Wow! What an ending. So many twists and turns in the last 10 pages there is just no way of guessing them all. The book was set up for you to think a certain way and bam it was all a sinister plot by someone you don't see coming. Great job making unreliable characters without making you completely hate the main characters and still pulling for them in the end!

4.5 stars

Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison is a twist-filled, suspense laden mystery about a missing wife whom the police eventually suspect the husband might have murdered.

Sutton and Ethan Montclair are a seemingly perfect couple.  Both are successful authors who lead a somewhat glamorous life. They live in a beautifully remodeled home in an upscale neighborhood. However, after enduring an absolutely heartbreaking loss, cracks appear in their once rock solid happy marriage and both suffer a few upsetting career setbacks.  So when Ethan wakes up to find that Sutton has disappeared without taking any of her personal possessions, he is concerned about her in spite the note she left for him telling her not to look for her.  After Ethan reports her disappearance to the police, he becomes their prime suspect after they uncover damning information that leads them to believe he might have murdered Sutton. One of the investigators on the case, Holly Graham, is not quite convinced that Ethan is responsible for his wife’s disappearance but will she uncover the evidence she needs to clear him of wrongdoing?

The mystery surrounding Sutton’s disappearance is gripping and initially, Ethan’s version of events rings true. However, disquieting information is quickly disclosed that allows doubts to gradually creep in. His behavior is erratic and some of his reactions seem just a tad bit… off. The information the police uncover is sinister but would Ethan really be stupid enough to leave evidence if he is actually responsible for Sutton’s suspicious disappearance?

Interspersed with the unfolding events are chapters from an unidentified person’s perspective. These chilling entries paint the picture of a very disturbed individual. The addition of this unknown entity ratchets up the tension as the search for Sutton intensifies.

Lie to Me is an extremely clever mystery with a dark and twisted storyline that keeps the novel moving at a blistering pace. The characters are not likeable and as the story progresses, they become increasingly unreliable. Readers will remain glued to the pages of this diabolical thriller as they attempt to piece together the truth about whether or not Ethan has anything to do with Sutton’s disappearance.  Through a series of cunning twists and shocking turns, J.T. Ellison  brings the novel to a jaw-dropping conclusion. A masterfully written thriller that I absolutely LOVED and highly recommend to fans of the genre.

Sutton Montclair disappears, leaving a note telling her husband not to try to find her. Ethan calls the police and then becomes a suspect in her disappearance. The situation becomes more serious when a body is found. The life that the Montclairs had together that looked so perfect begins to look like it was based on secrets and lies. The questions of where Sutton is and did Ethan do something to her are just a couple of many that need answers.

This one was very edgy and suspenseful. I really wondered how it would all play out, and I was very satisfied with the resolutions to the story. The characters were intriguing and flawed, and the storyline was a mesmerizing one. Another good one from the author!

Absolutely awesome and totally un-put-down-able!  Keep on brining them out please J.T.!

I really enjoy this author's work and for some reason I forget how much I like her books until I am reading them.

This book has lots of twists and turns and it really does keep you riveted.

Ethan and Sutton Montclair seem to have it all. Perfect marriage, perfect life etc. However not all is at it seems. Sutton goes missing and Ethan is soon under suspicious of foul play. What has happened to Sutton and who is to blame?

I couldn't help but make Gone Girl comparisons when reading this. Once I was past the 50% mark though all comparisons stopped. The story was just fascinating and I could NOT put it down.

You have three perspective's throughout the story. Ethan, Sutton and a mysterious third person. All were really interesting and I loved how each person remembered the events in their own way. 
It reminded me of the saying "There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently."

None of the characters are likeable whatsoever. Not even a little bit so don't go into this one thinking these people were going to redeem themselves, because it doesn't happen.

I would have marked this as five stars, if it wasn't for the very end twist. In the end it seemed predictable and somewhat childish. I don't want to say too much about it because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. However I did figure out what was going on, who was behind it and why. Yes it was interesting, I just was expecting more because of how outstanding this was.

This was a great story and excellent writing. The tension was brilliant and it made you want to know what the truth was and was on earth was going on. It pulled me in and I didn't want to put this down at all. Excellent and well worth a read.

When the outwardly idyllic life you have is built on lies, the avalanche when it comes crashing down will leave a trail of destruction and devastation. Ethan and Sutton seem to have it all, the correct zip code, the glamorous lifestyle, fame and talent. But life isn’t always what it seems and when they are faced with heartbreaking loss, deceit and blame sharing, someone or something is going to break and run.

Sutton left him a note, told him not to look for her, but Ethan is determined to know what happened to the woman he once thought he knew and now the police want to know, also. Is Ethan a killer or is he the one left behind by the wife who could take no more?

The webs they wove were filled with lies and as each ugly lie is unveiled, even the death of their infant child is suspicious. Is someone out to destroy Ethan with “insider’ information? Has the world turned against him? Is this part of a wicked game Sutton is playing or is she a victim of extortion and murder?

LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison will have readers siting on the edge of their seats as we are invited into the world of two famous authors as their world implodes and one goes missing without a trace and one becomes the prime suspect for murder.

J.T. Ellison doesn’t ask us to like these characters, and that may be a key element in the intrigue of this dark tale. There is no black and white, there are no shining heroes, in fact, one has to wonder, do either of these two really have loyal friends or family? As this tale twists in knots, it becomes clear that there is an underlying force driving everything, but who or what it is and why, well that is the mystery, isn’t it?

I received an ARC edition from Harlequin/Mira in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: MIRA (September 1, 2017)
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Genre: Thriller
Print Length: 416 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

This book started a little slow for me. Not with the plot details. The police had uncovered a body in the woods that had been there for about a week. It wasn't pretty, and definitely intriguing. We also meet a mystery narrator who will appear again throughout the book. And for me, they remained a mystery almost all the way through.

No, what made the beginning slow for me is that I completely hated Ethan, the husband. And the description of Sutton, the missing wife, wasn't much better. They were health nuts, a powerful, attractive couple. Successful writers with an amazing renovated old Victoria house. The type of people that seem dazzling at first glance, at least until you spend a whole lot of time with them. The picture J.T. Ellison drew of their lives sounded great on the surface, but it's what is below the surface that really counts.

I do have to say that the book started a bit slow, but the pace quickly picked up.The funny thing is that as I got more into the book and began to learn why Ethan and Sutton seemed like awful people, it made them more human to me and I understood them and wanted to know their story. They had a baby, lost a baby and both had professional setbacks. And of course, we all have our pasts.

The title Lie to Me is extremely appropriate in this case. Many things are not what they seem on the surface and the reader is being lied to in this book. As the narrative continues, the truths come out one by one. The result is a deeply satisfying thriller. And I even liked the characters (just a little) by the end of the book.

I'd recommend this title to anyone who enjoyed The Silent Wife, Behind Closed Doors or The Couple Next Door.

Special thanks to Harlequin Books and Netgalley for providing an e-galley so that I could write this review.

"Lie to Me" by J.T. Ellison will be released September 5, 2017.

What a stellar read! This may end up being 2017’s "Gone Girl", there certainly are cogent arguments for their similarity. There is a missing wife, and the husband is the main suspect, and the book is a truly spectacularly good page turner, but the story certainly diverges from Gong Girl from there.

Ethan Montclair’s wife has left a note that tells him not to try to find her. Ethan’s wife Sutton is missing and he has no idea what to do about that. I can understand why other reviewers didn’t like the Montclairs, they’re not that likable, in fact they’re insufferable but then, for me that adds to the mystery. Ethan and Sutton were so well constructed, both bad and good, hateful and loving that one could see them as real people with serious flaws.

The writer used four voices in this book. The husband Ethan, the missing wife Sutton, Holly the police officer and an unknown villain. At first I wasn’t sure who was doing this talking as we heard from a villainous voice. It only became clear that this voice was the fourth voice and not one of the other characters as we got to the meat of the book.  

 I was hooked. I had to find out whose voice darkly seduced me into devouring this book. There were so many twists, turns and red herrings in this mystery that although I tried and tried to figure it out, I just couldn’t. I love those kinds of books. They make the reader work for the satisfying ending. And the suspense, oh the suspense! It pushes the reader like a helicopter mom with a lazy child. It makes you feel like you’re physically leaning into the book.

J.T. Ellison is such a skilled writer that I could see the Montclair kitchen with the blood stain on the granite and I could see the Starbucks Sutton visited daily for her caffeine fix. The author made me question every supposition I made as I went along. Was I right to think this? Did I miss a clue somewhere? Who is that nefarious voice giving us half clues and frustrating me in such a good way? I always love an emotional roller coaster of a book and “Lie To Me” certainly is that.

Okay, so we know Sutton leaves her husband Ethan nothing but a note saying, “Don’t come for me.” We quickly learn that their marriage has issues & I’m putting that mildly. They are in love with each other, no doubt, but they have no trust within the marriage & they drive each other crazy. We also quickly learn that their son, Dashiell has died & this has broken their relationship to the core.

J.T. then jumps from the past to present to give readers an idea of how this beautiful, wealthy & well-known couple now find themselves in this crazy situation. Ethan doesn’t want to jump the gun & go to the police in case Sutton is just doing this for attention, but what if something really did happen to her? Their relationship is on such thin ice that none of her friends trust him & they each have their own idea about what is happening, complicating matters further.

Lie to Me is a heck of a domestic thriller. No, I did not see the ending &  I finished it within 2 days, which to me is a mark of a good suspense novel. It kept my attention, it was nuts & I found myself questioning the narrator because Ethan tells us a lot, but not everything. J.T. ‘s writing style is so fluid that I could see Sutton at the Starbucks with her baby carriage, I could visualize their home with the stained marble & I had to look up Clairefontaine notebooks. The whole story played like a movie in my head. If you’re Really Into thrillers that keep you guessing, then Lie to Me is likely to be up your alley.

Special thanks to J.T. Ellison,  Harlequin/MIRA Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Woah!!!! Makes you want to be single forever!!! This was amazing!! Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire ride!!!

his book kept me up until 4 in the morning! I could not put it down until I figured out who had done what and why!

This thriller had everything. Authors behaving badly. Reviewers behaving badly. Friends behaving badly. You name it and it was there. 

When Ethan met Sutton it was instant chemistry on both sides. After getting married, Ethan hit a roadblock in his writing while Sutton was bringing in the money with her books. 

Thinking a baby would smooth out their lives, Sutton gets pregnant. But is that what she really wanted? And now that the baby is dead, she begins to doubt her own sanity and doubt her husband. Nothing is making sense to either of them. 

When Ethan wakes up to his wife gone and a note on the counter telling him she needs space and do not look for her, fingers start pointing at him. With her friends leading the charge. 

That's all I'm going to say about this one. You need to untangle this web of lies yourself!

This was such a well written web of lies and deceit, that by the time you saw the spider it was getting ready to eat you!

I think I've found a new author to follow!

Lie to Me is the latest story by J.T. Ellison. Lie to Me goes back and forth in time and with different characters views. From the beginning the reader is drawn into the characters lives and Lie to Me quickly becomes a page turner. I was given an early copy to review.

Second book by this author and surely goodness and mercy J T Ellison has rose to the top of my favorite authors list

Wow, what a page turner! I was hooked from the very first page! 
It was a bit scary and a sad, but the plot unravels quite surprisingly.
A couple deeply in love, suffer loss, and is now dealing with grief and sorrow. Each grieves in their own destructive ways.  The author is a great storyteller and this was so real, that I could see it happening to anyone. Great book!!!

Due to the way this ebook was formated I was unable to read this as the font could not be adjusted and it was too tiny. I am really looking forward to reading this and I already have it on order for my library.

I loved this book. The narrative voice alternated at just the right times. The hints were all there to come to the same conclusions that occur in the story. It read like a fabulous movie in my head. The short sections were great for savoring the story on my commute. You could read just one or a couple. Savoring it was so much better for me. I didn't want to plow through it too quickly or it would be over. I read a few sections at a time and let it sink in. I love characters who are a blend of good and bad. Perfect people are boring. I cared about Ethan, Sutton and Holly the more I read. Just as New Orleans came to life for me in the pages of Anne Rice stories long ago, Paris is more vibrant and alive for me because of JT's words. Even if I never see it in person, I have vivid images of it in my head. I love that JT took a risk and followed her instincts to write this wonderful book. I am eternally grateful to her husband for taking her on the trip that inspired it all!

The twists and turns in this cleverly plotted novel will keep you guessing and just when you think you know the full story, the author reminds you that you don't actually know anything at all. A smart, enjoyable thriller!

Stunning! Loved Ellison's 'No One Knows' and 'Lie to Me' did not disappoint. Beautifully written, cleverly pieced together, a thriller to keep you up into the small hours. The constant switch between time periods and characters keeps you drawn in, with constant bites of the cherry but not seeing the full picture until it is expertly broken down in the last few chapters. One for the 2017 bestseller lists.

"Life is full of confusion. Confusion of love, passion and romance. Confusion of family and friends. Confusion with life iteself. What path we take, what turns we make. How we roll our dice."

Thoroughly enjoyed this "he said, she said" twisted suspense novel. In the main, the storyline is similar to GONE GIRL and the like in that it begins with a wife who has run off (or missing) -- leaving a note behind instructing her husband not to look for her. The question is, why did she leave and was it of her own free will -- or is there something sinister going on -- perhaps the husband had his hand in her disappearance. Foul play, a marriage gone wrong and a way to avoid a messy divorce? The reader can guess all she wants, but the answers are only within the pages and I found myself glued to the book as my speculations kept changing as revelations occured in each chapter.

The story is set in Franklin, Tennessee, where husband and wife, both authors, have bought and restored a beautiful home. Unfortunately, there are some fractures in the marriage of Ethan and Sutton Montclair. Those are intensified when their baby boy dies of SIDS. The death of a child tests any marriage, but these two already had some other issues because of secrets and lies. Things go from bad to worse. And then, Ethan gets the note.

I'll say no more about the plot as it is best to go in without any preconceived notions. The narrative is told in 3 points of view -- first we hear from Ethan and then Sutton. There is an interesting element of another voice, told in second person talking to the reader. I liked the device and tried to guess who it was and eventually did, but it was a fun part of the book. 

This is the 3rd book I've read by this author and I liked it as much as I didn't like one of the others! I can see that this author has definitely reached for something different, a stretch -- as she says in her author's note at the end. This was a standalone and quite compelling -- I'd recommend it. Domestic noir at its best!

I just don't know. I enjoyed it, but it seemed too long and too slow. It hinted of twists and action to come, but took so long to get there that by the time I got to the big scenes, I just didn't care anymore. This is very much "Gone Girl" inspired with a dead baby for a kicker. There are some twists and it is a unique book, but just too long, too slow and the characters were a touch too unlikeable. Had great potential, but just didn't get quite there.