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A review by shari_russell
Lie by the Pool by Susan Walter
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was my first time reading a book by Susan Walter so I didn’t really know what to expect. Not only did I find it fast-paced and riveting, I was consumed by the story from the first page.
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Bree, Luke, Carter and Sophie in 1st person narratives. Multiple timelines weave the past together with the current situation for an eye-opening account of what transpired to get to where it tragically ended up.
The story takes place In Beverly Hills, California. The detail and vivid description of the upscale community give the reader a perfect visual to put them right in the middle of the story.
“I found it amusing how Beverly Hills people built whatever they wanted—an ultramodern house of glass next to a buttoned-up Colonial next to an English castle. The neighborhoods In the flats of Beverly Hills were serviced by alleys that were as wide as streets, because Rodeo Drive is for Louis Vuitton and Montblanc, not wheelie bins and garbage trucks”
The twisty tale is filled with complex and intriguing characters. They are made memorable and realistic through authentic dialogue and well designed thoughts. Each character is unique with quirks and personalities that make it easy to become part of their lives and overlook any faults or transgressions they might have. Then there’s the House which is so central to the story I feel like it’s a character all it’s own. Sophie referred to It as the “house on fancy-schmancy Rodeo Drive.” And for some unexplained reason, Bree is drawn to it after spending a night in the pool house.
The plot is structured where the timelines from the beginning of the present to the story of the past come full circle in a way that is unexpected and at times shocking. With so many different perspectives the plot goes in directions that keep you guessing as the puzzle gradually reveals how the characters are intertwined. The author does an excellent job in keeping the readers attention with surprises and cliffhangers throughout the entire book.
I hated for the story to end because I was so invested in the characters stories that I just wanted more. Also, the book was so engrossing and a definite page-turner that even though the rollercoaster ended in resolution, I wasn’t ready to get off the ride. I think that is what you call an addictive must-read. For these reasons and more, I gave Lie By The Pool a well-deserved 5-star rating.
Recommendation
Lie by the Pool by Susan Walter is a good fit for those seeking a gripping and suspenseful mystery that explores the darker sides of human nature, with a focus on organized crime, murder, and a protagonist on the run. It’s an unputdownable crime/thriller/romance that you don’t want to end yet.
There are 3 things that stand out to me of what I liked best about the book. I’m including quotes from the book to explain my thoughts.
1. Bree’s passion for music and the piano. This really resonated with me and may be why I am so drawn to this book and characters, especially Bree. I too had childhood dreams of being a concert pianist and would practice for hours hoping to make it happen. I grew up and those dreams were swept under the rug as real life started. These are Bree’s words from the book that touch on her passion of music:
“I didn’t know who I was without Luke or music, or why I was trying to survive a world that brought me nothing but pain.”
“Was I playing for millions, or just myself? And what’s the difference when music is all there is”
“I didn’t realize how starved for music I was until the night of that party, and I didn’t want the night to end.”
“I didn’t have a plan for my future, but I knew there would be music—lots and lots of music.”
2. The beautiful love story between Bree and Luke. What an inspiring romance! Their feelings for each other are captured in these excerpts from the book:
Bree about Luke:
“I read in some scientific journal that the brain doesn’t know the difference between a fantasy and a memory, that they both leave the same signature. Luke wasn’t here, but that gold band on my finger told me the memory was real.”
“I dreamed of him like I always did. In my waking hours, I agonized over why the universe would give me such a great big love only to take it away.”
“ The sound of my husband’s voice was like a dam breaking. When his eyes met mine, everything in the room fell away, like the whole world had been swallowed by quicksand and he was the only thing still standing.”
“ His face was both the most exotic thing I’d ever seen and as familiar as seeing my own. I opened my mouth to say his name, but before I could speak, his arms were around me and we fell into that quicksand. And in that moment, I didn’t care if we ever came out.”
Luke about Bree:
“She was both the most angelic and down-to-earth person I had ever met. She made me see things in new ways—a pool cabana was a playhouse, a song was a way for strangers to hold hands without touching.”
“I married her because every day I was with her was the greatest day of my life.”
“A traffic jam is a thousand souls trying to reconnect with their loved ones at once,” she’d said, because wasn’t it just like her to see something beautiful while the rest of us saw something inconvenient or annoying”
3. The beautiful writing style of the author. The language used to describe a scene, thought or narrative was touching and poetic. Here are some more examples from the book of the stylistic prose:
“ I will never understand why people lie, cheat, and kill for money they don’t need. If humanity has an incurable plague, it’s our endless appetite for riches and our numbness to the suffering of others.”
“If this weekend had been a test of my self-discipline and judgment, I failed. I had to do better.”
“ I was alone with myself but connected to something bigger. Something unknowable. Something mine but not of me.”
“They say that the divine purpose of difficult things is to bring people together. And maybe in some cases that’s true. But I had needed the opposite—to be OK with myself, without a mate or a cocoon of music or a fancy home to disappear in. I didn’t know what the future would bring, only that I would be fine because I had me.”
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Bree, Luke, Carter and Sophie in 1st person narratives. Multiple timelines weave the past together with the current situation for an eye-opening account of what transpired to get to where it tragically ended up.
The story takes place In Beverly Hills, California. The detail and vivid description of the upscale community give the reader a perfect visual to put them right in the middle of the story.
“I found it amusing how Beverly Hills people built whatever they wanted—an ultramodern house of glass next to a buttoned-up Colonial next to an English castle. The neighborhoods In the flats of Beverly Hills were serviced by alleys that were as wide as streets, because Rodeo Drive is for Louis Vuitton and Montblanc, not wheelie bins and garbage trucks”
The twisty tale is filled with complex and intriguing characters. They are made memorable and realistic through authentic dialogue and well designed thoughts. Each character is unique with quirks and personalities that make it easy to become part of their lives and overlook any faults or transgressions they might have. Then there’s the House which is so central to the story I feel like it’s a character all it’s own. Sophie referred to It as the “house on fancy-schmancy Rodeo Drive.” And for some unexplained reason, Bree is drawn to it after spending a night in the pool house.
The plot is structured where the timelines from the beginning of the present to the story of the past come full circle in a way that is unexpected and at times shocking. With so many different perspectives the plot goes in directions that keep you guessing as the puzzle gradually reveals how the characters are intertwined. The author does an excellent job in keeping the readers attention with surprises and cliffhangers throughout the entire book.
I hated for the story to end because I was so invested in the characters stories that I just wanted more. Also, the book was so engrossing and a definite page-turner that even though the rollercoaster ended in resolution, I wasn’t ready to get off the ride. I think that is what you call an addictive must-read. For these reasons and more, I gave Lie By The Pool a well-deserved 5-star rating.
Recommendation
Lie by the Pool by Susan Walter is a good fit for those seeking a gripping and suspenseful mystery that explores the darker sides of human nature, with a focus on organized crime, murder, and a protagonist on the run. It’s an unputdownable crime/thriller/romance that you don’t want to end yet.
There are 3 things that stand out to me of what I liked best about the book. I’m including quotes from the book to explain my thoughts.
1. Bree’s passion for music and the piano. This really resonated with me and may be why I am so drawn to this book and characters, especially Bree. I too had childhood dreams of being a concert pianist and would practice for hours hoping to make it happen. I grew up and those dreams were swept under the rug as real life started. These are Bree’s words from the book that touch on her passion of music:
“I didn’t know who I was without Luke or music, or why I was trying to survive a world that brought me nothing but pain.”
“Was I playing for millions, or just myself? And what’s the difference when music is all there is”
“I didn’t realize how starved for music I was until the night of that party, and I didn’t want the night to end.”
“I didn’t have a plan for my future, but I knew there would be music—lots and lots of music.”
2. The beautiful love story between Bree and Luke. What an inspiring romance! Their feelings for each other are captured in these excerpts from the book:
Bree about Luke:
“I read in some scientific journal that the brain doesn’t know the difference between a fantasy and a memory, that they both leave the same signature. Luke wasn’t here, but that gold band on my finger told me the memory was real.”
“I dreamed of him like I always did. In my waking hours, I agonized over why the universe would give me such a great big love only to take it away.”
“ The sound of my husband’s voice was like a dam breaking. When his eyes met mine, everything in the room fell away, like the whole world had been swallowed by quicksand and he was the only thing still standing.”
“ His face was both the most exotic thing I’d ever seen and as familiar as seeing my own. I opened my mouth to say his name, but before I could speak, his arms were around me and we fell into that quicksand. And in that moment, I didn’t care if we ever came out.”
Luke about Bree:
“She was both the most angelic and down-to-earth person I had ever met. She made me see things in new ways—a pool cabana was a playhouse, a song was a way for strangers to hold hands without touching.”
“I married her because every day I was with her was the greatest day of my life.”
“A traffic jam is a thousand souls trying to reconnect with their loved ones at once,” she’d said, because wasn’t it just like her to see something beautiful while the rest of us saw something inconvenient or annoying”
3. The beautiful writing style of the author. The language used to describe a scene, thought or narrative was touching and poetic. Here are some more examples from the book of the stylistic prose:
“ I will never understand why people lie, cheat, and kill for money they don’t need. If humanity has an incurable plague, it’s our endless appetite for riches and our numbness to the suffering of others.”
“If this weekend had been a test of my self-discipline and judgment, I failed. I had to do better.”
“ I was alone with myself but connected to something bigger. Something unknowable. Something mine but not of me.”
“They say that the divine purpose of difficult things is to bring people together. And maybe in some cases that’s true. But I had needed the opposite—to be OK with myself, without a mate or a cocoon of music or a fancy home to disappear in. I didn’t know what the future would bring, only that I would be fine because I had me.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping