Looking forward to a thriller that will keep you engaged and guessing the outcome from the first page to the last? A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney certainly does that and more. Detective Rowan Velky and her partner Kellan Palmer respond to a call in an affluent neighborhood to discover a young woman brutally murdered, added to the questions that rise at the scene is why is the letter X has been carved across victim's eyes. While still in the early days of the investigation, a second victim is discovered by Rowan during an evening run. This victim is marked with the X on her palm. Trouble in 3s? Definitely not routine for Rowan and her department so when a third victim is found the FBI is brought in. During this time Rowan's marriage
seems to be falling apart. Shepherd, her husband and soul mate have been together since they met while in the foster care system.as adolescents. Rowan is disturbed that he has lost his job, has rejected job offers and is drinking too much. She also believes that he is having an affair and she is determined to find out who the woman is, not just determined, rather obsessed This just provides a glimpse into what is happening, there is intrique and excitement .on every page. A Marriage of Lies is a compelling and fast-paced novel with believable characters and an ending that may surprise you. Even if you have an inkling as to the ending I believe you will find it an extremely satisfying read. Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda McKinney for the opportunity to read and review A Marriage of Lies. my review is voluntary, and reflects only my opinion. 4 stars

A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney

Wow…Just ~ W OW ~ This is a twisty twisted tale with so many secrets and so much intrigue that I will need some time to process it, I think! Good job Ms McKinney!

What I liked:
* That it made me think and care
* I was absorbed by the characters and story as it unfolded
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing were excellent
* The characters were not easy to like but I did feel I understood them
* The characters I felt most in tune with were Rowan’s dog Benjy, her aunt Jennifer with Alzheimer’s disease, and perhaps Chris & Emma
* That Kellan never gave up on Rowan
* The twists and turns and red herrings
* How it all concluded without any loose ends still needing to be tied together
* Thinking about all of that was covered - lies, secrets, infidelity, attempted suicide, murder, twisted love, unhealthy protectiveness, mental illnesses, criminal behavior and more
* That it made me think about love and loyalty and what people are willing to do in the name of love

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that abuse and abandonment of children happens all to often and the child fostering and care systems are often insufficient and even abusive
* The pain more than one suffered at various times in the story

Did I like this story? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to the NetGalley, Storm publishing, and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review

5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Interesting psychological / domestic thriller with some interesting twist.

Good writing and character development. This story is about, two children put into the system at an early age, who become adults wirh various deep+seated problems (some based on abandonment) move forward into their adult lives.

Thia is also the story of two marriages, both falling apart - and the various impact of the individual's secrets and lies.

Another fantastic novel. Well written, relatable characters. I could never have guessed the ending. Trust no one on this story. Highly recommended xx

4 out of 5 stars!

I’m a detective. Why would my husband think he could get away with cheating? It is my job to figure out mysteries. We used to be in love. So in love, I couldn’t live without him. But now he lies and keeps secrets from me. I know what he did. When the detectives ask if I killed her, I say yes.

Wow! “Marriage of Lies” by Amanda McKinney is a fast-paced, emotional, and psychological read! I had a hard time putting down this book with all the twists involved and the short chapters that made the book fly by.

Rowan, our main character, was very likable and knew what the heck was going on. As a detective, she was picking up on clues and trying to figure out what was going on. I didn’t mind the other characters, I felt like they played their part very well and their actions lined up with their personality. Of course, I didn’t love them all, but you will find out why if you pick up this book!

I thought I was going to rate this book a 5 out of 5, but there was some stuff that prevented me from doing so. In my opinion, there were big escalations happening all throughout the book but, the ending was a drop-off. It wasn’t terrible, I was just expecting more craziness that lined up with the rest of the book. I also thought there were some unanswered questions that could have been explained. I think the ending could have been dragged out a tad longer to fill those plot line holes.

Pick up “Marriage of Lies” by Amanda McKinney on March 29th, 2024!

Thank you to Storm Publishing, Amanda McKinney, and NetGallery for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

binged it! Pretty sure I read it in about 3 hours. That’s how you know you’ve got a good thriller! 👏🏻 Occasionally I thought I had this one figured out, but I was always slightly off, and that’s how I like it! If you’re looking for a quick read that will keep you on your toes, this is a great one!

This was a really interesting read! All the twists throughout the book really had me wondering how the story would end. It was great to read the story from multiple different POVs and I was really intrigued to find out how all the characters are going to be connected to each other. I also found the characters and their backgrounds interesting. The ending didn't blow me away but it was still good. I will for sure be reading more from this author and I really recommend this book if you're looking for a psychological thriller to read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a great story! It took me several chapters to really get into it but I couldn’t stop reading it once I got into the plot more. It was a good mystery/thriller that has a lot of shocking twist and turns up until the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to receive a ARC of this book to read and review.

This book is a pretty straightforward police procedural. Amber and Rowan are the two FMC and most of the chapters are from one of their POV.
While I found this a decent enough read, it didn’t grab me. The characters were all a little unlikeable. The way the story jumped around also gave it a bogged down feeling. Overall I would say 3.25 stars from my POV.
I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney sent delicious chills up and down my spine. I hungrily gulped down this domestic psychological thriller in one sitting and was pleased with the way it ended. The deceit and secrets in real life would be atrocious but in a thriller? Bring it on!

In a police interview, Detective Rowan confesses to murder early on. Prior to that, she detects cracks in her marriage to Shep. Their lies eventually catch up to them. I felt the angst in the air, in(actions) and in their words. Rowan's detective partner Kellan is a close friend and the two also flirt and banter which provides a dangerous form of stability.

Rowan's therapist Amber is also stuck in a complicated marriage. She and her husband Mark are distressed to hear their young son has cognitive problems. As a therapist Amber hears others' problems all day and discovers more webs of lies...and some are her own.

Meanwhile, there's a killer on the loose with a disturbing modus operandi. Both women get entangled in the case in different ways.

Though the unconvincing law reinforcement bits didn't thrill me, the multiple perspectives and timeline flashbackd and knife-slicing tension did. The inclusion of other media (texts, notes) added believability. Few characters are likeable but they were well written.

If it's time to bite your nails, read this. Do know there are graphic descriptions.

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this riveting novel.

What a tangled mess of lies, deception and loyalty.

I loved this book. I love not being able to guess the ending if you can give me a book that’s not easy to predict I’m a happy reader. I feel like if I try to summarize this one in my review I’d give it away tho so all I will say is if you enjoy domestic thrillers with twist a turns throughout this is the book for you.

You know that book that you pick up and are just going to read a couple of chapters??? 😏You know because it’s author that you have never read before… and you just want to see how their writing grabs you??? 🤷‍♀️Then… Holy Hell you are halfway done with the book… you are messaging your book peeps to say OMG 😳 you were right… this book is… FANTASTIC!! 😍 This is that book!! 😉

This book starts with a HUGE bang 💥 and NEVER lets up!! If I had to use ONE word to describe this book.. it would be addictive.. I couldn’t believe how this book started and I needed to know WHY??? 😳🤔

I was absolutely fascinated with Rowan and her stellar detective work… the creepy serial killer vibes… were perfection. I mean … those crime scenes… 😳…

I was completely invested in EVERY character! As soon as I thought I knew what was going on… another layer of our flawed characters were revealed.. 😳🤫

That ENDING!!! 😳🤯 I never saw it coming!! Twisted, dark… fast paced thrill ride!! Sign me up for whatever @amandamckinneyauthor writes next!! I am a fan!! 👏👏
5 fantastic ⭐️ stars!!!

Rowan is a homicide detective in a small town, her and her partner are investigating the murder of three women, she is married to a man who drinks to much. keeps you interested all the way to the end/

4,5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley, Amanda McKinney and Storm Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story revolves around Rowan Velky, a homicide detective in a small town.
When three women end up dead and mutilated Rowan and her partner Kellan (the handsome detective that everyone has a crush on) is faced with a serial-killer on the loose.
In the meantime Rowan has problems in her marriage. Her husband stays out late and comes home drunk and she fears that he might be cheating on her.
This book was AMAZING, it was so much fun to read and a real page-turner. I read it in two days and was obsessed with the story. For everyone who loves twisty-twisty thrillers, pick this up after it’s been released March 29th!

I really enjoyed this book and loved the writing style and the pace too.

Rowan is a police detective with a marriage on the rocks and a difficult past. When asked whether she killed a murdered woman in a formal interview, Rowan answers “yes” !

This is a really dark and twisty thriller, with loads of tension and some gut-wrenching emotional red herrings to add to the intrigue.

I was fully expecting this to be a solid 5 start read, but the ending sadly fell a bit flat for me.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Amanda McKinney and Storm for an ARC in return for an honest review.

WOW! What a wickedly crafted thriller with an ending I NEVER saw coming! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, BOOM! The ultimate plot twist!

Rowan is a detective in a small suburb in Texas and is shocked when their small town is riddled with three gruesome homicides that appear to be connected. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, toying the lines of a dangerous flirtatious relationship with her partner, and now stuck investigating these murders; what unfolds is truly a wild ride.

How far would you go to protect someone you love? How far would you go to make sure justice is served?

Find out in this unputdownable page turner! I love that it’s told for multiple perspectives and each chapter transitions so well!

This book was good I really enjoyed it.. I did not see the twist at the end! I couldn’t put it down and read it over a couple of days. The main character was likeable and felt the crime part was well written. Don’t usually go for crime genre but this is a good psychological crime thriller. Definitely recommend it and would love to read more by this author. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Great story that really gripped me from the beginning. Rowan is a top notch detective, however she suspects her husband is having an affair but struggles to prove it. Meanwhile in the town where she polices, gruesome homicides are happening & although the victims appear unconnected, something is clearly afoot as all are killed in the same way. Throw in a hot detective and a subplot of Rowan visiting her counsellor & her backstory & you have a proper thriller! Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

3.5 STARS
The prologue to the book grabs your attention and piques your interest in the upcoming story. An arrest, a confession, but why is it happening? The book reveals what has happened before the arrest, using several POV's and some flashbacks. The several POVs were not confusing, and the author did a great job at building the suspense. A married couple, who have a long history together, but there are secrets between them that will destroy their marriage and one or both of them. The overall mystery is enjoyable, and the first half of the book has a great pace, the book was an easy read. But it's the last half of the book, the inconsistencies in the storyline, and the ending that seemed rushed that takes the book a little off the rails. Plus the legal/law enforcement part of the story is completely wrong, and some things happen between the characters and in the story that don't make much sense in light of other events.
The female lead character unfortunately comes off as weak at the end, which is a disappointment.
I think there was great potential in this story, but the last half of the book did not duplicate the same excitement as the first half. I think there was a missed opportunity to make the female lead a strong woman, who took her power back and went on to become a great detective. That character could have a series, with additional books! I enjoyed the author's writing and would have gladly followed this character into new mysteries. Sadly, a missed opportunity to let this character and writer shine.
The story plot is a great idea, but the ending falls flat and is rushed. The dialogue is well done, and the book is well written.

W.O.W is all i can say about this book, i read it throughout the course of a day., as i couldnt put it down It has more twists than a rollercoaster at a theme park. Im speechless as to how this book drew me in, as nothing is as it seems. I wont reveal the story, but once you read it, you will think you know how the puzzle fits together........ WRONG!!!!. If i could give this a 10 i most definately would. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star read from me, i highley recommend