3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of One More Lie.

Becky, her husband Richie, and their friends Emilia and Tom gather for the funeral of their friend Jodie. They have all been friends since college and Jodie taking her own life came as a shock to all them. Becky believes it may be from the secret the group has been keeping since college. But strange things start happening after the funeral and Becky wonders if she can trust anyone. She also thinks Jodie may have been murdered. Can she figure out the truth before it’s too late?

This book was okay but some of the plot was pretty predictable. I also did not really enjoy any of the main characters. Overall it was just an okay read for me.

One More Lie by Sheryl Browne  is a psychological thriller about a group of friends who kept a secret when one of them died on the beach.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
 

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
During their university years, Becky, Rich, Emelia, Tom, Jodie, Zoe, and Pippa gathered on the beach for a night of drinking and dancing around the campfire.  Pippa is not really part of their group, but Becky had invited her, and was surprised when she came.   Unfortunately, Pippa was found dead on the beach the next day.  

Becky has never gotten over the guilt she felt for Pippa's death, and cannot understand why her friends don't seem to feel remorse.  They had treated her badly.

Twenty years later, another of their group dies, but Becky finds the death too coincidental, too suspicious.  But she is the only one of her old friends to question it.  Is she just being paranoid?  As always, she questions which of those friends she can really trust.


My Opinions:
I wasn't thrilled with this one.  

I didn't like any of the characters.  They were all either obnoxious or naive.  No one was what they appeared, which normally makes a good story....but not if their redeeming qualities don't show up until late in the book.

The book is about lies, secrets, blaming, manipulation, and revenge.  Not topics I'm fond of.  It is also about vulnerability and weakness, often disguised as bravado.

Although the story is told mainly from Becky's perspective, there are chapters devoted to the others.  This worked fairly well to discover their thoughts.  There was also an occasional chapter devoted to "Then".  Again, this worked well.

The actual plot was quite interesting.  However, it was very predictable.  I had figured out everything midway through.  That being said, by the midway mark, I was finally invested in the story.  It was very slow up until that point.

 I know I've been very critical, but I did enjoy the book.  I am sure there are many, many others, who absolutely loved it.  So give it a shot!

A beach party, six friends and a long held secret...

Becky stands by her husband Richie's side as the coffin is lowered gently into the ground. This shouldn't have happened. It didn't have to happen. Jodie should be here with them, living her life, instead of gone forever taking with her to the grave her secrets. But it's standing at her friend's graveside that brings to mind another another memory of another funeral for another life cut short too soon.

Twelve years ago, Becky and her group of friends are celebrating the end of university when another young woman joins their fold. Pippa Moore sits on the outskirts of their circle just waiting and hoping to be included...to be accepted. But Pippa doesn't make friends easily. She's shy and awkward thus making her a target for ridicule, which is relentless. When Richie invites her up to dance Pippa can hardly believe her luck. He's the nicest, along with Becky, of the group and she has no problem dancing with him though her moves are unco-ordinated and awkward. But then one of the others of the group, Emelia, screeches at her, tormenting her laughingly, until Pippa feels all eyes on her. Humiliated, she runs off into the night, the laughter trailing behind her.

When her body is found the next morning, the group are sombre and silent, none of them revealing what they know. What happened to Pippa after she fled the party? Did someone meet up with her? Does one of them know what really happened? Who knows more than they're letting on?

Becky can't help but draw comparisons as she remembers the sombre event that was Becky's funeral and her distraught mother weeping buckets for the child that should never have gone before her. And now Jodie, who reportedly took her own life - why? Was the guilt of what happened all those years ago too much for her?

She herself can't seem to let go of the past as she ruminates over past events, driving each of her remaining friends crazy. Even dependable Richie is growing tired of her constant tirade of what happened to Pippa that he throws accusations at her in desperate frustration. And consumed with own guilt and emotions running high, Becky sees something she totally blows all out of proportion and accusations fly in all directions. And when push comes to shove, Becky wonders who can she really trust? At seven months pregnant, she thought she could trust Richie but now she's not so sure. And Emelia? Her insensitive tirade regarding Pippa at the funeral was totally out of line. The woman is so incredibly selfish and thinks only of herself, just as she did all those years ago when she relentlessly tormented Pippa.

And then as secrets begin to bubble to the surface, strange things start happening, making Becky question her sanity and Emelia hers. Someone knows what happened all those years ago and now they are coming back to make them pay. With two deaths down, who else must die to avenge Pippa's memory?

The story alternates between the past and the present primarily from Becky's narrative, peppered with Pippa (in the past), Emelia, Richie and Jack (in the present). Becky's is the only first person narrative whilst the others are third person and through each of them we witness the unravelling of relationships within this tight-knit group of friends. Betrayals, jealousy and suspicion fuel the constant drama of which there is plenty. The characters are deeply flawed, so much so they contrast each other vastly. Becky is anxious and passive-aggressive (particularly where Richie and Emelia are concerned) whilst Emelia is selfish and reckless. Richie is so mild he comes across as passive at times as his dependability comes into question whilst Tom is just as reckless as his wife.

Though the story was predictable for the most part, the final twist is one that will surprise readers, I'm sure. I was left with something of a feeling that not all was explained therefore leaving me with a few questions, but on the whole I was entertained with this tense and dramatic psychological drama.

I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OneMoreLie in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This was a very compelling read, the suspense and pace kept me hooked all the way though, I loved it overall.

On the last day of school, my friends and I gather on the beach to celebrate the long summer ahead. Sipping cans of warm cider and watching campfire embers dance into the inky sky, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. Until a scream pierces the night. The next morning, we find shy newcomer Pippa on the beach, sandflies gathering on her lifeless body. I told the police I didn’t see anything that night. I was young, scared, and full of guilt. I heard my friends telling the same story. It’s a lie that has haunted me ever since.

Now, twenty years later, on the anniversary of Pippa’s death, another one of our group is found dead. As we gather once again to say goodbye, I know it can’t be a coincidence. I look around at the tear-stained faces of my old school friends – people I thought I could trust – a protective hand on my growing belly. The police are asking questions again, and I have an impossible decision to make.

I loved this! I always enjoy stories that go back to something that happened years ago and comes back to the surface. This was an excellent story; it kept me turning pages from page one. Excellent! 5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This is my honest opinion of the book.

This book was filled with suspense top-to-bottom! It was a challenge for me not to skip to the end and see how it all turned out instead of reading through. But I held in there, and it was well worth it!

One of the fun strategies the author employed was revealing some things early on - like making one of the characters obviously shady - but not revealing how they fit into things, because there’s a lot of moving parts in this one, and it’s obvious that there’s more going on than just one person acting creepy, if that makes sense. It was a really good strategy, because it kept all the pieces turning in my mind, trying to figure out how everything fit together. And trust me, there’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end!

Plus, the main narrator, Becky, is questioning her own sanity, so you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not - it’s so good, I love a well-written unreliable narrator, and this is definitely one.

And wow! When everything is revealed, it’s jaw dropping! I loved it, lots of little details and twists that were in there that kept things intriguing.

Pick this one up for a great mystery/thriller to curl up with this winter!

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘One More Lie’ written by Sheryl Browne in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A group of friends, Becky and Richie, Emilia and Tom, gather at the funeral of Jodie and thoughts immediately return to shy and introverted Pippa who wanted to be part of their group but died as they partied on the beach celebrating their last day at school. The friends all played a part in what happened to Pippa and some of them more than others feel a degree of guilt but her killer was never found and Becky thinks Jodie’s death is suspicious as she had everything to live for.

‘One More Lie’ has a plot that jumps from ‘then’ as it relates what happened to Pippa on the beach, to ‘now’ as the friends meet to attend Jodie’s funeral. Although well-written and with a fair amount of suspense, the story feels very similar to others I’ve read recently so while it has a well-thought-out plot I found it fairly predictable. I’ve always enjoyed Sheryl Browne’s thrillers and can’t wait to read them, but this one feels more suited to a younger age range in the YA category rather than for someone of my advancing years. I thought the characters were generally unpleasant and although Becky was by far the nicest, she was weak and let Emilia get away with discharging her nastiness. Maybe that’s how it was intended, but it made me feel uncomfortable reading it. I didn’t enjoy this novel but it won’t stop me from reading more by this author.

One More Lie by Sheryl Browne is an intense, twisty psychological thriller that takes readers back to a haunting night twenty years ago when Pippa, a shy and mistreated girl, was found dead following a beach party. Now, as former friends gather again for another funeral—this time for Jodie, who reportedly took her own life—old secrets resurface, pulling them into a web of lies and tension.

The story alternates between past and present, primarily following Becky, now pregnant, who has never fully recovered from the night Pippa died. Through Becky’s perspective and other third-person viewpoints, we witness the unraveling relationships within this tight-knit group, where betrayals, jealousy, and suspicion fuel the drama. Browne builds suspense by peeling back layers of deception, dropping clues and twists along the way. The characters are deeply flawed—Becky’s anxious passivity contrasts with Emelia’s recklessness, and Richie’s steadiness seems questionable in the face of rising suspicions—making them both compelling and frustrating in equal measure.

Though the story felt familiar at times, with its setup of past trauma reuniting estranged friends, Browne brings a fresh intensity to the psychological unraveling of her characters, keeping readers guessing about who can be trusted until the very end. While some twists were predictable, others provided satisfying surprises.

For fans of dark, suspenseful thrillers about buried secrets and messy relationships, One More Lie delivers a tense, page-turning experience. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Sheryl Browne for the opportunity to read and review this gripping book.

College friends have managed to remain a friend group even though they all are holding onto guilt from an incident 20 years ago. It all comes back to Pippa and what happened to her on the beach - and who was responsible!

Someone knows what happened, and that's the person who was there on the beach with Pippa that night. Was it the guy she had sex with (no one knew she had a boyfriend)? Was it a crime of passion, jealousy, or hate? Those are the questions Becky has been living with for the past 20 years, and now she doesn't know who to trust. And now her friends are dying...one...by...one.

The book turns dramatically about 50% in and though you might guess some of the twists, you'll stay for the taut action and the unexpected ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books on Tour for an advance reader's copy.

What a twisty story full of suspense!
A past secret and lies were made by a group of friends. Now they are together again. Will truths be revealed?
One More Lie is an intense psychological thriller.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A beach party for the last day at school turns into a disaster. The next morning, Pippa, a shy newcomer, had been found dead. On the 18th anniversary of Pippa's death, another body has been found. Are the deaths connected?

The story is told from multiple points of view, and it's told between the past and present day. Tension builds, secrets are being kept, and there's betrayal and lies, in fact, all the things we love about a Sheryl Browne book. This is one very twisted psychological thriller. The plot is believable, but not all the characters are likeable, they are all flawed. It is a bit confusing at the beginning as all the characters are introduced to us at once, but once you get a grip of them all, it's an easy-to-read book.

Published 18th November 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #OneMoreLie in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was such an amazing thriller and gave me everything I wanted from it! The characters are all very unlikeable but written so well that they feel like people you've actually met. It's impossible for then not to get right under your skin which is always a sign of a good writer lol. The plot is well planned out, it's not too predictable and has some good teists. Def not just another "friend reunion thriller" and the book manages to stand out amongst quite a common story line

Murder secrets and lies. A whole cast of not very likeable characters who all have secrets in the past and the present.

Exciting big twist at the end of thiis novel about a friend who mysteriously dies at a beach party 20 years ago. This unsolved case has the group of friends full of guilt and blame. In this book, the author explores how addiction and manipulation can destroy relationships and lives. There are a couple of twists throughout that made me feel as if I knew where it was going but I didn’t see that ending coming at all.The characters, the storyline and the details were strong. This won’t be my last book by Sheryl Browne.. Thank you to Bookouture and Net Galley for providing this copy for my voluntary review. #OneMoreLiie

One More Lie by Sheryl Browne
Publication date set for 18th of November 2024.
This one's a good read.
So many twists and a hard book to put down.
There's a fair few twists and turns in this book and some i guessed but one i didn't see coming at all.
My first time reading this author and it won't be the last.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture

Following a student beach party, a shy, awkward and humiliated girl named Pippa is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Now, 20 years later, the friends from the party meet up at the funeral of one of their party, Jodie, who wracked by guilt had apparently committed suicide.
This is a twisty psychological thriller, suggested for anyone who enjoyed the Housemaid, which I did. I didn’t find this as gripping as the Housemaid and having read a number of books by Freida McFadden, I was suspicious of all the characters from the beginning.
The main protagonist is Becky, who after years of trying is 7 months pregnant, and has been struggling to move on from the earlier tragedy. Becky had lost an earlier baby shortly after the events of 20 years ago, we have her first person POV, along with some other third person POVs. She has been with Richie, a seemingly mild mannered and dependable accountant since before the fateful party. The book moves between past and present as we learn about this particular group of friends and their secrets start to unravel. Some of the characters are distinctly egotistical and unpleasant, Tom is a philanderer, Emelia is an alcoholic, Becky at one point catches her husband in a compromising position with Emelia, Tom’s partner. The action escalates buildings are burned down and the body count mounts, “Jealousy is one of the prime motives for murder, Becky.” Too much stress isn’t beneficial during pregnancy, and Becky is dealing with immense stress throughout the novel. The tension mounts and there is a morass of lies and explanations. There are some wild twists, one I saw coming but a second blindsided me. The book is intense and dark and delivers some thrills, I would have liked some of the supporting characters to have been more fleshed out.
Thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of the book, for which I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Sheryl Browne has created another fabulous thriller. I couldn’t put it down once I started it and it’s definitely one of her best. The book is fast paced, intriguing, packed with twists and turns, and also has an unexpected ending. It’s a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed Sheryl Browne's books, and this one is one of her favourites. It has an unpredictable plot with plenty of twists and turns. It is a page-turner and a recommended read.

pretty fun thriller, though you're not gonna find anything too unique or surprising in this one! still, would recommend as a fun little plane read. 4 stars.

This was a very engaging thriller, I never quite knew what was coming on the next page! It drew me in from the first page, knowing there was this horrific death happened during a party with this group of friends, but no one seemed to know what actually happened to make Pippa die. The main character that we follow is Becky, who seems to be the friend with the most amount of guilt of her death, leaving us as the reader to not know if she was actually a reliable narrator or not, but could any of those who are there that day be trusted? The story continues to escalate, with even more deaths and deception. There were some plot twists that I thought I had guessed, but then turns out there was a deeper level to them than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Some of the POV switches seemed unnecessary and even to detract from the story at points, but also sometimes it was a helpful shift. I throughly enjoyed the read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book.