This is my first book in the Will and Sara series. The couple have just married and I gather it has been a long time coming, but when the owner of the resort they are honeymooning in is murdered, they are soon involved in the investigation.

Nobody seems particularly shocked when Mercy is found dead and everyone theoretically has a motive, so there are lots of twists and turns and some throughly unlikeable characters who I could well have believed were guilty, and some horrifying family history that was revealed throughout.

I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters, which made it difficult to care about what happened to them and the story was a bit too much of a slow burn for me, but there was a good and unexpected reveal at the end and I would definitely like to catch up with some earlier books in this series.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Karin Slaughter and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was such an amazing listen, from the story to the narration. What a family I don't want to give anything away but just wow. However it doesn't feel that it is overdone but feels right in the circumstances. I like the way there are time jumps so the events leading up to the murder is explained and make sense.

Oooh, I’ve missed Will and Sara - Will Trent is definitely one of my all time favourite leading men. And I mean, what’s a honeymoon without at least one dead body?

Ms Slaughter, as always you have played it perfectly, This is Why We Lied is a perfect blend of taught writing, great characters, super twisty plot and oodles of heart.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It is the best way to immerse yourself in a book to be able to read and listen to it, the narration is excellent and breathes new life into the experience. Highly recommended.

This was really well done with shocking intense moments. Who killed Mercy?? This whole family was a hot mess. Wow, what a great audiobook.
I chose to listen to this as an audiobook and the narrator was Kathleen Early and she was amazing. She did an excellent job with every voice and emotion. I didn’t want to stop listening.
It had twists and turns with heartbreaking moments that just brought more mysteries. I feel like Karin Slaughter really delivered on this one. Great plot with intriguing sometimes disturbing characters.
Highly recommend this one.
Thanks HarperCollins via NetGalley.

Wow sit back and breathe. The best Will & Sarah book yet could not put it down. Will & Sara are on their honeymoon when Mercy one of the owners is murdered. A list of suspects change back and forth untill your head spins. Great characters good and bad, Not to mention Kathleen Early's narration her characterisation of the cast were as good as the book. Thanks to HarperCollins audio UK and Netgalley for this review copy.

This is my first Will Trent novel, and I can't wait to start the series from the beginning. Although the start was a bit slow, it still kept my attention.

This book was really good, although some parts were difficult to listen to. Mercy's story is incredibly sad and tragic.

There are many unlikable characters in this book, so when a murder occurs, everyone is a suspect. But the truth is even more heartbreaking than I expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio | HarperCollins for the ALC of this book.

Deeply deeply disturbing content. Trigger warnings apply for child abandonment, brutal murder scenes, domestic violence. Familial abuse. Child neglect. Drug/Alcohol misuse: insert. Sexual assault and pedophilia.

I’m not sure how I’ve come to this series so late. I believe this is book 12, I think I was under the impression that I wasn’t a fan of the author, don’t come for me I’m just being honest; and I was wrong anyway. In this regard I really enjoyed the novel, I don’t know if fans of the series would agree but I was happy to read it as a standalone, I didn’t feel like I had missed out on a huge backstory.

This was written brilliantly for my taste. We know from the outset that Mercy has been murdered. The rest of the book is working back through the days and hours leading to the murder. Theres maybe around 2-3 characters that you are not in suspicion of all the way through, every last member of this “mountain family” are sick, twisted abominable people.

The mountain and the retreat itself are idyllic, the perfect honeymoon getaway for Sarah and Will, until they end up working a murder case.

The is an absolute mind twister, there is layer upon layer of storytelling, multiple twists that I was frantically trying to get to grips with, some of the events are completely harrowing but essentially the story is so carefully crafted that it made for a brilliant read.

The narration was a perfect fit for the story.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for an audio arc of this title.