This is a well-written book with a fascinating story. The characters are well-defined although it's sometimes hard to know whether it's Liza or Beth talking despite the chapter headings. The two are interchangeable in so many ways - as was the author's intention I'm sure.

I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say that this is an engrossing book that I didn't want to put down. It had me guessing right up to the end.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

Lisa, a previous best selling author, was trying to write her come back story while trying to start a family with her husband and help him figure out how and why his best friend, Nick, had gone missing.
Beth, the character of Lisa's new story, a new mom, just found out about the affair her husband was having.
As the story of Beth takes an unforseen twist in her killing the mistress of her husband and tossing her body in the river, the body of Nick surfaces in that same river and Lisa's husband is suspected for the murder.

I really liked how the story was told, the alternation between the story of Lisa and Beth up until the end of the book was the best part of this book, i liked that very much.
The story in itself was interesting although not very difficult to figure out from all the clues the author left for the reader, and i also liked that, the ability to figure out the story before the ending.

Overall it was a good story.

Book review: Reality, fiction blur in 'Lies She Told'
By SANDY MAHAFFEY FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR
Sep 23, 2017 (1)

Wow! Be prepared to pay very close attention to the details in “Lies She Told,” Cate Holohan’s new thriller. I’d heard great things about her previous books, so was eager to read this one. I’m delighted to say that “Lies She Told” lived up to all my expectations. The characters seem to tread down many dark streets in New York City, with surprises around every corner.

The reader explores two parallel universes in alternating chapters: Liza has 30 days to present a rough draft of her new thriller to her publisher. Her first book was a best-seller, but she has been unable to replicate the success, so there is a lot of pressure. More stress is the result of the hormone treatment she is undergoing in the hopes of getting pregnant.

Her husband David’s best friend and law partner has disappeared, causing David worry and double the work. To say all is not well in their world would be quite an understatement. So David is working long hours at the office and Liza is throwing all her attention into the book as a way of escaping her unhappiness.

Her book is the alternate work we explore: Beth and Jake are new parents. He is also an attorney and working long hours. Beth is having hormone issues of her own while she deals with caring for a newborn for long hours at a time. She begins to think Jake is having an affair.

“Lies She Told” is very well-written. The two female characters are finely drawn as the narratives continue and the lines between Liza’s reality and her fictitious character Beth start to blur. I found myself wondering at times who to believe. Twists and turns come at the reader at a rapid pace once the plot takes off. The lies and psychological drama are very gripping, the plot well-structured.

Liza has a line in the book that says it all, “I don’t invent my characters. I steal them from my surroundings. To be a writer is to be a life thief. Every day, I rob myself blind.”

Sandy Mahaffey is a former Books editor at The Free Lance–Star.

This was an interesting read. You read it as two parallel stories that seem to blur and collide to the end of the book. The author, Liza is struggling to write her next novel, while her character that she is penning, Beth, is struggling through her husband having an affair while having a newborn baby at home. This book kept your interest with enough suspense and twists to the end. I look forward to more from this author.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

My thoughts: This is the first book I've read by Cate Holahan, and let me tell you - it certainly won't be the last! This book is twisted, crazy and kept me frantically flipping the pages. This is a great psychological thriller/mystery that really blurs the lines between truth and fiction - that whole concept of book within a book comes into play here and I loved it!!!

I have to admit - I went into this book thinking it was going to be one thing but it turned out to be way more complicated and involved. The story is very cleverly crafted - having it alternate between Liza, the writer who is desperately trying to get her next book written and Beth, the heroine in Liza's story. It's a little confusing at first to understand that you are reading what is supposed to be real life (Liza's chapters) and then chapter's in Liza's book (Beth's chapters), but once you get a little bit into the book, it moves back and forth quite seamlessly and I actually found myself enjoying both parts of this book.

But this is also where it gets very tricky - we see what is happening in Liza's book start to mirror what is happening in her real life. Is she doing this on purpose or is she not realizing this? This is where things start to get a little confusing and where you start to get chills as you are reading.

The characters are so vivid and flawed that you can't help but want more of them - even those that are part of the book within the book! And while the pace is slow at first, it ramps up in the second half of the book to a crazy finish. I'm telling you, this is a book that you will not stop thinking about once you start reading it and even long after you finish it.

Every time I thought I had things figured out, the author throws a curve ball at us and the lines between truth and fiction - the real story of Liza's world and her book - were blurring. I'm telling you, this book really kept me on edge. While I did figure out parts of the mystery, it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this book - I wanted to know how it all transpired, and boy was it good! This is actually one of those books that I think is worthy of a reread now that I know the ending - can I see from the start how it plays out? Either way, I definitely know one thing - I will absolutely be reading more of this author!

Top book of the year. Good news is the next one is coming out. This book really got my attention just by seeing the cover. The writing left nothing to be desired and the characters were spot on. Huge fan.

I liked the concept of the book - Liza is an author, struggling with a new book, infertility and a husband who is obsessing over his missing friend and business partner. Where does truth end and fiction begin? The story swings from Liza's story to that of Beth, Jake and baby Victoria - the crime novel Liza is writing. I liked the way real life and fiction intertwined and the reader, and Liza, blurred the lines. Did the story of Beth reflect what had happened to Liza, is she hiding a crime in plain sight? Did she murder Nick? Not even Liza knows! I thought one thing, then read on and changed my mind. Some awful revelations towards the end that explained much of Liza's character. A good read, and one that grabbed my attention and kept me reading.

This book is complicated, but worth it. The story-within-a-Story concept creates two worlds and two female leads which will captivate you and keep you flipping pages.

Liza is an author, who is both desperate to have a baby and desperate to write a bestseller, which hasn’t happened since her debut book. But her husband is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend, which Liza begins to resent. Meanwhile, her energies are being poured into her next book, which is about Beth, a new mother who catches her husband cheating on her. Shortly after, Beth finds things spiraling out of control. Their stories begin to blur as more is revealed, and both Beth and Liza struggle to hold on to their sanity.

It was a little confusing keeping the two stories straight at first, but after a couple chapters, you get the hang of it. The tension in both stories is exquisite - you can feel the women each becoming more desperate as the stories go on and things explode.

I also liked the two different endings here. I don’t want to spoil anything, but things really in the last chapters could go in any one of four different ways and to see them work out in the directions they do is exciting.

I also like the ambiguity of some of the scenes - did they happen? Or not? Or is Beth crazy? Is Liza forgetting things b cause of her hormones? It’s really suspenseful.

Overall, this was a quick, great read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers.

LIES SHE TOLD by Cate Holahan is a dark and twisty mind-bending thriller with more than one unreliable narrator.

On almost every page, this imaginative psychological thriller forces the reader to reconsider what is real. A book within a book when the lines of fact and fiction are blurred.

“The most dangerous untruths are truths slightly distorted.” — Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, Notebook H

Manhattan author Liza, (of romantic suspense) is under extreme pressure with her upcoming novel.

Trevor, a forty-two-year-old (editor) is telling a thirty-five-year-old woman in the middle of her target audience demographic, what her peers want in the sack. He thinks he knows trends.

Alternating between Liza’s POV in the real world, and Beth (the protagonist) in Liza’s novel. Needless to say, both these ladies lives are complex.

"Blurring fact and fantasy is my trade. I am a con artist. A prevaricator. I make up stories." So why does he think this one is real?

David Jacobson, husband of twelve years. Nick Landau, David’s law partner is missing. Nick never liked Liza.

Liza and David have been unable to conceive. Both the anxiety of this plus her writing deadlines push her to get lost in her characters. Their marriage is strained.

. . . She does not invent her characters. She steals them from her surroundings. To be a writer is to be a life thief. Every day she robs herself blind.

"It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place." —Henry Louis Mencken, A Little Book in C Major

As the pressure of the deadlines mount, Liza becomes immersed in her heroine. Unfaithful? Murder?

Is she writing about her own life?

Beth has a new baby and her husband, Jake is a prosecutor. He is cheating, while she is home taking care of the baby. The sexy officer, Colleen. The psychiatrist, Tyler, and an old friend.

Will both stories lead to murder? The lines are blurred.

Who is telling the truth? Who is not? Two stories intertwined.

The author cleverly draws readers into a world where truth blends with delusion, plus more. . .

Dark, twisty, and sinister grip-lit. The author keeps the reader on its toes while switching from fact and fiction while questioning every move.

Chilling, unique, intriguing, and disturbing, LIES SHE TOLD, will keep readers turning the pages. With all the books about LIES these days, this one definitely takes a distinctive spin.

A special thank you to Crooked Lane and NetGalley for an early reading digital copy.

I also purchased the audiobook narrated by Amy McFadden and Lisa Larsen, for a captivating performance.

JDCMustReadBooks

Liza Cole is an author married to David who is an attorney. David’s partner, Nick, has been missing for some time now. David is beside himself. He refuses to believe that someone could have killed his good friend.

Liza and David have been trying to have a baby with no success. She is in an experimental trial program via her doctor to see if she can finally become pregnant. The hormones are so powerful that she is constantly sick and headachy. The stress that each of them is under is hurting their marriage.

Liza had had a very successful book earlier in her career, but now she is struggling to come up with a good plot. Her editor has let her know that she has one month to give him something positive. So, her new book is about Beth, who after much difficulty, has just given birth to Vicky. Sleep-deprived and tired tending to her little baby, she is upset when she sees her husband with another woman having dinner. She is afraid to confront him thinking that their marriage will end and she will be solely responsible for raising Vicky.

The story of Liza and David switches back and forth to Liza’s characters, Beth and her husband. Soon, we see how the two storylines become intertwined making readers wonder what is real and what isn’t.

Oh, this is a magnificently written story that I did not want to put down. The characters are well-created and so real. The story will keep you turning those pages right up to the end. A great book. Don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lies She Told

A Novel



by Cate Holahan

Crooked Lane Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 12 Sep 2017

I am reviewing Lies She Told through Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley:

Liza Jones only has thirty days to write the thriller that will put her back on the bestseller list. She's also struggling to start a family. But her husband is distracted by the sudden dissapearance of his best friend. Trying to escape what is happening in her personal life Liza dives into writing about her heroine.

Beth is a new Mother whose husband is cheating on her while she's home alone trying to provide for their newborn daughter. Angry Beth is determined to catch him in the act, and she sets out to make him pay for shattering the illusion of a perfect life.

The lines between fiction and reality blur when Nick's body is dragged out of the Hudson and Liza's husband is arrested for the murder. Before her deadline is up will Liza be able to admit the truth about those around her, or will she too become a victim?

I give Lives She Told four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

There is something about a book within a book that always intrigues me and when it’s done well it can be mind blowingly good. Lies She Told is done extremely well, it’s cleverly plotted, the protagonist is an author, (I LOVE books that give me a glimpse into the literary world) and is SO addictive, it really is unputdownable, I raced through it in one sitting. Ok, I did have to stop a few times, my kids wanted food. So needy. But I was totally engrossed by every single page of this twisty thriller.

This alternates between Liza, an suspense author who has thirty days to deliver her next book and it better be good because her last novel? Forgettable. She’s undergoing experimental fertility treatments and dealing with the disappearance of her husband’s best friend, Nick. Beth is the lead in Liza’s work in progress, a young new mom who finds out her husband is cheating. The lines between reality and fiction are blurred when Liza’s real life is eerily similar to Beth’s fictional life. Or is Beth’s life real and Liza’s actually fake? Is Liza taking inspiration from her own life when writing Beth’s story? Unreliable narration at it’s finest ladies and gentleman, I had no idea who was telling the truth and then Holahan kept delivering killer twists that left me breathless.

Lies She Told has SO many layers that slowly get peeled back, it’s one of those books where you really need to pay attention, both in Liza’s chapters as well as Beth’s. It’s highly complex but not confusing, the switch between narrators is seamless and I was equally engaged by both storylines. It’s intelligent and compulsive with a unique premise that will have you flipping pages faster and faster right up until the dramatic conclusion. I highly recommend this one for suspense lovers looking for a fresh, unique take on a psychological thriller!

It's difficult to find an original storyline in thrillers these days, and this one is definitely unique.

The chapters alternate between author Liza's reality and the chapters she is writing in her latest book. It was a very interesting premise, however the execution didn't quite work for me. I found it to be quite confusing and had a difficult time keeping track of what was happening in each storyline. I do well with dual timeline stories so I thought this would be an easy read, but the character was pulling ideas from her own life to write her story and I think this was where the confusion lies for me. Admittedly, I did put it down about 30% way through and picked it back up at a later date so this could be a contributing factor to my opinion.

This is a fast paced read with several twists and turns. There are very high marks for this one from fellow reviewers, so please check those out as well!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an incredible book with twists and turns you will never see coming. It's a fantastic novel told from the point of view of two characters which I always enjoy. Highly recommend

The first couple of chapters were confusing though, switching between Liza and the character in the book she is writing Beth. Once I got my head around the continual swapping, the book made more sense, and hooked me in. The pace of the story is slow and methodical at first, but it quickly picks up in the second half of the book. I often found myself having to stop and think for a minute about which storyline I was actually reading. As the book goes on, the line between true life and fiction begins to blur.

There are many twists and turns throughout that come with deeper character development, and these help to push to a shocking and satisfying conclusion. This piece of work was beautifully written with all the suspense, murder, mystery, and surprise anyone needs in a thriller.

We have Liza whose husband is worried about his best friend who is missing. When the body is found, her husband is charged. Meanwhile Liza, writes about a woman named Beth, whose husband is cheating on her, and she feels only way to keep marriage is to kill the mistress. So story goes back and forth, you have pay attention. So you do not miss out on anything, and you do get absorbed in both women's lives.

This is a new author to me. Cate Holahan brings this story to a fantastic, exciting close. I could not put the second half of the book down. I loved it! The ending was so fabulous. Her characters are vivid and real despite their character flaws, and the atmosphere and setting is intricate and detailed (especially for a book that is essentially a book within a book). I can't wait to get my hands on Holahan's other books!

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

This book within a book follows Liza, a romantic suspense author who is quickly approaching the deadline for a rough draft of her latest novel and Beth, the female protagonist of the story Liza is trying to craft. Each chapter alternates between Liza's current personal life and chapters of the novel. Fact and fiction are truly blurred as many of the elements from Liza's novel become mirrored in her own life, making her an even more unreliable narrator than her own character! Each of these women's stories was engaging and suspenseful, so reading these two perspectives was like reading two thrillers in one! Liza's narrative and her crime novel are separate, standalone stories, but they complement one other perfectly as each unfolds.

The psychological suspense added so many layers to the mysteries going on in each story, while the subtle blending of real and not real elements is still making me question the "truth" that was actually presented. I had never read any of Holahan's previous books, but they are now added to my TBR and I can't wait to get started on them! And how about a shout out for the cover design, which instantly drew me into wanting to read the book when I saw it and actually works really well in capturing the essence of the story now that I've read it, which doesn't happen a lot.

This book is fast-paced, thought provoking, and highly recommended!

What a mindf**k. I didn't not see any of those twists coming and was riveted to this book. I absolutely could not put it down! The switching back and forth between Liza and Beth was a bit confusing in the beginning, but that would be my only complaint. I am really looking forward to reading more from Holahan. Can't wait to get it for my library, my patrons are going to go crazy for this.

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan was a psychological thriller full of twists and turns! I was captivated with the story from start to finish. What was real and what was not?

Liza Cole is a writer that needs to finish writing her current thriller, but is struggling to do so. Her personal life is a mess. She and her husband have been trying to have a baby, but are struggling. On top of that her husband’s business partner is missing. The stress is getting to her. Her husband seems more preoccupied with his missing partner then making babies with his wife.

So Liza decides to dive into her story. This is where the mystery really begins. Parts of Liza current work in progress begins to mirror real life. When her husband’s business partner is found dead, her husband becomes a suspect. What is happening? And why are the similarities between her life and her current story so strong?

This was my first book by this author, but definitely not my last! I loved the suspense of going between reality and fiction. As a reader, you must pay attention to every detail, every action or you may miss something. And that ending! This was a great thriller that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end!

What an amazing thriller!

In fact, reading this book is what kept me sane during Hurricane Irma. I spent days shuttered up in my home without power, the heat was unbearable and the darkness constant.

I still have no power and the heat is still awful but, alas, reading brings a wonderful escape in these difficult moments.

The book is about writer Liza Jones who desperately needs to finish up her next thriller. The thriller she is writing is about a fictional character named Beth, a new mother who suspects her husband is cheating on her. At the same time, the main character Liza Jones is also facing difficulties when her husband's professional partner disappears.

The book is told from the alternating points of view of Liza Jones and Beth. So it alternates between present reality and the story she is writing.

There is a story within a story and it reminded me of the book Magpie Murders. The novel is interesting, engaging and so good.

Overall, I loved it and highly recommend it to all readers of suspense, mystery and thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Cate Holahan, and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.