The Lies We Hide – S.E. Lynes, Bookouture, 2019
Is there anything this woman can’t do?
A big change of direction for SE Lynes, moving from psychological thrillers and unreliable narrators to a powerful and unflinchingly honest drama following the history of one family from the 60s to the present day.
Although the sequence isn’t strictly chronological, the structure works brilliantly: more than a series of vignettes, this is a skilfully executed portrait of the effect trauma and abuse can have over decades. The compelling characters at centre stage – Carol, Nicola, Graham and the wonderful Richard – are supported by a thoroughly realistic background cast, and the lives each of them lives outside the pages of the book only serve to imprint what we do know of them all the more strongly in the memory.
A powerful, emotional, beautifully-written story – just as we have come to expect from this uber-talented author.