BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald alternates between the main character (Eva, in the present) and her mother (Kat, 25 years earlier.) Kat was brutally murdered the same night Eva was found near her mother’s house after being struck by lightning. Eva can’t remember what happened, but the police suspect she may have had something to do with Kat’s murder. To clear her name, Eva starts digging into her mother’s past and discovers some dark family secrets.
I liked that this was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of moving parts and some red herrings tossed in along the way to make readers doubt themselves. I think if the story had focused solely on Eva’s quest to learn about her mother’s past and catch her killer, it would have been a five-star read for me. Following Eva’s journey from Seattle to London to unravel Kat’s deeply held secrets was captivating and the best part of the story! Unfortunately, the story veered off in so many different directions (e.g., rape, domestic abuse, grief, stalking, adoption, arson, shady business dealings, frustration with motherhood, getting reacquainted with the boy next door, coming out, etc.), I almost forgot that figuring out who murdered Kat was supposed to be the focus of the book.
I liked that this was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of moving parts and some red herrings tossed in along the way to make readers doubt themselves. I think if the story had focused solely on Eva’s quest to learn about her mother’s past and catch her killer, it would have been a five-star read for me. Following Eva’s journey from Seattle to London to unravel Kat’s deeply held secrets was captivating and the best part of the story! Unfortunately, the story veered off in so many different directions (e.g., rape, domestic abuse, grief, stalking, adoption, arson, shady business dealings, frustration with motherhood, getting reacquainted with the boy next door, coming out, etc.), I almost forgot that figuring out who murdered Kat was supposed to be the focus of the book.