Whoa. An adult book! I didn’t actually realize this because almost all of the books I requested from Net Galley are young adult or middle grade books, but I guess I snuck this one in there too!
Meg is the daughter of a very famous author. Her mom wrote a fictional book that resembles a real life murder on a small island which she lived at one summer when she was young. Meg has always had whatever she wanted, except a good relationship with her mom. Now that she is an adult, she would love to just live her own life, but with the fortieth anniversary of her novel coming up, it doesn’t seem likely that she will escape the spotlight just yet. After a falling out with her mom, she is determined to cut her out of her life and that includes skipping one of her famous birthday parties. Until a hand delivered invitation shows up with a handwritten note about her mom’s long time agent, which draws Meg back home. Upon arriving, she meets a new employee of her mother’s who encourages her to look deeper into the book that made her mother famous and sends her on a trip that will change her life.
I thought this was pretty good. Over time, I really grew to like Meg and want a happy resolution for her. I’ll admit that I am not usually very good at guessing endings of stories, but this one had so many twists I had no idea how this was going to wrap up. I really felt connected to Meg in that like her, I had no idea who to trust in the story. One feature that I didn’t understand at the beginning, but really enjoyed once I figured it out, was the inclusion of excerpts from the famous book Meg is researching. Overall, I would recommend this book if you need some “me time” to escape this summer! Thanks to @netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #bibliophile #bookstagram #instabooks #bookaholic #booksofinsta #bookworm #booknerd #booklove #bookgram #fiction #mystery #LIES

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

A unique read with a book within a book.

Why I wanted to read this one…….I was really intrigued by the title and cover of this book which had me wanting to read it right away. I have also seen so many great reviews for this novel that had me curious enough to see if I would love it as much as some of my other friends did. I didn't love it but it was an enjoyable read though.

Thoughts & what it's all about…(Since Brenda’s thoughts and review is once again very similar to mine some of her wonderful review is intertwined into mine.)

WEIGHT OF LIES by EMILY CARPENTER is an atmospheric, interesting, engaging, and entertaining read here that was uniquely told with a story within a story. A mystery from the past was interwoven with excerpts from a horror novel which added some suspense and tension to the story. There is some family drama, complicated relationships, hidden lies, and unexpected truths with plenty of twists and turns that did keep me interested in seeing how this story was going to all playout.

The story is told from the perspective of our main character, Megan (Meg) who is estranged from her Mother who has written a famous novel that has many cult followers. At first to spite her mother Meg agrees to write her own novel based on her Mother and her relationship with her. Revenge turns dangerous as she is drawn into the mystery of the past that is inspired by her Mother’s novel “Kitten” as Meg goes on a truth seeking mission to uncover the truth behind Kitten. As she digs up the past, things start to get dark and creepy as she uncovers lies and begins to question who she can trust and not trust.

What I liked….I loved the creepy atmosphere of Bonny Island and the old mansion turned hotel which added to the creepiness and brought some edge to the story. I also really enjoyed the Native American mythology that was interwoven into the story.

What I didn't like…..There was so much going on throughout this story that I did find somewhat distracting to figure out if it was in the past or the present.

To sum it all up it was a gripping, steady-paced, and an enjoyable read with a neat and satisfying ending. Would recommend!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Emily Carpenter for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

All of my reviews can be found on my sister blog:
http://www.twosisterslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

This book lived up to its' hype. I enjoyed the suspenseful, believable nature of the story and Carpenter kept me intrigued throughout. It was filled with twists and turns and I was kept on my toes until the end.

The Weight of Lies was a fun, smart book that wraps the reader in a mysterious, warm and cozy atmosphere. It handily manufactures a world I would happily live in on Bonny Island in Georgia.

Meg, our heroine, is a real spitfire and I liked her a lot. She is the estranged daughter of the author of Kitten, a book that took the world by storm nearly 40 years ago. Meg and Francis, her authoress mother, do not see eye to eye and have many issues but is that reason enough for Meg to write a tell-all about her mother and the real mystery that Kitten was based on?

This was a great quasi-feel good/beach read that completely sucked me in. The quick wit, personal confrontations and duel mystery element felt so right. There are plenty of twists and warm, sweet moments to put a smile on your face. I hope you agree. Two thumbs up from me.

The Weight of Lies is a fantastic mystery/suspense which is really a story within a story. Megan Ashley is the daughter of Frances Ashley, a self absorbed woman who has written a blockbuster novel almost forty years ago. The novel was written while Frances was living on Bonny Island and it has been an instant sensation because it seems to have some links to true events (murders) that happened on the island while Frances was there. The story alternates between Frances's 40 year old novel and the present time during which Megan has been asked by a publishing company to tell the real story of her life with Frances as a harsh mother. Megan agrees and heads back to Bonny Island to do some research and to meet some of the people that lived on the island when her mother was there. While she is there, she comes a bit too close to solving the murders on the island forty years ago. Who can she really trust? Definitely a page turner!!

I have been really lucky with reading a few good books in a row now. This one was super fantastic and I read it in a quick three days. I love thrillers, and this book is definitely that. I had thought many times that I had figured out all the lies in the novel, and I was quickly surprised to find out that I was wrong. This book left me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I raced through it to figure out what was exactly going on.

Meg Ashely, daughter of Frances Ashley a famous novelist, finally decides to go home and wish her mother a happy birthday. She soon discovers she will be disappointed again. When she’s home, though, she meets Asa who sends her on an investigation to Bonny Island. Once there, she discovers finding out the truth of what happened on the island is going to be much more complicated than she thought. Will she discover why there is no longer guests on the island, and why everyone is acting so strange? Read to find out.

Every character in the novel had lies that they were using to ‘protect’ others. The more lies that are piled on, the more complicated the plot became. Even at the end, I wasn’t sure who I wanted to believe.

I really enjoyed the book inside a book aspect in this novel. It definitely helped add to the thrilling/creepy factor. Frances Ashley had stayed on Bonny Island forty years before and became a bestselling author based on her book about the little girl at the hotel. Between Meg’s chapters, there is an excerpt from the chapters of Frances’s book Kitten. This helps add to the ‘creepy’ factor of the novel. The excerpts also help add to the mysteriousness of the characters. Was Frances’s book purely fiction, or were there tidbits of truth in the pages?

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller and mystery. The plot is very complex but isn’t hard to follow. Carpenter wove a wonderful story that will leave you guessing who is telling the truth the entire time.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was the type of book that I wanted to read first thing when I woke up, before bed, and any time I had even a few minutes to spare!

It was a fast paced page turner, that kept me guessing. I was sad to finish it, because I really enjoyed this story.

Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Mother and daughter relationships are sometimes difficult and Megan and her mother, the author of a cult horror novel, really don't get along. The novel that has made Frances Ashley and, by association, daughter Megan rich and famous is based on events that occurred 40 years previously, which may or may not be true.

In this book (The Weight of Lies) Megan decides to write a tell-all memoir to mainly get back at her mother and also to find out if there is any truth to her mother's greatest work. She is not prepared for what her research and investigations reveal.

An easy to read, entertaining family mystery drama with a few twists, and lots of lies.

Forty years ago, Frances Ashley wrote a horror book, "Kitten", that changed her life and everyone that came in touch with it. Just before the 40th anniversary of the book, Megan Asley, Frances' daughter, was convinced to write a book about her life with her mother, the lies and deceits between them, but above all to try and figure out whether there is any truth in the mystery her mother wrote about in "Kitten".
So, she set off to the Bonny Island, the original set of the book.

There was something addictive about this book that made me forget the time and just keep reading. I owe this book many late sleeping nights! For me, it felt like something out of a Hitchcock movie.
A private island with a defect Manor/Hotel and only 4 people living in it, a mission ruin, a 40 years old unsolved mystery, i don't know why but i was almost seeing the scenes from the book in black and white.

I got caught in this book, maybe because it felt like reading two books at the same time, one set in the 70s and the other in the present day; i really liked that the author "included" parts of chapters of the book "Kitten". In a way, it was very interesting, even though they were not complete chapters, more like excerpts, i felt that i did not miss any detail from that story. That was really a nice touch.

Now, the story and the characters were fascinating. Everyone was lying or hiding secrets, and at some point, i couldn't tell anymore who can be trusted. I kept going through many theories in my head, some of them where close enough, but one particular revelation really surprised me.
It's been a while since i felt this way about a book and i am glad i discovered Emily Carpenter, i am definitely waiting for me by her.

A NetGalley e-book in exchange for an honest review.

"The child had some oddities - a few secretive tendencies and strange habits"

Not going to lie, it took me a few chapters to get invested in the characters and plot. Once things started going though I got sucked right in.

Megan Ashley (Meg) leads a life of privilege since her mom, Francis Ashley, wrote arguably one of the greatest books of her time. As the 40th anniversary of the book rolls around Meg’s anger and hatred toward her not always there mother has grown exponentially. What better way to get back at her then write her own book, a tell-all memoir that exposes the real Francis Ashley.

As Meg digs into her mother’s past she starts uncovering more than she bargained for. With a cast of crazy characters that all have their own 40 year old lies the plot takes some interesting turns.

4* Lies, Lies and more Lies Stars

The Weight of Lies is a fascinating thriller that was suspenseful and packed with twists and turns. As the title suggests it was full of secrets and lies and it had me asking throughout the book, who committed the crime and what weapon did they commit it with? The book definitely had elements of ‘Mommy issues” and on a lighter note it had some light romance thrown into it as well. This novel within a novel will keep you guessing until the end and along the way questioning which characters to like and trust and who to dislike?

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and Emily Carpenter for allowing me to read this e-book for an honest opinion.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into the story, mainly because i am not used to the style of writing. I tend to steer clear of books that flips from past to present. There is no denying that it was a well written book and it wouldn't stop me from reading more books by this author. I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do recommend this novel if you don't mind stories which flips from past to present.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

I loved this book, it's right up there with one of the best books I've read!

What a page turner! I was so into reading this book, nothing else mattered! Great development of characters, the story is rich in emotions! I love a book that allows me to fill emotion and this book did just that. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It does not end the way you think it does.

2 stars. I had to push myself to finish this book.

After seeing so many great reviews, I had high hopes for this book and unfortunately it fell completely flat for me. I just couldn’t get into the storyline or the characters’ lives whatsoever. I didn’t like the main character Meg. She was spoiled, selfish, immature and grew to be quite annoying! I also found she did things that didn’t fit with her persona – her character was inconsistent for me. Even though her childhood was not a happy one, I could not sympathize with her.

The novel started off well. I liked the idea of the storyline and how it was a book about a book. I also liked the old manor house on the island and the atmosphere that was created. However, quite quickly the story became unrealistic and somewhat absurd. The love story seemed forced and awkward – it didn’t fit for me - I felt it was added to simply include some romance in the book.

I figured out one of the big twists early on in the book which NEVER happens for me. This ended up taking away from the dramatic and implausible ending which fell completely flat for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Emily Carpenter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Gripping. Enthralling. Captivating. Carpenter knows how to ensnare her reader and then let them go when the story ends. I would definitely place this book in the hands of other readers!

Boy this was GOOD. I was hooked as soon as I started reading The Weight Of Lies and it managed to hold my attention until the very end. The story POV switches between the so-called ‘Kitten’ chapter bites out of the book the main character’s mother Frances wrote 40 years ago and the actual story. Those little chapters definitely added a little something extra to the story: a unique feel, a healthy dose of suspense and intrigue about what is still to come… But this doesn’t mean that the actual plot isn’t anything less than brilliant. Besides the fact that I fell in love with the writing style almost instantly, The Weight Of Lies is also packed with plot twists, secrets, lies and unreliable characters that will keep you wondering about both what really happened all those years ago and what is happening right now. I found myself eagerly turning the pages (or in this case, finger-stabbing my kindle) to try and find out what everybody was hiding and what secrets the island will reveal. Another bonus: this story managed to surprise me more than once, which trust me doesn’t happen all that often anymore. I also liked the plot itself and the fact that both writing and books themselves play such a big role in the story. I admit I wasn’t a fan of every character, but the relationship between Meg and her writing mother is well developed and brilliantly executed. Then again, the descriptions in general were very well done and really set the right atmosphere for this story. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers, you will be in for a treat with this one!

This is a good book but I preferred her first book Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, over this one. I think I would have enjoyed this one more had I read it first. The books are stand alone novels but I felt this book was a bit more rushed and didnt flow as well for me.

I read this while hiking. I think that added to the setting, but I really enjoyed this book. Family mystery with tons of turns. The main character decides to write a tell all about her famous author mother and the book, Kitten, that made her famous. Who really killed a young girl all those years ago. Who can be trusted? Real page turner.

The Weight of Lies, the newest release by Emily Carpenter, was a book that I had been recommended to me by several of my favourite bloggers, so I knew I had to read this one ASAP!

The novel opens with Meg, reformed party girl and daughter to superstar writer extraordinaire Frances Ashby. Ashby, who is best known for a best-selling horror novel, Kitten, has made her fortune off of the murder of a young girl that inspired the book. Forty years later, and sick of her relationship with her mother, Meg is pushed over the edge by a personal tragedy and agrees to write a tell-all book about her mother. Digging into the past, and the cult classic her mother wrote, Meg finds herself in Bonny Island, Georgia questioning the facts of the decades-old murder. And, when Meg finds herself in danger, she realises her mother’s book isn’t the only horror that came from Bonny Island.

Truthfully, I had picked up and put down this novel several times before I finally made the commitment to read it. I was initially thrown off by the narrative style. The novel goes back and forth between present events, as Meg narrates, and excerpts from the Kitten novel, written by Frances Ashby. However, once I really sat down and dedicated some time, I found that although this novel was completely different from what I was expecting, I found myself entirely sucked in. Right from the first pages, I needed to know what truth was in the book and where Frances truly received her inspiration.

I loved the bit of diversity that Carpenter brings to the plot by adding in bits of Native American culture and combining that with the Southern Gothic style of Flannery O’Conner and William Faulker. I was fascinated by how this one felt like it was set it a completely different world.

Although I loved a majority of this novel, I did find the end a little lacklustre. I felt like I had lots of build up but not enough satisfaction by the way the ending was executed. Even with that, overall, I found this to be a highly entertaining read.

Highly recommended for those who like atmospheric family drama built into their thrillers. I gave it a 4/5 stars!