Someone is lying - Heidi Perks- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Told from the perspective of two mothers and a true crime podcaster this is a thriller that will keep you guessing to the end.

Issie is travelling with her boyfriend Dylan and she doesn’t get in contact with her mum on her 18th birthday which is very out of character. Her mum, Jess is really worried that something has happened so starts to try and find her daughter.

This story was ringing some clear bells of the horrific case of Gabby Petitio. Right down to instagram posts her mum didn’t this she had made. At around 35% in Gabby was actually mentioned and it actually shocked me slightly to hear of an actual true crime being referenced in a fictional book.

The story kept me hooked and I really did like the two characters and the moral questions it raised. How far would a mother go to find the truth, and what happens when they do.

Characters- 7
Atmosphere- 6
Writing Style- 8
Plot- 7
Intrigue-6
Relationships-6
Enjoyment- 7
6.71

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The blurb of this is surely every parent’s worst nightmare but as the story continues and the truth comes out in pieces, it gets worse for Jess, I liked the way the author gives the POV of both mum’s and also the podcaster’s voice. A somewhat chilling end to a great story

I really enjoyed this book mainly because I thought I understood where it was going in the first few pages but then it took some surprising twists and turns. I enjoyed the inclusion of the podcast elements - it linked the chapters together quite nicely. I'd sort of guessed the main twist but the one on the last page was a surprise. A great read.

Basically a missing persons drama related from the the Point of view of the the two mothers of the missing couple Issie and Dylan. At first the two mums have quite different views of the personality and character of their children’s partners but things gradually change throughout the book.
I thought that the changes were a bit too telegraphed so that there were no big surprises throughout the book and only one minor twist at the very end of the book. However it was still enjoyable reading having the satisfaction of seeing what one thinks is likely to happen actually take place.
So I felt the book was more about exploring what causes parents to alter their opinions regarding their offspring rather than a traditional what has happen type book.
However my enjoyment of the book was almost sabotaged by the insertion of the chapters of a True Crime Podcast periodically throughout the book. I found them very annoying as they were basically summaries of what is already known and added nothing new. In retrospect I could have bypassed them all and enjoyed the book more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC

rounding up to 3.5

when two teens go missing travelling around europe..

i really enjoyed the true crime podcasts weaved throughout the book. it explained the mystery in a simple way and lured the reader in more.

at times, i wished the main story was written in the same quick and simple way as the author had a way of over explaining, making the characters fall a bit flat for my personal liking.

however, this book does an excellent job of showcasing what it’s like for a parent to witness a child go through a toxic relationship.

although the plot could be a slow burner, the plot twists kept on coming and kept me guessing through out the book.

Wow!! Literally left me speechless. Genuinely cohld not put the book down. Highly recommend reading it.

I loved this book and found it so addictive! It gets off to a cracking pace from the start and I had no trouble turning the pages. In fact, when I woke at 3.30am today my first thought was, Great, now I can read Someone is Lying!

I felt invested in both Jess and Kay, the mothers of Issie and Dylan, a young couple who travel to Portugal and then disappear. I thought I’d worked out what was going on…but I was wrong, several times, and this made the book even more gripping. It raises the question of how far would you go to protect your child and it certainly made me think. I found it easy to relate to both of the mothers, each trying to do their best for their children.

I have read and enjoyed all of Heidi Perks’s novels. This is her most compelling so far. Five stars!

I’ve never read Heidi Perks books before so didn’t really know what to expect.
In fact I was hooked quickly by this title.
A story based on two mothers rather than a detective trying to solve a crime.
Two mothers each trying to protect their children. A mother’s instinct coming into play.
Can mothers that love their children , do the right thing.
A really good read making me want to reach for others by this author.

Someone Is Lying - Heidi Perks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“What makes a mother stand by their child regardless of what they might have done?”

Someone Is Lying follows Jess, who has the perfect relationship with her daughter Issie. That is until Issie’s new boyfriend, Dylan comes along. When Issie and Dylan go travelling just before Issie’s 18th birthday, Jess feels like she has no choice but to let her daughter go, even if she doesn’t trust Dylan. But when Issie goes missing, and Dylan refuses to talk, Jess finds herself in a parent’s worst nightmare. How do you find your daughter when nobody believes she’s missing?

This book is told from two perspectives, Issie’s mum, and Dylan’s mum. There is a really intricate and unique way about how the two perspectives of the same event are told. I devoured this book within 24 hours and found myself completely engrossed in the themes, theories, ideas and emotions.

There is also the addition throughout of a short podcast chapter, which I thoroughly enjoyed. These chapters kept the book engaging, with its refreshing concept and devils advocate perspective. In some regards they acted as a teaser of what was to come in the book, which definitely kept me turning the pages!

Someone Is Lying doesn’t necessarily have a big twist, but what it lacks there is wholeheartedly made up for in tension, suspicion and thrill. It is a very thought provoking book which kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know what had happened, what was going to happen, and who I could trust. Nothing was as it seems!

I find it hard to find a book that doesn’t build up to a twist that can maintain tension, but this book had my full attention throughout and I loved it. Remember: there are two sides to every story, and then there’s the truth😉.

Thank you to NetGalley, Heidi Perks and Random House UK, Cornerstone / Penguin Books for sending this advanced copy of Someone Is Lying in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Love it a great Physiological Thriller

Jess is convinced her daughter Issie has been the victim of foul play almost certainly at the hands of Dylon whose Mum Kay will do all she can to protect. But the plot you can read about it has lots of twists and drama as you'd want. It's a book you won't forget soon and may well be a marker for others you read.

So why did I love it? Well if you've read any of Heidi other books you will know what a great writer she is and this is no exception. The story starts straight away along with the action, the characters are well crafted and each have a dynamic impact as you read along. No spoilers so all I will say that the twist get deeper the ending is o sorry no spoilers but....

So yes really want to highly recommend it I loved it and how you do as well.

Incredibly enjoyable read, that did not go where I had expected it to. I am always a fan of Heidi Perks books and this one is no exception. Lots of intrigue and fast paced enough to keep you interested, but the 'twist' wasn't so much of a twist as a reveal which you could see coming a mile off. Very enjoyable read, would recommend!

I really enjoyed reading this book once you start that’s it for the rest of the day, it centres round Jess and her daughter Issie and her boyfriend Dylan. They both go off travelling and Jess is very upset as she doesn’t trust Dylan or like him, she is really worried when it’s Issie’s 18th birthday and she can’t contact her or Dylan she reluctantly informs Issie’s dad who left them years ago but feels she has to tell him that Issie is missing and can’t contact her it’s become a mother’s nightmare.

Great read and you can’t stop until you find out who is actually lying.

Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone got an ARC

This book had me in a chokehold! As a mother to a teen o can totally relate to Jess and literally felt every emotion she went through. This is a great novel, well written and believable, though I hope my daughter doesn’t get her hands on it and get any ideas!

Omg wow wow wow!!! This book had me gripped from start to finish, everytime I thought I knew which way it was going I was proven wrong. So many twists and turns, two mums trying to do anything to protect their children.
Issie and Dylan go off radar in Portugal, Issie's mum thinks the worse but she didn't see ot want to believe what had actually happened.
I loved reading the chapters telling the story via podcast too

Absolutely loved this book, so gripping I read it in a couple of days. Really liked both Mum
Characters and felt sympathy for both. Had no idea what the outcome was going to be but thoroughly enjoyed. It’s every mother’s nightmare and it makes you think ‘what would you do’


Highly recommend.

Thorougly enjoyed this-really got me thinking of how difficult those latter teenage years can be and how much can change even in 24 hours; legally a child at 17 one day and the next an adult with all of the ramifications. It was also really interesting to read how well the parents in this book really knew their children during this period of time-loved the twist at the end too!

A great mystery with good moral questions - what will parents do to protect their children? And well written between two very different POVs that prove you never know what someone else is going through. Only criticism is characters 'smiled thinly' a little too often.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

This was a really interesting book and the best Heidi Perks novel that I have read so far.

Someone is Lying tells the story of Issie, a 17 year old girl who meets 19 year old Dylan and suddenly becomes withdrawn from her previously close relationship with her mum and best friends. When Issie decides to go travelling with Dylan and suddenly goes incommunicado, her mum Jess can't help but fear the worst - that Dylan has controlled her, is preventing her contacting her mum or maybe even worse.

Frustratingly, I can't go into why this novel worked so well for me without hinting at spoilers but this is not the novel that you may think it is. I will leave it there!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided to me by NetGalley but this is an honest 5 star review. I read the book in its entirety in one sitting, dinner and loo breaks excepted. I was drawn in really quickly and loved how I kept changing and developing my views and judgements on the small cast of characters as I learned more. It was an interesting take on an unreliable narrator - we heard the story through the mothers who at various points trusted and doubted their own children, and had to choose how far they'd push their own moralities to defend them - whether they were innocent or not. Thought provoking and challenging to read as a mother and consider what I might do in either of their positions, but easy enough to plough through at a pelt without losing any interest. Will definitely be seeking more from this author.