Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the arc of One White Lie by Leah Konen.

This follows the POV of Lucy King, whom is a journalist and is escaping her abusive controlling freak of a boyfriend Davis and she ends up renting a cabin slightly outside Woodstock in the Catskills, she needs to stay under the radar and un-noticeable and unfindable so then Lucy becomes very good friends with neighbours John and Vera whom in which she ends up growing on to rely on and they end up having fun times together. the They have some problems within the residents of Woodstock and she ends up agreeing to help them to resolve the problems in which they come up with a plan. This is yet another white lie among many in which that Lucy is guarding and keeping secret and when the plan goes bad to worse and then goes tragically wrong, lie upon lies build up . she is now in dangerous and grave danger which ends up nearly costing her everything in which she has been able to kept under control and she ends up fighting for her life.....

5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommend Highly.

This is the story of new neighbours Lucy, Vera and John, as Lucy says “linked, the three of us, by our torrid backstories.” And, that kinda sums this up....complex characters with complex backstories embroiled in a complex plot. There really is a lot going from Lucy fleeing a bad relationship and her estrangement from her parents to worrying rumours about her new neighbours, strange goings-on in her new house and the ‘one white lie’.

But, it’s the complex plot that help keeps you guessing. An almost constant change of perspective means you never really know throughout who’s the perpetrator and who’s the victim, who’s telling the truth and who’s not – feeling empathy for someone one minute and doubting them the next.

It’s brilliantly written with the author building the pace perfectly to a frantic finish. The latter part is twist after twist to the point where in Lucy’s words you “can’t handle any more secrets. It’s like emotional whiplash.” Some of the twists I guessed mostly because at some ;point you literally suspected everyone so some of them turned out to be true but the main twists were completely unexpected.

My reason for not giving this a five-star rating was Lucy, the threesome thing and murder motive. Lucy annoyed me from the start – she seems unbelievably naive and trusting for someone fleeing a bad relationship – and I really didn’t warm to her, although the reasons for both later became clear. Likewise I get that dynamic, people-person Vera is lonely after being ostracised by the locals but the intense (non-sexual) threesome thing her, John and Lucy quickly develop is plain weird. Finally, the murder motive is difficult to talk about but again two people having the same dark, obsessive personality is slightly unbelievable – I liked the twist but wanted something slightly different.

One White Lie is a gripping thriller that has you enthralled from the very beginning. Lucy escapes a violent relationship to a small town where she makes friends quickly with Vera and John who are captured in problems of their own. John accused they devise a an so they can all disappear but the plan doesn't go as planned actually leaving John murdered but who did it? As the plot unfolds you guess who it may be and the story has you caught in another deceitful web is it one white lie? Never did I suspect the twists the story takes was there ever only one white lie?

I tried to like this book with all my soul. The thing is, when you don’t care about the characters, you don’t care about the story if it’s too slow to get to the point. That’s exactly what happened here.

The synopsis intrigued me when I saw this book on Netgalley. If Samantha Downing is mentioned, you bet I’m going to read that book. If it’s described as full of plot twists, I’m so going to read it. But in this case, those expectations set up the book for failure.

The thing in the synopsis doesn’t happen till almost halfway through. This is probably my main complaint, because I waited too long for it to happen. I don’t think it’s the synopsis at fault here, more like how the book failed to catch my interest as thrillers should do. The first half, where the characters are introduced, felt repetitive and drawn out. At the same time, the synopsis promises a death, so I was waiting and waiting for it to happen and got annoyed when I looked at the percentage and saw how far in I was already. This made me completely lose interest even when things finally started to get going. Though I think I would have continued if it wasn’t for the characters.

These characters are so superficial and shallow, it’s impossible to love to hate them. I know I’m not supposed to like them, but I just couldn’t understand them. There’s simply no reasoning behind their actions, apart from moving the plot forward. Why is Lucy so attracted to John and Vera? I will never understand. For someone who is extra careful with people after what happened with her husband, trusting those two right away is for sure out of character. I personally found John and Vera super infuriating and vain.

The writing style is very rushed as well. Maybe I would have liked the characters more if they were better explored. I needed the author to give me something more to hang onto, if that makes sense. Instead, the first half is drawn out for all the wrong reasons. I’m pretty sure I would have liked this a little more if there wasn’t a big time skip at the beginning and if that beginning spent more time on the characters instead of talking about Lucy’s past and the Catskills town.

It has you gripped from the very beginning when Lucy ends up in Woodstock in her rental cottage after escaping her abusive relationship. She wants to escape from everything and everyone but doesn't count on becoming friendly with her neighbours Vera and John who have secrets of their own! She gets involved in an elaborate plot with them but can she really trust them or the other people she meets in the town? It really is a page turner with lots of plot twists and turns that keep you guessing up to the end! Would love to see this adapted for screen.

Thank you net galley for letting me read this book and to Leah Konen I will definitely be looking for more from you, so keep them coming!

A woman running from an abusive partner, hides in a cottage near Woodstock in the Catskills and is hopeful for a new start.

Her neighbours seem like a lifeline, friendly and supportive and they too appear to have secrets. Between the three they start to hatch a plan, but, then things go horribly wrong.

This is a well written thriller that does a great job of building suspense and of creating suspicion about every character. It's a real page turner and such an easy read.

Strong 4*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

and what a rollercoaster of a ride it was...covering a multitude of issues

a woman is in her car searching for her rental with all her worldly goods that she could carry and her dog....she is nervous and frightened and battens down the hatches

but her neighbours come calling...

at first she keeps them at arms lengths but she is a social animal and needs interaction plus she may need them if she is found again....

but this couple have secrets themselves and what it leads to could end up with one of them dead...

a rollercoaster of a ride with this one...could not put the book down and up to a point it was brilliant and then i felt it didnt need that last twist...but its only my opinion the book gripped me right up to that point...

thank god for the dog...he sounds a sweety...

This story is about Lucy who escapes an abusive relationship. She turns up to a new area with just her dog and some basic possessions. She is soon befriended by her closest neighbours Vera and her husband John. It isn’t long before a dead body turns up and there are a fair few suspects.

I enjoyed this story. It was fast paced and was full of twists and turns. I did feel this book was a bit too long. There was a point where it really should have ended but the author decided we needed more details. Having read a lot of books in this genre I didn’t think that it brought anything new or exciting but I would be happy though to read more from this author.

I wasn't able to read this as it was an ARC given free in exchange for a review and unfortunately it had numbers inserted into every line (a pre-publishing issue which will obviously be ironed out in later versions) but I can't find out how to inform the publisher and download another copy. Nor did I want to select 'not giving feedback' as I don't see why this error should impact my review ratio, so I'm hoping they will contact me for another shot at reading and reviewing!

This book was one hell of a ride. Riddles within riddles and filled with suspense. Different suspects kept popping up and the excluded possibly but not convincingly.
I enjoyed following the characters and each of there moves.
The book kept me interested throughout.
Great read.

Intense psychological thriller. This story is addictive with its twisted plot. I would recommend this book highly! The author has cleverly made this book exciting and unputdownable.

A fast-paced psychological thriller that’s perfect for fans of crime novels and murder mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"One White Lie" has freaked me out. It's terrifying. How well do we really know anyone? Leah Konen builds the pace perfectly, with the last quarter of the book feeling frantic and leaving me a bit breathless. Coupled with engaging writing, the plot flows like melted butter. I didn't like any of the characters (unless Dusty counts?!), but it really didn't matter at all. There's an almost constant change of perspective with the characters that leaves you now knowing who they really are - and that, for me, is perfect!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This is a well written and well executed book. The characters have depth to them which leads the reader to actually care about what happens to them.
Many social issues are touched upon in this book, all of which are done so in a realistic manner.
Gripping and realistic, a real page turner.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it will not be my last. A brilliantly written story that keeps you gripped from start to finish, absolutely superb, would definitely recommend

The story is based around Lucy, who has left NYC and a toxic relationship and wants to start anew and so rents a cottage in a little place called Woodstock.
Lucy soon becomes friends with John and Vera her next door neighbours and becomes very involved with them, however the couple have issues of their own.

Lucy is soon drawn into their world and they put upon and ask Lucy to tell a lie in order to help them out but before you know if she has agreed and things spiral out of control!

This really is a dark and gripping story that has be totally hooked from the start!

A great story. Loved it from start to finish. Thrilling and suspensful. Really feast writing too. I would definitely read more by this author x

Lucy is a freelance journalist who decides to leave Brooklyn and head out to rent a remote cabin in Woodstock.

Upon her arrival she immediately forms an intense relationship with her neighbours John and Vera. The relationship grows quickly as they spend evening in each other homes. Lucy soon realises that John and Vera have their own problems with the locals in Woodstock. During a drunken evening, the 3 of them hatch an elaborate plan to help them get rid of their worries. However, this plan leads to the death of one of them.

The story is well written with a good plot. The characters are all interesting, but not very likeable, which in a way adds to the suspense as you don’t know who to trust.

There is plenty of tension and twists and turns with an interesting ending which I never saw coming. The only negative for me was the book was a bit slow to start with and so it did feel quite long, but only a minor negative.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in return for an unbiased review.

The story starts with Lucy escaping from an abusive relationship and finding shelter in an area she hopes she will not be found. Becoming friendly with her next door neighbours, she becomes fully involved in their lives, believing them to be friends.

As the story unfolds, Lucy never escapes the sense of threat that Davis, her ex partner has somehow discovered her whereabouts, also becoming curious about the neighbours she considers to be best friends. The increasing tension is well described by the author, and the suspense escalates throughout the story, especially when she agrees to become involved in their plans. Although I felt that parts of the plot seemed unbelievable and Lucy made some formidable choices, I felt empathy towards her and wanted her to succeed. However, as with all good thrillers, things aren’t always as they seem and there is considerable back story, which makes this book a winner.

This graphic thriller is a compelling, gripping roller coaster of a ride, with enough intriguing twists and turns to keep readers captivated to the end. I couldn’t put the book down until finished.

4.5 stars

Lucy King, a journalist, is escaping her abusive, controlling boyfriend Davis and rents a cabin just outside Woodstock in the Catskills, she needs to stay under the radar. She becomes very good friends with her neighbours John and Vera whom she grows to rely on and they share some fun times. However, the couple have some problems with the residents of Woodstock and she agrees to help them to resolve them and they hatch a plan. This is now yet another white lie among many that Lucy is guarding and when the plan goes badly and tragically wrong, lie piles upon lie until it is of Everest proportions. Lucy is now in dangerous territory which nearly costs her everything she has kept under control and she ends up fighting for her life and liberty. The story is told by Lucy.

This is a nail biter, eye popper, jaw dropper, heart pounder chiller of a thriller from Leah Conen with so many unexpected twists my head spins. Lucy’s friendship with John and Vera leads to so much danger it is breathtaking in its pace. The mystery of Lucy and the menace of threats around her comes across very strongly in this fast paced plot. As the situation escalates which results in murders, the story becomes supremely twisty as you have no idea who is guilty or innocent, doubts are cast, suspicion grows and just as you think it’s resolved, there’s another revelation and you are constantly playing catch up! However, as the killer is unmasked I can’t help but feel that it is one twist too many and I didn’t entirely buy into the motive. However, then there’s more....and I do think the ending is very powerful

Overall, this is a well written, fast paced story with a good plot. There are plenty of shocks to grip you, the characters are well portrayed but not very likeable (except Dusty the dog who is adorable!) there’s tension aplenty, it’s creepy and scary at times, you feel Lucy’s worry and fear of Davis and the truth catching up with her is unsettling to say the least. Highly recommended to fans of this genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin, Michael Joseph for the ARC.