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After the Lie
‘I just couldn't put it down ... It's not very often when reading a book that you find yourself laughing, crying snotty tears, feeling sick with tension ... Yes, honestly, it really is that good.’ Being Anne Reading
‘OMG, do I ever like this writer. I don't usually gush ... But rarely have I come across a character that I so instantly identified with ... The acerbic wit is my style. I want to meet and be friends with Lydia Rushfield.’ All Words Matter
‘An absolutely BRILLIANT read! Oh Gosh I wish I hadn’t finished it so quickly ... sheer perfection ... gripped me like Velcro from the very start and completely enthralled and entertained me right the way through.’ Beady Jan’s Books
Your past will devastate your family. But your lies could destroy them. What would YOU do?
Sometimes a lie can split your life in two. There is “before”, and there is “after”. Try as you might – you can never go back.
When Lydia was a teenager, she made a decision that ruined her family’s life. They’ve spent the last thirty years living with the consequences and doing their best to pretend it never happened.
Lydia’s husband, the gorgeous and reliable Mark, and her two teenage children know nothing about that summer back in 1982. And that’s the way Lydia wants it to stay. The opportunity to come clean is long gone and now it’s not the lie that matters, it’s the betrayal of hiding the truth for so long.
When someone from the past turns up as a parent at the school gates, Lydia feels the life she has worked so hard to build slipping through her fingers. The more desperate she becomes to safeguard her family, the more erratic her behaviour becomes. But when the happiness of her own teenage son, Jamie, hangs in the balance, Lydia is forced to make some impossible decisions. Can she protect him and still keep her own secret – and if she doesn’t, will her marriage and family survive?
From the author of THE ISLAND ESCAPE comes a powerful and heartbreaking story, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.
What people are saying about After the
‘I absolutely loved it ... Kerry Fisher goes straight away to my 'most favourite authors' list ... Yes, I was touched by this book as it is one continuous roller-coaster of emotions on a very twisty track.’ Relax and Read Reviews
‘Five out of five stars. Past collides with present in this compelling book.' Portobello Book Blog
'This book was - in a word - addictive.'Voracious Reader's Blog
‘I loved it! A brilliantly woven, emotional, page-turning tale of the damage caused to a family by secrets and lies across the generations’ Rachael Lucas
‘Five out of five stars! This was a real page turner for me, and as the story went on I just couldn't predict how it was going to pan out. ' Dee Cees Reviews
'If you like reading about real women and a compelling family drama then this is the book for you. A terrific read.' Jane Lythell
'This book will...
‘OMG, do I ever like this writer. I don't usually gush ... But rarely have I come across a character that I so instantly identified with ... The acerbic wit is my style. I want to meet and be friends with Lydia Rushfield.’ All Words Matter
‘An absolutely BRILLIANT read! Oh Gosh I wish I hadn’t finished it so quickly ... sheer perfection ... gripped me like Velcro from the very start and completely enthralled and entertained me right the way through.’ Beady Jan’s Books
Your past will devastate your family. But your lies could destroy them. What would YOU do?
Sometimes a lie can split your life in two. There is “before”, and there is “after”. Try as you might – you can never go back.
When Lydia was a teenager, she made a decision that ruined her family’s life. They’ve spent the last thirty years living with the consequences and doing their best to pretend it never happened.
Lydia’s husband, the gorgeous and reliable Mark, and her two teenage children know nothing about that summer back in 1982. And that’s the way Lydia wants it to stay. The opportunity to come clean is long gone and now it’s not the lie that matters, it’s the betrayal of hiding the truth for so long.
When someone from the past turns up as a parent at the school gates, Lydia feels the life she has worked so hard to build slipping through her fingers. The more desperate she becomes to safeguard her family, the more erratic her behaviour becomes. But when the happiness of her own teenage son, Jamie, hangs in the balance, Lydia is forced to make some impossible decisions. Can she protect him and still keep her own secret – and if she doesn’t, will her marriage and family survive?
From the author of THE ISLAND ESCAPE comes a powerful and heartbreaking story, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.
What people are saying about After the
‘I absolutely loved it ... Kerry Fisher goes straight away to my 'most favourite authors' list ... Yes, I was touched by this book as it is one continuous roller-coaster of emotions on a very twisty track.’ Relax and Read Reviews
‘Five out of five stars. Past collides with present in this compelling book.' Portobello Book Blog
'This book was - in a word - addictive.'Voracious Reader's Blog
‘I loved it! A brilliantly woven, emotional, page-turning tale of the damage caused to a family by secrets and lies across the generations’ Rachael Lucas
‘Five out of five stars! This was a real page turner for me, and as the story went on I just couldn't predict how it was going to pan out. ' Dee Cees Reviews
'If you like reading about real women and a compelling family drama then this is the book for you. A terrific read.' Jane Lythell
'This book will...
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2016
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April 26, 2016
4.5 Stars
In 1982, Lydia is thirteen years old. Pre-internet, when mistakes didn't go viral. Like most kids she enjoys riding her bike for hours on weekends and listening to music on her Walkman inside when it rains.
Lately she's been going to the library after school to find books for school projects. At least, that's what she tells her mother she's doing....
"And that little lie made the big difference. It led to the ten minutes I could never get back, never undo."
***Possibly minor spoilers (but I tried my best!)***
During the fallout her family ends up moving and her mother declares that "all that business" is never to be talked about again. I can't imagine living in a family where nothing is discussed. Some days I wonder if I do too much talking. (Lord knows I do too much typing!).
Thirty years later, Lydia is happily married to husband Mark and life seems perfect. Her husband's business is doing well and her own wedding business is flourishing. She has two wonderful children. A son, Jamie who's sixteen and a daughter Izzy who's thirteen. Deep down though she feel that at any moment the truth will come out and destroy all that is good in her life.
When she takes on the added responsibility of acting as chairwoman of the fundraising committee at school, a familiar face joins the group. Just like that it seems her past may have caught up with her.
I REALLY wanted to know what the lie was. I thought the build up was good. You can see how lies and keeping secrets can affect everyone, even years later.
Lydia also has to deal with her judgemental mother, who she feels she can never please. Her mother would often say things like "it's wonderful how you've moved on from all that...you know..." or "It hasn't turned out so badly, considering" (when she was just about to walk down the aisle to marry Mark) and even "We'll keep an eye on this one, we don't want history repeating itself" (when one of Lydia's children were born). This made me want to know EXACTLY what had happened "that day".
Even once I found out I was still totally into this story. I thought that it was well-written and kept me engaged until the very end. There were also many funny parts. Lydia's inner dialogue really did have me laughing out loud at times as did the antics of the often naughty family dog, Mabel.
Some people may feel that the "lie" isn't big enough to cause so much damage but I tried to imagine keeping secrets from everyone for so many years. As well as the anxiety at the thought of things coming out at any moment and possibly ruining my life.
Although it's a fiction book it felt realistic in many ways. The characters were very well developed. Especially Lydia, a person with flaws and baggage but a great heart. Made me think of the damaging effects of lies and keeping secrets and how betrayed you could feel finding out someone you love has been keeping so many secrets from you. As well as how the guilt about the past could be preventing you from embracing your future.
I loved the 80's references. Growing up as a teenager in the same time period, it made me nostalgic. Made me think of some of the choices I wished I hadn't made but relieved they didn't turn into anything that would haunt me for years to come. Thankful that I came through it relatively unscathed.
I really did enjoy this book and will definitely be looking for more books from Kerry Fisher.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
In 1982, Lydia is thirteen years old. Pre-internet, when mistakes didn't go viral. Like most kids she enjoys riding her bike for hours on weekends and listening to music on her Walkman inside when it rains.
Lately she's been going to the library after school to find books for school projects. At least, that's what she tells her mother she's doing....
"And that little lie made the big difference. It led to the ten minutes I could never get back, never undo."
***Possibly minor spoilers (but I tried my best!)***
During the fallout her family ends up moving and her mother declares that "all that business" is never to be talked about again. I can't imagine living in a family where nothing is discussed. Some days I wonder if I do too much talking. (Lord knows I do too much typing!).
Thirty years later, Lydia is happily married to husband Mark and life seems perfect. Her husband's business is doing well and her own wedding business is flourishing. She has two wonderful children. A son, Jamie who's sixteen and a daughter Izzy who's thirteen. Deep down though she feel that at any moment the truth will come out and destroy all that is good in her life.
When she takes on the added responsibility of acting as chairwoman of the fundraising committee at school, a familiar face joins the group. Just like that it seems her past may have caught up with her.
I REALLY wanted to know what the lie was. I thought the build up was good. You can see how lies and keeping secrets can affect everyone, even years later.
Lydia also has to deal with her judgemental mother, who she feels she can never please. Her mother would often say things like "it's wonderful how you've moved on from all that...you know..." or "It hasn't turned out so badly, considering" (when she was just about to walk down the aisle to marry Mark) and even "We'll keep an eye on this one, we don't want history repeating itself" (when one of Lydia's children were born). This made me want to know EXACTLY what had happened "that day".
Even once I found out I was still totally into this story. I thought that it was well-written and kept me engaged until the very end. There were also many funny parts. Lydia's inner dialogue really did have me laughing out loud at times as did the antics of the often naughty family dog, Mabel.
Some people may feel that the "lie" isn't big enough to cause so much damage but I tried to imagine keeping secrets from everyone for so many years. As well as the anxiety at the thought of things coming out at any moment and possibly ruining my life.
Although it's a fiction book it felt realistic in many ways. The characters were very well developed. Especially Lydia, a person with flaws and baggage but a great heart. Made me think of the damaging effects of lies and keeping secrets and how betrayed you could feel finding out someone you love has been keeping so many secrets from you. As well as how the guilt about the past could be preventing you from embracing your future.
I loved the 80's references. Growing up as a teenager in the same time period, it made me nostalgic. Made me think of some of the choices I wished I hadn't made but relieved they didn't turn into anything that would haunt me for years to come. Thankful that I came through it relatively unscathed.
I really did enjoy this book and will definitely be looking for more books from Kerry Fisher.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 29, 2017
I would like to thank Net Galley, the wonderful Bookouture, and author Kerry Fisher for an advanced copy of After the Lie in exchange for an unbiased review.
I went into this one cold, not knowing at all what to expect and just trusting Bookouture to serve up another winner. I was unfamiliar with Kerry Fisher, a relatively new British author. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this engaging read. I would call it glorified women’s fiction with a big message.
The theme of the story is what happens when a little molehill-sized secret is allowed to fester and metastasize into a huge mountain with major repercussions when attempts to bury it are unsuccessful. Oh my, talk about being one’s own worst enemy. And a major caveat to this disaster is look out who you share your secret with as what comes around will go around.
This book is an easy read; I found Ms. Fisher to be a fine writer. I especially loved the way she infuses her tale with a large dose of subtle (to occasionally laugh-out-loud) humor, mainly in the form of protagonist Lydia’s inner musings. The scenes with Mabel the dog are priceless. I applaud Ms. Fisher on her character development, especially that of Lydia, and also her handle on family dynamics. Lydia’s interactions with her teenagers are terrific I thought.
In terms of what I didn’t like, I found myself yelling at my innocent iPad during the multiple times Lydia makes a really bad decision. I just thought she should have been a tad smarter, but again, I haven’t had any smoldering decades-long secrets percolating in my belly and clouding my judgment. I wearied over this at times wishing for her to hurry up and spill her secret and move on before things got out of hand. Fortunately, there are several twists and turns adding momentum to the narrative, and the final 30% provides a real page-turning experience.
Despite what I just said about Lydia in the last paragraph, I really enjoyed this story. I was most impressed with the way Ms. Fisher weaved the story together around “The Secret” with Lydia’s many personal interactions and the various repercussions her actions (and non actions) reeked on all of these people.
I recommend After the Lie to everyone interested in an appealing read with excellent characterization, a nice dose of humor, and a strong theme. Now I am off to see what else Ms. Fisher has written…
I went into this one cold, not knowing at all what to expect and just trusting Bookouture to serve up another winner. I was unfamiliar with Kerry Fisher, a relatively new British author. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this engaging read. I would call it glorified women’s fiction with a big message.
The theme of the story is what happens when a little molehill-sized secret is allowed to fester and metastasize into a huge mountain with major repercussions when attempts to bury it are unsuccessful. Oh my, talk about being one’s own worst enemy. And a major caveat to this disaster is look out who you share your secret with as what comes around will go around.
This book is an easy read; I found Ms. Fisher to be a fine writer. I especially loved the way she infuses her tale with a large dose of subtle (to occasionally laugh-out-loud) humor, mainly in the form of protagonist Lydia’s inner musings. The scenes with Mabel the dog are priceless. I applaud Ms. Fisher on her character development, especially that of Lydia, and also her handle on family dynamics. Lydia’s interactions with her teenagers are terrific I thought.
In terms of what I didn’t like, I found myself yelling at my innocent iPad during the multiple times Lydia makes a really bad decision. I just thought she should have been a tad smarter, but again, I haven’t had any smoldering decades-long secrets percolating in my belly and clouding my judgment. I wearied over this at times wishing for her to hurry up and spill her secret and move on before things got out of hand. Fortunately, there are several twists and turns adding momentum to the narrative, and the final 30% provides a real page-turning experience.
Despite what I just said about Lydia in the last paragraph, I really enjoyed this story. I was most impressed with the way Ms. Fisher weaved the story together around “The Secret” with Lydia’s many personal interactions and the various repercussions her actions (and non actions) reeked on all of these people.
I recommend After the Lie to everyone interested in an appealing read with excellent characterization, a nice dose of humor, and a strong theme. Now I am off to see what else Ms. Fisher has written…
September 14, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this one. I found it hard to wrap my head around the lie that was controlling her life and controlled her life as much as it did, and the wrong that she did as an adult was way bigger in my opinion. I almost don't think that the wrong as an adult even needed to be in the book. The second half was a 4 star for me.
So a solid 3.5 stars
So a solid 3.5 stars
May 16, 2016
Copy furnished by Net Galley in exchange for a review.
The lie was concocted when she was 13 years old. Now 43, Lydia leads a reasonably happy life with husband Mark and their two kids. The thing with lies, though, is that they do not rest easy. Makes for a rotten foundation, and when it starts to crumble as it inevitably will, everything comes down with it, the good right along with the bad.
When did loyalty start to mean so very little? Lies. Old ones, new ones, big ones, little ones. The smell of deceit. How would that accost the nostrils? And what information would it import?
There are multitudinous metaphors, many are quite humorous. Mabel the dog comes dangerously close to stealing the show with her antics. Although the thread of humor running throughout is enjoyable, it almost takes away from the angst of the story, rather than just tempering it. A fairly engaging read, nevertheless.
The lie was concocted when she was 13 years old. Now 43, Lydia leads a reasonably happy life with husband Mark and their two kids. The thing with lies, though, is that they do not rest easy. Makes for a rotten foundation, and when it starts to crumble as it inevitably will, everything comes down with it, the good right along with the bad.
When did loyalty start to mean so very little? Lies. Old ones, new ones, big ones, little ones. The smell of deceit. How would that accost the nostrils? And what information would it import?
There are multitudinous metaphors, many are quite humorous. Mabel the dog comes dangerously close to stealing the show with her antics. Although the thread of humor running throughout is enjoyable, it almost takes away from the angst of the story, rather than just tempering it. A fairly engaging read, nevertheless.
August 28, 2017
3.5 stars
Again, when will we get our half stars, Goodreads?! There was a lot I liked about this book, but after about half-way through, I started to feel a bit bored. The big secret did not strike me as so huge or awful, but in a way Fisher does illustrate how easy it may be for a small-ish secret to spiral into something bigger, and that sometimes telling the secret is scarier than the secret itself.
Anyway...the story was quite good, the characters felt real, but I didn't connect to Lydia, the protagonist. I thought she was not very nice, considering that she had a pretty good life and a kind family. Fisher is good at showing how the effects of a lie can eat away at one's peace of mind, which has consequences on all other areas of life. This much is true for Lydia, and though I could sympathize I also felt frustrated, because a lot of trouble could have been prevented if she had simply told her family about her "lie".
This is my second book by this author, and I would read more in the future. While I had some issues with After the Lie, I did come away from it feeling satisfied with the ending and with the way Fisher developed the characters. Her style of writing is easy and eloquent, and I will keep my eye on her future books.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Again, when will we get our half stars, Goodreads?! There was a lot I liked about this book, but after about half-way through, I started to feel a bit bored. The big secret did not strike me as so huge or awful, but in a way Fisher does illustrate how easy it may be for a small-ish secret to spiral into something bigger, and that sometimes telling the secret is scarier than the secret itself.
Anyway...the story was quite good, the characters felt real, but I didn't connect to Lydia, the protagonist. I thought she was not very nice, considering that she had a pretty good life and a kind family. Fisher is good at showing how the effects of a lie can eat away at one's peace of mind, which has consequences on all other areas of life. This much is true for Lydia, and though I could sympathize I also felt frustrated, because a lot of trouble could have been prevented if she had simply told her family about her "lie".
This is my second book by this author, and I would read more in the future. While I had some issues with After the Lie, I did come away from it feeling satisfied with the ending and with the way Fisher developed the characters. Her style of writing is easy and eloquent, and I will keep my eye on her future books.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Read
May 14, 2016My sincere appreciation is extended to Bookoutre and Netgalley for providing the e-galley of After the Lie, published April 29, 2016.
Is the scenario in After the Lie plausible or is it just another lie? That’s the question for this reader.
Lydia experienced a life-changing event when she was just thirteen. She carries this secret with her into adulthood never divulging the full impact of it to her husband, her children, or any close friends. Lydia likens it to “a Bazooka bubble gum of a lie” engulfing everyone. Not truly a secret as her parents and the kids she grew up with do have a clue. Moving away gives her some relief but causes a breech in the mother-daughter relationship that even in adulthood remains bitter. Lydia is married with her own children. Keeping her secret causes one lie after another. Out of the blue, a man, a boy from her hometown, the boy, shows up in her life. He knows what happened but doesn’t quite understand what’s the big deal. So why isn’t he telling his wife?
The seriousness of the secret held is interspersed with Kerry Fisher’s humorous writing. In this regard After the Lie might be compared to Big Little Lies. It would be funnier if the whole situation were not so sad. Even so I did find myself laughing which relieved the tension of a bad situation. I loved the antics that are provided by Lydia’s dog, Mabel. She is a sketch, a dog with personality!
Given the effect the secret has on Lydia’s life it seems implausible that she would continue to make the choices she does. Her husband Mark just doesn’t feel right to me, but hey, I’m not married to him. In addition I don’t think I fall in the target audience for After The Lie. Others feel differently as I have already read some glowing reviews from my GoodReads friends. It is destined for book discussion or at the very least differences of reader opinion.
The best part of After the Lie was the exploration of the idea of keeping secrets. It never seems to work out very well. Secrets have a way of biting you on the butt. And once you’ve told just one other person, it’s a secret no more. So be careful whom you trust.
Is the scenario in After the Lie plausible or is it just another lie? That’s the question for this reader.
Lydia experienced a life-changing event when she was just thirteen. She carries this secret with her into adulthood never divulging the full impact of it to her husband, her children, or any close friends. Lydia likens it to “a Bazooka bubble gum of a lie” engulfing everyone. Not truly a secret as her parents and the kids she grew up with do have a clue. Moving away gives her some relief but causes a breech in the mother-daughter relationship that even in adulthood remains bitter. Lydia is married with her own children. Keeping her secret causes one lie after another. Out of the blue, a man, a boy from her hometown, the boy, shows up in her life. He knows what happened but doesn’t quite understand what’s the big deal. So why isn’t he telling his wife?
The seriousness of the secret held is interspersed with Kerry Fisher’s humorous writing. In this regard After the Lie might be compared to Big Little Lies. It would be funnier if the whole situation were not so sad. Even so I did find myself laughing which relieved the tension of a bad situation. I loved the antics that are provided by Lydia’s dog, Mabel. She is a sketch, a dog with personality!
Given the effect the secret has on Lydia’s life it seems implausible that she would continue to make the choices she does. Her husband Mark just doesn’t feel right to me, but hey, I’m not married to him. In addition I don’t think I fall in the target audience for After The Lie. Others feel differently as I have already read some glowing reviews from my GoodReads friends. It is destined for book discussion or at the very least differences of reader opinion.
The best part of After the Lie was the exploration of the idea of keeping secrets. It never seems to work out very well. Secrets have a way of biting you on the butt. And once you’ve told just one other person, it’s a secret no more. So be careful whom you trust.
March 16, 2016
Lies
No matter who says it, who its said to, white lie or little lie, its still a a lie
One lie leads to another cover up which becomes another like until you know it you have created a huge mountain of lies that can come down on you like an avalanche and you are covered in the debris.
This has some humorous moments but with an impact that you just don't realize at the time.
Its well written, it keeps you wanting more and its very [what I would call] conversational, where there is lots of chatting, lots of conversations and you don't get bored by a lot of narration.
Lydia is married to the right man, has perfect 'seemingly' children who attend the right school, she owns a wedding business and all seems so perfect in paradise.
Lydia has been living a lie and Mark her husband doesn't know.
I absolutely was enthralled by this story.
The wicked things we weave. And deceive.
Great book.
*My thanks to Bookouture via Net Galley for my copy*
No matter who says it, who its said to, white lie or little lie, its still a a lie
One lie leads to another cover up which becomes another like until you know it you have created a huge mountain of lies that can come down on you like an avalanche and you are covered in the debris.
This has some humorous moments but with an impact that you just don't realize at the time.
Its well written, it keeps you wanting more and its very [what I would call] conversational, where there is lots of chatting, lots of conversations and you don't get bored by a lot of narration.
Lydia is married to the right man, has perfect 'seemingly' children who attend the right school, she owns a wedding business and all seems so perfect in paradise.
Lydia has been living a lie and Mark her husband doesn't know.
I absolutely was enthralled by this story.
The wicked things we weave. And deceive.
Great book.
*My thanks to Bookouture via Net Galley for my copy*
August 29, 2017
Lydia is a happily married woman in her early forties with two seemingly wonderful kids. She runs a flourishing wedding planner business and her husband Mark runs his own business remodeling houses. The only problem Lydia has is her overbearing, judgmental mother and her dog Mabel who even though she tries refuses to be trained. But Lydia’s life is based on a big lie that her husband Mark knows nothing about. When Mark lands up a project with the newly moved McAllister’s Lydia’s lie she built her whole life on may finally be exposed.
I really enjoyed this book and the humorous dialogue Lydia has with herself. It was a very fast, well written entertaining read with well-developed but flawed characters. I highly recommend it and will look forward to reading more by Kerry Fisher.
Many thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
I really enjoyed this book and the humorous dialogue Lydia has with herself. It was a very fast, well written entertaining read with well-developed but flawed characters. I highly recommend it and will look forward to reading more by Kerry Fisher.
Many thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
April 20, 2016
You know, sometimes you read only a page or two, and you know you're going to love the book? That's what happened when I glanced at the prologue of After The Lie. I simply fell in love with the writing style. I'm really OC about reading my NetGalley books in order of publication date but once I saw the prologue that system of mine went out the window. I put away my other book and devoured this one in a day.
Lydia and her parents have been keeping a secret for thirty years. Lydia never told her husband, Mark, or her children or any friend. Actually, it's hard to have friends if you're keeping a secret. And then one day, the fact that you have kept secrets and have lied to your loved ones becomes more destructive than the original secret ever would have been.
This happens to Lydia when she is suddenly confronted with her buried past at her children's posh private school.
I thought I knew where this story was going to go at that stage, but the author took a totally different route. It was utterly brilliant. I never expected the whole Tomaso debacle.
After The Lie was unpredictable, it was extremely witty, and it was heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. I went through a lot of emotions reading this.
The characters were wonderfully realistic and relatable. I loved Jamie's teenage talk. Lydia was a fantastic character, so likeable, and I enjoyed all her sharp observations. It was incredibly easy to become fully immersed in her life. Don't even get me started on Mabel, the dog. And as for Mark, if there was an award for book-husband of the year, he'd have my vote. I'm afraid I didn't feel any sympathy for Lydia's mother, though.
After The Lie is a very poignant story about family relationships, parenting, life pre-Internet versus social-media-ruled life, delivered with flawless prose which contained some delightfully creative metaphors. To say Kerry Fisher has a way with words is an understatement. The ending was perfect even for someone as cynical as me.
This was an easy 5-star read. Needless to say, I'm hoping to read more by Kerry Fisher soon.
Many thanks to Bookouture for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lydia and her parents have been keeping a secret for thirty years. Lydia never told her husband, Mark, or her children or any friend. Actually, it's hard to have friends if you're keeping a secret. And then one day, the fact that you have kept secrets and have lied to your loved ones becomes more destructive than the original secret ever would have been.
This happens to Lydia when she is suddenly confronted with her buried past at her children's posh private school.
I thought I knew where this story was going to go at that stage, but the author took a totally different route. It was utterly brilliant. I never expected the whole Tomaso debacle.
After The Lie was unpredictable, it was extremely witty, and it was heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. I went through a lot of emotions reading this.
The characters were wonderfully realistic and relatable. I loved Jamie's teenage talk. Lydia was a fantastic character, so likeable, and I enjoyed all her sharp observations. It was incredibly easy to become fully immersed in her life. Don't even get me started on Mabel, the dog. And as for Mark, if there was an award for book-husband of the year, he'd have my vote. I'm afraid I didn't feel any sympathy for Lydia's mother, though.
After The Lie is a very poignant story about family relationships, parenting, life pre-Internet versus social-media-ruled life, delivered with flawless prose which contained some delightfully creative metaphors. To say Kerry Fisher has a way with words is an understatement. The ending was perfect even for someone as cynical as me.
This was an easy 5-star read. Needless to say, I'm hoping to read more by Kerry Fisher soon.
Many thanks to Bookouture for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2016
Lydia has spent her whole life living a lie. She's married to the right kind of man, her kids go to the right know of school, her business is winning awards making her life seem perfect from the outside but now her past is catching up to her. She's never shared what happened to her at thirteen, her husband doesn't know, her children don't know and now her secret is coming back to haunt her.
For thirty years Lydia's family has held the secret and covered up the truth. Now the one person that could let the secret out has moved into town and shown up at her children's school. In fear that her world is going to shatter around her Lydia begs that the truth stay buried before her world falls apart.
After the Lie is a bit of a mix of a psychological thriller with a whole lot of family drama. I was completely hooked as soon as I started to read this story. Wonderful writing and such an intriguing plot of how one lie can snowball into so much more.
The characters in this story seemed very real. Lydia's parents did what they could to protect their little girl years before but the outcome of the events has turned into so much more. Lydia herself has her own issues from what had happened and struggles the entire read trying to cope. I have to say though I loved the humor thrown into the mix with the family dog Mabel, she may have ended up my most liked character in the story completely stealing the show with her antics.
There's also a very real and very good message mixed into this story once the reader learns all about what happened thirty years before. Lydia spends a good deal of the book trying to teach her kids what she learned herself the hard way years before and you can't help but feel for her as she can't tell her family why she is so upset about certain things.
Overall, wonderful writing and an engaging page turner, definitely one I'd recommend!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
For thirty years Lydia's family has held the secret and covered up the truth. Now the one person that could let the secret out has moved into town and shown up at her children's school. In fear that her world is going to shatter around her Lydia begs that the truth stay buried before her world falls apart.
After the Lie is a bit of a mix of a psychological thriller with a whole lot of family drama. I was completely hooked as soon as I started to read this story. Wonderful writing and such an intriguing plot of how one lie can snowball into so much more.
The characters in this story seemed very real. Lydia's parents did what they could to protect their little girl years before but the outcome of the events has turned into so much more. Lydia herself has her own issues from what had happened and struggles the entire read trying to cope. I have to say though I loved the humor thrown into the mix with the family dog Mabel, she may have ended up my most liked character in the story completely stealing the show with her antics.
There's also a very real and very good message mixed into this story once the reader learns all about what happened thirty years before. Lydia spends a good deal of the book trying to teach her kids what she learned herself the hard way years before and you can't help but feel for her as she can't tell her family why she is so upset about certain things.
Overall, wonderful writing and an engaging page turner, definitely one I'd recommend!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
April 12, 2016
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review After The Lie by Kerry Fisher
This story starts in the 1980s with an event in Lydia’s teenage years. An event, that becomes not only a secret but a lie and cover-up which follows her into her adult life. Lydia has been living a lie and hiding a secret from her husband, children and friends. One day Lydia’s past and deception catches up with her.
This book is well written and it did highlight both the time before and after the internet became such a large part of our lives. The characters were interesting and realistic but unfortunately I couldn’t connect with them and I found the plot was weak at times. I felt that ‘the secret’ wasn’t big enough to carry the plot.
This story starts in the 1980s with an event in Lydia’s teenage years. An event, that becomes not only a secret but a lie and cover-up which follows her into her adult life. Lydia has been living a lie and hiding a secret from her husband, children and friends. One day Lydia’s past and deception catches up with her.
This book is well written and it did highlight both the time before and after the internet became such a large part of our lives. The characters were interesting and realistic but unfortunately I couldn’t connect with them and I found the plot was weak at times. I felt that ‘the secret’ wasn’t big enough to carry the plot.
February 19, 2016
Just finished this WONDERFUL book and all I can say is wow! What an amazing, roller coaster of a read! Heart wrenching and heart warming, this lovely tale is one to treasure. The author's descriptions are beautiful, every character so real and relatable. I loved Lydia so much and was with her, experiencing everything she felt. The story is fast paced and full of twists, it brims with humour while at the same time making a point. One I will re-read to pick up all the nuances and gems of stunning prose ( like this one: 'An ancient iceberg blundering through the family sea') that I missed the first time. I am so glad to have discovered this author and will definitely be reading more by her.
May 7, 2016
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Fisher for an advanced review copy of 'After The Lie' in exchange for an honest review.
Most of us know the weight of a lie or the burden of keeping secrets. And for those who claim to not know, well, my guess is they're probably lying. I'm definitely no stranger to keeping a few secrets - mostly from my husband and almost always about how much I REALLY spend on books!!
I loved this book. I was hooked from the very first chapter and drawn so deeply into the world of Lydia and her family that I just could not put this book down. Lydia has been keeping a secret for the last thirty years and feels as if her world has been built upon lie after lie. Throw into the mix that she soon finds herself piling yet more, consequentially devastating lies onto the pile and you've got a sure fire recipe for disaster.
Lydia has it all, she really does. She's a fantastic character and it's easy to identify with her many roles - wife, mother, businesswoman, the glue that holds the domestic front together, the worrier of the family - the list goes on. But she has secrets. She has told lies. And as her Mother would probably say, "everything always comes out in the wash". Lydia knows that day is coming, after all, she's been waiting on it for 30 years.
A cast of amazing, likeable, identifiable and real characters, this book was - in a word - addictive. With the right amount of drama, emotion and laughs, it's a gem. It also highlights the issue of social media and the dangers it can present to children and adults alike. Kerry Fisher has a wonderful way with words and this story simply flows. Another gem from Bookouture and one I'd strongly recommend to anyone who loves family sagas/dramas, anyone who's keeping a secret, and for everyone else who just loves a damn good read.
A resounding 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
Most of us know the weight of a lie or the burden of keeping secrets. And for those who claim to not know, well, my guess is they're probably lying. I'm definitely no stranger to keeping a few secrets - mostly from my husband and almost always about how much I REALLY spend on books!!
I loved this book. I was hooked from the very first chapter and drawn so deeply into the world of Lydia and her family that I just could not put this book down. Lydia has been keeping a secret for the last thirty years and feels as if her world has been built upon lie after lie. Throw into the mix that she soon finds herself piling yet more, consequentially devastating lies onto the pile and you've got a sure fire recipe for disaster.
Lydia has it all, she really does. She's a fantastic character and it's easy to identify with her many roles - wife, mother, businesswoman, the glue that holds the domestic front together, the worrier of the family - the list goes on. But she has secrets. She has told lies. And as her Mother would probably say, "everything always comes out in the wash". Lydia knows that day is coming, after all, she's been waiting on it for 30 years.
A cast of amazing, likeable, identifiable and real characters, this book was - in a word - addictive. With the right amount of drama, emotion and laughs, it's a gem. It also highlights the issue of social media and the dangers it can present to children and adults alike. Kerry Fisher has a wonderful way with words and this story simply flows. Another gem from Bookouture and one I'd strongly recommend to anyone who loves family sagas/dramas, anyone who's keeping a secret, and for everyone else who just loves a damn good read.
A resounding 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
April 30, 2016
After the Lie is a great family saga full of secrets and suspense. This story involves lies, jealousy, regret, and perhaps a little forgiveness along the way.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a steady pace and the plot was well written. I loved how the story progressed throughout. It was hard to put down and sometimes had me feeling on edge.
There was a great mix of characters. I loved getting to know them all, and found it interesting how my views of the characters would keep changing throughout the story, leaving me with a feeling of not being completely sure who I sided with or how I wanted things to turn out for everyone.
I loved how the secret remained a mystery for a while, giving me time to conjure up all sorts of ideas in my mind of what it may be. I felt quite emotional about the huge impact a thirty year old secret managed to have on the main characters. I found myself imagining how different the present might have been if the secret had been revealed all those years ago.
On a lighter note, I loved Lydia’s thoughts. They made me giggle on numerous occasions. I think we have the same sense of humour.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but having enjoyed this story and the author’s writing style, I’m definitely interested in reading more by Kerry Fisher in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bookouture for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a steady pace and the plot was well written. I loved how the story progressed throughout. It was hard to put down and sometimes had me feeling on edge.
There was a great mix of characters. I loved getting to know them all, and found it interesting how my views of the characters would keep changing throughout the story, leaving me with a feeling of not being completely sure who I sided with or how I wanted things to turn out for everyone.
I loved how the secret remained a mystery for a while, giving me time to conjure up all sorts of ideas in my mind of what it may be. I felt quite emotional about the huge impact a thirty year old secret managed to have on the main characters. I found myself imagining how different the present might have been if the secret had been revealed all those years ago.
On a lighter note, I loved Lydia’s thoughts. They made me giggle on numerous occasions. I think we have the same sense of humour.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but having enjoyed this story and the author’s writing style, I’m definitely interested in reading more by Kerry Fisher in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bookouture for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2016
“I don’t think you see yourself as others see you.”
This dynamic cast of characters, the author’s way with words and the wittiness of the story all came together in a way that completely consumed me. As the number of unread pages became less and less, I was seriously dreading it. I didn't want this one to end.
By all outward appearances Lydia's life is perfect – a great husband, two kids in a prestigious private school and her own thriving business. But underneath all that is a lie that she’s been hiding for thirty years. Yes, thirty years! Can you imagine? Who can keep a secret for that long?
Lydia made a mistake when she was thirteen and her mother took it to a whole new level. Her fear of humiliation and other people’s judgment made her pack them up and leave it all behind. It's Sean's sudden reappearance in their lives that brings the mistake back up. To make things worse, he’s become friends with Lydia’s husband, who has no idea she's been living a lie. I have to admit, I thought I had the story pegged when Sean entered the picture, but I’m glad things turned out completely different.
“Truths offered up freely feel so bloody different to truths that come out because you’re cornered in a lie.”
I can’t say it enough - I love, love, loved seeing the world through Lydia’s eyes. She was such a likeable and relatable character on so many levels. I think it was her dark wit that really got me though. There were times she had me laughing, others where I was sort of in awe and a few she even managed to confuse me. Hello, Tomaso. I still can’t figure that one out. Why was it so easy to open up to him, but not her sweet and supportive husband? Have I mentioned what a dream Mark was? Talk about perfect.
This was a unique cast of characters, that’s for sure. Sean’s wife, Katya definitely deserves a mention. Lydia’s thoughts cracked me up every time she was around. Katya was insecure, to the point of being laughable, but so devious and conniving at the same time. When Lydia confided in her, I totally cringed. I knew it was going to come back to bite her.
The ending was flawless. Seeing Lydia finally stand up to her mother and tell her what she really thought – priceless. She had been thinking these things for so long, she just never found the nerve to voice them. I know her mom did what she thought was best at the time, but I don’t know, she was so overbearing and mean. I’m not sure she even earned my sympathy in the end. It did make think about how lucky I am to have a mom that supports me, mistakes and all. And who doesn't need a reminder every once in awhile?
*Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This dynamic cast of characters, the author’s way with words and the wittiness of the story all came together in a way that completely consumed me. As the number of unread pages became less and less, I was seriously dreading it. I didn't want this one to end.
By all outward appearances Lydia's life is perfect – a great husband, two kids in a prestigious private school and her own thriving business. But underneath all that is a lie that she’s been hiding for thirty years. Yes, thirty years! Can you imagine? Who can keep a secret for that long?
Lydia made a mistake when she was thirteen and her mother took it to a whole new level. Her fear of humiliation and other people’s judgment made her pack them up and leave it all behind. It's Sean's sudden reappearance in their lives that brings the mistake back up. To make things worse, he’s become friends with Lydia’s husband, who has no idea she's been living a lie. I have to admit, I thought I had the story pegged when Sean entered the picture, but I’m glad things turned out completely different.
“Truths offered up freely feel so bloody different to truths that come out because you’re cornered in a lie.”
I can’t say it enough - I love, love, loved seeing the world through Lydia’s eyes. She was such a likeable and relatable character on so many levels. I think it was her dark wit that really got me though. There were times she had me laughing, others where I was sort of in awe and a few she even managed to confuse me. Hello, Tomaso. I still can’t figure that one out. Why was it so easy to open up to him, but not her sweet and supportive husband? Have I mentioned what a dream Mark was? Talk about perfect.
This was a unique cast of characters, that’s for sure. Sean’s wife, Katya definitely deserves a mention. Lydia’s thoughts cracked me up every time she was around. Katya was insecure, to the point of being laughable, but so devious and conniving at the same time. When Lydia confided in her, I totally cringed. I knew it was going to come back to bite her.
The ending was flawless. Seeing Lydia finally stand up to her mother and tell her what she really thought – priceless. She had been thinking these things for so long, she just never found the nerve to voice them. I know her mom did what she thought was best at the time, but I don’t know, she was so overbearing and mean. I’m not sure she even earned my sympathy in the end. It did make think about how lucky I am to have a mom that supports me, mistakes and all. And who doesn't need a reminder every once in awhile?
*Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
May 10, 2016
I finished this book a few days ago but couldn’t put fingers to keyboard straightaway because it was one of those reads that I had to cogitate over and decide whether or not I had actually enjoyed it (answer: yes) and most importantly, how to review it without giving any of the story away but at the same putting across the message that it is a book that is worth picking up. It is the story of Lydia who, in 1982 at the age of 13, made a mistake, one that had consequences not only for her but her family. Ever since, at the insistence of her mother, she has been forced to wipe that episode out of her past and for all intents and purposes, as far as the outside world is concerned it never happened. Now, however, it looks as if her past is coming back to haunt her and her carefully reconstructed life could come crashing down around her.
I did enjoy the storyline, the idea of something that happened when you were 13 having the power to destroy your life 30 years later. Lydia herself is a complex character to read about. On the one hand she is incredibly entertaining, being very witty with a sharp line in sarcasm that runs throughout the book. On the other hand I found her extremely irritating. I shook my head at the choices she made and I cringed at the way she helicopter parented her teenage children. There were times when she was just incredibly self centred and to put it bluntly, I don’t think I would want to be friends with her.
Whilst we are talking about characters, I have to mention her mother – there were times when I actually hated her during the read but then I began to realise that at the heart of it, she was only ever trying to protect her family but, as with Lydia, it was the choices she made that had a far reaching impact over the years, especially for her relationship with her daughter. For the most part though, she just comes across as overbearing, mean, a bully with a vicious tongue.
On the whole though, I have to say that I really did enjoy this read and it is well worth a try, especially if you like a good meaty family drama that you can get your teeth into. Why four stars instead of five? Simply put, if Lydia hadn’t been “quite” so irritating and her mother just a little less nasty then, for me this would have definitely been a five star read but there were times when I felt that each of them came across as being just a little bit over the top.
I received a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley.
I did enjoy the storyline, the idea of something that happened when you were 13 having the power to destroy your life 30 years later. Lydia herself is a complex character to read about. On the one hand she is incredibly entertaining, being very witty with a sharp line in sarcasm that runs throughout the book. On the other hand I found her extremely irritating. I shook my head at the choices she made and I cringed at the way she helicopter parented her teenage children. There were times when she was just incredibly self centred and to put it bluntly, I don’t think I would want to be friends with her.
Whilst we are talking about characters, I have to mention her mother – there were times when I actually hated her during the read but then I began to realise that at the heart of it, she was only ever trying to protect her family but, as with Lydia, it was the choices she made that had a far reaching impact over the years, especially for her relationship with her daughter. For the most part though, she just comes across as overbearing, mean, a bully with a vicious tongue.
On the whole though, I have to say that I really did enjoy this read and it is well worth a try, especially if you like a good meaty family drama that you can get your teeth into. Why four stars instead of five? Simply put, if Lydia hadn’t been “quite” so irritating and her mother just a little less nasty then, for me this would have definitely been a five star read but there were times when I felt that each of them came across as being just a little bit over the top.
I received a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley.
May 22, 2016
Lydia’s past has come back to haunt her, in the person of an ex-boyfriend who took Polaroid pictures (remember those? played a role in the Profumo scandal) of his 16 y/o self fooling around with the 13 y/o Sally (now Lydia). Somehow her dad got hold of one of the photos, which called to my mind the opening lines of a C&W favourite:
Well, Becky was a beauty from south Alabama.
Her Daddy had a heart like a nine pound hammer.
Think he even did a little time in the slammer.
“Well, Sally was a beauty from north East Anglia” might not have quite the same flavour but her enraged daddy put the boot in & broke Sean’s nose & a rib; he indeed ‘did a little time in the slammer.’ But it’s the mum who has a maul in place of a heart; she’s the most unpleasant woman I’ve encountered recently, & that includes a number of murderers. She is a very bigoted Roman Catholic determined to bury the past, especially her husband’s incarceration. In an endearing personal note @ the end, the author writes: “I’d be interested to know if you had any sympathy for Lydia’s mother @ the end.” No, I didn’t have an oz. of sympathy. Unfortunately spirituality & morality have a couple of evil twins in religiosity & respectability. Had the story been set in Ireland in the 1950s, I could just about believe granny, but no one who came of age in England in the ‘60s & ‘70s could be so closed-minded or attached to such outmoded notions. Jeffrey Archer has been in prison, Conrad Black has been in prison. Chris Huhne & Vicky Pryce have been in prison. She’d know it’s almost an honour these days, as well as excellent preparation for a television series. Actually I expect Lydia’s dad would rather have enjoyed being inside: not only escaping his shrewish wife, but probably popular with the other inmates (who would have dealt similarly with any teenaged boy they caught fooling around with their 13 y/o dtrs - ‘ tho’ were it someone else’s dtr . . .), as well as having a chance to pursue an advanced degree from the Open University. (Of course having done GBH to a student - how envious his colleagues must have been - he’s rendered himself unemployable @ secondary school. But @ a college . . . he could become a professor of criminal justice & nonfiction writing!) Lydia’s mother is rude, inconsiderate, has lousy taste in shoes, & mistreats Lydia’s dog - something I cannot imagine any Englishwoman permitting even her mum & which any English jury would regard as a complete defence for the crime of matricide.
As it turns out, trying to keep her youthful indiscretion a secret proves toxic to three generations of Lydia’s family. If you read A Small Indiscretion or Viral, you will know how similar plots can be developed much better, & from Jojo Moyes you can see how real moral & spiritual values can illuminate domestic situations & family drama. In all of these stories we learn the same lesson that experience should teach Lydia, that in relationships honesty, trust & integrity are absolutely essential, & deceit & deception poisonous.
That is true in art as well. Presumably to give us a final twist, Lydia, the 1st person narrator, keeps one secret hidden not only from her family, but from the reader as well, one of those cheap tricks more common in mystery stories like Sophie Hannah’s Little Face. It is a squib so damp it could have been @ the bottom of the Wash, for not-only should sophisticated readers take her revelation with aplomb, but in the case of a 13 y/o any sensible person would accept it as the right thing to do. So I did not find After the Lie a total waste of about eight hours of my life; it shows by their lack how good living & good literature are close relatives. It was also pleasant to encounter the author Kerry Fisher. She sounds like quite a nice person & if she learns to write more like Jojo Moyes, she may be fun to read too.
Well, Becky was a beauty from south Alabama.
Her Daddy had a heart like a nine pound hammer.
Think he even did a little time in the slammer.
“Well, Sally was a beauty from north East Anglia” might not have quite the same flavour but her enraged daddy put the boot in & broke Sean’s nose & a rib; he indeed ‘did a little time in the slammer.’ But it’s the mum who has a maul in place of a heart; she’s the most unpleasant woman I’ve encountered recently, & that includes a number of murderers. She is a very bigoted Roman Catholic determined to bury the past, especially her husband’s incarceration. In an endearing personal note @ the end, the author writes: “I’d be interested to know if you had any sympathy for Lydia’s mother @ the end.” No, I didn’t have an oz. of sympathy. Unfortunately spirituality & morality have a couple of evil twins in religiosity & respectability. Had the story been set in Ireland in the 1950s, I could just about believe granny, but no one who came of age in England in the ‘60s & ‘70s could be so closed-minded or attached to such outmoded notions. Jeffrey Archer has been in prison, Conrad Black has been in prison. Chris Huhne & Vicky Pryce have been in prison. She’d know it’s almost an honour these days, as well as excellent preparation for a television series. Actually I expect Lydia’s dad would rather have enjoyed being inside: not only escaping his shrewish wife, but probably popular with the other inmates (who would have dealt similarly with any teenaged boy they caught fooling around with their 13 y/o dtrs - ‘ tho’ were it someone else’s dtr . . .), as well as having a chance to pursue an advanced degree from the Open University. (Of course having done GBH to a student - how envious his colleagues must have been - he’s rendered himself unemployable @ secondary school. But @ a college . . . he could become a professor of criminal justice & nonfiction writing!) Lydia’s mother is rude, inconsiderate, has lousy taste in shoes, & mistreats Lydia’s dog - something I cannot imagine any Englishwoman permitting even her mum & which any English jury would regard as a complete defence for the crime of matricide.
As it turns out, trying to keep her youthful indiscretion a secret proves toxic to three generations of Lydia’s family. If you read A Small Indiscretion or Viral, you will know how similar plots can be developed much better, & from Jojo Moyes you can see how real moral & spiritual values can illuminate domestic situations & family drama. In all of these stories we learn the same lesson that experience should teach Lydia, that in relationships honesty, trust & integrity are absolutely essential, & deceit & deception poisonous.
That is true in art as well. Presumably to give us a final twist, Lydia, the 1st person narrator, keeps one secret hidden not only from her family, but from the reader as well, one of those cheap tricks more common in mystery stories like Sophie Hannah’s Little Face. It is a squib so damp it could have been @ the bottom of the Wash, for not-only should sophisticated readers take her revelation with aplomb, but in the case of a 13 y/o any sensible person would accept it as the right thing to do. So I did not find After the Lie a total waste of about eight hours of my life; it shows by their lack how good living & good literature are close relatives. It was also pleasant to encounter the author Kerry Fisher. She sounds like quite a nice person & if she learns to write more like Jojo Moyes, she may be fun to read too.
May 31, 2016
No idea how this has an average of 4.2 stars; it's an two-dimensional boreathon that threatens a twist but delivers nothing.
April 27, 2016
This really lets you know why you should never lie as no matter how small the lie is it takes no time in escalating.
This is the 1st book I've read by the author and I like the style of her writing.
This lie has been going on for 30 years and Lydia feels that her world has been built around it. She also knows it will catch up with her 1 day.
This is an enjoyable read with believable characters , drama and laughs.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bookouture and the author Kerry Fisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review
This is the 1st book I've read by the author and I like the style of her writing.
This lie has been going on for 30 years and Lydia feels that her world has been built around it. She also knows it will catch up with her 1 day.
This is an enjoyable read with believable characters , drama and laughs.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bookouture and the author Kerry Fisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review
April 29, 2016
After the Lie by Kerry Fisher is the story of Lydia whose seemingly perfect life-wonderful husband, two teenage children (convincingly and lovingly depicted), thriving business as an event planner-is all threatened by a lie, to cover up a mistake she made as a teenager. No one but Lydia and her parents know the truth-until someone moves into her town who could destroy her entire life.
I was absorbed in this tale of the corrosive effects that lying can have, how a lie can eat away at a person, robbing her of her peace of mind or the ability to enjoy the gifts that she has. There were many moments when I felt irritated with Lydia, wanting her to come out and tell the truth. After all, what kind of husband would Mark be if he could not forgive and support her?
Still, Fisher portrayed the trap Lydia felt inside very convincingly. The longer she waited, the harder it was to come clean and the more powerful the lie became. She was almost suffocated in what she felt was the unforgivable truth that had been her life.
At first, all I wanted was to know what the lie was. But even after that was revealed, I was fascinated by how it dominated Lydia's life and by the dynamics of her family.
Fisher presents a wonderful portrayal of family life, often funny, as Lydia herself often is. The picture of an ordinary family living an ordinary life would have been enjoyable on its own; the fact that a lie threatened to undermine it all made the story compelling.
I found the suspense almost unbearable (as I did, by the way, Lydia's almost unremittingly awful mother) and could not put the book down until I saw how the story played out and whether or not Lydia was able to break free from the power of that lie and what the consequences would be if she did so.
Fisher's story was engrossing and convincing and I was very moved by it. I can't say more without spoilers and I would not want to do that. Everyone should discover this story for themselves-and I hope it is read by many people.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and Kerry Fisher for letting me enjoy this book (in exchange for an honest review).
I was absorbed in this tale of the corrosive effects that lying can have, how a lie can eat away at a person, robbing her of her peace of mind or the ability to enjoy the gifts that she has. There were many moments when I felt irritated with Lydia, wanting her to come out and tell the truth. After all, what kind of husband would Mark be if he could not forgive and support her?
Still, Fisher portrayed the trap Lydia felt inside very convincingly. The longer she waited, the harder it was to come clean and the more powerful the lie became. She was almost suffocated in what she felt was the unforgivable truth that had been her life.
At first, all I wanted was to know what the lie was. But even after that was revealed, I was fascinated by how it dominated Lydia's life and by the dynamics of her family.
Fisher presents a wonderful portrayal of family life, often funny, as Lydia herself often is. The picture of an ordinary family living an ordinary life would have been enjoyable on its own; the fact that a lie threatened to undermine it all made the story compelling.
I found the suspense almost unbearable (as I did, by the way, Lydia's almost unremittingly awful mother) and could not put the book down until I saw how the story played out and whether or not Lydia was able to break free from the power of that lie and what the consequences would be if she did so.
Fisher's story was engrossing and convincing and I was very moved by it. I can't say more without spoilers and I would not want to do that. Everyone should discover this story for themselves-and I hope it is read by many people.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and Kerry Fisher for letting me enjoy this book (in exchange for an honest review).
April 7, 2017
This is one of those stories where one lie, or omission to tell the truth, leads to even bigger lies until eventually the whole can of worms explodes. I was desperate to know what had happened that was so awful and have to admit to being a little underwhelmed when it was revealed. Compared to what can happen today, I didn’t actually think the ‘secret’ was that bad but Lydia had convinced herself that if the truth was exposed her perfect life and marriage would be ruined.
This was the first book I had read by Kerry Fisher but I would certainly love to read more. She writes with humour and warmth and even though I found Lydia a frustrating character at times, she was easy to engage with and I was hoping that all would work out for her. All the main characters are well drawn and realistic, Lydia’s awful mother scarily so and even Mabel, the dog had a personality of her own.
Even though some of Lydia’s actions will make you want to read between your fingers because you just KNOW that by doing that it will not end well for her you can’t help but be drawn in to her world. The threads to the story are complex with intertwining strands that once unpicked, will just keep unravelling.
Despite the serious undercurrent of the story, I loved the humour throughout – it was not flippant or silly, but the witty one liners made the characters believable and real. Kerry Fisher is clearly very talented and now an author whose books I will definitely look out for.
This was the first book I had read by Kerry Fisher but I would certainly love to read more. She writes with humour and warmth and even though I found Lydia a frustrating character at times, she was easy to engage with and I was hoping that all would work out for her. All the main characters are well drawn and realistic, Lydia’s awful mother scarily so and even Mabel, the dog had a personality of her own.
Even though some of Lydia’s actions will make you want to read between your fingers because you just KNOW that by doing that it will not end well for her you can’t help but be drawn in to her world. The threads to the story are complex with intertwining strands that once unpicked, will just keep unravelling.
Despite the serious undercurrent of the story, I loved the humour throughout – it was not flippant or silly, but the witty one liners made the characters believable and real. Kerry Fisher is clearly very talented and now an author whose books I will definitely look out for.
February 18, 2016
thoroughly engrossing page turner of a book.
The story revolves around Lydia and a secret that happened when she was 13. When Sean arrives in the community 30 years later the past begins to unravel.
The author is very perceptive and has put in many references that we can identify with in the days before the internet came into our lives and the way we live now.
The story is so well written that you can sympathise with all the characters.
I can thoroughly recommend this story about relationships, family and friends.
The story revolves around Lydia and a secret that happened when she was 13. When Sean arrives in the community 30 years later the past begins to unravel.
The author is very perceptive and has put in many references that we can identify with in the days before the internet came into our lives and the way we live now.
The story is so well written that you can sympathise with all the characters.
I can thoroughly recommend this story about relationships, family and friends.
March 24, 2016
I devoured this book over one weekend, it's a fascinating book that I enjoyed from cover to cover. The author has a unique way of really drawing you in as I was unable to put this book down.
After the Lie is a captivating, compelling read and Kerry Fisher is definitely an author whose books I will eagerly watch out for in future.
After the Lie is a captivating, compelling read and Kerry Fisher is definitely an author whose books I will eagerly watch out for in future.
January 3, 2021
STORY--
This is the story of a woman with a secret and what happens when secrets and lies, no matter how small can change your life when left to fester. Told from the perspective of Lydia, a woman who in her teenage years made a silly little mistake that resulted in a lot of family drama. The family ended up moving away from their little town and starting over and she never spoke of the experience again. Lydia goes on to get married and have children and live her life, always listening to what her mother said about being "that girl" who did "that thing" and trying to put it behind her despite the fact that the experience has absolutely changed her as a person. Sooner or later though, the past will always come back to haunt you and this book depicts in a very realistic way what happens when your lies finally catch up with you and the impact this has on everyone involved.
CHARACTERS--
The main character of the story is Lydia. She is a middle aged woman who seems very prone to making bad choices. You can see how her entire life has been shaped from one teenage experience and you find yourself feeling a bit frustrated with her at times, especially when she would rush from one bad judgement to another and you just find yourself wanting to shout at this woman who has a good life with a lovely husband and kids and she just does stupid things.
Lydia's husband Mark is lovely, he knows nothing about Lydia's secret. Runs his own, successful business and is just a general good-guy, family-man. When he finds out Lydia's secret, the way he reacts to it is interesting and a little unpredictable. For a little while you don't know what's going to come of it and that all adds to the realism of the story.
The kids are great characters, Mabel the dog is absolutely hilarious and reminds me of my own dog in every way.
There's an overbearing, judgemental mother and a protective father.
Honestly the characters are all brilliant and it is so easy to become tangled up in the story of their lives.
WORLD--
There's not really much to cover here. It is our world, dull as it might be. I did like the parts about Lydia's childhood in the 80's as it had a lovely, nostalgic feel to it and the modern parts with the descriptions of the way kids use technology and social media really helps you to believe in the story because it is something that resonates with us all nowadays.
ENDING--
The secret is out and now it is time to live life without hiding who she is and what she has done. The story wraps up realistically and in a way that leaves you satisfied. I might have liked a bit more drama but overall I feel that it wrapped up well.
OVERALL--
I liked the book more than I thought I would. I selected it at random from my Audible library without really knowing what it was about or what to expect. I found it interesting to listen to and easy to immerse myself in Lydia's life. I would pick up more by Kerry Fisher.
If you enjoyed reading my review here and you want to see more then please do check out my blog. There you can find links to follow me on social media and see my reviews as soon as they go live. Click here to go to lousbookstuff
This is the story of a woman with a secret and what happens when secrets and lies, no matter how small can change your life when left to fester. Told from the perspective of Lydia, a woman who in her teenage years made a silly little mistake that resulted in a lot of family drama. The family ended up moving away from their little town and starting over and she never spoke of the experience again. Lydia goes on to get married and have children and live her life, always listening to what her mother said about being "that girl" who did "that thing" and trying to put it behind her despite the fact that the experience has absolutely changed her as a person. Sooner or later though, the past will always come back to haunt you and this book depicts in a very realistic way what happens when your lies finally catch up with you and the impact this has on everyone involved.
CHARACTERS--
The main character of the story is Lydia. She is a middle aged woman who seems very prone to making bad choices. You can see how her entire life has been shaped from one teenage experience and you find yourself feeling a bit frustrated with her at times, especially when she would rush from one bad judgement to another and you just find yourself wanting to shout at this woman who has a good life with a lovely husband and kids and she just does stupid things.
Lydia's husband Mark is lovely, he knows nothing about Lydia's secret. Runs his own, successful business and is just a general good-guy, family-man. When he finds out Lydia's secret, the way he reacts to it is interesting and a little unpredictable. For a little while you don't know what's going to come of it and that all adds to the realism of the story.
The kids are great characters, Mabel the dog is absolutely hilarious and reminds me of my own dog in every way.
There's an overbearing, judgemental mother and a protective father.
Honestly the characters are all brilliant and it is so easy to become tangled up in the story of their lives.
WORLD--
There's not really much to cover here. It is our world, dull as it might be. I did like the parts about Lydia's childhood in the 80's as it had a lovely, nostalgic feel to it and the modern parts with the descriptions of the way kids use technology and social media really helps you to believe in the story because it is something that resonates with us all nowadays.
ENDING--
The secret is out and now it is time to live life without hiding who she is and what she has done. The story wraps up realistically and in a way that leaves you satisfied. I might have liked a bit more drama but overall I feel that it wrapped up well.
OVERALL--
I liked the book more than I thought I would. I selected it at random from my Audible library without really knowing what it was about or what to expect. I found it interesting to listen to and easy to immerse myself in Lydia's life. I would pick up more by Kerry Fisher.
If you enjoyed reading my review here and you want to see more then please do check out my blog. There you can find links to follow me on social media and see my reviews as soon as they go live. Click here to go to lousbookstuff
April 29, 2016
This book absolutely blew me away - if it's not one of my Books of the Year, no-one will be more amazed than me.
Narrated by Lydia - wife, mother, successful event planner, reluctant rugby club fundraiser - this book takes you straight into the heart of her family. Her husband is Mark - a kitchen fitter who takes pride in his work but maybe isn't as pushy as he could be in the selling, laid back peacemaker at home, steady, gentle and loving. The teens are the most "real" individuals of that age I've come across in a long time - thirteen year old Izzy is full of the contradictions common at that age, sassy and smart-mouthed, but likes to be tucked into bed at night, sixteen year old Jamie typically uncommunicative, experimenting with how far he can bend the boundaries of parental control.
The other significant family member of the immediate family is Mabel, the family dog, who sidesteps (at speed) every futile attempt at control - and is the source of many of the laugh-out-loud moments in the book. (Is there an award for dogs in books I wonder? If so, Mabel should run away with it...) Then there's Lydia's lovely and slightly fragile father and - deep breath - her mother. Lydia's mother Dorothy is a magnificent creation - in the right at all times (over the most minor things as well as the major), outspoken, loud, non-PC, difficult, infuriating and totally blinkered about the effect she has on others.
Lydia's voice is quite wonderful - she switches from funny to furious, through sad, happy, frightened and confused, in such a recognisable way that you feel you know her. Actually, you really do know her - she has that great "everywoman" quality that at some point will most definitely have you nodding and saying "that could be me".
The style of the writing only adds to that - conversational with shared thoughts and observations, simply wonderful. You do want to take Lydia to one side at times though, say "was that really a good idea?" - and you do at times want to look away because of the car crash you can see coming way before she can. The author makes you love her and care for her, to want everything to work out - and gaining that investment in a character with so many flaws (but so many you can identify with) is very clever writing.
And just another quick tribute to the quality of the writing, because another aspect I really loved was all the little detail - from the stolen sausage rolls to the model of the Pope-mobile, the minutiae of the excruciating clothes shopping trips to the wiggled eyebrows in married communication, the few lines about someone's appearance that enable you to picture them absolutely clearly.
The story itself is excellent - the massive secret, concealed for so many years - the question mark over whether earlier decisions were right or wrong, whether things should have been handled differently to avoid a later catastrophe. And then there are all the other ripples that make things so much more difficult than they need to be, complication piling on complication - and the really clever mirroring of early events in the present day. This is such a difficult book to review, because it needs to be experienced and discovered - the story is absolutely edge-of-the-seat gripping stuff, deceptively powerful, and I read it in one fantastic sitting because I just couldn't put it down.
It's so much more than a great story though - it's a book you really feel. It's not very often when reading a book that you find yourself laughing, crying snotty tears, feeling sick with tension, aching inside but keep turning the pages for more. Yes, honestly, it really is that good.
Narrated by Lydia - wife, mother, successful event planner, reluctant rugby club fundraiser - this book takes you straight into the heart of her family. Her husband is Mark - a kitchen fitter who takes pride in his work but maybe isn't as pushy as he could be in the selling, laid back peacemaker at home, steady, gentle and loving. The teens are the most "real" individuals of that age I've come across in a long time - thirteen year old Izzy is full of the contradictions common at that age, sassy and smart-mouthed, but likes to be tucked into bed at night, sixteen year old Jamie typically uncommunicative, experimenting with how far he can bend the boundaries of parental control.
The other significant family member of the immediate family is Mabel, the family dog, who sidesteps (at speed) every futile attempt at control - and is the source of many of the laugh-out-loud moments in the book. (Is there an award for dogs in books I wonder? If so, Mabel should run away with it...) Then there's Lydia's lovely and slightly fragile father and - deep breath - her mother. Lydia's mother Dorothy is a magnificent creation - in the right at all times (over the most minor things as well as the major), outspoken, loud, non-PC, difficult, infuriating and totally blinkered about the effect she has on others.
Lydia's voice is quite wonderful - she switches from funny to furious, through sad, happy, frightened and confused, in such a recognisable way that you feel you know her. Actually, you really do know her - she has that great "everywoman" quality that at some point will most definitely have you nodding and saying "that could be me".
The style of the writing only adds to that - conversational with shared thoughts and observations, simply wonderful. You do want to take Lydia to one side at times though, say "was that really a good idea?" - and you do at times want to look away because of the car crash you can see coming way before she can. The author makes you love her and care for her, to want everything to work out - and gaining that investment in a character with so many flaws (but so many you can identify with) is very clever writing.
And just another quick tribute to the quality of the writing, because another aspect I really loved was all the little detail - from the stolen sausage rolls to the model of the Pope-mobile, the minutiae of the excruciating clothes shopping trips to the wiggled eyebrows in married communication, the few lines about someone's appearance that enable you to picture them absolutely clearly.
The story itself is excellent - the massive secret, concealed for so many years - the question mark over whether earlier decisions were right or wrong, whether things should have been handled differently to avoid a later catastrophe. And then there are all the other ripples that make things so much more difficult than they need to be, complication piling on complication - and the really clever mirroring of early events in the present day. This is such a difficult book to review, because it needs to be experienced and discovered - the story is absolutely edge-of-the-seat gripping stuff, deceptively powerful, and I read it in one fantastic sitting because I just couldn't put it down.
It's so much more than a great story though - it's a book you really feel. It's not very often when reading a book that you find yourself laughing, crying snotty tears, feeling sick with tension, aching inside but keep turning the pages for more. Yes, honestly, it really is that good.
April 30, 2016
I've just finished reading this book and I start off by saying that I absolutely loved it and that even though this is the first book I've read by this author, Kerry Fisher goes straight away to my 'most favourite authors' list.
"We all make mistakes, pet. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to pay a high price to put them right."
The story starts in 1982 when Sally is a teenager. She tells a lie to her parents and foolishly makes a very, very stupid mistake which will have serious consequences. Consequences that will change her and her family's life for ever...
"You can't go into a marriage without total honesty, can you?"
Now, thirty years later, Sally is called Lydia and lives in another town. She is married to Mark and has two kids. No one knows of her terrible secret (except her parents), not even her husband. But one day, out of the blue, the past catches up with the present - a person who knows what Sally did resurfaces. Now Lydia is terrified that the terrible secret she has worked so hard to conceal and which she never found enough courage to disclose to her husband, could be exposed with even more terrible consequences.
She has to do something, however in her frustrations, Lydia ends up making another even more terrible mistake, a mistake that puts her and her present family on a very slippery slope.
When you realise you've messed up big time, how easy it is to just turn on the page, forgive yourself and move on? How will Lydia get out of the mess she has got into? Will her marriage survive all the turmoil unleashed?
I love this author's writing style. Though it is quite a tense book, I found myself cracking loud laughs from time to time... Her style has that humorous edge that gives a break to the tension and makes reading even more enjoyable.
I loved many of the characters, however for various reasons my absolute favourite was Mark - a man who I think every woman dreams of having as husband.
I liked Lydia a lot too. Having done stupid things in my teenage years (thankfully not as extreme as Sally's) and having a dominant, ultra-negative mother dictating my very existence, I could perfectly relate to Lydia in so many ways. I couldn't judge her for what she did. She was a typical teenager who got into trouble and then later on a typical mother and wife facing the consequences of her mistakes together with all the challenges involved in growing up teenagers.
I wanted to slap hard Lydia's mother on many occasions!!!! But given the circumstances, maybe the way she behaved, was the only way she knew to cope with the enormity of the situation in which she found herself.
And I just LOVED Mable, the naughty family dog. In this book I've seen something unique. The author has given weight to this mad, happy family member almost as much as any of the other human characters. This shows the author's love for her own dog, Poppy on which she says she has based Mable.
Yes, I was touched by this book as it is one continuous roller-coaster of emotions on a very twisty track. It made me reflect on many things like for example how other people around us perceive us, how they think they know us, when in reality deep down we can be or feel so much different. I loved the many twists planted by the author throughout especially the shocking final revelation. Ehh... Lydia Lydia!!
I highly recommend this fabulous book and will certainly be looking out for others penned by Kerry Fisher.
With many thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read this book through Netgalley.
"We all make mistakes, pet. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to pay a high price to put them right."
The story starts in 1982 when Sally is a teenager. She tells a lie to her parents and foolishly makes a very, very stupid mistake which will have serious consequences. Consequences that will change her and her family's life for ever...
"You can't go into a marriage without total honesty, can you?"
Now, thirty years later, Sally is called Lydia and lives in another town. She is married to Mark and has two kids. No one knows of her terrible secret (except her parents), not even her husband. But one day, out of the blue, the past catches up with the present - a person who knows what Sally did resurfaces. Now Lydia is terrified that the terrible secret she has worked so hard to conceal and which she never found enough courage to disclose to her husband, could be exposed with even more terrible consequences.
She has to do something, however in her frustrations, Lydia ends up making another even more terrible mistake, a mistake that puts her and her present family on a very slippery slope.
When you realise you've messed up big time, how easy it is to just turn on the page, forgive yourself and move on? How will Lydia get out of the mess she has got into? Will her marriage survive all the turmoil unleashed?
I love this author's writing style. Though it is quite a tense book, I found myself cracking loud laughs from time to time... Her style has that humorous edge that gives a break to the tension and makes reading even more enjoyable.
I loved many of the characters, however for various reasons my absolute favourite was Mark - a man who I think every woman dreams of having as husband.
I liked Lydia a lot too. Having done stupid things in my teenage years (thankfully not as extreme as Sally's) and having a dominant, ultra-negative mother dictating my very existence, I could perfectly relate to Lydia in so many ways. I couldn't judge her for what she did. She was a typical teenager who got into trouble and then later on a typical mother and wife facing the consequences of her mistakes together with all the challenges involved in growing up teenagers.
I wanted to slap hard Lydia's mother on many occasions!!!! But given the circumstances, maybe the way she behaved, was the only way she knew to cope with the enormity of the situation in which she found herself.
And I just LOVED Mable, the naughty family dog. In this book I've seen something unique. The author has given weight to this mad, happy family member almost as much as any of the other human characters. This shows the author's love for her own dog, Poppy on which she says she has based Mable.
Yes, I was touched by this book as it is one continuous roller-coaster of emotions on a very twisty track. It made me reflect on many things like for example how other people around us perceive us, how they think they know us, when in reality deep down we can be or feel so much different. I loved the many twists planted by the author throughout especially the shocking final revelation. Ehh... Lydia Lydia!!
I highly recommend this fabulous book and will certainly be looking out for others penned by Kerry Fisher.
With many thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read this book through Netgalley.
August 7, 2016
This is the first book I've read by Kerry Fisher and when I read the description I thought it would be a book I'd enjoy. After many stops and starts with life getting in the way I finally got the chance to read and realised it was going to be a book I really loved.
Lydia has lived a lie for 30 years but all of a sudden a face from the past enters her life and Lydia is torn between telling her husband the truth or trying to live her perfect life without the lie being revealed.
Kerry has a way of writing about the characters that they seem so realistic. I loved Lydia and was routing for her all the way through the book, feeling every emotion as she felt it. Lydia is flawed but she really tries her best.
This was a real page turner for me, and as the story went on I just couldn't predict how it was going to pan out. The story touches on some serious point's and many parents with teenagers will understand Lydia's fears but there is humour in there too.
I really enjoyed this book and will highly recommend this to my friends. I love Kerry's writing and really look forward to reading more of her books soon.
Lydia has lived a lie for 30 years but all of a sudden a face from the past enters her life and Lydia is torn between telling her husband the truth or trying to live her perfect life without the lie being revealed.
Kerry has a way of writing about the characters that they seem so realistic. I loved Lydia and was routing for her all the way through the book, feeling every emotion as she felt it. Lydia is flawed but she really tries her best.
This was a real page turner for me, and as the story went on I just couldn't predict how it was going to pan out. The story touches on some serious point's and many parents with teenagers will understand Lydia's fears but there is humour in there too.
I really enjoyed this book and will highly recommend this to my friends. I love Kerry's writing and really look forward to reading more of her books soon.
February 19, 2016
1982 was the year that defined Lydia’s whole life.
A crucial 1o minute decision would shape her and her family’s life forever. Now 30 years later a chance meeting with someone from the past threaten Lydia and her mother’s lives and rake up a secret they thought they had long buried.
Kerry Fisher’s novel is woven with funny and amusing narratives, it is also filled with moments that fill you with dread as Lydia tries to keep the lid on her shameful secret, that she has kept from her husband and her well-to-do friends.
I loved this book. We all have childhood memories that have the ‘cringe-factor’ and ones we try not to remember, but Lydia’s secret is beyond anything I can imagine having to go through and Ms Fisher captures Lydia’s fears perfectly.
Lydia is caught between deciding to telling her husband or not, and his friendship with the Mcallisters only heighten her anxiety.
I loved Jamie and his penchant for calling almost everyone a ‘dickhead’ or a ‘knob’, and Lydia’s mother who is a complete snob got my sympathy. She did what she thought was right and as any mother will testify, that is quite a marvelous and difficult thing.
A crucial 1o minute decision would shape her and her family’s life forever. Now 30 years later a chance meeting with someone from the past threaten Lydia and her mother’s lives and rake up a secret they thought they had long buried.
Kerry Fisher’s novel is woven with funny and amusing narratives, it is also filled with moments that fill you with dread as Lydia tries to keep the lid on her shameful secret, that she has kept from her husband and her well-to-do friends.
I loved this book. We all have childhood memories that have the ‘cringe-factor’ and ones we try not to remember, but Lydia’s secret is beyond anything I can imagine having to go through and Ms Fisher captures Lydia’s fears perfectly.
Lydia is caught between deciding to telling her husband or not, and his friendship with the Mcallisters only heighten her anxiety.
I loved Jamie and his penchant for calling almost everyone a ‘dickhead’ or a ‘knob’, and Lydia’s mother who is a complete snob got my sympathy. She did what she thought was right and as any mother will testify, that is quite a marvelous and difficult thing.
March 9, 2016
It all started with a lie that snowballed into a blizzard. This novel covers so many moral dilemmas, it may have begun with a lie but it was the actions afterwards that made it tragic.
Kerry Fisher's novel got me hooked. I wanted to know the secret that had continued for 30 years then realised it was people like me they had to get away from. Human nature made me want to be included in the loop, that itch to know, but not only know the need to tell one other person. The lie or knowing it is powerful. Lydia must have gone out of her head at times not being able to speak about her past, it certainly crafted the way she brought up her own children.
To say Kerry Fisher has a way with words would be a gross understatement. Her writing is thought provoking laced with an unforgettable humour. I did find at times myself laughing at the most inopportune moments in the book. I simply didn't want this book to end. A cracking story with a perfect delivery.
I wish to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kerry Fisher's novel got me hooked. I wanted to know the secret that had continued for 30 years then realised it was people like me they had to get away from. Human nature made me want to be included in the loop, that itch to know, but not only know the need to tell one other person. The lie or knowing it is powerful. Lydia must have gone out of her head at times not being able to speak about her past, it certainly crafted the way she brought up her own children.
To say Kerry Fisher has a way with words would be a gross understatement. Her writing is thought provoking laced with an unforgettable humour. I did find at times myself laughing at the most inopportune moments in the book. I simply didn't want this book to end. A cracking story with a perfect delivery.
I wish to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2016
I was intrigued to learn what 'the lie' might be in Kerry Fisher's latest novel and was not disappointed. She shows how brushing a traumatic experience under the carpet produces repercussions that last for decades, poisoning marriages and affecting subsequent generations. She is a genius at describing the nuances of family life with humour and pinpoint accuracy: I chuckled over her descriptions of the idiosyncrasies of teenagers and loved the deep warmth of maternal love underlying the book. It's a cleverly structured story that's both compelling and thought-provoking: a must for all parents of teenagers and, frankly, for anyone interested in the dynamics of relationships and the foibles of human nature.
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