From the second I set foot in the coastal village of Dunmore East in Waterford, I knew I was onto something truly special. The cliffs, the tidal strand, the hotels tucked into the side of hills and beaches. I was instantly inspired to set a novel there, and so The Lies Between Us was born. As I stood on the beach, part of the story appeared in front of me, almost fully formed. A family visiting on their holidays in 1983, a near drowning jolting them all out of their sun-soaked reverie.
I wondered: what if bonds were forged and broken on that trip, in ways that would have huge consequences for decades to come? What if there was a ripple effect from that trip, which resonated down through generations?
The Lies Between Us is a novel about the ways in which family ties bind and break us, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect those closest to us. In the present day, we meet three sisters – Susannah, Lucy and Tara – all at different points in their lives, all struggling with their own secrets and demons. When Susannah goes missing ahead of a family dinner in a cottage in Dunmore East, Lucy must reprise her old job as a garda to find her sister. She must also confront the real reasons why she was forced to quit the job she once loved. Then there’s Tara, estranged from Susannah and unhappy in her life.
Soon after Susannah disappears, a woman’s body is washed up in a nearby cove and so begins a high-profile garda investigation.
The Lies Between Us is also a mystery and a thriller. It’s a book about desire, about what happens when we give in to it, and how hard it can be to resist. It’s about loyalty and the things a relationship can and cannot withstand. It is also a novel about what it takes to build the confidence to break free from the hold the past has over us.
And of course, it’s a love letter to the Irish coast.
