Reviews

Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison

Only show reviews with written explanations

carolineeckels's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

hannahboice's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I was second guessing the twists the whole time I was reading this book. It definitely keeps you engaged but it was a little drawn out.

katiegilley's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

“I don’t remember. Three words, so simple, yet so duplicitous. What is memory anyways? Echoes of reality, twisted and molded into what we want to believe. What we want to remember. Our brains allow us grace to cope with trauma. They give us space to heal, to come to terms with our actions, our fears.”

I love to hate thrillers and really wanted to hate this one, but I couldn’t stop listening to it. I was certain I’d dislike it when I realized what was happening: an exclusive wedding on a secluded island (how many times has that been done lately?) and a young artist marrying into one of America’s wealthiest families (extreme wealth makes me want to gag). This was prime for me to disdainfully push aside and say, thrillers aren’t thrilling.

Well, I was wrong. I loved how this was structured and Ellison’s propulsive plot. This story was told from many perspectives, including the groom’s dead first wife. We start in Nashville, where Claire Hunter is preparing to marry Jack Compton, one of America’s wealthiest bachelors. They’re marrying on his family’s island in Italy, which just happened to be one of Cesar’s old stomping grounds.

The villa is opulent and full of history, including the mysterious deaths of women over the centuries. The island, the Comptons, and even Claire are full of secrets that slowly unfold throughout this novel. I’m calling it a perfect summer read!

bookph1le's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

One star because this book was so many things that I personally do not like. To me, it was the book equivalent of an action movie, one with explosions every five minutes and that's peopled with a whole bunch of characters who are types rather than people. This book covers pretty much every trope you could imagine. Still, I can see how it'd be entertaining in a popcorn kind of way for readers whose preferences differ from mine.