If you’re into psychological thrillers with dark, emotional depth, If You Tell a Lie is one of those stories that sticks with you. The book dives into the disturbing aftermath of surviving a cult, told through the perspective of a girl trying to piece her life together while hiding the truth about what really happened.

What I appreciated most was how Lucinda Berry explored trauma and manipulation without making it feel overly dramatic or sensationalized. The characters felt raw and real, especially the main character, who’s both strong and deeply affected by what she’s gone through.

That said, the story is intense and at times disturbing—definitely not a light read. There were moments where I felt genuinely uncomfortable, but that speaks to the author’s ability to make the story feel real. The plot had twists, but it was more about psychological unraveling than shocking reveals.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to readers who like dark, emotional thrillers that explore the long-term effects of abuse and secrecy. It’s thought-provoking and haunting, and I found myself thinking about it long after I finished.

This was such a a good book. A good lesson about the heavy cost of lying and keeping secrets can do more harm than good. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dark, Twisty, and Hard to Put Down

If You Tell a Lie was a wild ride. Lucinda Berry really knows how to dive deep into the psychological side of things, and this book definitely delivered on suspense and emotion. From the first few chapters, I was pulled in and had that uneasy feeling (in a good way!) that something wasn’t quite right—and I had to keep reading to figure it out.

The story was fast-paced, and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming. I appreciated how the book explored trauma and trust in a way that felt real, but still kept the mystery at the center. The characters were flawed and complex, which made them interesting to follow even when I didn’t always like their choices.

I’m giving it four stars because while I was definitely engaged, a couple of plot points felt a little rushed or could’ve used more depth. But overall, this was a gripping read that I’d absolutely recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

Lucinda Berry is usually an auto-buy for me, so If You Tell A Lie was high on my list. While the psychological tension was there, the emotional payoff just didn’t land the way I’d hoped. The plot felt a bit too familiar, and I didn’t connect with the characters like I usually do in her books. A decent read, but not one that’ll stick with me like her others.

This is a story about old friends.

I’ve really enjoyed the author’s other work so I had high hopes going into this one, but it didn’t land as well for me. I think reading her other books I’ve always felt there was at least one character to hope for- I hated this entire cast. That being said, as always it was well written, suspenseful and twisty so don’t hesitate to pick it up if you enjoy unlikable characters!

3..5 rounded to 4

Thank you so much Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for the eARC

Loved the story direction. Loved to hate some of the characters. However hated the open ending. I would loved to have know what happened to each of them following.

This was just “alright”. It was a fun read with psychological twists. Spanning back and forth between time, the biggest issue I took with this book was the present. This group of adult women were so insufferable and immature.

The ending solidified a three versus two star read for me.

3⭐

Lucinda Berry is one of my auto-buy favorite authors, however this one I didn't feel was one of her best.

It begins with 4 teenage girls, Blakely, Thera, Meg, and Grace, at a summer camp they attend yearly and have become close friends over the years. Blakely, who appears to be the headstrong leader of the group, "falls in love" with one of the camp counselors, who ultimately ends up murdered.

Fast forward 20-some odd years, and the girls are reunited by mystery letters hinting at their involvement in his murder.

As I stated above, Berry is one of my favorites, but I felt like this could have been better. While I understand having the 5 viewpoints that went from past to present, the ending really only contained 3 of them, leaving the rest behind. Though you weren't supposed to like or sympathize with Blakely, I didn't care for any of the characters and they all were brats, to the point this almost could have passed as YA or "new adult".

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for the ARC copy of this novel originally, as I've since purchased the book and am just terribly behind on reviews.

This author has pretty quickly become one of my favorites for thriller books, and this one was no different.

I like the way it was told through alternating timelines, and it took a twist that I did not see coming.

The ending didn't entirely leave me satisfied, but overall, it was a solid read.

DNF - I attempted to start this book and it just did not hold my interest. This may be a book I come back to in the future.

I like the author's writing style. It is quick and easy to read. Unfortunately, this story didn't really work for me. I can't give details as this would spoil the plot.

Lucinda Berry is one of my favourite authors!! This story sucked me in from the very first page, I pretty much read it in one sitting!!!

A group of estranged campmates and friends reunite after decades of not talking after a threatening note is sent to all four women in If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry. Years ago, the close-knit friends would do anything for each other despite only sharing summers together at Camp Pendleton. The last summer they share ends in the death of a man, the coach of one of the girls, and they make a pact to never speak of the incident again. The note draws them together again and brings up all the turmoil they experienced, whether brought on by others or through their own close bonds. What will happen when the secrets come out and other ones take their place?

I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting, and I like the idea of a diverse group of women and how they each face their demons. You get multiple perspectives from each of the girls and other characters. Unfortunately, two of the women I had trouble distinguishing between because they seemed so similar even after they take very different paths after meeting up. I can't say that I connected with any other characters either. They weren't that likeable to me.

For some reason, maybe because of the summer camp setting and heartless murder that occurs that final summer, I kept getting horror movie vibes. It was hard to shake that off, especially with some of the violence and unnecessary gore that was described. It was hard to stomach for me, and I rarely read solid horror books. I tried to read a few Stephen King books and failed every time (except for stories that became the movies, The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me) even though I was encouraged by my husband, sister, and even son, along with a few friends, to give them a try.

As I moved through the story, I found the situations getting more and more preposterous. I couldn't understand some of the gullible and stupid actions by the characters. It was very far-fetched at times, and I had to just go with it. I did feel like many of the characters were somewhat one-dimensional. Some had no redeeming qualities, and I couldn't detect the motivations behind the actions that took place from the time before the coach's death up until the end of the book.

That's another thing. The ending is pretty abrupt. It's definitely a twist but not one that I liked although I wasn't totally dissatisfied. A few twists appear during the book, and maybe that's why I couldn't stop reading it. It kept me turning the virtual pages, and that's why I had to give this book three stars. Somehow the author cajoles you to keep going until you're deep into the mess that the characters created.

I had a mixed experience with this thriller. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste, and I didn’t really get hooked until I was about 85% of the way through the book. For most of the story, I felt like it dragged, and I struggled to stay engaged. However, once the plot picked up toward the end, the twists and tension made it a much more exciting read.

The characters were decent, but I wasn’t as invested in them as I hoped to be. The writing was solid, though, and the author definitely knows how to build suspense when the story finally starts to deliver. It wasn’t a bad read, but it took longer than I would have liked to reach the point where I could say I truly enjoyed it.

Not my favorite of hers. Lots of potential but it wasn’t fulfilling at all. It felt like she was leading somewhere but we never got there.

I couldn't put this book down! I loved the characters and how well developed they were. They each had their own story and I was conflicted in who I was rooting for. The plot twists just kept coming at the end and I loved it!!

A group of friends – Blakely, Meg, Gwen, Thera, Grace.
Phillip – husband of Blakely.
Regina – wife of Mr. Crosby.
Mr. Crosby – the good-looking counselor at Camp Pendleton where the group of friends met.
Claire – Meg’s wife.
We have the above group of friends who met at Camp Pendleton when they were young and every year they would stay in the same cabin. All coming from different backgrounds really set the stage of this group’s dynamics, at least for me. There was a hoity-toity rich one, one who would rather be by herself, one who was afraid to admit she liked girls, and a couple who came from the same neighborhood and were afraid to admit it. Interesting dynamics for sure. Oh, and the lies and the senior campers’ jokes - apparently a rite of passage their last year of camp. Some were harmless jokes, others not so much, especially the one these friends (some willingly, some not) tried to pull off. Years go by, they voluntarily lost touch with each other, or did they? It all started with a seemingly innocent letter years later.
The dual timeline was a bit much to keep up with at times, but overall I really liked the twists and turns in the telling of this tale. Again, I enjoyed the dynamics between these five friends and how they all intertwined, they each had something to hide that surfaced years later. The truth finally came out, but who got away with the most in the end? And why did some of these girls so willingly follow the one who was the leader of the pack, even when they knew it was wrong? Someone was certainly a good actress. There is also a bit of darkness as the secrets and lies unfold.

Lucinda does it again! There is a reason she is an auto buy author for me. I'm a sucker for different timelines and twisty twists. I can never quite tell where a Lucinda Berry story is going to end up and that's one of the things I love about her books.

Lucinda Berry can do no wrong by me. This had me hooked from begging to end. Never want to put book down. Very suspenseful
and the OMG moments? LOVED LOVED LOVED

Lucinda Berry's If You Tell a Lie is a chilling psychological thriller that delves into the dangerous world of peer pressure, secrets, and the devastating consequences of lies. The novel unfolds across two timelines, one set during the summer of 1999 at Camp Pendleton, where four gifted girls—Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera—make a reckless decision that leads to the murder of their tennis coach, Mr. Crosby. The girls swear themselves to secrecy, but their pact comes at a heavy cost, shattering their friendship.

Fast forward twenty years, and the secrets they thought were buried resurface when an anonymous note brings them back together. The mystery deepens as Blakely, the leader who always gets her way, manipulates the others once again, pulling them back into the web of lies and deceit. The tension builds as they are forced to confront the haunting reality of their actions and the repercussions they’ve been avoiding for two decades.

Berry masterfully explores themes of guilt, manipulation, and the devastating power of a lie, keeping readers on edge until the final, jaw-dropping twist. The suspense is relentless, and the characters are deeply flawed yet fascinating, particularly Blakely, whose charm masks her darker intentions.

If You Tell a Lie is a compelling and eerie page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and suspenseful mysteries, this novel is a haunting reminder of how one lie can change everything.