Description

Book Synopsis

''TENSE AND SHOCKING'' Renee Knight

''A PAGE-TURNER OF A THRILLER'' Saskia Sarginson

''GRIPPING, TENSE AND MOVING'' Claire McGowan

''I WAS ABSOLUTELY GRIPPED'' Karen Dionne
________

Clare and Lorraine have been friends since college and trust each other with their lives. So when Lorraine, a single mother, needs a much-needed night away without her children, she calls on Clare and her husband Sam to look after them. They''re godparents - what could go wrong?

While Clare and Sam believe the children to be asleep, the unimaginable happens and Clare finds baby Theo lifeless in his room. The police are called. Statements are taken. But the biggest nightmare for any parent is about to spiral out of control.

Because a lie has been told. An enormous and terrible one.

Out of Clare, Sam and Lorraine, one of them isn''t telling the truth . . .
________

A thrilling, emotional pag

Trade Review
Gripping, tense and moving -- Claire McGowan
A tense and shocking thriller that has the added treat of Lisa Ballantyne's deft prose. I loved it -- Renee Knight
A powerful, rich read: it's a page-turner of a thriller, raising urgent moral questions, and yet at the same time, at its heart it's a tender, emotional exploration of friendship and love. I couldn't put this beautifully crafted, beautifully written book down; and the complex, flawed characters stayed with me for a long time. I loved it. -- Saskia Sarginson
As compelling as it is heart-breaking, a beautifully crafted story of unspeakable tragedy that tests the characters' relationships to their limits. I was absolutely gripped from the first page to the last. Highly recommended! -- Karen Dionne
Thrilling . . . so tense * Crime Monthly *
Praise for Lisa Ballantyne:
Thought-provoking * Woman & Home *
A gripping and emotionally charged story. Just brilliant -- Clare Mackintosh
Moving, insightful * Guardian *
Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling
This tense psychological thriller focuses relentlessly on the way its characters cope as stress piles up and the mess deepens * Sunday Times *
A tense and moving story that I will remember for a long time
Thought-provoking and clever
Grips like a vice * Daily Mail *
Thought-provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read
Dark, intelligent, suspenseful

One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year


I couldn't get this book out of my head. It kept me up all night and guessing the whole way through. I loved it
A page-turner with real emotional depth * Daily Express *
A compelling and emotional read with convincing characters that stayed in my head. Lisa Ballantyne deals with a difficult and controversial subject in a sensitive and thoughtful way
Tense, unsettling * Morning Star *

Once Upon a Lie From the Richard Judy Book Club

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    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Tue 7 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Lisa Ballantyne

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      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Once Upon a Lie From the Richard Judy Book Club by Lisa Ballantyne

      Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
      Publication Date: 29/04/2021
      ISBN13: 9780349419954, 978-0349419954
      ISBN10: 0349419957

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      ''TENSE AND SHOCKING'' Renee Knight

      ''A PAGE-TURNER OF A THRILLER'' Saskia Sarginson

      ''GRIPPING, TENSE AND MOVING'' Claire McGowan

      ''I WAS ABSOLUTELY GRIPPED'' Karen Dionne
      ________

      Clare and Lorraine have been friends since college and trust each other with their lives. So when Lorraine, a single mother, needs a much-needed night away without her children, she calls on Clare and her husband Sam to look after them. They''re godparents - what could go wrong?

      While Clare and Sam believe the children to be asleep, the unimaginable happens and Clare finds baby Theo lifeless in his room. The police are called. Statements are taken. But the biggest nightmare for any parent is about to spiral out of control.

      Because a lie has been told. An enormous and terrible one.

      Out of Clare, Sam and Lorraine, one of them isn''t telling the truth . . .
      ________

      A thrilling, emotional pag

      Trade Review
      Gripping, tense and moving -- Claire McGowan
      A tense and shocking thriller that has the added treat of Lisa Ballantyne's deft prose. I loved it -- Renee Knight
      A powerful, rich read: it's a page-turner of a thriller, raising urgent moral questions, and yet at the same time, at its heart it's a tender, emotional exploration of friendship and love. I couldn't put this beautifully crafted, beautifully written book down; and the complex, flawed characters stayed with me for a long time. I loved it. -- Saskia Sarginson
      As compelling as it is heart-breaking, a beautifully crafted story of unspeakable tragedy that tests the characters' relationships to their limits. I was absolutely gripped from the first page to the last. Highly recommended! -- Karen Dionne
      Thrilling . . . so tense * Crime Monthly *
      Praise for Lisa Ballantyne:
      Thought-provoking * Woman & Home *
      A gripping and emotionally charged story. Just brilliant -- Clare Mackintosh
      Moving, insightful * Guardian *
      Sophisticated, suspenseful, unsettling
      This tense psychological thriller focuses relentlessly on the way its characters cope as stress piles up and the mess deepens * Sunday Times *
      A tense and moving story that I will remember for a long time
      Thought-provoking and clever
      Grips like a vice * Daily Mail *
      Thought-provoking, brave and challenging, this book is an unsettling and compulsive read
      Dark, intelligent, suspenseful

      One of the most readable, emotionally intense novels of the year


      I couldn't get this book out of my head. It kept me up all night and guessing the whole way through. I loved it
      A page-turner with real emotional depth * Daily Express *
      A compelling and emotional read with convincing characters that stayed in my head. Lisa Ballantyne deals with a difficult and controversial subject in a sensitive and thoughtful way
      Tense, unsettling * Morning Star *

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