To Tell You the Truth is the fourth stand-alone novel by British author, Gilly Macmillan. Married to Dan, Lucy Harper - author of the highly successful DS Eliza Grey books - has just completed the fifth book in this series. Surely a cause for celebration? While Lucy has been absorbed in her writing and immersed in the life of DS Grey, Dan, a failed writer, has been busy with plans of his own. He's bought a house near Lucy's childhood neighbourhood. But Lucy isn't happy as she has a few secrets closeted away, where she would rather they remain...

Gilly Macmillan writes a tense, multilayered and complex character driven story of concealment, tainted memories and duplicity, where everyone has secrets and where no-one can be taken at face value. The author particularly excels in the characters she creates, of their depth and in the way she develops them. Lucy is the ultimate unreliable narrator as she has her secrets and shares her thoughts with her imaginary friend, Eliza, who also happens to be the protagonist of her novels. This is an exciting and emotionally intense, bold read and the reader is bombarded with shock surprises and twists, all of which leaves me eagerly awaiting Gilly Macmillan's next novel.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone/ Century via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because the blurb caught my attention. I recently read another thriller where the husband also goes missing and just realised that the woman also talks to somebody imaginary.
Well, that doesn ´t work for me and in this book,
Eliza is always there talking to Lucy.
Lucy is a very popular writer but her brother went missing when she was still a very young girl when he was with her, and then her husband buys a house near where all happened.
First I wouldn't give financial power to my husband at all, never ever even if I´m too busy and I trust him 100%. That´s a no no for me. And then he buys the house with her money without telling her. What are his motives? But then he disappears…
If it wasn't for Eliza always talking in the background, Lucy´s imaginary friend since she was a baby, I think I would´ve liked the book much more.
I have to say that this one in particular was just an okay read overall for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t fantastic either, and while it kept me entertained, it won’t be making it onto my list of favourite thrillers of 2020. Still, even with that being said, I did enjoy this book, as it was a quick and engaging read, filled with suspense and questions that keep you thinking and wanting to turn the pages with eager anticipation while reading so that you may reach the conclusion that much faster.

3.5 stars

I loved The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan so had high hopes for this book and was consumed by it! It felt refreshingly different from other domestic noir stories and I loved the setting which was very easy to visualise. The imaginary friend device made perfect sense, given the traumatic event in Lucy's childhood and I was desperate to discover what had happened to Teddy all those years ago as well as find out how the present situation would be resolved. Although the ending wasn't quite what I'd hoped for, this atmospheric, evocative tale kept me turning the pages.

Great read. Kept me gripped from the first chapter. Lots of twists and turns along the way. Really enjoyed reading this and liked the fact that I got to the stage where I didn't want to stop reading at times. That's always a good sign for me.

I have started to never read a Gilly Mackmillon blurb before starting her books, as I know it be will an amazing story with twists galore!! She never disappoints, I was completely hooked from the start.

Lucy Harper was 9 when her 3 year old brother Teddy went missing, after she had taken him out one night into the woods for Solstice night. They never find him.

Lucy is now grown up and is a successful crime writer living with her husband Dan. Dan surprises Lucy by buying them a new home right by the woods where Teddy disappeared, Lucy has never gotten over the trauma and is reluctant at first to move into their new home.

When Dan disappears the police suspect her and the story gathers speed with twists galore. Is Lucy telling the truth?

The story goes back to the night of Teddy’s disappearance her parents suspected her but only she knows the truth about what happened that night and has only ever told Dan. Is there a link between the 2 disappearances?

A must read book that will keep you guessing.

10 out of 10 from me.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

What a read!

I really, really enjoyed this book. Is there anything better than an unreliable narrator? Someone you spend the whole book trying to figure out? Someone who you continuously trust, question, blame and doubt throughout the whole book? Just brilliant!

A highly successful author with a series of bestselling books under her belt, Lucy Harper's lead character Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey is the focus of her books. But Lucy has a secret; she's started seeing her character DS Eliza Grey in the real world. And as Lucy tries to take control of her sanity and her career, her husband Dan goes missing leading to a confusing journey into her past in order to find the truth of what happened to him. Lucy soon finds that in the eyes of the police and media, one missing relative is just a terrible, terrible accident... but two missing relatives; well that's more than just coincidence.

The development of this book is so, so clever. The way it switches from the defining moment of Lucy's childhood and the current events of her life. She can't totally move on from her past and is always hiding from her truth to avoid the media circus that would surround her. This makes her edgy and paranoid and she has moments where she can't account for her actions or behaviour. Lucy's relationship with Eliza had me continually guessing and there is obviously a few twists in there to make this even more of an exciting read.

A fantastic book that will have readers gripped from start to finish! I cannot recommend enough! In fact, I'd quite like a Lucy and Eliza sequel based on that ending!

Thanks to NetGalley, Gilly Macmillan and Random House UK Cornerstone for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Harper is a successful novelist, whose husband, a frustrated writer himself, seems jealous of her success and controlling of her career – and the money is has earned them. When he buys them a new house without telling her, Lucy is horrified to discover that their new home overlooks the woods where her young brother went missing without a trace many years ago. She had taken him out to the woods at night to spy on a party there, and somehow lost him. She has never told the whole truth about what happened that night, and the guilt that has plagued her all her life now looks set to overwhelm her. As Lucy begins to suspect that her husband knows more than he is letting on, things take an unexpected turn, and she is left scrabbling to find out – or perhaps to hide – the truth. Lots of paranoia, lots of second-guessing, plenty of twists and turns.

A great easy read with plenty of plot twists, characters easy to relate to. This book will leave you on the edge of your seat and the ending you will not see coming!

It was very easy to lose myself in this book mainly because I was never quite sure who to trust and there were a few suspects to chooses from. This definitely made things interesting! The pace is pretty good and for the most part keeps a constant speed. Lucy is an interesting character and I liked the fact that she was flawed she had a dark past that definitely gave her an edgy presence. I couldn't quite get a proper feel for her character which was a little niggle. However I was kept guessing as to not only what happened in the present but what actually happened in the past.

Trust issues, secrets and lies are all tangled up in this story and it was very interesting to see the story unravel. I enjoyed the way that both the past and present storyline were woven together. To Tell You the Truth had twists and surprises that were placed to unsettle. An intriguing dark tale!

I really enjoyed reading this fast-paced thriller and couldn’t put it down!

The storyline kept me guessing right to the end.

I would recommend To Tell You the Truth to fans of psychological thrillers, and give this book 4 stars.

Lucy Harper is a very successful author of crime fiction books which feature the character Eliza Grey. Eliza is also the imaginary friend who has been part of Lucy's life since she was a child. After she finishes her latest book Lucy's husband Dan surprises her when he buys a house near the woods where Lucy lived when growing up. Unfortunately this action brings back memories she'd rather forget as when she was 9 years old she went into the woods to watch the summer solstice celebrations taking her 3 year old brother with her. Teddy went missing and has never been found.

Shortly after moving to the new house Dan goes missing. Did Lucy have anything to do with his disappearance and is it somehow linked to Teddy going missing all those years ago?

I did enjoy the book though the ending was a complete surprise and rather far fetched. Also many questions were left unanswered.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

With the truth and fiction blurred, I honestly had no idea to believe! This read certainly kept me constantly guessing and questioning everyone. It may of been quickly established that Lucy was an unreliable narrator, but she was so incredibly well-written, that I couldn't help but like her. Eliza may be a questionable bad influence, but I strangely enjoyed her presence in the story, while Lucy's husband, Dan, was an easy character to dislike, meaning that I struggled to massively care about his disappearance.
The story, as a whole, was dark, unnerving, and heartpoundingly intense, and while the ending wasn't completely satisfying, I still very much enjoyed this read!

An intriguing premise and I liked the exploration of the relationship of the writer with a character from her books. However, it took too long for the plot to get going and there were too many loose ends in the story. The characters weren’t particularly well developed and I felt cheated by the ending. I did like this author’s writing style and would be interested to read her other books.

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s very well written. Great plot. Easy to read. Couldn’t put it down once I started it. It was very easy to shut off and lose myself in this one

I was quite disappointed in this book. I really enjoyed Gilly's book the Nanny last year but this one just didn't do much for me.

One of the main issues I had with this book was that it took ages for things to actually get going. I was quite bored while reading at the start.

I did, however, like the back and fourth between the past and the present.

The plot was okay. I usually really like books about writers but this one didn't really work for me.

The story wasn't that captivating. It felt a little silly and far fetched in places. But I also just didn't really care about Lucy, the main character. I didn't think she was particularly likeable and I didn't feel sorry for her.

The ending was disappointing and I felt like it was wrapped up a little bit too quickly.

I did, however, appreciate the discussions around being an author and the relationships they have with their fans but also the characters they write and how that can be overwhelming at times.

Overall, this was a pretty average thriller, which was definitely a disappointment as I had high hopes

TW: violence, murder and gaslighting

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.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read a novel from someone I haven't stumbled across before. I really enjoyed it. This was a great read and I certainly will be looking into reading her earlier titles and look forward to her future projects.

One word - brilliant! Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for allowing me to read and review honestly.

EXCERPT: 'Your work is compromised because it's commercial. You gave up any integrity your writing might have had when you decided to write for this market. It's so disappointing. And don't even get me started on Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey. She's a cliche if I ever met one.'

'Are you finished?' I asked.

'Do you not see it? How can you not see it? Don't you ever despair that you've sold out? Or perhaps you can't see it. I wonder about that sometimes.'

I stared at him, hoping there was a way those words could just retreat right back into his mouth and down into his stomach where the acid would fry them. I was outraged that he would sit here in this house, that he'd bought with my money, and suggest that writing thrillers was any easier than any other kind of novel, that I was a lesser writer because of it. That I was inferior to him. That Eliza was inferior. That my readers were.

I stood and picked up my plate. It gave me sweet pleasure to hurl it at the wall. Dan ducked out of the way dramatically as it flew past him, though it would never have hit him, I'm certain it wouldn't.

My towering outrage flew through the air with the plate, frisbeed alongside it, helped it create a deep dent in the plasterwork before shattering on the floor beside it, creating an unaccountable number of tiny shards like sharpened grains of spilled rice. The steak landed on the kitchen surface with a dull smack and peppercorn sauce dripped down the handmade tiles. I watched, with satisfaction, and thought, if this was in a book, depending on the scene, I might describe those as 'glutinous rivulets' and that would be okay with my readers and me.

I hated Dan so very much in that moment.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.

Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans. It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.

Now Dan has vanished. But this isn’t the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy’s life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy’s disappearance, to the detectives’ fury and her parents’ despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story—a talent she has profited from greatly.

But now Lucy’s a grown woman who can’t hide behind fiction any longer. The world is watching, and her whole life is under intense scrutiny. A life full of stories, some more believable than others. Could she have hurt Teddy? Did she kill Dan? Finally, now, Lucy Harper’s going to tell the truth.

Cross her heart.

And hope to die.

MY THOUGHTS: This is my first encounter with Gilly Macmillan, and it won't be my last! I read this over two nights - it would have been one had my three year old grandson not kept me occupied all day - my mind spinning, wondering, is this woman mad? Did she kill her little brother? Did she kill her husband? Are we ever going to know the truth? I didn't know if I could trust what she was telling me, or if she lived in the fantasy world where she creates her books.

The inability to trust plays a huge role in this book. People Lucy thought she could trust, turn on her. Even Eliza seems to be playing games with her. And those neighbours...they all seem to have their own agendas. 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching you.' Sometimes it seems like everyone is watching Lucy. And just who is #MrElizaGrey?

Gilly Macmillan can certainly create atmosphere. To Tell You the Truth is an excellent piece of writing. The ending is unexpected and well done, the chapters short and taut.

❤❤❤❤

#ToTellYoutheTruth #NetGalley

We humans like to look at the dark side of things, don't we? At the most twisted things. We like that feeling of shock and horror. It makes addicts of us.

THE AUTHOR: She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House, UK, Cornerstone, for providing a digital ARC of To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

In the newest novel by Gilly Macmillan we are following Lucy, a best selling crime fiction author whose husband goes missing. But this is not the only tragedy in our protagonist life - years ago her little brother disappeared while being out in the woods with her and was never found. The memories of her painful past are being dragged out once again and she becomes desperate to find out what happened to her loved ones.

I must admit I enjoyed the plot and the books about books and writers were always one of my favourite as they give us in insight into the author’s mind and publishing industry. It was such a clever, suspenseful novel full of lies, mysteries and secrets. I loved Lucy’s unreliable character and her conversations with the imaginary friend / split personality and the timeline switching between past and present was a brilliant idea.

I was a little bit disappointed with the open ending as it didn’t answer all my questions but nonetheless it was worth reading. It would make an ideal book club choice.