A romantic mystery wirh implausible characters caught up in a conspiracy, this is a thin tissue of a novel. Georgie is the privileged daughter of a retired general about to be nominated for secretary of defense when her husband Sean is killed in an auto accident Georgie's no dummy, but when she starts noticing inconsistencies in what she was told - especially by her father - about her husband's death , the strange noises in her house and messages on her phone, and the "games" Sean taught their young son about hiding places she doesnt shrink from investigating. Chief among her questions is who her husband really was, but she's focusing on the wrong man

Sean Brennan goes to pick up something for a household repair and is killed in a car accident. Georgie Brennan is devastated by Sean's death, grieving for her husband and for her young son Sam's loss of a father.

Georgie's overbearing parents pressure her to move in with them, but she knows this is not a good idea. Her father is up for confirmation as the next secretary of state. Her mother's interests lie in her husband's status and in impressing others. Georgie, a respected physicist, doesn't quite fit into their world.

After Georgie finds a notebook of Sean's, she realizes that Sean had been keeping a lot of secrets. The more she questions, the more unsure she becomes. She finds herself unable to trust even those closest to her--with good reason.

Read in April. Review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Thomas Nelson
Political Intrigue/Suspense. Aug. 13, 2019. Print length: 352 pages

When Georgia's husband Sean dies in an accident she and their young son Sam are devastated. Never did she think that there was anything unsettling about Sean's death. But when strange things start happening and she starts hearing noises in her home Georgia becomes nervous. Then when she finds out that Sean had lied to her the last night he was alive Georgia starts to investigate. It isn't long before Georgia realizes that her husband may not have been who she thought he was, and also that she may not be able to trust any of her friends around her. But Georgia is a truth-seeker and she refuses to be intimidated by danger as she searches to find out who wanted her husband dead and why.



Well this was a different turn for me with this author! I have read her historical novels before, but never a contemporary piece. I loved it! This fit perfectly into my favorite genre of romantic suspense reads. Heavier on the suspense, but still a bit of romance. I loved the characters, and the intrigue of the setting was exciting and kept the book moving at a fast pace. Politics, social-climbing, murder, intrigue and cover-ups all wrapped up into one exciting must-read page-turner! I highly recommend!

This was an absorbing political intrigue mystery. It was really atmospheric and the twists and turns kept coming. There were lots of unexpected events and even though typically I read murder mysteries I found myself reading on and on!

State of Lies tested my boundaries as I struggle to read fiction where a child is negatively impacted by events. The relationships between the family members are described in ways many of us can relate to within our families, however, that helps to believe the unbelievable in this book. Conspiracies aimed at family members, exploding houses and resurrecting from the dead. Nobody is who they seem and are times its hard to see the twists coming but when they do you will think, 'I should have seen that coming!'

Her husband died. Or did he? No one seems to know. Then who did they bury? This is a book about malfeasance at the top ranks of the military. It is about having to choose between doing what is right and being loyal to family. No one wants to have to make that choice. But in order to live with herself, she does make a choice. For her husband and child. This was a great book. I would be interested in reading more from this author.

State of Lies is a good book that is well written and it has good characters. It is a good thriller that will keep your attention.

I was not expecting this story. Actually, compared to her historical fiction it has a completely different tone. It's a thriller and kept me reading. I finished it in just under 24 hours and then I thought, "Oh, I think I may be the first reviewer on Goodreads." Scaryy! hehe!

From a general mystery stand-point this story has everything that should be in a mystery. A grabber beginning, a plot, and the clues that led to the end. I was absolutely blown away! While my face kept a blank stare reading this, my brain was screaming in shock.

I liked Georgie's POV. It really gave a neat perspective and seeing her fears and emotions of everything came across as authentic. The patriotism and standing up for what is right really played a factor in the end, the realization that the choices we make DO matter.

The content of this book I would rate lower. The first scene in the book was an awkward start and there are a couple more scenes that imply sex scenes...It's not in explicit detail, but the couple details that are given made me feel a squirmy. There are several kisses exchanged by a married couple.

Since I went into this book not expecting it to be under the Christian fiction genre, that missing factor in this book didn't completely shock me. Would I have appreciated it... yes, of course! All the Christianity talked about is Sam saying his prayers at night and some religious denominations mentioned that was part of the plot.

Overall, I could rate this four stars because of how much I was held captive, although on average with the content coming into play, I would usually give it three stars. Recommended for adult readers.