The Lie by C.L. Taylor: She trusted her friends with her life…

Four friends go on a vacation.

Only two return.

What happened?

And why?

The Lie by C.L. Taylor

Jane Hughes is the main character of The Lie, but her real name is Emma. She started a new life after that unfortunate holiday with her friends. Emma has a boyfriend and a nice job at an animal shelter. She’s doing well and happy. But then a letter arrives:

‘I know your name isn’t really Jane Hughes.’

Oops!

Two storylines

The Lie consists of two storylines:

1. Jane worrying and thinking about who could have sent that letter.
2. Jane, Daisy, Leanne and Al going on vacation. Part of their trip includes a stay at a spiritual retreat, but something strange is happening there.

How C.L. Taylor tells the story

C.L. Taylor alternates chapters set in the present with chapters that take place five years earlier. I found the story set in the past much more exciting than the one in the present. I was really frustrated every time a chapter ended and I had to return to the present, especially because C.L. Taylor includes thrilling cliffhangers at the end of each chapter! I didn’t want to read anything else first; I just wanted to know what happened next in the story from five years ago.

The inspiration for the book

In this video, C.L. Taylor talks about her second psychological thriller, The Lie, and what inspired her to write it. She explains that her inspiration came from her fascination with female friendships in one’s mid-20s—friendships that can be supportive and loyal, but also hide unspoken rifts, bitterness, envy, and competitiveness. She wanted to explore what would happen if four women with hidden issues and secrets faced a dangerous situation: would they pull together or turn on each other? She concludes by saying that writing The Lie was dark but fun, and teases a future blog post about her own enjoyable trip to Nepal with friends.

My final thoughts about The Lie

I thought The Lie was well-written and, above all, suspenseful—especially the story set five years earlier. I rate it 8.5 out of 10, but on GoodReads it has a 3.77 rating.

You can find this book at your local bookstore and on Amazon.

You may also like So Thrilled For You which is also about female friendships.