Good day folks to my blog on the day of my The Lies We Tell by Niki Mackay review. Thanks to Tracy and Orion Publishing for having me on-board the tour, as well as a copy of the book to read in preparation. The Lies We Tell was made available in paperback from the 27th of June and it looks glorious! You can grab yourself a copy here!
Niki Mackay studied Performing Arts at the BRIT School, and it turned out she wasn’t very good at acting but quite liked writing scripts. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama, and won a full scholarship for her MA in Journalism.
‘Miriam Jackson is a famous radio presenter. Married to a successful film director, she has created the perfect life for herself.
Then her daughter goes missing.
Miriam is desperate to find her before her husband finds out and her perfect life crumbles around her. So she calls the only person who can help: Private Investigator Madison Attallee, who has just solved the biggest case of her career.
Can Madison find Miriam’s daughter? And will Miriam share the truth about her past?’
From page one, the delightfully dark prologue sucks me in head first, leaving me with a twisted taste and wanting more. The duality of the narrative provided psychological kicks that left me jaw slacked wanting to find out what the fudge just happened!
The narratives include those of Miriam Jackson, a woman married to a rich dotting husband, with a teenage daughter whom she loves but the rush of passion has crumbled from where it once was. We are swirled into Miriam’s childhood difficulties, including making friends. I couldn’t help but feel a heightened level of sympathy for Miriam, how her mother made her feel like a second citizen stranger during her upbringing. You can see how she loves her daughter and how she tries her best, although at times it’s nit quite enough. I thought a huge part of this was a possible presence of depression, while entailing with her personal fear of abandonment.
The second main narrative throughout the storyline is that of Madison Attallee, an alcoholic dependant (at times) private investigator who is drawn into Miriam’s like when a whirlwind of a disappearance happens. The female protagonists both compliment one another personalities, which work well together as the dialogue begins to bounce between them like a twisted game of badminton.
Niki Mackay has managed to inject several themes into the plotline, including strained maternal connections and motherhood difficulties. One which feels more pronounced is of course the lies we tell ourselves, whether that’s justifying an action, covering up the truth or lessening the feeling of guilt. We all do it, which makes The Lies We Tell at times plausible, allowing the reader to connect further with some of the characters portrayed, mainly Miriam. Is everything always as it seems??
I loved this thriller, the way the narratives and timelines were entwined in a captivating bow was both unexpected and glorious, providing revelations and betrayals at almost every turn! I loved the development of flawed motherhood, as well as the character driven storyline with a masterful deviance thrown in for extra measure!
A warning; your heart is going to do some racing as the darkness begins to resurface and this domestic thriller quite frankly blows your mind. Enjoy Niki’s literary gift but make sure you have snacks for shock throughout!
If you love nail-bitting domestic thrillers, this book is the one for you! Enjoy and if you’ve already read it, feel free to share your bookish thoughts with me!
Happy reading!
The Reading Closet 