This is the first book from this author I have read and will not be the last. I found this book to be exciting and fast paced. The author has a way of drawing you into the characters making my heart beat faster with some parts of the more tense parts of the story. This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read so far. I would highly recommend this book.

Loved this book! I was gripped from the opening chapter. They storyline drags you in and won't let you go until the final page. As well as being a well thought- out story, the characters are so well written that they keep you interested from beginning to end. With themes of betrayal and fear, this is no lightweight read, and I found it hard to put down. Will be looking to read more of Amanda James' books.

Holly has turned her life around, she is married to Simon a successful consultant and she is expecting twins, her life is everything she could wish for.

Holly has a scan where she is told that there may be a problem with the male twin, it appears he is not growing as well as the female twin and Simon fears he may be too small to survive.

When she gives birth the baby boy dies before Holly has the chance to see him but she is sure she heard him cry. Holly goes into a deep depression and Simon deals with all the arrangements with regard to the baby.

Holly then receives a letter telling her that the baby is alive and with new parents and they are sorry for their part in the deception but circumstances gave them no choice. Holly does not know which way to turn and after speaking to her best friend, who does not believe her, Holly decides to try to find out what is going on by herself.

This is a well thought story with several twists, I liked Holly who would not give up once she realised the truth about her baby, her husband was another matter, he was arrogant and so unlikeable, and because he had money he thought he could do what he liked.

An excellent psychological thriller which gripped me from the start.

I first came across Amanda James when I read Summer in Tintagel so when I saw that she had a new book coming out I didn't hesitate to snap one up. Behind the Lie is a gripping psychological thriller that you think you have worked out but will still manage to surprise you.

Holly seems grateful to be married to successful surgeon, Simon. Holly was a successful model but found herself entangled in a life of drugs only to be rescued by Simon when he decided to marry her. Now that Holly is pregnant with twins, they appear to have the perfect marriage, but appearances can be so VERY deceptive. Simon has a gambling problem and sneaks out of the house when Holly is asleep. As he gambles more he quickly becomes out of control and bets more than his house.

When Holly goes into labour she is eager to meet her children, only to be told that her son didn't make it. Holly is sure that she heard a cry in the delivery room other than the one uttered by her daughter, Iona, but in the stress of the situation she must have been mistaken. Or was she? When she receives an anonymous letter that claims her son, Ruan, is alive she doesn't know who to turn to. Everyone will think she is mad and she might lose her daughter. So she turns to her ex-boyfriend and former serviceman, Jowan, to help her uncover the truth.

I think we are programmed to look for the shock element in books these days, so some people might find Behind the Lie slightly predictable, but I loved the interaction between all of the characters and the depths that they will stoop to in order to save their own skin. Amanda James always seems to create three-dimensional characters so that you can peel layer after layer away like an onion. It was certainly a fast-paced read that had me on the edge of my seat, purely because I cared about the characters rather than expecting a big reveal at the end. I sometimes found Holly a bit emotionless when she referred to her son as 'my boy' and her husband's mistress as 'his woman' but that was just my preference.

Another top-notch read by Amanda James, I'd certainly recommend Behind the Lie to anyone who likes a bit more meat on the bones of their psychological thriller.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

The first fifty pages were well planned and thought provoking but the plot and character development diminished quickly after that.

Holly used to be a model with a drug addiction. Until one day, Simon spots her on the runway and decides he wants her in his life. He helps her get her act together, they get married and are now expecting twins. Holly splits her time between a flat in London and a beach house in Cornwall. Life is good.

Until Holly gives birth and only one of her twins survives. She's convinced her son is alive and will stop at nothing to find him.

It's becoming increasingly clear that the psychological genre and I are having some sort of relationship crisis. We're at that stage where there's angry shouting and door slamming and maybe some plates you never really liked will end up in pieces on the kitchen floor.

Based on the description, Behind The Lie had a lot of potential. I was expecting an intricate plot with lots of twists and turns but unfortunately, the second chapter pretty much gave everything away and I thought it all became too predictable and slightly far-fetched.

I couldn't connect to any of the characters. They all came across as highly unlikeable, which doesn't always have to be an issue but in this case, for me, it was. I couldn't even muster up sympathy for Holly, which felt all kinds of wrong since she'd just lost a baby.

However, I did enjoy Amanda James' writing. Since this was my first time reading a book written by her, none of what I said will stop me from reading another one at some point. This is quite clearly a case of "it's not you, it's me" and the psychological thriller genre and I desperately need some time away from each other.

A superb psychological thriller by Amanda James. I was gripped from the start, wondering how the lie of the title would be discovered and just who was involved, and why...
I couldn't tear myself away from this book for 3 days, I loved it.
The characters were well formed - you know how involved you are with a book when you really detest a character in a book! I winced a few times at the nastiness, screamed silently in my head to "Don't do that!" and "Don't go in there alone, you won't be safe!"
A highly recommended family based nail biter. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Many Thanks to the publishers at Net Galley for letting me read this in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a well written book which went along at a quick pace. The main charcter Holly is expecting twins and seems to have it all. However, her husband, Simon, is not what he seems and events get very nasty. Hollys ex-lover is traumatised by war and the fact that he left her years ago and her friend doesn't believe her. Holly overcomes the traumas and friendships and relationships are strengthened.

The prologue sees Holly West giving birth to her twins, for her baby boy not to survive.
We then flash back five weeks to when Holly is told there is a problem by her husband, Simon, a consultant. Their baby boy is not growing well and he fears he is too small to survive. When she gives birth the worst happens and her son dies before she is able to see him leaving her understandably bereft, not just for the loss of her son but for the guilt that her drug dependency and bad lifestyle before she married Simon could have been the cause.

She then receives a letter that tears her world apart. Someone claims that Ruan is alive and living with new parents, and that they were part of this cover up.
Is it lies spread, vicious and seeking revenge, or is it the truth?
Due to the problems in her past she knows that no one will believe her, so she sets out to seek the truth herself.

Amanda James is an elegant writer, effortless to read and with a pace that keeps urging you to turn the pages. The whole abduction story line is one that is well thought and executed, and just when Holly thought things were over, it picks up its pace yet again to deliver further blows which see Holly fearing for their lives.

I was rooting for Holly from the start, I love a strong female protagonist. I also loved her strong friendship with Demi and Jowan, and seeing just how far they would go to protect her and her babies.

I really loved this book and was reluctant to finish it!

A definite 5* from me. Fans of Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain will devour this.

This is the first book which I have read by Amanda James.

It certainly won't be the last. I liked the way the author slowly developed the characters. This enabled this to develop into a very exciting psychological thriller.

I liked the two settings, central London and rural Cornwall, both of which added a sense of geographical realism to the story.

There are plenty of twists and turns along the way. Before the final reveal.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, although I found the writing style a bit "casual" at times. I also wish the twist had not been given away in the early chapters as that would have made for a more exciting read.

One of the best books of it's genre so far this year. Fast paced, twisty, kept me gropped from the first page to last. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.