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booksandbourbon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elsaemmalise's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Stalking, and Rape
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
4.0
I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading reviews I wasn't sure what I was going to think, but I really liked this book. I never saw the end coming and there were a lot of surprises in here for me. Lots going on, but I didn't mind it. Drama, drama, drama for sure!
mackenzierm's review against another edition
4.0
First line: “The ring glittered, resting on the dirt of the forest floor, the sun catching it in the fractured afternoon light falling through the leaves.”
A good read from a newer author (at least one I’ve never heard of).
I really enjoyed the plot and was surprised by the result of the whodunnit.
My main issue with the novel was that there were several places where the story seemed to ravel out on its own in a nonsensical fashion. I would have to go back a page or two to figure out what was going on...to find that it was not made any more clear by backtracking.
Overall, an interesting novel....I will be keeping my eye out for more work by this author!
A good read from a newer author (at least one I’ve never heard of).
I really enjoyed the plot and was surprised by the result of the whodunnit.
My main issue with the novel was that there were several places where the story seemed to ravel out on its own in a nonsensical fashion. I would have to go back a page or two to figure out what was going on...to find that it was not made any more clear by backtracking.
Overall, an interesting novel....I will be keeping my eye out for more work by this author!
lesliewright34's review against another edition
3.0
The start of the story was quite silly. The characters are ridiculous in what they say and do but once I got past the opening and got heavy into the story, even with some of the ridiculousness still hanging on, I found myself intrigued and didn't want to put it down. The main character of the book, Emily, has moved with her husband to Texas. In order to make friends she attends a "meeting" of a group of local women and these women are...strange. This is where the ridiculousness of the story comes in. The things they say and do are not true to life...and the fact that Emily is pregnant after suffering numerous miscarriages and does some of the things that she does is also unrealistic. If Mrs. Heaberlin had written these women to be more realistic the book would have been outstanding.
katmcv's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one, started out a bit disjointed but by about 1/4th of the way in it got really good and I couldn't put it down. A great thriller but not for the faint hearted, that's for sure.
hollie313's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
antheasaw's review against another edition
1.0
First chapter of this book had me captivated. Started out strong and promising. However, halfway through the book when the action began, it suddenly seemed holly confusing. There were two different storylines taking place and it was just a mess. I find that it did not even fit together and was wondering what the author was playing at. The characters were all unlikable and annoying. I just couldn't care for any of them. There were a few surprises and twists here and there. I just didn't get the whole story. It's probably just me but I find that there was no proper climax and premise to the book. Managed to get to the end but still didn't like it.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
5.0
Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin is set for an early July release and is a Bantam publication.
Emily and her husband Mike move from New York to Clairmont, Texas. Mike has taken the job of police chief here. Emily is expecting their first child and is constantly on guard because of several previous miscarriages.
Her home is still a mess, with boxes unpacked when she is pushed a bit by her husband to accept an invitation to a party by one of the town's wealthiest residents.
Emily reluctantly attends and finds herself in a surreal situation. The women attending this gathering are all very well off, dressed to the nines and catty. But, the hostess, Caroline, seems to be all powerful. She holds something over each woman and knows their deepest darkest secrets.
As it turns out, Emily has a few of those deep dark secrets and somehow Caroline has found out about them. These are things that even Mike isn't aware of.
When Caroline goes missing, there are an abundance of suspects. However, Caroline's disappearance could somehow or other be connected to Emily's past.
Caroline, the keeper of others secrets, may have had a few whoppers of her own.
For Emily this means opening up a chapter of her life she would rather forget.
Emily and her unborn child are at risk from a stalker and maybe even a murderer. As Mike investigates the disappearance of Caroline, Emily begins to look into her past to discover who may have killed the man that raped her and several other girls and to find who is stalking her. She doesn't not know if the past and present are about to collide.
This is a taut, dark, edgy mystery suspense novel. I could not put this book down. Once I read the first chapter I was hooked. The story moves fast with one revelation after another until you don't know who can be trusted. Everyone seems to have a sinister quality about them. This town is just plain spooky with some really off the wall characters. The wealthy group of women desperate to be a part of Caroline's club, the Mayor, the other policemen, the people in Emily's past, all have secrets, all have motives, all are not what they appear to be.
Emily was a person that was easy to relate to. I felt empathy for her, and admired her courage. I also liked her husband, even at times when he was mad at her or preoccupied with his job. He was blindsided a few times and handled the big reveals from Emily better than I would have.
I found myself feeling upbeat about the way things all turned out for Emily. I think that even though this experience was painful, she and Mike are stronger and Emily may now find the peace and closure she badly needed.
I'm very impressed with this author and I highly recommend this book. A+ Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this digital review copy!
Emily and her husband Mike move from New York to Clairmont, Texas. Mike has taken the job of police chief here. Emily is expecting their first child and is constantly on guard because of several previous miscarriages.
Her home is still a mess, with boxes unpacked when she is pushed a bit by her husband to accept an invitation to a party by one of the town's wealthiest residents.
Emily reluctantly attends and finds herself in a surreal situation. The women attending this gathering are all very well off, dressed to the nines and catty. But, the hostess, Caroline, seems to be all powerful. She holds something over each woman and knows their deepest darkest secrets.
As it turns out, Emily has a few of those deep dark secrets and somehow Caroline has found out about them. These are things that even Mike isn't aware of.
When Caroline goes missing, there are an abundance of suspects. However, Caroline's disappearance could somehow or other be connected to Emily's past.
Caroline, the keeper of others secrets, may have had a few whoppers of her own.
For Emily this means opening up a chapter of her life she would rather forget.
Emily and her unborn child are at risk from a stalker and maybe even a murderer. As Mike investigates the disappearance of Caroline, Emily begins to look into her past to discover who may have killed the man that raped her and several other girls and to find who is stalking her. She doesn't not know if the past and present are about to collide.
This is a taut, dark, edgy mystery suspense novel. I could not put this book down. Once I read the first chapter I was hooked. The story moves fast with one revelation after another until you don't know who can be trusted. Everyone seems to have a sinister quality about them. This town is just plain spooky with some really off the wall characters. The wealthy group of women desperate to be a part of Caroline's club, the Mayor, the other policemen, the people in Emily's past, all have secrets, all have motives, all are not what they appear to be.
Emily was a person that was easy to relate to. I felt empathy for her, and admired her courage. I also liked her husband, even at times when he was mad at her or preoccupied with his job. He was blindsided a few times and handled the big reveals from Emily better than I would have.
I found myself feeling upbeat about the way things all turned out for Emily. I think that even though this experience was painful, she and Mike are stronger and Emily may now find the peace and closure she badly needed.
I'm very impressed with this author and I highly recommend this book. A+ Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this digital review copy!
lisa_setepenre's review
5.0
With Lie Still, I've read all of Julia Heaberlin's books currently published and this is another edge-of-your-seat thriller from this author. I'd been worried that after I'd found [b:Playing Dead|13147826|Playing Dead|Julia Heaberlin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333577685s/13147826.jpg|18325471] to be a disappointment, that Lie Still would prove to be another disappointment. But I've come to the conclusion that Lie Still is Heaberlin's most fulfilling work.
Not only is Lie Still a breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it works better for me than Playing Dead. The characters feel both real and ambiguous – with a few exceptions, you don't know who is trustworthy and who is not, and you feel for Emily, trapped in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers and secrets.
Despite reading this in less than 24 hours, I was able to understand everything that went on and the mysteries intrigued me and kept me guessing. I finished Lie Still feeling very satisfied with the way these mysteries had been resolved and felt they had been firmly resolved. I didn't want for more details or resolution.
There is a deeper layer to Lie Still, that talks about rape, gender, secrets and social status. It was handled sensitively and at no point felt gratuitous. Personally, I think this message needs to be told and heard.
All up, Lie Still was a supremely satisfying read and in my opinion Heaberlin's best work yet.
Not only is Lie Still a breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it works better for me than Playing Dead. The characters feel both real and ambiguous – with a few exceptions, you don't know who is trustworthy and who is not, and you feel for Emily, trapped in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers and secrets.
Despite reading this in less than 24 hours, I was able to understand everything that went on and the mysteries intrigued me and kept me guessing. I finished Lie Still feeling very satisfied with the way these mysteries had been resolved and felt they had been firmly resolved. I didn't want for more details or resolution.
There is a deeper layer to Lie Still, that talks about rape, gender, secrets and social status. It was handled sensitively and at no point felt gratuitous. Personally, I think this message needs to be told and heard.
All up, Lie Still was a supremely satisfying read and in my opinion Heaberlin's best work yet.