The Lies They Tell

By Gillian French

THE FIRE TOOK EVERYTHING. EXCEPT THE TRUTH.

Everyone in Tenney's Harbor knows about the Garrison tragedy. An unexplained fire. A family of five reduced to one. And no leads on who did it. Of course, all fingers point at Pearl Haskins's father, the caretaker of the property, but she just can't believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame 'the help'.

Then Pearl meets Tristan, the last surviving Garrison, and his group of affluent and arrogant friends. Though she's repulsed by most of them, Tristan's quiet sadness and sombre demeanour intrigue her. Befriending the boys could mean getting closer to the truth, clearing her father's name, and giving Tristan the closure he seems to be searching for. But it could also trap Pearl in a sinister web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that would leave no life unchanged ... if it doesn't take hers first.

From the author of the acclaimed debut novel Grit comes a dark and twisted mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very final page.

PRAISE

'An eerie, well-drawn mystery.' -- Kirkus Reviews

'Gorgeously written, chilling, and twisty, The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the very end. Small-town mystery at its best.' -- Carlie Sorosiak, author of If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder

'This was a little bit Gatsby, a little bit The Girl on the Train, and I loved every minute of it.' -- Jessie Ann Foley, author of Neighborhood Girls and Michael L. Printz Honor Book The Carnival at Bray

'A strong heroine, a satisfying conclusion-this is one of the best YA novels I've read all year.' -- Paula Stokes, author of Liars, Inc.

'Privileged summer families, murder, intoxicating boys, and a fierce heroine converge in this novel perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us Is Lying.' -- Shannon M. Parker, author of The Girl Who Fell and Rattled Bones

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: May 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781460709955

Gillian French

Gillian French is the author of The Lies They Tell, The Missing Season, and Edgar Award finalist Grit, which was an Indie Next List pick and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and ALA Booklist. She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine and lives in Maine with her husband and sons. www.gillianfrench.com.

Reviews for The Lies They Tell

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This twisty mystery takes place in a town in Maine where the townies and tourists are sharply divided groups. Everyone knows about the Garrison tragedy where the father, mother, sister and younger brother of Tristan Garrison on Christmas Eve. The house was set on fire to conceal the fact that they were all shot to death. Tristan is the only survivor because he was away skiing with friends. Pearl's father was the night watchman and lost his job and most of his other rich customers as a result of the tragedy.When summer comes again and with it Tristan and his rich friends, Pearl who works as a waitress at the country club decides to see if she can find out what led to the tragedy. She wants to clear her father's name. Catching the attention of one of Tristan's devoted followers, she insinuates herself into the group of rich kids and discovers all sorts of secrets about their lives.She even becomes fascinated with Tristan who is having difficulty rebuilding his life though he hasn't lost his grip on his social set. Her investigation is also jeopardizing her relationship with her best friend Reese. Although their relationship is already changing as Pearl realizes that she wants him as a boyfriend at the same time that he is building a relationship with another girl.I liked the family dynamics in this story as Pearl tries to cope with a father who is turning more and more to alcohol and a mother who left the family but still wants a relationship with Pearl. The mystery was intriguing too.

[beamis12 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tenney's Harbor, Maine a place with a large influx of the summer families, those westhy families who live in the big houses. Pearl, seventeen, lives here with her dad who is a caretaker for those big estates. Pearl herself works at the country club serving the wealthy. Then something happens, one of the family's estate starts on fire, a fire that will cause the death of four members of the family, except for the teensge son Tristan who was away at the time. Pearls life changes as her Dad is unofficially blamed for the fire, or at least not stopping whoever set it. It will cost him many of his caretaking jobs as many cancel his services.Pearl decides to investigate by becoming friends with the son and his friends. I enjoyed Pearls loyalty to her father, loved how she wanted to find her own snswers. Of course she finds things that spurs her on, and this turns into a nice little mystery. Written for the YA audience, no blood no gore, I appreciated this straightforward mystery, something little found in adult thrillers nowadays. Took me back to my Nancy Drew past. The ending a little predictable, but did enjoy the journey to get there.ARC from Edelweiss.

[purple_pisces22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first book by Gillian French and I really enjoyed it. The story wasn’t exactly original, but I was deeply involved in helping the main character figure “out who did it”. Some of her choices aren’t the best, but this is an 18-year-old character. Looking forward to reading more by this author.