Adele Parks's "Lies Lies Lies"

Adele Parks was born in Teesside, North East England. She has written twenty novels in twenty years; all hit the bestseller lists. She's been an ambassador for The Reading Agency and a judge for the Costa Book Awards, and is a keen supporter of The National Literary Trust. Parks lived in Italy, Botswana and London and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband, son and cat.

Here Parks dreamcasts an adaptation of her latest book to hit the US, Lies, Lies, Lies:

Daisy and Simon have been together for nearly twenty years. Many of those years were dominated by their yearning to start a family. We meet them when their longed-for daughter is six years old. She is the centre of their world; everything should be perfect now they are a happy family of three. However, Simon is pushing for a second child and Daisy is strangely resistant to even trying again. Thwarted, Simon is drinking even more than usual. One night at their friends’ party his drinking spirals out of control with brutal consequences. He doesn’t just embarrass himself - which Daisy and her friends Connie and Lucy are getting used to - he causes a devastating accident. Their little family can never be the same again. The fracture that Simon’s atrocious and destructive behaviour crates in their marriage looks set to be filled by Daisy’s old college friend Daryll. But is Daryll the hero she needs or an even bigger and more malevolent threat?

This novel investigates a number of different types of addiction - to alcohol, to people, to the concept of family. It’s also a book about deception and lies. No one is telling the truth. Not to each other or themselves.

Ok, if ever the world delivered all my Christmases at once, and Lies Lies Lies was made into a film, this would be my dream cast.

I’d love to see Emily Blunt play Daisy. Her range is incredible. She can nail fun or fearless, but she is also absolutely knockout when playing dramatic or vulnerable roles, like Girl on a Train or as strong, spirited, resourceful mother in A Quiet Place. Daisy is vulnerable and victimised but has incredible inner strength and resilience. My only caveat is that Blunt is actually far too beautiful to play Daisy, so she’d have to ugly-up a bit in make up!

I’d have Jake Gyllenhaal play alcoholic Simon; the father that puts his family in jeopardy. Whether or not Simon can redeem himself is a huge part of the forward momentum of the novel. Gyllenhaal is utterly brilliant at dark, complex and conflicted characters. Addiction is so beautiful and terrible, powerful and dangerous. He’d be perfect.

I’d like to see Tom Hiddleston play charming, charismatic Daryll who we all want to trust and be seduced by, but should we? He displayed a cold undercurrent to his good guy persona in The Night Manager and on stage in Betrayal.

Besides looking at the power of addiction and the danger of secrets, I also investigate the redemptive force of friendship. I’d cast Stephan James from If Beale Street Could Talk and Race as Leon. Leon is incredibly exposed, but is tough and formidable. Rachal McAdams is super-smiley and I think she’d make a great Connie. The friend who is the peacemaker and refuses to choose sides. I’d cast Lena Headey as Lucy, the stunning but apparently unrelentingly selfish friend. Headey played the steely Cersei in Game of Thrones and Daisy needs to borrow a backbone.

Visit Adele Parks's website.

My Book, The Movie: I Invited Her In.

Q&A with Adele Parks.

The Page 69 Test: Lies, Lies, Lies.

--Marshal Zeringue