Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
Publisher: Park Row Books
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Length: 336 pages

Single Sentence Summary: Days after giving birth to her second child, Clara Solberg loses her husband in a tragic car crash that she soon begins to suspect might not have been an accident, after all.

Primary Characters: Clara Solberg – Mom. Wife. Widow. Clara is battling grief and confusion in a haze of post-partum hormones. Nick Solberg – Clara’s deceased husband whose perspective half the story is told from.

From the Publisher: Clara Solberg’s world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon…. Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.

Review: I was a big fan of Mary Kubica’s first novel, The Good Girl and so was eagerly looking forward to Every Last Lie. Her latest psychological thriller starts out with a crushing premise. A young mother in the heady, but exhausting days just after bringing her second child home from the hospital, answers a knock at her door to find a police officer standing there. His words, “There’s been an accident,” forever change Clara Solberg’s life. Her husband, Nick, with their 4-year old Maisie in the backseat and traveling well over the speed limit, crashed into a tree, ending his own life, but leaving Maisie largely unharmed. Soon after, Maisie begins experiencing nightmares and talks of “the man who was after us” and fears that “he came back.” This sends Clara, who is already in denial, even further down that path.

Kubica unfolds her story from alternating perspectives, Clara after the accident and Nick in the months leading up to it. I tend to be a fan of the dual perspective approach, and liked it in Every Last Lie. Nick’s story from the past served to enlighten Clara’s investigation into what actually happened to her husband and daughter. The two sides fit together very nicely, maybe too nicely. I breezed through the book, but found its flaws to be difficult to overlook.

There were too many unanswered questions that didn’t have that much to do with the outcome, but still, I kept wondering about. Why didn’t Nick’s mother like Clara? Why didn’t Clara’s father like Nick? Didn’t Clara have any friends around in the town she grew up in? Or, if so, where were they in this horrible time? Why was Clara so willing to let Nick handle everything that had anything to do with money in their lives? This is 2017.

There were also too many things that just didn’t add up for me. For example, Nick and his belief in “no secrets,” keeping so many secrets. Maisie didn’t seem like a realistic 4-year old to me. The whole character of Connor. Clara’s theories bouncing around like a ping-pong ball.

“The words ricochet back and forth in my mind – murder, suicide, murder, suicide – like a tennis ball alternating over a net, and each time I think I’ve got it figured out, someone swats it with a backhand stroke, making my thoughts – and with it, my sanity – bounce back.”

Me, too! The pieces all fit together, but the picture they created was incomplete. I’m sorry to say that Every Last Lie just wasn’t psychological or thriller enough for me. Grade: C

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

What an emotional, captivating and thrilling novel!

Nick and Clara seem to have a perfect life, at least that is what Clara thinks. Maybe not exactly perfect, but things are going fairly well for both of them and they are expecting their second child. But then Nick’s death changes everything, and Clara is left alone with Maisie, a toddler of 4, and a new born baby to deal with the death, grief and secrets he left behind.

Told from Nick’s and Clara’s point of view, before and after Nick’s death, the story will captivate you from the very first page and slowly lead towards that day when everything changed.

Mary Kubica paints with vivid colours the raw emotions and struggles of losing someone you love as Clara goes through denial.

Was Nick murdered?

Was it an accident?

The amount of reasons behind his death seem to multiply every chapter and the secrets he left behind do not help us understanding what was actually going on in his life prior to the car crash.

Full review will be posted on my blog closer to the publication date.

Clara Solberg is a happy, but tired stay-at-home mom. She's just given birth to her second child and the only thing she truly longs for is a good night sleep. Awaking to find that her husband dead, his business in shambles, his life insurance canceled, her daughter traumatized, and her parents dealing with their own set of problems just might be more than she can handle all at once. These are just a few of the things going on in Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica.

Clara and Nick Solberg are a happy and loving couple. Clara has gladly given up her career in photography to be a stay-at-home mother to their four-year-old daughter Maisie. After Nick's sudden traumatic death, Clara has to deal with a traumatized Maisie, a newborn infant, a house in constant need of repair, a dwindling amount of income, the possibility that her husband's car crash might not have been an accident based on her daughter's night terrors, and her mother's ever-increasing problems associated with early-onset dementia. Clara is somewhat single-minded in what she is and isn't willing to deal with, but she's sure that Nick must have been murdered based on her daughter's terrors and statements and begins to investigate. Her investigation reveals more than she may have ever wanted to know in some regards, but is she getting closer to the truth or simply uncovering more secrets and lies? Was Nick murdered or was it just a tragic accident?

I'm a huge fan of mystery thrillers, suspense thrillers, and psychological thrillers and Ms. Kubica crafts some of the best thrillers I've read and she's done it yet again with Every Last Lie. I enjoyed this fast-paced story, found it to be part mystery thriller and part psychological thriller, and a wholly entertaining read. I also enjoyed the way Ms. Kubica told this story in alternating viewpoints, so the reader gets to know both Clara and Nick (and let me say there were times I wanted to bop them both upside the head and say "get a grip!"). Are there bad guys in Every Last Lie? Well, yes and no (you'll need to read the story to discover the truth of this for yourself). There's a lot of action going on in Every Last Lie and if I told you everything that happened you wouldn't need to read the book, but I'll tell you there are hints of marital infidelity, gambling, theft, workplace incompetence/negligence, bullying, marital abuse, and much more. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you're not sure about this genre then I suggest you add all of Ms. Kubica's titles (The Good Girl, Pretty Baby, Don't You Cry, and Every Last Lie) to your TBR list, because after reading just one of her books you're sure to be a fan. If you've read any of Ms. Kubica's previous titles, then you'll definitely want to grab a copy of Every Last Lie to read.

Another great book from this author. Fast, enjoyable summer read

Clara Solberg’s life is turned upside down in this psychological thriller. Her husband has been tragically killed in a car accident that leaves more questions than answers for the widow.
Clara has recently given birth to her son, Felix, and has a four year old daughter, Maisie. Maisie survived the car accident and is now plagued with night terrors where she screams out “the bad man” is coming to get them.

What follows is a back-and-forth telling from Clara’s perspective as she deals with the aftermath and from her husband, Nick, prior to the accident, where all the lies he kept from his wife are revealed.

Clara and Nick had a typical, loving marriage—Nick was a dentist who owned his own practice and Clara was the supportive wife. But things start to unravel when Nick treats a patient who doesn’t return for follow-up care after an extraction. The patient gets a life-threatening infection and files a lawsuit. Nick’s patients begin to leave and the bills start piling up. Nick keeps all his financial problems from his wife. Clara already has too much to worry about-her pregnancy and the fact that her own mother suffers from dementia.

From there, the story spirals into an almost unbelievable out-of-control situation. So many secrets and lies of omission that left me shaking my head. Especially with Clara (SPOILER)---who never tells her daughter that her father was killed. It just never made sense to me why she kept up the pretense.

Clara starts to suspect that maybe someone else could be at fault for her husband’s accident. Was it the abusive neighbor next door? The best friend, who, in reality turns out to be a jealous ass? Or someone closer to Clara?

When we get to the climax of the story and find out who is responsible I am left feeling deflated and disappointed.

After all the build-up and shenanigans, my only thought was, “Really? That’s it?”

Let.Down.

Although I thought Every Last Lie had a disappointing ending, the writing—the twists and turns—made for an emotional roller coaster ride of events. But for me, the ending wasn’t worth the trip.

Every Last Lie is accurately named because there's a whole lotta lyin' going on in Kubica's latest book. I have read two of her previous books, Pretty Baby and Don't You Cry -- with Pretty Baby being my favourite. Kubica is a good writer with some cool ideas but I will admit that with her latest book, Every Last Lie, I wasn't quite as enamoured.

This time around I found the pacing to be sluggish and repetitive and while some may call it a slow burn I'd say it was more of a low smolder. There was a slight jump in energy towards the end but I had expected more action and twists.

Kubica uses dual narratives of Nick and Clara to tell the story which gives readers an inside look into their lives and how the lies began and continued to build. Kubica provides some possible culprits and red herrings that had me guessing but I wasn't a fan of the big twist at the end which wasn't a twist?! Huh?

Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting to the main characters. I just didn't like them. I understand that life throws people hard balls but when smart characters repeatedly make silly decisions I have a hard time getting behind them. Both Nick and Clara keep making decisions which ultimately throw their lives, and the lives of their family, into turmoil. I had more sympathy for their young children and Harriet, the dog.

What Kubica does well is show the dark and all-consuming side of grief. Clara is drowning in her despair and I felt for her. She's overwhelmed, frenzied and out of sorts much of the time which makes sense when you think of what she's gone through. But she also lacks common sense -- like leaving her kids in a hot car while she frantically tries to piece together what happened to Nick and holding off telling her daughter what happened to Nick for an excruciatingly long time. While Clara makes for a good unreliable narrator she was just too flawed for me.

Overall, I think Kubica's die-hard fans will enjoy this book. It's got a good premise and touches on some big issues but was lighter on the suspense and character development than I had expected. I still consider myself a Kubica fan and look forward to her next literary offering.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first novel by Mary Kubica that I have ever read, and I fell in love with it. It's told from two point of views -Clara's as she investigates the circumstances surrounding her husband's death and Nick, her husband as we learn about the last few month's of his life. I also found it interesting that their daughter. Maisie's night terrors and fears are the main cause of Clara's investigation into her husbands death.

I found that this book was very heavily character driven. We learn a lot about Clara and Nick, how their relationships work, how they move through their lives together and the thought processes that lead to them making the decisions that they do. It was slow moving, with very little action, but I didn't miss it as it was just.so.good.

Also, THE ENDING. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it, but I'm still trying to process it all.

4.5 stars

I've been a huge fan of Mary Kubica ever since reading her debut novel The Good Girl. While that book will always hold a special place for me (I still remember exactly where I was when I read the shocking ending!), this one is right up there in my adoration. I've decided that the thing that I love most about Kubica's books is that while they all contain a mystery, there is the underlying element of people going about their real lives, complete with their mundane tasks and problems. Her characters are so well drawn, you can see yourself meeting them at the grocery store or living in your neighborhood. In this case, we have a new mother who has just lost her husband. This poor woman has to hold it together on virtually no sleep, caring for a newborn and a 4 year old, while trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband, whose death may be under mysterious circumstances. My heart went out to her, and I could totally see why she did the sort of manic things she did. Concurrent with Clara's story, we have the last months of her husband Nick's life before the fateful accident that took his life. This was almost a 5 star for me, but I did have a couple small issues that I wanted resolved a bit more than they were before the book ended. I've heard a couple people questioning the ending, but for me it was perfectly fitting in the context of the story, and I loved it. I even shed a few tears over the last line!

Once again, this author does not disappoint. Kubica remains high on my list of go to reads when I want a well crafted story, with wonderfully written characters and a mystery to be solved.

“Newton’s first law of motion that an object in motion stays in motion until it collides with a white oak tree.”

This book collides. I am starting to realize that Ms. Kubica’s books are complete hit or miss for me. This book was a miss. It left me incredibly underwhelmed and feeling let down. In this miss, Clara and Nick have just had their second child when Nick dies in a single car accident that mercifully does not claim their daughter. The story is told in two timelines: Nick in the past, leading up to the accident, and Clara in the present, narrating from the accident forward. Refusing to believe that her perfect husband was speeding and died, Clara drags a newborn and toddler around as she hunts down clues to what happened. Let me say that again: she drags a NEWBORN and a toddler off on her wild goose chases to somehow prove her husband was murdered! Just solely on the basis of how much time and work a pooping, nursing, existing infant is, I don’t understand this. Add to that a temperamental toddler who you haven’t told her father is dead? Not likely! Along the way she concludes all these stupid things that might have been going on with Nick; none of which I want to mention in case somehow it is considered a spoiler. In many ways, I felt the same way I did about Pretty Baby: Ms. Kubica was asking me to accept things that I couldn’t.

This was my first Kubica book, and I've heard nothing but amazing things about her writing. I received a copy of her newest book EVERY LAST LIE and dove right into it without knowing much about it. I was not disappointed and I'm looking forward to reading her other books!

Clara Solberg's world completely changes in an afternoon when her husband and 4 year old daughter are in a horrific car crash. The crash killed her husband, Nick, while her daughter, Maisie, was completely unharmed. The crash was ultimately ruled as an accident, but in the weeks following the crash Maisie starts having night terrors about a bad man coming for them. This causes Clara to try and find out what really happened that day of the crash.

So many questions in her search for what happened to Nick. Who would want him dead? Why would they want him dead? Why was Maisie unharmed? As she dives deeper into the search for the truth, she uncovers twisted secrets and deceit along the way.

Kubica writes in the alternating perspectives - Clara present day and then Nick in his last months leading to the car crash. I've always loved this style of writing because it answers questions as you go or explains events in a unique way. The characters were incredibly well-developed and Kubica does an incredible job weaving these stories and making the reader never stop guessing. I couldn't guess the ending even if I tried! So many new theories and an interesting look into the mind of a grief stricken widow. One thing I also liked about this story is that it was completely plausible. This event could definitely happen and nothing was too outlandish. That makes it have an eerie feel.

I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future! If you want a good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing, then this is the book for you.

I give this 5 stars!

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

I have heard nothing but good things about this Author, so I was very excited to read this book, however I really was not that impressed with it. I did enjoy the many twist and turns it took, and every time I thought I had it figured out something came up to keep me guessing. I was just really let down with the ending. I can say it was definitely not what I was excepting!

I desperately wanted to love this book and kept and kept and kept trying to overlook my complete disconnect from the characters, but couldn't even get close to understanding Clara. The "suspenseful" descriptions got way too long for me and I ended up skimming them in a rush to figure out what the H happened. I don't want to trash this book, but it just seriously fell flat for me - I just must not be the right reader for it.

My good friend Chelsea at The Suspense is Thrilling Me said she’s a Mary Kubica junkie and I have to admit I am as well. I’m thinking we need t shirts made that say something to that effect but that may be taking things a little bit too far?! Either way, when she releases a new book I get giddy, she’s such a talented writer and she really knows how to manipulate the reader and take them on a journey that they won’t soon forget.

While I still consider this to be a total page turner, it isn’t a super fast paced thriller, it almost lulls you into a false sense of security at the start. You know that Clara is going to uncover some secrets and lies about her husband Nick, but the character development is so deep, and the storytelling is so descriptive and just flat out good, that you wind up being consumed by their marriage and their lives together (and separately) that you almost forget to look out for some twists and turns. Right when you’re feeling all cozy, the plot shifts in an unexpected direction reminding you that there’s more going on than meets the eye and there is a mystery waiting to be solved, I love the way this happened here!

Clara was a character that I felt connected to right away, her grief was so palpable and raw that she broke my heart. She was in some deep stages of denial about Nick’s death, but who could blame her? She has two small children, one of which is a newborn and as a mom to young kids myself, I can clearly remember how hard it is to keep your emotions in check right after birthing a baby. I can’t imagine dealing with such a loss simultaneously, and even though some of her behavior was erratic, I felt it was highly realistic and she was behaving in a believable way.

Kubica is a master at building tension slowly, by the end you could cut it with a knife. I do think the ending is going to get mixed reactions, but I loved it. It definitely didn’t head in the any of the directions that I had ran through in my head, but I’m not sure every reader will be as satisfied by it as I was. Domestic suspense is one of my favorite sub genres and Kubica is particularly skilled in my humble opinion.

Every Last Lie is Mary Kubica’s new book and I was pretty excited to get my hands on this one. I loved Mary’s first book and thought this story would have a similar feel. Admittedly I tend to stick with YA but there are a few authors who convince me to visit adult fiction every now and then and Kubica is one of them.

As I started this book, I was immediately pulled into Clara’s story. It alternates between after (present time) from Clara’s perspective and before (the accident) from Nick’s perspective. It was an interesting way to read the story but I’m not sure it really clicked for me. Sometimes I am an impatient reader and the back and forth was taking too long to get me to what had really happened and how Clara moves forward.

Clara was an interesting character for me. There were times where I was amazed that she had no clue what was going on with Nick. As close as they appeared to be, I couldn’t get behind him keeping such huge secrets from her. I get that he was trying to push through and come up with a way to solve the issues without burdening Clara but they were married and those were some BIG secrets.

Overall I found the story interesting and it was a pretty quick read. If you’re looking for an adult mystery that has a solid story and characters that will have you questioning their every move, consider checking this one out.

From the very first page, the author had me in the palm of her hands. With vivid descriptions of Clare's first moments dealing with the news of her husband's passing, I was reeling from the emotions that were portrayed. The effect just grew stronger as Clare's grief became more pronounced. Even though Clare was not as strong as I would have liked, I really liked her character; she was one of the most realistic characters I have ever met (in terms of her response to tragedy). The story is told from dual perspectives, with chapters alternating from Nick's voice to Clare's voice. It made for a very interesting story, and I kept trying to piece all of it together. This book really does make you think about all of the lies that can crop up between two people who love each other and the way in which they can alter the relationship! Every minute of the story was fantastic ... until I reached the end. The ending just took me aback. After all of the buildup, after all of the paranoia and suspicions... it ended on such a bland note. I had been eagerly waiting for that satisfaction of the final reveal but it just ... flopped on me. I had become so engrossed in the story and I had had such high expectations reaching the end, but the finale was just so lackluster that it made the whole story not worth reading. If you are a big fan of Mary Kubica, I would still recommend you read this novel because maybe you might enjoy it more than I did. I will be giving this book a 3.5/5 stars; in spite of its shabby conclusion, this novel was well-written and had skillfully portrayed characters that made it an enjoyable read (for the most part).

Mary Kubica's thrillers continue to just get better and better. Clara, the lead character in Every Last Lie, is perhaps the most relatable character she's written yet, or maybe that's my memories of the exhaustion of the early newborn days coloring my perspective. Clara's younger child is only a few days old when a police officer comes to her door and tells her that her husband and older child, Maisie, have been in a car accident, and her husband didn't survive. Soon, Maisie starts crying out in fear about the "bad man" who was behind them, and Clara begins to doubt that Nick's accident was truly just an accident. There are so many secrets in this book, and once you get to the last 20% or so of the book, you'll want to be sure you're prepared to read it one sitting. I can't imagine going through the grief Clara is experiencing while also navigating the schedule and hormonal nightmare that is the first few days/weeks after birth, and the emotions of this book felt unbelievably raw. I didn't find the ending completely satisfying, but the overall book was one of the most compelling thrillers I've read this year.

Description: Clara Solberg’s world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick’s death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.

My Thoughts: Alternately narrated by Clara in the present and Nick “before,” Every Last Lie carries the reader on a fast-paced ride. Back and forth between the red herrings and the truth that seems well hidden, lurking beneath another sea of lies, I could not stop reading.

Why does Maisie have nightmares about a black car chasing them? Who is the “bad man” she sees in her dreams? Who keeps showing up in Clara’s back yard, leaving muddy footprints?

There are several seemingly threatening characters that might be perpetrators: the neighbor, Theo, who is aggressive and leaves bruises on his wife, and who has been in a shouting match with Nick. Then there is Connor, his once best friend and former partner, who shows up in the middle of the night to hit on Clara, and who had also been in a loud argument with Nick days before his death.

Surprisingly, there are some unexpected possibilities that show up at the last moment. And every time you turn around, another secret and lie is unveiled.

The strangeness of Nick’s story leads us through events until that fateful moment, and we think we have the answers…until a video shows up, revealing exactly what happened. But could it be true? Or is there more to the story?

I was shaken to the core by all the twists and turns, not wanting to miss a single sentence, just in case the final reveal would be hidden there, ready to jump out at me. A stunning read! 5 stars.***My e-ARC came to me from the publisher via NetGalley.

There’s a hand on my elbow; his hat is in his hands. He steps inside my home, sure to cling to me so that he can brace Felix’s soft spot should I fall. “There’s been an accident, ma’am,” he says again.
Just days after giving birth to her son, Felix, Clara is on the receiving end of every wife's worst fear- her husband and young daughter were in a serious car crash. She learns that her husband, Nick, was killed when his car hurtled into a tree but her daughter, Maisie, was spared- just a small scratch remains as evidence of the ordeal. At first, the cause of the accident, high speeds and reckless driving, leave little room for doubt. However, as the story moves along Clara starts to question her husband's role in the accident.

Nick was speeding; he took the turn too quickly and died. But what if that’s not the way it happened? What if Nick was killed?
Her suspicions are validated with Maisie wakes shrieking in the night and trembles with fear when she spots a black car driving by or parked in the grocery store parking lot. 

But as she says it again, wide awake and far more terrified this time for it to be make-believe— the bad man is after us!— my mind makes up for Maisie’s lack of details, imagining a bad man trailing Nick and her down Harvey Road, and at this my heart begins to pound, my hands to sweat more than they are already sweating.
When her pleas to the detectives originally assigned to investigate the accident fall on deaf ears, Clara takes it upon herself to unearth the truth behind her Nick's death. However, as she digs deeper she uncovers a hidden side of her husband that casts a darker shadow over his passing and leads her to question their entire marriage.

And now, standing in the weak glow of the kitchen’s dimmed recessed lighting, I wonder: if Nick could keep this secret from me— if he could go weeks without alluding to financial trouble, if he could lay off employees and not mention it to me— then what else wasn’t he telling me? What else don’t I know?
Determined to prove his death wasn't his fault or simply a meaningless accident, Clara throws herself further into exposing every facet of Nick's life. Blinded by paranoia and the lack of sleep as a result of her newborn son and the anguish of loss, she picks up any lead no matter how outlandish and she follows them until the bitter end.

An archetypal Kubica suspense with a tragic conclusion, Every Last Lie is ultimately about the consuming nature of grief.
No secrets, he always said. None. But now I’m beginning to believe there were secrets indeed. Many secrets.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt a little let down with the ending. I was hoping for more of a mystery, especially since that's what this author is known for (her thrillers). I would recommend this to readers, however I would note that it isn't much of a mystery at the end.