If You Tell a Lie: A Thriller

3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars | 6,738 ratings

Price: 4.99

Last update: 09-08-2024


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.


From the Publisher

SOMEONE KNOWS WHAT THEY DID THAT SUMMER...

Top reviews from the United States

JessicaP
4.0 out of 5 stars Good twist, bad ending
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024
I was on the fence about this book in the beginning. I couldn’t keep up with the 4 girls and their perspectives AND the time frames. But as I got to know their personalities better, I was able to keep it together.

You’re going back and forth between past and present and each girls memories and their lives today. Some spots were a bit harsh to read (TW: murder, SA talk), but it all comes together in the end. Just when I thought I had figured it out I was wrong. I loved the twist.

The ending was a bit bland. I would have liked an update from someone else’s perspective. I won’t say names for spoiler reasons, but it would have been nice. I don’t feel like it should have ended where it did.

With all that said, I enjoy Lucinda Berrys books!
Erika
3.0 out of 5 stars The Worst Kind of Women
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2024
This was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed getting the story through the duel timelines. It was interesting to see what kind of people they became. I really liked Grace. She was smart and spunky. The other women were very annoying. The whole crew had a lot of issues. At times, it seemed like the storyline got off track. It all came together in the end. The plot twist gave major soap opera vibes, but it was entertaining. I would’ve liked a few more paragraphs to see how the other women reacted to the big reveal.
Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Star Thriller
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2024
????????liar, liar, truths on fire????????
If You Tell A Lie
By: Lucinda Berry
Genre: Thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

????Lucinda did NOT disappoint with her new book, yall! Ive been super busy in clinic with back to school so Ive procrastinated on this review, but you should NOT! RUN and get this one if you love her past books or if you love a good thriller filled with secrets, manipulation, and murder! This is fast-paced story following a group of girls who reunite 20 years after a note surfaces that ultimately reconnects them after being sworn to secrecy following a murder back when they were teenagers and best friends for life. I cant say anything else! Just make sure you read this one before the summer is up!

????️ twists you wont see coming
???? best friends for life ( or not? )
???? MC4R gene mutation rep
???? triggers: binge eating, OCD, child abuse, affairs

QUOTABLES:
“Blakely had just given us another secret to eat. But guess what? I was full.”
“Sometimes there were wounds you just couldn’t heal from, even after they became scars.”
“Social contagion is a real thing. Or maybe I’m just grasping at straws because I so desperately want an explanation for our incomprehensible behavior.”

@schmorireads
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Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Star Thriller
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2024
????????liar, liar, truths on fire????????
If You Tell A Lie
By: Lucinda Berry
Genre: Thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

????Lucinda did NOT disappoint with her new book, yall! Ive been super busy in clinic with back to school so Ive procrastinated on this review, but you should NOT! RUN and get this one if you love her past books or if you love a good thriller filled with secrets, manipulation, and murder! This is fast-paced story following a group of girls who reunite 20 years after a note surfaces that ultimately reconnects them after being sworn to secrecy following a murder back when they were teenagers and best friends for life. I cant say anything else! Just make sure you read this one before the summer is up!

????️ twists you wont see coming
???? best friends for life ( or not? )
???? MC4R gene mutation rep
???? triggers: binge eating, OCD, child abuse, affairs

QUOTABLES:
“Blakely had just given us another secret to eat. But guess what? I was full.”
“Sometimes there were wounds you just couldn’t heal from, even after they became scars.”
“Social contagion is a real thing. Or maybe I’m just grasping at straws because I so desperately want an explanation for our incomprehensible behavior.”

@schmorireads
Images in this review
Customer image
Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
I liked a few other books by this author this is number 4 of her books I read and i just started it so far its pretty good except the font size is probably one of the smallest font i have ever seen it makes my head hurt to read to long…
Kelsey S
3.0 out of 5 stars Ugh
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024
If You Tell a Lie
Firstly. Why? Why do I do this to myself? I know how I feel about every Lucinda Brrry book I've read. But I keep going back for more. ????
I loved the book. Just like every other book I've read of hers. The twist I was NOT expecting. I knew that a specific person was bad news, but I didn't realize the extent of how bad they were until the end. I love the duel time line. I love the craziness. I loved every single minute of this book.
Until...the end. I HATE the ending of every Lucinda Berry's books. This one was no exception. It just ends. You don't get answers. It's open ended. You don't find out what happens after the bomb is dropped. I hate that. I want to know. I need every detail and I hate that you're left hanging. Maybe some people like to make up the ending in their head, but I don't. I need definitive answers.
I always go to read her books because I know I enjoy them, but I always forget that I HATE how they end. Ugh.
Rant over.
Marilynn Mollica
5.0 out of 5 stars It will keep surprising you!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024
Every time I thought I knew what was coming next, I was wrong. Told from the perspectives of 4 friends who met at summer camp and vowed life long loyalty to each other, the story time hops between past and present. Each character's voice is distinctive and each will draw you into their histories. The plot moves quickly with more twists than I expected. My only issue is that I feel the ending demands a follow up book. My last thought was "No, there has to be more than this."
Samantha
4.0 out of 5 stars Full of plot twists to keep you guessing!!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2024
This was the first book of hers I've ever read and I really enjoyed it! the only negative thing I have to say is at first I thought the whole " I know what you did last summer was kinda cheesy but it ended up being not a whole lot like that movie???? also I was a little disappointed in the ending....not going to give any spoiler but surely not what I thought the ending was going to be. So those two things are the only reason it got four stars.I'm still going to be recommending this book!
David
2.0 out of 5 stars One Dimension Characters with Choppy Narrative
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2024
The story never really flowed - going back Then and Now for 5 characters was disjointed. We never learn anything beyond surface descriptions of the character. Not a thriller. No one was likable. This was not a well written book. It didn’t provide any entertainment value. Not recommended for those liking clever twists and turns or surprise endings - this book is void of those elements.

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