Lies We Bury

by Elle Marr

A novel about secrets and revenge by the number one Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Missing Sister. It’s only by confronting who she was then that she can understand who she is now.

I was born in captivity…

Two decades ago Marissa Mo escaped a basement prison—the only home she’d ever known. At twenty-seven, Marissa’s moved beyond the trauma and is working under a new name as a freelance photographer. But when she accepts a job covering a string of macabre murders in Portland, it’s impossible for Marissa not to remember.

Everything is eerily familiar. The same underground lairs. Sad trinkets and toys left behind, identical to those Marissa had as a child. And then there is the note meant just for her that freezes Marissa’s blood: See you soon, Missy.

To determine the killer’s next move, Marissa must retrieve her long-forgotten memories and return to a past she’s hidden away. But she won’t be facing her fears alone. Someone is waiting for her in the dark.

• ISBN10: 1542026199
• ISBN13: 9781542026192
• Publish Date: 1 April 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Thomas & Mercer
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

Lies We Bury is an intense thriller about the past coming back to haunt. Marissa was literally born in captivity, living for years in a basement with the mothers and her sisters. It’s been twenty years since she escaped with her own mother and sisters, and she has done all she can to escape her past. With the ongoing public interest in what happened to them, that hasn’t been easy. She’s gone so far as to change her name in her attempt to start over. But there is someone who doesn’t want that to happen for her. And to top it all off, someone from her past is coming back, someone she wants nothing to do with. The book is part thriller, part mystery, part family dynamic. It has so many twists and turns, ones that kept me turning the pages and trying to figure out the answers. I loved Claire’s character, even when she made choices that made me want to scream at her. I enjoyed all the characters. The author did a really wonderful job of making diverse characters, showing how differently people can respond to a shared experience, how differently they might develop. My recommendation: If you love a great thriller, with some very creepy vibes, this is a good one to read!

[Quirky Cat]

Elle Marr's latest novel, Lies We Bury, is another thriller, one that takes family history, stalking, and the repetition of history to a whole new level.

It's been twenty years since Marissa Mo was forced to spend her life in a basement. Twenty years of freedom. Yet the past never feels far behind, not when there are constantly people seeking her out to remind her of it.

This past feels closer than ever, as a new series of murders pop up in Marissa's life. Worse yet, she's meant to deal with them, being a photographer for a local newspaper. Giving her all the opportunity in the world to see how it all connects to her past.

“Four alarms have been shot.
Twenty years. Twenty beers. All named for leaders.
Find the name I most admire and you'll find the next one first.
SEE YOU SOON, MISSY.”

Lies We Bury is a dark and disturbing read. It's perfect for a Saturday afternoon read (I say with experience on the matter). Elle Marr perfectly captured the darker sides of humanity, tucking it all into Marissa's past and the new evil lurking in the shadows.

There were many parts of this novel that I enjoyed. I felt like the stalking and harassment elements were believable. They also reminded me a little bit of Rachel Caine's Stillhouse Lake series – which was a little bittersweet reminder for me.

The story was split into two timelines: then and now. Marissa's, or Claire, as she'd prefer to be known, the story unfolds, one version of her as a competent adult. The other is a traumatized child. The two are in stark contrast to each other, which is part of what made the narrative so compelling.

While some elements of Lies We Bury felt predictable (at least for somebody who reads way too many thrillers), the ending did throw me through a loop. Better yet, it didn't strike me as being too out there, so I was content with the way things went down.

I do feel like there was something off or missing about parts of this novel. It's a story that had so much potential, and I'm not sure that Elle Marr made full use of that. It just didn't grab me in the way I had hoped. I think if I had taken a break while reading Lies We Bury, I might have found myself easily moving on to a different book instead. So that's not a great sign. But otherwise, I did enjoy the experience.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
 

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks