the-truth-about-her-5Synopsis: “When Callie rents a beach cottage in Whitstable, she doesn’t expect for its owner to be glamorous influencer Vanessa Lowe. Vanessa has it all. A beautiful home, a loyal husband, three perfect children, and a growing number of adoring online fans. Callie has long admired her world from afar. But when Vanessa invites her in, the closer Callie looks, the more she suspects that there’s more to Vanessa than meets the eye. So when Vanessa’s son disappears, Callie must question everything she knows. Is Vanessa a mother in despair? Or is she a woman who’ll do whatever it takes to cover up the cracks…“

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My Review

I do love a thriller set around social media, particular the world of influencers on Instagram, and this book hooked me from the beginning.

The story is told from Callie’s point of view in the present day and from Rachel’s in the recent past. Callie’s story is told chronologically, but Rachel’s is told backwards which makes the mystery  all the more gripping. 

I liked both Callie and Rachel and didn’t really understand why they became sucked into Vanessa’s world. The thought of being ‘new friends’ with an Instagram Influencer is not appealing to me at all, it just feels like a lot of hard work to be honest. I’m all for a quiet life! 😂

I did not like Vanessa at all, and couldn’t really understand why both women liked her, although they were both new to the area and had no other friends. As time went on Rachel started to feel uncomfortable around her, and as her story comes closer to Callie’s everything becomes much clearer and more gripping.

It was so tense at times that I had to put my copy down so I could catch my breath. I didn’t know what would happen next and dreaded to think what was coming. 

When the last few chapters revealed what was going on, it was heart-breaking and so plausible, including the  twist at the end.

I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary thrillers set around social media.

Thanks so much to Jen Breslin at Penguin Michael Joseph for my paperback proof.