This book was quite the slog to get through! The plot was interesting and I liked that it was about a cult, and the far-reaching effects this has on individuals and those around them. I liked that the narrative alternated between the present and the daughter's perspective, and the mother's experience of being in the cult. That being said, I think that's where the positives end. The first 20% of the book did a great job at building up momentum and setting the scene, making me think this would be a real page-turned and that I'd want to read 'just one more chapter' again and again before being able to get off to sleep. Unfortunately, the middle chunk of the book was incredibly boring, long-winded, and slow-moving. It did catch up and get a lot more interesting for the last 20&, and I enjoyed the twist, but for 60% of the book to be slow and unenjoyable, I certainly wouldn't recommend this one.

I so enjoyed reading this book. The storyline built gradually, but beautifully, and was a totally satisfying read. Hope to read Helen Callaghan's previous books next.

Everything is lies

What a rollercoaster ride this story was, which kept me hooked until the very end.
The second novel by Helen Callaghan and as equally fantastic as her first. Set in the 80’s this psychological thriller is filled with drama and darkness. A great read and I would highly recommend.

I read this book in 24 hours!!! It was excellent!!! Sophia finds her mum hanging and her dad seriously ill....the plot thickens when she starts looking into it....be prepared to read none stop! Excellent read!

Everything is Lies is a wonderful book which I received via Netgalley. Set in two eras it tells the tale initially of Sophia, a young twentysomething young lady living in London who believes that her parents are a run of the mill couple, although she considers her mother Nina to have become somewhat needy since she, Sophia, left home.

What follows is an emotional, twisting tale as Sophia discovers her mother dead and her father seriously injured in what the police insist was a murder/suicide. Through her finding her mother's notebooks she comes to see that although she thought she had them pegged, her parents were not actually the people she believed them to be.

The plot flits between the narrative of the notebooks (this I found the most compelling read) and Sophia's reaction to what she reads.

The reader's frustration reaches the same heights as Sophia's when apparently no-one takes her seriously as she tries to insist that her parents must have been attacked whilst she unravels a tangled web of lies and secrets.

This is a very well-written plot, a real page turner full of suspense, emotions and reminders to all young women that not everything may be as it seems, and on so many levels, thoroughly recommended.

Everything is Lies by Helen Callaghan
A Riveting, dark but compelling thriller
This interesting thriller surrounds the main character’s search into her family’s past to understand why the death of her mother and horrific, simultaneous injury to her father is written off by the police as an attempted murder and suicide.
Sophia’s delving into the past of her parents, who had always seemed so quiet and unassuming whilst running their garden centre business, is skilfully handled by Helen Callaghan. The dark secrets and lies are revealed through an intriguing cast of characters building up to an exciting but believable finale.
This was an easy but absorbing read, with thoughtful and insightful writing producing a dark but compelling narrative of a young woman trying to discover the truth and come to terms with a catastrophic rewriting of her family history.

Everything Is Lies by Helen Callaghan a thrilling five-star read. What a book, I haven’t read the authors debut book but had heard good things so knew I wanted to check this out as soon as I saw the name, she was on a list of authors I have to check out. The whole story kept me on the edge of my seat, it was a real true page turner, don’t start this if you have anything to do as it won’t get done, I started it thinking I would read for an hour then go shopping, I went shopping the following day. I’m not usually a huge fan of this genre but my mum is and she recommended the author, she will definitely be getting a big thank you pressie for recommending this one.
Where to start, Sophia Mackenzie has believed her family and life are all boring and normal until tragedy strikes, then the story starts to unfold. Sophia starts to dig into her family’s past, what she finds will twist your mellon, her mum’s stories about her life and cult life will suck you deeper than you can imagine. The story flashes between now and a time when Sophia’s mum Nina was younger, this can get a little disconcerting at first but stick with it as the more you read the easier it becomes. This was such a suspenseful read, full of complex details that will have you questioning everything. The more you learn about the Morningstar cult the more questions you will have, it shows us how easily people can sucked in and twisted by a cult without realising what is happening until it’s too late.

This story really gripped me. It is hard not to want to know what happens next and the reverting to the main character's mother's notebooks gives it an extra pull on the reader. The characters are entirely believable as is the concept of the cult's fascination for the mother. The book has many unexpected twists which make it even more readable.

This book hooks you instantly, after a few pages it draws you in and you just want to keep reading. Sadly for me once the main plot was unveiled I was a bit disappointed as the topic didn’t really grab me - that said I think this is personal preference. I also guessed one of the main plot twists quite early on.

I’d recommend this book to others I just think that in this instance it wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ve heard great things about Helen Callaghan’s first book and will definitely look out it.

3.5 Stars.

Thanks to NetGally, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Helen Callaghan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Completely gripping from the very beginning, with twists and turns until the very end. It was never my plan to read this book so quickly, but the end of every chapter left me needing to know more! This is a riveting read that left me utterly engrossed. Very cleverly written, with a complex but not unrealistic plot. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read my 5-star review of Everything Is Lies by Helen Callaghan
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2264681981

What a great book and value for money, two books into one.
After ignoring her Mum's pleas to come home, then discovering that her catch from the party is married I guess finding your Mum hanging from a tree and Dad in a pool of blood the next day is a bad 24hrs by anyone's standards. Sophie thought her Mum and Dad a bit dull and was happy to escape and flee the nest but all is not as it seems which is what I want from a book but not in real life obviously. So life gets a bit weird and some more as the consequence of the previous night unfold, problems at work on top of her Mum's unknown past, which to be honest makes work a side issue but still a issue none the less. This is a book that grips you and could well find you reading into the night but i think it's well worth while I was hooked from the start and didn't let go. Helen is a writer well worth following on fan and book sites obviously, I'm looking forward to reading some more of her work.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review. I would be happy to pay for this book out would have been worth every penny.

Sophia is an architect working in London for a high pressure firm which expects its employees to work, rest and play its ethos. Late one night while she is at a nightclub, following the company mantra, she receives a phone call from her mother asking her to come home that night. Sophia is over the limit and tells her mother she will visit the following day. When she arrives at the family home she finds her mother hanged and her father barely alive suffering from stab wounds. The police are convinced her mother stabbed her father and then hanged herself. Sophia believes otherwise and begins to investigate.

The story continues with Sophia, initially finding two of three books her mother has written which talk about her past. They open up a completely new image of the woman who was her mother and her past involvement with a community Sophia knew nothing about. This opens up a whole new world for her to look into.

This is a novel about cults, charisma, murder, money, drugs, self-interest, betrayal and ultimately revelation. It is written in the first person and Sophia is the only really well rounded character in the book but that doesn’t matter. I pride myself on being able to spot an oncoming twist but this one caught me out entirely. I love it when that happens!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you

I did like this although I did not find any of the characters particularly pleasant. The plot was unusual and the way the story gradually unfolded kept me guessing; there were a few twists along the way. It passed a few pleasant enough hours.

This book pulled me in from the beginning. A daughter arrives at her parents home to find her mother hanging from a tree in the garden, and her father critically injured below her on the ground. The general feeling was that this was a murder suicide situation. However, the daughter, Sophia, cannot believe this scenario, and when she finds a letter from a publisher to her mother which reveals that her mother is writing a book based on 3 notebooks of her life experiences, she determines to find the notebooks to see if she can find any link to her parents death.
We then get to read these notebooks, and what is in them is the main part of the book, plus the effect they have on Sophia and her life.. The twists, turns and revelations come one after another - this a brilliant book, brilliantly written and I thoroughly recommend you to read it.

This is a complex thriller which at times I found difficult to follow.
Still it was worth the effort as I did enjoy the story.

Well, this book turned out to be nothing like I expected it to be - but in a good way. Many different scenarios ran through my head when reading the synopsis, but the actual story I read was a surprise. I enjoyed reading it: it has an interesting plot, lots of twists and turns, and some genuinely shady characters. I didn't think the final twist was a shock, I had guessed it, but it still works well. I will definitely check out the author's other work.

A well written, intriguing story about family mixed in with death, drugs and sex which takes you on a journey you don't expect. Was it suicide or murder ... and either way, why? Good pace throughout which keeps you hooked till the end.

When I finish reading a book I usually know how I rate it etc. For me, this book was different so I've had a think for a couple of days and decided firstly on 4 stars. I found much of the book to be a brilliant read - I couldn't put it down and just had to find out what happens next. I managed to work out about Jared although I did think Monica was Tess in evil mode. The areas of the book that offset this view were the notebooks produced by Nina and the ending. I found the failed rock star/cult/mansion/brainwashed followers very slow and more from the 60s or maybe 70s rather than 1989 onwards. I know this was needed to explain what happened to Nina but it did seem very drawn out at times. I thought the ending for Sophia was a little too 'happy ever after' - I would have liked a more sombre end where is drawn to Aaron and joins the current throng. Nevertheless and excellent book and one I will remember,

The story is about Sophia getting to the bottom of her mothers death, and understanding all the things in the past that made her the parent she was. Her mother, Nina, is needy and dependant. Sophia just wants to live her own life, not the one the corporate wants, not the one her mother wants; so on a Friday night when her mother rings she's already over the limit as heading back to a suitors house.

Sophia soon learns this wasn't the right thing to do, and with her mother gone, her father hospitalised and no one believing that it wasn't a murder suicide she starts digging.

A letter regarding a book deal prompts Sophia to discover her mothers past life. It's a whirlwind of sex, drugs, cults and friendship. We see Nina at college, Nina being embarrassed by her parents, Nina getting swept away by a rock star, then Nina questioning herself, her life, trying to understand who she is and what personal strength she has, if any.

Luckily Sophia has people to support her, as well as to hinder her journey. She needs to learn who she can trust, who can help, and more importantly the real truth that's been hidden all these years.

The book cleverly makes you question everyone at the right time. Some people too early, some not early enough. The twists were fluid enough to not come as a surprise.
There was some interesting truth and wisdom in the cult behaviours, and when Tess made Nina think about the true definition of a cult as you see her relating to the meaning, as a reader you can too.

Wow. Slightly convoluted but so enjoyable. Full of twists, surprises, sadness, and laughter. You feel empathy for the young woman as she tried to find out the truth. A very enjoyable read.