Review: Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks

This is the first book I’ve read by Parks in 20 years, and she has definitely matured as an author in that time. I enjoyed the combination of a domestic thriller with an intriguing bit of mystery.

Lies Lies Lies is an August 2020 release from MIRA Books

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.

About the Book:

LIES LIES LIES centers on the story of Simon and Daisy Barnes. To the outside world, Simon and Daisy look like they have a perfect life. They have jobs they love, an angelic, talented daughter, a tight group of friends… and they have secrets too. Secrets that will find their way to the light, one way or the other.

Daisy and Simon spent almost a decade hoping for the child that fate cruelly seemed to keep from them. It wasn’t until, with their marriage nearly in shambles and Daisy driven to desperation, little Millie was born. Perfect in every way, healing the Barnes family into a happy unit of three. Ever indulgent Simon hopes for one more miracle, one more baby. But his doctor’s visit shatters the illusion of the family he holds so dear.

Now, Simon has turned to the bottle to deal with his revelation and Daisy is trying to keep both of their secrets from spilling outside of their home. But Daisy’s silence and Simon’s habit begin to build until they set off a catastrophic chain of events that will destroy life as they know it.

My Thoughts:

I gave this book 3.5/5 stars (good!)

This is a great example of a domestic thriller. There isn’t a mystery to solve here, but it’s solidly written domestic drama.

I really felt for Daisy and her exasperation with Simon’s alcoholism. I appreciated the author’s accurate portrayal of his downward spiral and how Daisy and all of their friends both contributed to it, covered it up, and tried to stop it to no avail. Having experienced this myself, I could definitely relate to their co-dependent actions, but also their utter defeat in trying to convince Simon that he needed help.

The suspicion surrounding their daughter’s parentage is the driving factor of the book, and that part was the biggest surprise when all was said and done at the end. I liked their friend group and their interplay in the story. I didn’t like the animal abuse and thought it could have been a completely effective story portraying the bad guy without it. Graded the book down for that. This is a very fast-paced book, I read it in less than a day.