Named a New York Times Best Thriller of the Year and Best Book to Gift!
“An unsettling and atmospheric thriller that’s almost impossible to put down . . . Will keep you guessing right up until its satisfying but unexpected conclusion.” — Buzzfeed
“Riveting.” — The New York Times Book Review
The acclaimed author of The Nanny and What She Knew—hailed by stalwarts including Ruth Ware, Liane … conclusion.” — Buzzfeed
“Riveting.” — The New York Times Book Review
The acclaimed author of The Nanny and What She Knew—hailed by stalwarts including Ruth Ware, Liane Moriarty, Tess Gerritsen, and Shari Lapena—returns with another serpentine thriller that cleverly blends atmosphere, tarnished memories, mystery, and twisty secrets from the past into a potent, intense read that will leave you questioning everything you believe.
To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.
Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans. It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.
Now Dan has vanished. But this isn’t the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy’s life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy’s disappearance, to the detectives’ fury and her parents’ despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story—a talent she has profited from greatly.
But now Lucy’s a grown woman who can’t hide behind fiction any longer. The world is watching, and her whole life is under intense scrutiny. A life full of stories, some more believable than others. Could she have hurt Teddy? Did she kill Dan? Finally, now, Lucy Harper’s going to tell the truth.
Cross her heart.
And hope to die.
“Spellbinding . . . Bold, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. This one will stay with me for a long time.” — Samantha Downing, #1 internationally bestselling author of My Lovely Wife
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At the age of nine, Lucy has an imaginary friend named Eliza Grey, that has helped her cope with being bullied and feeling alone.
Now, Lucy Harper, is married and a famous author, who writes about Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey, books based on her imaginary friend. Eliza Grey has a social media page with a large fan base. Eliza is still very much a part of Lucy’s life. Lucy’s husband, Dan, hasn’t been so successful as a writer, and works for Lucy.
Dan enjoys the life from the income that Lucy’s books provide. He takes it upon himself to surprise Lucy with a purchase he made.
Lucy is less than thrilled with the surprise. She is far too close to her childhood home and memories associated with it. Memories of sneaking out of the house early in the morning with her three year old brother, Teddy, in tow. She returns home without him, and doesn’t know where he is. Dan doesn’t seem to consider her feelings. After an argument, Dan leaves and doesn’t return home. Something Dan has done before, and Lucy doesn’t worry until the police show up on the doorstep.
When Dan’s body shows up, and the police start to dig, it won’t be long before they discover Lucy’s past!
This is about two mysteries, where one gets solved and the other keeps the reader guessing as to what happened. The end left me trying to figure out if parts of the story were from the past as they happened or a ‘what if’ situation. It appears that Eliza came about as a way to cope as a child and later, Lucy creates novels based on Eliza because she also struggles to cope. Intriguing read that kept me pondering!
I would like to thank, William Morrow, Scene of the Crime, and NetGalley for providing me an ARC to read and review this book.
Lucy Harper is a successful novelist and she has just completed her latest novel. However, it is not the novel her editor and publisher want. It is not an Eliza Gray novel. Lucy needed to remove Eliza from her novel because Eliza, Lucy’s imaginary childhood friend, is becoming a louder presence in Lucy’s life.
Once Lucy completes her novel, her husband, Dan, has a surprise for Lucy, but Lucy doesn’t want the surprise. It also signals trouble for both Lucy and Dan. Not only that, but the surprise brings back the horror of her youth. When Lucy was young, she took her little brother into the forest with her in the middle of the night, but when she came out of the forest, Teddy was missing. Now, all the memories come back, and Lucy is once again the subject of a police investigation. Eliza is continuing to tell Lucy what to do, and Lucy wonders if she is sane or mad.
I always enjoy a Gilly Macmillan novel and this kept my interest as to see what the resolution of the story would be. I wasn’t 100% on the ending, but otherwise, it kept me engaged. I read it in one sitting.
Thanks to The Book Club Girls, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for this copy of the novel. My opinions are my own.
#ToTellYouTheTruth #GillyMacmillan #HarperCollins #NetGalley
Another psychological thriller, this time Gilly MacMillan’s To Tell the Truth, her fourth standalone novel. Whilst these domestic noirs seem so popular these days, this one relies on a damaged bestselling novelist whose brother went missing when they were children. Now her husband is missing and through the use of flashbacks, the story slowly unfolds until the hasty finale. One of the more average examples of this type of thriller, so a satisfactory suspenseful two-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are bias free and totally my own.
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH is an amazing story filled with twists and turns that I did not see coming!
Lucy Harper is an author of a best selling series featuring DS Eliza Grey. Eliza also happens to be Lucy’s childhood imaginary friend and she still communicates with her. I think that’s an awesome idea especially because we don’t know if Eliza is the good side of Lucy or the bad until the end.
Then there’s Lucy’s husband Dan who is now her assistant after a failed attempt at becoming an author. But Dan is acting strange and making decisions without Lucy’s knowledge and things quickly start going down hill. Then Dan disappears!
As Lucy starts trying to piece together this puzzle, she’s afraid that the past is coming back to haunt her. Does her little brother Teddy’s disappearance have anything to do with all this or is her guilt messing with her?
A great cast of characters in their neighbors, the detectives and the people Lucy works with. Some have their own agendas and until the end, you don’t know who did what or why.
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH is my first Gilly Macmillan book and I’m hooked! Thank you to Book Club Girls Early Read Program and NetGalley for this advanced copy.