House of Lies- Blog Tour

 

Author: Helen Matthews

Publisher: DP Books 

Publishing Date: 7th August 2026

Many thanks to the publishing team and ZooLoo BT for my digital copy of the book a spot on the tour 

Blurb:

How well do you really know the person you are sharing your life with?

When Emma and Paul buy a derelict French farmhouse, they're hoping for a fresh start. But behind closed doors, they discover lies, betrayal and ever-approaching dangers.

A fatal workplace accident. A double life. And questions that nobody has the answers to.

After years of hardship, Emma's chance of happiness is tinged with heartbreak. Together with her husband Paul and their daughter, Mollie, she takes a chance and moves to France, where an old ruin is set to become their new home, far away from their problems in England. But she's forced to leave her son behind.

Yet renovating an old building takes a greater toll on the family than expected and they are soon burdened with financial worries, conflicts and the challenges of life in a foreign country. At the same time, strange incidents begin to happen which make Emma increasingly nervous.

What began as a fresh start turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Distrust poisons their marriage, old lies come to light, and the situation spirals out of control.

In the midst of the idyllic Limousin countryside and a new community, Emma fights for her family – and she needs to figure out who she can still trust. And the dream of a new beginning turns into a struggle for trust, truth and safety. Because some people don't give up. And some secrets don't stay buried.

My Thoughts:

From the moment the story gets going, there’s this unsettling undercurrent that slowly builds, and before long, the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere completely takes over.

Emma and Paul move to rural France with their young daughter, Mollie, hoping to leave their old life behind and start again. They have dreams of renovating an old ruin and creating the happier, safer life they’ve always wanted. But Emma has made the difficult decision to leave her son, Owen, in England — and the guilt surrounding that choice refuses to stay behind.

What really stood out to me was the relationship between Emma and Paul. Their marriage is far from perfect, and you can feel the weight of everything they haven’t said to each other. Their new life is built on secrets, half-truths and unresolved issues, which makes you question just how much they really know about one another.

I also found the characters quite frustrating at times — but in a way that definitely makes you think. There were moments when I found myself questioning their choices and wondering why they were behaving the way they were, which kept me invested in the story.

The beginning was a little slower for me, but once the pace picked up, I found myself much more hooked. As the story unfolds, more secrets from the family’s past begin to surface, along with revelations about why their seemingly perfect new life is starting to unravel.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers filled with secrets, lies, suspicion and characters you’re never quite sure you can trust, this is definitely one to add to your list! 📖✨