Daisy and Simon’s marriage isn’t what it seems… And their happy little family of three will never be the same again.
In Lies, Lies, Lies, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in free fall in a mesmerizing tale of marriage and secrets.
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So, where do I begin with this review? I had some very mixed reactions to this book and in the end that is why it gets 5 stars from this reader.
I’m not going to say much about the details of the plot because the manner of reveal of the details is super important to the enjoyment of this story. Simon and Daisy seem to have an idyllic marriage, but there are some cracks starting to form. Simon’s desire for a sibling for daughter Millie pushes this already-tense marriage to a breaking point and ends up with disastrous consequences.
The first half of this book is slow moving. Nothing much happens and I was a bit annoyed. Based on the title of the book, I was expecting some big revelations, but it doesn’t get delivered quite like that. The story really takes off around mid-point and the last half has me turning the pages and getting surprised a few times. Once I got to the end, I did like the creative way the story was presented to me as a reader.
What really made me love this book are the questions that this story asks, especially about secrets, lies and motivations. It’s the type of book you want to read with someone else and then discuss and I really enjoyed that about Lies,Lies, Lies. I wasn’t expecting that sort of book and it was a pleasant surprise. A few days after finishing it, I’m still thinking about Simon and Daisy’s actions. To me, that’s the sign of a five star read. The book has stuck with me.
This is my first book from this author and I will be on the lookout for more in the future.
An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.
Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks was a gripping and thrilling read. A story of the perfect family, right? It seemed once their daughter came, everything should have fallen into place for Daisy and Simon. Instead their lives take an unexpected turn they never saw coming. Now the lies are coming out and we are taken on a roller coaster of a ride in this thriller that touches on so many issues. The twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat!
Happy reading!
There are a lot of books out now that are about lies…. and secrets…. and more lies. It seems to be a trend, or maybe they’re just the types of books that are grabbing my attention right now. I do love how each author puts their own spin on their characters’ packs of lies.
Lies, Lies, Lies is full of secrets and lies—and characters I liked and then didn’t like—because of the lies and secrets they were keeping. Simon and Daisy definitely have problems in their marriage. Drinking is Simon’s escape but it makes Daisy question why she stays with him. Then one night, everything comes down on both of them and their lives are changed forever. More secrets and lies come out. Will that be what finally ends it for them?
This was an intriguing story with it’s share of twists and turns. I was drawn into the story from the start and quickly devoured it—very satisfying. This is the first book by Adele Parks that I have read but she is definitely be on my radar now and I’ll be eagerly awaiting her next book.
Adele Parks author of “Lies Lies Lies” has written a captivating, thrilling, intense and suspenseful story. The Genres for this novel are Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The author describes her characters as complicated, complex, and dysfunctional. There are secrets, betrayals, and lies in this novel, that it is hard to believe the truth. There are twists and turns, and ups and downs, and some really chilling moments.
Daisy and Simon seem to have a good marriage, and even have a beautiful young daughter. Everything seems perfect until a tragedy occurs. What starts off as a few omissions of the truth, and denials of inappropriate behavior, tend to build a mountain of deception that is ready to explode.
I appreciate that the author vividly describes the characters and plot, and slowly builds up to an unpredictable climax. I would recommend this psychological thriller for those readers that appreciate a chilling read.
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were moments where I was completely engrossed, moments when I was bored and close to giving up on it, and moments when I was sickened by it. And then the ending – completely implausible.
The story is, indeed, loaded with lies – lies to others and lies to one’s self. With the alternating perspectives, I did like that I was able to see from both Simon’s and Daisy’s points of view as the story unfolded. But the book is dark and graphic – the scenes when Simon is drunk and some domestic abuse scenes. The only character in the entire book that I liked was Leon.
This does turn out to be a story of how far someone will go when the loved ones are threatened.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy to read and review.
Simon and Daisy are in their mid-40s. They had tried for many years to have a child. Then, Daisy got pregnant and they now have a 6-year-old daughter named Millie. She is the light of their life. But, Simon is not satisfied with just one child and now he wants them to try for another.
Simon enjoys his alcohol. His father let him have a taste of beer here and there as a child and that seems to have started his attraction to it. There are times that he has stayed away from it but now, he seems to be drinking often and a lot. This causes family problems and leads to embarrassment for Daisy. After a party one night where Simon got totally drunk, an accident occurred that has devastated their family.
I enjoyed another of this author’s books but this one left me angry. Simon is an idiot and Daisy is weak. For Daisy to accept what was done to her and let it continue makes me want to kick her in the butt. She comes across as cold and snide expect when it comes to Millie. Some of the scenes in the book are downright disgusting and as a cat lover, I thought the kitten scene was absolutely unnecessary and made me furious. It’s not always necessary to throw everything into a book to make it gritty. This book has a huge amount of grit and it needed a good edit. I do hope that her next book will be better.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I just did not care for this book at all. I thought it was predictable and I didn’t really care about the characters.
Daisy was just too malleable, she didn’t stand up for herself. It’s a domestic type thriller and I’m sure some fans will like it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
Favorite Quotes:
… she’s had bouts of terrible hallucinations and intense paranoia. She threw things at me when I went into her room, she thought I was an undertaker and had come to measure her up.
Born in a different era, Connie would most likely have been one of the women knitting by the guillotines during the French revolution, she had the stomach for it. She always put curiosity before sentimentality. She collected experiences.
The cell smelt stale. Simon had always had a keen sense of smell. It was one of the least useful… He wore glasses, his hearing was average, and he couldn’t remember anyone ever saying he was a total king in the sack. So, out of smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch, it was his luck to get an A* in smell. Leon had been openly farting all evening… Simon longed for fresh air and a breeze.
Not blackouts Daisy, time travel. I’m like Doctor Who. My Tardis is a whisky bottle. I punch through the mundane rules of time and space that you mere mortals must live with.
I don’t need to worry about identity theft. No one wants to be me.
My Review:
This author is a wily minx! I adored and despised her as I read and adored and despised her tragic and tensely emotive and prickly storylines, which were populated with curiously compelling characters who were rather awful human beings. I thought they were appallingly weak and horrible people until about 80% into the book and it broke my heart when I realized how wrong I had been. The tale was steeped in angst, which is one of my least favorite things in the world, yet my brain was itching to know every little thing. I couldn’t put it down and wanted to hiss at every interruption to my perusal.
I was on edge, tense, nibbling my cuticles, biting my lips, my shoulders up in my ears, the knots in my neck and shoulders had additional knots of their own. I was confounded by my investment and attraction to these devastating storylines full of woe. The writing was haunting, insightfully observant, cunningly evocative, and poignant with oddly alluring intrigue and bewitching word voodoo that kept me tethered to my Kindle as I navigated this maddeningly paced, taut, and complex tale with a level of tension that continued to build exponentially. Even during those unavoidable periods when I was forced to put my Kindle down, also known as adulting and sleep, I found myself ruminating about the characters. I had five pages of marked quotes. There were multiple layers to this tale as well as to the complicated cast, in addition to a series of heart-clenching and unexpected twists. It was tragic, heartbreaking, and in the end – rather brilliant.
This is the type of review that is the most difficult to write because while I did not love this book, I didn’t hate it, either. My feelings fall in between due to the style of writing (mostly tell vs show) and an ending which was what I would consider over the top.
The story starts off with Simon and Daisy. they have been married for a while and most of the time Simon, a functioning alcoholic, is able to hold himself together. It isn’t until he pushes Daisy to try and have a second child (they had difficulty with their first) that a doctor puts doubt in his mind that little Maisey is his. From there his drinking, their marriage, his job all spiral quickly out of control leading to a horrific accident that breaks everything apart.
The premise of the story is how can a marriage survive when there are lies and secrets between a couple. The problem is that the story meanders through many different lies and disastrous secrets any single one of which would be enough that them all combined was too much. Ms. Parks develops her story and her characters mainly through the character’s introspections and memories while written in alternating first person. This gives the book a “tell the story” feel instead of it feeling as if the story was unfolding as one reads.
Ms. Parks definitely adds twists and turns to a plot that will keep you guessing until the end. There are times where you think that you know what is happening but you really don’t. The characters face overwhelming darkness and hardships, all for the sake of those they love.
Overall, this is a good story. It just needed a bit more “show” and a few less twists.
This was a slow-paced suspense book that had several twists in it that I did not see coming. Daisy is a primary school teacher, Simon is an interior designer and Millie is a happy little ballerina who enjoys her friends at primary school and her dance lessons. They seem like the perfectly blissful unit, but as the title suggests, there are lots of secrets. Simon’s love for a drink after work has turned into alcoholism, a secret that is hardly hidden but Daisy chooses not to address it. Millie, their beloved daughter, becomes a victim of their secrets and lies one night when there is a horrible accident. This is where lots of twists and turns begin in the book and this train raced to the surprising and stunning conclusion. The author did a masterful job of dealing with some really dark topics in the context of the plot, including post-natal depression, sexual violence and addiction. None of the characters were particularly likable, so I didn’t really relate to any of them, but I did sympathize with their plight. At times, I felt like just screaming at the pages of the book, “Talk to each other for heaven’s sake!” That makes lack of communication the theme that ran throughout the book and is the reason for the title. Fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from The Book Depository. I also received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
You may be able to tell by the chewed corners that I got this book second-hand: from a hotel-foyer bookshelf. I exchanged the book that I had finished for Lies Lies Lies.
I chose Adele Parks because I read her The State We’re In and was sort-of familiar with her contemporary women’s fiction revolving around relationships. I am glad of my choice. In my opinion, Lies Lies Lies is better than The State We’re In. It’s just a personal view and many will disagree, but whilst in The State We’re In the characters are static and the plot is (to me) strictly controlled, almost contrived in how it leads to its predestined conclusion, Lies Lies Lies is much more unpredictable. The denouement comes as a surprise, but one that is not beyond the realm of possibility and one that provides redemption.
I was particularly impressed in how Parks captured Simon’s alcohol dependency, his and Daisy’s hopelessness in the face of his addiction and Pete’s parasitic drilling under Daisy’s skin. The characters were authentic and had depth.
I am on the fence about this book. This is my first read from this author so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. On the one hand I loved the ending and how twisted up in lies these two really were. I wasn’t a fan of Daisy as she was rude, judgmental and far too passive aggressive for my taste. Simon had issues yes but for some reason he worshiped her stanky drawers when the author shows us no reason for these deep feelings she clearly doesn’t return. Maybe just maybe it’s not about liking the characters but just focusing on the story. For me that too became an issue because I personally appreciate a story that moves faster, the pace may not have been an issue for most but like I mentioned it is my own thing. For that alone I did finish the book and while I did skim I have to admit I didn’t see the ending coming AT ALL.
This isn’t a bad book as you can see my comments are about the characters and my personal preferred writing style. This author writes a compelling story that once the lies are revealed will truly leaved you floored. I will try her books again because from the reviews I read I won’t be disappointed.
Picked this up after a new book club I’ve joined had it listed as our September read. SO glad I did! First book by this author and I’ll surely be back to for more!
Daisy and Simon are struggling… struggling to have another child, struggling with the weight addiction puts on their lives, and struggling to hold onto what used to be. After a terrible tragedy, Daisy finds herself facing some well-hidden secrets and the possibility that it may all come out, forcing her to decide how to move forward and who she can trust.
Highly recommended book that will draw you in and leave you guessing at every turn. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Adele throws you another curve-ball… I loved the author’s writing style and felt completely connected to these characters. I cried and struggled along with them in this thrilling story and can not wait to see what Adele shares next!
An intriguing story for everything that this book touches. A family with a lovely daughter that tries for a second child.All the hard moments they went through while trying for the first one as well. Depression in all it’s forms, from the pre and postnatal one to the punches that life gives us unexpected while doing some routine checks and how we take for granted some things and the easy way we see everything around us if it doesn’t touch us personally. A story about alcohol and domestic abuse and how that affects marriage and future plans. So many turns that will keep you on the edge because this story it’s real and touches real-life topics, some very hard to read at times and most of them will make you reconsider your life choices or be more aware of what really happens in other marriages. Can’t recommend this book enough.