A gripping and thought-provoking scrutiny of conspiracy theories and there impact on a person.
Showing how an average, well-educated person can be easily enticed into the conspiracy world and how it can cost them their family and job.
The novel starts and ends with a court case, where Livia is now facing an attempted murder charge and her fate is in the hands of the jury.
You’re immediately drawn in, as you try to figure out how it got the court case.
Very similar to Jodi Picoult’s court room dramas.
Such an emotive read - a perfect family based thriller
Thanks @charitynorman1 @atlanticbooks & @netgalley for the emotive read

What a great book this is.
After Scott's brother Nicky dies suddenly , he tries to find answers online and from there family life hits a downward spiral. The internet is a wonderful thing but it can also be very dangerous. Gripping story to the very last page. This was a great read and one that I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

A whirlwind of a read … Livia & Scott lead a happy life great careers two wonderful children but things take a turn when Scott’s disabled brother Nicky suddenly dies. Scott feels guilty he’s looking for answers and turns to the internet before long he is sucked into a world of cult like behaviour making him think that everything he ever believed is wrong … Dr Jack a so called influencer is his main go to for the real truth. Life soon changes we see daughter Heidi’s behaviour change and secrets are uncovered . Some great twists and reveals I didn’t see coming in this great riveting book

WOW!!I've just finished what must be my favourite book of this year by an author I'd not read before. I will certainly be looking out for more by this talented author.. I was at first a bit reluctant to go down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and especially Covid, but so glad I did. It was so well written.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely gripping! A tale of conspiracy theories, the pandemic and family, this book will send you reeling.

A brilliant cast of characters who jump off the page. The story shows how easy it is for anyone to end up down a rabbit hole, and how dangerous it can be.

Lucia is a probation officer and her husband is a well respected teacher. But they are not immune to the sway of conspiracies. One tragic event turns their lives upside down and starts a trail of destruction. Will their family survive? Add in a global pandemic and the tension really mounts.

Captivating!

Amazing!
I was totally hooked on this original thriller. There are so many twists, such brilliant characters and plot. It gives a whole new point of view on the dangers of conspiracy theories, how they can affect innocent families. I can't wait for the next read from this amazing author!

I’ve read most of the author’s previous novels and loved them and Home Truths did not disappoint.
Livia Denny, a probation officer is on trial and in order to discover why, Charity Norman takes the reader back to when Livia is living happily with her husband Scott, a teacher and their two children Heidi and Noah. After Scott’s brother Nicky dies, he desperately looks for someone to blame and is soon drawn into the world of conspiracy theorists.
This was such a compelling read, it starts off at a fairly slow pace and initially I did not see the direction the plot was going in. However I was soon completely caught up in the story which the author writes so cleverly. It’s completely believable, scary and utterly chilling and Charity Norman illustrates so well how a seemingly ordinary man can be drawn into online conspiracy theories and how those around him are powerless to change his mind.
I won’t say too much about the plot but I really enjoyed how it unfolded, the different points of view and the impact Nicky’s death and Scott’s behaviour has on the whole family.
An excellent and emotional read, , one of my favourites so far this year. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

An original tale of a lovely family tumbling i nto disfunction after a tragedy. I have no sympathy or time for conspiracy theorists so this element left me cold and so all told I didn’t enjoy the book if I’m honest. I did find it an easy read in regards the style and language and I thought the telling of the tale from different POV’s whilst isn’t new worked extremely well.

I have read a few of Charity Norman’s books and really enjoyed them, so I was delighted to receive a copy of her latest novel, Home Truths. Many thanks to Atlantic Books and NetGalley for my copy.

The cover is eye catching and it makes you wonder what’s behind the door.

The story begins with Livia Denby on trial for attempted murder. The timeline then moves to the three years prior to the trial, revealing what happened.

Straight away, I was drawn into the story and wanted to know what was going on. Livia is a respected and experienced Probation Officer, and her husband Scott is a teacher. They have two children and life seems great. After the death of Scott’s brother, Nicky, everything unravels for the family. Scott becomes addicted to conspiracy theories on YouTube and when the Covid pandemic hits, Scott’s paranoia reaches new levels.

I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, apart from Charles, but I did cringe at Livia being so open with him. I was worried this would come back to bite her. Despite not really warming to any of the characters, I still enjoyed the book and wanted to find out what was going on. The last quarter in particular is so gripping and I was up late as I had to finish the book.

For most of the book I had no idea where it was going to go. The plot seemed very different yet I can definitely see aspects of it happening in real life. There was a character I immediately suspected and my suspicions were proved right. This was a little predictable for me but otherwise the book kept me guessing.

I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Well, this was not what I expected from Charity Norman, who has pretty much cornered the market in tense but wholesome domestic dramas with a moral or legal theme. Here, in Home Truths, she’s gone over to the dark side, with a seductively chilling tale of a father’s spiraling paranoia and the terrifying consequences for his family. It’s unnerving, sinister, and convincingly plausible, and I LOVED it!

The book opens with a jury entering a courtroom to deliver its verdict. In the stand is mum Livia Denby, accused of attempted murder. It’s an attention-grabbing scene that immediately provokes a raft of questions: Who? What? Why?

What follows takes the reader back to the beginning of the nightmare for Livia, husband Scott and their two children, as their normal, happy family starts to disintegrate, triggered by the sudden death of Scott’s brother. Consumed by grief and guilt, Scott’s quest for answers sees him plummeting into a murky world of conspiracy theorists and truthism that ends in a pulse-pounding, life-threatening showdown.

This was high-octane stuff. Norman totally nails Scott’s obsessive paranoia and descent into near madness. Equally palpable is Livia’s fear and bewilderment, and the confusion of the youngsters, whose loyalties are pulled this way and that.

What I found most frightening was the ease with which unseen forces manipulated and controlled Scott’s vulnerable mind via the dark net. Of course, this is a well-known fact, but seeing it play out in front of my eyes was deeply disturbing.

I was hoping for more of the court case and was thrilled when the narrative eventually circled back to it. This is where Norman is in her element and where she once again proves her mettle. I was on the edge of my seat. Who would win? The mother with the moral high ground, or the master puppeteer?

Suffice to say, my lips are sealed. You’ll just have to read this nail-biting drama and find out for yourself.

Wow, this book was not what I was expecting at all but boy did it suck me in!! What starts out as asimple, devastating event turns into something much bigger as the book goes on. I loved the big theme the book covered - the internet and conspiracy theories and what impact this has on society. This book was so well written and completely belieavable. The inclusion of Covid just added to it and helped to add to the strong feelings and emotions already being experienced in the book. A brilliantly different book!!

I love Charity Norman's writing so was keen to pick up this new one and I'm pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. It follows Livia and Scott who are happily married with two children but we know from the start that things are going to go awry. The novel opens with a court scene and the day Livia's life changed. It then goes back in time to the happier times but then Scott's brother dies suddenly and Scott becomes increasingly obsessed with conspiracy theories - he really goes down a dark path. I found the theories he was reading really hard to read, it made me quite anxious that people are reading and blindly believing things online. I still couldn't put the book down though because I had my suspicions about one character and I just wanted to know how it was all going to end. This was such a gripping read and I enjoyed it!

Livia has a happy family life until her brother-in-law dies. HIs death throws her husband into a spin and it implodes her whole life. She finds herself facing the imposible question of just how far will she go to save her family?

This was a slow build up and it took me a fair chunk to really get into it but once i did. I was so hooked and read the last chunk all in one go. Trigger warning about Covid 19 as it does come up in this. The plot once it gets going is very intense and dramatic. This is a story that starts at the end then goes back in time to show us how we got there before returning to the final conclusion. The ending was really good and i was on tenterhooks to how it would end. It played out really well. A brilliant tense thriller.

Home Truths is a Family Saga. The story begins with Livia going back to court for the Jury's verdict after being accused of murder. Set in Yorkshire Livia is a Probation Officer and her husband Scott a school teacher, on their daughters Birthday Scott's brother dies and afterwards their whole lives implode with guilt and conspiracy theories. A thought provoking story .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Livia Derby is on trial for attempted murder as she waits for the jury's verdict the story goes back to when her world cracked wide open. Livia was a probation officer, Scott was a popular secondary school teachers. They have two children Noah, who has asthma & thirteen year old Heidi. Scott's brother Nicky has Type 1 diabetes & learning difficulties. Heidi had requested that for her birthday she goes for a bike ride & lunch with her Dad. Having spoken to Nicky twice they set off. Unfortunately Nicky lock himself out & suffers a fatal hypo. That morning is the last 'normal day' for the family. Scott is racked with guilt that he hadn't had his phone. That guilt drives him into a spiral of conspiracy theories, looking at the timeline we know Covid is about to rear its ugly head & that will make things a hundred times worse. The story is told from the point of view of Livia & Heidi with some of Scott thrown in.

I am a huge Charity Norman fan. What I love about her books is that every one is so different yet all revolve around characters that you really care about. This is probably my best read of the year so far- it's certainly the one where I gave up most sleep! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this fabulous read. Hope it won't be too long before the next one.

With any book from Charity Norman, you know you are in for a slow burn, great read.
Starting towards the end of the story, the reader sees Livia Denby on trial for attempted murder, before being flashed back to two years earlier.

Having read the blurb and the brilliant opening, I was curious to see how this story would pan out, to arrive at this critical point.

The characterisation was spot on within the whole family, with Livia and Scott’s changing relationship after the death of a relative clearly portrayed.

Livia’s job as a probation officer makes for really interesting reading, with one of her clients, Charles, becoming a larger than life figure within the story.

Telling the story from different viewpoints within the family, predominantly Heidi and Livia, with some chapters from Scott, allows the reader the opportunity to understand how the grief and guilt affected each of them. The complex, changing and confusing family relationships create an emotional response for the reader, experiencing and reflecting on, the depths of grief and desperation.

The joy with Charity’s writing is that she takes an ordinary situation, a family with mum and dad in secure and steady jobs, two children, life ticking along nicely and then, like shaking items in a bag , everything spirals and changes so swiftly, the consequences never easy to predict.

I found the pace in the last third of the book fast and pulse raising as I was torn, wanting to get to the end whilst not wanting to finish the book.

So cleverly plotted, showing how life can change in a second, I loved this book!

Scott and Livia have a happy home life with their two children, but when a tragedy hits the family their lives are thrown into turmoil. Scott goes down a dangerous spiral of conspiracy theories and online misinformation and Livia has to consider whether or not she needs to separate him from the children, for their safety.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the start of the story, but don't feel it kept up the same level throughout, but still a solid read.

Having read several of the author's previous books I couldn't wait to get stuck into her latest courtroom drama offering and it definitely didn't disappoint.
The story is set in Yorkshire and centres around Livia, a probation officer, her husband Scott and their teenage daughter Heidi. The book details Livia on trial for attempted murder in 2022 with a flip back to August 2019, where events on Heidi’s 13th birthday changed everything for the family.
Gripping from the very start with great characters, superb writing, lots of twists and turns and a superb ending. Conspiracy theories, grief, guilt, family dynamics, courtroom drama - it has the full works! Highly recommended.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Amazing! This had me hooked from the start. It starts with such a dramatic scene but since you don't understand the context or the characters then it makes you invested from the start. As the book progresses, the more you get to know the characters, the more invested you become. It was the most jaw dropping twists and the whole book is so cleverly written and plotted out that you can't help but keep on reading til you get to the end. An absolute mist read

This starts in the courtroom with Livia on trial for attempted murder and I spent a lot of time guessing who the victim was going to be (did not see it coming!). An uncomfortable read at times as you watch Scott's mental health unravel, the family disintegrate and read a lot about conspiracy theories but then comes back with a strong ending.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.