Following on from her eBook bestseller Close To Me, Amanda Reynolds is back with Lying To You, another gripping psychological drama. Perfect for fans of The Husband’s Secret and I Let You Go.
You’d know if you were lying to yourself, wouldn’t you?
When Jess Tidy was Mark Winter’s student, she made an accusation that ultimately saw him sentenced to three years in prison. A jury found him guilty, but he always maintained his innocence. Now, Jess’s mother’s death has brought her back to the village where she grew up, and where Mark still lives with his wife. And the truth about that night ten years ago which nearly destroyed them both is finally going to come out.
A gripping drama with dark twists and turns, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and the BBC series Doctor Foster.
Published 1st April 2018 (Ebook) and 26th July 2018 (PB) by Wildfire Books (UK)
Warning! Make sure you have a clear few hours when you begin this book.
That’s how I started my review of Amanda Reynolds’ debut novel, Close To Me, last year. And after reading her second novel, Lying To You, I can firmly say ….
Amanda Reynolds has done it again!!!
Seriously, Amanda’s writing is so thoroughly addictive and compelling, the pages just turn themselves, meaning huge chunks of book just disappear without you even realising. Just as before, once I started Lying To You I didn’t put it down until I’d devoured the whole book.
Lying To You tells the story of Jess, as she gets a phone call from her brother to say their alcoholic mother has died. yet Jess is reluctant to go back home, wary of dredging up a past she is desperate to put behind her. In alternating chapters we also hear Karen’s story, as she struggles to deal with Jess’s return and resentment at the girl she blames for ruining her family’s life a decade ago with one devastating accusation.
I absolutely adore how Amanda Reynolds writes such convincingly flawed characters, drawing feelings of both empathy and mistrust. She isn’t afraid to show the dark side of her characters and writes emotions such as resentment, frustration, manipulation and fragility convincingly. There’s a theme to her female characters of loss of identity, grief at a loss of self and strength in wanting to regain control that I think is very relatable.
The story covers a shocking and traumatic topic of a teacher/student relationship and explores boundaries, trust and abuse of power in a realistic and sympathetic way. I was wary, to be honest, that this might not be the case, and I’m glad the author wrote the novel the way she did, once again showing her understanding and compassion for the complexities of relationships and manipulation. She doesn’t rely on shocking twists but explores the dark side of marriage, family and trauma respectfully and convincingly.
Amanda Reynolds has firmly cemented herself on my list of must read authors, her second novel being just as, if not more, engrossing, compelling and thought provoking as her first. There’s something so accessible and readable about her writing, which just flows, making it effortless to read and page turning in the extreme. I barely noticed the time passing as I read Lying To You. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of dark domestic drama, and personally I can’t wait to read more from Amanda Reynolds myself.
(I read an advance proof courtesy of the Amazon Vine program)
