This book is a dark, cat and mouse, psychological thriller that has twists and turns and really keeps you in its grips the whole time. I don't think I was expecting a love story when I started it (and I'm not super big on dark romance😶), but the dual pov added that much needed edge to the story and the twisted insight into both characters' mindsets. ***Check the trigger warnings before reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Axe Media for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

What a great dark love story! We read this from the POV’s of Lydia and Adam. They both have the same favourite book, Silence of the Lambs. It’s not necessarily to have read that one to understand the attraction Lydia and Adam feel for each other.
It’s a rather short book but it is very well written and crammed full of everything we need to know: Lydia and Adam both suffered during their childhood and both have found a nice, interesting job that fits with their character.
One day Lydia gets a call regarding a rather gruesome murder at a campsite. Lydia is a forensic photographer but she’s more – she’s very observant and besides taking pictures she really thinks about what could have happened. And luckily her boss listens to her and asks her to become part of the team that’s tasked with finding the killer.
Adam is a rare book dealer and works parttime in a bookstore (o, I’m jealous) and when he and Lydia meet their fate is sealed…
The end is a bit abrupt but thinking about it I don’t think it could have ended any other satisfying way.

Thanks to Mad Axe Media and Netgalley for this review copy.

Upon finding that this was this author's debut novel, I'm impressed. It was a bit of a slow burn for the first half, but then things picked up and the pace never slowed down. All of the way to the last page. If I had to describe this psychological thriller, I'd call it the strangest love story I've read in ages.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mad Axe Media. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A serial killer romance with a weirdly uplifting ending. While I obviously don't condone their actions or agree with them whatsoever, the characters' philosophies and arguments were interesting to read and consider. This is why I much prefer fictional stories about crime to true crime -- it feels much less gross to participate in thought experiments about fictional folks than about real life victims.

I must say that while this book has some small issues, I genuinely enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down.

Lydia is a forensic photographer with a bad childhood and is slightly more obsessed with graphic images than maybe she should be.
Adam is a newbie serial killer, seeking to rid the world of liars and cheats.
Can Lydia find the new murder in her area, and if she does, will she stop him....or help him?

This book definitely has elements that are interesting me. I do enjoy serial killer novels, especially with the POV of the killer, and I am certainly not opposed to morally gray characters. However, I do think this book doesn't hit it quite right. There is one scene (avoid the next bit if you want to avoid minor spoilers) but there is a scene with a cheating wife that did not feel authentic to me. I also feel Lydia's reaction towards the end of the book is not very realistic based off her character.

There is also some continuity errors, like at one point it is revealed that Lydia talks to her nephew almost weekly, and then later it's mentioned they talk occasionally. There are also some typos that are fairly obvious.

However, like I mentioned above I did enjoy the book and think for horror fans it is worth reading. 3/5 stars. You can hear my review on episode 38 of my podcast "The Books and the Bees" https://open.spotify.com/show/45zRPXII2T1and6WSHHuwq?si=46f5aa785e0744b8

We're following two POV's, Lydia & Adam, who both have a bit of a troubling past. Lydia is a forensic photographer who has been called in to photograph gruesome crime scenes that have happened at remote campsites. There is a serial killer who is targeting not so good people. Lydia is enamored by the killings and is possibly seeing justified motives for the murders. She's enjoying her job and feeling more alive than ever and kind of hoping the killer doesn't get caught. Adam works at a bookstore and is obsessed with collecting books and reading true crime. The two meet and are immediately drawn to each other's darkness and have hope that they may have found the person who can accept them for who they are. This gives off Dexter vibes- a serial killer who has urges to kill but only takes out bad people. The writing is decent, but I did feel like the end was a bit rushed. Overall, I had an ok time reading this.

Thank you NetGalley & author for an ARC of this book. #netgalley #hidinglies

full honesty: this one is a dnf for me. i dnfed right around 6-7%.

within that reading time we're introduced to lydia, who is a forensic photographer. a big chunk of the reason i put this down is lydia's voice. she's a gillian flynn-esque archetype, very self-congratulatory and oh so edgy. she wants to walk in the footsteps of a killer.

unfortunately, the way her voice was used to describ a very fraught childhood where an adoptive mother confessed to her that she was adopted as an alternative option for her husband so that he wouldn't rape his biological daughter came of really... lackadaisical and kinda like it was written for the sake of shock value.

when i got to the part where lydia gleefully describes photos of a dead five year old, drowned by her mother, just proudly displayed on her mirror, i put the book down. i am extremely uncomfortable reading from this character perspective.

perhaps if you're a fan of c.j. leede or gillian flynn, this will work for you, but this did not work for me.

Hiding Lies is the impressive debut from author Stephanie Rose, a cat and mouse thriller set in the Pacific Northwest. Told between alternating first-person POV, the story unfolds as a forensic photographer finds herself assigned to a case that becomes dangerously too personal.
The premise of the book is both interesting and promising, although it could have benefitted from a bit more nuance and character development. Unfortunately, the ending fumbled for me, and the deviation of the plot was underwhelming.
This was a quick read that I would lightly recommend to fans of true crime and horror.

This twisty little tale will leave you a little shocked and horrified at the same time. There are considerable things to be warned about this book as it deals with various forms of abuse and death, including children and animals. There is a nice content warning in the beginning, so the reader is fully aware of the content going in.

Lydia is a crime scene photographer, and when she is assigned to a particularly gruesome case, she becomes obsessed with the work of serial killer, Adam.

This novel is told through alternating POVs, which allows you to get into both Lydia and Adam's minds. It's such a treat to the reader to have the story slowly revealed like this, The cat and mouse aspect of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will find it impossible to put this book down.

It's such a great, quick thriller read.

I could not put this book down. The first chapter is literally perfect—sets us up with backstory, and tone, and then drops us headfirst into the story. Lydia is a forensic photographer for the Portland Police Bureau with a dark history full of abuse in foster homes.

Most of the story is told between this cat-and-mouse POV swap which is reminiscent of a contemporary romance. It works!

I wasn’t expecting to ugly face cry but the scene sneaks up on you—even though you know it’s coming—and bam! emotions! Definitely don’t want to spoil anything, just know youll be questioning your own morals before finishing.

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.

A very well-crafted horror/thriller novel. I enjoyed the tension very much.

This book is good, really good but had the potential to deliver so much more. It is a tense, twisted read with trigger warnings - child and animal death. (Not graphic description)

Lydia is a forensic photographer and Adam is a serial killer, this is the story of their relationship from strangers to much more, the killings are gruesome but Lydia cannot help admiring Adam’s work whilst she works the case. We delve into the minds of both the main characters, whilst learning about both of their pasts.

This was a fast paced read, thrilling and tense, but had so much more it could have offered. However definitely worth a read if you like serial killer books.

Many thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I try to keep my October releases to the horror genre, as I love to take full advantage of spooky season. When I saw Hiding Lies, I initially thought I was breaking my rules by introducing a thriller - but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although technically a crime thriller – Hiding Lies tiptoes the balance between horror and thriller in a delightful, if dark way.

Lydia is a crime scene photographer with a bit of a dark past – but when she is tasked with photographing a gruesome case where the killer leaves photographs that exposes their victims lies, she starts to become obsessed…

Hiding Lies alternates perspectives between crime scene photographer Lydia and serial killer Adam. Don’t worry – this isn’t a spoiler, it’s revealed very early on in the book. Although this is an unusual narrative technique, it means you really get inside the killer’s head and even start to perhaps empathise with him to a certain extent. Please look at the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book before starting it – it is incredibly dark throughout and there’s lots of difficult themes – it is not a light read!

As you know who the killer is, the book starts off as a bit of a cat-and-mouse thriller where you are waiting for the police to catch up with Adam. However, when Lydia and Adam’s paths cross it becomes something all together different! I would say that although I loved most of the book and was gripped throughout, the ending had me a little disappointed. Although I enjoyed the idea of the twist, it felt very abrupt and ruined the stakes that we felt we had been building up to throughout the novel. It was an unusual ending for sure though and I do commend author Stephanie Rose for that!

Overall, Hiding Lies is the perfect bridge between thriller and horror – it’s very dark but a gripping read. Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Axe Media for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hiding Lies presents an intriguing premise, with Lydia Walker, a forensic photographer haunted by her past, caught up in a case that blurs the lines between personal vengeance and justice. The central plot—mixing dark urges, trauma, and moral dilemmas—could have been compelling, but unfortunately, the execution falls short.

The writing often feels surface-level, with large sections reading like a monotonous monologue. The emotional depth expected from such a thriller is missing, as much of the story is told in a detached, non-emotive style that makes it difficult to connect with Lydia, Adam or their struggles. There are also inconsistencies, such as changes in the antagonist's backstory from beginning to end which detract from the overall flow and credibility of the narrative. (e.g. SPOILER: our antagonist says his biological mum was presented to him as his aunt in the beginning of the story and then as his sister at the end.)

While Hiding Lies might appeal to readers looking for a quick, casual read, it lacks the complexity and emotional engagement required to fully deliver on its promising premise. The story I wouldn't categorise as a horror or a mystery, but maybe a goofy sociopath love story.

ARC review
Hiding Lies by Stephanie Rose
Release date: October 29, 2024
✨
Lydia Walker is a forensic photographer with an obsession with all things true crime and horror. She’s thrilled to be assigned the case of what seems to be a serial killer, gruesomely murdering people at remote campsites.

She hides her obsession well, but she craves a companion who will understand. When she meets Adam, she’s hopeful he might. But Adam has a dark side of his own.
✨
I devoured this gruesome, unique story. Both main characters have a darkness they are struggling to keep hidden, but when they find each other, they imagine a life where they don’t have to. Warning: The crime scenes in this story are truly chilling.

I love the concept of this book and the first 10% that I read was enjoyable. Unfortunately the ARC is on black pages with white, almost italic font. I’ve tried to push through a couple times but this one is hurting my eyes. I will try a physical copy once this one releases!

I think fans of horror, slashers, and true crime will really enjoy this one!

I was loving this book. I couldn’t put it down. The serial killer aspect is great. It has taken me several days to write this review. We follow Lydia a forensic photographer then we are introduced to Adam. *Hiding Lies* is an engaging psychological thriller that hooks you from the first page. The book weaves a web of secrets, suspense, and betrayal, making it a gripping read for fans of mystery and suspense. The character development falls a little short and the ending…actually what ending. I feel the author just stopped writing. The story isnt done.

This was a fun thriller that I did not expect. It was gory at times and very twisty and definitely kept me engaged and wondering what was next.

Lydia likes to read “The Silence of the Lambs”, is obsessed with books, hates liars and enjoys taking pictures. She was an abused foster child who turned into a forensic photographer, documenting crimes all over Portland. She admires the killers, decorating her apartment’s walls with gruesome crime scenes. She has a dark side, and doesn’t know what to do with it.

Adam likes to read “The Silence of the Lambs”, is obsessed with books, hates liars and enjoys taking pictures. He and his girlfriend have recently split up, and he has immersed himself with work, and other activities, like kayaking and camping. He has a dark side, and doesn’t know what to do with it.

When the two meet, sparks immediately fly. Lydia is in the middle of crazy things at work, as a potential serial killer seems to be getting started. They stab multiple people to death, then arrange their bodies in tender positions for the police to find. Lydia is getting stressed, especially when one of the cases hits home, but she can’t tell Adam about it, for multiple reasons. There are some things he can’t tell her, either. But maybe he’d like to try…

It’s rare to find good extreme horror on NetGalley, so I’m glad I was able to get this advanced reader copy! The writing was decent, and while the ending felt too abrupt, this story was a horrifying yet touching tale of two people finding each other…just with a lot of murder sprinkled in! 3.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut.

(Thank you to Mad Axe Media, Stephanie Rose
And NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on October 29, 2024.)

this was so much better than I expected, but I really enjoyed it

Lydia is a forensic photographer was abused as a child She is a foster kid and when she meets Adam they seem suited to each other.. and not in a good way

Lydia is working on a murder case which two bodies are found at a camp site. Adam is charming, and also a serial killer

I loved this read it is dark and twisty and quite mind blowing .

This novel is superb. I loved the plot development and how the characters joined together and made this an enjoyable psychological thriller I really enjoyed,