If You Tell a Lie: A Thriller

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 14,076 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 02-02-2025


About this item

An instant USA Today bestseller.

Bestselling author Lucinda Berry serves up a haunting thriller about four friends sworn to secrecy over the events of one fateful summer—and the dark truths that threaten to erupt years later.

They never considered how his wife might react, or that by the end of the summer a man would be dead. But Blakely always got her way, and the others followed her lead—even when they knew it was dead wrong.

The girls had been friends from day one at Camp Pendleton, a haven for gifted children. But their senior summer was different. When Mr. Crosby, the handsome tennis coach, wound up murdered after a reckless lie, Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera swore themselves to secrecy. And never spoke to each other again.

Until now. Twenty years later a sinister note claiming to know what they did brings them back together. And once again Blakely is pulling the strings.

Unfolding in a dual timeline, If You Tell a Lie is a disturbing journey into the dangerous, sometimes deadly consequences of peer pressure—with a bone-chilling twist you’ll never see coming.


Top reviews from the United States

  • nevada
    4.0 out of 5 stars good story line!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
    Book is about a group of four girls from camp who share one deep dark secret who . It was a good book however the ending it just abruptly ended. I gave it a four star only because of the way the book completely ended just out of nowhere.
  • RedRedtheycallmeRed
    3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but insane
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2024
    This is a multiple POV story that takes place in flashbacks when the four women are teens, and present day when they are in their early 40's. This book is quite entertaining but unhinged. There are multiple twists and turns that made for a wild ride. All four of the women were sympathetic at times, but they could also be very unlikable.

    The ending made me deduct a star, it felt unfinished to me. There was an info dump from a character that was mostly relegated to the "before" chapters, but I wanted to know what happened to the other three! It felt like it just abruptly stopped.
  • Heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2024
    The queen of twists and dark thrillers delivers again with If You Tell A Lie. There's literally twists upon twists upon twists that had me going - What?!?!?!?? Wtf?!?!?! What?!?!? Wtf?!?!

    I had the best time getting to meet Lucinda in the cities at Once Upon A Crime to celebrate the launch of this story. Thank you for getting me back into reading! I honestly hadn't really read since I was a kid until I picked up Phantom Limb one day and had to immediately devour the rest of her existing books.

    This story follows multiple timelines, both past and present of several women, their childhoods together at Summer camp, and the fallout of the terrible events of that last Summer.

    Blakely, Grace, Meg and Thera swore themselves to secrecy after that Summer that ended with the murder of their handsome tennis coach who Blakely had a major crush on. She was the queen of peer pressure and always seemed to have her way. When the lies started piling up, she was who the girls would turn to and rely on. It's been twenty years of no contact and suddenly all the women have received threatening letters prompting them to get together again to figure out what's going on. The truth is going to be stranger than any of them could have imagined.

    I ate this book up and was immediately hooked and had to know how it ended. Lucinda does such a good job at that. The stories are always believable and unbelievable at the same time, leaving you with whiplash by the end.

    The audio is phenomenal!

    This is a heavy book so please check your tw's!
  • Crystal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2025
    I found this book to be a gripping and suspenseful read, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters were well-crafted and the storyline was engaging. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
    Customer image
    Crystal
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Great read!!!!

    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2025
    I found this book to be a gripping and suspenseful read, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters were well-crafted and the storyline was engaging. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
    Images in this review
  • A. Thomson
    3.0 out of 5 stars What ?! Book 2 plz
    Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
    I would have given 4 stars if the ending was an actual ending. I am use to L Berry leaving a few unanswered questions in the end but this book unanswered questions and loose ends could create a 2nd book and I hope that was the point if not my rating will be lowered more lol & I hate when the villain gets to ride off into the sunset & there is at least 1 or 2 characters in this book I don't see making it that easy for the villain & if that is the case that there is not a book 2 then there were some parts of the story that were unnecessary & too much back flashing and back story not needed as well The story is good enough to keep u reading but the ending is disappointing to say the least
  • Rebell Wade
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good slow burn.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    The story was a little slow to get started and act 1 was pretty predictable, but the mystery, drama and intrigue ramped up quite nicely by middle of the story and continued to the end. It was a nice fast read.
  • Angela bowman
    5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't see it coming
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025
    This was an amazing story of friendship and betrayal. Where innocence is lost to a sociopath. One of four friends plots to take down her best friends decades after they do the unspeakable their last year of summer camp as teenagers. The plot twist at the end leaves you reeling and wanting vengeance for all that are wronged in the end. Who says that the bad guys never win. What a great read! I highly recommend this if you are looking for a thriller that will leave you guessingbuntil.the very end.
  • GGmom
    3.0 out of 5 stars Master of puppets
    Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025
    I had higher hopes for this book. But alas it let me down. It starts out so good. Four girls were involved with something terrible at Camp Pendleton the summer before their senior year of high school. They promise to never speak of what they knew about what happened and consequently never reach out or speak to one another again. However, 26 years later they all receive a mysterious letter stating that someone knows what they did and promises to make them pay. The story then flips between past & present with 5 different POV’s so it was a lot to remember who was whom. I constantly got two of the characters mixed up. Not to mention the book it truly about misfits and “normalizing” it. Some of the book left me queasy. I’d recommend it but be prepared for some drawn out character information and boring details.

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