Loved this book overall!

It started out a bit slow, but then started to pick up about a 1/3 of the way through. Definitely will pick more by this author!

Great read with an ending I definitely didn’t see coming. For me, that’s the sign of a five star book. I read a lot of thrillers and this one kept me on my toes from start to finish. Have already recommended to a few coworkers and customers!

He’s very hit or Miss for me. Sometimes I really love the work and other times I just end up scratching my head at the end. This fell somewhere in the middle.

This is my first book by JT Ellison, and I will definitely be reading more of her books! I love the twists of psychological thrillers, and this one definitely kept me guessing the entire time! I loved the setting of the all-girls boarding school.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere created by the author with the setting of a boarding school, however it's one that I've not actually come across before and honestly I don't know how I feel about it. I couldn't relate to the rich and privileged girls here which left me feeling distanced from the book. Due to this I became less invested in the actual story.

*thank you to Netgalley, HARLEQUIN - MIRA and J T Ellison for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2 stars.

I'm honestly pushing it here with 2 stars and considering its true rating is closer to 1.5. Obviously from the reviews of others, this was more so about it not being one for me than, say badly written.

I just couldn't get into it or connect with the characters. I've noticed that others feel her other books are much better so I am willing to give those a chance. Hopefully this one was just a one off and I'll end up liking this author.

Unfortunately it's a miss from me but I would recommend you give it a go if you are considering it.

I was hooked from the first page. It was suspenseful from the beginning to the very end. There are mixed reviews on this one but I really enjoyed it and thought it was one of the least predictable thrillers Ive read in a while. The tangled web of lies was so intricately spun in this book.

I went to an all girls prestigious school (not a boarding school though… and not murderous) and I always love to see how these schools are portrayed in thrillers. The story follows Ash who moves from her troubled life in England to attend the prestigious (and secretive and creepy) Goode school in Virginia. Girls who go to The Goode school always turn out good and Goode girls don’t lie. Except they do. When people start dying mysteriously, the secrets of the school, and there are many, are slowly revealed.

I’m not usually a fan of an entire book taking place in one setting, but it worked here. Almost the entire book, and certainly all of the major action, was set on the grounds of the Goode school, yet it felt like a whole world. I thought that was brilliantly done.

I will say that it was a tad too long. Yes. But still good. Really good.

I got this in advanced copy for an honest review. First off let me just say if you like mysteries then this is a good choice I for one actually do not like this particular genre however, I am going to base my thoughts on the fact I chose to read this one. This book was actually quite phenomenal the story and plot lines intertwined to leave you guessing oh my goodness!!!

It did take me a bit to get into this book. By about 50%, I really liked it and wanted to know where it was going, but the beginning was slow.

Good Girls Lie takes place at a prestigious boarding school in Virginia. And there's a murder! (There's always a murder). However, this book actually had other twists and turns and side stories that added to the plot. The description was so well done, I could visualize the scene and experience what Ash was experiencing. When the first twist came, I loved it. It was a case of "oh I should have picked up on that!" but I didn't so it was perfect.

The book came together really well and the epilogue was perfect. It did just take a bit to get into and adjust to the fact that some of the chapters were first person, from Ash, and others were third person, from the Dean.

A very easy book to follow, easy to get into. With plenty of dark twists to keep your attention.

I have to say that it’s hard to leave this book alone once you start reading it, it’s a case of “just one more chapter” until you’ve got to the end!

J. T. Ellison is a great storyteller whose books I love to follow.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was first time reading at J. T Ellison and I can say I am now an official fan!! This story was about a young English woman who goes to an Elite American all girls high school but no one and nothing is what it seems!! It had so many twists and turns, even Agatha Christie would be impressed!! I’m going to now go back through Ellison’s back catalog and read a few more!!

I'm not sure what it is, but there's something I love about mysteries set in boarding schools! There's some sense of brooding atmosphere I get from them that just works so well for this kind of story, giving them an almost gothic quality. This story followed the usual trope of spoiled rich kids getting wrapped up in something terrible, but it's very well written and still felt original.

I did predict the ending, which probably marred the overall reading experience for me slightly. However, as I said above, I tend to read a lot of books in this style so this may be my fault as much as anything else.

I would still recommend this book to others, and it still gets three stars from me for the dark sinister vibes it gave me throughout.

This was my first book by Ellison that I've read and now I need to go read the rest of them. Ellison has crafted such a great mystery and it was a pleasure to read!

Who says good girls don’t lie? This book has a code of honor, secret societies, and murder! What more could you want?

The Goode School is a prestigious all-girls school where the girls can achieve early acceptance to the ivy schools of their choice. The boarding school accepts only the brightest girls - daughters of politicians, prominent businessmen/women, and elite members of society. There is an honor and conduct code that must be abided by at all times. There is time-honored traditions of hazing and secret societies. One day a student is found dead.
I wish there would was more mystery around the responsible party. I was not surprised with the outcome. It was entertaining and a great way to pass time.

The writing was good, and the plot moved at a good pace.

Thank NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
4 Stars

Spoiled, rich kids at a boarding school setting where things go terribly wrong? Yes, please!

As I read this book, I couldn't help but feel immersed in this gothic, mystical setting. A big, dark, secluded building surrounded by wrought iron fences and creeping vines, I could feel the chills along my spine. I was all in when these Goode girls turned wild and partied. When they found the body, my blood ran cold.

But I wish the ending wasn't so predictable and the mystery wasn't so easily solved. Regardless, this is a quick read and worth it for the creepy vibes I felt throughout!

An interesting read, a bit of a struggle to get through but overall ok - I appreciate the opportunity to review it!

Good girls lie, 4/5 stars

Ash has a dark secret, after escaping to a boarding school it’s hard to keep secrets when someone is trying to expose them.
I really enjoyed this book, good little twist at the end that was kind of predictable but it didn’t take away the enjoyment of it.

The Review
A fantastic thriller that does an excellent job of taking readers through an underutilized setting and explores the lies, deceit, and horrors that come often to those enrolled in the life of the wealthy and elite. A shocking death takes readers through a harrowing story of a young woman escaping her past, only for it to come back and haunt her in unexpected ways.

As her past catches up to her, the secrets she has been hiding begin to unravel the other secrets the school has to offer and those who reside in it. A story of family, lies, and love turns into a chilling mystery that will leave the students and faculty alike of this prestigious school shaken forever. The novel’s plot is what takes center stage in this carefully crafted novel, bringing the tale of this inexplicable death to life as the truth becomes stranger than the fiction the characters were telling themselves.

The Verdict
A must-read thriller of 2020! A brilliant evenly paced read that thoroughly explores the background of the school and the lives of the cast of characters, this novel will keep readers on the edge of their seat and will shock everyone as the final pages play out the story of the novel’s protagonist in an unexpected way. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of J.T. Ellison’s “Good Girls Lie” today!

I had a really great time reading this book! I love J.T. Ellison's books, but I think subconsciously I haven't made time to read her stand alone's because I want that sequel to the Taylor Jackson/Sam Owens book, after the way that What Lies Behind ended, and we haven't gotten that. But I read this book and I enjoyed it so much! It was just so dark and atmospheric!

It seems to be a theme, because this is yet another book that I was a bit confused with. I mean, I had suspicions, because it is a mystery book. But we kept going back and forth between the present at the school, and the past in England. So I thought that there was something wonky there. And there was, and it was a major plot point in the book, and I just really enjoyed it!

We do jump around the timeline a fair bit. The beginning is almost near the end of the timeline, and then it jumps back to when Ash first arrived at the school, and the present continued chronologically, though with brief jumps back in time to before she'd left England.

There was a lot going on, from the life of being a Goode girl, and we got to see mainly from Ash's perspective, but also from the Headmistress and a cop investigating the case. It was all just a twisted web, and I really enjoyed how it all came together. That epilogue was truly creepy and I loved it!

This book was a really fantastic read, and I really need to read more of J.T. Ellison's books!