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A review by a_novel_idea11
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey
4.0
Dark and foreboding, this was an intriguing and often disturbing read that I really enjoyed.
When Abigail Blake goes missing, the whole town forms opinions on what may have happened. Was she murdered? Did she run away from her trashy and abusive family? Is she lost in the woods?
Abi’s best friend Emma left Abi at the party in the woods that night and now must live with the consequences. Desperate to find Abi and find answers, when she’s sober enough, Emma sets out to discover the truth. But in the extremely religious and backward town of Cold Creek, it quickly becomes apparent that everyone has secrets and everyone has motive.
I struggled a bit at first to keep track of all the lies and secrets but the author did a good job of reminding us throughout the novel as the suspense built. Some of the secrets felt a bit dragged out but everything unfolded nicely toward the end.
I loved the writing style. The author jumped from character to character to show different viewpoints. It took some getting used to but worked really well for the storyline. There were also flashbacks to “then” alternated with the “now” story which added a lot of depth and helped build Abi’s character.
Emma’s “investigation” into Abi’s disappearance felt authentic and not over the top which I really liked. I also enjoyed that we got clues from so many other characters. It kept the mystery really fresh (and confusing!) which was a positive for me.
Some pages of this novel are filled with blatant hate (homophobia, xenophobia, racial discrimination, sexism) and they were hard to read. Please be warned.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
When Abigail Blake goes missing, the whole town forms opinions on what may have happened. Was she murdered? Did she run away from her trashy and abusive family? Is she lost in the woods?
Abi’s best friend Emma left Abi at the party in the woods that night and now must live with the consequences. Desperate to find Abi and find answers, when she’s sober enough, Emma sets out to discover the truth. But in the extremely religious and backward town of Cold Creek, it quickly becomes apparent that everyone has secrets and everyone has motive.
I struggled a bit at first to keep track of all the lies and secrets but the author did a good job of reminding us throughout the novel as the suspense built. Some of the secrets felt a bit dragged out but everything unfolded nicely toward the end.
I loved the writing style. The author jumped from character to character to show different viewpoints. It took some getting used to but worked really well for the storyline. There were also flashbacks to “then” alternated with the “now” story which added a lot of depth and helped build Abi’s character.
Emma’s “investigation” into Abi’s disappearance felt authentic and not over the top which I really liked. I also enjoyed that we got clues from so many other characters. It kept the mystery really fresh (and confusing!) which was a positive for me.
Some pages of this novel are filled with blatant hate (homophobia, xenophobia, racial discrimination, sexism) and they were hard to read. Please be warned.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.