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Member Reviews
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This was one of the best thrillers Iโve read. The plot twists were absolutely amazing & the character building throughout was genius. Iโve already purchased 2 more books by this author. Loved this one!
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4.25 stars. This book was a wild ride! It was super addicting! I laid down tonight, planning to read for a bit because I was pretty tired, and from 39%, I read on to finish the book! I did guess the end but it didn't take away from the fun journey to get there! I liked the FMC, but I really loved Kellan. ๐ I highly recommend this book if you want a fun and thrilling ride!
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A fast paced crime thriller with an engaging and complex heroine, and plenty of red herrings. Detective Rowan had a damaged and traumatic childhood, and threw herself into police work to try to improve the system. Her husband Shep also grew up in care homes, and he's her anchor, always loyal and solid after Rowan's years of neglect.
But now she seems to be getting close to a younger colleague, and she's convinced Shep is having an affair. Her therapist is trying to convince her to leave her husband.
Against this backdrop, women are being murdered with the same MO. And Rowan finds herself under arrest,
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This domestic psychological thriller was given gone girl vibes, I really enjoyed this but to me it seems more of a domestic drama novel than a psychological thriller
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** I received this book as an arc for free through NetGalley from Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review.**
In this gripping story, Rowan discovers her husband Shepโs deception when he returns home with the smell of alcohol on his breath, unable to look her in the eye. Their once passionate love has deteriorated into a relationship filled with secrets and lies. Despite his attempts to conceal the truth, she, being a detective, uncovers his wrongdoing. The story reaches a climax when she confesses to a murder during a police interrogation, revealing the dark secrets lurking beneath their marriage.
Overall rating: 4/5
Ratings:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 4/5 I found the plot of this book incredibly engaging, gripping me from the start and holding my attention throughout with its swift pacing and numerous twists. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the thriller aspect, I was slightly let down that I predicted the twist, though not the exact details.
2. **Characterization:** 4/5 The characters in this story are both relatable and flawed, making them feel authentic. They evoked a range of emotions in me, from rooting for their success to feeling frustrated with their decisions.
3. **Writing Style:** 5/5 I thoroughly enjoyed Amanda McKinney's writing style. The pacing was spot on, keeping me guessing and on edge throughout. She provided just enough detail to keep me guessing incorrectly about the unfolding events.
4. **Originality:** 3/5 While the premise of the story wasn't unique, I appreciated the fresh twist McKinney brought to it. The involvement of a police detective in a family's dark secrets felt familiar, but the execution was refreshing.
5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 5/5 This book kept me thoroughly engaged and invested in the characters' journeys. The resolution was satisfying, tying up loose ends and answering my lingering questions effectively. Overall, it left me thoroughly satisfied with the reading experience.
Would I recommend you buy this book? Absolutely I will be purchasing more of Amanda McKinneyโs work and I canโt wait to see what she writes next.
If you like this book, I would recommend Never Lie by Freida McFadden for a fast-paced twist. Thatโll keep you guessing for a more domestic thriller check out The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose. Both are good options and I hope you enjoy them.
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This book is a little outside my wheelhouse. It was described as a psycho-thriller, which I do enjoy occasionally. But this is also fused with a multiple murder mystery. I don't usually read murder mysteries but I forged on.
It starts with one murder of a woman but quickly extends to one more, than another. Rowan, the main character, is a police detective working on the murders. Rowan has many problems and insecurities.
This is a multi-layered story with different narrators and many characters. Initially, some of the characters don't seem connected but, of course, the connections soon emerge. There are also a few flashbacks. It took me a bit to get into the swing of the plot.
It is also very convoluted when the connections between characters start to merge. Sometimes I had to stop reading to sort it out in my mind.
I figured out who the killer was when I had read 58% of the book but it got so convoluted after that, that I changed my mind a dozen times before the end.
While this book was well written and kept me turning the pages, there were times near the beginning that I was tempted to DNF. I was confused by the number of characters that didn't seem to have any significance. I'm glad I kept going. Well defined characters, great story line, surprising twists.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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I should know by now, if Thrillerbookloverspromotions is the reason a book ends up in my hands, Iโm going to end up loving it and want to give it all the stars. Not only did I breeze through this one in less than 24 hours but my TBR might never recover now that Iโve added Amanda McKinneyโs entire backlist to it! This book made me an instant fan!
One of my favorite things about A Marriage of Lies is that opening chapter. The story starts with a bang and somehow never stops being a thrilling ride! Such compelling characters, such interesting murder case & such intricate web of lies and complicated human relationships. It was a darker, grittier read than a typical North American thriller - and I absolutely loved that about it!
I loved walking into this one blind so offering you the same opportunity by not mentioning too much about the content. A cop in an unhappy, complicated marriage. A therapist in an unhappy, complicated marriage. Murder investigation! Thatโs all you need to know!
Grab this one if
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถโ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ซ๐ฐ๐บ ๐๐๐
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฆ
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ, ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐น ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด
๐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต
๐ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ซ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐บ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐
A huge thank you to Thrillerbookloverspromotions, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda McKinney and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in return for reviewing it.
From the very first chapter the storyline got me hooked. The characters were intense, each with their own dramas and struggles in life. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, McKinney made me doubt myself with a twist I didnโt see coming. Definitely a book Iโd recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.
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An engaging psychological thriller with an original plot, morally ambiguous characters, intricate twists, alternating perspectives, fast pacing, a page-turner, and a surprise ending. Rowan, a protagonist in the story, a homicide detective in a small Texas suburb, investigates the mysterious murders of wealthy women in the area. The pacing is just right with concise and to-the-point chapters. Rowan is a likable character, and the story takes unexpected turns involving secrets, mental health, lies, jealousy, and murder. I don't want to spoil any surprises, so I won't say much more about the plot.
I enjoyed how the story intertwined multiple perspectives, leading to a surprising climax. This is what I love about thriller novels.
Thank you to Amanda McKinney, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC.
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I did the read the whole book but found its delivery depressing and difficult to follow. Basically A Marriage of Lies is a police procedural combined with a psychological thriller that didn't quite come off for me. Lots of secrets unravel between detective Rowan and her husband Shep told through different characters' points of view and switches between timelines. Not for me, sadly. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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So many twists!
A Texas detective, Rowan Velky is engaging and likable immediately. Married to her longtime love, Shep, she senses things arenโt as they were when he becomes evasive, and spends more time away from home and returning with the scent of alcohol. Not to mention their connection just doesnโt feel the same anymore.
Called out to the wealthy part of town, a young woman has been murdered and she and her team are tasked to solve it. Then another young woman is the victim of a homicide in an eerily similar fashion. And one moreโฆ seems thereโs a serial killer in their small town!
The characters were all excellent and worked extremely well through the story. I did have the killer worked out, but there were enough twists that I didnโt care! Another page turner!
Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda McKinney for the arc. Expected pub date 3/29/2024
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I love this cover! It makes you want to read without even knowing what the book is about! First book by this author!
The one thing i liked about this book is the eeriness it has about it. There is multiple POV which is my favorite book, you get to see several different points and get to see which characters you like. It was well written and i just really liked this book because of the twists and turns within the story. It was a ride and will def recommend the author and this book.
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.
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This book was fabulous literally sucked me in and read it in a day I loved the characters so much I did not guess the ending
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This book was fabulous! I devoured it in 2 days. Could not put it down. The suspense was perfect! The creepiness kept me guessing until the last page. Read this book! This author just became an automatic read for me! If she writes it Iโll read it! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book as an ARC reader!
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This book was a fast paced psychological thriller mixed with a police procedural that kept me wanting to find out more.
So many twists and turns that made me love this book more. Soo...Soo good
Thank you netgalley and storm publishers.
All thought are my own and isn't influence by anyone else
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The book cover has an eerie feel to it, which I like. The multiple POVs were engaging. This book was incredible! I felt so many different emotions reading this. So many twists and turns. Once you think you have it figured out. BAM! Another twist. ๐ What a roller-coaster ride this book was. Definitely among my top favorite reads this year. (SO far)
*Some content in this book could be triggering to some people.*
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What an incredible ride! Strap in, brace yourself and remember to breathe. The nerve shredding twists and turns will leave your stomach in knots. I am still reeling at this unexpected thriller.
Detective Rowan Velky gets called to the scene of a gruesome murder. The murder scene is in a upper crust part of town where these things do not happen. They are perplexed as the scene is clean of any forensic evidence. Whoever killed this woman knew how to cover up their crime. Meanwhile Rowan's personal life is in shreds. She is living with her husband, Shepherd. She is fairly positive that he is having an affair. He lost his job some time ago, and refuses to get another one. She feels she is in a loveless marriage. Both Rowan and Shepherd had a difficult childhood growing up in the system. You will learn more about their past throughout the book as each chapter is told from a character's point of view. Some are in the present day and some are in the past. This buildup just makes the story even more compelling and intriguing.
Someone is lying, everyone is lying, and secrets seem to be the norm in this story. As new characters are introduced, the plot thickens, literally. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this book is. Amanda McKinney has a quality to her writing that brings her characters to life. The characters in this book will live on in your head long after you close the book.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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This book was a fast paced psychological thriller mixed with a police procedural that kept me wanting to find out more. After reading the prologue, I was sucked in and just needed to get to the bottom of what happened to have Rowan in such a position! I liked Rowan as a character, though there were definitely multiple times throughout the book I was questioning and didnโt understand her actions. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and storylines that may appear unrelated until the twists hit! The bits of mixed media dispersed throughout the book would grab my attention everytime. The text message conversations and interview transcripts were a great addition to the storyline. I found that the information gained from these added to the story by quickly letting the reader immerse themselves before switching back to our narrator POV.
Not everything I read added up in my brain right away, but I was so satisfied with how the story ended and how all of the loose ends were tied up for the reader- again, the introduction of some mixed media came in extra handy! This was the first book Iโve read by Amanda McKinney, but it wonโt be my last. I enjoyed her overall writing style and ability to create such a twisted and enjoyable plot. Short chapters are my favorite, and this book checked the box for that.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The plot premise has potential but due to the choppy, repetitive writing its fails to deliver. The details were excessive and many were unnecessary as well as lacking research.
I would not recommend - but also wouldnโt discourage others from reading it.
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4.5/5 (rounded up)
This was such a twisted, and gripping story. I was hooked from the very beginning. I enjoyed the multiple POVs as it gave the story more depth, and intrigue. I figured out the killer, but there were still so many twists I didnโt see coming, so thatโs why it got 4.5 not 5 stars. There werenโt any slow spots, or parts I thought should be removed. I only wish there was a longer conclusion, as it felt a bit rushed. Highly recommend