The description of The Lie had me hooked before I even picked up the book. It was full of tension and suspense and the book did not disappoint. The story is fast paced with plenty of twists and turns and had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the ending I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Kathryn Croft is becoming a great storyteller of modern day crime but not with novels told from the detectives point of view, but from that of the families and lives of those effected. In this case we hear from the two mothers and there cannot be any of us who have such a role in life who cannot both sympathise and feel connected to their stories. A good mystery thriller.

Thrilling. Tense. Fast paced. A book thar grabs you qnd doesn't let go. Wonderful. All the superlatives apply to this amazing book. Do read it.

This a really good read with an excellent ending that you don’t expect. The characters were great, the story itself was excellent and the style of writing was perfect. I have read many books by this author I have enjoyed every one of them… looking forward to the next one out.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

The Lie by Kathryn Croft was another excellent book by this author. This latest book was excellent from the beginning till the end with lots of twists, turns and lies that will have your head spinning! which made this book a great page turner and hard to put it down. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

Lucy and Tom Adams have recently moved from London into their new home in Surrey. Lucy is a florist and Tom is a solicitor. Their daughter, Ava, 12, had been bullied at her old school and they hope she will be happier in this new school. Their son, Jacob, 16, is settling into his new school and has a new girlfriend, Rose, 16. He had a girlfriend named Isla in London but their relationship fizzled.

Lucy and Tom have hosted a barbecue for their new friends and neighbors. Surprisingly, Rose spent more time with Ava rather than Jacob at the party. Jacob says he walked Rose home around 9:30 p.m. and then went back home. The next morning, Rose’s mum, Carrie, said she never came home and is missing. Some people think Jacob did something to her. However, Carrie’s live-in boyfriend, Joe, does not get along with Rose. What happened to Rose and did someone do something to her?

Wow! This book took me on quite a ride. I kept wondering who did what and why. There is a lot of angst and I felt bad for Jacob and all he was going through even while wondering if he was guilty. I did figure out “the bad guy” so to speak and found this to be a very emotional read. Do read this and let people know what you think.

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

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Kathryn Croft - 4.5 stars!

Lucy and Tom have moved to Surrey with their children, Jacob and Ava, for a clean start after Ava experienced bullying in school. On a beautiful day, they decide to have a BBQ in their backyard and invite their friends and neighbors., including Jacob's girlfriend, Rose. The next day, Lucy receives a call from Carrie, Rose's mom, that she never returned home after the BBQ. Jacob walked her home and said he saw her go into the house and she was never seen again. But things just aren't adding up.

This story is told mostly from the POV of the two moms, Lucy and Carrie. Both are anxious to believe only the best of their children and Lucy especially won't listen to any talk of Jacob being guilty. Everyone seems to be hiding secrets and withholding information. There are plenty of twists and turns in this one and I had a tough time putting it down!

‘The Lie’ is another dramatic and intense thriller by Croft that I quickly became absorbed by.

Jacob, Lucy's son, is thought to be connected to the disappearance of Rose, Carrie's daughter, resulting in the detection and unveiling of both families' dark secrets. Told from multiple points of view, this is fast-paced, enthralling and impressive. Although I suspected I knew the conclusion quite early, the unforeseen ending had me speechless.

As a parent, I could relate to both mothers in this storyline, and their need for justice and the need to protect. Both families have complex dynamics and Croft writes all sensitive topics with a great sense of fragility. (Please check trigger warnings before reading).

The author’s writing talents are truly remarkable and I must acknowledge the clever manner in which she weaves all the characters together. (No spoilers here!)

If you appreciate a classic whodunit, this book is for you. This would make an ideal book club read, as there is plenty to discuss throughout, providing thought-provoking conversations.

A recommended read for fans of this genre and author.

🌟🌟🌟.75/5

"The Lie" is my first book by Kathryn Croft. The Adams family have moved from London to Surry and mark this by having a barbecue. Rose Nyler is Jacob Adam's girlfriend. She's a talented songwriter, a motivated and disciplined student and a close confidence of Ava Adam, Jacob's sister. Jacob walks his girlfriend to her place at the end of the night, and then...Rose goes missing. Jacob is the person of interest as he was the last person, and his chronic lies aren't helping his case. But is there more to this disappearance?

Kathryn Croft has sprinkled the breadcrumbs across multiple POVs, and its execution was impressive and brilliant. The sad and tense environment is carried throughout the book. As this is a psychological thriller, all the characters are morally grey, which fuels deception, motive, secrets and suspicion. The connections between the characters tie well, and the level of detail makes it an enjoyable read. However, for me, I deciphered the accused halfway through the book. As a result, when the twist was revealed, it wasn't shocking but warped.

If you're a fan of domestic thrillers, suspense and psychological thrillers, give this book a go!

Thank you, NetGalley & Bookouture, for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily,

The Lie is the newest suspense thriller by one of my favorite authors for that genre, Kathryn Croft. Teenage couple Rose and Jacob appear on the surface to be the perfect teen romance. However, one night Rose disappears after Jacob claims he walked her home. The mystery begins there as the relationship between the teens is hashed through in an attempt to discover what might have happened to Rose. There is a lot of family drama, intrigue, and secrets to propel this story along. Read and enjoy!

The Lie by Kathryn Croft is a psychological thriller about a missing girl.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Rose Nyler is missing.  Her boyfriend, Jacob Adams, says he walked her home for the barbeque at his home around 9 or 9:30pm, and saw her enter her house.  She wasn't there when her mom Carrie went to check the next morning.

But Jacob has lied about so much.  Carrie is sure he is responsible for the fact that her daughter is missing.  The only one that truly believes in Jacob's innocence is his own mother, Lucy.  Not even his father believes him.   Lucy and Tom Adams moved to Surrey with their son Jacob, and daughter Ava to escape the problems they had in London.  It looks like there are finding more problems here.


My Opinions:
This book is about secrets, and lies, and infidelity, and manipulation.  It is also about the love of two mothers for their children.

The story was told from a few different perspectives, including Rose.  This worked well.

Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the characters.  They were all flawed, which is okay, but I couldn't find anyone I wanted to root for.  There were some real slime-balls in this one.  As well, I'm not sure the teenagers acted their ages, or that the adults were more mature.

The plot was good, and there were plenty of twists.  I had actually guessed the perpetrator, but there were some other things that I didn't.  The Isla story was a surprise, and really interesting.

So, although I had problems with the characters, I still really enjoyed the book.

★★★ 3.5 stars

My son said he walked his girlfriend home. But now she is missing...

Lucy and Tom have moved from London to sleepy Surrey with their children Jacob (16) and Ava (12) for a fresh start. Several months after their arrival, they decide to host a barbeque in their backyard for the neighbours and friends. Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves...but beneath the surface secrets threatened to bubble to the surface.

Jacob had been seeing girlfriend Rose for six months but today she seems to be spending most of her time with Ava. Lucy is too busy hosting to see that Rose's mum is flirting with her husband Tom and he appears to be enjoying the attention. Jacob spends most of the afternoon trying to get Rose's attention while she seems to be spending most of it trying to escape his. Heated words are exchanged and she decides to head home. Jacob offers to see her to her door.

The following morning, Lucy's phone rings. It's Carrie, Rose's mum. Rose didn't come home from the barbeque. Is she there? Jacob was the last one to see her and he insists he walked her home the night before. But now she is missing. And all signs are pointing to Jacob despite there is no evidence against him...yet. So where is Rose?

Over the ensuing days the police search Rose's house and then Lucy and Tom's, having been the last place Rose was seen alive. And her keys are found hidden in the bushes not far from their house. Did she drop them in her rush to escape? Or were they put there by whoever is responsible for her disappearance?

Carrie is certain Rose wouldn't just disappear. Lucy is certain that Jacob had nothing to do with her disappearance. Ava knows Rose was angry with her brother and she is angry with him on her behalf. Tom doesn't know what to believe. But which one of them is lying? Where is Rose? And what happened to her?

The story unfold through the alternating perspectives of the two mothers - Lucy and Carrie - with Rose's narrative told from the beginning right up to the night of the barbeque in progressive form. Nothing is as it seems and there are layers of secrets and lies as each of them holds something back. I didn't warm to Carrie much, though I felt sorry for her in part, but then I found her behaviour somewhat ridiculous and confusing. None of the characters were particularly endearing. I figured out the truth way before there was even an inkling so I wasn't at all shocked...but that could be I'm used to expecting the unexpected from this genre.

Overall, THE LIE is a good solid thriller that does get a little drawn out and I felt it could have been shortened a little. But apart from that, it is a compelling read that will keep you guessing as each layer is peeled back to reveal another more complex secret.

I would like to thank #KathrynCroft, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLie in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This book didn’t work for me mainly because of a few irritatingly inconsistencies that niggled enough to spoil it for me. The setting time wise also didn’t sit right. Fairly new to the neighbourhood ( or at least we are told the party was a housewarming) yet so much gone on and close relationships forged.
The characters were flaky too with both mothers needing a good talking to in my opinion.
So all in all this wasn’t a great read.

This book had me reading as fast as I could to find out what happens while at the same time wanting to read slowly so the book did not end. It is told in multiple POV and multiple timeline so the details are filled in as the story goes on. If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult, you will love this book. I’m so glad I found this book because the characters and the writing are amazing. I felt as if I was in the book right along the characters. This is a book with a lot of mystery and I couldn’t figure out the twist until the very end. I had a lot of ideas of what the twist would be and non of them were right.

Kathryn Croft returns following The Suspect with her latest, THE LIE, a complex, twisty, emotional domestic suspense thriller whodunit where dark family secrets are unraveled, and a young teen girl goes missing.

Everyone has secrets—things we want to keep hidden, even from ourselves. However, sooner or later, they will catch up with you.

Told from POVs:
~Lucy (Jacob's Mother)
~Rose (Missing teen girl)
~Carrie (Rose's Mother)

Tom and Lucy have moved to their new home from London to Surrey with their daughter Ava, thirteen, and son Jacob, sixteen. Jacob (former girlfriend Isla) now likes Rose. The couple hosts a barbeque at their house.

Then the day after, Lucy receives a call from Jacob's girlfriend's mother, Carrie looking for Rose. She is not home. Jacob was the last to see her, walking home the night before she went missing.

All signs point to Jacob as guilty, but no evidence confirms this. Where is Rose, and what happened to her? Everyone that knows Rose doesn't think she would disappear.

Jacob says he saw her go inside when he walked her home. But did she come back out again, and if so, where did she go?

Had something been worrying Rose? Is Jacob hiding something? What about Ava, the sister? What does she know? What about her past? Then there is Carrie's sleazy annoying boyfriend, Joe.

There is an investigation by DC Gillary and DC Keller. Then Jacob is attacked. What is Jacob's mother so afraid of the police uncovering?

EVERYONE IS KEEPING SECRETS. House keys were found. A note: You deserve to die.

TRUST NO ONE. Will there be justice?

What was the big secret Rose was hiding? What happened to the aspiring singer-songwriter, the high academic achiever? Then there is the YouTube video that reveals the dark secrets.

Rose definitely was the most intriguing and mysterious POV. Croft cleverly keeps readers in the dark about things and reveals them later. When monsters are hiding in plain sight. Families are bonded together by grief.

Croft delivers a smart, chilling thriller, taking domestic secrets to a new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to bury the truth. Grabs your attention!

Thanks to #Bookouture for a gifted ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 20, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
April 2023 Must-Read Books

4.5 stars

This was definitely the best thriller I’ve read this year. Hopefully, it broke the cycle of extremely bad thrillers I’ve been going through. The writing was really engaging. At first, I wasn’t happy with the second-person narration from Rose’s point of view, but when we got to part three of the book, I actually thought it was genius. The reveal came as a complete shock and I truly couldn’t put the book down.

This book has definitely put Kathryn Croft on my favorite authors list and I’ll be reading every book she comes up with from now on.

The Lie by Kathryn Croft is a highly recommended domestic suspense mystery.

Lucy and Tom and their children Jacob and Ava threw a barbeque for their new neighbors in Surrey signifying their new start. Jacob's girlfriend Rose and her mother Carrie are among the guests. Ava adores Rose and spent much of the evening talking to her. Seemingly, it was a successful evening. Then early the next morning Carrie calls and says Rose is missing. Jacob says he walked Rose home, but there are some questions about his claim. Carrie is certain Jacob had something to do with her daughters disappearance.

The first thing you need to know is that The Lie will hold your attention from start to finish. The second is that the title of the novel is a misnomer as everyone seems to be lying about something. There is plenty of deception swirling around everyone as they are even lying to themselves.

Lucy, Carrie, and Rose narrate the story through chapters told in their alternating points-of-view. This allows insight into their thoughts, personal lives, and eventually their secrets. Honestly, I didn't trust anyone in this novel as they all seemed suspect and sketchy at times. Characters are developed, but slowly as people demonstrating who they really are is part of the plot. The surprising twist in the ending wasn't really shocking because no one is particularly believable. If you like mysteries featuring flawed characters in dysfunctional families, The Lie will entertain you.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

Thank you Kathryn Croft for an amazing ride!! This was an unputdownable fast paced thriller. I loved every minute. There were lots of twists and turns that I did not see coming and I usually do. This one kept me flipping pages and guessing until the very end. Grab a copy Now!!

The Lie is an unputdownable domestic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. There were so many twists and turns that at times my head was in a spin. Croft has written a book which had me engrossed from the very start. I honestly didn’t guess any of the twists and when they were revealed I was gob smacked. The Lie was another fantastic read by this very talented author and I loved it. 5⭐️

First time reading a Kathryn Croft novel and definitely will not be my last.The story revolves around Jacob and his girlfriend Rose who goes missing after a family barbeque.The characters in this book are really brought to life by the different secrets that they each keep and lies told when needed This was one of those books that you want to get to the end of very quickly and find out what exactly happened to Rose,which I did in two days it's a real whodunit thriller,and I would definitely recommend.