Quinn and Piper are twins, although – until they meet at their mother’s funeral – neither of them knew about the others existence. Apparently.

Quinn was the exiled one. She has lived with her grandmother in the wilds of Dartmoor ever since she was born, and has always believed there is something evil inside her. That can only be the reason why, on the few occasions her mother visited, she treated Quinn with such disdain. Her grandmother, who earns money as a fortune teller and is seemingly feared by everybody, didn’t treat Quinn any better.

Piper, on the other hand, was the chosen one. She was raised by her mother and father in a comfortable house, she has everything she wants and takes it all for granted, including her boyfriend Zak.

Why did their mother and grandmother work so diligently at keeping Quinn and Piper apart and what will happen, now that they are united? What is the inheritance that only one of the twins will be able to claim, and why do they share dreams of running with a pack of hellhounds across the moors, ripping apart any unfortunates who stray into their path? Are the hellhounds related to the pack of dogs that killed their mother and will they ever be able to defeat the curse that has plagued their family for centuries?

Teri Terry, who previously authored the bestselling Slated trilogy, has pulled a rare trick – a Young Adult fiction that can not only be read and enjoyed by people much older than its target demographic, but which manages to tell a complete and compelling story in a single volume, without making us wait for an unnecessarily drawn-out part two and three. But that’s not to say that Book of Lies is limited in scope, it’s actually a deftly written character study of two siblings trying desperately to come to terms with each other and the different griefs they feel about the death of their mother, while also uncovering the secret of where they actually came from. The supernatural elements of the story don’t truly kick in until the second half of the novel, and when they do the characters of Quinn and Piper have been so well defined that the inclusion of the hellhounds and the family curse feel totally realistic. Terry’s interweaving of ‘Black Shuck’ folklore into the main plot is also impressively well handled. Highly recommended, especially for those who like their fantasy subtle but chillingly effective, and populated by characters they can believe in.

BOOK OF LIES / AUTHOR: TERI TERRY / PUBLISHER: ORCHARD BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 24TH