Last year, Christina McDonald's The Night Olivia Fell was all over the place. While I have not had a chance to read it, I heard it was a heck of a thriller. I, a lover of thrillers, was stoked when this book, Behind Every Lie, showed up on my doorstep for me to read!
Told in alternating POVs we follow, Eva Hansen after she's been hit by lightening. Upon waking up from her injury, Eva struggles to remember what happened, especially after finding out her mother has been murdered and she's the prime suspect. Throughout the story, we follow Eva as she tries to gain her memories from the traumatic event back. We dip into her past as well, specially from 4 years prior where she was raped. Her history of memory loss after big events does nothing to help her case, but determined to understand why she would have killed here mother, she stumbles upon an even bigger secret.
Kat, Eva's mother, has been hiding out in the US for most of Eva's life. She's been running from her ex-husband and has kept all of this from Eva her entire life. As Eva continues to fight to get her memories back, she digs deeper into her mom's past, the results of which are the real reason Kat was killed.
I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter. I feel that it gives and allows McDonald to explore the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships while adding an extra level of mystery to the story. This book is emotionally intense and would fall into the category of domestic thriller. There are a handful of 'triggering' event though, including rape, child death, and domestic abuse. None of which I felt were added just for the sake of it. Instead each of the traumatic events enhances the story overall and added an additional layer of complexity to keep you guessing.
While I felt I knew who the killer was, I was constantly having to readdress my ideas and even doubted my conclusion for a time. Which is exactly what I look for in a thriller. I would definitely recommend this book, it's a fast read, and will keep you guessing.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Behind Every Lie. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thanks to Gallery Books for my advanced copy of the book.
Told in alternating POVs we follow, Eva Hansen after she's been hit by lightening. Upon waking up from her injury, Eva struggles to remember what happened, especially after finding out her mother has been murdered and she's the prime suspect. Throughout the story, we follow Eva as she tries to gain her memories from the traumatic event back. We dip into her past as well, specially from 4 years prior where she was raped. Her history of memory loss after big events does nothing to help her case, but determined to understand why she would have killed here mother, she stumbles upon an even bigger secret.
Kat, Eva's mother, has been hiding out in the US for most of Eva's life. She's been running from her ex-husband and has kept all of this from Eva her entire life. As Eva continues to fight to get her memories back, she digs deeper into her mom's past, the results of which are the real reason Kat was killed.
I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter. I feel that it gives and allows McDonald to explore the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships while adding an extra level of mystery to the story. This book is emotionally intense and would fall into the category of domestic thriller. There are a handful of 'triggering' event though, including rape, child death, and domestic abuse. None of which I felt were added just for the sake of it. Instead each of the traumatic events enhances the story overall and added an additional layer of complexity to keep you guessing.
While I felt I knew who the killer was, I was constantly having to readdress my ideas and even doubted my conclusion for a time. Which is exactly what I look for in a thriller. I would definitely recommend this book, it's a fast read, and will keep you guessing.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Behind Every Lie. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thanks to Gallery Books for my advanced copy of the book.