A MARRIAGE OF LIES had a fantastic premise and great cover—I requested it right away on NetGalley! The prologue set the stage for a compelling story that promised to be marked by an intriguing mystery and twists we would not see coming--fingers crossed. This is always my hope when I first pick up a new psychological thriller. Well, I can say without reservations of any kind that Amanda McKinney delivered in a very big way!! I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would, with its unique plot, realistic dialogue, superb character development, and shockingly devious twists that will make you rethink everything you believed going into this story. And to enjoy A MARRIAGE OF LIES to its fullest extent, the less you know about it, the more you’ll love it.

We are introduced to Detective Rowan Velky, our protagonist, who is a truly fantastic character—strong, intelligent, resilient, and devoted to a fault. And if I’m honest, anyone who loves her dog as much as Rowan loves her Banjo, I love, too!! The way Amanda wrote Rowan was brilliant, as well as how she wrote the other characters in this poignant story. Poignant because threaded intricately throughout this novel are serious topics that deserve to have our most fervent attention, one of those being Alzheimer’s and its devastating impact. (I won’t list any others here for fear it may give something away.) But I do want to say that one of my favorite characters was Rowan’s Aunt Jenny, suffering from Alzheimer’s, whose love for her niece is so incredibly endearing. And then there’s former Marine, Detective Kellan Palmer, Rowan’s partner, someone we all need in our lives—a source of strength, optimism, and compassion when life becomes just too hard.

There is a large cast of characters, some more likable than others, some downright despicable, but each developed fully. The dialogue was fantastic, too, never stilted and so engaging. The multiple POVs were handled incredibly well, and with its short chapters, the pace of the book ran at lightning speed. I could not turn the pages fast enough. Had it not been for life’s mundane chores and needing to eat, I would have finished this book in one sitting!! I can’t wait to read my next book by this author!!

I want to thank NetGalley, Amanda McKinney, and Storm Publishing for gifting me the ARC of A MARRIAGE OF LIES! It was such a privilege to read this before publication. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up!

Rowan and Shephard have an odd marriage. They are really only together because they saved each other in their broken childhood.
Amber and Mark also have an odd marriage and have a child on the spectrum.
Rowan’s therapist is Amber who she thinks she can confide in. But can she?!
All of a sudden three women are found dead basically back to back but no trail of the killer is left behind. Not until Amber has something to confess. But is her confession to the police, what really happened?!
This book lacked suspense to me until the very end. It took me weeks to finish it which had me discouraged. Overall is was a good easy read. I did enjoy the writing style of this author since it was my first.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first book by Amanada McKinney and she slayed it!! Wow!! A Marriage of Lies is twisty and left me spinning emotionally, and the ending was so good! I love it when a book continuously keeps me guessing. You will want to clear out your whole day to read this one!

This book took me for a wild ride. This is my first book by this author and her writing is so captivating. There wasn’t a boring moment in this book. I was constantly trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

She makes so many different people look guilty. The prologue kind of gives you an idea of how it ends, but that plot twist was perfection!

I had such a fun time with this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

If you like a thriller with a lot of twists, bad marriages, lots of drama, and some cheating, this might just be the perfect book for you!

Beyond thankful to NetGalley and storm publishing for the early access to reading this book!

Betrayal has consequences in this twisty, psychological thriller. I tend to rate thrillers pretty harshly, but this one was really good. There are several suspects and I kept changing my mind about who was the real killer right until the end. I went into this thinking it would be "just a detective" book, but its much better an exceeded my expectations. The author does a great job of feeding you parts of the story to keep this book thrilling and intriguing with no lull in the middle. Wonderfully told and gripping.

This was my first book by Amanda McKinney but definitely won't be my last. I'm glad to have found a new-to-me author with a backlog of books that I can binge read.

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda McKinney for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A MARRIAGE OF LIES is definitely a book I can recommend. I was drawn into the story immediately. I always enjoy a good psychological thriller and this one had it all. I liked the fast pace and the well thought out characters. I was intrigued the most by Rowan. There were so many secrets about her that I just had to know. I wasn't sure how all the pieces would come together and I was shocked to say the least. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read, this is a great one to add to your list.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the publication date.

Do you want a thriller where you are able to guess the next event but you are proved wrong? Then this book is for you. You don't expect a few twists, you see some yet you don't think it makes sense. Then you read through the whole thing and everything clicks into place. Highly recommend!

Truth be told, this is the first book I've read by Amanda McKinney and I am now planning to read other books of hers!! I have read this for only 5 hours while I am traveling back to the city (since I live in a countryside by the way) and this is one of the books that have kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what's next. I didn't expect for this story to have multiple twists and keep me guessing who the real culprit is!!! I am so thankful for Netgalley and especially Storm publishing!!! This is my first thriller book in 2024 and it was the BEST!!! I will be posting a more detailed review on Goodreads and bookstagram. I will be tagging both the author and the publisher! ALL THE BEST for this book!

I’m so glad I read this story. It’s not my normal genre, but I will be looking for more by Amanda McKinney. A story of marriage and lies. Who killed who? Full of twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the end.

4+

Rowan and Shepherd Velky don’t have the best of marriages, he’s a liar and she knows it and they’re definitely keeping secrets from each other. Rowan is a homicide detective in Blackbird Cove, Texas, and much more used to being on the questioning side of the table. Now though, she has to answer them.

Wow. This is an absolute glued to the pages mystery thriller if ever there was one! It’s a belter, a strap yourself in twisty, fast paced rollercoaster of a plot and yes, as well as being furiously whizzed on the rollercoaster, your jaw will end up aching from the reveals. There are several good red herrings and mic drop moments which are filled with tension and suspense. It’s so easy to read, it’s well constructed with short short chapters and alternating points of view that flow and make the suspicion antenna twitch furiously from one to the other trying to figure out the connections. All the characters have good back stories, parts of which are sad and moving. Rowan and her detective partner. Kellan are very likeable and the chemistry is intriguing.

I just wish the ending would have had a bit more to it as it’s a tad disappointing after the terrific buildup, hence the four stars rather than five. However, overall, this is a one sit read, as I find it very hard to drag myself away from the enthralling plot, which has all the ingredients of a good mystery thriller. It’s a highly entertaining read which is my first from this author and it definitely won’t be my last.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Storm Publishing for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Oh wow, this was such a good read, had me twisted in knots as I discovered how the characters were linked, some flawed and unlikeable just adding to the tension in the storyline.
In the prologue we have a woman confessing to murder and the pace just carries on from there, as the lead detective and her team try to find links with the victims.
A fabulous first read for me for an Amanda Mckinney novel.
I was gifted this advanced copy from Netgalley and Storm Publishing with no expectations of a review. More than happy to leave though

Just wow! Amanda McKinney knocks it out of the park! She is a new to me author and I can’t wait to read more This is a totally bingeable book, from cover to cover. The perfect hat trick. Police procedural, psychological thriller and a healthy dose of domestic drama. Hooked me from the very beginning and did not let go until long after I put the book away. Fantastic characters! All round great book!
Thank you Amanda McKinney, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was not expecting this book to be the really twisted fast paced surprise it was. Great characters, short chapters and the twists just kept coming. I finished this book in one sitting and if I told you I had it all figured out, I would be ‘lying.’ The only downside was I felt this ending was rushed. But overall the book was very different and enjoyable. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy. This review is my personal opinion.

Sometimes when I am at work alone and I am in between projects I will read for a bit. That was a bad idea with this one. I hated Shepard right away. He is such a loser. I don't normally enjoy cop books but I had to keep at it once I discovered my hatred for "Shep." How did that loser land Rowan?
Also Mark. He is annoying as well.
I like how all the women are connected. It is a story about a small town so of course they are.
The stuff with Mark is so real "I thought things were good." No you absolute dummy.
It gets a little cheesy with cops but I enjoyed that.
Banjo was my favorite

Amanda McKinney & Storm Publishing for this ARC!

I could NOT put this one down! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rowan is a homicide detective in a quiet suburban town. When 3 women are murdered & seem to be all connected Rowan gets deeply involved trying to solve the murders. All while trying to deal with failing marriage.

This story had so may twists & turns and I kept switching my theories on who was the murderer!

You like this if:
-you enjoy outlooks POVs
-true crime
-who dunnit vibes
-complicated marriages

This was my first Amanda McKinney novel and it definitely will not be my last! It had the perfect amount of darkness, suspense, and twists that had me hooked from the very first page! It was such a quick, bingeable, and fast-paced read.

I highly enjoyed how it was the perfect combo of police procedural, domestic drama, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 psychological thriller all wrapped into one!

The dual POV’s of both Rowan and Amber (Rowan’s therapist) made for quite an interesting read to say the least. Holy morally grey characters 😵‍💫 there so many secrets and lies in this book, you just don’t know who to believe! I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR! 👌🏼

First book I have read from this author and I finished it in 2 sittings. The plot pace was good and there were some great twists.

Right from the start, this book was very descriptive which I was appreciative of, but not to the point that it was over the top. The police/ crime side of it was just the right amount that it kept you invested. The domestic drama was plentiful and I could not figure out “who did it,” I had suspected everyone by the end. Such a great book!! Will be reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing + the author for my DRC in exchange for my honest review.

This book definitely kept my attention. It kept me engaged and anticipating what would come next. It has some mystery to it and some twists and turns that you don't expect. I was definitely surprised by the ending. This was a good domestic suspense read!

A Marriage of Lies is a completely addictive and immersive story. With seemingly disparate multiple story lines, it was like putting together a puzzle without seeing the final image. You know the pieces fit together but you have no idea how, and at some point you are certain they cannot be connected.

I couldn't put this one down. So so good.