I am thrilled to join the other bloggers as part of the My Lies, Your Lies Random Things Tours blog tour.
SYNOPSIS:
His life was destroyed by a lie.
Her life will be ruined by the truth.
Joely tells other people’s secrets for a living. As a ghost writer, she’s used to scandal – but this just might be her strangest assignment yet.
Freda has never told her story to anyone before. But now she’s ready to set the record straight and to right a wrong that’s haunted her for forty years.
Freda’s memoir begins with a 15-year-old girl falling madly in love with her teacher. As the story unravels, Joely is spun deeper into a world of secrets and lies.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book but I must confess I am actually finding it really difficult to write about without the use of spoilers. There are lots twists and turns throughout the book, and your perception of the characters change frequently. Just when you think you have sussed something out everything turns on its head. I understand that this is done intentionally by the author and it makes such a good read as you are always second guessing yourself and getting lost within the pages, it just makes it so hard to outline what you loved without running the risk of spoiling the book for others. So without giving too much away here is my review.
This book is written in a dual timeline which I loved. The first narrative is set in the 1960s and told through the eyes of a fifteen year old who is obviously infatuated with her music teacher, in fact the whole class seem to have a crush on this young male teacher. It is not hard to imagine, an all girl boarding school where hormones are scoring and a young, handsome, music teacher whom they feel connected to. Their sexual innuendos causing him obvious embarrassment heighten their enjoyment, frequent teasing and point scoring amongst themselves.
The second time line is in the present day, following Joely, a ghostwriter, who has been hired by a mysterious author and requested to stay at her home in order to complete her memoirs. Joely who is having marital problems decides to take on this job in order to get away from her husband and ex-best friend.
I found this book really easy to get in to. Normally it takes me a good few chapters to get acquainted to the writing style and to get a feel for the characters. With My Lies, Your Lies, I was hooked straightaway. I was fascinated by the unnamed teenager and how her relationship with the music teacher developed, although it was difficult to read in places due to the issue of morality. I too was also intrigued to learn more about the reclusive Mrs Freda Donahoe, through her memoirs.
When Joely first arrives at Dimmett House you are blown away by the landscape and scenery. It is definitely very atmospheric and adds to the mysterious nature surrounding Mrs Donahoe. At this point of the novel I had no idea where this story was leading and loved the eerie setting and location of the house. When we do first meet Freda she is just what you are expecting; brash, secretive, self important but underneath that hard exterior you see glimmers of warmth and loneliness.
Lewis does an excellent job of luring you in, she is a great storyteller, providing descriptive language that allows you to visualise everything and makes you feel you are there alongside the characters. The library room where Joely is set to write the memoirs is every book lovers' heaven. The constant message given by Freda to Joely that you should never try and predict the ending is paramount to this book as you truly cannot second guess Lewis and where the novel is heading. As a reader I must confess I am always looking to make predictions and looking for subtle clues hidden in the text. This has made me more aware that I do that and hope that in the future I try to do this less, after all I do always feel disappointed when I reach the conclusion before the author has declared it.
Overall this was a great read, one that you just couldn't predict. The thing that stands out for me the most in this book is the relationships between the characters, Lewis has portrayed a strong sense of family and although not always harmonious, one that can forgive in order to stick together.
Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Harper Collins
AUTHOR:
Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime, including the Sunday Times bestseller One Minute Later and her most recent novel Home Truths.
Susan’s novels have sold nearly three million copies in the UK alone. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s.
Susan has previously worked as a secretary in news and current affairs before training as a production assistant working on light entertainment and drama. She’s had homes in Hollywood and the South of France, but now lives in Gloucestershire with husband James, two stepsons and dogs.