So I started reading this book a long time ago and put it down. At the time it was just another book about a spouse who was cheating on their better half. I did finally pick the book back up and finished it. It does get better, if you can through the first 30% of the book, continue reading it. This book is about the cheating but it so much more. I liked that it follows the husband and not the wife. The books did end up being a good mystery.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

When Joe Lynch and his young son, William, spot his wife's car while out driving, they decide to surprise her. Instead they see his wife, Melissa, fighting with a friend, Ben. Joe knows he should help Melissa, but when he goes to confront Ben, it goes horribly wrong. The two fight and after Ben hits him, Joe pushes him back and Ben falls and hits his head. At the same time, his son has an asthma attack--and realizing he doesn't have William's inhaler--Joe has to make a choice: race home for the inhaler or stay and make sure Ben is okay. He chooses his son, setting off a chain of crazy events that will forever alter the course of his life.

"I put the car in gear. Made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would change my life. 'Let's go and surprise Mummy.'"

This was an odd book that messes with your head as much as all the insane events seem to do to Joe's. It got off to a slow start for me, and I almost didn't keep reading, but I have a terrible time putting any book in a "DNF" pile, and of course, this one picked up and got pretty exciting about halfway through. (This only adds to my inability to ever not finish a book.)

The main shtick with this one is sort of an unreliable narrator/unreliable plot, as you really don't know who or what to believe as you read. Hence the title, obviously. As it all happens we have Joe, who sort of bumbles along, our hapless narrator, who seems to think he's in control, but really, just no. Poor guy, he's certainly not the brightest--just this clueless guy whom I had a tough time rooting for, hence my inability to really get into the book.

Yes, most of the cast of characters around him are lying to him in some fashion, but still. After Joe leaves Ben in the parking garage to save William, he finds some weird and cryptic posts on his Facebook page, because (of course) he lost his (unlocked) cell phone during his altercation with (obviously tech-savvy) Ben who runs (wait for it) a technology firm. Then Melissa reveals to him that the wealthy Ben has been pining after her for ages, despite that fact that Ben's wife, Beth, is Melissa's best friend. Things unravel from there. I'll admit that they don't necessarily happen predictably, but they do happen in a crazy fashion, so be prepared to suspend a lot of your disbelief.

The book is kind of wild, a little creepy, and there's a good twist at the end, which bumped my rating up a half star. This wasn't a particularly fun read for me--it sort of stressed me out--and I didn't really like any of the characters, but once it picked it up, it was at least interesting. 3.5 stars.

DNF-with so many books to read and so little time I've made a new rule. If I walk away from the book, read other books in between the next time I pick it back up, and don't come back to it for weeks then I'm calling it quits and moving on. Unfortunately, Lies is one of those books for me.

I honestly don't think it was the author. More I'm just in the mood for something different, unique and this just wasn't giving me those vibes.

Thank you for the opportunity, sorry I couldn't give you better feedback.

Star rating does not reflect my opinion.

Full review to come.
I deeply apologize, but life is a handful lately and I'm using all my free time to read, not review. I hope everybody understands.

This book held my attention from the very first page of the prologue. What could possibly have happened to make the protagonist ask himself all those questions? The accelerating pace, leading to a stunning conclusion, was a suburb first work of the author. The twists and turns were innocent enough, leading me down a path intended by the author, only to have it twist sharply at the end. It was so well written, it kept my attention focused on every single word. The characters were so well described that I could feel Joe's pain and Mel's seeming remorsefulness. I can't wait for the author's second book!

Joe and his young son,William, are driving home after he picks him up from preschool when his son sees his Mom ‘s car. William begs Joe to follow his mom into a hotel parking lot so that he can show her the certificate he earned in school. When Joe acquiesces to his son’s pleas what happens next will change his life forever.

This psychological thriller is a rival to many renowned authors. It’s got a plot of love, hate, murder, deception while taking you down a twisting path. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you don’t!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, digital, ARC copy of this book.
#netgalley
#T.M.Logan
#lies

One his way home one day Joe makes a detour at his son's request when they see his wife's car. This detour causes Joe to see a confrontation with his wife and a her friend's husband that starts to make him question a few things. Upon confronting the husband, it got a little physical. This physical confrontation leads to Joe wondering if he has accidentally committed murder. That is until this husband ends up trying to frame him for his murder.
This book does a great job at making you think about how well you know anyone in your life. How many times someone has lied to you. How well people are at acting.
I knew one of the characters was lying from the very beginning. I was correct in that but it did not in any way ruin the surprise twist at the end. I was impressed and also thought it was a good twist as well. I love how I was correct with on character but still lead on completely by another.
I liked Joe as a character but he could also be a little dumb and bland.
His wife was very annoying the entire time and her excessive use of *kiss kiss kiss* or XXX (I read this via audio) at the end of every text she sent drove me crazy and made me roll my eyes constantly.
The audiobook was pretty good route to enjoying this story. It was not a full cast but it was still well read.

3.5 stars to this psychological thriller. Crazy stuff here. What if your whole life is a series of lies? Can you trust anyone? Everyone is unreliable in this story and while I didn't really like the main character, a lot of questions are raised as to how much we put out there (without a thought) on the internet and particularly social media. I know I now have cut back on my personal posts after finishing this novel. Pretty creepy when you think about some of this. I did feel the main character was waaaay too trusting and wanted to kick him at times. HAH! There are some very naughty people in this plot. Don't trust anyone!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for a digital edition to read and review.

Joe and his small son are driving home and talking about something the kid made that day when the kid spots his mom’s (Mel’s) car and wants to go see her. She’s pulling into a hotel parking garage. Joe decides to follow and see what the hell she’s doing. Oh. Meeting a coworker. Arguing with a coworker? Screaming at a coworker in a hotel parking garage? Oh. The coworker she had an affair with once? And Mel leaves while dude stands there? Joe gets out and walks over and decides to punch the guy. Which starts the whole cycle wherein the dude disappears.

“A missing persons inquiry that became a murder case. A married man having an affair. And it seemed the victim was attacked in an underground parking lot. Electronic footprints were left behind that became the conviction.” An article sent to Joe describing what might happen. Was his whole life based on lies? If he hadn’t followed his wife’s car that day would any of this be happening?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, digital, ARC copy of this book.

Joe was at the wrong place at the wrong time - or was it the right place at the right time? If Joe had not stopped at that red light, if his son had not had a sudden asthma attack, if ....... One event set off a chain of events that led Joe to wonder if his whole life was a string of lies.

This book was a definite page-turner. I love books that leave you wondering with lots of plot twists and turns. This book was just that - a page turner from first page - to the last!

I had a hard time getting into this book even with the good reviews from some of my friends who were also reading this on behalf of St Martins Press and I can't quite put my finger on why. The plot was well thought out and just twisted enough to keep things interesting. I did like the way that Logan threaded a technology aspect to the building of evidence against poor Joe through the story. Especially as his nemesis built his business around software development.

My main issue, I think, is the police overlooking MAJOR plot holes and their incompetence was more laughable than frustrating. For example (without spoilers) part of the evidence they were using said that both phones were using the same cell tower - which makes absolute sense since the characters were both supposed to be in the same place but yet it was presented as damning to Joe's story.

The ending....I didn't see all of it coming but I did narrow it down to a small band of people who could be responsible and it turned out to be a mix of them.

Overall, if you are looking for something that would fit in with a trip or a relaxing weekend, I would recommend giving, Lies a try.

Lies by T. M. Logan

Brief Summary: When Joe Lynch stumbles across his wife driving into a hotel car park while she's supposed to be at work, he's intrigued enough to follow her in. He then sees her have an argument with her best friend’s husband, but doesn’t intervene. The less you know about this book the better.

Highlights: This book starts with a good hook from the very beginning and you are constantly wondering what is a lie and who is lying. Joe is a very naïve but nice and likable guy. Though some of his actions are dumb; I ultimately wanted to see justice served and found myself sympathizing with him. I also loved the social media hacking aspect; though I did get paranoid about my own accounts being easily hacked.

What makes this book unique? The ending…….WOW! I didn’t see it coming and loved the twist.

Explanation of Rating: 5/5 I couldn’t put this book down and finished it within 48 hours.

This is a highly addictive quick and easy read. It is the perfect read for a long plane ride or when you need a quick and easy read. Again, go into this one with little information and enjoy the ride.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I love books by British authors and this one does not disappoint. A very modern twist with the use of technology and social media. I really didn't see the twist at the end coming. This book was published in the UK a year ago, so I hope the author will come out with another book soon. Certainly a writer worth watching.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because it held my attention and I wanted to see what would happen. The first chapter intrigues the reader from the start. Both husband and wife are unlikable and I could tell instantly that everything wasn't as it appeared to on the surface. I found it pretty dumb that the wife ends up with an incarcerated old guy hit man as her guardian angel and helper.

This is a highly addictive page-turner that had me saying “what is going on? Joe is a character to love. He is a wonderful father and loving husband, and in a flash, his life falls apart when he is accused of wrongdoing. Unfortunately for him, his happy, peaceful existence comes crashing down with one simple act.

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. This is my honest review.

This book hooked me pretty much from the beginning because I needed to know what happened to Ben after Joe leaves him in the parking garage. I mean, people don't usually just disappear without a trace, so something was obviously up. But then the text messages started, and I was anxious to see what the end goal was and if it would come to fruition.

All that being said, I couldn't help but feel like Joe was just being so stupid for pretty much the entire story. It was pretty obvious that he was being setup, but he'd take the bait anyway. Really, he was just way too naive and trusting for his own good.

I'm typically pretty good at figuring out where a story is going before the big reveal, but was pleasantly surprised when I didn't see the twist in this book coming. It's always nice when a book can surprise you.

Overall I give Lies 4.1865 stars.

Lies by T. M. Logan published by St. Martin's Press is one of those mysteries that you can’t put down. I have to say what caught my attention was. WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS BASED ON LIES? How can you not want to read a book that starts with that? John thought he had everything in his life. A wonderful life with his “great” wife Mel and son William who I loved as a character. Like a few other readers found that the writing style was gripping and I felt like I could sympathize with John the entire time I was worried for him and I loved the journey all the way through. Have you ever dropped in unexpectedly on your spouse, when and where they least expected to see you? Joe Lynch did when his young son, Will, spotted his wife’s car in traffic, he followed, intrigued as she turned into a hotel car park. Just one impulsive decision and BAM, Joe’s life will never be the same. Not for him, his family or their friends either. The roller coaster that unfolds after that decision makes for a great book. I love a book that I can guess wrong and I was so wrong with this one and I loved it. You will ask T.M Logan questions along the way and he will lie because what you think you know you don’t. Hands down will be reading more books by this author. Thank you Netgalley and all involved for my copy.

L.M. Logan's Lies is a novel about a couple entwined in lies. Lies that are perpetuated by social media and the new technology available to everyone.

The thing I really found interesting about this book was how easily anyone could be put in the situation of falling victim to social media and technology. The story was intriguing and the ending had just enough of a twist to make it interesting.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, it fits so many genres.

This is the story about Joe Lynch who is happily married. One afternoon on his way home with his son he sees his wife drive into a hotel. He waits to see what happens and confronts the man she was talking to inside. They fight and Joe leaves as his son is having an asthma attack. At home he asks his wife about what he saw. She has a story she tells after she has denied but he tells her he saw her. The man disappears. Joe is always trying to do the right thing here but he just seems to be getting more in trouble. The story has some interesting twists to it and the end will surprise you.

What if your whole life was based on lies?

How well can one ever really know another person? Is faith always blind? How much trust can be confidently placed in the person with whom one shares a life, home, children? Those are the overriding questions that haunt Joe Lynch as he unwittingly becomes embroiled in the mysterious disappearance of Ben Delaney. Joe's innocent desire to make their young son happy by paying his wife, Mel, a surprise visit ensnares him in a frantic quest for answers. Joe quickly realizes that everything he has believed about his wife and their relationship has been a lie. It appears that not only is Ben obsessed with Mel, he is determined to destroy Joe in order to get what he wants. Ben is a charming, highly successful, and wealthy businessman known for his ruthless competitiveness. He simply does not lose. And because he is in the tech industry, his knowledge of computers and other devices is far superior to Joe's and allows him to embroil Joe is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. Joe comes to believe that Ben poses a threat to his family, and is convinced that Ben is alive, but taunting him as he makes it appear that Joe has murdered him. Thus, Joe sets out to prove that Ben is not only alive, but the mastermind behind a series of events that jeopardize Joe's reputation and career, including an altered photograph that is posted on Facebook.

Lies is a tautly imagined and plotted thriller with a jaw-dropping ending, featuring an empathetic and sympathetic main character in Joe Lynch. Joe is truly a good man, devoted to his wife and son, committed to his profession (teaching), and honest. Through Joe's first-person account of the nightmarish circumstances in which he finds himself, readers understand and can relate to his frustration, anger, and sheer terror at the prospect of being wrongly accused of committing a heinous crime. Assuming, that is, that Joe Lynch is a reliable narrator.

Once Mel is revealed to have deceived her husband, she is also a suspect, although her possible motive for wanting to further hurt Joe is far from apparent. Ben's inspiration is clear. But debut author T. M. Logan keeps readers guessing as to exactly what happened to Ben, who is responsible for his fate, and exactly why Joe finds himself at the center of the mystery until the very end of the story. The pace never slows, accelerating to a shocking conclusion that will take most readers completely by surprise.

Lies is an impressive and engrossing first novel, and bodes well for the prospect of more intriguing thrillers to come from Logan.