Book review
Hiding Lies, A Novel by Stephanie Rose @
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
“I still remember standing outside the blazing house. I wasn't sorry.”

Lydia Walker is a forensic photographer, trudging through life in the shadow of her traumatic past, when she is assigned a case centered around the gruesome murder of a camping couple. Her personal life begins to improve after a chance encounter that makes her feel like she's finally connected with someone, a fellow tortured soul named Adam.
As more victims are unearthed she discovers she has a personal connection to the case, her commitment to the case grows deeper, but her motives remain opaque to her colleagues. Will she sacrifice her reputation and her morality to explore her darker urges? Or will she uphold the justice system that failed her, and never held space for her.

Review: This book gets you in a chokehold right from the first paragraph and doesn’t let up the whole way through! I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in one sitting.

Its dark and gritty undertones flow throughout the unwinding story and touches on the dark nature of seemingly uncomplex but deep main characters. The writing style allowed effortless reading and I was instantly pulled into a twisted, perverse world, eagerly if even dragged into it somewhat unwilling. I found myself feeling the characters and loved the exploration into their minds and the monster that can be created by actions caused by society’s darkest taboos. I loved the telling from both main characters perspectives, which enabled a deeper understanding of their mind frame and motives.

I was pleasantly surprised to read the authors acknowledgments of inspiration from some of my favourite stories including those by Thomas Harris as these stories came into my head through reading the book and gave me the same gritty, dark, macabre feel.
In conclusion if you loved The Red Dragon and Hannibal or the series You, then you will LOVE this book!

I’m looking forward to future books and can see Stephanie Rose becoming one of my favourite horror/thriller authors.

Available 29 October 2024
Thankyou to @stephanierosewriter @netgalley @ madaxemedia for the early copy of the eArc

4.25/5 stars! I picked this book up specifically for its dark, edgy cover. There was a lot of internal conflict for Lydia throughout the book. The storyline was built up well and I didn't see the final twist coming, which I appreciate. I love the perspective inside such a dark mind and it kept me engaged in the story. Will be looking for more books by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a wild book! Read in less than 12 hours because I needed to know what happened. A story of a serial killer and a foresenic crime scene photographer that fall in love. Loved the alternating view points and short chapters. Keep me very interested, and makes it more interesting to read.

Ooooooh boy, what a twisty little book. This was incredibly unnerving from the start. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lydia, I found myself hooked by her character. The graphic descriptions of murder were a little much for my taste, but this whole book read like a Criminal Minds episode and had me thinking and trying to predict the ending. I also loved the setting, anything set in Oregon is a win for me. A truly gruesome story.

4/5⭐️
Spice Rating : 0.5/5🌶️
Tropes : Thriller, Suspense, Serial Killer

What a book! I’m speechless. I just got done with the book and it was a wild ride.

First up, check the Trigger Warnings before picking up the book. It has some sensitive topics discussed in detail, gore and mentions of abuse and trauma.

That being said, Book starts with a bang, it sucked me right in. It was very engaging and fast paced right off the bat. I love the writing style as well. Didn’t strike me as a debut. The book gets particularly interesting after the 60% mark, it turns into a proper cat and mouse chase where the readers are kept guessing about what could possibly happen next.

I was surprised that we get the serial killer's motive and MO very early on itself in the book. I kept wondering if it was a premature reveal but as the story progressed everything started making sense. There was a fair bit of romance, unexpected but pleasantly surprised.
When you say “morally grey”, the characters in this book describe morally grey to a tee. You hate them, but cannot hate them. They are all victim to circumstances and trying to best work with what they are dealt. What surprised me the most was how the author drew the character sketches. Each character was so grey; the victims, the perpetrator, the investigator and the innocents, no one was spared. Good exploration of human psyche. A lot of parts of this book were very emotional and hard to read simply because of the detailing that went into it. That being said, crime is crime and that is where we separate fiction from reality.

As someone with Forensic background myself, the detailing and writings were well researched, well done and interesting. The case files given to read are a nice touch. I love mixed formats within the books, keeps it compelling.
Knowing that this book is part of a newly emerging niche of thrillers, I’m sure it will get the hype it deserves.
I will definitely read more by the author, the book is quality entertainment.

If you enjoyed the You series, The Mindfuck series or The Butcher and the Wren, this book will be right up your alley!

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hiding Lies is a dual narrated psychological thriller horror novel from a debut author that I fell in love with immediately. I love the POV from the serial killer and that the author did research on real life serial killers to create character Adam. Page turning, dark, and I gasped out loud. I'd recommend this for any book club and fans of thrillers and horror!