Be sure to visit Bantering Books to read all my latest reviews.I love a good unreliable narrator.If written well, an unreliable narrator adds an element of excitement to a novel. An extra layer of mystery and suspense. A touch of madness. It forces us, as readers, to think complexly, connect puzzle pieces, and draw independent conclusions. Our minds are put to work, so to speak.And if you enjoy the challenge of an unreliable narrator as much as I do, then Gilly Macmillan’s latest mystery, To Tel...

Best selling mystery writer Lucy Harper has just completed the next chapter in her DS Eliza Grey series, based on her imaginary childhood friend by the same name. But when her husband Dan suddenly goes missing, it comes to light, that her 3 year old brother, Teddy, had also disappeared, when Lucy was just 9 years old.The story of "what happened to Teddy" is interspersed throughout the current day narrative, of a writer who is starting to wonder what is fact, and what is fiction...Is she being ga...

3.5 stars rounded down.Despite having some issues with this book, I really felt for Lucy. She seemed so vulnerable, so fragile and I totally get how she got overwhelmed by too many people demanding things from her. And Dan, well he was a total jerk!Lucy Harper is now a very successful author having written five books featuring DS Eliza Grey. The public loves her character and are already eagerly awaiting the next book. Dan is Lucy’s husband. When they met he, too, was an aspiring author but with...

This was one of those books where I didn't have a set rating until it was fully complete. Throughout, my rating would have been different depending on where I was in the book's progress, mostly it went downhill. And here I am at the end, and it was just ok.. Lucy Harper is a best selling crime story author and we see this story unfold from her point of view. Her childhood was marred by her younger brother going missing. She has an imaginary friend/alter ego, who is the very popular star of her b...

4+ Lucy Harper is a very successful author of a crime series featuring DS Eliza Grey. She is married to Daniel who has aspirations of literary success but has not succeeded so he manages aspects of Lucy’s life. Daniel is jealous of her success which manifests itself in various ways and then one night after a disagreement Daniel disappears. Lucy has a past she has kept hidden. When she was nine her younger brother Teddy, aged three also disappears at solstice celebrations in Stoke Woods near her

I did enjoy this New York Times Best Thriller of 2020, “To Tell You The Truth”. What intrigued me was that our protagonist, Lucy, is definitely an unreliable narrator, but is she certifiably insane? Is she just your basic crazy, or is she a person who could benefit from some anti-psychotic meds?When Lucy was nine years old, her brother disappeared. Lucy’s young curiosity was piqued when an anticipated summer solstice celebration enraged the neighbors, including her parents, who bordered the wood...

Yesss! I love this author’s works and I devoured it at one sit. It’s so much better than her latest work “Nanny” which I also enjoyed it. Here are the tempting, captivating ingredients of this freshly produced from writer’s creative and disturbing mind : Unreliable, blurry minded heroine is our narrator: a bestseller author Lucy Harper who keeps her past connected to the disappearance of 3 years old brother Teddy as secret, using her imaginary friend as a tool: main detective character Eliza Gre...

A twisty thriller with a disappointing endingLucy Harper is a famous writer, known for her crime fiction stories featuring her beloved character, Eliza. Her work has made her wealthy, something that particularly pleases her husband, Dan, a once aspiring writer who now "manages" Lucy's career and money. Lucy and Dan's life and marriage look perfect from the outside, but they are anything but. Then Dan suddenly goes missing. His disappearance reminds Lucy of another time someone vanished from her

Publication: September 22nd 2020Lucy Harper is a famous writer whose best selling series of books feature DS Eliza Grey. Lucy knows Eliza well because she has been Lucy's imaginary companion as long as Lucy can remember. When Lucy was nine years old, she took her three year old brother, Teddy, out at night to watch a pagan summer solstice bonfire and only Lucy (and Eliza) made it home. Teddy was never seen again and Lucy's memory of that night and her behavior is suspect. Now Lucy lives under a

If you are a frequent reader of psychological thrillers, no doubt you are familiar with unreliable narrators. This book managed to take it to a whole nother level. With everything going on in the main character's head, it felt like the author could go in many directions and therefore I just sat back and enjoyed watching it all unfold.Lucy Harper is the author of the best selling mystery series featuring DS Eliza Grey. Lucy's husband goes missing and that stirs up memories of when she was a child...

In general, I thought the mystery of what happened to famous author Lucy's husband Dan to be intriguing and I liked the ultimate resolution even though it was a rather quick wrap-up. It wasn't a conclusion that I would have guessed, so I appreciated the surprise.The things I didn't like:(view spoiler)[I totally hated that we never found out what happened to Teddy. That was one of the driving mysteries of the book and that ending made me frustrated. I also just did not get the whole Eliza thing.

2.5 starsIn comparisons to August (during which time I surprised myself by reading a record 7 books in a month!), September is shaping up to be a slower reading month for me. The past 2 weeks were unexpectedly busy and I had a few things going on that occupied my time. I’m back into my regular reading schedule now though and have a few books lined up already so hopefully nothing else comes up between now and end of the month so I can use this last week and a half to “make up for lost time” where...

4 Twisty Author StarsThis one was a terrific spin down the rabbit hole! We have best-selling crime author Lucy Harper at the heart of this one. She’s created a great fictional detective – Eliza Grey– and her fans can’t wait to read more about the crimes she’s solving. Lucy’s husband, Dan, is a frustrated writer and is starting to drive Lucy crazy.Lucy has some secrets in her past that she’d like to keep there, but the truth is just dying to get out. This one features the fun element of a “book w...

EXCERPT: 'Your work is compromised because it's commercial. You gave up any integrity your writing might have had when you decided to write for this market. It's so disappointing. And don't even get me started on Detective Sergeant Eliza Grey. She's a cliche if I ever met one.''Are you finished?' I asked. 'Do you not see it? How can you not see it? Don't you ever despair that you've sold out? Or perhaps you can't see it. I wonder about that sometimes.'I stared at him, hoping there was a way thos...

3.5 stars. Pure entertainment!Lucy Harper is the author of a best selling crime fiction series staring Detective Eliza Grey. Eliza’s character has created a huge fan base and Lucy often has trouble separating her real life from the one she creates in her books. Lucy has a dark secret from her past that she has only begun to disclose to her husband Dan. Dan is an aspiring author who assists Lucy but also aims to gain stardom in the writing industry. After an argument one night, Dan goes missing a...

I do love a Gilly MacMillan book, she always delivers the goods! To Tell You The Truth was a fantastic read, full of twists and unlikeable characters that the ending was not at all predictable. I read this over 2 nights, completely lost in the story.Lucy Harper was 9 years old when her 3 year old brother went missing in the woods near her home. He has never been found and it has left her traumatised. She is now a successful crime writer and her books sell millions. Her husband goes behind her ba...

Another fantastic Sweetreads Box pick! I absolutely loved this book! Gilly Macmillan does it again. So twisty! The dual timelines between the past and present were brilliant. The characters were fantastic ... some you love to hate, others you'll find yourself rooting for! A unique storyline that will keep you guessing and an ending that will leave your mouth hanging open. All the stars!

To tell you the truth, I really enjoyed this book. Bestselling Author, Lucy Harper has written a successful series featuring Detective Eliza Grey. Fans adore this series and can't wait for the next book. Her husband, Dan, a man who hoped to be a writer himself, has bought them a new home and enjoys spending the money Lucy makes. But when Lucy writes a book that her publishers are less than impressed with, she is feeling down, she and Dan argue then one evening, Dan goes missing.With Dan missing,...

To Tell You the Truth is like a House of Mirrors......Let me explain.Gilly Macmillan has placed her main character, Lucy, on a footstool before us. We lean in and try to make sense of Lucy Harper's persona. From all indications the woman before us wears a shy smile and shifts awkwardly on that stool. From all of her unsure movements, we know that Lucy has something simmering and festering inside of her. And as those dripping drops begin to stain the surface, we realize there's quite the story he...

Meh. Plus, the ending is a doozy of a flat mess.