A good domestic thriller. It didn't quite have the omph I was promised in the synopsis. But overall it was a good read. If you like domestic thrillers then I think this one might be your cup of tea.

I really loved the premise of this book and was excited to read it, but it didn’t quite have the oomph/wow factor that I was expecting.

The story centres around the Goodlight family - Julia, a wealthy and successful lawyer with a beautiful home in Oxford; her stay-at-home-dad husband Paul; and their daughter Chrissie, an exceptionally talented 16-year-old violinist.

The family seem perfect from the outside. But on the night of a prestigious music competition, Chrissie goes missing and the family’s secrets begin to unravel.

Sadly they unravelled at a slow, at times predictable and anticlimactic, pace.

But saying that, I really liked the writing style and how it starts with Paul looking back to 8 weeks ago and slowly bringing us to the present day, alongside Julia telling the story from the present day backwards to 8 weeks ago. Then when they both return to present day, the pace picked up dramatically and the contrast did work quite well.

The difficulty for me was that the slower main part of the book was a bit of a slog to work through. The characters were unpleasant - Paul constantly felt overbearing and controlling, Julia cold and uncaring and Chrissie just mostly only there in other people’s mentions. All of that made sense in the end but it didn’t make for easy reading.

I very much enjoyed Philippa East's previous books, particularly Safe and Sound. I'll Never Tell was a slightly odd and unsettling read which took me a while to get into, but did grip me in the end.

Sixteen year old Chrissie is a gifted violinist with a sparkling future ahead of her. When she disappears after performing in a high profile competition, it's terrifying for her parents, Julia and Paul, who can't begin to imagine what could have happened to her. Has the stress become too much, or is something else going on?

Julia is a successful, driven, high-earning lawyer; husband Paul doesn't work and devotes himself to keeping the house running and looking after Chrissie, his commitment to whom feels a bit weird and obsessive. (I have an almost sixteen year old daughter, and there's no way she would tolerate the kind of micromanagement poor Chrissie has to deal with.) We hear alternately from Paul and Julia, and the latter, in particular, is clearly keeping secrets and has a distinctly chequered past. It's evident from early on that this is something far from a normal family, but it's a long time before the whole truth becomes apparent. When it does, it's both very disturbing and also makes perfect sense in light of everything that's gone before.

The story centres around Paul, Julia and Julia's 15-year-old daughter, Chrissie. Julia is a lawyer, always consumed with work, Paul is a stay-at-home dad, and Chrissie is an exceptionally talented violinist.

At a glance, the Goodlights seem like an ordinary family. But after Chrissie's sensational violin performance, she disappears, and the walls of their perfect family start to crumble. Secrets, lies and betrayal.
I'll Never Tell is the first book of Philipa's I have read, and I'm a bit annoyed that I haven't read any of her previous books, especially Safe and Sound, as people keep saying it is better than this one! And I really enjoyed this book.

After reading the synopsis, I was intrigued, but after the first chapter, I was hooked. I'll admit that after the initial chapters, I felt the book's pace slow to the point that I thought I might lose interest. And being completely honest and subjectively speaking, I don't think Paul's character was compelling enough for me to care about him. I found him a bit dry. Julia, however, was what kept the story going for me. She was flawed but strong, and she felt real.

The chapters are short and did well in keeping me engaged, and after halfway, the book picks up the pace and delivers perfectly.

The plot was great. And the writing was beautiful and flawless.

Be warned that some readers might find it triggering—the book contains sexual violence and abuse elements.

Overall, I think this is more than just a thriller; it was deeper and contained way more substance than many books I read this year. I usually read thrillers for escape and tend to forget them soon after. I don't think I'll forget this for a while.

This book will not disappoint you. And yes, I highly recommend it!

A great domestic thriller full of secrets and lies which kept me involved in the storyline all the way.

All the characters were interesting and I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ UK for this ARC.

A tale of mistrust and lies, family bonds and the pressures of heritage, a child’s future and money.

I enjoyed this book, although not as as much as Safe and Sound. Throughout the whole first half of the books there’s an underlying current of tension and mistrust which is intriguing and makes you question not only who you trust but also what the reason for this tension might be. Every chapter is a mystery as to why this family is so dysfunctional. There are whispers and ‘looks’ and the feeling that there is just a lot of unspoken rules and allegiances.

One of the major twists I guessed very early on as all the ‘signs’ where present and because of it, it really made me interrogate Paul’s character. I didn’t truly understand what his problem was. He knew from the start Julia was (as he called it) ‘filthy rich’. And between them they chose for him to stay at home and manage the house and their daughter. But it was a real problem for him and I couldn’t help thinking that if after 8 years you’re unhappy and feeling ‘used’. You’re not going to be happy in another 8! So go get a part time job, Chrissie is 16 and off to college soon. I felt the issue of being a home husband could’ve been better tackled as it came across more about how inferior he felt rather than how great it was for Chrissie and her education/home life.

Overall I found the pace of the book very slow. It was, at times challenging to truly involve myself in the family’s story and to invest in their characters (particularly Paul’s). But it’s beautifully written and with each chapter being so short you can’t help but get sucked into the ‘just one more chapter’ abyss!

When it comes to comparing this book to her others I’m truly on the fence. Yes I liked it, I was engaged and hung on until the end to find out all of the whys. But was it better? In all honesty, no. Safe and Sound really has the upper hand on this particular book but if you enjoy Phillips’s style then this book is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Phillipa for arranging a copy to be sent to me for review.

Paul and Julia's 15 year old daughter Chrissie is a musical prodigy, and they have high hopes for her future. She practices for hours each day, striving to get every note more perfect than the one before. When she goes missing after the finals of Young Musician of the Year, her parents and the police wonder if the stress has got to her.

The story jumps back to 8 weeks before the competition, and more details of the pressure and restrictions put on Chrissie become apparent, It is clear from the beginning that everyone in the family is hiding secrets from one another, and that if any of their truths come out, their worlds might implode. The story is told from two point of views, Paul's and Julia's - and as the story unravels, more comes to light and you begin to find out why they are all acting in the ways that they are.

Another fantastic psychologically involved story from Philippa East - thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HQ for the chance to read an ARC.

Another compelling read that had me gripped right from the very first page. Creepy and tense it was a fast paced book that I just coupldn't put down, a real page turner

This book was everything I love in a domestic noir. It's a fresh concept and isn't just full of things you've read before. The characters are well written and just so real! These could be the family across the street from you which just makes it all the most captivating. I'd absolutely recommend

Great story based upon a family full of secrets they have never been willing to share. Great characters, good plot and storyline would recommend

To the outside world, the Goodlights are perfect.
Julia is a lawyer, Paul a stay at home dad who has dedicated his life to helping their daughter Chrissie achieve her dreams as a talented violinist.
But on the night of a prestigious music competition, which has the power to change everything for Chrissie and her family, Chrissie goes missing.
She puts on the performance of a lifetime, then completely disappears. Suddenly every single crack, every single secret that the family is hiding risks being exposed.
Because the Goodlights aren’t perfect. Not even close.
Wow really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and HQ
I just reviewed I’ll Never Tell by Philippa East. #IllNeverTell #NetGalley

What a blast of a book this was, the picture perfect family to all of the world looking in but in reality starting to crumble fast as secrets never stay hidden….. loved everything about this book ..

I absolutely loved the authors last novel Safe and Sound and so I was looking forward to reading I’ll Never Tell. It’s the story of Julia a lawyer and Paul a stay at home dad, and Chrissie their teenage daughter, a hugely talented musician. On the night of a major music competition Chrissie disappears and her disappearance reveals the secrets within the family.
The novel is told from the dual points of view of Julia and Paul and moves from the time of Chrissie’s disappearance back to the weeks and months preceding it.
East writes well and the plot was intriguing. There is a tension running underneath the narrative and I was never sure of who to trust in Paul and Julia’s relationship. However, I also found it to be so slow paced that it was challenging to completely involve myself in it. I did find the timeline confusing at times and wasn’t really invested in any of the characters. I kept reading as I wanted to find out what happened to Chrissie, and it did pick up pace towards the end and explored some serious and important issues.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I'll Never tell is a book is told from two different point of views, Julia and Paul's. .We are taken back and forth to past and present.
Although i found it a little slow in places it was worth getting past these points.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my copy.
An interesting author which i will make a point of seeking out.

Terrifically Tense..
The Goodlights - a perfect family unit. Or are they? Certainly, to those looking in, they really do seem to be just that. Julia the lawyer, Paul the house husband and Chrissie, the gifted daughter. Things are about to change. After all, nothing is really perfect. With a claustrophobic and simmering underlying vein of menace, this psychologically twisted, dark suspense piles on the layers of mounting tension. Characters are well and carefully crafted and the plot peppered amply with misdirection. Terrifically tense and unbearably unnerving.

Well written with plenty of room for speculation- is Paul really as good a father as he seems? Is he just a little too invested in Chrissie? Why is Julia so oblivious to what seems obvious?
I found Julia particularly difficult to like and Paul very suspicious from early on which only added to the intrigue as the plot thickens and the twists come together!

A terrific psychological thriller that focuses on the disappearance of a gifted child in a seemingly perfect family, under the most peculiar circumstances. Highly recommended!

4-5 stars
Why did Julia Montrose and Paul Goodlight’s talented musician daughter Chrissie rush from the concert hall after her performance? Furthermore, did she trigger the fire alarm? They search for her then drive home to Oxford hoping, hoping that she’ll have made her way there. Did Chrissie run because of intense expectations? Is she hiding things? Does it go wider than Chrissie herself to things within her family network? Chrissie’s flight really does stir up a hornets nest the consequences of which are revealed by Julia and Paul from eight weeks prior to the concert and beyond.

This is another riveting and powerful psychological thriller from this talented author.
It starts with a concern, a worry, a frisson of something disturbing and builds layer on layer.
We view tension in multiple areas and puzzle over strange dynamics which strike distinctly off notes. There are hints of less than salubrious behaviour, thinly veiled threats and expectations which feels claustrophobic in its intensity and pressure.

There is strange behaviour that is obsessively secretive and trauma that is buried deep and covered up with delusion and lies and yet more lies. Some reveals come as such an unexpected shock which feels like a slap which shakes you to the core as the fear, invasive threat and menace you have sensed all along reveals itself and scales fall from characters eyes as well as your own.

The characterisation is excellent throughout from Paul’s good, solid devotion (though he does make mistakes) to Julia‘s absence and strange behaviour to Chrissie’s sensitivity and concerns.

The ending is powerful, it’s unexpected though the signals are definitely there but there’s optimism too and survival.

This is a well written clever novel which is a perfectly paced domestic thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

#IllNeverTell #NetGalley
Awesome. 5 🌟
Julia is a lawyer, Paul a stay-at-home dad who has dedicated his life to helping their daughter Chrissie achieve her dreams as a talented violinist. But on the night of a prestigious music competition, which has the power to change everything for Chrissie and her family, Chrissie goes missing. She puts on the performance of a lifetime, then completely disappears. Suddenly every single crack, every single secret that the family is hiding risks being exposed. Because the Goodlights aren’t perfect. Not even close.
I loved it very much. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.

Another great, fast paced and exciting page turner from Philippa East. Totally gripping and believable from start to finish.