The Nelson family is a bit of a mess. Whit works long hours to provide for the family. Diane seems to be a bit manic, seeking the attention of her peers one minute and locked in her room the next. Cassie has entered her pre-teen years and is seeking the approval of older kids by engaging in some dangerous activities. And Boon is recovering from a trauma he suffered as a result of some parental neglect. Although they live at The Paradise, their lives are currently anything but.

Sara moves to The Paradise as part of the witness protection program. In exchange for some information, she can avoid prison. But life on the Outer Banks is like a prison to Sara, and she is planning her escape.

Sara's best chance to flee comes unexpectedly as a hurricane rolls in. As she is ready to leave, she notices Cassie and Boon have been left alone. On a whim, she takes them with her and her plans change drastically.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were not likeable, but they were definitely interesting. The plot took several unexpected turns that I enjoyed.

I would recommend to readers who enjoy family dramas and thrillers. It's a fun ride.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel.

I wanted to like this book more but I feel like I just wanted more from it. We learn early on that the main character is in witness protection, but never really get the full story. We learn early on her father was a shady man, but never get the full story. The ending comes out of nowhere and again, gives you a resolution but not an expkaintion. In addition to that I feel like there just wasn’t much plot. The premise was good, but poor execution.

I really enjoyed this book. It is refreshing to have a book that shows the strength and ability for a person to start over regardless of the situation. The plot moved smoothly and the decriptive writing allows the reader to feel storm and stress felt by Sara. Great book with a very satisfying conclusion.

This was a good book, but the ending was very abrupt. It definitely left me wanting to know more. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The book follow 3 different people/families. Sara, who has entered witness protection program. Whit whose wife recently left their son locked in a hot car all day and then disappears from Whit's and their kids lives and Hank, a former cop who searched for missing kids, thinking he can make amends for not being their when his son was abducted years before.

Sara is placed in a apartment complex. She hates being in the witness protection program and has plans to bolt as soon as she can. Next door, lives White, Cassie and Boon. Since Whit's wife left the kids are on their own quite often and Boon takes a liking to Sara.

With a hurricane quickly approaching, Sara is going to leave the Outer Banks and makes a quick decision to take Cassie and Boon with her. Their father is left on the mainland and unable to get back them.

It seemed like the story spent a lot of time covering background information and once Sara took the kids things rapidly moved forward. And then the book just kind of ended. It left me going back wondering if I had missed a few chapters. I don't want to give anything away but I was left trying to figure out how we got to the last chapter. I was left wanting more.

I give this 3.5 stars out of 5.

Sara Lennox is being placed in NC as part of the Witness Protection Program. She is placed at an apartment complex called Paradise in the Outer Banks, which is anything but paradise. Next door lives a family: Whit, Diane and 12-year-old Cassie and 6-year-old Boon. The chapters are told in the different points of view of the characters. Sara doesn't want to be involved with the family next door because she is hiding something and seems as though she will be leaving soon. The family next door is a mess. The mother recently left her son in the car on a hot day when she went to work. The charges against her have been dropped, but the town looks upon the family with disgrace. Then, Diane disappears. Shortly after that, a hurricane touches down. The kids have been left alone. Sara is about to take off. She sees that they are alone and the storm is raging. What should Sara do?
The storyline is interesting. I was wanting to know more about Sara and the Witness Protection Program. I was concerned for the safety of the kids. What would happen to them? The rest of the family? But, then the book abruptly ended. I was reading on a Kindle and I kept clicking back to see if I had missed some chapters. I had not. It seemed as if there were too many loose ends; some aspects of storylines that had not ended satisfactorily. Then all of a sudden there was an epilogue, and even that didn't hold the answers to the questions I had.
I received an advance copy for review. All opinions are my own.

WOW! This is definitely a psychological thriller told from different POV's. Some I hated, some I loved and some, well, I just found frustrating. This book kept me guessing (always wrong) and I am recommending it to anyone that likes a good mystery/thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for this advanced readers copy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley on exchange for an honest review. The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley was at times a little hard to follow as it jumped between characters every chapter. The story was good. I didn’t immediately figure out the plot. My complaint is the ending. I felt it was abrupt and unfinished. Not all characters’ story lines were finished. I really would like more details on Sara.

First, thank you to NetGalley (Ballentine Books) for an e-book copy for my enjoyment and review. Carla Buckley tells an exciting tale of a father, his 2 children and their problems in Paradise, North Carolina. The story is of Sara Lennox who arrives to stay in their building, but with issues of her own. The story is told from many character's viewpoinst, and sometimes becomes a bit hard to follow. But all in all, is a good read, with the ending a bit surprising. Thank you Carla Buckley.

I have read and liked all of Carla Buckley's other books.
I was excited to receive an invite for this one.
I wanted to start reading immediately.

When I started reading prologue-
shocked to read half million kids go missing every year...

Begin story with a young girl struggling with family problems and adolescence.
Then switch to a woman who is traveling from St. Paul, MN to the Outer Banks, NC as a part
of the Witness Protection Program. Must get settled in new community with a fake identity.
Required to get a job, meeting new people while keeping everything about her true self a secret.
Then switch to a father struggling to care for his family and balance work/job issues.

A hurricane moves closer and closer
the descriptions were so vivid that I could feel it
They become intent, determined on getting out of area and to safe areas

I enjoyed story, did not want to stop reading until resolved.

A gripping portrayal of family ties, of truth and lies. Buckley explores the intimate relationships we form, as a young woman with a dangerous past makes the split second decision to save two young children from an approaching hurricane.

The Liar's Child is a full of complex characters, unexpected emotions, one momnent in time can change a persons life forever. The random moments can leave last impact that can effect not just one person everyone involved.

The author has the ability to create complex characters, emotional driven story that keeps readers wanting more. The author creates characters who are human that make simple mistakes and mistakes that will changed their lives.



This is a must read mystery.



Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Ballantie Books for the Advance copy of Carla Buckley The Liar's Child

This is a story with non-stop excitement and lots of emotional tension and drama. Sara is in the Witness Protection Program, although she is always scheming to escape from it. She ends up in an apartment building called The Paradise, but which in reality is far, far from paradise! The Paradise is on the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a fairly remote area, very small, so seemingly perfect for Sara. But she soon becomes aware of the whispers of a tragedy next door. Her neighbor next door is Whit Nelson, and his two children Boon and Cassie. He is married but his wife, Diane, is anything but a good mother. A hurricane is on its way and Sara discovers Boon and Cassie are on their own. Does Sara rescue them? If so there will be consequences as she is now on the run, having outwitted the Feds. I felt it was a great psychological thriller and will look for more books by this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Child’s Liar was a fast moving read and told from multiple perspectives. The characters were complex and compelling. But it was 6 year old Boon who stood out because he had seen the best and worst of human behavior in his young lifetime. As the many lies began to manifest, the storm became the perfect catalyst for the characters’ ultimate exposure and drastic life changes.
This was a captivating and well written story.

This is the first book that I have read from this author. I found it to be an enjoyable quick read. However, there was a wide gap between the last chapter and the epilogue. The ending needed much more elaboration rather than to be so abrupt.

Took me a minute to get into this book. I wasn’t sure where it was headed, what with all these seemingly random characters in an apartment complex in the Outer Banks. But it soon became clear how one little act, one little lie, one little mistake and one big hurricane could intertwine all these people. Sometimes good people do bad things, even by accident and vice versa. But underneath it all, people care what happens to their fellow man, or in this case, children. If given the situation to do the right thing, will you? Even if doing so might cause you trouble? Just read it already!

Life is messy, and Carla Buckley in her latest novel, “The Liar’s Child, she shows the reader just how messy life can truly be. Cassie is a young girl who is thrown into the middle of a crisis because of her mother’s unpredictable behavior that causes her younger brother harm. Cassie just wants a place to escape to, so she uses the vacant apartment next door as her own refuge until Sara moves in. Sara is in the Witness Protection and she is not happy with the way life has turned out for her. Sara attempts to obey the rules by keeping a low profile, but when Cassie literally drops in and she begins to get sucked into the drama of her neighbors. A hurricane strikes the area and Sara chooses to bring Cassie and her little brother with her to safety and life even gets more complicated. This is an amazing book that will keep you engaged until the very end. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

This was a decent book - but not great. Definitely not a "psychological thriller." The book flips between different POVs, but then ends some POVs. I didn't like that we started with Cassie and then didn't get back to her POV until almost halfway into the book. We hear from Whit, but then he disappears along with his dangling storyline that we hear secondhand. I would have liked to hear his side of the story at least at the end. I actually hated Cassie - maybe that comes from not hearing from her or getting into her head until halfway through the story. If her side was built up in the beginning I think I could have understood her better and sympathized. Poor Boon - he gets horrible treatment. The story was ok and I actually wasn't even sure where it was going and how everything fit together. I was hoping there was going to be more mystery to it or some extra twists....

I really liked this book. I would categorize it as a thriller, but it was much more than just that. It was a mystery, a character study of a woman in trouble, a story of children growing up in a difficult world. Well written, easy to read. Definitely recommend.