Another great novel from Philippa East. A gripping “girl goes missing” story. The Goodlights have a daughter who is a talented violinist. On the night of competition Christie disappears.
This book has everything but the message is clear, what appears to be a perfect family is not always the case.
I would highly recommend this book. It has twists and turns that the reader does not see coming. The characters are all very believable and it is a must for fans of Philippa East.

Wow, what a fantastic book this is, I didn't want to put it down, so much so I stayed up all night reading this. Full of twists and turns and secrets, you really must read this for yourself and get right into it. Well worth 5 stars. I recommend this highly.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This was a strangely uncomfortable read. And what I found most troubling was that Paul's coercive, controlling behaviour towards Chrissy wasn't fully acknowledged. Family dynamics at their most sinister. Clearly there is a big secret in Julia's dysfunctional, wealthy and powerful family. We can see what it is early on, but the family don't acknowledge it. Teenage Chrissy, musical prodigy, is missing. Did she stage her disappearance or is she with the strange older man who keeps appearing? How is this linked to her mother's secretiveness? There is so much to think about. #netgalley #IllNeverTell

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

After listening to this book on audio I think I preferred the audio to the written format as I felt I connected more to the characters and thought this was a very character drawn storyline

I’ll Never Tell is a book that got better and better the more you read, leaving wanting to read at every spare moment.
Paul and Julia seem to have the perfect life from the outside, beautiful house, no money worries, Julia a top lawyer and Paul is a stay at home dad to sixteen year old Chrissie. Chrissie USA very talented violinist and is getting further and further in the rounds of young musician if the year. At the quarter finals Chrissie goes missing, thinking she’s travelled home Paul and Julia get back as soon as possible but find her phone and her bedroom ransacked. Fearing the worst they call the police and from here the book splits up into weeks before the disappearance and now for both Paul and Julia. Bit by bit we find out that both are keeping secrets from each other which have a massive impact on their lives.
This was a great read and have enjoyed Philippa Easts previous books also. I liked how we were dripfed information leading to the big reveal which worked well. I would recommend this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a complex tale of the twisted relationships that occur in the family of Paul, his wife Julia, and their daughter Chrissie.
Paul is strict on Chrissie as he wants her to be the best violinist. Meanwhile, his wife is having an affair. The destructive dynamics of the family are exposed when Chrissie disappears, and the past comes tumbling forward.
It is a rather confusing but well-intentioned read, focusing on how secrets are destructive and heartbreaking

I’ll Never Tell by Philippa East is a 5 ⭐️ read.
WOW!! Just WOW, this book was amazing, I’ve never read anything by this author before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but this just blew me away, I was kept guessing all the way through.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

Philippa East is actual fairly local to the bookshop I work in, and so it's with a fair amount of shame that I admit that I'll Never Tell is actually the first novel I've read from her....it definitely won't be the last and I'm now keen to visit her previous two novels.

I'll Never Tell is a story of toxic family secrets. When their daughter goes missing, Julia and Paul are forced to confront the secrets they've been hiding from one another. I love a story concerning families, and I found this very engrossing. Perfectly paced with complex characters and a plot that keeps you guessing, it's one I sailed through in just a couple of days.

Heart-pounding psychological thriller from an author that keeps on getting better and better!

I’ve really enjoyed both of Philippa East’s previous novels, but I’ll Never Tell takes her writing to the next level and the book is an absolute triumph! I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the entire narrative and East takes her readers on such an intricate and twisted journey, it’s impossible to see where you’re ultimately going to end up. The final destination is a shocking revelation, which is built upon a series of startling twists that keep this story hurtling along at breakneck speed. There are so many perfectly plotted layers to this novel, which will keep you guessing and desperately trying to formulate theories throughout. The premise of a missing daughter is certainly not unfamiliar in the psychological thriller genre, but East makes this trope entirely her own and I’ll Never Tell is both a unique and original story that plays with reader perceptions and delivers shocking truths, authentically crafted characters and a delicate web of history, trauma and secrets. If you enjoy a read that sucks you in, hurtles you around like you’re in an industrial sized washer/dryer, and spits you out with a sense of having being on a rollercoaster of a journey with the characters within, I’ll Never Tell should be atop your TBR!

One of the elements of East’s novels that I particularly enjoy is how her day job as a clinical psychologist really enhances her skills as psych thriller author. I know when I read one of her books, I’m really going to get under the skin of the characters. I’ll Never Tell offers exactly this and I was totally consumed by the narrative and the key players. I loved that I couldn’t tell exactly who might be a villain in the piece. There’s so many secrets peppered throughout the plot that East manages to perfectly cast shadows of doubt over everyone at various points. I really enjoyed how this novel was written from different perspectives (both Paul and Julia, the parents of missing 17yo Chrissie) and through different timelines (points before Chrissie’s disappearance and the present day after she’s gone missing). East very cleverly uses first and third person narration too, guiding the reader to feel like they are getting to know a character intimately or enforcing a little distance respectively. I thought this was done to perfection and helped to build tension, suspicion and mystery throughout. It also allowed revelations to explode from the page at just the right time and I had some genuine gasp out loud moments whilst reading this book. The book is a rich stew of many different themes, but some that resonated with me and fuelled the plot so brilliantly are: family history, shared trauma, entitlement, social/economic disparity, family pressures, wealth, repression and redemption. Ultimately though, I came away from I’ll Never Tell feeling like I really knew the characters, was impacted by them and everything they weathered, and will not be forgetting them any time soon. Philippa East never disappoints and this is another masterpiece from one of my favourite psychological thriller writers. I can’t wait for her next book already!

A new book by Philippa East is always going to get my attention, having really enjoyed her previous two books – and I am delighted to report that I’ll Never Tell, published today, is another cracker and got my 2023 reading off to a great start. It is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing and for one didn’t want to put it down.

We are drawn into the intense but seemingly gilded world of the Goodlight family. Julia is a lawyer who comes from a privileged background, Paul a stay at home father from much more humble beginnings whose main focus is supporting their daughter Chrissie, a talented violinist, to achieve her musical ambitions. When Chrissie goes missing on the night of a major music competition, it soon becomes clear that this is a family where little is what it seems, and the search for Chrissie threatens to expose family secrets that they all would rather keep hidden.

Told from dual perspectives and in dual timelines, the story moves between the night of Chrissie’s disappearance and the eight weeks leading up to it. East’s characterization, as ever, is exceptional – her background as a clinical psychologist enables her to really draw the reader into the thoughts and perspectives of each of the characters and the way in which the book was told in Julia’s first person voice and Paul’s third person version made for an interesting contrast. East skillfully casts doubt on all the characters at certain points, and as a result the tension rises as layers are pulled back, backstories revealed and the reader never knows who to trust as the story heads to its shocking conclusion.

I recommend East’s books to anyone who enjoys twisty psychological thrillers and I'll Never Tell confirms that East has become a must-read author for me.

My first read for 2023, and a great start. The story is told from the points of view of Julia and Paul. The early chapters you see Paul going back in time to 8 weeks earlier and Julia in the present. Then later in the book its the opposite Julia is 8 weeks previous and Paul in the now.

Paul is a stay at home husband, he does all the usual household things, he is there when 16 year old Chrissie comes home from school. He has a snack ready for her and then its violin practice, Paul has high hopes for Chrissie. He is pushing her hard to do well. But does she really want that? I really felt for Chrissie her phone was checked everyday, her diary was read by both her parents. She was being suffocated in some ways, she had one good friend Reece who she enjoyed being with.

Julia is a workaholic or is she? She is always late home but as a lawyer and a big case she has to put the hours in. But she has secrets.

Then there are Julia’s parents Celine and Duncan. They seem to have a lot of control over the family. Not just Julia but Paul as well. They also want to know how Chrissie is doing.

I enjoyed this reading it in 2 sittings, it covers what to the outside world seems like a happy family, but is it as happy when no one is watching. Julia has secrets she keeps from Paul and Paul has secrets he keeps from Julia. They both have secrets they keep from Chrissie. But what if Chrissie finds out about their secrets?

Then Chrissie disappears after her performance in the semi finals of The Young Musician of The Year contest. Paul and Julia are frantic. They call the police and the search is on for Chrissie. Can they find her and bring her home? Does Chrissie know more about her parents secrets than they know? Why are they all so controlled by Julia’s parents?

An engaging, engrossing read with several twists and turns. I couldn’t blame Chrissie for running away it was the only way to get any attention other than everything her parents and grandparents wanted her to do. As the truth all comes out towards the end . This is a good book to have started the year with.

#adprproduct
Thank you to @philippa_east_author @netgalley and @hqstories for a #gifted digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a corker of a book! I loved it.

I went in to this book blind, without having read the synopsis, and at first I wondered where the book was going. However it didn't take long to unfold the family and their dynamic. Stay-at-home dad Paul, hard-working lawyer Julia and musical prodigy Chrissie.

From the beginning I had my concerns about the relationship between Paul and Chrissie. He pushed her hard with her musical talent, and he appeared to be an overbearing and controlling father. Things eventually fell into place and the reasoning behind this was unveiled.

Each page flowed with lies, betrayal and secrets, and this kept me engaged and eager to know more. It was an unexpected storyline but written so eloquently you couldn't help but feel immersed in this family's life.

The dual point of view and double timeline really helped to articulate the family problems and how distant each member had become.

I've enjoyed the authors writing before and knew I would love this book. It was engaging and full of complexities and lies. Just what I wanted.

I'll Never Tell centres on the Goodlight family, Paul, Julia and their daughter, Chrissie. Chrissie is a very talented violinist who is competing in the Young Musician of the Year. Paul has huge ambitions for her which border on the obsessive. When Chrissie goes missing after her final performance secrets and lies begin to emerge.

This is an excellent family drama suffused with tension. The dynamics between the characters are intense and make for an almost claustrophobic read. The narrative is shared between Julia and Paul and you are never sure who to trust. The plot explores some important issues. The writing is excellent: domestic noir at its best.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a lot of twists and turns and people trying to think for others. Found myself getting deeply immersed in the book. Really enjoyed it and it reads as a piece of English really well.

This novel can be described as powerful piece of domestic noir set in the world of professional music. The family at the heart of the thriller are Julia and Paul, whose gifted violinist daughter Chrissie disappears after a dazzling performance at a prestigious music competition. The dual timeline – we skip backwards and forwards between the day of the competition and the antecedents two months earlier – works well to illuminate the secrets and strained relationships that underpin this ambitious, outwardly high-achieving family. Immersing ourselves deeper into this family should lead to wider reflections on the value of truth, honesty and family life. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers, HQ, for the much-appreciated ARC of this superb thriller that I enjoyed reading. This represents my honest and unbiased review.

What a ride! Read this in a day because I couldn’t put it down.

The way the different perspectives weave together with the insights in to the lives of the characters were great.

Read if you like Big Little Lies and others from Liane Moriarty.

This book really surprised me as I had no idea where it was going adn had me gripped up until the last page.

It was fast paced and on the edge of your seat stuff.

Twists and turns a plenty with loads of intrigue and suspense.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Enthralling read.

The Goodlights on the surface appear to have it all. Julia is a successful lawyer from a wealthy family, whilst Paul is the stay-at-home dad who dotes and dedicates his life to supporting their talented violinist daughter. However, when Chrissie goes missing after an important music competition, the desperate search to find her leads to the unearthing of long buried secrets, uncomfortable truths and rude awakenings for both Paul and Julia.

I liked the structure and how it was written, the jumping between past and present as well as the use of different character point of views. I think it worked well and helped build a clearer picture of the characters, their motivations and how they each ended up harbouring unsaid truths.

The plot was cleverly written with many unexpected moments and reveals keeping the reader engaged throughout.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️

A gripping domestic thriller that intensifies as you read on! 🔥

What an impressive read to finish the year on! Philippa has crafted a read that immerses you into the centre of the action from the beginning and intensifies throughout. 😍

I really had no idea where this book was taking me and it took me a little while to get into at first, however, the secrets, deceit and betrayal that flows on each page kept me engrossed and I couldn’t wait to read on. 📖

I enjoyed how the Before chapters were from Paul’s POV, and the Now were from Julia’s in the first half of this book. This really demonstrated how far the married couple had drifted apart and it made me feel privileged to know both of their secrets, in a strange way. 😅

From the onset, I was quite worried with the relationship between Paul and his sixteen year old daughter. I felt he was quite controlling and it seemed very peculiar. I am glad things unwrapped throughout and you discovered why Paul acted this way.

The plot was impressive, well articulated and unexpected. I also loved how this read incorporates the important themes of couples therapy, addiction, stay at home dads, bullying, mental health and abuse, in a clever way.

Overall, I loved how the writing makes you constantly think about what’s happening and how you have to decipher some of the connections yourself. This made this read very engaging.🔥

Many thanks to Philippa East, NetGalley and HQ for this ARC published on 5th January 23!📚

⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️