This was so good! Complex, action packed, full of secrets. I can't wait to read the next one!! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC

Very interesting read. Didn’t expect the plot twists in it and enjoyed the characters.

Enjoyed that it was a multi pov story telling as it delved in deeper to the story/characters lives and the narrator was clear and well spoken when narrating the story and added character to it all

Middle of the road small town crime story. Some parts I really enjoyed, but others felt too unrealistic. Keeping a police officer on a case that he has secretly messed with several times? Nope. Would never happen. And every time it did, I felt pulled out from the story. I did love the writing style so would pick up another book by this author.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. A gripping story of a small town police department and murder. The character development happens quickly and the plot twists are endless in this story of an over-qualified female chief of police and her home-town deputies. Some mild content warning for child abuse and murder.

Such a fun and exciting read! The story follows Maggie Riley, the Police Chief in the small town of Coyote Cove, Maine. When a body is found brutally stabbed and dumped in the woods outside of this New England town, the hunt begins for the individual who could have committed such a heinous crime; but not all is as it seems. The town is full of people with their fair share of secrets, including the Chief, herself. This book is full of unexpected twists and turns that will have you second-guessing every character and their motives! This was my first book by Shannon Hollinger and it definitely won't be my last. I'm excited to see where she takes this series and these characters!

Thank you Bookouture, Shannon Hollinger and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook and the chance to review it!

Maggie is the Chief of Police of a small town in Maine, where crime is not a regularity, much less murders. Maggie comes highly decorated and over-qualified for her role in the town, which comes in handy when she finds a dead body and a hysterical local girl on the outskirts of her town. As she works to solve the mystery of the murder, she also has to work to ensure the truth comes out, not only for herself, but for the local girl, Heather.

The story was enjoyable, and the setup varied from the typical "mystery" a little bit. However, I feel like there was a lot crammed into one book, and the Kidnapping was almost anti-climactic. Additionally, there are a number of details that are kind of just thrown in there (I presume for future books), but sometimes feel a little out of place. That being said the details are causing me to want to read the next books in the Chief Maggie series.

In the way of the audio portion of the book, the narrator was enjoyable, and easy to listen to. At times the discussion between spoken words and thoughts was difficult to decipher, but otherwise I thought the audio quality was great.

As the first in a series this is a good introduction to what could be a cracking series as we learn more about chief Maggie Riley. I can definitely see the potential and as not all is revealed i would eagerly read on.
The narrator was able to distinguish betwern characters and i could get ingrossed in tge story . The plot itself centre on the after effects of a body found one night and a girl nearby. Every character has a secret and nothing is as it seems.. Part of the story seemed unbelievable but i was invested throughtout so it didn't matter. The different pov narrative was perfect. It was a quick listen and made me want to get the next one.
A good solid 4 stars. Thank you net gallery and publisher for my arc.

Book Title: The Girl who Lied
Series: Chief Maggie Riley #1
Author: Shannon Hollinger
Narrator: Arinelia Sciandra
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: August 2, 2023
My Rating: 2.5
Pages: 302

This story starts when Chief Maggie Riley is checking on a report of poachers. She is driving there as a blood moon is rising over the tiny Maine town of Coyote Cove where Maddie now works. However, instead pf poachers Maggie finds the body of a man has met a violent death –he is not from Coyote Cove.
Maggie also is not from this area; as a woman and a non-local she is resented by many for getting this job. Maggie was a detective in Florida but is keeping her former life a secret.
It appears she is trying to escape something that happened in her old life.

This is only my second [author: Shannon Hollinger], the first was [book: Fest Friends Forever].
I struggle a bit with that story as the characters were so unlikeable.

I was curious about this story so hung in there.
I am an audiobook fan but also a narrator snob. I found I didn’t like the characters but wasn’t positive if it was because of the performance of the characters by the narrator.
I wonder if I would have liked this better if I read it?
Sorry but I didn't enjoy this but doesn't mean you won't love it!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 2, 2023.

Fast pass, twists and turns, secrets everywhere and a dead body. All the things that work in this type of genre. I did enjoy myself when listening to this.

However, i did have some issues. For me it felt like there were to many POV's to keep track of (one min we are listening to a person and i am like wait who was this again), it felt like there was alot going on to the point if felt like to much (bodies, secrets) I kinda knew the ending before getting to the ending.

I have thought about some things with one secret i have a slight feeling i know what it is and the ending with the realization of the faking mental health. Those are good thoughts.

I'm already itching for book 2! This book was a good thriller. With some twists and turns I didn't see coming - I really enjoyed the ride it took you on. Maggie is a (now) small town police chief who has a murder to solve. Throughout the book we get plenty of different POVs - including Heather, a teenager who wants to get out of the small town she was forced to grow up in, Murphy - the deputy who is trying to cope with finding out secrets of the past, and Steve - Maggie's boyfriend who like Maggie - is running from his past. Not all of the questions you are dying for answers to get their ending... but that just means we are in store for so much more to come!

What happens when a small town full of secrets discovers a dead body that threatens to reveal everyone’s lies and betrayals? In The Girl Who Lied by Shannon Hollinger, readers witness what happens when a murder leads to a chain of events that sparks a chain of events no one saw coming.

I swear I was saying “what?!” every few pages with this murder mystery/psychological thriller. There were so many dark twists and turns that I never saw coming, and each one seemed to be far more dreadful than the last. I stayed up almost all night to finish this one because I HAD to know what would happen next. I mean, who needs sleep when the book is that good, right? The narration was so good for each character and the story flowed so well from one character to the next. The ending left me so shocked, I immediately turned to my husband and started ranting about what happened.

Definitely check trigger warnings with this one, though. It is DARK, which is good story-wise, but may be triggering for some readers.

I really enjoyed the storyline. I loved the characters. For the most part the narrator was great but the surfer style voice of the one detective almost made me quit so I am glad that didn't take over the storyline.

I would definitely recommend this book to others but most likely in a paper or ebook format.

Thank. you for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Wow wow wow. This one was so good in many ways. The twists and turns, the relationships, the romance, the characters. So much unexpected, just enough predictable. I truly enjoyed listening to the audiobook provided by NetGalley. The narrator wasn't my favorite, but she did alright, and the writing was good enough to make up for her odd voice changes. I can't wait to read more about Maggie Riley!

Oh if you like book with exceptional detectives working in small towns - this is the one for you. I liked the narration too.

Colleen Chi-Girl
The Girl Who Lied (Chief Maggie Riley, #1) by Shannon Hollinger; narrated by Amelia Sciandra
5 BIG STARS
Bookshelves: 2023, audio, bookouture, contemporary, crime-mysteries, maine, netgalley, thrillers, women-centered, us-no-amer

This is a terrific thriller set in Coyote Cove, a small town in Maine, and features a dynamic police chief, Maggie Riley. In her personal life, Maggie is involved with a kind man, Steve, who also lives in town and they are keeping some secrets from each other. It seems they both moved to Maine (separately) to leave some things in their pasts far behind. I debated on 4.5 stars but thought everything really just clicked in this story - bravo Ms. Hollinger!

Maggie is intelligent, clever, and overqualified for this small town job, and she easily takes the lead of a murder case even though the Feds have arrived. This is a fast-paced, well-written, suspenseful thriller that I didn't want to put down! The story is told from multiple POVs that include Maggie, Steve, the lieutenant, and a 16 year old girl, Heather (who is discovered at the crime scene of the dead man). The narrator, Amelia Sciandra, does a fabulous job as the voice of the many characters. She makes the pace, tension, and drama move through the unexpected (but really good) twists and turns. I'm glad that this is the 1st book in a new series and will be eager to read book 2.

A big thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and the author, Shannon Hollinger, for the ARC audiobook in return for my unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre Audion for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is an interesting book. Not one of the characters is believable and all are extreme drama queens. There are many POVs and at first, it was hard to make the leaps that the author wants the reader to make. The action is so extreme and the pace so fast that it does make for good beach reading if you are into this kind of thing.
No one is who they seem and the little town of Coyote Cove, Maine must be a magnet for unlikeable misfits.

That said, once I accepted that I wasn't listening to good writing, I relaxed and let the story flow. The narrator, Amelia Sciandra, is quite good. She handles men's and women's voices well. All the characters think out loud so it is a challenge I imagine for the narrator. I appreciated her work.

One of the reviews said that if you like Louise Penny, you will love this book. This book has nothing in common with the wonderful Louise Penny series. Her characters are believable, struggle with good and evil, integrity and loose thinking. This book has no life questions. There is no overarching theme. It is just a story of really damaged people living in a small town, some committing atrocities, and others, with awful secrets, trying to solve the crimes.

This was an interesting read/listen. I was lucky enough to have both, and each brought their own unique perspective to the story.
The story itself was interesting, full of secrets, how many secrets can one couple have. The relationship between the two police departments was interesting. It is still fascinating to me how that relationship works in the states.

Heather, the girl in the title, is a fascinating and well scoped out individual.She really keeps you guessing.
This book definitely read like the start of a series with a timeline plotted out to answer the outstanding questions.

I was given an advance copy of both the audio and the book by netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely my own..

The first book in the new Chief Maggie Riley was certainly filled with unexpected plot twists and turns, and intrigue under quite a few Easter Eggs throughout the book. The Girl Who Lied is a fitting title, but as the author did, I will leave you guessing as to who that is.

In a small Maine town, a man is found brutally murdered by local Police Chief Maggie Riley just before a gullywasher of a storm breaks at night. She does her best to rally her troops to gather as much evidence as possible, but just as this is being done, she looks up to find a young lady coming out of the woods next to where she is standing. That same young woman does nothing but scream, which unnerves Maggie, making her wonder what really happened that night in those woods.

Throughout the book, we find out Some of the backgrounds of the main characters, but are left in the dark about Maggie’s and her boyfriend’s backgrounds, as well as a few other characters. I know that this is to set up the series, but I need to know more now. Haha Hopefully, we will have Hollinger’s works sooner rather than later, so that I can know all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the audio ARC of this fun new series!!!

Wow! I’m hooked on this series!! I absolutely loved this book and the narrator. I loved how the author made you truly care about these characters and I will say I was tricked by heather so that reveal had my draw drop. Also the narrator brought the characters to life in my head and made it feel like I was watching a movie. Loved. Admittedly at first I struggled with tracking all the different POVs in audio form but once I had that groundwork I couldn’t stop listening. I have looked more into this author because of this book and if I’m doing my math right she is releasing 5 books throughout this year. That’s crazy! But honestly I’m excited because it means I can continue this series without having to wait too long!!

I was excited about this small town who-dunnit but I was really disappointed with the writing style. I did listen to the audiobook, so my enjoyment could have been skewed by the bad reader. Aiming to be a page turner, everything just felt choppy and honestly dated. There was a lot of forced feminism in the this story: "female police chief doing a mans job". There was nothing new nothing to add and the language around this trope felt played out.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC for the exchange of my honest review.