Reviews

The Lie by Kathryn Croft

bookgramer_'s review

2.0

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm in the minority of people who didn't like this book, as I can only see glowing reviews of this one on Netgalley and Goodreads.

What didn't work for me:
*Some plotholes and inconsistent timelines.
*Adult characters acting like kids.
*I guessed the biggest (and only) twist in the first Rose chapter itself, which made the final reveal feel lackluster.

The book is short and easy to read, so I'd say give it a go if you're new to mystery and thrillers.

kathee93's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

stephh90's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

chshead667's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

3.25

abercrombie1986's review

mysterious medium-paced

4.0

This one was twisty and kept me on my toes.  Ultimately a mother’s love for her child and her instinct to protect them at all costs is at the heart of this one.  Jacob walks Rose home and now Rose is missing.  Jacob’s Mom wants to protect him, and Rose’s Mom wants Rose back and answers.  It seems like such a simple plot, but is it?

The more I read this one the more I didn’t like any of the characters.  Filled with lies and secrets, the story is told from the mothers’ POVs.  Maybe it’s just that I am not a mom, so I don’t understand, but I think they needed to pay a little more attention to what was around them.  But luckily for me I don’t need to like any characters to keep reading.  I just needed to know what happened to Rose.  I was still a little unsure at the end, but ultimately, I was entertained.

If you are a fan of suspenseful family drama, you should read this one. 

rowellreads's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

3.5

nebulous07's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"The Lie" is my first book by Kathryn Croft. The Adams family have moved from London to Surry and mark this by having a barbecue. Rose Nyler is Jacob Adam's girlfriend. She's a talented songwriter, a motivated and disciplined student and a close confidence of Ava Adam, Jacob's sister. Jacob walks his girlfriend to her place at the end of the night, and then...Rose goes missing. Jacob is the person of interest as he was the last person, and his chronic lies aren't helping his case. But is there more to this disappearance? 

Kathryn Croft has sprinkled the breadcrumbs across multiple POVs, and its execution was impressive and brilliant. The sad and tense environment is carried throughout the book. As this is a psychological thriller, all the characters are morally grey, which fuels deception, motive, secrets and suspicion. The connections between the characters tie well, and the level of detail makes it an enjoyable read. However, for me, I deciphered the accused halfway through the book. As a result, when the twist was revealed, it wasn't shocking but warped. 

If you're a fan of domestic thrillers, suspense and psychological thrillers, give this book a go! 

Thank you, NetGalley & Bookouture, for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily,

meghannekerr's review

mysterious

1.0

bookdrgn's review

4.0

This kept me guessing. I couldn't put it down.
I sort of suspected the killer after we read Rose's POV but it was still a WTF revelation.
Lucy is one determined mother.
I wish we had found out everyone's secrets. It seems like there's more going on with Jacob and I'm so curious about it.
I received a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

amandapandareadsbooks's review

2.0

Thank you to NetGally and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my review.

What did I just read? I liked the premise of The Lie but overall found the actual execution of the plot sloppy and the dialogue was often forced and unnatural.

My biggest issues with the book were:
- Timelines that didn't add up - half-siblings Jacob and Ava are 16 and 13 respectively and yet their mother didn't meet Ava's father until Jacob was 4?
- Adults who act like children - I'm sorry but if my daughter was found murdered and I became aware of evidence, I would go to the police. I would not try to convince literal teenagers to craft stories on how they found said evidence and then be OK when they got too scared to go to the police. What?
- The description doesn't actually match the plot - what is the family secret no one can find out about?

This book had potential. I love the concept of a mother grappling with protecting her son vs. getting to the truth when his girlfriend goes missing. There is a great story there, but this just isn't it.