Cover Image: To Tell You the Truth

To Tell You the Truth

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Member Reviews

I loved this book! It was an easy to read thriller packed with action. This was my first Gilly Macmillan book but I will definitely be catching up on her other books now.

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I didn't enjoy The Nanny, but decided to give this one a shot! This book was ok, but still too much of a typical psychological thriller. To Tell You the Truth 's storyline is definitely strong and the writing is great but it did lack a bit.. To Tell You the Truth is definitely a light, quick binge read that you can read quickly in a few sittings

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I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I am a huge fan of this author and was thrilled to be approved for this title. It did not disappoint and I loved it. It was one of her best yet. It was fast paced and exciting snd it kept me guessing until the end! This one is a must read for all thriller fans. I will always be a fan and can’t wait for her next book. Thanks again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

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Gilly Macmillan did it again with To Tell You the Truth! She always delivers a solid thriller. Our protagonist, Lucy is the definition of unreliable narrator. This book was quite enjoyable right up until the end, but I don't want to give anything away.

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What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

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This story was full of twists and turns that keep the reader looking forward to the next chapter! At times creepy and disturbing, the plot makes for a very engaging page turner!! Readers will be glad they decided to pick this book up!

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To Tell the Truth is a book that’s been on my TBR for a while and I finally decided to pick it up! I absolutely loved the Nanny by @gillymacmillan and so I was very excited for this book!

Lucy Harper is an author who writes a bestselling series of novels based on a Detective named Eliza. Her husband Dan, is a fledgling author, who is jealous of his wife’s success. When Dan goes missing, Lucy must face the facts that this isn’t the first time a loved one of her goes missing; when she was a child, her 3 yr old brother went missing and was never found. Lucy spoke with many detectives always telling different stories. This is the beginning of Lucy’s writing; she is always thinking of different ways to tell a story, which has helped her greatly in her career. But now she must tell the truth to everyone including herself.

I liked that there are two crimes in one book. This book falls into the category of the unreliable narrator. This style was very popular and one I do enjoy. The difference here is that Lucy created her character Eliza from her childhood imaginary friend who she speaks with regularly. Eliza gives advice and encourages her to do things, both good and bad. I thought this was a fantastic plot point. We didn’t quite get what happened to her brother, but I kind of like that it’s still unclear.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the Nanny. I would recommend checking out all of Gilly Macmillan’s writing. She always has such twisty and amazing stories!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This book was provided by NetGalley, I enjoyed this book and the way it was written. I look forward to reading more books my Gilly Macmillan.

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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Other reviewers have called "Lucy" an unreliable narrator, but I disagree. Lucy was completely reliable, her instincts were correct when she sensed everything (around her) was not as it seemed. The pacing was slow at times in an attempt to drag out the suspense, but the attempt fell flat and only caused impatience. In the conclusion, the author tried to wrap everything up in a neat package, but there are still so many questions left unanswered (mainly about Eliza and Lucy's mental health).

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I really enjoyed previous work by this author, but I was slightly disappointed in this one. I lost interest around 35%, but I am late writing this review and I happen to have sold several copies so I know it is bound to be a bestseller, so I don't want my humble opinion to tarnish that. With that, I will just say that I look forward to books by this author in the future, because I am certain she can redeem herself.

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I have read several of Gilly Macmillian's books and enjoyed them so I was very hopeful for this one to again be a twisty turny awesome story. However this one just fell flat for me. I didn't really connect with the characters and thought the plotline was a little boring. There wasn't enough suspense for me.

That being said, I'm still looking forward to Gilly Macmillan's next book and hope it is the same caliber her past ones have been.

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I absolutely loved To Tell You the Truth. Once I started, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. I am always a fan of the dual timeline. All the twist and turns made this one one I couldn't put down.

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This was my first time reading Gilly Macmillan, but it won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed To Tell You the Truth the entire time I was reading it. Lucy is the perfect unreliable narrator as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her husband, Dan, and the disappearance of her younger brother, Teddy, from her childhood. Alternating timelines tie the two stories together, while giving each story the separate attention it deserves. The book is well written and full of interesting moments and true to life characters. I would recommend this to mystery and thriller fans alike, with no hesitation whatsoever.

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Excellent, fast paced read! Lots of unexpected twists and turns. I dare anyone to say there’s anything predictable about this thriller mystery.

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Lucy Harper is a bestselling novelist whose husband’s disappearance brings back memories of her little brother who went missing many years ago. Are the two connected and does Lucy know more than she’s willing to reveal? I’ll be honest, I read this book a while back and had to read the book description to remember what it was about. I have enjoyed other books by this author but it appears that this one was not very memorable for me.

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My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A suspenseful tale filled with twists and turns adding to the already duplicitous nature of the characters.

TO TELL THE TRUTH is one utterly addictive read. MacMillan crafts a dark tale of secrets and lies which makes the reader crave more.

What I loved about this book is the fast pace of the writing coupled with the intricate details of the characters. Each person we meet is not what they seem. As we get into the story, there was a wonderfully unsettling feeling I got as each layer was peeled back. All I have to say is buckle up for one twist and reveal after the next. It is one hell of a ride.

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Lucy is a very interesting main character. The story switches point of view often. I was disappointed in the second half of the book. It became very far fetched. Often I didn't feel the characters behaved in ways that they would actually behave. There was not consistency in character development.

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Gilly MacMillan, best-selling author of What She Knew, Odd Child Out, I Know You Know, and The Nanny, delivers an atmospheric mystery about long-held secrets, the fear they engender, and, coupled with ambition and jealousy, the power they hold.

Macmillan employs alternating narratives to tell the story of Lucy Harper. One is written in second person, and describes Lucy's actions on the night Teddy disappeared and the days immediately following. It was the summer solstice and Lucy was determined to sneak out of the house to watch the celebration taking place in the woods adjacent to her family home. But her adoring little brother, Teddy, hears her sneaking out and insists upon accompanying her on an adventure. Lucy had researched the solstice and was determined to experience the night when spirits would appear and move "among real people, making mischief, playing tricks." Indeed, she experienced the bonfire, fireworks, dancing, and singing that enraged at least one of her parents' neighbors.

Lucy returned from the woods that night. Teddy did not. He was never seen again. Only Lucy knows where Teddy was when she last saw him. But she never told anyone, and even her own parents did not believe the version of events she related.

Now, Lucy is the beloved and best-selling author of a series of books featuring Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey. Eliza, her imaginary friend, has been with Lucy all of her life, including on the night when Teddy disappeared. As a child, Lucy was short for her age, overweight, and bullied as she struggled to make friends. She preferred Eliza's company to that of her classmates, and Eliza guided her through those horrible days after Teddy vanished, warning her not to tell the policy the whole truth. As an adult, Lucy changed her name, met and married Dan, and became a successful writer four years ago. Now she is wealthy, successful, and her publisher is insisting that she deliver a new book featuring Eliza every year. But in a first-person narrative, Lucy explains that she has just completed her latest novel in which Eliza is sidelined early on and is not featured. She sends it off to Max, her agent, with much trepidation because she knows it is not the book he is expecting. After Max, Dan is always the second person to read her latest manuscript. But she and Dan have grown apart recently.

Lucy's attempts to placate Dan, who has become accustomed to the lifestyle her earnings allow, lead her to agree to move into the dilapidated mansion Dan purchases without consulting her. And from there, Macmillan's story takes shape. The house is in close proximity to Lucy's childhood home and the woods where Teddy disappeared -- to which she never wanted to return. Dan has convinced Lucy that she has a terrible memory, and often confuses dates, times, and details. Of course she needs him to serve as her assistant, organizing the details of their life together and managing Lucy's finances. Lucy acknowledges that she is "susceptible to emotional blackmail, and to the potential for romance." Lucy admits that their "arrangement" is characterized by "a large and rather revolting fly stuck in the ointment, its legs twitching occasionally. The fly was this: Being my assistant wasn't the life Dan had dreamed of. He's wanted to be a bestselling author, too."

Lucy becomes suspicious about his motives when Dan is determined that they should move into and renovate the house, especially after she observes him getting a bit too cozy with their new neighbor, Sasha. Lucy is confused by events swirling around her and constantly turns to Eliza for support and assistance. She hears Eliza's voice and even sees her from time to time, as they converse and Eliza provides advice. One night Lucy finds herself cleaning blood off the floor, but she has no recollection of how it got there. And Dan goes missing. Did Lucy harm him? Or did Eliza?

Macmillan takes Lucy on a fast-paced, often reckless quest for the truth about Dan's actions and motives, including why he was so insistent that they purchase and move into the house, and the nature of his relationship with Sasha. The other neighbors are compelling supporting characters, including Sasha's husband, James; Ben Delaney, an inept criminal defense attorney, his wife, Kate, and their children; and older couple Vi and Barry, an eccentric pair who are known as the emperor and empress of the street.

Once again, Lucy finds herself at the center of controversy. Because of her celebrity status, reporters encamp at the end of the lane, and the police become increasingly suspicious as Lucy again relies upon Eliza to counsel her about what to tell them. Lucy questions herself, her memories, and her own character as she struggles to learn what happened to Dan and who is responsible for his disappearance. As she discovers what Dan was involved in and what he knew, she inevitably finds herself back in the woods where she last saw Teddy on that life-changing night.

Macmillan deftly raises numerous questions about Lucy's mental state, as well as Dan's activities. When she reveals the truth about the second-person narrative, it is nothing less than shocking. From that point on, the pace of the story accelerates to a surprising conclusion that readers will never predict and reveals how skillfully Macmillan has lured her readers into complacency and incorrect assumptions. Along the way, Lucy becomes a sympathetic character that readers might be surprised to find themselves caring deeply about.

Macmillan is a master storyteller who again demonstrates her talent for invention, the insertion of red herrings at expertly-timed intervals, and narrative sleights of hand that propel the story forward. Readers who enjoy unreliable narrators will savor the way Macmillan structures the story of Lucy and keeps readers wondering whether any of the information she shares in her first-person narrative can be trusted.

To Tell You the Truth is thoroughly enjoyable, compulsively interesting, and delivers a satisfying, if not completely tidy, conclusion.

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This is one of those thrillers that gives you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as you are reading it. You just aren't sure which of the characters is a good person, if any of them are at all. No one is who they seem. There are so many unanswered questions and plot twists, and it is just a hair short of a satisfying ending.

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A twisty domestic thriller. Author Lucy Harper is known for writing best selling mysteries featuring a police character that was based on a make believe friend she had as a child. What most people don't know is that Lucy was involved with the disappearance of her little brother Teddy back when she was a pre-teen. The police always suspected she was not being 100% truthful, but could never prove it. Now it seems her husband Dan might be looking into the past to find out more about Teddy's disappearance. Then Dan goes missing and turns up dead. Could it have something to do with Teddy's disappearance? Lucy has to be her own detective to find out as strange evidence and happenings seems to point to her, as the guilty one. #ToTellYouTheTruth #NetGalley

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