This book exceeded all my expectations - it was truly awesome! My first encounter with McKinney was a total winner!!

The wealthy neighbourhood of Mirror Lakes becomes the setting for a brutal crime that homicide detective Rowan Velky is called to investigate. An unsettling scene unfolds as a young woman is found strangled; her eyes marked with jagged X’s. Without even a moment to gather herself, two additional murders that follow the same pattern are discovered.

I enjoyed how the story utilized multiple narrators and flashbacks. With a troubled past and a messy romantic involvement, Rowan was a multi-faceted character. Juggling her investigation, strained marriage, and sick aunt, she proved to be an exceptional detective. Amber’s therapy sessions were a mix of amusement and discomfort, but each page added something new and significant to the story.

Prepare for a collision of betrayal, secrets, suffering, and jealousy in this tense thriller.

Many thanks to Amanda, NetGalley & Storm Publishing for the chance to review this thrilling read!!

Psychological thrillers are perhaps my favourite genre and this book was a stunning example that keeps you gripped from first page to last and the final twist is a brilliant piece of scripting. Our lives are clearly shaped by our upbringing and the way we manage or deal with it and the plot to this book examines how our lives are affected by our upbringing. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Amazing read! Twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Rowan is a police detective and her husband Shepard is well let's just say in between jobs. They have been married for quite a few years. I don't think either have been happy for a long time. He wants children she is afraid to have them as she doesn't think she would be a very good mother.

Rowan came from very bad back ground. Her mother was a waitress and her father was a drug dealer. They would leave her at school from the very young age of 5 and then not come back for her. Needless to say she grew up in foster care from the age of 11 on up. Although she did have an aunt Jenny that did try to raise her for a bit but that just didn't work out.

Shepard grew up in foster care as well and this is where and how Rowan and he met. Although it would be much later that, that would happen.
Shepherd's childhood was much worse than Rowans was. he had been sexually molested from an early age and he had a mental illness.

Rowan had a partner named Kellan and she was in charge of training him. In one particular evening she received a phone call and and without hesitation she got up and went. There had been a murder of a young well to do women. After her and her team investigate her and her partner Kellan go to a special place that they go to for just them. They go there to talk things through and sometimes to just be.

Later, there are two more murders all of which are of young women and that had something to do with children. Either abuse or neglect or not doing quite enough for them.

In all the books I have read this one had some turns that I didn't see coming. Amazing and exciting! thank you for the awesome read!

I finished almost all of this book in one airplane ride. It was that good! I was immersed in the lives of Detective Rowan Velky and her husband, Shepherd. She knows he is hiding something from her and she thinks he is having an affair. Who does she go to talk to but her therapist, Amber. Amber has her own problems in her marriage to deal with, too.

Now, Rowan has to deal with a new murder investigation that hits a little too close for comfort.

I love the short chapters. It makes the story move so fast. I love all the different points of view, too. It showed the anxiety of all involved. I did gather an idea at the ending which proved correct, but I still highly enjoyed this book, my first by this author.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whoa! I will say… this author had me going because I was getting so bothered with how the story was ending just when… BAM!

PHEW I thought I was a little over analytical; thankfully the ending was very validating to me as a reader.

3.75 rounding up to 4!

A Marriage of Lies
by Amanda McKinney
Pub Date: 29 Mar 2024

A Marriage of Lies is an incredible dark journey of mystery, drama, jealousy, lies, secrets and murder! A very fast pace psychological thriller. The character's were so realistic, I felt like they were my neighbors. This is my first book by author Amanda McKinney and I am hooked on her writing style. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Synopsis: My husband is lying. The minute he came home with alcohol on his breath and unable to look me in the eyes I knew it. We used to be in love – the intense ‘I can’t be without you for a second’ kind. Where it hurts deep to be apart. But now, we’re the couple that keep secrets from each other. We hide the truth. He thought I wouldn’t find out. I’m a detective – it’s literally my job to uncover clues and solve mysteries. I know what he did. And now I’m sitting here, in a police interview, being asked the question ‘did you kill her?’ to which I utter one life-shattering ‘yes.’

Many thanks to #AMarriageofLies #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 Star book.

4+ Stars ⭐⭐⭐🌟 A MARRIAGE OF LIES is a fast-paced mystery with what initially appears to be a complex plot of characters. As the story unfolds you are drawn deeper into what seems to be the separate lives of these characters. While you try to unravel their relationships and how the case Rowen is involved in relates, you may be surprised when you begin to learn all their truths. Even with all the twists and turns the storyline is easy to follow and will keep you turning pages while trying to figure out all the connections. Filled with interesting characters, it’s a fascinating and at times mind-boggling tale that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

A Marriage of Lies hooked me right from the start. I am a sucker for a thriller with multiple points of view and A Marriage of Lies had that and more! With two narrators who you can't quite make the connection with at first and a testimony of sorts from a third party, I was kept guessing up until the end! The resolution of the story was well carried out and I was throughly shocked by the big reveal! Amanda McKinney's writing was excellent and her story was extremely well thought out.

I am not a fan of detective reads so I chose to DNF this one, I think it had a good premise and could have been a wonderful book but this just wasn’t for me!

Wholey twists! So many in this book. I really flew through this read, but the last 10% wasn't my favorite. It was a 4 stars but the ending lowers it to a 3.75

Thank you for this ARC!

Such an engrossing book! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

March has been an exceptionally good month for my read and reviews with some amazing books. However, I have to say A Marriage of Lies tops them all.
A serial killer on the loose, with three wealthy women murdered and mutilated. Detective Rowan Velky and her partner Kellan Palmer are assigned to the case. Rowan has marriage problems. Her husband Shepherd, has lost his job and made no attempt to get another. He’s out every evening, coming home late and Rowan is convinced he’s having an affair. Both of them were brought up in care and met as teenagers. Marriage followed, and for a time everything was fine. However, Rowan’s reluctance to have children, after her own traumatic experiences growing up, cause a rift and that, together with Shepherd’s absence each evening, is creating serious problems. Rowan has regular counselling from Amber, who has her own marriage problems, plus concern over her seven year old son Connor, who struggles at school.
The story is written from Rowan and Amber’s viewpoints and as the case progresses the reader is pulled into the private lives of each of the women, who have more in common than they both realise. It’s a cleverly written novel, where nothing is quite what it seems and the finale provides a totally unexpected and explosive twist.
My thanks to Storm Publishing, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of A Marriage of Lies in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to thank NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda McKinney for my ARC of A Marriage of Lies.

OMG! What just happened!? This book had me sucked in from the first page! I couldn’t put it down! I read it in less than 24 hours.This one was a wild ride and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming! The characters were well developed and I liked the multiple POV chapters. I was left wanting more! If you’re in need of a twisty domestic thriller this book is for you! This was my first Amanda McKinney book but definitely won’t be my last.

Four kept me up past my bedtime stars for my first Amanda McKinney read. In the small town of Blackbird Cove a serial killer is at work. Rowan Velky and her partner Kellan Palmer are a united front in catching the person who is targeting women and leaving a distinctive mark on their bodies. The title is well chosen. The marriages inside all seem to be built on lies. While this book kept me riveted to the action, there were some things that did not add up for me. Kudos to the author for including a character with my first name. I don't see that very often.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

A Marriage of Lies
By: Amanda McKinney

What an exciting book, I finished it in two days. I didn't anticipate all the twist and turns that this book delivered. The characters were relatable, well developed and engaging. I'm giving this book a 4 star review and withholding 1 star because the ending seemed a bit rushed or maybe I just wanted more closure from some pivotal characters.

A big thank you to Storm Publishing, Amanda McKinney and Netgalley for thus ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is anticipated to be released on March 29th, 2024.

This book was absolutely incredible!! It's had me completely hooked all day, I've been reading at work, making dinner, in the bath and I just could not put it down! And I don't mean that figuratively. It's well written from multiple povs It's just so perfectly plotted out to make two seemingly unrelated incidents, converge absolutely perfectly! The way it all comes together is sheer genius. Overall its dark, it's twisty, there's some perfectly executrled misdirection and overall it's just a must read

WOW! What an incredible read!

Rowan is a homicide detective in a small Texas town. We also meet her therapist, Amber. Both women have troubled marriages.

Rowan is tasked with investigating a shocking murder of a young woman in a wealthy community. As she dives into the investigation, two more women are killed in similar manners. What starts as a murder investigation quickly turns into a serial killer murder investigation.

I don't want to reveal too much more about the plot, but let's just say a LOT of other crazy things are going on in addition to the murders. Who is responsible for the murders? The reader is kept guessing until the very end.

The story is told through multiple perspectives. Some of the perspectives and side stories seem completely random and unrelated, but all come together at the end for some shocking reveals. There were so many different moving parts. I was constantly trying to guess how everything tied together and was shocked with the final reveal. I also really appreciated the character development. I was fully immersed and connected with the characters.

This was my first novel from Amanda McKinney. I loved her writing style. Definitely will be reading many more from her! A Marriage of Lies is one of those books where you keep saying "one more chapter" and suddenly you find yourself finishing the novel in one or two sittings. One of my favourite reads of the year by far!!

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐

Amanda McKinney delivers a crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and glued to your Kindle!

As Detective Rowan Velky whilst sitting in a police interview, answers 'yes' to the question "Did you kill her?".

But why?

And what does her close relationship with trainee detective Kellan Palmer have to do with it?

Or that of her husband Shep. Who used to tell her everything. But she now believes is cheating on her.

And not forgetting her therapist Amber. Who can't understand why Rowan returns week after week to see her.

And with a twist very few will see coming. A Marriage of Lies is an intriguing read. That brilliantly combines the different threads together to make a compelling story. That I won't easily forget and would thoroughly recommend to all.

This one kept me on my toes. Wow! The characters were great and I particularly enjoyed Kellan. The story is full of twists and suspense. I couldn't read fast enough. I think it is my favorite book by this author. The ending was absolutely perfect!

I sped through this book in one sitting. It was everything I love in a thriller; twisty, suspenseful, and kept me guessing throughout. Big thanks to NetGalley, the author and Storm Publishing for the ARC copy of this great read.