Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney is a contemporary psychological thriller which once I started I just could not put down.
The book is broken into three different time periods - 'before' in 1991, 'then' and a week later 'now.' The action alternates between them and the reader finds them self trying to join the dots.
What happened? What is the truth? Who can you trust? Just some of the questions that ran through my head as I read. All was revealed by the end of the book but I failed miserably in joining the dots correctly.
Sometimes I Lie was a compulsive read. The action was well paced, unlike my heart, whose beats sped up the more I read.
The characters were a blend of menacing, suspicious and innocence, completely throwing me as to who the villain was. Are we all a mixture of innocence and experience?
The novel was about family and love. A distorted view at times with the pressures of living closely together, the sibling rivalry and the pressure of parents. And the unending loyalty.
Sometimes I Lie is more than a little disturbing at times. It messes with your mind. It has a cleverly constructed plot that has been extremely well thought out. It is a marvellous read. It is a book you will not want to put down and you certainly do not want to miss.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

After reading the description I knew I wanted to read this book and I was hoping that it would be as thrilling and mysterious as the blurb suggests. I am delighted to say that it does not disappoint.

It can be so hard with psychological thrillers now to manage to give people that thrill because the more of this genre you read the more you become aware of the tricks but I can safely say that I did not see any of it coming.

Of course, I won’t go into too much detail because with this kind of book it would spoil the whole story but what I will say is that it is brilliant and pieced together expertly. The story is told from different timeframes we get to hear from Amber as she is trapped in the coma, what she can hear around her and what’s going through her head and we get to see events from before that lead up to the coma.

This works really well because you are constantly having to reassess which direction the story is taking, it also keeps the book really pacey and builds suspense around what is happening. Plus it makes it impossible for you not to read on.

There are twists in this story that you really don’t expect, they weren’t in your face, they were subtle and I think that made even more of an impact, it was mind blowing.

The characters are complex, Amber is the ultimate unreliable narrator and it gets to the stage that you really don’t know what or who you can trust.

This is a book that sinks its claws into you and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page. I would highly recommend it.

This is the second book I have read this week with the main character having OCD and the story continuously going backwards and forwards in time. Is this the current pattern for books, I sincerely hope not. I struggle reading books like this and can't seem to find my way into the story, unfortunate as it looked to be a good story.

Amber Reynolds is 35, married, and works in radio. She is in a coma - with no way of communicating and no memory of what happened. She is sure someone is lying to her - but she is also a liar.

This twisty thriller goes back and forth between the present day and the early 90's where we find out how the friendship of two little girls will change both of their lives forever.

A really enjoyable thriller, fast paced, one that you need to pay attention to! This will be popular.

I have recommended this to so many people! Sometimes I Lie is a gripping, edge of your seat thriller that had me hooked. With a title like that, you know something isn't quite right with the narrative, but I didn't have any idea as to what that was. Told in flashbacks and diary entries, as well as the present day point of view from Amber who is in a coma, the tight plot runs at a pace that makes you turn just one more page. I didn't see the almighty twist coming which is always good I think! I'm sure I won't be the only reader who returns to the beginning after the final pages. A really great debut.

Wow what an amazing read.....!!!
Had me guessing all the way through and then the ending well I didn't expect that, great characters you never know what's true and what isn't I totally loved this book and cannot wait for more!!!

There are psychological thrillers and there are psychological thrillers. Sometimes I Lie is the latter. It gives the impression of being relatively calm and sedate - with Amber, our narrator, lying in a hospital bed whilst aware yet in a coma - but reveals a completely different scenario as you progress along with the book and learn how this event came to pass. It's a meaty thriller with plenty of shock and awe as things develop proving all is not as it appears. The reveals are superb - bits of information are doled out piecemeal keeping the reader begging for more. I had to pause after reading some of them to make sure I had it right. I love feeling stupefied by a strong story and Sometimes I Lie was as satisfying as they come.

A great story with intriguing characters and lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I was there with Amber on every page and anxious to know what happened to her. Brilliant stuff!

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had me gripped from the begining and I enjoyed the way the author told the story from the coma victims point of view.
I read it in bed and actually felt scared when the husband came visiting.
The ending was very intriguing too.
All in all a good, thrilling read.

Mmmmm, I don't really know what to think about this story if I'm totally honest. I know there are many out there who loved it, but it just didn't grab me as much as I had hoped. Having read another story recently where the main female character was locked inside herself yet able to hear everything I may have unintentionally compared this story to the other.

There is a good storyline here, and many twists and lies throughout. I ended up not liking the main female character at all, and that probably explains why I didn't love the story. The ending leaves a lot of questions rather than all of the answers, and without the promise of a sequel it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

This is being marketed by the publishers with the tagline "A psychological thriller with a killer twist you'll never forget" - personally I think they need to change it to "don't believe everything you read". This book is narrated by Amber Reynolds and I actually think that if you look in the dictionary for the definition of "unreliable narrator" you will see Amber's photo there! Without giving anything away we know immediately that Amber is in a coma and she openly admits that "sometimes she lies". This book takes you on a journey and boy you need to hold on tight, buckle up and remember to breathe as this is one hell of a ride - in fact I think I am now suffering from whiplash. Switching from present day to the days leading up to the incident resulting in Amber's coma and then switching to her childhood, this stunning debut is utterly addictive, atmospheric, creepy and tense throughout. I have never consciously re-read a book (life's too short), but I think I may have to make an exception purely to work out WTF I just read. A masterpiece in headf*cks.

Everything and everyone in this story are not as they seem. Be prepared to be amazed, surprised and shocked. I usually enjoy stories with unreliable narrators and Amber is one of the best. Well written, with original plot, well drawn out characters and plenty of twists - this book is an ultimate phycological drama.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

O.M.G - pretty much sums up my reaction to this book, from the first page to last. I wasn't just gripped - I was transfixed, unable to take my eyes from the words as twist after twist was revealed and chapter after chapter sped by.

Sometimes I Lie is mind blowingly clever and complex. In short, because I don't want to give away too much detail of the plot, it tells the story of Amber Reynolds, a woman who has found herself in hospital in a coma. What's really fascinating first of all, is that it's told from Amber's perspective as she lies there, presumed to be unaware of what's going on around her by her family, but able to hear everything. Alice Feeney completely convinced me here, everything from the descriptions of sounds and smells in the hospital, to feelings of panic, fear, confusion and frustration experienced by Amber. This alone makes the book stand out for it's originality and intrigue.

The chapters alternate between her time in a coma and the days leading up to the event that causes her to be there. There's also another story woven in between the chapters, causing the reader to wonder how exactly it all ties together. The plotting is intricate and brilliant, as pieces of the puzzle are put together, then reshuffled and put back together again. Honestly, the twists and turns that are pulled out during this book come like bolts of lightening one after the other, making Sometimes I Lie an exhilarating, heart pumping, thrill of a read. Alice Feeney plays mind games with the reader, leading you down one path, then dropping a bombshell to make you shout out loud. Every time I thought I knew exactly what was going on, bam! - that certainty is shattered. Right through to the very last page.

It took me two sittings to read this book, and it was only because I had to take a break (mother duties) that I did. I could not stop reading. I had to know what happened. It is completely compelling, original and twisty and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Sometimes I Lie is my book of 2017 so far, and it's going to take a lot to beat it. Alice Feeney is without doubt an author to watch out for...I think we'll be hearing a lot more from her in the future!

I enjoyed the book a little too much description at times that was not needed. An interesting read. I have reviewed this on amazon and 2 twitter feeds..

have only heard positive things about this book and must say i was not dissapointed! excellent.

Couldn't take to the main character Alice and it put me off the whole book. I did like the way the story skipped from present to past to diary but I felt too many things were said just fortunately where the coma victim could hear them.

I was given a free copy of this book to read and give an honest review.... in no way did it influence my review in anyway .....Omg this book was amazing im lost for words this was probabably one of the best books ive read this year wow it left me breathless the twist and turns in this book made me feel like i was on a rollercoaster just when i thought id worked it out you blew me away again with an even bigger twist this is in my top 10 favourite books of all time i want to read it again you must read this book now!!!!!

This is a debut novel for Alice Feeney - I have to say that I want to be on the waiting list for her next book right now!
The terror of this novel had me from page one, as the thought of being in a coma where you can hear everyone speak, but no one know you are sentient is to me a living nightmare. That is exactly what is happening to Amber as we meet her in the hospital and the opening lines of
My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.
I really should have paid more attention to number 3. The book is told from the perspective of Amber in the coma, flashbacks to just before she was in the coma and flashbacks to when she was a child.

I found the whole book so enticing. Sometimes when a book jumps around like this you long to be back to the present, but the writer managed to make you want to be at all three places at once! So many threads being woven. The writing is also so beautiful with lines like "you steal stolen seconds and gobble up misused minutes, sticking them all together to make a delicate chain of borrowed time, hoping it will stretch”.

I read it in one sitting as I just had to know what was happening. The author put one huge twist in which left me free falling - I had to put the book down for a minute and regroup my thoughts.

Just when i thought I had it all straight in my head there is a huge final twist which I still don't know what to make of. I finished the book and I am still not sure what just happened. I think this book needs an online support group - I just need to talk with others about what I just experienced. Still I am thinking I should have paid more attention to point 3...........

You need to read this book - it's like nothing you've read before.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars - I wish I could give it more. My thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of the book for review.

It's fair to say this book has twisted my melon. The title should have warned me. Amber lies in a coma. We read narratives from when she is in the coma, from the week leading up to what put her in the coma and also diary entries from 1991/2. And that's all I can say without ruining one of the greatest surprises of this year so far. Because it's fair to say I was expecting a fairly run of the mill story, and at first I thought that's what I was getting. Great writing, excellent characterisation but essentially same old same old. But no, that really is not the case. This book will sneak up on you. It seems like a slow burner but pay attention and you'll realise the author is out to mess with your mind. Grab a cuppa, put a do not disturb sign on and give this book every bit of your attention - you'll need to!

Thank you Netgalley, HQ and Alice Feeney for this review copy.

I was immediately intrigued about this book after reading the synopsis:

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:

1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

I don't think things can get much more alluring than that!

This initial insight into the book haunted my entire reading of it. Everything the protagonist said and did and thought I found myself second-guessing and attempting to glean some hidden meaning or ulterior motive from. Alas, this was to no avail and I was thoroughly deceived by the ending.

There are so many truths buried inside the untruths that made this a book impossible to decipher! No understanding was given to the reader until the narrative had decided to. We were left at the mercy of the story's unfolding. And I loved it for that!

This truly was a unique and darkly gritty thriller, that might just have become my new Gone Girl!