Liza is a one book best seller given a one-month extension on her book deadline. She is desperate to fall pregnant and experimental fertility treatment seems the only option she has left. Despite the combined pressure, she manages to write a story about Beth a new mother and the steps she takes to keep the family together after discovering her husband is having an affair.
David her lawyer husband works long hours spending a lot of time with his law partner and friend Nick. When Nick disappears under what could be suspicious circumstances David withdraws even further from Liza and struggles to hold her life together.
Liza is puzzled when a police officer congratulates her on the shooting skills she displayed when it was 12 months since she had been at the firing range. What is the reason for her puzzling memory loss – is it due to medical fertility related treatment or something else. Perhaps the strain of existing in the real world and one of fiction is starting to affect her mind.
Just when I thought I had the story all worked out something unexpected changed my mind and then changed it again! At times, I felt Liza was writing about her own life when she wrote about Beth and the two worlds were very cleverly constructed. Good luck if you think you can guess the ending!
I recommend this book for those who enjoy a good mystery thriller.

This was a solid thriller. I'm a sucker for the whole story-within-a-story trope and I love unreliable narrators anyway, but this one was incredibly well done. However, I read way too many thrillers, so it's been awhile since I've managed to find one that surprises me with the ending. But that's on me, and not a negative critique of the writing.

My gosh, this book just dragged on. Took me forever and a day to get through it. And then there were the "obstacles."

Way too many issues were left without any sort of imperative detail, and Liza's past, which ultimately affects her future, felt more like it was added for shock value, versus adding any real substance to the narrative. Not to mention, she isn't a strong, likable character. She's rather weak and simple minded. I mean, it doesn't take a Harvard degree to realize her hubby is swinging for the other team. The fact that David is gay pretty much hits you in the face from the very beginning. Yet, she never truly gets it until pretty much the end. I seriously wanted to smack her upside the head and scream at her to get a freaking clue.

Let's just say, when you get to know Liza, you'll feel like your eyes are about to permanently roll out of your head.

I won't even get started on the male characters. *sigh*

The plot line of Liza and Beth's lives, fiction and nonfiction, running parallel to each other was definitely intriguing; however, the execution fell flat. No substance. No pulling of emotion. The twists weren't really twists and the turns, well you saw those coming a mile away. Maybe that's why I found it to be such a slow moving book. I like books that hook me, leaving me on the edge trying to figure out the angles. I love when my mind has to work at it. Lies She Told didn't have that. So much potential wasted.

There were many other things wrong with this book, but those are the main two that irked the living hell out of me.

What did I like about the book that made me two star it? Beth.

Wow, this book took me for a ride I didn't expect nor saw coming. It tells the story of an author who is struggling to follow up a long ago bestseller, fearing she is beginning to wear out her welcome with the publisher because of lack of sales of her follow-up novels. While she is struggling with her book, she is also struggling to have a baby while also fearing that maybe her husband is having an affair. A messy situation. We the readers then also read the story she is writing on, at least in parts, and it is difficult not to see some parallels to her real life.
There were several times in this book, I had to put the book down and say, that was not the direction I thought it would take. A great story, well-told. Not sure I'm 100% happy about the ending but can't think of a better way to conclude the story myself. Well done to the author, looking forward to the next book.

I read Holahan's last book, The Widower's Wife, and loved it! So when I saw this on Netgalley I had to request it. I didn't even care what it was about; I knew it'd be good. This was one of those books I had to stay up late to finish even though I was extremely tired. This is a book within a book and it's so well-written and so clever. The characters, the places, everything has depth. Both stories were equally as good and the switch back and forth between the two was seamless. It felt as though it was happening in my own life and not just on the pages I was reading. Soo good!

Interesting plot - but I lost interest partway through

I started reading this two or three times but each time I just couldn't continue. I couldn't follow the storyline as it switched back and forth between the characters. It makes for a very anxiety-ridden experience. I know that is the author's intention but it just wasn't for me.

The book-within-a-book format of this novel was a fresh take on a familiar suspense genre trope - the unreliable husband. The added complication of memory loss in Liza's narration added an additional layer of unreliability, creating a book full of fairly well-developed characters that couldn't be trusted. Rather than feel too tropey, Holahan found the right mix of believable and unnerving. This was a great book by a young author and I can't wait to see what Holahan writes next.

First, I love the lovely book cover. Second, great mystery stories. Yep, stories. Which lead to third, the clever concept: a novel within a novel! That’s 2 gripping stories in a book. One is the story about Liza, the author, and the other one is about the new novel she’s writing. A novel that unconscious to Liza is so close to what’s happening in her life. The book was told in two alternating storylines between Liza and Beth which can be confusing at the first few chapters but as soon as I get used to the switching of stories, I am beyond hooked. The way how fictional story intertwined with Liza’s world is just brilliant. I am left wondering which story is real and which one is not. It is not short of mystery and suspense, either. It is a cleverly written mystery thriller novel that’s a sure treat for mystery lovers out there. It may be predictable at some point but it is full of surprising twists and turns that make this one definitely worth a read.

Lies She Told is a great and entertaining psychological thriller/romantic suspense novel. I wouldn't put it up there with the top of its recent genre, but I flew through it and enjoyed reading it.

The book flips each chapter telling the story of the main character Liza (an author), and her written protagonist Beth (assuming as Liza writes it). I have not read a book about an author of a genre I love, so it was interesting to get into the "author's" head and learn how they come up with stories, characters, and how difficult and stressful it can be to be a writer.

Since the book flips back in forth (typically I like it, as I'm driven to keep reading until the most recent cliffhanger is explained), but it was SUPER confusing at times because Liza and Beth are pretty much the same person. Both are written in first-person, and the style of writing/thinking is the same...and then the fact they are both Elizabeths. The other characters and storylines are also similar, so sometimes I had to take a step back and remember who is who and which dimension I'm in.

I say that to say, I'm aware that was the purpose. Liza originally said she typically pulls her stories/characters from her own experiences or friends, so at least I knew that halfway through when I was starting to get overwhelmed. It was kind of like, "this is annoying...OHHHH". It was also relevant because Liza realized how much Beth was affecting her psychologically, so I think automatically Liza started to be more like Beth and understand her better.

However, the book was great - DO NOT read spoilers, or you will not fully enjoy the book. It was definitely one of the better "psych thrillers" I've read recently. It's very twisty and turny, and very enjoyable as you begin to distinguish the lives of Liza and Beth.

I've put the rest of Cate Holahan's books on my "Want To Read" List!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

Liza is an author, trying to follow up her huge bestseller with another book, under great pressure from her editor, who gives her 30 days. He is also unimpressed with her idea, a woman who thinks her husband is having an affair. Her husband's law partner is missing, and David is devastated by this and unable to focus on anything else.

Her character, Beth, just had a baby and is stressed by all that goes along with that. She suspects that her husband is having an affair with a policewoman on top of it all.

Gone Girl seems to have started the theme of the unreliable female character, with lots of plot twists. This follows in that pattern. I recently read another book with a very similar book-in-a-book theme, but can't remember what it was.

The chapters alternate between Liza and Beth. The lines between the author and the character blur. At times, it was difficult to tell whose story I was reading, which was somewhat a distraction when I had to stop and think about it or go back to check. The characters are strong and it was easy to forget that Beth was a character in the book and not the real character.

Beth somewhat irritated me with her wishy-washiness in her therapy sessions and in her decisions. It was too easy for her husband to just roll over her with his decisions. I've read a couple books lately that make it seem like a postpartum woman is suddenly weak and unable to make hard choices. Liza's husband, David, is all-consumed by his partner's disappearance, and also runs right over Beth with a complete disregard for her and their relationship.

There were hints of the twist, and I had some idea of what it might be, but Holahan is a strong writer and tied these hints clearly up at the end. It was a little slow getting into this book, but it was an enjoyable and well-written read.

Really unique premise with the parallel storylines between real life and fiction. Sometimes a little confusing keeping track of who was who within each storyline but not a big deal. Solid ending.

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan is the story of flailing novelist Liza Cole. She finds herself struggling with infertility and struggling to write a novel when her husband’s best friend goes missing. But life quickly blurs with the lives of her characters and the reader is left wondering whose story is true. This book is haunting and gritty. It was an okay read, but it was not as much of a thriller as I had hoped. The story did not hook me at any point and I only kept reading to find out the truth. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A completely addictive double thriller filled with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more.

Holy Crap! LIES SHE TOLD is quite possibly the most engrossing psychological thriller that I have read this year. I loved how the author gave her reader essentially two mysteries in one by utilizing Liza’s book to enhance the tension. Then she started to blur the lines between the stories making me question everything and doubt everyone.

Through what I can only express as expert storytelling, Cate Holahan wrote a smart, dark, and tense thriller. Her characters, both in Liza’s life and the one’s that Liza creates, come across as genuine complete with flaws, lies, and secrets. The author pushed the boundaries of what is real and what isn’t in such a way that the reader can’t help but think that they are loosing a grasp on the reality of the story right along with Liza. I can tell you that at one point, I thought I new exactly how it was all going to play out, but then I was hit with a twist and then another. I never truly recovered and that not knowing what was going to happen next made me love the story even more. Brilliant, fast-paced, dark and twisty.

If you want to experience one of the best thrillers of the year (in my humble opinion), then dive into LIES SHE TOLD. However, I will warn you. Carve out some time in your schedule, because once you start, you will not want to stop until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very engaging psychological thriller where the line between fiction and reality are causing havoc in the life of Liza Jones. Liza's family becomes embroiled in a murder mystery as Liza, a, romantic suspense author is penning a similar murder mystery in her current novel. A quick, suspenseful read.

So don't hate me...this book wasn't for me. I think I had overdone my quota of psychological thrillers for a month (ok, pretty much just my whole life) and needed a break. I'm in the minority here so don't judge this book based on my review, many others absolutely adored this book.

Here's why I think it didn't work for me: The alternate stories- Beth and Liza. I have realized when the lines blur between characters (book within a book) I usually don't care for the book. So this type of style is just typically not my favorite in general (See review of Two Days Gone). I had also pinned the plot and ending pretty quickly. While this doesn't always ruin my experience, I think tied together with the style it made it less appealing for me. I didn't care for any of the characters either, which made it hard to enjoy. I found Liza/Beth annoying and her husband David to be unappealing as well.

The writing was good, and the characters had enough depth. The good thing to take away is that they did make me feel something (even if it wasn't positive). A really terrible book would've made me feel nothing at all. While this one was not my cup of tea, I would read Holahan again. I find the cover attractive, which can either make or break me picking it up if it's an author I had never heard of. (yes, I do sometimes judge by the cover...don't hate me).

Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Holahan and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

** 2.5/5-- it was ok.

Lies She Told is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read.I really liked the premise of reality starting to mirror a work of fiction and vice versa. However, I was hoping that it would take things to the next level and play around with the blurred lines between fact and fantasy even more.

The first line of the description of this book is what drew me in: Sometimes the truth is darker than fiction.

Liza is an author who has thirty days to write her next thriller, not to mention keep up with the rest of her life, as she's struggling to get pregnant and her husband is struggling to keep his head above water after his business partner disappeared.

And then we have Beth, who is a new mother, home alone for the most part, trying to provide for her newborn. As if that wasn't enough stress, she catches her husband cheating on her, and next thing she knows she's tossing the body of his mistress into the river.

The thing I love more than a good thriller, is a story about an author who is writing the next thriller. As much as I love the whole story, the story of a story always gets me. When you write, you always put a little of yourself into your characters, so when I read books about authors, I always wonder how much of the author is in that fictional author.

At first with this book, it's a bit confusing, trying to figure out who is who, what is real and what is fiction. However, after a couple of chapters, the story starts to unfold and it's hard to put the book down. This is an incredible read and I will definitely look for more of her books in the future.

After a poor reception for her last book, former bestselling author Liza is given her one month to complete a draft of her new book. As if that isn't stressful enough, she is also on hormone therapy and trying to conceive a baby with her husband David. But he's pre-occupied with the disappearance of his law partner Nick, who has been missing for one month. Liza's story is interspersed with scenes from her romantic suspense novel, featuring new mother Beth, who suspects her husband Jake is cheating on her. It's not long before we can see the parallels in both stories and it's not long before the truth becomes the fiction and vice versa. Liza has hit upon the way the secret formula for writing a bestseller. Unfortunately, someone has to die in the process.

It's hard to keep track of the two separate stories, as they are so similar. Beth's hot therapist Tyler is a dead ringer for Liza's hot editor Trevor. Both of their husbands are suspected of having affairs. Even the names Liza and Beth are both nicknames for Elizabeth.

The fonts for the two stories are different in the Amazon version but not in the version I read. Suggestions to improve the readability: use page headers with the narrator's names, label Beth's story with her name instead of numbers, or tell Beth's story in the third person.

While there are some great lines throughout the book (see below) and an interesting insight into the world of writing, the prose is dry and choppy, while the plot is pedestrian and predictable. The book literally put me to sleep on several occasions. The clues the author drops are none too subtle, and I had both stories figured out early on. It doesn't help that the book description mentions the major plot developments, even though those events don't occur until halfway through the book. Why is it all revealed there? On top of that, the characters are all unlikable, Liza is obviously an unreliable narrator, and Beth is a manipulative bitch, not a sympathetic victim. The stories themselves are a never-ending litany of too many showers, so much vomiting, and failed marriages everywhere.

Disappointing.

Warnings: coarse language, sexual references, violence.

I enjoyed this page turner! Second book I've read by Cate Holahan and I look forward to reading more!