Another take on Donna Tartt's The Secret History. A novel which has quite a remarkable and enduring legacy. Ruth Ware's novel unpicks the consequences of a schooltime pact formed out of necessity by four troubled girls at the age of 15. As the title clearly suggests, there is a very fine line between when it is and is not expedient to lie. Further, the question is raised about whether withholding the truth is the same as lying. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the fictitious seaside town of Salten heightens the tension. Ware writes a good page-turner, even if there was a certain element of repetition and moments also where credulity was strained. Big subjects are dealt with well (childhood abuse, drug addiction, etc.) and the ending was surprising too. If there is a conclusion, it is about how loyalty only takes you so far; there will always be times when it's important to stop lying, or at least to start telling a different lie. Fun escapism, but not “high” literature. To the charity shop.
By Ruth Ware