Top 5 books with life-changing lies

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Tom Ripley is chosen by the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve Greenleaf’s son, Dickie, from his overlong sojourn in Italy. Tom insinuates himself into Dickie’s world and soon finds that his passion for a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication transcends all moral compunction. 

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Whatever the size of this lie, it is life changing. This is an exceptional novel about murder and domestic and sexual violence that somehow defies expectation and remains upbeat. Twisty and unexpected, it’s both comical and mysterious.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy 

Hardy’s novel is riddled with lies. Wives are sold, illegitimates are passed off as genuine offspring, love affairs are denied, debts hidden, long-lost fathers turned away from the truth. It’s a murky, hard-to-navigate place. 

Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris 

St Oswald’s, an old and long-established boys’ grammar school in the north of England, shudders as the wind of unwelcome change is sweeps through its corridors. A delicious black comedy, the plot is cleverly constructed, the tension unflagging. Trust no one. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

The obvious liar in Pride and Prejudice is Wickham, but heroic Darcy isn’t entirely honest either. Darcy does something noble, which would make Elizabeth indebted to him, but doesn’t tell her. This leads to all sorts of confusion and heartache.

Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks is out on September 5 (HarperCollins, £7.99)