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emmals1992's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so gripping and the twist at the end was very unexpected. Not my usual genre but I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the jump between the past and present.
nashue's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship
tinamoo's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This story is about Sophia who works as an architect in London. One night she receives a phone call from her mum asking if she can come home as she needs to speak to her, as Sophia lives a few hours away and she had been out drinking she initially says no but later feels guilty and decides to go in the morning. When Sophia arrives at a parents home the next day she finds her mum has hanged herself and her dad has been stabbed several times. Sophia then puts her career second for once to be by her dad's bedside and get to the bottom of what happened to her parents.
This is the second book that I have read by this author. This one is a lot different than Dear Amy which I believe was the authors debut novel. I enjoyed the theme of the book as it was a lot different from other Psychological thrillers. This book is 400 pages long and it did feel it, as there were points in the book were the story seemed to just drag on, especially towards the end. I partly guessed the ending but I have read a lot of psychological thrillers so I pick up on the clues very easily. I love this authors writing style and will definitely be reading more from this author.
This is the second book that I have read by this author. This one is a lot different than Dear Amy which I believe was the authors debut novel. I enjoyed the theme of the book as it was a lot different from other Psychological thrillers. This book is 400 pages long and it did feel it, as there were points in the book were the story seemed to just drag on, especially towards the end. I partly guessed the ending but I have read a lot of psychological thrillers so I pick up on the clues very easily. I love this authors writing style and will definitely be reading more from this author.
alannamkc's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fast paced and an easy read. I thought the ‘twists’ were too predictable though and in turn meant I became frustrated with Sophia on several occasions. I liked that it was set between the present day and the flashbacks from Nina’s perspective. Overall an enjoyable read but not one I’d go out of my way to recommend
laurag22's review against another edition
4.0
This is a story about what happens when your whole life turns out to be a lie and what appears to be a murder-suicide hides something more sinister. This book has many twists and turns.
beckyherrett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read Helen Callaghan's debut novel, Dear Amy, whilst on holiday in Naples and Rome in 2016, and could barely put it down. I was really looking forward to her second book, Everything is Lies, and feel as though my rather high hopes were met. Callaghan writes engaging, gritty novels, which are very easy to get into, and which are incredibly well paced.
Two concurrent stories run here, one which tells the present day story of Sophia, and another which releases the mystery of her mother's earlier life. I found Everything is Lies to be rather chilling at times, and again, found it a struggle to put the novel down once I got going. There were so many mysteries embedded within both main plots, and they were handled well, and pulled together nicely at the novel's end. I did guess a couple of the twists from a mile off (perhaps I'm getting better at this detective lark?), but some of them certainly took me by surprise. Well paced and enjoyable, I would highly recommend Everything Is Lies for all thriller and mystery fans.
Two concurrent stories run here, one which tells the present day story of Sophia, and another which releases the mystery of her mother's earlier life. I found Everything is Lies to be rather chilling at times, and again, found it a struggle to put the novel down once I got going. There were so many mysteries embedded within both main plots, and they were handled well, and pulled together nicely at the novel's end. I did guess a couple of the twists from a mile off (perhaps I'm getting better at this detective lark?), but some of them certainly took me by surprise. Well paced and enjoyable, I would highly recommend Everything Is Lies for all thriller and mystery fans.
robosquid's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this psychological thriller about a young London architect (Sophia) who receives a phone call from her mum (Nina) while out drinking with colleagues one Friday night. She drives down the following morning to find her mum dead and her dad close to death. She soon discovers some of Nina's journals which detail a surprising and disturbing tale of a charismatic rock star / cult leader, his devoted followers, a death and all its repercussions.
The book follows two timelines - Sophia's today and her mother's story from the 1980's. Both parts were equally riveting. I really loved the author's style of writing, so much so that I found myself re-reading and highlighting bits because they were so enjoyable and visual:
"...a deeply lined forehead, as though it had been built out of flesh-coloured bricks and the mortar had worn away over time."
The 1980s journals were frustrating because the reader can clearly see all the mistakes that Nina is making and how she falls for the bullying and manipulative behaviour of the cult leader. Having said that, there are some interesting parallels between this and the behaviour of the firm of architects that Sophia works for - the hours demanded, the drinking expected, the bullying behaviour of the partners and colleagues, and the not-so-subtle reminders about the terms of her contract.
The book had a surprising yet satisfying ending with loose ends tied up. Thoroughly recommended!
The book follows two timelines - Sophia's today and her mother's story from the 1980's. Both parts were equally riveting. I really loved the author's style of writing, so much so that I found myself re-reading and highlighting bits because they were so enjoyable and visual:
"...a deeply lined forehead, as though it had been built out of flesh-coloured bricks and the mortar had worn away over time."
The 1980s journals were frustrating because the reader can clearly see all the mistakes that Nina is making and how she falls for the bullying and manipulative behaviour of the cult leader. Having said that, there are some interesting parallels between this and the behaviour of the firm of architects that Sophia works for - the hours demanded, the drinking expected, the bullying behaviour of the partners and colleagues, and the not-so-subtle reminders about the terms of her contract.
The book had a surprising yet satisfying ending with loose ends tied up. Thoroughly recommended!
pgchuis's review against another edition
4.0
Sophia discovers her mother dead and her father near death in an apparent failed murder-suicide, but cannot believe this to be true. Then she discovers her mother has written a book about her time at a cult called Morningstar. Large parts of the narrative are the text of this book, so we switch between the perspective of Sophia in the present day and Nina in the past.
This was an intriguing read, although parts of Nina's story were hard to read, and at one point things looked increasingly hopeless for Sophia, and I feared that their voices would become indistinguishable in their defeat. Fortunately Sophia pulled herself together. There were some revelations that I thought were fairly obvious, but it was still a page-turner.
This was an intriguing read, although parts of Nina's story were hard to read, and at one point things looked increasingly hopeless for Sophia, and I feared that their voices would become indistinguishable in their defeat. Fortunately Sophia pulled herself together. There were some revelations that I thought were fairly obvious, but it was still a page-turner.