The story was winding and disjointed. Honestly, I missed the point of the Freddy chapters. They were randomly placed and gave little insight into the story. I felt like the ending was anticlimactic and overall I kept waiting for something to happen.

"Simmering menace and long-buried family secrets are at the heart of this gripping psychological family drama mystery—Just how far will they go to protect those they love?"

LIES THAT BIND by CJ Stone is a complex multi-layered thriller told from the POV of Jess Evans and her younger brother, Frankie.

Jess is twenty years old and the first in the family to attend university. Her life is uprooted when she receives a call from her seventeen-year-old brother, Frankie, that he has found their dad hanging from the rafter in the garage with an electrical cord.

They are devastated and have no clue their dad was suicidal. Was it murder?

She rushes home and also receives the horrific news their mom and younger sister, Lily (five years old)—were also killed in a car accident. Tom, their nine-year-old younger brother, was injured but alive. Where was their mom going, and what was she running away from?

There is an investigation but they do not pinpoint any foul play. But Jess insists something is not right. She now must take care of her orphan brothers and leave university, but how will she support them? Your heart goes out to her. She is overwhelmed. Their family has been torn apart.

Then the boys start seeing ghosts in the house, Frankie is acting out and getting into trouble, and Tom is having nightmares. Jess thinks someone is following her.

Soon she realizes something more sinister is going on. Her past secrets will surface when her parents' long-buried secrets are unraveled. When someone from her mom and dad's past surfaces that is out of prison, they all are in danger.

A heartbreaking portrait of a family coping with grief. The kids had no idea about the secrets their parents were keeping and how far they went to protect their family.

Centered around a family that has endured unspeakable tragedy, the story explores the strength of familial bonds. THE LIES THAT BIND keeps readers on the edge until the final twist unmasks secrets of the past.

The author delivers suspense, creepy and atmospheric vivid settings, and plot twists.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gail Shalan and Chris Devon, with an engaging performance. I preferred Gail (Jess) over Chris (Frankie), primarily due to the character. If you like hidden family secrets, this one is for you.

Thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #Netgalley for a gifted ALC.

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My Rating: 3.5 ⭐Stars, rounded to 4
Pub Date: Jan 26, 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books

Lies That Bind by CJ Stone is a creepy and entertaining read. I stayed intrigued throughout, never really sure what the outcome would be. However, a big secret is revealed about 80% through the book and, even though it made no logical sense, it was also somewhat predictable. I'm just confused on how the character(s) acted given this information. Also, there's too many unanswered questions/loose ends. Overall, I give this story 3 stars.

Gail Shalan and Chris Devon were okay narrators. I didn't really like how Gail speaking as Jess whispered; I found myself occasionally zoning out.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC.

An eerie and atmospheric read, Lies That Bind was utterly captivating. This is the first book I've read by this author and I was blown away by the dark and alluring story from page one. The first chapter did a stunning job setting up for this mysterious story. The fast pacing kept me hooked throughout the entire book. I was on the edge of my seat always wondering what sort of twist would come next. It's everything I could have wanted in a psychological thriller!
The only negative I found in this book was the speedy wrap up of the ending. So much happened really fast and it was a little unsatisfying. Several of my questions were left unanswered, but I still loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers from this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: Lies That Bind
Author: CJ Stone
Narrators: Gail Shalan and Chris Devon
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 26, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up

Story it told from the POV of Jess Evans and her brother Frankie.
Jess is twenty years old and is living at the university when she gets a call from Frankie her seventeen year old brother. He is distraught and tells her he just found their father hanging from a rafter in the garage. She instructs him to cut him down and call the paramedics. She rushes from the university and when she arrives at the hospital she and Frankie are approached by a police officer that reports that there was a car wreck that killed their mother as well as their five year old sister, Lily. Tom their nine year old brother, is injured both physically and emotionally.
The audiobook was performed so well narrators Gail Shalan and Chris Devon (Chris has a more difficult role as Frankie is hard to like). The writing descriptions were so vivid – the death in the garage, creaking floors and stairs, dark corners, strange sounds, the visions being seen by Jess and young Tom- Hmmm ghosts of their parents? I was on the edge of seat most of this story.

I kept reading as I was so curious but hated reading the awful bullying, as well as Jess and Frankie’s sibling fights! And then the nasty language (I have no doubt they talked this way – it was just difficult for me to hear it!)
This story was like a train wreck – don’t enjoy watching but also cannot look away!

Glad I hung in there ~ turned better than expected.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 26, 2023

I really enjoyed this book. It captured my interest from the very beginning and I felt kept a good pace of interest throughout the book. I will be recommending this to my book club.

C.J. Stone nimbly handles the mechanics and craft of a mystery narrative, advancing the story with increasingly swift pacing. Left in the role of caretaker for her surviving family members, Jess is a sympathetic character, but as she becomes overwhelmed by the events in her life readers may wish that she’d take the commonsense action of asking for help. Yet it is understandable why she is reluctant to reach out to most of the disinterested, self-involved adults around her, even when it is their job to do so. Grief, loss, and resilience are major themes in this novel. Youngest surviving child, Tom, believes that he sees the ghosts of his deceased parents, and his elder sister Jess tries to be a kind, though skeptical, listener. Many people find comfort in maintaining some connection to loved ones after death. Tom’s ghostly visions soon begin to blend with real visitations.
There’s a point in every juicy, engrossing mystery when there seems to be no way out, and I found myself thinking this more than once in Lies that Bind.: after the scenes in which Jess’ teenage brother Frankie is preyed upon by an absolutely vicious local bully (sensitive readers should be careful), or when Jess struggles with multiple obstacles such as sexism, waning friendships, urgent need for money, and destructive secrets. There are twists late in the story, and the responses of the younger characters feel real enough that I wanted everyone to receive inpatient mental health treatment, or maybe a paid holiday somewhere sunny. Both the audiobook narrators do a fine job of portraying the main and secondary characters. As a Librarian, I’d recommend this short, tense mystery to readers interested in female protagonists in their early twenties; readers interested in stories that blend coming-of-age themes with suburban mystery; and readers interested in the drama that can occur within a family.

Book Review:
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
A very fast paced and suspenseful debut thriller. How many secrets and lies can one family keep?Jessica was living the college life, but it all changed the day her parents & young sister die. She’s left to pick up the pieces and try to care for her brothers but strange things keep happening and lies keep unraveling. It was a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed the writing style so much. I wanted a bit more character development on the parents but got some close to the end. There were two twists and one really had me thrown off and kept me compelled to finish the book. I wish the best of luck to the author on her debut day which is right around the corner (01/26/2023).
A special thanks to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for this ARC e-audiobook.
💫This was narrated in 2 POV’s: Gail Shalan-FMC
Chris Devon-MMC
Both gave great narrations that suited the characters very well.


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I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job. I had issues with pacing throughout the story- sometimes I found it felt rushed and other times it dragged. I ended up liking the conclusion but I’m not sure I would read more by this author based on this book. I’m sure others will love this one but it just wasn’t for me.

Eerie and tense, Lies That Bind follows three siblings after the death of both parents as well as their 5-year-old sister. Jess leaves university, determined to take care of her younger brothers, but they soon find a disturbing presence in their home. Unsure whether it's the ghosts of their parents or something more sinister, Jess and her teenage brother Frankie are both determined to find answers, though they have secrets of their own.

I found this story to be intriguing and the suspense was written well, but the wrap-up seemed too quick for my liking.

I was sent this audiobook from the Netgalley. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

This was my first book from CJ Stone. Triggers for death, suicide, bullying,

This is not going to be for everyone and I do recommend checking triggers before jumping in. I eally had no clue what was going to happen and I was shocked how much happened so fast. The beginning was so good. However; the rest of the story is the children trying to figure out what happened to their parents. It was very slow moving after the initial blows in the story.

There was a twist that I did not see coming. It was a good twist, but it all is thrown in so fast with the ending. Much more unfolds but really did not answer so many of my questions I still had. I wanted more of a conclusion on this one.

Overall, this was a decent listen though but just did not blow me away. The narration is also great as you have dual narrators for Frankie and Jess.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media!

3⭐️

Jess’ family is torn apart and her life is changed forever in a single night. Her father dies, and soon after her mother and 5 year old sister die in a car crash. Jess is left to take care of her brothers Frankie and Tom. But Jess has a secret. And Frankie feels she’s hiding something. Switching back and forth between Jess and Frankie’s POV, you get different perspectives of the truth.

This book was SO slow for me, it didn’t seem to get interesting until about 80% through. Also, the dialogue was so cheesy it almost made me chuckle. However, the twist was good but could be predictable for those who read a lot. I personally loved the ending which is why I gave it as many stars as I did.

Overall, I liked it but it was not my favorite.

OK this book starts with the happy family which includes the dad and the mom oldest daughter Jess 17 year old Frankie eight year old Tom and five year old Lily and they of the Evans family. They all get together to celebrate dad‘s birthday and there’s a little tension between the mom and dad but they basically love each other and time goes on. Jess is now back at her London university when she gets a call from 17-year-old Frankie and he’s freaking out because he found his dad hanging in the garage. Needless to say Jess immediately makes her way back home and when she arrives at the hospital she ask Frank if he called their mom? This is going to find out the mom and baby sister Lily are also dead and little Tom was also in the car accident that killed them. This starts the cruel experience of these three children Jess, Frankie and Tom all trying to make sense of this senseless situation. Immediately they start hearing noises in the Home Tom claims to see the ghost of his parents and has woken up on more than one occasion saying a man was in his room. He is an alone because big sister Jess and brother Frank have also had experiences. They cannot except that they’re Dad killed his self and find it hard to except and not only that they also want to know where was their mom going on a Sunday afternoon because that isn’t something she would’ve normally done. This will lead them on a hunt for answers but just keep in mind some times ignorance really is bliss! I found some of this book to be kind of slow end it was no wonder the parents had so many secrets because the siblings didn’t seem to share ordinary things about the life. It was as if they all had their own individual lives never to be next-door intertwines at all. Frankie didn’t know about his sisters “boyfriend“ and she didn’t know about his girlfriend. Little Tom had no secrets he was only eight though. OK now that I’ve said that do I recommend this book yes definitely! Not only were the narrators so good and I do mean so so good but any lull didn’t last for so long that it made the book unenjoyable in the end it’s so worth getting too. Despite having paranormal events that may or may not have happened I would say this book is still top-notch and a definite great mystery. With a whole Lotta twists you just have to get through the The slow moments that are in the middle of the book the get through it because it doesn’t last long as I said. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Wow this audiobook was absolutely great. It started off a bit slow in the beginning, but once it picked up I enjoyed it a lot.

3.5 stars

In my opinion, this book started out stronger than it ended. I enjoyed much of the first half, including the tension, angst, mystery, and creepy, supernatural vibes. I didn’t love the conclusion the same way, though. It was fine, but my attention wandered, and I’m pretty confident I didn’t retain all of the details. Overall, I liked but didn’t love the book, and the ending just wasn’t quite to my taste, I guess.

3.5 ⭐Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gail Shalan & Chris Devon.

I enjoyed books with multiple narrations. Gail Shalan was terrific. This story has a good amount of eerie and some suspense. Not scary. The pilot is good. Some predictability at the story's beginning, but the last few chapters were a surprise. It's not needed, but I wish there were an epilogue five years out to show how Frankie emotionally survived. Either way, there seems to be something slightly missing at the end.

After the tragic death of her parents and younger sister, Jess leaves university to take care of her brothers, Frankie and Tom. Secrets and fear keep Frankie and Jess at odds.

Jess and Frankie struggle with the unanswered questions about why their father took his own life. Grief-stricken Jess doesn't know if she is dreaming or seeing things.

This is a wonderful story about enduring tragic loss and loving your siblings.
It made me sad and proud of our protagonists.
I loved the narration as well. It was all so spot on.

I only found this book to be okay. It was great and the pacing was slow at times, but if you are looking for a book to pass the time then this would be a fine choice.

I also felt like the characters stayed the same throughout the book so there wasn’t a lot of character development which is one reason why it was slow.

The premise of Lies That Bind was heartbreaking and intriguing. The two main characters Jess and Frankie are siblings. Frankie calls Jess telling her their dad had committed suicide. After their mom received the news she was then in a fatal car crash. She and her five your old daughter, Lily were killed but her nine-year-old son Tommy survived.

Jess is the oldest and assumed the role of guardian. A lot of the story is about how Jess needs to change her life and figure out how to make an income to even get to be their legal guardian. A lot of this I did not find interesting.

Frankie had a lot of his own drama with bullies at school and girls which mostly was uninteresting as well.

Tommy is where some of the interesting moments happened. Tommy was convinced he was seeing the ghost of his parents at night. He was not the only one feeling that something was going off. You are trying to figure out if this is something paranormal, sinister, or just in their heads. That’s where the story excelled. Some of it was scary, some of it was unsettling, and all of it was tense. However, the way this concluded was definitely rushed and failed to explore all the aspects.

I do understand we need to learn about the characters for the story to hit emotionally. I just wish this story had fewer explanations about the characters and more drama with the house.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I enjoyed this audiobook. Finished it in about two days actually. Both narrators did a good job.
The book definitely kept me guessing and I was quite surprised by the ending as well.
Good job on keeping the reader/listener guessing.