Review - The Darkest Lies - Barbara Copperthwaite

My Review

Another terrific twisty tale from the writer who is becoming my go to author when I want to be certain of a damn good chilling read and a guaranteed shiver down my spine.

A different take on the psychological thriller with two unique viewpoints and so many smokescreens to blind me to the truth I could smell the smoke on my clothes.

Melanie waves goodbye to her young teenage daughter Beth one evening as she heads to her best friends house, little knowing that a living nightmare is about to begin and the next time she holds her daughters hand she will be in a coma, following a brutal attack which left Beth for dead lying in the dark and lonely fenland of Lincolnshire. Why on earth was she even there at the dead of night? 

There are so many mysteries surrounding this crime its almost difficult to keep track of them but the authors skill makes the story flow so deliciously you hardly notice you’re being sucked deep into the story until you’re so wrapped up in it, it feels as though you’re living it.

The remote watery location of the Lincolnshire fens is full of atmospheric description this is where Beth has birdwatched and enjoyed the scenery all of her young life. It soon becomes evident that everyone, but EVERYONE in this close knit community has secrets. In a series of flashbacks it’s immediately apparent that Beth has been hiding something. Then we hear Melanies voice as she speaks to her unconscious daughter and watch her crumble and stumble towards self destruction in her desperation and grief.

There is husband and Father, Jacob, what is he hiding? Many, many characters, childhood friends and neighbours and amongst them there is nobody Mel feels she can really trust, she begins to harbour suspicions as she takes on a quest to uncover her daughters attacker and unwittingly uncovers a whole can of squirmy worms 

as she jumps to conclusions, lets her grief blur her judgement and make ill advised rash decisions.

Threaded through the book is a dark voice, an unnamed nasty character, who keeps piping up and you just know they have more to hide than anyone but you don’t know who – or even why!

The author delves deeply inside the mind of a grieving, angry and confused mother and takes us on a journey we never want to go on! And surprises the reader, over and over again and just when you think you’ve had that OMG moment, along comes another!

A wonderful thrilling read, very original and different, exciting and scary.

I recently took part in the blog tour for this fab book and you can read the first chapter here.