To Tell You the Truth: A twisty thriller that’s impossible to put down Paperback – 13 May 2021

Great protagonist, great story twists, satisfying ending. I would have loved to know what happened to Teddy… do yourself a favour and read the book!

Good book

Really disappointed that a major part of the story wasn’t resolved?!?!?

What can i say just brilliant.............. Could not put it down best story i have read in ages. I want more from Gilly.

Lucy Harper has a talent for invention. She was nine years old when her brother vanished in the woods near home. As the only witness, Lucy’s story of that night became crucial to the police investigation. Thirty years on, her brother’s whereabouts are still unknown. Now Lucy is a bestselling thriller writer. Her talent for invention has given her fame, fortune, and an army of adoring fans. But her husband, Dan, has started keeping secrets of his own, and a sudden change of scene forces Lucy to confront some dark, unwelcome memories. Then Dan goes missing and Lucy’s past and present begin to collide. Did she kill her husband? Would she remember if she did?This read is all about Lucy and what a compelling narrator she makes. I was hooked by very early on and completely taken in by her and the story she was weaving. MacMillan does a masterful job of creating a very unnerving, intense atmosphere, it left me feeling unsettled and I never knew who was really telling the truth. I particularly enjoyed the writing style; mostly through the eyes of Lucy but there are chapters from a book being written about her brother's disappearance. As the book progresses, the timelines begin to catch up which made for intoxicating reading.The writing really made this book but I found the plot to be very strong as well. I was hooked as I have already said and read this very quickly as I wanted to find out the truth. However, I was left feeling a little disappointed and I thought the read loses its way towards the end. The reveals and twists were not that shocking and I feel MacMillan could have done more with the ending.I have mentioned how strong a narrator Lucy is, but she is also a very strong character, both literally and in the book. I enjoyed getting to know her and it was great to see her strengths come out as the book progresses and see the fight come alive in her. I very much enjoyed following her and she absolutely made the book. The other characters are not as strong but I have to say it feels like this was done on purpose and the read does not suffer as a result of not knowing them that well.'To Tell You The Truth' is a dark, unnerving read that had me hooked. Lucy absolutely made this book and I adored following her and never really knowing what her true intentions are. This read is addictive.Thank you to NetGalley and Century for an advance copy.

Amazing! One of my this year's favourite reads!

4.5⭐️A new author to me.The main character is Lucy a best selling crime author whose protagonist is based on her childhood imaginary friend.She is a little different, still having conversations with her imaginary childhood friend. Her husband seems to totally control their lives, and enjoy spending the money from her success.The story moves between 2 time frames when Lucy was 9, and the present as she has completed her latest novel.Lucy comes across as being a bit flaky, a bit distracted, naive, gullible, but very likeable. Her husband as very controlling and manipulative.The writing style is chatty, very easy going,it has a charm about it.The older time frame however is written in the second person which feels a little odd when reading it.I loved that the main character is a best selling crime author.The plot has a good complexity to it it feels real. It intertwines an event from Sophie’s past with one from the present. It’s really well written,It’s dark, creepy in places, always riveting. I was totally engaged with Sophie’s character. I applaud the ending, not what I was expecting.

Gytha Lodge’s LIE BESIDE ME ‘unreliable narrator’ meets a creepy THE DARK HALF by Stephen King.I loved the split personality aspect of the book, teamed with Lucy’s inability to not lie - it really gave the book a dark and sinister edge. As Lucy begins to loose her grip on reality, you not only question her ability to recall events but also how much of what’s happening is truth and made-up. For me, this was the strongest part of Gilly’s writing ability but I don’t feel it was carried out as fully as it could’ve been as the book’s focus changes towards the end.Lucy’s husband was truly despicable. Nothing that he did or said to her throughout the book was justified or at all loving or thoughtful. So when he doesn’t come home one night I was not interested in why at all. Again, this part of the story, for me, interfered with an already pacey and gripping concept. The twists surrounding this sub-plot were made to appear related to Teddy’s story but went off on a whole new agenda.You’d think that all the events in this story would tie in to the central question of ‘where is Teddy?’. But sadly, as I found out they served nothing but as twisty sub narratives to a conclusion that never got fulfilled.It’s a shame really because this book had all the right ingredients and I did genuinely love it!! But I was left bitterly disappointed at the end when no answers were given.- Was there just too much content to wrap up by the end of the book/in the allotted word count?- Did the author become overwhelmed with Eliza/Lucy’s character?- Did the editor require too much copy cutting?- Why is there no ending!Like Lucy/Eliza, I have a very split decision on this book. I am however now a fan of Gilly’s writing and will be eagerly looking through the Amazon kindle reads later to see what else is on her bookshelf and what I can read next!Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Great story

Xmas gift

Rather unusual plot and main character quite unexpected. We don't know, until the end, what we are coing tontine out. Many twists. Quite unputdownable ! Read it if you are not afraid of insomnia...

After completing her new book and submitting it to her agent and editors, her husband surprises her with a new house. The house is a mansion near her childhood home. The home where on a solstice night she and her baby brother snuck out and only she returned.Then her husband disappears and is found dead and her identity, changed twice since her brother’s disappearance, once on purpose and once by marriage, is revealed. Now she is suspect in two murders, her baby brother’s and her husband’s.

I genuinely liked this one, for a kindle unlimited read it really delivered. While it’s slow at the start and a little stereotypical of british thrillers- it does a good job of hooking you in. I never really knew what was going ti happen, or what would be resolved and I tried a lot of guessing which I enjoy.The last few pages are a little rushed, as most endings in this genre are. But the overall style is quite nice. Felt like a thick read which is nice from all the light ones i’ve been doing.