Book #40 I Never Lie

I Never Lie by Jody Sabral
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alex South is an alcoholic. She suffers blackouts and memory loss. A key element of the story with constant reminders that I found tedious:

”I’m going to start my detox tonight, after I’ve had my last fix.”

“I’m pissed off that I wasn’t able to detox yesterday. It sucks, actually…”

“As normal as one can be when in the midst of a detox.”

*I’m desperately in need of alcohol this morning, just to get going.”

Besides being an alcoholic, Alex is a TV journalist who left her long-time boyfriend Greg in Manchester after suffering a miscarriage. In London she regains some notoriety until a drunken rant on air puts her career on hold. She is given another chance to cover a series of murders occurring in East London, close to where she lives. But the demon drink continues to ravage her every day; carrying vodka around in a water bottle, chugging wine by the bottle at home and suffering huge hangovers…

The plot is split between current day and diary entries (in italics) from the previous year. Entries that become more embittered as the story moves on. Who is writing the diary? There is a link here with Alex that keeps the suspense going as Alex not only struggles with her alcoholism but online dating, which happens to be a key element in the murder investigations.

I Never Lie is well written and the pace does pick up towards the end. But were all the references to detoxing and binge drinking really necessary? It became a major irritation for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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Book #17 The Outrun

The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful read, stark and unflinching as Amy Liptrot recounts the story of her alcoholism, how she faced her demons and has stayed 'dry' for more than two years. She returns to Orkney after more than a decade away, drawn back to the Outrun on the sheep farm where she grew up. Her father's mental illness was as much a part of her childhood as the wild, carefree existence on Orkney. In spite of this she moved to London and a hedonistic lifestyle that virtually destroyed her. Her move back to Orkney proves to be her redemption, trying to come to terms with what happened to her in London. She slowly makes the journey towards recovery from addiction.

Amy's writing has a prose-like quality that sings: "...when my heart soars. I see starlings flocking, hundreds of individual birds forming and re-forming shapes in liquid geometry, outwitting predators and following each other to find a place to roost for the night. The wind blows me from behind so strongly that I'm running and laughing".

Her honesty is often overwhelming and yet also exhilarating. Her descriptions of these Northern Isles and the small communities that live here draws me more and more to a visit. Captivating.

I loved it.

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