The Lies I Never Told You (Les Querres Intérieures) tells the story of Pax, a middle-aged actor who leaves his flat in a hurry to get to an audition for a blockbuster, ignoring the alarming sounds coming from another apartment. He has just heard the murder of his girlfriend's son but he doesn't know it yet.

This was an absolutely gripping, short novel that I could not put down. It is more than just a mystery thriller as it includes philosophical elements as well as commentary on social issues.

A wonderful read.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader's copy. This is my honest review.

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I read the blurb for this book after seeing the striking front cover, and im so glad I opted to request it from NetGalley.
While only a short story with 160 pages it gets straight into the action, I really enjoyed it from the first page to the last. The way the book is written fits really well with the fast paced story and the characters and their feelings are really well portrayed. The story makes you question yourself and your priorities and weather you would do the same in the situation Pax was put in. The book isn't a light read as it is full of choices, decisions, turmoil and regret. It covers an assault that makes you think about your own surroundings and safety, but it does enlighten with hope and love. The ending is rather sudden and I expected more from it, but I'm hopeful for a second to clear up all my 'But what happens next?' issues.
Very cleverly written, brilliant short story and definitely worth a read.
Thanks again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton

Also Reviewed on - www.TwoIvy.co.uk

A really well written book. It kind of reminds me of Dan Brown in style. You just want to keep reading. It starts fast and you won’t want to put down. Excellent 5/5.

I did enjoy this and it was a quick read but I did find the language quite tough going. Was a little formal and verbose for me. Could have been written with more flow making it easier to
Read

The Lies I Never Told You is a short read, one I flew through in less than 24 hours. I found it to be thought-provoking and relatable.

Set in Paris, Pax is a divorced B-list actor approaching middle age. On his way out to an audition he believes will be his big break, he overhears what he thinks is a vicious attack on his upstairs neighbour. Convincing himself it’s nothing but a rearrangement of the furniture, he leaves his apartment and heads to his audition, lying to the police when questioned about the time he left home so as to avoid further hassle. Little does he know that this decision will haunt him for years to come.

I found the characters in this book likeable and relatable, and felt that the author did well to capture how we as humans feel guilt and the ways we deal with this, articulating the internal dialogue we have with ourselves when we perceive we have played a part in something bad or wrong. She also demonstrated the causality or ripple effect that our choices and actions create; the way one seemingly minor decision can set in motion a whole parallel set of events.

Unfortunately, for me, this book was just lacking something. There were times when I felt the author was over-explaining things, bordering on waffling, and yet despite this I also frequently found that I was having to work hard to put two and two together and make sure I ended up with four as other things were dropped into the storyline without any explanation at all. For example, there were times when the story switched to a different time frame, and yet this was not articulated at all, resulting in confusion and having to re-read sections to get to grips with it all.

Interestingly, this book is described as a mystery/thriller, but I wouldn’t say it matches either of those genres. There’s no big reveal or clues hinting at the truth behind a mystery, nor is there any kind of build-up of tension or suspense surrounding a catastrophic event that may or may not happen at the end. What stood out for me was the way the book highlighted the way we as humans deal with perceived guilt; our inner turmoil when we believe we’ve done something wrong, and the actions we then take in response to this. Personally, if we’re going to try to categorise this novel, I’d say it fits more snugly into Literary Fiction.

Despite my three-star rating, I did really enjoy this book and found that it definitely got me thinking. Being a short book, it’s a good one for people to pick up as an in-between and I would recommend giving it a try, but it’s not up there in my list of top-rated.

I loved the most the writing style portraying each character inner turmoil in an almost poetic way. Fast paced though not a light read. Characters are burdened with guilt, defeat, failure and shame. Pax and Emi both face themselves honestly facing their own choices that caused others damage.
The Book also highlights violence around the world, small acts of cowardly behavior everybody is committing without acknowledging, the multicultural struggle to fit and the stigma of some parents failure to connect with their kids.
I will sure seek other books for the author.

This was an overall interesting and quick read. It involves a complicated situation in which there are no real answers. I liked how the story had various POVs and we got to understand the emotions and thoughts behind each characters actions. I wish there was a little more to the ending but I enjoyed the book overall.

#TheLiesINeverToldYou #NetGalley
A perfect short read.
When Pax, a middle-aged second-rate actor, scores an audition for a blockbuster, he is convinced fate has taken pity on him and he will finally get to spend some time in the limelight.He leaves his flat in a hurry, ignoring the alarming sounds coming from the apartment above. He is beside himself when he learns what devastating consequences his decision had: not only was his neighbour Alex assaulted and left for dead, he is also his girlfriend Emi's son .Before long, Pax is faced with an impossible choice: should he continue to deceive Emi, the one person who always believed in him, or tell the truth and destroy their relationship?
Its characters were good. Narration was so so.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straighten for giving me an advance copy.