Member Reviews

Secrets and lies throughout this story keep you guessing as to what the actual truth is especially with the lead male Theo, however Sabrina has a few secrets herself that become apparent during the book. And then towards the end there is a massive twist to make you sit back and go Wow ! First time reading this author but it won't be the last.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm for the ARC to review

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Happy pub day!!
This is hard to review for me. It had a very slow start and the pace was a little slow. At times I was confused about POV’s and timeline. It wasn’t a unique idea as I’ve read this type of story before but it did have a few things I didn’t see coming and that’s what I liked.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion. 3.5⭐️

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Oh my word, what a ride this was! It gave me hints of the Housemaid, except with a librarian. But the twists and turns along the way made me stay up way too late reading. I absolutely devoured this book and loved that I didn’t have it all figured out. Not even close! I will absolutely be reading more from this author, because this was incredibly done!

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3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Family Lies.

Sabrina is hired by a handsome wealthy man Theo Dorsey to work in his family’s library. It is the answer to all her problems until she realizes that the Dorsey family has many secrets and people around them keep disappearing. Will Sabrina be the next missing person?

This book was kind of slow for me at the beginning but it picked up in the middle. But the ending was crazy and threw a lot of things at you. I kind of felt like the author wanted more of a shock value at the end and I felt like some of the twists thrown in were way too forced. Overall an okay read for me.

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4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have whiplash from reading this. I couldn’t figure out who did what, and the twists were insane! I’ve also come to the conclusion that there is only one non-messed up character in this entire book.

I docked half a star for a few editing errors and, at some points, the way the narrator spoke was inconsistent. Other than that, this was great!

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Sabrina Adams thought her luck had finally turned around when she was hired to restore the private library of the wealthy Dorsey family. But as soon as she arrives at their elegant estate, she senses something is off. Rooms are locked without explanation. And why does the housekeeper, Mrs Manning, insist on so many rules?

Then police officers arrive at the door with questions about the disappearance of a local woman. Sabrina is shocked to learn her charming employer, Theo Dorsey, was the last person to see the missing woman alive. He insists he's innocent, and Sabrina believes him. Until she discovers Theo was linked to another woman's death several years before. And Sabrina starts to ask herself... Who can I trust in this family? And will I be next?

Lots of secrets and lies in this one! This book gave me creepy vibes from the beginning, but kept me engaged from start to finish. Good pacing. Great story! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

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I thoroughly immersed myself in this story.
Sabrina was employed as a librarian to take care of a private collection. There was a lot of mystery going on in this house. People dying or disappearing, did the occupants have anything to do with it?

The story had many secrets and the twists at the end had my head spinning. I'd no clue about anything and that's the joy for me...the surprise.

I hadn't read this author before, the publisher sent an email and I was intrigued.

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This book was definitely full of suspense and tension, it kept me interested with its twists and turns,

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The Family Lies
by Angela Henry
Pub Date: Jan 22 2025

"The Family Lies" is a book I could not put down! This is the first book I've read by author Angela Henry, I definitely plan on reading many more of her books. I was totally devoured in the story and definitely did not see that ending!

This story is told in many POV's and is easy to follow. Sabrina, the main character who is down on her luck is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to be a personal librarian for the "elite wealthy" Dorsey family. Once Sabrina takes on the job she immediately senses something is wrong, there are camera's everywhere, ridiculous rules she must follow and soon after she takes the job she starts hearing stories of strange happenings that the Dorsey family may or may not have been involved in. Sabrina is wondering if she made the right decision in accepting this too good to be true job offer after all.

Many thanks to #TheFamilyLies #NetGalley #StormPublishing and #AngelaHenry for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 STAR best selling Psychological Thriller!

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From the very first chapter, this book had me side-eyeing every character, second-guessing every scene, and trying (very unsuccessfully) to figure out what was coming next. And let me just say—I never saw that ending coming!

I’ll admit, the multiple POVs threw me off at first. I usually prefer just one or two, but in this case, they totally worked and made the story even more compelling. The middle slowed down a bit, and I was so ready for things to pick up—but once they did? I was flipping pages like my life depended on it.

And those twists! Not just one, but multiple jaw-on-the-floor revelations. Nothing felt predictable, which made it all the more fun. I love when a book keeps me on my toes, and this one absolutely delivered.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of The Family Lies!

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This was my first Angela Henry book and will definitely not be my last. This was a quick, page turner thriller that I finished in less than 24 hours. The different POV’s were done well where they give us enough information to keep us interested and wanting more without giving any upcoming twists away! One thing I love about a thriller is thinking you have everything figured out, just for yet another twist to come in and show your that you don’t know a thing and that is what this book did for me. Haunted house vibes, forbidden floors, multiple bizarre rules, coincidental deaths/missing people. This book has you wondering what the heck goes on in this house and the people who live there.

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Sabrina Adams is a bookkeeper at her local bookstore. Each week she sees a handsome gentleman named Theo Dorsey who owns Dorsey Snacks. Turned on by his love of reading she develops a crush on him. One day he comes in, asks her to come with him for coffee, and gives her a job offer. She is offered a two-year private librarian job and to live at his mansion. When she arrives not all is not what it seems and the family has secrets they want to keep hidden.

Angela Henry creates a fast-paced psychological thriller full of twists and turns that keep you wanting more. Just when you think you have it all figured out you don't. I highly recommend this to someone who loves reading books by authors of color and psychological thrillers.

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Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eCopy to review

The Family Lies by Angela Henry is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the secrets and lies of the wealthy Dorsey family.

Sabrina Adams, a librarian, finds herself in a precarious situation when she is hired by the enigmatic Dorsey family to catalogue their extensive library. From the moment she arrives at their grand estate, she senses that something is amiss. The housekeeper, Mrs. Manning, imposes strict rules, and Sabrina notices cameras everywhere. As she delves deeper into her work, she uncovers unsettling secrets about the family, especially concerning Theo Dorsey, her charming employer. When a local woman goes missing, and Theo is implicated, Sabrina must navigate her growing doubts and fears while trying to uncover the truth.

The story unfolds with a series of twists and turns as Sabrina discovers that the Dorsey family has a history of burying their secrets. The plot thickens when another woman's death is linked to Theo, and Sabrina learns that the previous librarian has been missing for years. As she tries to piece together the puzzle, she realizes that no one in the family can be trusted, and she questions her own safety.

The novel is a compulsive read with a slow burn that leads to a thrilling climax. It's perfect for fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy unravelling family secrets and unexpected plot twists.

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Amazing thriller.

This thriller has a lots of suspense, kept me going on last night to the final twists at the end.

My jaw litterally drop on the floor.

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A regular customer to sabrina's bookstore offers her a saving grace when they want to her to help them on their estate in their own library. Winner. And someone offer me this job anytime please!
But all is not as it seems. And as soon as she enters this families world the uncertainty begins.

The vibes were slowwwwly ramped up as the pages turned. I didn't see the conclusions coming which was great as I was really involved in the story and how it would all fit together. And to have all the pieces fit together so seamlessly was a shocker. But a great one.
It's one of those books that builds and builds perfectly.

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Just when Sabrina thought her luck had turned around after landing a job as a librarian for the wealthy Dorsey family, something feels off the moment she arrives at their lavish estate. The house is riddled with cameras, and the third floor is strictly off-limits, a rule enforced by the stern housekeeper, Mrs. Manning. As Sabrina begins to uncover unsettling details, she learns of the recent disappearance of a local woman and the mysterious death of another from years ago—both seemingly connected to her charming employer, Theo Dorsey. When she discovers that the previous librarian vanished without a trace, Sabrina is left with mounting fear and a growing list of unanswered questions.

Though the book starts off slowly, it gains momentum and becomes more engaging halfway through. However, there are numerous side plots that feel unnecessary and fail to tie back to the main story. The premise is promising, complementing the dark and suspenseful atmosphere of the family, but there are a few over-the-top moments that undermine the overall impact. While I enjoyed parts of the book, its execution was inconsistent.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for ARC in exchange of a honest review.

The prose of the book is very well written, multiple pov are done excellently well. Twists are good. But after majority of the book was done like 75% it suddenly turned from a regular thriller into a very movie-ish twists and everything. Even with adequate suspension of disbelief I did not like the end part.

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The Family Lies is quite the adventure. I was intrigued by the blurb and was looking for a good old-fashioned mystery. I literally blew through the first half and loved all the different POVs that offered up enough perspective to help a novice detective like myself try and put together this complicated puzzle. With the Dorsey estate the main focus of this book, when a new librarian is brought in to organize and catalogue the vast private library within the walls of the mansion, Sabrina Adams finds herself smack dab in the middle of a very odd family dynamic that only gets more bizarre by the minute.

For the most part, I liked these characters. Even those, like Mrs. Manning, who was a bit off-kilter and cold. The premise that Theo Dorsey, CEO of Dorsey Snacks might be a serial killer is a big part of this book. But he came off quite normal imo and despite all the clues and people's opinions of what a diabolical person he might be, I liked him and his kindness towards Sabrina. Not to mention the fact that he was raising his goddaughter, Luca.

The author does her best to put us off the scent as to who might be the actual villain with various tangents and for me, the shorter chapters, each from a different character's perspective made the book that much more exciting and easy to digest. With the mansion clearly full of its own secrets, Sabrina can't help but explore the large home as well as the grounds as she continues to get caught up in the wild web of lies and secrets. She plays detective well, however, and I knew it was only a matter of time when she would undoubtedly figure out who was responsible for the many disappearances in Harper's Ferry, hopefully clearing Theo's name for good.

I feel as if the author, however, threw a bit too much extra in the latter half of the book that simply didn't need to be there. I felt as if the overall mystery was enough of a storyline and the extra issues concerning Sabrina and her sister Cami came out of left field and then weren't addressed properly. Not to mention how the book concluded with Theo and Sabrina finding a new normal almost too easily. A bit more intrigue and lingering questions would have made the ending that much more enjoyable for me. I also felt the confusion wrt Mrs. Manning and her own reveal together with using the same name for an important part of this book was handled poorly and again, was almost too easily swept under the rug.

I would, though, try another book from this author should the opportunity arise. She has the talent to create a good mystery but just needs a bit more so it doesn't somewhat stall out in the end.

3.5 stars.

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The Family Lies was filled with twists and turns. I honestly had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend it to all those who enjoy a fast paced thriller.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

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Thank you Net Galley & Storm Publishing for the ARC!

This was my first book of 2025 and it set the year up for success.

This story follows Sabrina as she takes on a new job after a desperate time in her life. Mystery after mystery builds.

I thought this story was set at a great pace and it drew me right in. It made for a quick read and I enjoyed it throughout. I did find near the end, it did became a little over the top. It felt like ‘how many twists can we throw in, in a short bit’. Nonetheless, it was a great read!

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