Cover Image: Lies

Lies

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is the first book I have read from the author and I did enjoy the writing and the story. The plot is fairly fast paced and definitely a suspenseful thrillers filled with secrets. Our main character Joe is the narrator in this story and quickly finds himself wrapped up in the action filled story. I did find the plot to be a bit predictable, but overall it was still interesting. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

I could not, for the life of me, puzzle this one out. Usually I have some kind of theory along the way, sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong. But I couldn’t come up with anything, which doesn’t happen often.

I think I want to bump my rating from a 3 to a 3.5. I enjoyed it for the surprise. But I found the characters kind of dull. I guess Joe was supposed to be but it’s hard to muster up sympathy and outrage on the main character’s behalf when you kind of think he needs to just grow a spine. The other characters weren’t much better, kind of one-dimensional. You don’t get a real feel for any of them so it’s hard to be surprised by their lies as they begin to unravel.

Also don’t really like when thrillers try to give you a moral of the story at the end: technology bad.

Was this review helpful?

Lies by T.M. Logan, I read this book in just a couple days. It certainly held my interest and is written very well. We follow the life of Joe Lynch as his marriage, his career, and his life twirl completely out of control, it’s like he gets on a fast moving train and he has no way to get off. His past 10 years with his wife and child hang in the balance of truth or lies. The author has a wonderful way of dropping just a few hints that increase your desire to read a little bit more.
I found the complexity of the story, some of the high technology software and the consequences of social media to be very entertaining. The only downside I found were some of the police procedures, I felt they were really going out on a limb and devoting a lot of manpower to unsubstantial clues and information.
The story had a good flow and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery. I did not see the ending coming, I wouldn’t say it was one of my favorite endings, but it was a surprise.
I thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to receive an advanced copy for my honest review. It’s a 4 star read!!

Was this review helpful?

The first chapter or so of this story started off with intense story-telling and an engaging story. And then.... it all fell apart. And rather quickly at that. To begin with, there is very little even likable about these characters. Ben comes across as a pompous jerk, Mel is just fake and unbelievable, and maybe, just maybe, if Joe actually put his brains to good use he would have figured things out a lot sooner. For Pete's sake the answer to one question was literally glaring him in the face and it took him until the end of the story to put two and two together. For someone who was supposedly a teacher, it was easy to see why (as Mel pointed out), he hadn't been promoted.

There were certain parts of this story that showed potential, but they were often quickly overshadowed by other elements that just seemed completely unfeasible. I am all for suspending reality to an extent - after all isn't that what fiction is all about? But even the police force in this story seemed more bumbling than actually efficient.

The ending I'm sure will not come as a surprise to anyone that reads this story and actually follows the clues. However, I'm sure their eyes will get a good work out from all the rolling they will likely do - if they even make it this far. Also, let me point out that for two people who were so intelligent and tech savvy as these two were purported to be, the fact that they didn't notice things going on with their own electronics (and that of those around them) was just too far-fetched.

I do believe there are people who will enjoy this novel (as evidenced by the 4 and 5 star reviews it has already accumulated), however this one was just not for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Was this review helpful?

Joe has the perfect life, or so he thinks until everything starts to unravel after a chance encounter. He must dive into the lies that have been the basis of his life to uncover the truth and avoid losing it all.

I struggled a little with this book. I couldn't tell for the longest time if I should believe Joe or if he would turn out to be an unreliable character. This back and forth in my mind distracted me from what was going on in the story because I didn't know what to think. The twist ending took me by surprise, but I still felt there was something missing. It was a tense thriller throughout that left me relieved I had a resolution.

Was this review helpful?

I was completely intrigued by this blurb. I'm so glad I decided to read this book. I was addicted to this story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire read, wondering how everything would play out. This was definitely a great debut and I will be looking for more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

This book started out just fine. In fact, I was into it and couldn't wait to keep reading. Which, I did for about the half way point. At that time I then jumped forward to the last third of the story. The reason is simple...unrealistic. Ok, so I admit that if you were getting texts, calls, and emails from someone who you were sure you had killed, you would go insane too. Yet, what was so unrealistic or maybe the better word is "annoying" is that the rest of the characters including the police seemed to not take anything seriously.

Additionally, besides Joe, I could not stand the rest of the characters. Also, if these types of stories to truly work there has to be a certain level of intensity. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the intensity as a 2 maybe a 3 and that is pushing it. Sadly, this book wasn't a hit with me. The only thing I would be "lying" about is saying that it was a hit.

Was this review helpful?

I was not expecting the plot to go where it went. However, I did not enjoy the book particularly because of the overall excess of character dysfunction

Was this review helpful?

I received this book "Lies" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. Joe Lynch is happily married and has a young son William. While driving home William says he sees his mom car. Joe follows the car to surprise her. Everyone's life is forever changed. What is the truth? What is a lie? What really happened to Ben? You will be turning pages to find out. I did enjoy reading this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Joe stumbles upon his wife driving into a hotel carpark and decides to surprise her with his young son in tow. Unfortunately he witnesses her having a heated exchange with one of their male friends.

Joe leaves his young son in the car and confronts his friend which leads to an unfortunate accident. Whilst in a panic because his son is in the throes of an asthma attack Joe leaves to get an inhaler for his boy. What follows is the story of the effects of how a split second decision could impact a life so badly.

Unfortunately I found Joe to be a very weak and naive character and the ending was implausible and a little comical in places.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!

A young father catches his wife meeting her best friend's husband in a hotel. She admits they had been having an affair and swears that it's over. Soon after, her lover goes missing and her husband is suspected of foul play. Convinced he's being framed, her husband goes on a desperate search to find the missing man before he is arrested.

Was this review helpful?

Lies kept me glued to my easy chair for far too many hours today! T.M. Logan has a produced a story that is fast paced and nail-bitingly addictive!

Was this review helpful?

An awesome debut novel. Captivating throughout. Loved the character Joe, easily formed a connection with him and really empathized with everything that he was going through.

Was this review helpful?

WOW!! Just completed Lies in record time! Such a contemporary thriller in the age of social media this story is! I highly recommend it to mystery lovers, especially those whose lives are imbued with Facebook.

Set in England, this is the story of Jim and Mel, Ben and Beth. Sometimes in that order, and sometimes otherwise. A situation arises, and issues are muddled by lies. I was spellbound by the events. and held captive until the ending.

This book makes for fast reading. The chapters are short and manageable - great for those of us who can't sit for hours on end. There are a limited number of characters, so I didn't have to go back and reread to reacquaint myself the people.

Lies is one of the best books I've read this year, and I'll recommend it to all my bibliophiles!

Was this review helpful?

REALLY WANTED TO RATE LOGAN's BOOK A THREE for the shivers it gave me. SPOOKY with no paranormal characters involved. But... I had to keep reading it and that is what makes a book get a FIVE STAR rating from me. If this is ever made into a movie it will keep the audience moving their heads from side to side to keep up with the twists and turns. LIES fills the pages with drama that things are not what they seem. It takes the reader on a journey with Joe Lynch, an all around good guy. I am not revealing anything in this review. Read the synopsis and enjoy! "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Lies, St. Martin's Press grabs you at the start and keeps grabbing until the final page. Four year old Will is riding with his dad, Joe, as Will spots his mom's car driving the other way. Joe turns the car around so the two of Joes
them can surprise Mel ( Joe's wife/Will's mom). But what they do spot is Mel with her friends' husbands at a hotel bar. Joe and Will hightail out of there before they are seen. Joe sees Ben as they are in the parking lot. Spewing derogatory comments and some shoving, Ben is demonstrating anger towards Joe. Joe merely pushes Ben off the curb. Ben trips and subsequently becomes unconscious. Meanwhile, Will needs an inhaler for an asthma attack so Joe takes him home. The both of them return to the parking garage and Ben and his car are gone! Ben belatedly realizes he lost his anniversary bracelet. Now he is wondering if he will be implicated in assault and/or murder. Facebook postings continue to haunt Joe as Joe also finds out that Mel kissed Ben at a drunken wedding. Supposedly, Joe has photos on his phone dating to 2 years ago. Mel lets on to Joe that Ben is clearly (and has been) stalking her for the past two years and that he wants Joe out of the "picture". Online pictures of Joe results in his suspension from his teaching position. The police will exonerate Joe if proof-of-life of Ben can be demonstrated. After debacles with the law, Joe takes it upon himself to find Ben. But first, Joe is arrested for the murder of Ben. What happens next is the mind-blowing sequences of events that follow to the dramatic conclusion. Exciting, suspenseful and good character development. A must read. Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book!

Was this review helpful?

Lies seem to stick to one another like tree sap enticing insects. Once you get near enough, there's no way out.

Four year old William spots his mother's familiar car entering into a below ground parking lot of a hotel in North London while riding in the back seat of his father's car. He begs his father, Joe Lynch, to follow her course and surprise her. Joe turns around and the two pursue Melissa into the hotel. From a distance Joe can spot his wife in a heated argument with Ben Delaney, a family friend. Something doesn't seem quite right. Joe swoops up William and they rush back to the parking lot.

Suddenly, Ben is behind Joe and an argument ensues. Joe backs off, but Ben punches him and in the midst of the encounter Ben falls backwards and hits his head. Just then William appears gasping for breath and in the middle of an asthma attack. There's no "puff puff" in the glove compartment so Joe rushes home leaving Ben on the ground. When they return to the parking lot later, there is no sign of Ben. He doesn't answer his cell phone. What exactly happened here?

T.M. Logan will take readers on quite the tension-filled ride through our present day dependency on the internet and the lock-in of technology. We never actually realize the intrusive nature of our lovely convenience held constantly in the palm of our hand. Joe Lynch will be brought to his sense as he finds himself on the receiving end of technology that outsmarts him at every step. And, of course, there's an app and software for every need, now isn't there? But it's the human element and its very input that lights the match.

I actually rated this one more at 3.5* but kicked it up to 4*. The beginning stages of the book were highly addictive. The second half seemed to drift off into building a contrived set with all the remaining Legos. Some pieces fit. Others did not. Still an entertaining read. Let's see what T.M. Logan has up his sleeve for the next one.

I received a copy of Lies through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre Books and to T.M. Logan for the opportunity.

Was this review helpful?

A thrilling, fast-paced experience from start to finish, I found Lies by T.M.Logan absolutely satisfied my yearnings for a great suspense novel. Our well-meaning protagonist, Joe Lynch, finds himself returning in his mind to that one moment when everything changed, when he could have just kept on his usual path home—home to his simple, but gratifying life. Yet in that moment he impulsively turns as he happens to see his wife’s car pull into a parking garage. He takes what appears to be an innocent enough detour at the bequest of his young son who wants to surprise his mum with that day’s proud moment of an earned award from school. And in that split second decision Joe’s life begins to slowly spiral out of control— he descends down the rabbit hole created by lies, deceptions, and a betrayal that he never could have foreseen.

We’ve all had moments, haven’t we? Times in which forks in the road change our lives forever, where there’s no going back. And Joe’s moment may bring many to mind for the reader. But Joe’s moment is as extreme in the end as it starts out ordinary in the beginning. It pulls his life and his now vulnerable future into a world of chaos and intrigue that threatens to destroy everything dear to him. It is frighteningly paced saga in which all eyes begin to look accusingly at Joe— he is deserted by his friends, his colleagues, his lawyer, the police, and is suspicious of his wife, leaving him isolated and alone. His ability to unravel this mystery is his only hope to save his fate. It is the moment we all fear.

LIes is a well-written plot with plenty of twists and unpredictable turns, with characters developed to fully engross the reader in the story, flipping page after page to the very end. Enjoy!

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this wonderful debut novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and my book review website (nancyburkey.com)

Was this review helpful?

Loved this twisty-turny thriller that went in unexpected directions and kept me guessing until the end.
The story opens with Joe, a devoted husband and father, driving with his toddler son in the back seat. The son notices his mother's car going in an unexpected direction, and on a whim, Joe decides to follow her to see where she's going. This opens up a highly readable Pandora's Box. Many times I felt like slapping Joe for his poor decisions but I was rooting for him all the way. Highly readable novel.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review edition.

Was this review helpful?

A novel that tells the story of marriage infidelity from the husband's side. It begins rapidly with Joe Lynch, the husband of his beloved Melissa (Mel) driving home from work via a route he has taken countless times after picking up his son. By chance he spots Mel meeting another man and entering a hotel with him. Melissa has been his love interest starting when they were in their mid teens in high school. He eventually married her and considers himself the luckiest of men. And after eleven happy years and the arrival of a beautiful child he still looks upon himself as very fortunate. Joe makes the decision to confront the man Melissa met and does so. They quickly disintegrate into a physical match with Joe knocking the other man down. The man is actually an acquaintance of theirs with his own wife friendly with Mel.

Worried that he has hurt Ben, the other man, Joe turns back and decides to help him when his son experiences an asthma attack and must be attended to quickly. When he later returns to the hotel Ben is gone. In confronting Melissa about the meeting she finally admits that she has been having an affair for the past few months with Ben but swears up and down that it is now over and never to be repeated.

The problem is that Ben makes no appearance and the police enter the scene to make sure that Ben has not suffered foul play. A very well handled plot ensues with Joe trying to determine if he can bring himself to again be with Mel at the same time that the police appear to be more and more centered on Ben being killed. The fact that Joe caught him with Melissa is credible evidence that he did something to Ben.
The unfolding story is told in a very sure manner and the reader is caught up with what is seeming to transpire with Joe. Is he going to somehow come out of the predicament together with his beloved wife, or is he going to finally be arrested for murder? The mitigating factor in preventing an early arrest is that there is no body to be found. An all night hold - certainly and also one that is guaranteed to assure that the next novel by Mr Logan will find it's way into the reader's hands as soon as published.

Was this review helpful?