Lie To Me

by Joanne Ryan

Sometimes the truth hurts…
Layla hates liars.
She doesn’t understand why people lie because her and her mother are always totally honest with each other. Not that Layla has anything to lie about; she isn’t an average nineteen-year-old, she doesn’t go to parties or have boyfriends, or any friends. She’s perfectly content living her quiet life in a sleepy village with her mother, who also happens to be her best friend.
But Layla’s lying to herself; she’s afraid of life and always has been.
But nothing stays the same forever.
When new neighbours move into the cottage opposite, everything starts to change, including Layla. Stunned by her growing obsession with new neighbour, Will, and even more so by her own behaviour, Layla is beginning to think that maybe she’s not the person she thought she was.
She's afraid that there might be a darkness inside her.
Still struggling to understand her changing world, she discovers that the person she trusts most has been lying to her. She thinks that nothing can ever shock her again.
She’s wrong.
Her life is blown apart by an explosive secret that’s been kept from her for all of her life and as events begin to spiral out of control, Layla is forced to ask herself.
Who is she?
But more importantly, what is she capable of?

Genres: Thriller

273 pages, ebook

First published November 25, 2022

About the author

Joanne Ryan lives in the south of England and has always loved writing. Her novels concentrate on the darker, secret side of life of seemingly ordinary people.
She also writes under the pen name of Marina Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Angela Pearse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed The Double, so I was eager to read Joanne Ryan's latest Lie To Me. I wasn't disappointed. Layla's narration kept me gripped the whole way through, so much so I nearly read it all in one sitting to find out what happened. This is a well written, suspenseful, page turner and I loved it. Totally recommend!

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, every so often, you come across a book on Amazon when you're looking for something else, I'm glad this one did, was very good, definitely going to read some more if they're as page turning as this one!

[Vina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Joanne Ryan’s book ‘Lie to Me’. It was a one- sitting book. While I ate, while I drank, this book did not leave my hands. The basic plot is simple enough. A young woman, happily living with her adoptive mother, and both of them are best friends.Layla and Debs make a great team, with no secrets between them. But all that changes when a young couple moves into the house opposite them. Danger, recklessness, darkness- it is just the beginning of a sudden change in Layla’s life.

5 Stars.

[Debbie Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

not predictable

Very well written..usually you know where the story is going but not with this one! Really shocked me on the ending!! What a twist!

[Alison Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely brilliant. Joanne Ryan I could read your books all day!

[C.J. Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great psychological thriller. It starts off so cosy and warm then morphs. I loved the characters and the situations both of which seemed very real and plausible. Who knows what goes on in people's heads, or what they get up to when no one is looking?? The end has a great twist that doesn't disappoint. Definitely recommend to lovers of twisted tales. I was lucky enough to read an ARC and the book releases on 25 Nov 22.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story!

This book is about a 19 year old girl who is rather sheltered by her mother. It’s a story about her growing up, the hard way, with love, obsession and heartbreak. And it’s above all about the real love between a mother and daughter.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant as always

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow, I am truly surprised by the 5 star reviews. I found this story fairly repetitive and made worse because of the dry, flat writing. The storytelling is very Cat In The Hat and there's no big twists or reveals to redeem. I really slogged through this one with no payoff.

[Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was kind of quick, but mindless reading. I was expecting a domestic thriller, an unreliable narrator, a plot twist, and I get just a kind of a predictable plot twist. Layla, the main teenage heroine, was flat and boring. All what she did was repeating "I love my Mum, I don't want to lie to my Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum" with cheap hints of The Accident that happened some years ago. Her crush on Will was predictable, and Will himself was a textbook gigolo (ah, my wife has a mental problem, och, I am so attracted to you Layla, hey, grow up, it was just sex and you wanted it too, so fuck off now). The main mystery was just meh (the birth mother of Layla was a murderer).
I think much more potential was in Dylan's stalking and Layla's adoptive mother ("darling, you must pose naked to overcome your fears" - do you feel this nice vibe of domestic abuse?) and in the story of Layla's friend from the supermarket.

[Belle Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie to me is a page turning psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns including a killer twist at the end. Joanne Ryan's books are always thought provoking because they're about normal people who often end up acting upon their abnormal thoughts. This particular book got me thinking about the nature/nurture debate and how much of our personality is learned or biologically innate. It's a truly fascinating read involving passion, obsession and revenge but it also highlights the special bond between a mother and a daughter. A must read for those who love this genre. Highly recommended.

[John Avlakiotis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough.

[Diane Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Very Good Book!!

A lot of dark secrets, mystery, romance, betrayal and suspense makes this a good book. To know how far some people would go for revenge is astounding. The ending was shocking!!

[Trena Stooksberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining read!

This author has written another tale with an unpredictable ending! Well worth reading. So glad I discovered her, looking forward to reading more.

[Nerdy Book Babe · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the blurb of the book I went into this thinking it would be more of a thriller, maybe some suspense but it was more about a young, naïve girl getting caught up in a sexual relationship with a married man. Oh, to be young and stupid.

The story consists of Layla having to figure out her emotions and actions with the intense love she feels for a married man. Her already being sheltered by her mother; never had a boyfriend or any girlfriends, her actions are a bit childish and chaotic but that is to be expected. Don't we all want to be loved? Don't we all believe that the men we love love us as much too? But boy oh boy I did not expect it to take the twist it did toward the end. Overall, a decent story and kept me engaged as I read it within a few hours.

[Mary Pink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read

I really enjoyed this book. I wondered where it was going at the beginning but soon got into it. I have stayed up very late to finish it but it was well worth it.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it and it kept me reading, but the twist was obvious and I figured it out very early on. Layla’s character was naive and you could understand how she wound up doing the things she did, but was she likable? No, not at all. I wish the author had explored the story of Layla’s birth mother more. Overall a good, quick read for a my flight!
I found it interesting that the author framed the story in the sense that lies told to protect someone’s feelings are okay if the truth will cause pain. In fact, the entire plot of the book could have been avoided if Layla knew about what her birth mother had done, as it would have served as warning not to repeat her mother’s mistakes.

[Cecily Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I liked this so much… but I did! An intriguing story. Had elements of obsession, crazy, stalking, murder… it was great! Layla was so naive and bless her. So protected by her mother, who would go to the ends of the earth for her daughter. And Will….BASTARD! I was shook when Will died. I was certain Layla was to blame. What a fun twist when we find out who’s really behind it in the end. Fun story!

[Robin Ofsonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infatuation

How nice it would be to young again like Layla and fall for an older man and have sex whenever the wife was away. Only you aren't the only one your married lover I having sex with or lying about. Will you foolish foolish man. A mother will always protect her daughter at any cost.

[Tracey Binney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good storyline, shame about the spelling and grammar

This easy reading story is nice with little twists. However it is slightly spoiled by missing words, spelling errors and incorrect grammar. Makes me wonder whether it has actually been proofread before being published. Sorry, but this should be correct and has spoilt the book for me

[Supreet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who proofread this? There are so many grammatical and spelling errors. I keep having to reread the same paragraph because this is written so poorly. Luckily, the plot is good enough to keep you hooked.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good story with a surprise ending. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I like to read psychological thrillers because they hold my attention.

[Sole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8