The Lies I Tell: A twisty and engrossing thriller about a woman who cannot be trusted, from the bestselling author of The Flight

by Julie Clark

Lauryn Allman (Narrator)

From the author of international bestseller THE FLIGHT comes another clever and engrossing thriller with a sucker-punch ending.

Meg Varnum. Maggie Littleton. Meg Upton. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. I'm not a con artist as much as an avenger. A righter of wrongs. But nothing about me is real, other than my desire to hold men like you accountable for the things you've done.

I don't break any laws, and what I take is given willingly. I can't be blamed for how easy it is to manipulate you. It's a discipline involving confidence, cleverness, and deception. And now, I'm about to work my final trick . . . this time under my real name. Because when it's done, I want you to know who I am and remember what you did to me.

Combining blistering pace with brilliant female characters, this is the unforgettable new thriller from the author of the international bestseller and number one ebook bestseller The Flight, called 'absolutely sensational!' by Jo Spain.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• ISBN10: 152938933X
• ISBN13: 9781529389333
• Publish Date: 23 June 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 9 hours and 32 minutes
• 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.