This is a hidden gem! I have been asked by Publishers, Authors and Netgalley questions about our reading habits, how to get over a slump your favorite book of 2022, which book would you recommend for people who don't like to read (the last question is nearly unfathomable to me) but now I have an answer, Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole is in the top 3 books that I have read thus far in 22! I never push this hard on Social Media or my blog about a book, this is what reading should be, you are pulled in from the beginning, the historical aspects make you feel as though you are there, the kidnapped little boy, Max , causes a tension that you feel throughout the book,(please don't let anything happen to Max!) The moving story of the courageous young women who defied convention in order to take flying lessons in order to serve their Country in wartime, incredibly powerful, all the young men who gave their lives in order for us to have the freedoms we should cherish. I felt so much emotion through this murder mystery, Historical Mystery Genre book, it's amazing what a good story evokes in us. There are a two mistakes in the book, which need correcting, just so you know that I did notice, easily corrected. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Thank you to the Administrator on Facebook who asked "Do we request books based on the Publisher", and my answer was no, I am so thrilled to have gone back to this publisher's page, took more time and located this book! I am giving it a 4.5, for the way I rate, would be a 10!
Thank you #Netgalley #BooksGoSocial
I highly recommend!
carolintallahassee

I requested this book because I LOVED the Final Hunt. I didn’t read the blurb on the back. I almost didn’t read it because I don’t usually do WWII books or child abduction books, but I decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t put it down.

Right off the bat it gave me Lindberg Nanny vibes and it even mentions the Lindberg baby.
It starts as a mystery, but as the mystery begins to unravel it gets really suspenseful. Like, heart racing suspenseful.

This book explores many types of relationships. Old friends, new friends, parent/child, romantic, family and professional. Vera was a strong, likable character and I found myself rooting her for. This was a great read that I would recommend to anyone!

This book was just wow. Vera is a young married women who inspires to be a pilot. However, she is living in 1942 in the USA during WW2 where people continuously tell her she cannot follow her dreams. Her husband, also pilot believes in her and reminds her to follow her dreams. Her husband gets deployed last minute and the rich family he works for is left without a private pilot. In comes Vera a pilot who needs hours to prove herself to get into her dream program. The catch, that family is chaotic with the recent kidnapping of young Max. Upon working for the family, Vera finds herself roped into the drama and chaos of the family.

I received this ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I rated this book 3.5/5.

Book is historical fiction with a strong female character who does not backdown and will not fit into the mould set by society in 1942. This book is dual POV featuring book strong female characters. This was something I loved about the book having these refreshing characters, and great writing.

My only issue with the book was having slow parts, and some scenes needed more detail to the environment. Overall, well written book and the strong female characters make my heart happy.

Only One Lie by Audrey J Cole was the perfect read for a mystery lover living in the PNW, where the author is from and the story takes place. Cole takes the reader on a wild ride through her protagonist Vera, seeing the ugly side of the extremely weathy in 1942 Seattle. This story is fast paced, beautifully written, and you do not want to put it down. I HIGHLY recommend it as an immediate read when it gets released to the public December 27!

Thank you NetGalley and Rainier Publishing for this exceptional ARC!

Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole is a suspense-driven novel that seamlessly blends historical fiction with a riveting mystery. I have previously enjoyed Ms Cole's novels, and this latest exceeded my very high expectations.

It is 1942 and as WWII continues, news of a kidnapping in Seattle will change the lives of not only Max Ellis's wealthy banking family, but those of Hugh and Vera Chandler who are young newlyweds at the time. Hugh is six months into a stint as the family's private pilot when he is deployed to the Pacific. Left behind, Vera wonders what she can do for the war effort and finds herself in the employ of the Ellis family, involving herself in the desperate effort to save young Max.

This is a story that will captivate the reader from beginning to end. It is a tale of hope, courage, and remarkable bravery in the most exceptional of times. Recommended. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and author Audrey J. Cole for an ARC.

4.5 rounded up
Fast paced and I learned so much. Great characters and story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

What a brilliantly compelling story. In fact, this book is so compelling that I stayed up very late reading it. This is a thriller in its truest sense, but the historical aspect has also been very well researched and this came across in the story. Likewise, I thought the characters were very well drawn.

If you enjoy historical thrillers then this book really has to be on your to-read list. I highly recommend this novel.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

I am a huge fan of WWII historical fiction as well as a cozy mystery. I'd say this book hit both of those genres beautifully and fanned my flame! The main character, Vera, is a former nursing student but decided she wanted something more, so she became a pilot. Vera takes on a job with an elite wealthy family as their private pilot after her husband is called to duty in the war. The family is hesitant to take on a female as a pilot, however they do it. What Vera finds once she's inside the job is not what she expected. She's immediately drawn into the mysterious kidnapping of the family's son, Max. Priscilla, Max's mother, begs Vera to help her. Vera is in too deep when she realizes the danger that she's in. In the back of her mind, she can't help but also think, will this finally prove that the profession I've chosen is a worthy one for a female?
Audrey Cole done a wonderful job portraying the issues that come with someone who has it all but wants more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Audrey J Cole, and Rainer Publishing for allowing me this chance to review this arc ebook .

Just when I thought Audrey J. Cole’s writing could not get any better than her last novel, The Final Hunt, her latest novel, Only One Lie, is published! Ms. Cole is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

Fueled by strong female characters, nonstop action, and a mystery with twists you do not see coming, Only One Lie is a novel you will not want to put down!

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This as truly a great read. I enjoyed the historical
Aspect with such wonderful characters. There was some sad parts for sure but life is sad sometimes so it worked out in the reality aspect to me. There was in fact a twist I didn’t see coming that was truly just moving. I’m not usually a huge fan of historical stories but this one just touched my heart similar in a way home front by Kristin Hannah did♥️I def recommend

Audrey Cole has written a captivating mystery and has built a character with Vera that I admired and cheered for while she pursued her profession as a pilot and her avocation as a detective. Vera nimbly moves through pilot qualifications despite personal setbacks and romantic hardships. She also deftly solves a convoluted mystery complicated by hidden agendas and a prominent family drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this engaging ARC.

Incredibly well researched and an amazing story about family drama, secrets and manipulation. Add to that a kidnapping, murders and a war in full swing and you have a fantastic story. Notwithstanding all of this, the best part for me were the many strong women carrying the story forward and their non-wavering support for each other.

Suspense and romance nicely mixed together, creating a memorable, hard to put down book which I thoroughly recommend.

Only One Lie, by Audrey J Cole, is a historical suspense with just enough romance to add a bit of sweetness to the storyline. All the main characters are interesting and the story was intriguing. I enjoyed learning a little bit about the history as well as the mechanics of early aircrafts. Overall, it's a very good story.
Seattle, 1942. News of the war is interrupted by the kidnapping
Max Ellis has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Because the Ellis's are one of the wealthiest banking families in the U.S., they're able to obtain the money that's been demanded. But the plan goes completely sideways.
Pilot, Vera Chandler, has just seen her husband off to war and applies to become the Ellis’s new pilot. Then Max's mother asks her to help look for her missing son. Vera has no idea how to help but she winds up following up on a few clues to some unsavory places. Too late, she realizes just how much danger she's put herself in.

Vera Chandler is a former nurse with a pilot's license who takes over her husband's job as a private pilot when he goes off to fight in WWII. Sounds like a dream job with an uber-wealthy, influential family but there are dangerous undercurrents at play. A child been kidnapped and the kidnapper's body has been found dead a the ransom drop off point. Vera becomes embroiled in the investigation as well as in the lives of this secretive family. An enjoyable mystery with a likeable, strong female lead.

Set in WWII, this novel involves women pilots who are replacing their male counterparts due to the war shortage. When the main character (Vera) takes over a pilot's job from her husband for a wealthy family, she becomes involved in a kidnapping, murders and family secrets. I wasn't particularly thrilled with this book, I read it very quickly to see how it ended. For those readers who like historical fiction, this might appeal to them.

"It was only one lie. I never imagined it would turn into this."
"You know, when you're flying a plane, even a single mistake can be fatal--all it takes is one."

All it took was one lie for a wealthy family's world to unravel. Well, clearly there were more lies involved. The Uber-wealthy Ellis family's son, Max, is taken from his bedroom in the middle of the night. The family is ready to pay the ransom but finds a man dead at the meeting location. Oh no! This is a journey of the search for Max but so much more too. Their new personal pilot, Vera, finds herself involved in this terrible family's business, while dealing with personal hardships. She goes into detective mode to find out where Max could be.

I LOVED the women pilot aspect of this novel! It may be my favorite part. There were some truly kickass women in this book! The mystery was good, a bit predictable at times but I did find some surprises mixed in too. This is an amateur sleuth novel so if you are one to ask yourself "why would she do that" you will have to suspend your disbelief and go with it. I found several of the characters quite likable and others perfectly despicable; they were each well-written, some more in-depth than others but all good. Overall, for me, this was a solid, quick, mystery.

As the spouse of a military pilot (and a friend to many others), I found parts of this book triggering but I felt those aspects were handled with care.
And a little spoiler but when she heard "Hi, kitten" ....CUE TEARS. One of my absolute favorite lines of the book.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the copy to read and review. I think Audrey J. Cole can be placed in my "Will Always Request" category :)

Author Audrey Cole takes the readers on a journey through 1942 Seattle and an inside look at the treacherous Ellis Family, a filthy rich banking family that truly believes money can buy everything. The family is dealing with the kidnapping of their young son, Max. To the public, Priscilla and Vincent Ellis appear to be the perfect couple. Good looks, wealth, glitz and glamour - but beneath the surface, it's just a front. When Vera Chandler lands a job as the families new pilot of their private plane, after her husband, Hugh, is shipped off to the Pacific to fight, Vera learns quickly there is something sinister occurring in the Ellis family. What really happened to Max?

Vera befriends Priscilla and begins helping her look for her son. Initially, she pities the poor woman stuck in an abusive marriage with a family that would rather see her out of the picture entirely. Before Vera realizes it, she is in over her head and in way too deep. The Ellis family is dangerous and they will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden. How far is Vera willing to go to help a woman she barely knows? Does this woman deserve her help?

Only One Lie is full of lies, deceit, murder, kidnapping, mystery, thriller, family drama and so much more! It's very obvious that the author did her research and was very knowledgeable of the content in this book which is extremely impressive.

After qualifying as a pilot Vera takes over from her husband Hugh working for the wealthy Ellis family as their private pilot. But this is at a time that the young son of Vincent and Priscilla has been kidnapped. Vera finds herself caught up as a would be detective trying to discover where Max is, with devastating consequences
As with all the Audrey Cole books I have read, she draws upon her own experiences of being the daughter of a pilot, she uses her knowledge to write descriptive prise of flying.
A great mix of historical fiction and mystery.
I was gifted this advanced copy from Netgalley and Rainier Publishing but am under no obligation to leave my review

This is a combination of women becoming pilots during the second World War and a sort of cosy detective. The former is definitely the best. Vera is training to be a pilot very much against her family's wish. She's married to a pilot who is called up just after Pearl Harbour and he persuades her to try for his job as the personal pilot to a very rich family. She succeeds and then becomes involved in the kidnapping of a little boy, the grandson of the distinctly unpleasant rich family matriarch. The flying aspects are really well-written as are the war aspects - the difficulties faced by women who wanted to do a "man's job".. Vera's getting involved with finding the little boy are less so especially as the family overall is rather nasty but one can live with that. 3.5* rounded up for the war aspects. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The author knows her subject matter and it shows. The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest (where the author lives), and our protagonist is a nursing-student-turned-pilot (while the author is a former nurse and pilot's daughter) - consequently, her knowledge and descriptions of those worlds is excellent.

I would classify this as a blend of historical fiction and cozy mystery. As a massive fan of WWI historical fiction who has read it all, I appreciate that the author went for a unique concept, with a setting in the Pacific Northwest and a protagonist who is neither directly nor indirectly involved in the war effort, but whose world is thrown into disarray because of it nevertheless.

When the protagonist takes up a position as a private pilot for a wealthy family, she gets more than she bargained for - but so do they: Vera Chandler is a worthy heroine to build a story around. Through her, we get an insider's look into the not-so-pretty world of the elite, and the secrets, deceit, and corruption that so often hide behind the glossy facade of wealth and privilege. This is a classic tale of those who have it all but want more, and the secrets the wealthy keep using their money, privilege, and influence (and bribery, and the ability to make people disappear). The mystery is more complex than expected, with suspense sustained throughout. In addition to Vera, the supporting characters are well fleshed out as the author never resorts to lazy black and white characterizations.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rainier Publishing for this ARC.