One toxic family. Eight suspicious guests. Everyone is guilty. But who is a killer? How can you not read a book like this. A story filled with plenty of lies, secrets and of course murder. And all this in one family.

I delved into this book and with one family member (Mercy McAlpine) threatening to expose the family secrets and then found dead how could you not want to read and find out... Whodunnit! This book will keep you reading with thrills galore and many a secret to be revealed. It will keep you on the edge of your set with all its twists and turns and you won't be able to put it down.

Another great read but a great and accomplished author. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Karin Slaughter is back with another installment of the fantastic Will Trent series. Intricately plotted, we find Will and Sara in the middle of their honeymoon dealing with the last thing they expected or wanted - a shocking murder. I thoroughly enjoyed This Is Why We Lied up until the very last page. Will and Sara continue to be one of my favourite couples in fiction, their chemistry is addictive. Karin Slaughter has delivered another fantastic addition to this long running series, and never fails to keep her readers on their toes.

Karin never fails to surprise me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
I always think that her next can’t be as good as her last, but then it is a 1000x.
The plot draws you in and the characters are people I want to spend my time with. I want to grow old still reading Karin Slaughter.

Love Will Trent and this is a great instalment.

Karin Slaughter knows what she’s doing and does mystery so well-keeps you guessing without frustration.

I couldn’t put this one down and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the ending!

This Is Why we Lied is the next book in the Will Trent and Sara Linton series. Sara a d Will are on their honeymoon in this book an isolated mountain guest retreat. They are met by Mercy whose family owns the retreat. After only being there one night Mercy is murdered and Will and Sara are plunged straight into the investigation. All manner of secrets are slowly revealed, lies corruption and illegal activities are exposed. A great crime thriller with a brilliant plot line and a cast of characters whose depth have your total investment in the story.

This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter is the first book I have read from this author and although part of the Will Trent and Sara Linton series, can easily be read as a standalone. For me, this is always the sign of a good thriller. You can relate to the investigators as the backbone, but the focus is predominantly on the mystery

The pair are at a mountain retreat owned by the McAlpine family, toxic and volatile, a family wracked with the venom of secrets and lies and Mercy McAlpine is going to bring it all out in the open. At least she would, if she was not subsequently unalived

I hate to use the cliche but I could not put this down. I was peeling away layer after layer, even pickiing away piece by piece (imagine stripping wallpaper and having to double check the little bits to get that clear wall)

A darkly intriguing mystery and a series I will likely explore further

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins and Karin Slaughter for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I quite enjoyed this book. I found the characters and plot interesting and it kept me turning the pages. I guessed who had done it early on so for me it was predictable.

What would be missing from the honeymoon of Will & Sara Trent? A murder of course, involving the most dysfunctional and unsavoury family you could care to meet.
In the 12th book in the Will Trent series, this a great locked in whodunnit, where anybody could be the murderer, so it’s hard to know where to start. The bond between Will and Sara is gorgeously warm and united, but not over romanticised as they attempt to give themselves faux job titles to blend in with the other guests there. Whilst the place seems idyllic, it soon becomes clear that the McAlpine estate is anything but.
When Will finds Mercy on the cusp of death, stabbed on the edge of the lake, the resort inaccessible due to the rains, they need to switch into work mode of GBI investigator and medical examiner. Supported remotely by Will’s boss Faith, her non nonsense, but fair style is great to experience.
As they start interviewing everyone, there are lots of timelines and back stories to navigate. This means going down legitimate lines of enquiries to reach an impasse or a dead end. However more and more about the complexity of this family is revealed. From long standing family disharmony, controlling, manipulative and abusive relationships, incest, extortion and bootlegging, there is so much to go at. Mercy’s letters capture a lot of what her abusive cycle and motivations to protect her son were really poignantly.
Some of the descriptions are brutal and hard hitting, which is slaughter’s trademark style. The pace is steady, albeit it meanders slightly at times. The pace picks up as the end nears and I am pleased to say that I was thoroughly entertained throughout, and I didn’t guess the perpetrator until it was revealed at the end.

Book twelve in the Will Trent and Sara Lindon series
A really good read
Will keep you turning the pages
Thanks NetGalley

Having read and previously enjoyed other books within the Will Trent series I was really excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint! Classic thriller book, with twists and turns, but with really likeable main characters that you are also interested in finding more about too. I will be keeping an eye out to see what else comes out in this series in the future!

"Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer..."

Every time I think Karin Slaughter can not shock me anymore, she comes skipping along and does exactly that! 😳

Full of twists and shocking revelations. This one had me hooked right up until that dark, twisted and jaw-dropping ending! I did not in the slightest foresee that ending coming! While it made me feel nauseous, it was also absolutely brilliant!

McAlpine Lodge, an off the grid mountain top property seems like the perfect getaway for Will Trent and Sara Linton to escape to for their honeymoon.

A serenity, until a blood curdling scream slashes through the calmness of the night. A scream that belongs to the manager of the lodge, Mercy McAlpine, who is now dead.

With limited access to the mountain, the killer must be someone on the mountain. As Will and Sara start to investigate, it becomes clear that everyone on the mountain is lying, not just to Will and Sara or each other but also to themselves!

So, who killed Mercy McAlpine? Indulge yourself in a copy of This Is Why We Lied to find out!

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of Karin Slaughter. That said, I am late to the party, having only read a few stand-alone novels, and now working my way through the Sara Linton (pre-Trent) series. So, as excited as I was to jump in and read a Will Trent, especially as I have been avoiding the Amazon Prime TV series until I make progress with the books, I am now quite gutted to have met Will in Book 12. Don’t get me wrong, this is a story with a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion. There is much about Will and his partner’s backstory threaded throughout this novel to give you a clear understanding of these key characters, it’s just that they are so lovable in their personal and professional roles, whilst having realistic flaws that I want to watch them, and their relationship develop over time.

Celebrating a special milestone in their relationship, Will and Sara take a trip to a remote cabin. What should have been some well-deserved time off, and a time for attending to each other, fast diminishes when Will comes face to face with a ghost from his past and disappears entirely when they find themselves in the middle of a whodunnit case. With the local police force uninterested in solving a heinous murder, Will and Sara along with key members of the GBI set about to change that, even if that means treading on toes and solving the case themselves.

As is common with Slaughter’s books, there are crimes of both violent, and sexual nature that are disclosed in a graphic manner. For this reason, it is categorically for adults only, but certainly not for the fainthearted.

I lose count of how many books Slaughter has written, but I would argue that she has come a long way. Over the years, she has had several texts adapted into various TV formats and it is clear that she has grown in talent and confidence with her writing. Had I not had experience of a certain Reacher novel, I might have missed a few clues that ultimately helped me deduce some correct assumptions, but my gosh, although it is written in an easy-to-understand way, very clear, and extremely descriptive, there’s a lot I would have missed in this complex plot. With a large cast that sees more than ten of them with a motive for murder, I was satisfied with the flaws in the investigation, the clues, the red herrings, the pacing. It just worked and brought about a climax that just kept on giving. The details of this novel are going to be with me for a long time. As crime thrillers go, this has raised the bar, and I can see myself recommending this book for some time to come.

The 12th instalment to the Will Trent series, a series I rant and rave about often. This Is Why We Lied is an intense murder mystery with a secluded setting which I love!

The story starts with the murder and works back through the timeline and events leading up to the murder, I was frustrated but hooked from the very start. I was completely drawn in by the family dynamics and all the crazy that went on! The McAlpine family is on another level 😅

Although you could read this one first, and if you're into murder mysteries, this might be the best place to start if you want to check out Slaughters work... I would still recommend starting from the beginning, I even recommend starting with the Grant County series first as there are some character crossovers

Will Trent and Sara Linton's honeymoon at McAlpine Lodge takes a dark turn when a scream shatters the night, and the lodge manager, Mercy McAlpine, is found dead. Isolated by a storm and cut off from the outside world, they discover that everyone on the mountain is hiding secrets. With the killer among them, Will and Sara must unravel a tangled web of lies and deceit to find Mercy's murderer before it’s too late. This twisty, slow-burn thriller is gripping and full of unexpected turns, making you root for Will as he seeks justice for the tragic Mercy.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

I'm always drawn to stories about dysfunctional families with dark secrets so this was a must-read for me! I loved the Agatha Christie locked room feel and the setting. Although I guessed the key revelation, I enjoyed watching it play out

I am feel so brave. I read several standalone books from the author and totally love it. She never hold her punch when told us about women's abuse and never romantizer those contents. But for her famous series, Will Trent I only read first book and watch 2 seasons of the TV series. So I hope I dont make mistake to jump blindly into this book...

Actually I landing perfectly into happy moment. Will and Sara is on honeymoon. I dont know yet about Sara but I love her from beginning. She seem strong and perfect mate for our Will.

The story it self take set at natural resort, the place Will choose to spent their relax, stressfree honeymoon. Mc Alpine Lodge sound perfect, it is beautiful and relaxing place at least until we know the family own that place. Everyone seem toxic and have big secrets to hide. I almost see big red flags from them and understand Will and Sara's concern from beginning chapter.

The writing is perfect and all the aspect to make this a great thriller are there. It is brutal, heartbreaking, twisted and strong plot.
But I read many a locked room mystery trope from this genre, so the plot isnt really surprise me as I want too. Off course I will looking forward to backtracking and see Will from previous books. I really want to see why Will so deep into loving Sara.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Fiction from Harper Collins UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 20 June 2024

Another brilliant story by Karen Slaughter. This story had every imaginable crime being committedand, and large cast of disparate characters. .It grabs you at the start and you comeout thoroughly banboozled by the end.

This is the twelfth book in the Will Trent series by author Karin Slaughter.

McAlpine Lodge is a secluded cabin retreat and GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton are getting away to celebrate their honeymoon. The property is set on a beautiful mountaintop and a perfect place to relax and enjoy their break. What could go wrong and then a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead and with a vicious storm raging the one access road to the property washed out. A murderer is close by and the possible suspects are few. Will and Sara are going to investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests and it soon becomes clear that everyone is lying. Trapped on the resort, they must need to unravel the lies and discover the murderer before they strike again.

I really enjoyed this one and once realised I must read must read more of Karin Slaughters novels.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book, gripping, suspenseful and a brilliant plot. Seemingly set in an idyllic honeymoon location, a secluded mountain lodge, However the family that run it, aren't quite as idyllic. Eight guests arrive full of secrets and Mercy McAlpine threatens to expose them. Every single one on them is lying about their past and present. will all their secrets be reviled? Would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Karin Slaughter and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book.

📚 ARC Review

This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter
HarperCollins, 11th June 2024

McAlpine Lodge is a secluded mountain getaway, the height of escapist luxury living. It should be idyllic...but it's run by one toxic family.

And that's not all.
Eight suspicious guests, and everyone is guilty. Everyone here is lying. Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves.

Mercy McAlpine – until now the good daughter – threatens to expose everybody's secrets. Just hours later, Mercy is dead. Will Trent is here on honeymoon and he's determined to catch the killer.

The twisted characters leap to life off the page in this convoluted thriller, which is full of suspense and surprises. Will remains decidedly self-effacing and good-natured as he doggedly tracks down the murderer. This was a joy to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to HarperFiction and Karin Slaughter for providing the eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.