A very well written, intriguing storyline that kept me hooked throughout. The mini twist at the end was both unexpected and cleverly placed to leave a lasting impression. An excellent read

I was immediately drawn into this dark, clever story about Jess, a mother whose 18 year old daughter, Issie, suddenly vanishes after going travelling with her boyfriend. After the English police are reluctant to investigate, Jess travels to Lisbon in a desperate search for Issie.

With believable and likeable characters that fly off the page (especially Jess whom I empathised with straight away) and an original, tense plot this kept me turning the pages well into the night.

Nothing is as it seems here and the author throws in twist after twist, which completely blindsided me!

Gripping and unputdownable, highly recommended.

Thanks to author Heidi Perks, publishers Random House UK Cornerstone and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting story which is full of twists and turns! A couple of teenagers go off travelling and when Jess, mum of Issie, is worried that she can’t get hold of her daughter on her 18th birthday, the mystery begins. Kay, who is mum to Dylan, isn’t too worried to begin with but quickly begins to realise that all is not as it seems. Who is lying and who is telling the truth? This book will keep you guessing right up until the very last minute….

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley & Random House UK (Penguin) for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for honest feedback!

I was hooked from Chapter 1 and, in my book, that's an instant win! I loveee a good thriller!

I thought I knew the path this story was going to take, but it took a twist I didn't expect, which I loved!! The only reason I've rated it 4 stars and not 5 is because I figured out where the story was going to go after the twist. Plus, I wasn't a huge fan of Issie!

I enjoyed the dual POV in 'Someone is Lying-, hearing from both Jess (Issie's Mum) & Kay (Dylan's Mum), as well as having the podcast episodes dotted throughout. It really brought the book to life & added to the suspense, making it feel real!

It really makes you wonder how far you'd go to protect a loved one... After all, 'it was an accident... of course it was..' Wasn't it?!

Another book I’d have given a 3.5. Well written with enough twists to keep it interesting. How far would you go to protect your child ?

Really enjoyed this, not just the usual story. It's not what you think so don't give up if you think you know the answers. It's a story about 2 women, both mothers from different backgrounds. I did wonder about the podcast parts but that is explained later.

Another amazing book by Heidi’! A complete page turner and I couldn’t put it down. As a mum, I could relate to the dilemma and it made me think what I’d do in the situation! Great book, would recommend!

I loved this book it was such a great read. Things the first from this author and I’ll be reading more in future.

The books keep getting better.

It starts as any mother daughter bond seems unbreakable, issy turns in a teenager and things take a downward spiral.

Issy meets Dylan and what seems like issy is not telling the truth and jess believes her daughter.

Really enjoyed.

Once I had finished this book I wondered what I would do in this situation and cannot find the answer. Issie is 17 from a good family although her father now lives in America. Dylan is 19, lives with his mother and brother and they struggle to make ends meet. Issie and Dylan meet and after being together for nearly a year decide to go travelling after Issie’s A levels. Issie and her friends seem to fall out over her relationship with Dylan and she changes in many ways at home. Dylan’s mom gets on with Issie but Issie’s mom is not sure about Dylan at all and feels he is manipulating. The couple begin their travels. Issie is in constant touch with her mom and then suddenly it all goes quiet. Jess thinks something has happened to her daughter and flies to Portugal to get the Police involved in a search. This is where the story really picks up. The couple are found although not together and this is where the reason for them being off the radar comes to light. An accident in a hire car – who was driving and will their stories agree. The story goes back and forth to the UK and Portugal and eventually the truth comes out or does it. A very good read indeed

Wow, just when you think you have this book figured out things drastically change.

Young love, holiday in the sun. Lack of contact with their mother's. Two very different reactions from the mother's. Is it down to their lifestyles and income or much more?

It kept my interest right up to the last page. Don't want to spoil the story but keep an open mind it's not what it seems.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb - instead I recommend that you read this for yourself!

Another addictive page turner from the talented Heidi Perks. She has a way of writing that draws you in immediately. Once again - as with every other novel I've read by this author - this was a can't put it down read.

As a mother, I had instant empathy with Jess when she realised her daughter was missing abroad. The twists and turns behind how and why Issie had disappeared - along with her boyfriend Dylan - were totally gripping. I was misled by red herrings a few times, and was surprised to learn what had actually happened.

Faced with similar moral dilemmas, I wonder how any of us would react? You'll have to read this novel to find out what that refers to!

Already looking forward to Heidi's next novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

When her teenage daughter goes missing on holiday with her boyfriend, Jess knows it’s completely out of character for Issie or is it? Jess starts to question her own relationship with her daughter and knows that the boyfriend she dislikes has something to do with her disappearance. A twist on a missing person’s story that keeps you guessing and is a great read with well drawn characters.

Another New Year thriller set in beautiful Lisbon. The story was full of twists and turns that were shocking and saddening. My sympathies changed as the book progressed, but what a brave parent in exposing the truth near the end.

When Issie meets Dylan and is about to turn 18 they go travelling together for the summer. Issies mum Jess doesn’t like Dylan, thinks he’s controlling her.
On Issies 18th birthday she’s in Portugal but her mum can’t get hold of her. Why is her phone off? After a day Jess is so worried she reports her missing and flies to Portugal to look for her daughter. Certain something bad has happened.
There are lots of events unfolding in this book and it’s well written. I thought the ending was a little flat.

What a fantastic read! All the way through I was waiting to find out who was lying, and why! This is a book about young love, lies, and trust (or a lack of it) I loved the relationship shifts in this book, and the characters are well written, and believable.
I will defininitely look out for more books from this author.

I really had to sit with my thoughts for a while after reading this book because I was so overwhelmed. This book was full to the brim of twists & turns that had me GASPING at the page. Let me tell you, this book is a heaaavvvyyy ready. I had a PIT in my stomach the entire time.

Whilst reading I was asked how my new book was, and I found myself saying, "It's incredible, but it's really scary... well, actually, it's also heartbreaking." The response was a laugh—“How can it be both scary and sad?” But honestly, this is the best way I can describe it. The book is both TERRIFYING and heartbreaking, and it feels that way because it’s so painfully real.

The story delves into a scenario we’ve all seen on the news—something tragic, disturbing, and all too familiar. It full of constant twists and turns, so that just when you think you know what happened, who the victim is, who the culprit is, or who is lying, everything changes.

The book is told primarily from three perspectives: Jess, Issie’s mother; Kay, Dylan’s mother; and a podcast manuscript months after the incident. The plot centers around Issie and Dylan, two teenagers who go traveling in Europe and then mysteriously disappear. At the beginning, you might think you understand what’s going on—trust me, you don’t!

The alternating POVs of the two mothers are incredibly poignant. It’s fascinating to see how each of them perceives their own child and their child’s partner, providing a window into their emotional turmoil and perspective on the situation.

There are so many themes I could explore—how hard it is to be heard when your child goes missing abroad, the immediate vilification of men even when there’s no evidence, the disparities between the wealthy and the working class, and how wealth can sometimes tip the scales of justice. There's also the tension between nature and nurture, and the fierce loyalty of a mother to protect her child, even when her methods are unexpected. But I won’t delve into all of that here as I don’t want to spoil anything.

At its core, this story asks an unsettling question: Do we truly know anyone? Even our own families? Even, in Jess and Kay’s case, our own children?

Someone is Lying is just brilliant and one of my favourite Heidi Perks novels. Issie and Dylan are a young couple who have gone travelling to Portugal, to the concern of Issie's mother Jess who has taken a dislike to Dylan. Issie goes missing on her eighteenth birthday and Jess is desperate to find her. Dylan won't speak to her and she can't get any help from the police so Jess flies to Portugal to look for the answers.

This is when Heidi Perks' writing really comes to the fore, with the first big curveball thrown at you, and they don't stop coming. Without giving too much away, what I really enjoyed about the book was that it challenged stereotypes and the reader's expectations. It would have been easy to go down a certain route with the story but Heidi Perks didn't do that, and the book is all the better for it.

This book is told from the POV of Issie's mom, Jess, as well as Dylan's mom, Kay. There are also podcast episodes in-between chapters that bring an interesting element and preview of what's to come.

As a mother with sons and a daughter, in books like these....I always find it polarising when I think to myself, how would I react/think/feel in a situation like this? I hate ever imagining such crazy scenarios for my kids, but I enjoy the food for thought these kind of books give me.

Issie is a polarising character as her mother recalls the child she was before she got mixed up with Dylan and who she is post Dylan. Dylan is polarising in the way Jess views him and the way his own mother views him. So you are constantly thinking....which version of each of these kids is the correct one? Which mother is right about her kid and which one isn't?

While the book doesn't have a shocking plot twist....it does have some twists that an avid thriller reader may see coming...also some that this avid thriller reader didn't see coming....I didn't rely on the book for its twists and turns. I just enjoyed reading it, even though I felt this was more domestic drama with the mystery as a side story.

I felt like it moved at a good pace and I enjoyed the writing. Was there a lot of talk of Billy and hospitals and bullying and the kids' fathers? Yes there was. Was it really necessary? Probably not.

I felt like I was reading some parallels to real life missing person cases and then to have them mentioned in the book at some stage.... Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Madeleine McCann and a few others....that was an interesting inclusion.

All in all, this was a quick easy read that I did enjoy.

This started off really intriguing, and I found the mystery aspect quite compelling. However, about halfway through, it shifted into a different kind of story, focusing more on the “what would you do” aspect. While it definitely makes you think, I found myself missing the sense of mystery that hooked me at the start.