This book works on the premise of revenge - Meg felt she had lost everything when her mother was conned out of their home, when she was dying of a terminal disease. Meg then had to build her life piece by piece, living out of her car, struggling for money. She vowed revenge on men who preyed on women, but above all she wanted revenge on the man who had forced her to lose her home.

Kat was a young reporter when she was pushed towards meeting a man in a bar for a story, and found herself drugged and raped. She too wants revenge, but is too timid to take it, and her life stalled dramatically until she began to rebuild her career.

The story bounces between the two perspectives and initially its hard to keep track, as we don't know who these characters are or how they will interact. However, it evens out and then becomes quite a thriller, as Meg plots her revenge and plays a double game, using Kat while Kat tries to trap her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for a honest review. This is Julie Clark at her best! Meg Williams is a con woman. She has returned to her home town to seek revenge on the man that took everything from her. Kat is a reporter who has waited 10 years to expose Meg. A brilliantly written gripping thriller with an unexpected twist.

I enjoyed The Last Flight and so I was excited to read another book by Julie Clark – The Lies I Tell. This book focuses on a female con artist and a woman who wants to expose her and bring her down.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, but I did find some of the chapters, particularly the ones focusing on the real estate business a little confusing. I think some of this could have been cut or simplified to make for a more exciting read as it did drag a little in places. There’s also a lot of individual threads going on to make up the plot which although sounds exciting, felt a bit confusing. I did really like the cat and mouse element of the chase though and how you weren’t really sure how much Meg knew about Kat, with the letters showing up to her house as well to complicate things.

The Lies I Tell is a fast paced read though and relatively short – enough to keep you entertained without getting too frustrated. It isn’t a stand out read of the year but it’s worth a flick through if you spot it somewhere and need a holiday read, for example.

Overall, The Lies I Tell is a fast paced read which does get a little confusing at times but is worth a read. Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leaving this book on my to-read shelf for 3 months was an error as once started I couldn't put it down! It features Meg and Kat and the story is told from their viewpoints over different periods of time. I can recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a zippily-paced, cat and mouse thriller. A great juicily plotted read about revenge. This reader is off to seek a copy of Julie Clark's novel, The Last Flight.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I don’t regret much in life - but leaving this book on my shelf for 3 months was a huge mistake!! Luckily I had a day off to steam through this absolute belter of a book! Told from the POV of Meg and Kat over different periods of time, the plot is so juicy and the twists are just what you need on a hot summer day! I love a good revenge novel, and this has to be up there as one of the best!! Cannot recommend this enough! Fabulous!!

4.25 rounded down to 4 for goodreads

" The allure of a new life, a new backstory is seductive. How easy it might be to stay here."

WOW!! What a crazy, twisty story. I read The Last Flight, in 2020 and LOVED IT !! I was so excited when I saw she was coming out with a new one !! This book is such a powerful anthem to women and standing up for yourself when no one else will, taking matter into your own hands, and empowering other women around you!!

This book it told from two POV, both very strong women. Meg, the con-artist who got screwed over one too many times and flipped the tables-- and Kat, who was at the other end of one of Meg's cons and is determined to stop her. The different sides of this crazy story were so great and fun to watch play out and the ending was perfect !! Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good female con artist !!

"The difference between justice and revenge comes down to who's telling the Story."

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review !!

Ron tricked Maggie's mother out of money years ago, and she is out for revenge. Kat, a journalist, follows Maggie due to a past incident with her that had a horrible outcome. The book follows Meg's history, cons and motives. What happens when the two women work together, not trusting each other?
I loved this book and getting to know the women, a truly fascinating story!

Two women. Many aliases.
Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be—a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.
Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Julia Clark has done it again. A tense and gripping read that will keep you up all night! An excellent read from a very talented and brilliant writer.

I really enjoyed reading this and couldn’t put it down. It’s a tale of two women and how their paths crossed. Meg has spent years targeting successful wealthy men and conning them. It has all led to one person who took away her family house. Kat is a journalist who first came across Meg 10 years ago and was hurt by one of Meg’s actions.
She now plans to expose Meg for what she is.
It’s well written and you feel for both women in different ways.

This book is so cleverly plotted, that had me gripped from the first page. Revenge is a dish best deserved cold and the author is great at even making you route for morally grey characters that feel they are righting previous wrongs in a way they see fit. As a reader who loves dual timelines, I was enthralled by the pasts of the two women in this book and slowly learned their motives and they had me gripped. I haven't read Julia Clark but now i want to read all her future books. If you love a fast-paced revenge thriller then this will be perfect for you.
#netgalley #TheLiesITell

4,5 ⭐️

The Last Flight was one of my favorite books of 2020 and its ending was one of the most heartbreaking, memorable ones I remember lately (I still think about it to this day), so obviously, when I saw announced The Lies I Tell, it immediately jumped up to the top of my most anticipated reads list for 2022, and let me tell you (no lies here) that it was bloody brilliant.

Meg Williams has many names, after all she’s a con artist that will erase herself in order to become whoever she need to be to con her target. Kat Roberts is a journalist that has been waiting ten years to expose Meg, the woman that ruined her life. When their paths cross, they will start playing a cat and mouse game in which you’ll never be sure who’s the prey.

In one word, this was unputdownable! I always love this type of stories where characters try to outwit each other, and The Lies I Tell is a perfect example of this.

Even though at first you may find yourself rooting for Kat, as the story progresses and we learn more about Meg, her past and why she does what se does, you cannot help but cheer on her endeavor, and when the ending comes you will find yourself deeply entrenched on her corner. #TeamMeg all the way!! That you can empathize with a con artist says a lot about Ms. Clark writing skills.

Both main characters were deeply complex, multilayered ones. The characterization was really well done and the dual perspective worked perfectly, making the story flow in a real smooth way.

In parts it was a bit heavy on real state argot, with lots of talk on transactions and legalese that went a bit over my head, but that in no way will prevent you from enjoying this story.

Even though there’re no huge twists and it’s more of a slow burn at first, I found myself deeply engaged as, at heart, it’s a story about revenge and justice (my favorites!).

Another clear winner for Ms. Clark. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too much for her new book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

An incredibly smart thriller that blends the revenge conquests of a con artist and a struggling reporter, bringing them together with a cat and mouse chase that’s unlike any other.

Synopsis -

Meg Williams can be anyone she wants to be. She can embed herself into a person’s life & by the time, they realize what’s transpired, she vanishes without a trace taking what she wants.

Kat Roberts wants nothing more than to expose the woman whose decision changed the course of her life a decade ago. But now that she is as close to her as she can get, her world starts to crumble all over again, leaving her questioning her presumptions.

Review -

With alternating POVs of Meg and Kat, the author gives us glimpses of the protagonists’ current lives, backgrounds and the events that occurred a decade ago, that have now set them on a collision course.

I could soon relate to Kat and rooted for her to achieve the impossible with her exposé. I loved how she stealthily inserted herself into Meg’s life giving her a taste of her own medicine. But ultimately it is Meg who emerges as the shining star, being always one step ahead, thanks to her killer instincts and foresightedness.

You may initially find Meg to be morally questionable, opportunistic and cunning. However, it is when Kat begins to slowly unearth Meg’s past, that we come to realize what she really is - shrewd, street-smart and unflinching, equipped with the sharpest of minds, backed by her own impeccable research, organization and enormous patience.

To me Meg was simply epitome of manipulation, a stealer of trust, and a flawless executor of her meticulously crafted plans. But deep in her heart, she only seeks to strike a balance between justice and vengeance, ensuring pay back in her own way. Oh! Clearly, I seem to have run out of words to admire her.

Exploring the dynamics of an unusual acquaintance of two very different women, Clark deserves a huge applause for the level of understanding she has about their psychology and intrinsic behaviour.

Towards the end, I devoured this book like a famished person. At times, the storyline seems to overstep the realms of reality, yet its enjoyability and entertainment quotient overshadowed my beliefs, leaving me stunned and dumbfounded.

With a compelling, water-tight plot and powerful female characterisation, I am sure this book will leave you with a wicked yet satisfying grin.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton for providing this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. While I didn't enjoy this as much as her first book, it wasn't bad. I enjoyed the concept of a con artist basically getting revenge on bad people. Well written, good plot, just didn't have as much suspense as I would have thought.

Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her! Meg, Maggie, Melody – different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. A life coach, a real estate agent, a college student… Nothing about her is real. She is a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she’s done, you’ve likely lost everything. As the two women get to know each other and grow closer, Kat’s long-held assumptions begin to crumble leaving Kat to wonder who Meg’s true target is.

This is a cat and mouse story (or a Kat and Meg story) where nothing is as it seems. I loved the way the story flows in this dual narrative with a past/present storyline that really lays the groundwork for these unique characters and their story. I found myself rooting for them both at different times. Both Meg and Kat are equally great, fully formed characters that you care about and want to see succeed.

“Two women working together are a force to be reckoned with”
- Meg’s Mum

I haven’t read many stories about con artists and found this to be really enjoyable. I love psychological thrillers and found the con artist element to be the icing on the cake OR the cherry on top? … either way, I loved it! This is the second book I’ve read by Julie Clark, having read The Flight at the end of January 2021 – which I also really enjoyed. It’s safe to say that she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors! I love the writing and the style of storytelling that Julie Clark brings to the page and highly recommend both of the books that she has written so far.


This is such a quotable book, and here are a few of my favourites. The way the book ended, I believe there is an opening for The Lies I Tell #2 and I’d love to see that happen!

“I believe in making your own opportunities. I believe in taking what you want from life, and if you have to hurt someone in the process, it had better be for a good reason, because I also believe in karma”
- Meg

I’d not long been working at the LA Times when the story of Cory Dempsey had broken. I was present when Corey’s family granted a rare interview with the very strictest of parameters. That’s the day I first heard of Meg Williams’s name, and afterwards, that was when I first started to search for Meg Williams, the woman who had exploded Cory Dempsey’s life and then disappeared. The woman who would soon destroy mine as well.
- Kat

“Men will always show you who they are”
- Meg

“The difference between justice and revenge comes down to who’s telling the story”
- Kat

My thanks to the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for my advance copy to review. Due out 23rd June 2022!

A twisty cat and mouse game between two women- a con woman and a journalist. No spoilers! Meg's life changed overnight and for the worse when Rodney, now running for political office, conned her mother out of their family home. She's spent all the years since plotting his downfall. She's run con jobs across the country against other men who did women wrong. Kat first encountered Meg when Meg took down a pedophile high school principal, but Meg took something from her too. Now, a chance encounter puts Meg back on Kat's scope even as Kat is struggling with her relationship with Scott, a fraud detective with a serious gambling problem. This moves back and forth in time and between the two women in a complex dance where you will find yourself, against the grain, actually rooting for Meg in spots. Clark does an excellent job of raising doubts about both Meg and Scott. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I was a huge fan of The Flight - she's managed to do it again. I thought I knew where this was going but I was wrong- always the mark of an excellent read.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I enjoyed it, it was fast paced but it was very easy to read and I read this quickly.

Interesting characters both out for revenge.

I will definately read more by Julie Clark in the future.

I didn’t dislike this book, it was an easy read and in parts enjoyable. However, this is definitely not what I would class as a thriller. There were no plot twists and no surprises in the direction of the story. It’s more of an unravelling slow burn revenge story. Good for what it was but not what I was expecting from the synopsis.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A slow burner but easy read. Meg returns to where she grew up to destroy Ron Ashton, who stole her family home and ruined her family. Unknowingly, Meg had devastated Kat's life. When Kat meets Meg again, she is also out for retribution. The story flows so well that I really enjoyed it.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Meg is a long con artist. Kat is an unsuccessful journalist who wants to bring her down. This story is told from both points of view and as the women get closer, their feelings about their motivations change.
I enjoyed this story and read it in just one day.