I had the amazing pleasure to read Emily Carpenter’s upcoming novel The Weight of Lies, and the only bad thing about the experience was that I had to put it down a few times to work and sleep. Ms. Carpenter deftly weaves a tale that spans decades. The main character, Meg Ashley is on a timeline to unearth secrets left in the wake of her mother’s 40-year-old novel Kitten. Interspersed between the chapters are excerpts of Kitten, which tells the tale of an impish young girl that makes you think she might start wishing things away to the cornfield. Frances Ashley, Meg’s mother, wrote Kitten based on her real life experience on a resort island off Georgia’s coast. 40 years later, the book’s success granted Frances wealth and fame, but that doesn’t keep the past quiet. What I love most about this book is the journey I took with Meg toward the truth. Layers peel away like the layers of an onion to uncover lies upon lies. I highly recommend going on the journey with Meg. Make sure to watch out for wild horses. –Julia Jones, owner, Beautiful Madness Book Case

I couldn't put it down! Even the minor characters are fleshed out and interesting. The layers of lies and mystery will keep you in suspense until the end. I loved the construct of the "fictional horror novel" being interspersed with the current events. If you love suspense, you will love this book.

History has repeated itself and the result is Emily Carpenter’s second gripping and surprising novel. Much like her debut Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, Lake Union, 2016, The Weight of Lies is a fascinating story filled with twisted characters and intense action set against a deliciously dark backdrop.
There is a reason Meg Ashley hasn’t spoken to her mother in three years. Aside from the “Mommie Dearest” method of parenting Meg suffered growing up, there’s that pesky bestselling horror novel Kitten her mother wrote forty years ago that has controlled their entire lives. Faced with an enticing offer to write a tell-all exposing the disturbing truth about her mother, Meg is inspired to find out more about the murder on which the book is based. Whipping through her quest for the truth with an angry urgency, Meg’s enlightening and confusing uncovering of facts leads her deep into a disturbing past she never could have imagined.
The intensity with which Carpenter writes propels the reader forward at breakneck speed and left me reading long after I should have called it a night. A present day version of Mommie Dearest meets The Bad Seed, The Weight of Lies invokes feelings of intrigue mixed with dread throughout this unpredictable adventure of a story. Carpenter’s beautiful prose aligns with her compelling plot and the result is nothing short of chilling.
I received a free copy of The Weight of Lies from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Creepy, suspenseful, and breathtaking, Emily Carpenter has woven together a complex tale of mystery and intrigue that is as unique as it is thrilling. I will be recommending this book to everyone I come across for the remainder of the year; a must read!

The Weight of Lies is a spell-binding, heart-pounding story about a young woman who, after deciding to write a tell-all book about her famous mother, becomes embroiled in dark secrets, lies, and murder…
Megan Ashley has lived a privileged life, the daughter of best-selling novelist Frances Ashley; but Meg has spent years being neglected and rejected by her mother. Digging into her mother’s past takes Meg to Bonny Island, Georgia, the setting for her mother’s most famous novel, Kitten, about the murder of a young girl; an island with a sordid history, and still home to Dorothy, who is the inspiration for the main character in the book. As Meg digs deeper into her mother’s past, she finds herself in danger, never knowing who to trust, who to believe, and who she should fear. The story takes us on a journey full of twists and turns, as Meg unravels the truth. A cast of characters so vivid, so dark, that even readers will be shocked when the truth is finally revealed! Intertwined with the story are scenes from the book, Kitten; as life imitates art, or is art imitating life?? This book is a whirlwind of emotions; at the heart is a story about a young woman seeking and searching for a mother’s love; and the chilling, dark reality of devastating truths. A truly riveting, compelling book. One of my favorite passages is this: "None of the good in life was purely so. None was untainted. It was all a mix. Dark and light." I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.