Title: The Lies We Tell

Author: Jane Corry

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 24th June 2021

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

Sarah always thought of herself and her husband, Tom, as good people. But that was before their son Freddy came home saying he’d done something terrible. Begging them not to tell the police.

Soon Sarah and Tom must find out just how far they are willing to push themselves, and their marriage, to protect their only child . . .

As the lies build up and Sarah is presented with the perfect opportunity to get Freddy off the hook, she is faced with a terrifying decision . . .

Save her son . . . or save herself?

Review:

I was so drawn in by the premise of The Lies We Tell and it totally lived up to its promise of a thought provoking thriller. The story follows Sarah and Tom, a married couple with a teenage son who comes home one night and confesses to doing something terrible. He pleads with them to help him and not to tell the police – Sarah and Tom then have a life changing decision to make.

At almost 500 pages The Lies We Tell is not a short book, but I absolutely raced through it! It’s a really addictive read which keeps you turning the page to find out how things ended up the way they do for this family. After throwing you in at the deep end with Tom and Sarah’s son coming home and telling his parents he has done something awful the narrative reels back to the very beginning of the relationship between this unlikely couple. I loved this structural choice – it completely pulls the reader into the entire evolution of a relationship which is full of secrecy, lies and two very different individuals. Tom is a sensible creature of habit who lives to follow the ‘rules’. He is logical to a fault and has a mind for numbers. Sarah on the other hand is an artist with a troubled past. She is more emotional and free spirited than Tom and adores her much longed for son, Freddie, with all her heart. The relationship between Sarah and Tom is the central thread of the book. The way their secrets slowly eat away at their bond and the crucial differences between them become insurmountable is fascinating and allows the reader to really feel they know these characters. Then comes the moral dilemma at the centre of The Lies We Tell, mainly how far should a mother go to protect her child? This is the kind of book that makes you question what you would do in the place of these characters and I found it incredibly engrossing. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a compelling thriller which makes you think with an intriguing dissection of a complex relationship at its heart.

I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.