is now a successful crime writer. Unbeknown to her her husband, Dan, buys a house near the woods where her brother went missing - Why? Lucy hates it and memories start resurfacing. Dan has secrets of his own but then he is found murdered and Lucy begins to question her own sanity. Did she kill him? and if so does that mean she was responsible for her brother missing?

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. Unfortunately it was not for me. I found the storyline poor & that the ending didn't resolve so many questions that I had . The main character was annoying & unlikeable & I felt that it dragged on to much.