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Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks
4.0

Lies Lies Lies tells the story of teacher Daisy, her husband Simon and their much longed for daughter Millie, whom they conceived naturally after many gruelling rounds of IVF – their miracle baby. They are for the most part a happy family – Millie is a talented dancer and they have a close circle of friends. Simon likes to have a drink now and then and sometimes it gets out of hand but Daisy has learned to accept it. When Simon instigates a visit to a fertility specialist to see if they might be able to conceive a sibling for Millie, he discovers that perhaps Millie isn’t his after all. Convinced that Daisy has had an affair and has been lying to him, he goes on a massive drinking spree at a party, with devastating consequences for them all.
Capturing family life perfectly, Lies Lies Lies is an engrossing story of the devastating effects alcoholism can have on a family. Simon drinks a lot and sometimes it gets out of hand and sometimes he can function normally. For the most part they are happy – they both dote on Millie and she is a much loved daughter, full of life and energy. The tragic events after the party, leave Simon in jail with Daisy unable to forgive him.
What I thought would be quite a straightforward story, ended up being thrilling, exciting and shocking and kept me totally enthralled! Adele Parks has a great talent for writing engrossing stories – this was quite a long book (more than the obligatory 368 pages anyway!) but at no point did it drag.
It explores the effects alcoholism can have on a family – both from Daisy’s point of view (the embarrassment Simon causes her and also her having to care for him when he gets in a state) but also from the alcoholic’s point of view (always thinking about how to get the next drink and even when he is forced to give it up in prison, how the need for a drink never truly goes away).
I really enjoyed this – a great dark domestic story. The characters were well written and believable and I found my sympathies shifting back and forth throughout the book! This is Adele’s 19th book (I’ve just checked and I’ve read 8 of them) and as far as I’m concerned she has gone from strength to strength. This would make a great TV series!