First off, as I do review many types of books, this book is not a Christian or clean read in any way. There is coarse language throughout, with several variations of the “F” word used.
Both British and American English are used throughout this story. Since I have read a few UK “chick lit” books, I sort of understood the British English words used.
There is some sex talk in this novel, though nothing overly graphic. There are no sex scenes in the book.
Trigger warnings include:
* Domestic Violence
* Rape
* Murder
* Gaslighting
For those who have experienced some of the traumatic events mentioned, they might want to have someone else read this book first.
I was very eager to read this as I had been hearing about this book since late last year. It sounded SO good. And, I had been TRYING to win a copy through different channels with no such luck. The author’s “The Night Olivia Fell” was highly acclaimed and I suspected this wouldn’t be any different.
This book is NOT connected to the previous novel at all. Both are standalone reads.
I was able to get “The Night Olivia Fell” from the library and it was definitely a four (4) star read, despite the sad premise.
In that book, it was the daughter who “died” and the mother trying to research what happened and lead up to that night. And, in the course of doing so, she uncovered a lot of secrets her daughter knew and some she tried to find out.
This time, in “Behind Every Lie”, Eva is suspected of killing her mother, but can’t remember what happened due to being struck by lightning. Determined to clear her name, she travels from Seattle to London and begins to uncover her mother’s secrets, and how they connect to Eva’s life. However, there is someone who doesn’t want her to know. And, it is for a very good reason.
Like “The Night Olivia Fell”; “Behind Every Lie” is also told in alternating POVs from Eva in the current and Kat (Eva’s mother) in the past. “The Night Olivia Fell” was told with the mother in the present and daughter in the past.
Kat’s past is told in increments: 25 years ago, 17 years ago, 4 years ago, the day before, and the night of the murder.
McDonald has a masterful way of weaving complex mother/daughter relationships along with twists, turns, surprises, and suspense. The first novel was a taste of that talent, this got even more twisted.
One common complaint is that this has a lot of drama and plot twists going on. So much so that it could’ve worked as two different novels. That didn’t bother me, but did keep the book moving at a fast, engaging, and “almost couldn’t put it down” pace. There were more twists than a NASCAR road course. So, it could be hard for some readers to keep up with.
The writing style did make the story flow quite well.
About a third (⅓) of the way in there is a HUGE reveal which sets up what might be a motive with misconceptions and assumptions swirling around.
But, that isn’t the only reveal. And, this was chock full of secrets.
The characters of Eva and Kat were complex and conflicted. As I continued on, I figured out why. The support characters were just that – support. I disliked Liam even before the end of the novel. There were things Eva kept praising him about how much he took care of her. Yet, it seemed more like “controlling” her. Eva seemed strong, yet weak.
There was an event in her past that was relevant, though some might find it was brought up far too often.
This was such an engaging novel, and the cover was tempting. It was hard to put it down for the night. And, once I got past chapter 36, I HAD to finish this novel.
This was a haunting, sad, and page-turning read. Every bit, if not better, than “The Night Olivia Fell”. So, I wasn’t too disappointed overall. I was glad that I was able to get a copy of it.
The title comes from a phrase - behind every lie is a reason, and behind every reason there is a person.
A four (4) star read that teaches us we can be strong, brave, and still broken.
Both British and American English are used throughout this story. Since I have read a few UK “chick lit” books, I sort of understood the British English words used.
There is some sex talk in this novel, though nothing overly graphic. There are no sex scenes in the book.
Trigger warnings include:
* Domestic Violence
* Rape
* Murder
* Gaslighting
For those who have experienced some of the traumatic events mentioned, they might want to have someone else read this book first.
I was very eager to read this as I had been hearing about this book since late last year. It sounded SO good. And, I had been TRYING to win a copy through different channels with no such luck. The author’s “The Night Olivia Fell” was highly acclaimed and I suspected this wouldn’t be any different.
This book is NOT connected to the previous novel at all. Both are standalone reads.
I was able to get “The Night Olivia Fell” from the library and it was definitely a four (4) star read, despite the sad premise.
In that book, it was the daughter who “died” and the mother trying to research what happened and lead up to that night. And, in the course of doing so, she uncovered a lot of secrets her daughter knew and some she tried to find out.
This time, in “Behind Every Lie”, Eva is suspected of killing her mother, but can’t remember what happened due to being struck by lightning. Determined to clear her name, she travels from Seattle to London and begins to uncover her mother’s secrets, and how they connect to Eva’s life. However, there is someone who doesn’t want her to know. And, it is for a very good reason.
Like “The Night Olivia Fell”; “Behind Every Lie” is also told in alternating POVs from Eva in the current and Kat (Eva’s mother) in the past. “The Night Olivia Fell” was told with the mother in the present and daughter in the past.
Kat’s past is told in increments: 25 years ago, 17 years ago, 4 years ago, the day before, and the night of the murder.
McDonald has a masterful way of weaving complex mother/daughter relationships along with twists, turns, surprises, and suspense. The first novel was a taste of that talent, this got even more twisted.
One common complaint is that this has a lot of drama and plot twists going on. So much so that it could’ve worked as two different novels. That didn’t bother me, but did keep the book moving at a fast, engaging, and “almost couldn’t put it down” pace. There were more twists than a NASCAR road course. So, it could be hard for some readers to keep up with.
The writing style did make the story flow quite well.
About a third (⅓) of the way in there is a HUGE reveal which sets up what might be a motive with misconceptions and assumptions swirling around.
But, that isn’t the only reveal. And, this was chock full of secrets.
The characters of Eva and Kat were complex and conflicted. As I continued on, I figured out why. The support characters were just that – support. I disliked Liam even before the end of the novel. There were things Eva kept praising him about how much he took care of her. Yet, it seemed more like “controlling” her. Eva seemed strong, yet weak.
There was an event in her past that was relevant, though some might find it was brought up far too often.
This was such an engaging novel, and the cover was tempting. It was hard to put it down for the night. And, once I got past chapter 36, I HAD to finish this novel.
This was a haunting, sad, and page-turning read. Every bit, if not better, than “The Night Olivia Fell”. So, I wasn’t too disappointed overall. I was glad that I was able to get a copy of it.
The title comes from a phrase - behind every lie is a reason, and behind every reason there is a person.
A four (4) star read that teaches us we can be strong, brave, and still broken.