2.5 stars

The story focuses on Nina Fischer, who was adopted years ago by her uncle. She finds him murdered in their house, and in trying to figure out who is responsible for his death, Nina uncovers some of her uncle’s secrets.


Irvin is best known for her Amish-themed novels, but this one is a romantic suspense. There are a number of characters, and it sometimes felt like there were too many. Nina is fully developed, but that isn’t the case with some of the other characters. While enjoyable, the story could have been a bit better, and tighter, with a few less characters to follow. There were enough twists to keep a reader engaged and guessing for a good part of the story. I would’ve enjoyed a bit faster pace, particularly as this is a romantic suspense, but the pace was steady, in general. It’s not my favorite Irvin book, but it was an okay read overall.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

This was a new to me author and I'm so glad I read this one! I felt like this was a nice new voice for romantic suspense. It was also a good opportunity to remind readers that addictions come in many forms and with many consequences. I always appreciate when a book has a message that goes a little deeper.

I did feel like there were a lot of characters to keep track of in this story. It wasn't terrible, but I think if Irvin had added even one more name I might have lost track. I also felt like King got a really bad rap in the book. I know that was the intent, but that is to say, I guess I felt bad for him.

My favorite character was definitely Aaron. He had his faults and he wasn't perfect, but I did really like him. I also loved the opening scene with Nina in her darkroom. I took photography in high school and it was always such a joy to watch a picture develop and it brought back good memories!

Overall this was a great book. It was a unique storyline and had a good message. It wasn't overtly Christian other than a few prayers. Honestly, I wouldn't have complained if it had had more of a spiritual theme. I felt like the characters could have relied more on God than themselves and each other and it would have made me love the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Kelly Irvin and Thomas Nelson for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Nina and her sister were plucked from their absentee mother at a very early age and were placed with their well off aunt and uncle, who were like parents to them. Nina loves her adopted father, even if he doesn’t support her career choices. One night, while getting ready for a show, Nina hears something downstairs and investigates only to find her father dead on the floor and she is the only one in the house. She becomes the prime suspect and the two other men in her life try to help her, but for their own very different reasons. Which one can she trust? While cleaning out her father’s things, she finds letters from her biological mom and realizes that there was more to her father’s life than he let on. Suddenly everyone around Nina starts to die and she knows she has to find out who is calling the shots.

I felt like I was just dropped right into this novel and I didn’t enjoy that because I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on at all. I was thrown off by the beginning and really didn’t feel like I got my bearings at any point during this novel. I unfortunately didn’t feel like I could connect to any of the characters and found that the novel was too confusing for me to full understand what was going on. I enjoyed some of Nina and Aaron’s relationship and the ending of the novel, but otherwise I didn’t understand most of the characters choices and felt like the book was just not for me.

The writing was good and if I could have connected with the characters, I feel like this would have been a great novel. There was just a lot going on and I felt myself getting confused and having to go back and reread parts of the novel. The ending though was a surprise to me and I enjoyed the last 10% of the novel much more than the rest of the book. I also really enjoyed Nina’s ex-boyfriend Rick because I love a character that we can hate and not feel bad about it. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the entire novel but parts of it were superb.

Nina hears a whisper, following the sound she goes into her Dad’s office. the gun cabinet is open, and her father was down. A foster dad that had taken Jan and her in and made them his daughters. A state district court judge died in his home. Aaron her best friend had come avoiding the media at the front, yet was a photographer. He had to follow the story no matter how it turned out. Detective King orders all media to stay in the front, and she in the house. Two things he let her know, no forced entry and she was alone in house. She was in the dark room, doing her photos. Rick was Nina boyfriend, his ticket to the social group he wanted, to her just a friend. Would she being calling him as a lawyer. For Nina she wanted her camera lens to observe, and have a buffer of what was going on. King wanted to see her work area, where she lived, third floor, or one would call the attic. Her pictures were of the homeless, he questions her why here, and of them. She could tell he didn’t approve of her, or approve of her family. Telling her, he was determined to get the killer, taking her to the precinct. The plot is superb with the dialog of the Detective King, you can feel his no nonsense attitude, as though he.was bigger than life, determined. Powerful story, you are caught, from that first whisper. For Nina and her sister, a life is shattered when the real person the judge was, become known
Readers will welcome and want to read this book. Given ARC by Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

Wow! Kelly Irvin knows how to keep you reading without wanting to stop until the crisis is resolved. I enjoyed this book immensely. Keep on writing, Kelly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Tell Her No Lies” is a suspenseful story that will keep you trying to figure out who to trust and who committed murder. Nina is a gutsy young woman and the story starts out with her finding her father murdered. Nina and her family are on the list as prime suspects. Nina is using her skills to prove them wrong. Her friend Aaron who works for the news is working with her find out the truth. Great story that will keep your interest till the end.

Kelly Irvin has long been one of my favorite authors in the Amish genre. It was a huge treat to read her work in a contemporary romantic suspense genre! Tell Her No Lies is a fast-paced and well written story! I really felt drawn to Nina's character, as well as that of her adoptive mother Grace, and to Nina's sister Janis and niece. Irvin does a masterful job of describing her characters, even to the point where i sometimes felt sympathy for Rick, as conflicted as he was between his feelings for Nina and his obsession to be upwardly mobile professionally. This book kept me up well into the night to find out what happened next amongst the twists and turns. Nina often felt torn between close friend Aaron, who sought more than friendship, and lifetime friend Rick, who also sought more. She and Aaron joined forces to learn who was responsible for killing her uncle/adoptive father, at the same time uncovering a dark side of her adoptive father. This is definitely a novel I will recommend to others.

I did not care for Tell Her No Lies. I do not believe I will read this genre from this author in the future. I give this one two stars.

So suspenseful - kept reading because I was kept waiting for more (in a good way)! Read the book in 2 days, and couldn’t and didn’t want to stop reading! I loved it!

I have never heard of Kelly Irvin until I read this book. It was fast past, well written and I loved it! I cannot wait till her next one comes out!

This is the first time I've ever read a book by Kelly Irvin, and what can I say, it was an exceptional read. From the beginning we are drawn into the book with the murder of Nina's adoptive father who by all standards was the perfect husband and father. But as the book progresses we realize it was all a carefully crafted illusion which was about to implode. Trying to stay one step ahead of the police , Nina with the help of her best friend Aaron, try to solve his murder which is no easy endeavor as it brings danger and peril to their doorsteps.
Carefully crafted ,full of mystery and suspense, likable main characters, and and edge of your seat ending, fantastic read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I reviewed this title editorially for Mystery Scene Magazine be sure and see what I thought in the holiday issue. I

Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is a great fictional thriller with a dab of romance. Nina is abandoned by her mother at an early age and finds it hard to trust anyone. He uncle takes her in and raises her and tries his best to show her about humanity at its best. Her love of photography is really what helps keep her in a comfortable place. One day however she find her uncle is dead and the police are accusing her. Nina must find a way to prove her innocence and fast. There are two men in her life who want to help her but Nina is afraid that they have ulterior motives. Can she trust them? Or anyone for that matter? The truth is out there and hopefully she will find it and save herself. This one had me gripped from the beginning. While I was not able to read it in one sitting, it did not take me long. It is a very easy read with great descriptive matter and the characters are well written and enjoyable.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.


5 out of 5 stars

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

Wow! This book keeps you guessing as to what will happen next on so many realms. Many murders, family secrets, romance...lots of action. Forgiveness, God's role as Father and what that means, and so much more! Well written, fantastic book!

Nina Fischer wants to show the world the many faucets of people who experience homelessness, and she’s found a way to do so through a medium she loves—film photography. While many might mistake her for a rich kid dabbling in art, before her adoption, she experienced the bone crushing hopelessness of living on the streets.

While preparing for an upcoming art exhibit, she steps out of her darkroom and into a nightmare. A whisper pleading for help in the early hours irrevocably changes the trajectory of her life. Will she sort out who she can rely on before she ends up the next victim?

Aaron McClure has loved Nina since the moment he met her back in college. And ever since then, they’ve been friends. He thinks Nina might feel ready to take the next step, but her childhood friend Rick Zavala keeps getting in the way. When her life starts falling apart, he promises to stick by and help her through it—even if it means letting her go.

This edge-of-your-seat suspense story will keep you guessing, and on your toes as you try to solve the mystery. Kelly Irvin crafts characters with depth (even the villains) and keeps the reader guessing to the very end how everything will turn out.

This is the first book that I have read by Kelly Irvin and I loved it. It is a story of family deceit and how a family must come to terms with the results. It is a religious romantic suspense and is very well written. I really liked the characters and how they dealt with all of the fall out.

“Tell Her No Lies” by Kelly Irvin was a good romantic suspense read. This was the first book I’ve read by her, and I look forward to reading more.

This story centers around Nina Fischer. Nina and her sister were adopted years ago by their uncle. Life is good for them until their uncle is found murdered in his own house. Nina is the one who finds him. Through trying to find out who murdered him, Nina uncovers some secrets that her uncle was keeping.

This book had me guessing in many parts and it had some twists and turns. I was surprised at how it ended.
If you like to read good, clean, romantic-suspense novels, you would like this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I loved the mystery part of it and how it kept me guessing, I didn't really care for the heroine, since she felt quite wishy washy. I wound up feeling really bad for the hero.
That said, the mystery is worth reading. I look forward to reading the next book by Kelly!

This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Irvin. I was interested in the book, because of its cover and description and decided I wanted to read it. Wow! This suspense story was very impressive. Her writing reminded me of other suspense authors that I enjoy reading. This book focuses on Nina who finds her father after he is murdered. Throughout the story, Nina is trying to discover who murdered her father and why. There are a couple of men in her life. Rick has been her childhood friend and she has to figure out if she wants a romantic relationship with him or Aaron. Aaron has been there for her since college. Together with Aaron they try to follow the evidence to discover what occurred. Having believed her father to be an upstanding judge, Nina finds out that he had his own secrets. This is a romantic suspense book that will definitely keep you wanting to drop everything to read this book! I highly recommend this book! You will not be disappointed if you enjoy romantic suspense stories.
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.