Set on a small Greek island, Zoe and Lex meet when they are 15 and about to become step-sisters. When a 3rd girl arrives on the iisland with her family the dynamic changes and when she disappears on the night of the wedding it is assumed that she has drowned. Thirty years later Zoe and Lex are reunited for their father’s funeral but the secret that has been buried for so long threatens their future.

Set over two timeframes this book slowly reveals the secrets of what happened that night. I enjoyed getting to know the characters even if they weren’t particularly likeable.

I enjoyed Ms Fleet's descriptions of the Greek island and the atmosphere she evoked; slightly less the myths.
Maybe I've read too many books recently about people returning
to a place where "something happened" and the characters all have a secret, but I needed something really different to hook me in and care about the young women in this one, sadly this story didnt deliver.
I would still read further books by this author however
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book.
2.5 rounded up to 3

Twenty Five years ago, Zoe’s mother, Marilynn, married Lex’s father, Richard, on the Greek island of Eos, and the girls became stepsisters. Zoe, 15, was educated at a State School, while Lex, who will turn 16 on the wedding day, was educated at a fee-paying school. Zoe is bright and intelligent but not at all worldly, while Lex is just as clever but something of a wild child. The wedding will take place at “Calliope” Richard’s holiday home, named after the Muse of Epic Poetry. Despite their different backgrounds, the girls become close friends and enjoy adventuring around the island. Guests at the wedding include Liam, Richard’s young business partner, and Penny, Lex’s Godmother together with her sons, Robin and Tom and her daughter, Abigail. She is also 15 but acts much younger and is generally rather despondent, not helped by her family nickname of Pabs (poor Abigail). After the wedding, there is a party which extends into the night and at some point Abigail disappears.
Now, Zoe and Lex have returned to “Calliope” for Richard’s funeral. This is the first time they have returned since the wedding and old memories are being reawakened. Clearly the two women’s lives have been influenced by the events following Abigail’s disappearance. Lex has brought her daughter, Cloe because she is, of course, Richard’s granddaughter. At 19 she looks like Lex did then, but is curious about the past and starts asking questions. Liam and Penny have also returned, each with their own concerns about what happened. Robin, too, has had his life influenced by the loss of his sister, to such an extent that he is now living on the Island in hope that she might be found. Since it is approaching the 25th Anniversary of the event he has organised a poster campaign and is in contact with the local police inspector originally in charge of the case. It looks like there might be anew search. What will it find and what will that mean to the futures of the main protagonists?
This is a mystery story, but we don’t know if it is a crime story. It is told in alternating chapters, one 25 years ago and one in the present. The former is largely a coming of age story and the latter a psychological look at how events in the past can colour the future. It is well written and conveys a clear picture of the island and the house (almost a character in its own right), but it is very slow paced until the last few chapters; and very long at 400 pages. Large chunks of the ‘Past’ could easily be edited down, and some tightening up of the ‘Present’ would help. The mystery isn’t very hard to solve and the dénouement is not much of a surprise. I have a major problem with the mechanics of the plot because I can’t see how the timing of events works and there are a few pieces which don’t make sense, but I can’t explain them here. Overall, it’s not a bad book if you have a bit of time, e.g. lying on a Greek beach in the sun.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Zoe first visited the island of Eos twenty five years ago with her mum. They’d flown out to stay at her mum’s partners villa along with his daughter Lex. Lex was everything Zoe wasn’t, and eventually they went from strangers to sisters. Until something happened on that island and they told the first lie. From the premise of this book I was eager to read it. I was expecting something dark, atmospheric and thrilling set against a Greek backdrop. However, I was somewhat disappointed. The book for me was a slow burner that never really got going and struggled to hold my interest. I would rate this book 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

One summer on the Greek island of Eos, set out in a then and now format, this is a fabulous new mystery novel surrounding the disappearance of young teenager Abigail. Gripping in places slow as a sunshine holiday in others, this is a compelling story and a perfect summer time read.
Zoe and Lex met 25 years ago when they were 15 yrs old, during a summer of mixed emotions, self-discovery, on their own coming-of-age period. As Zoe’s mum has announced her marriage to Lex’s dad, the dynamics of their relationship and very different upbringing come to the fore. 25 years later they meet again, bringing up their shared history of what happened.
Full of atmosphere, build up and clever slick writing.. Great holiday reading, intriguing and captivating.
Greatly enjoyed and recommended. A story that unfolds slowly as it draws you in.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin books for the early read.

This is beautifully written and very descriptive. I think it perfectly describes the way teenage girls feel at the cusp of womanhood. It works better as a love story to Greece than it does as a thriller.

Set on the Greek Island of Eos, the first and last time she was on the Island a young girl Abigail went missing. Zoe and her stepsister Lex where with Abigail the night she disappeared, and they haven’t seen each other since then. When they both return to the Island for Zoe’s stepfather and Lex’s Fathers funeral it is clear they are hiding something.

The story is told through Zoe’s POV and is a split timeline- telling the story of the lead up to Abigail going missing twenty-five years ago and the present where Abigail’s brother Rob is still searching for his sister.

There were bits of Greek mythology weaved through the story and the house that Zoe’s stepfather owns Calliope became its own character.

A really good holiday read that made me intrigued to find out what had happened to Abigail and also made me want to stay at Calliope.

Slow burner. Great descriptions of the Greek island but lacked any great pull to make me we to keep reading. Unlikeable characters. Liked the premise but just something missing in the delivery. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

25 years ago 15 year olds Zoe and Lex meet for the first time on the island of Eos, as Zoe’s mum is marrying Lex’s dad after a whirlwind romance. The stepsisters are very different but plod along together, occasionally with another girl Abigail. Abigail disappearing on the night of the wedding is the main storyline.

This is a slow burn that really picks up the pace told on then and now timelines, then being 25 years ago and the lead upto the wedding and now the girls meeting again, back on Eos for the first time since that summer. Zoe and Lex both have their own daughters now and are brought back together for the funeral of Lex’s dad Richard. However people from the past are determined to reinvestigate what happened to Abigail and Zoe and Lex must join forces to prevent the truth from coming to light.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Zoë is returning to Greece for the first time in the 25 years since she first met her step sister Lex there and since another girl, Abigail, went missing. Even though both have tried to move on, only they know the truth about Abigail. Will the shared secrets finally escape?

I thought this sounded intriguing and I was drawn to the cover. The story is told in past and present which helps add extra layers and build up the overall story. The story telling and character creation is done well, I felt I got a picture of the Greek setting. Although this was well written, it was a slow burn and unfortunately a bit too slow to really hold my interest. I felt that by the end I wasn’t that invested in the story and I didn’t love the conclusion. Although this story wasn’t fully for me, I would check out other books by this author due to the writing style. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I have gotten a bit tired of the whole some secret from the younger days comes back to haunt the adults but this was amazingly well done. I loved the way the characters were written and how toxic it all was. The dual timeline worked well but dragged a bit. Overall I loved it though

The dual timelines made it harder to read and possibly needed more expansion to really follow the individual parts. Normally I like dual timelines but this one did not make the grade for me in that respect. The scery and the characters were very well described, however I do have to say that I did not like any of the characters. The story revolves a lot around family dynamics and this doe smake it easier to relate to the individual characters.
This was a slow beginning but about 50% of the way thorugh I just had to keep reading to resolve what had happened to Abigail. The Greek mythoglogy parts were fascinating and woven into the story very well. Katherine Fleet introduced her hints throughout the story that made me try to think about what could havehappened.

This was an excellent mystery, perfect for summer reading. It sizzles with suspense and tension as we move between Then and Now. I liked the theme of being doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past, the interweaving of Greek mythology and this luscious setting. Fleet keeps you on your toes with secrets and fractured family dynamics.

Absolutely loved this sun-soaked tale of lost innocence and betrayal. The dual timeline makes the tension almost unbearable, as you find out what happened to split up the almost sisters that long ago summer… If you like stories about toxic friendship and relationships this is perfect for reading by the pool.

Two step sisters and a 25 year old secret.
I liked the blurb of this book, the idea of returning to the ‘scene of the crime’ as mature adults with a lot or lose. However for me, the dual timelines slowed the narrative down too much. I am usually a fan of dual interpretation of events but neither sister is likeable and this just did not enable me to fully emerge in the story.

Two sisters - albeit step sisters - have returned to the Greek Island for the funeral of their father.
They haven't been together since the disappearance of one of their friends years ago. The friend has never been found but still haunts the girls years later.
People are still searching for the truth but it will shatter lives if it does.

Zoë and Lex are stepsisters brought together to Lex's dads holiday home in Greece for his whirlwind wedding to Zoë's mum. The girls spend every minute together, occasionally with Abigail, the daughter of Lex's godmother. Neither girl, particularly like Abigail, no one does. But when Abigail disappears the night of the wedding, everything changes. 25 years later, both of them return to the island for Lex's dads funeral. Neither has seen or spoken to each other since that night. Both of them know what really happened that night, and now the past seems to want to catch up to them.

Throughout the story, each chapter jumps between "Then and Now." Then being 25 years ago, the story follows the two teenage girls as they meet for the first time, right up until the night their parents get married. Now follow both of them, now both mothers themselves, as they try to find out a way to stop the truth getting out. This was a slow burn, and it felt like it really took a long time to get anywhere. But the underlying mystery, the build-up, and the eventually, the reveal and ending, all made it worth the read. This is definitely a must-read for your summer vacation.

I liked the premise of this novel, set on an idyllic Greek island. However the dual timelines slowed the narrative and I did not care for the characters.

#TheLiars #NetGalley
I really didn't care at all. But some parts are really good.
What happened on the island of Eos twenty-five years ago. We first meet our narrator, Zoe, as she is returning to the island of Eos, for her step-father's funeral. It is twenty-five years since she has visited the villa her step-father, Richard, loved. The place they retired to a decade ago. The story then alternates between now and Zoe's first visit, when she meets her soon-to-be step-sister, Lex. Zoe and Lex are roughly the same age but light-years apart in every other respect. Zoe has been brought up by a single mother, living a normal life in inner city London and attends a state school. She's bright, works hard at school and appreciates the sacrifices her mother has made for her. Although Lex is a child of divorced parents she has led a life of privilege, something she takes for granted, she tends to look upon everyone with disdain. Although the girls know of each other's existence, the holiday is the first time they have met. Unassuming Zoe is immediately wary of Lex but also in awe of her rebelliousness, something Lex is quick to flaunt. The pair quickly form a bond. The arrival of a family with long-time connections to Richard and Lex throws another teenage girl, Abigail, into the mix and this brings out Zoe's jealous side. When the story returns to now and Richard's funeral, lots of old faces from twenty-five years ago return to the island. Gradually, memories are stirred, particularly as it's the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disappearance. Zoe's feelings of guilt slowly build and build, becoming oppressive, just like the summer heat before a storm. The reader is given tantalising hints about historic events as secrets are slowly revealed and we learn that no one has a complete picture of exactly what happened on the fateful night.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me an advance copy.

It’s been twenty-five years since that summer.
Since we went from strangers to sisters.
Since Abigail went missing.
Since we told the first lie.

This is well written and constructed novel. I don’t like the dual timelines which seems to be the way of writing by so many authors currently. Sadly, I feel that each change takes you out of the story flow. I’m sure that some readers will enjoy it but it just seems to slow down and becomes annoying. It just doesn’t work for me. The descriptions were excellent and the characters well developed.