Book Extract: My Lie Your Lie by Paul Clayton

I’m pleased to be welcoming Paul Clayton to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, My Lie Your Lie.

He thought heartbreak was the worst part.

Then came the need for revenge.

Patrick Tyrrell’s perfect marriage shatters the day his husband, Barney, leaves him—for a woman.

Marcella. Beautiful. Alluring. Dangerous.

Patrick can’t let it go. Why her? Why now? The questions consume him — until obsession turns to something far darker. As unsettling events unfold and violence creeps closer, Patrick faces the one temptation more powerful than love or jealousy:

Revenge.

But revenge has its own price. And once it begins, there may be no way back.

A taut, unsettling psychological thriller about betrayal, obsession, and whether vengeance ever truly heals the wound — or only feeds it.

There’s a chance to win a signed copy of My Lie Your Lie below but first, Paul has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy. 

*****beginning of extract*****

As a child of around ten, I vividly remember another child in the village going missing. The hysteria and panic were instant — the whole village poured into the streets to search. The child was found soon after, curled up asleep in an alleyway, but the memory of that fear has never left me.

In this scene from My Lie, Your Lie, Marcella’s seven-year-old son, Jace, is snatched in plain sight. A teacher’s lapse, a stranger’s charm, and a chillingly calm abductor converge to create one of the novel’s most shocking turns. The extract captures the book’s central themes of obsession, betrayal, and revenge — and the terrifying question of how far someone will go when love curdles into something darker.

*****

Known for her cheerful demeanour and endless patience, Miss Bentham had a strict cut-off at 3:30 p.m. – school was over, the last child collected, her saintly duties done. Tonight, she had plans: Arthur Bullivant, Costa Coffee, and the latest instalment of Alien. Second dates were rare enough to deserve punctuality.

But one child remained.

Jace Munro clung stubbornly to her hand, swinging his backpack, waiting.

“Come on, Jace,” she muttered. “Where is she?”

A man appeared at the far end of the driveway, tall, older, waving as he jogged closer.

“Sorry I’m late!” His voice was warm, practised. “Hi, Jace!”

Jace looked up, hesitant.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Miss Bentham said.

“Barney Doyle,” the man replied easily. “Marcella couldn’t make it – work emergency. I said I’d collect him.”

The name rang half-familiar. Maybe she’d heard it at the Christmas fair. She hesitated, but Arthur and his latte beckoned. The man knew Jace’s name, Marcella’s too. That had to be enough.

Jace frowned. “Barney?”

The man crouched, smiling. “Today I’m Barney because your mum asked me to take you to McDonald’s and the cinema.”

Jace’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please!”

Every child had a price. He had just named Jace’s.

Relieved, Miss Bentham handed over the backpack and hurried away, already rehearsing her smile for Arthur.

Halfway down the street, her phone buzzed.

It’s Linda picking up today. Barney’s away. Who took Jace???

The blood drained from her face. She spun back towards the empty schoolyard. No Jace. No man. Gone.

Her legs carried her forward, panic clawing her throat. She had handed the boy over to a stranger.

—

Patrick

I pull the car into the cinema lot and cut the engine. Next to me, Jace kicks his legs, trainers drumming against the seat. I glance at him – skinny, dark-haired, eyes too big for his face. His mother’s eyes.

“Thanks for taking me,” he says, nervous but excited. “Why’d Mum ask you? I thought Linda picked me up.”

I let the silence hang until he squirms. “Linda couldn’t make it. Your mum got stuck at work. I was nearby.”

He frowns. “I don’t remember you.”

“You were younger then. I’m Barney’s friend. Your mum’s too.”

Suspicion flickers, but he’s still just a boy.

Inside, I buy tickets, popcorn, a Coke. Nothing for myself. This isn’t about me. It’s about him. Or maybe about Marcella – that thorny little woman who thought she could control the board. She made this necessary.

Jace beams at the Marvel poster. “I love this one! It’s got that bit where Spider-Man—”

His words blur. Children vanish into illusions so easily. They don’t see the real world, where people get hurt for far less than a superhero battle.

We take our seats. He devours the film before it’s begun, eyes wide, mouth sticky with sugar. Almost enviable. Almost.

But awe doesn’t move the world. Fear does. Fear of pain, of loss, of what lurks just beyond the edge of sight.

That’s what Marcella doesn’t understand. She thinks she can hide behind good intentions.

But fear already owns her.

She just hasn’t realised it yet.

*****end of extract*****

About Paul Clayton –

Paul Clayton is a familiar face on screen, best known for his roles as Sophie’s dad in the BAFTA-winning Peep Show and Graham in the acclaimed Him & Her. Currently, he appears as Drew Peacock in EastEnders, Dennis in Disney’s sequel to The Full Monty and has featured in Brian and Margaret, Wolf Hall, House of the Dragon, and over 300 stage and screen roles.

He’ll be seen in the new ITV thriller Secret Service, and in Season 3 of House of the Dragon

Beyond acting, Paul is an internationally recognised creative event director and sought-after presentation coach. His previous thrillers, The Punishment and The Hoax, have gripped readers, while his books for actors—So You Want to Be a Corporate Actor? and The Working Actor (both published by Nick Hern Books)—offer invaluable industry insight.

He lives in London with his partner.

Say hello to Paul on X and Instagram. 

My Lie Your Lie was released in September 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

*****

Win a Signed Copy of My Lie Your Lie – 

Do you live in the UK? Would you like the chance to win a signed copy of My Lie Your Lie? Well, here’s your chance.

Simply click this link and follow the instructions.

Open to UK only.

*Terms and Conditions –

UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam link above.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. 

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

I (Novel Kicks ) am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.