The Lies Between Us

A Novel

Jen Bray

The feuding Brown sisters are haunted by secrets. Just before a dinner at their mother’s idyllic holiday cottage, Susannah Brown disappears, in this gripping psychological thriller by a dazzling new talent.

The Brown sisters: Lucy, Susannah, Tara. Each is haunted—by disgrace (Lucy), vanity (Susannah), and envy (Tara). Most of all they are haunted by secrets.

Just before a dinner at their mother’s idyllic holiday cottage, Susannah disappears. That same night a young woman is killed violently on a nearby beach.

Amid the confusion the next morning, Lucy discovers a link between Susannah and the murder victim. Lucy must summon all she knows from her short-lived policing career to figure out the connection and find her sister.

But tracking down Susannah means Lucy confronting her own shame. It also means resurrecting ghosts that Susannah, Tara, and their mother desperately want to keep buried.

Even if Lucy finds Susannah, will the truth destroy them all?

Jen Bray is political editor at The Sunday Times in Dublin. Her eighteen-year journalism career includes work with the Irish Times, The Times (Dublin), the Sunday Tribune, and the Irish Daily Mail. The Lies Between Us is her first novel. Jen lives in Dublin.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Early praise for The Lies Between Us:

“So vivid and atmospheric. The sisters were brilliantly written. I will be recommending it to everyone!” Sarah Easter Collins, author of Things Don't Break on Their Own

“A wonderfully woven mystery.” Amy Jordan, author of The Dark Hours

“By turns gripping, pacy and emotionally satisfying—blistering.” - Claire Coughlan, author of Where They Lie and Among the Ruins

“An accomplished debut and a gripping thriller that readers will thoroughly enjoy right to the last page.” Rosemary Hennigan, author of The Favorites

“A tense and twisty exploration of family secrets and the devastation they cause.” - Sheila O'Flanagan, author of The Woman on the Bridge

“Outstanding. An accomplished, clever thriller. The three sisters steal the show with their warring loyalties.” Jane Casey, author of The Outsider and The Secret Room

“A natural storyteller. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. A brilliant story about the cost of family secrets, the powerful bonds of family and sisterhood and how far we will go to protect the ones we love.” - Edel Coffey, author of In Her Place

“A tightly woven, twisty tale. I really enjoyed the secrets and lies, and the layers, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood that runs through the book.” Kitty Murphy, author of Death in the Holidays

“A page-turning tale of long kept secrets and murder.” - Andrea Carter, author of There Came A-Tapping

“I really enjoyed all the layers and intrigue. The author certainly knows how to keep you guessing.” Clara Dillon, author of The Playdate

“Intriguing. The complex relationships between the sisters are beautifully depicted. A pacy and absorbing debut with an intriguing premise and a satisfying ending.” - Fiona Gartland, author of Orchids and Lies

“Three sisters and a myriad of complex, volcanic secrets! Intense, twisty and gripping. I loved it!' Vanessa O'Loughlin, author of The Big Book of Hope

“Chock full of family secrets. Thrilling and twisty.” - Catherine Kirwan, author of The Seventh Body

“Beautifully plotted and written, compelling and emotional.” Vicki Notaro, author of Reality Check

“Taut, terrific, tense. Old wounds, secrecy and sibling relationships are tested to their limits in this twisty, unpredictable mystery.” - Gill Perdue, author of The Night I Killed Him

“A very assured debut that keeps you guessing until the end! Gets its hooks into you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Tautly plotted, gripping, and suspenseful.” Michelle McDonagh, author of Somebody Knows

“After reading the first two chapters there was no putting it back down. I raced through it. Loved it! A fantastic read.” - Michelle Teahan, author of Knock, Knock

“Fantastic. So well plotted with characters who jump off the page! Past and present collide, with secrets, lies and death. I was hooked from the start.” Patricia Gibney, author of Hidden Daughters