The Lies I Tell: A Novel

by Julie Clark

"Julie Clark has done it again...taking you straight into the collision course of two dynamic, complicated women." -Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight!

She's back.

Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be-a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.

Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.

The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.

• ISBN10: 1728247594
• ISBN13: 9781728247595
• Publish Date: 21 July 2022 (first published 23 June 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Landmark
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love that BOTM convinces me to buy books that I might have otherwise overlooked or missed out on. The latest example of this is The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark. I had no idea it was released this month, so I was happy to snag it when I saw it available.

Con women know that they must carry many mantles and names. It's how they succeed, how they survive. As such, Meg Williams has gotten quite used to picking up and dropping aliases. But this time, she will have to use her real name, which ups her risks. However, it'll all be worth it in the end.

When Meg Williams strolls back into town, Kat Roberts immediately takes notice. Kat partially blames Meg for everything that has gone wrong in her life, starting with one moment ten years ago. Now it is time to expose the truth.

“The lies I tell serve a purpose, tipping karma in the right direction. Returning power to those who have lost it...The difference between justice and revenge comes down to who’s telling the story.”

I'll be honest; I wasn't sure what to expect from The Lies I Tell. I knew that I loved the cover and was intrigued by the description. But beyond that? You never really know what you're getting into, not when you read a mystery/thriller author for the first time.

Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed The Lies I Tell. I loved the split perspective, as it allowed us to get to know Meg and Kat simultaneously. More importantly, it revealed their side of events, but in a way that allowed for the dramatic tension to build. It was very well done.

Some scenes are admittedly a little predictable, and some decisions made me want to scream. On the bright side, I liked this take on the whole con artist trope; it was fun and very different (for me, at least).

One thing I want to give Julie Clark credit for is how well she portrayed her characters. They felt human, which means they were flawed, had goals and sometimes made mistakes. It gave us more reason to care for them, even (perhaps especially) when there were times when we didn't understand who was in the right.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Jeff Sexton]

You Think You Know Me. This is a con artist/ revenge tale where if you think you know either of our main characters... well, you need to read through the end of the tale. ;) I found it close enough to thriller territory to warrant that label, as I was constantly wanting to further uncover exactly what was going on. Despite some other reviews claiming the contrary, there actually are a few twists... though I fully admit they are more of the "no narrator is honest" type, as the text openly admits. Ultimately I had fun with this tale, and that is all I really ask of a book. Very much recommended.