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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This thriller has a great opening chapter and equally satisfying last line, but the middle dragged quite a bit. Also, the premise is not as unique as I thought and left me feeling deliberately misled (which I'll explain at the end below).
I found the story and whodunit quite predictable (there were quite a few hints, plus a lot of been there done that in other books), so nothing really shocked or surprised me. One chapter (Las Vegas) in particular came across as wacky and out of place.
Nevertheless, it was a fun read and some of the characters (especially the female lawyer) were pretty awesome.
This drastically affected my expectations, reading experience and overall rating. This could have been a jaw-dropping and clever story, but all I felt after finishing it was that I had been deliberately misled with a non-factual and inaccurate blurb/synopsis/premise.
I was a huge fan of Dirty Little Secrets so this was quite the disappointment.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
I found the story and whodunit quite predictable (there were quite a few hints, plus a lot of been there done that in other books), so nothing really shocked or surprised me. One chapter (Las Vegas) in particular came across as wacky and out of place.
Nevertheless, it was a fun read and some of the characters (especially the female lawyer) were pretty awesome.
Spoiler
The copy I read had the uncorrected cover blurb and synopsis i.e. ‘charged with HIS murder’. It’s just one word but makes all the difference as compared to the updated cover pictured here.This drastically affected my expectations, reading experience and overall rating. This could have been a jaw-dropping and clever story, but all I felt after finishing it was that I had been deliberately misled with a non-factual and inaccurate blurb/synopsis/premise.
I was a huge fan of Dirty Little Secrets so this was quite the disappointment.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
This was a strong, intriguing read that kept me interested for the majority of the book. Now, I know how rare it is for a book to hold my attention for the entirety, and this one nearly achieved it. I was hooked from the start, and the side story of Lauren definitely added to the suspense of how it related to Danny's death.
The characters were all likeable, and I empathized with their situation.
The dual timeline was very effective in helping the reader to put the puzzle together.
A great read.
The characters were all likeable, and I empathized with their situation.
The dual timeline was very effective in helping the reader to put the puzzle together.
A great read.
Good book and plot, but I felt that towards the ending that the events felt rushed and there were all these subplots which had to be resolved so quickly in order for there to be a conclusion at the end of the book, which it made it drag a little bit in my opinion.
I hated this book. Just hated it. Chore to finish. Too many characters (there was quite a surreal moment where the editor character says that authors should cut down on characters — go figure!). Too many perspectives — in my opinion, you can have mixed POVs, or time jumps, but not both. Most of the characters seemed flat to me. The whole LV plotline was bizarre and out-of-place. I see this book is quite highly rated. Fair enough, each to their own. But I hated it.
Also, “He killed himself in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with his murder”. This is patently false? Also, why is there a beach on the cover? I cannot recall a single beach scene in this book.
Also, “He killed himself in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with his murder”. This is patently false? Also, why is there a beach on the cover? I cannot recall a single beach scene in this book.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse
First I was confused and a bit annoyed by the illogical plot, but when I came to the second half of the book I understood that this was all on me, because it explained the trial in a way that made me say ‘aaaah’ out loud in my head. I didn’t love the writing style, but the twist and cleverness of it won me over.
It was....okay..the bait and switch with the husbands turned me off. It wasn't as good as it could have been, given the premise.
emotional
mysterious
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
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The perfect lie started off with me on the edge of my seat and having to gasp and shut the book however I did find it became a little confusing as the past(s) - yes there’s two of them - catch up to the present.
Now I understand why Spain didn’t go into detail surrounding Ally and the attack on one of her students but at the time of reading it felt like we were missing a whole chunk of key info as it’s the gap in time in Ally’s story that confused me a little but ultimately brings us to the present. I found that the Harvard chapters became repetitive and didn’t provide any relevance to the narrative and they just dragged the story could’ve moved smoothly without them. I’m gutted to rate this down as the opening chapters had me yelling out loud and it had the potential to be a 5 star read however the middle of the book became a blur and I ended up skim reading it. And the amount of time it took me to finish the book makes me think maybe it wasn’t really for me? The writing style was good and I was intrigued but it just didn’t hook me in like a 5 star read would.
Erin wakes up one morning content with her life. She loves her husband and the life they have created in Long Island. Her marriage to Danny, a cop, started with a whirlwind romance but he is the perfect man for Erin. Then there's a knock at the door and Danny's partner is here to arrest him. Danny jumps to his death with his wife and colleages watching. One year later, Erin is on trial for her husband's murder and has learnt that Danny was not as perfect as he seems.
I am a bit conflicted in my thoughts about this book. I whizzed through the pages quickly and was immediately engaged in the plot - how on earth could Erin be on trial when everyone saw Danny commit suicide?
There's three time periods -two set in the past and one in the present .It was intriguing and satisfying to see how both timelines in the past were related and set events in motion. However, I really struggled with the chapters from the present time period. This was to the extent that at 75% of the way through I was still desperate for answers - not in excited anticipation of the ending but because I was so confused and irritated. I came up with several wild and wonderful theories because I don't feel enough hints or clues were hidden in the plot for the reader. Added to that the Erin was quite irritating as a character and my favourite characters were those in the background like Bud and Karla.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the last 25% of the book when all becomes clear and there are a series of clever and thought provoking twists, malice and tension.
I am glad I read the book but it's not one I'd urge people to prioritise it in their TBR piles.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Quercus for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I am a bit conflicted in my thoughts about this book. I whizzed through the pages quickly and was immediately engaged in the plot - how on earth could Erin be on trial when everyone saw Danny commit suicide?
There's three time periods -two set in the past and one in the present .It was intriguing and satisfying to see how both timelines in the past were related and set events in motion. However, I really struggled with the chapters from the present time period. This was to the extent that at 75% of the way through I was still desperate for answers - not in excited anticipation of the ending but because I was so confused and irritated. I came up with several wild and wonderful theories because I don't feel enough hints or clues were hidden in the plot for the reader. Added to that the Erin was quite irritating as a character and my favourite characters were those in the background like Bud and Karla.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the last 25% of the book when all becomes clear and there are a series of clever and thought provoking twists, malice and tension.
I am glad I read the book but it's not one I'd urge people to prioritise it in their TBR piles.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Quercus for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.