If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry @lucindaberryauthor @baileycarrvoice @snemethparker @snemethparker.bsky.social @ohsusannahjones @janesome @carlyrobinsnarrator @brilliancepublishing #IfYouTellALie

the setup…
Almost thirty years ago Blakely Garner, Thera Grey, Grace Howard, and Meg Watson were the best of friends during their summers at Camp Pendleton, a sanctuary for gifted children. They formed a bond when they first arrived at age eight and it’s their senior and last year. But this time something is different. Blakely, the group’s ringleader, perpetrated a lie that left a man dead and his family destroyed…and all of them went along with it. They returned home and never spoke with each other again, until now, twenty-six years later. All received a sinister note that has them assembling at Blakely’s home with her again asking for their help.

the heart of the story…
I enjoy dual timelines and this one is extraordinary as it not only makes those transitions between “then and now” but to the four points of view of the members of the group. All have distinctive personalities and backstories with Blakely being the most overt but also the most opaque. The details of what happened are revealed very slowly and I have to admit that approach kept me restless but hooked. By the time I got the complete picture, I’d also formed a strong opinion about what may come next.

the narration…
Thank goodness for the multiple narrators as with all those time and character transitions, it could get confusing, though two of them sounded similar. But all gave strong performances and were excellent storytellers. They were seamless in delivery.

the bottom line…
It’s an excellent illustration of group dynamics combined with peer pressure where, on their own, the girls would probably have made different choices. The group as adults had a very different dynamic and I was fascinated by the changes. Many readers were turned off by the ending but by the time I got there, I couldn’t see it being anything else. Saw it coming and it fit. Even if it’s not tied into a neat bow by the author, it was in my imagination. Explore for yourself.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 23, 2024
• Narrators: Bailey Carr, Stephanie Németh-Parker, Susannah Jones, Jane Oppenheimer & Carly Robins
• Audio Length: 8 hours, 31 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)