It All Started With A Lie

By Author / Illustrator

Denise Brown

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Hashtag Press

ISBN

9781913835323

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

29-02-2024

Synopsis

When Pearl discovers a newspaper clipping showing a picture of her dad holding the baby he found abandoned outside a hospital, it sets off a chain of events of betrayal, obsession, murder. And it all started with a lie.

Perfect for fans of Cynthia Murphy and Holly Jackson. Denise Brown was longlisted for The Diverse Book Awards 2022 for her debut YA book I am Winter.

Reviews

Emelia

Murder, mystery and one amazing, never expected twist at the end... It All Started with a Lie follows Pearl and her three friends on a journey to find the truth. Pearl unexpectedly uncovers a family secret during a game of hide and seek with her twin brothers. Pearl shows her best friend Danny a newspaper clipping about a baby being abandoned at the hospital right around the same time Pearl was born; she begins to question if it is her and if she really belongs with her family. From here the two begin their investigation into what really happened all those years ago. Using the excuse that they are doing a project for school they begin to ask questions and soon unravel more of the mystery.

The author has done a brilliant job in It All Started with a Lie in keeping the reader on their toes and using flashbacks to keep readers hooked and wanting to know the truth. Perhaps more suitable for the slightly older KS3 student but the language used makes it an easy read. Great descriptions, too.

300 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Emelia Helliwell, teacher