I don't know if this was my cup of tea or not. I feel like I just didn't love the plot as much as I thought and got a little too lost trying to follow along. I enjoyed the idea behind it but couldn't put it together for the life of me.

Kat and Rose are friends and mothers. Eva and Laura are friends and daughters. I liked these characters and the unfolding of this suspense/thriller. Sometimes, the segues were missing but, the reader can figure them out and follow along just fine. You may be able to make some assumptions and be correct in them as the story unfolds, but it's still an enjoyable suspenseful read with lots of surprises and 'aha' moments. #behindeverylie #netgalley Feb 2020 Pub Date

Eva Hanson, who lives in Whidbey Island, Washington, makes and sells beautiful decorative pottery. However Eva is reluctant to exhibit her artwork in nearby Seattle, partly because of a terrible trauma she suffered a few years ago, which caused self-doubt and distrust. Eva now relies heavily on her fiancé Liam to take care of the bumps in her life, and Liam - a take charge kind of guy who works as property developer - is happy to do it.

Given her nervous disposition, Eva is REALLY disquieted when she wakes up in a hospital after being struck by lightning. Worse yet, Police Detective Kent Jackson tells Eva that her mother Kat was brutally murdered last night, and he makes it clear that Eva is a suspect.

Eva knows she was at her mom's house yesterday evening, but has no memory of what happened beyond flashes of a bloody scene and a knife in her hand, which she (smartly) doesn't mention to the cop.

Though Eva is woozy - and has amnesia, a lump on her head, and blistered feathery markings covering her arm (lightning-induced Lichtenberg figures) - she leaves the hospital and makes her way to her mother's house. There Eva finds a letter that sends her haring off to London, where her mom Kat lived until she came to the United States.

Detective Jackson calls Eva in London, with threats to have her arrested by Interpol, but Eva refuses to return to Washington until she's completed her inquiries. And Eva makes some startling discoveries before she returns home, where she just might have to face a murder charge.

The story alternates back and forth between accounts of the past narrated by Kat, and sections about Eva's life now. It turns out that all the main protagonists in the book have big secrets, which are unveiled one by one as the story unfolds.

Other characters in the story include Eva's brother Andrew; Eva's fellow artist Melissa; Eva's childhood friend and neighbor Jacob; Kat's British employer Rose; and various men important to the tale.

The book is fast moving with plenty of action, but I do have a few quibbles.

First, I dislike stories that feature a female who puts up with a man like Liam, who expects her to defer to him about everything. Eva was too weak and submissive for a good part of the book - prattling on about how strong and reliable Liam was - and this irritated me.

Second, there are several occasions when characters make stunning discoveries, or make life-changing decisions.....and they don't have a dramatic response. It seems like they think, "Oh really," and calmly go on with their lives. This seems unrealistic.

That said, this is an enjoyable mystery/thriller. Recommended to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Christina McDonald), and the publisher (Gallery Books) for a copy of the book.

'I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.'

3.5 rounded to 4
Kat and Eva have a strained mother-daughter relationship. Eva's world gets turned upside down when she finds out her mother has been murdered, she can't remember any of it because she was struck by lightning and the police have her pegged as the prime suspect. In a panic, she sets out to find answers and uncovers an unbelievable amount of secrets.

I enjoyed this book, but sadly it fell flat for me. As far as murder mysteries go, it was very predictable. However, it was fast-paced and easy to read. I also enjoyed the fact that it takes place in Seattle because I live in the area and it was easy for me to visualize everything I read.

As I mentioned before, the plot moves quickly and everything adds up and ties together at the end. I feel like there were too many twists though. My head was spinning at one point because of all of the different revelations. For example, her getting struck by lightning wasn't necessary. She could have lost her memory for a number of other reasons that I can't mention because of spoilers. I can't think of any other example to mention that doesn't contain spoilers, but that's good enough.

The book was written well and the descriptions painted a vivid picture of each scene. It was also written in two point of views, Kat and Eva's. Kat's POV explained the past leading up to current events and Eva's let us experience her inner turmoil and self doubt. The mother-daughter relationship theme was well-developed. It's true you'll always do what you believe is best for your children, at least for me and most mothers I know.

I enjoyed the parallels of broken pieces of oneself to the type of pottery discussed, Kintsugi, a type of Japanese pottery were they mend broken pieces with gold or other shiny materials to enhance the broken bits into a new piece of art. There we're also parallels that I noticed between two male characters that were done well, however, I don't want to say who because it might be a spoiler. The detectives character annoyed me because it was very cliche. His attitude and dialogue had me rolling my eyes.

One bit I personally enjoyed was the squeezing of the hand 3 times to say I love you. My mom and I have done that for as long as I can remember.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I'm giving it 3.5 stars because it was fast-paced, well-written and vivid. But it was also a bit cliche, predictable and overwhelming.

Behind Every Lie is a keep you on your toes thriller! Kept me guessing! Eva has no memory of what happened when she wakes up at the hospital after being struck by lightning. Eva then finds out her mother was murdered. .The police are suspicious of her. As we see through flashbacks of her and her mother’s life in London and America thinking’s become dangerous for Eva.

Behind every lie by Christina McDonald doesn’t give the reader something entirely new. We have read the trope of someone waking up in the hospital who can’t remember anything and is being questioned by the police. McDonald takes that and gives us more than that. She gives us a duel perspective with the sordid history and intertwined backstory in a way that feels fresh along with the familiar trope.

This book for me was a fresh take on a trope I really enjoy. Overall the plot wasn’t hard for me to figure out but the book had a good pace, fleshed out character, and a great plot that kept me wanting to read.

Thank you to Gallery, Pocket Books via NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read and loved The Night Olivia Fell
I was happy to receive this ARC - a domestic thriller with a mystery at its heart

It doesn't matter whose fault it may be when you blamed yourself

Scars are testament that you survived something extraordinary

Mother - daughter relationships can be complicated
I began reading and began to see and feel both sides of lives
I became tense as I turned the pages
Family drama deepens
Love relationships become complicated
then...
exhilarating twists

Christina McDonald writes a chilling story of secrets, lies, and betrayal between mother and daughter. As perspective shifts within the narrative the reader is given a glimpse into more and more twisted family dynamics and brought further down the rabbit hole. Bravo to McDonald for setting an apt scene and wholly taking over the plot and leaving the reader on edge the entire way through. Love it. 5 stars.


Thank you to #NetGalley for this complimentary ARC of #BehindEveryLie. It was read and reviews voluntarily.

I was not disappointed with this book! So many emotions and special moments shared in the book. I felt like I could really understand the characters. This is her second book I have read and I LOVED it!! One of my new favorite authors!!

Eva wakes up from being struck by lighting to discover her mother, Kat has been murdered. The cops believe Eva is the murderer but Eva cannot remember anything from that night. How is she to prove her innocence when she has no memory and even she begins to think its possible she is the guilty one? The story switches between Eva in her quest to find answers in the present and Kat's story from the past. There are dark secrets and distrust in this family. Hints of the secrets slowly come out through Kat's story and from Eva's own investigation. The story is well written and paced. The mystery and uncertainty add to the suspense. I enjoyed this read and will recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was an engrossing and suspenseful read from start to finish. The story is told from alternating perspectives: that of Eva and her effort to solve the mystery of what happened and that of Kat and her secrets.
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Just like in her other book, The Night Olivia Fell, Christina McDonald does an amazing job of setting such descriptive scenes that you feel like you’re there. The character development is very well done as well. I found the story easy to follow and I was constantly making guesses but never completely sure about any of them. The suspense and mystery were kept at just the right level which made them last until the end.
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I can’t end this without mentioning how much I loved the overall theme in this book of brokenness being beautiful in its own way. We’re all a little broken in one way or another but that brokenness can make us whole if we let it. I definitely recommend grabbing this book when it’s released! I’m looking forward to yet more books from this talented author.

Eva Hansen wakes up in the hospital. She has a cut on her hand, and marks that looks like lighting on her arms. She hurts all over and she has no idea what happened to her. What she quickly learns is that her Mother is dead and the police wish to speak to her about it. Her fiance' tells her that the cut on her hand was caused by a broken piece of pottery. She cut her hand at home on the same day that she does not remember sneaking out and going to her mothers house. She has flashes of holding a knife. Did she kill her Mom? This question drives her to begin looking for answers. The puzzle comes together very slowly, but throughout it keeps coming back to her thinking that she is the one who killed her Mom. But why?

Behind every lie is told through the voice of Eva and her Mom, Kat. The story goes back and forth chapter by chapter with Eva moving forward in her investigation and Kat moving back through the past, until they both come together in the present and all the questions are answered. This book is a page turner, and a quick read. The main characters are likable, although I always had a suspicion of one of the other characters in the book. I wasn't completely correct in my deductions, so I was still surprised by the conclusion. Certainly worth reading if you want something that is an easy but interesting read!

I am grateful to have been offered an opportunity to get an advanced copy of this book. It's tightly written and flows quickly. The plot twists and turns adequately, and I could not put it down. The alternating storylines between Eva and Kat are appropriately used. Some of the plot points are kind of predictable, well, maybe, I read a lot of books of this type so there were a few things I guessed pretty early on. However, it did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. It's entertaining and very much of a quick read. I will say that some of the violence seems a little gratuitous if I'm being honest, but I'm pretty much of a wimp in that department. Recommended to fans of domestic thrillers.

This book was excellent. I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading it, after I got to chapter 3, I couldn't put down my Kindle. The story is told in two POVs, Eva's and her Kat, her mom. Kat tells the story, back 25 years ago. Eva's version is present day.

After a family dinner with her brother, Andrew, her Aunt Lilly, her mom's best friend, Kat, and Eva; what happened after they all went their separate ways is the mystery here. Eva goes home to her doting fiancee, Liam. The next thing that happens Eva's in the hospital, her mother has been murdered and she can't remember anything because she was struck by lightening. All of her jewelry melted into her skin, except her engagement ring, which is missing, and there are no burns from where the ring was on her hand.

Kat's first husband, Seb, wants justice when their little girl fell out of a 3 story window. Knowing what he was going to Rose, Kat warns Rose, and Rose begs Kat to leave the abusive man. They make a plan to leave that night. Only Rose doesn't show up and a note with a bank account for raising Laura, Rose's daughter, arrives. They leave to go to the USA and never look back. Rose and her a pile of baby clothes jump into the Thames never to be found.

Kat and Laura, now Eva, start over in Chicago. She meets a nice man who's her neighbor and eventually they end up getting married when Kat finds out that she's pregnant.

Years later, Eva is raped but the police don't believe her because there's no evidence, she showered before visiting the cops. And that's when she meets Liam. He wears her down months later and she dated him. She likes how he takes control and she doesn't have to worry about anything with him. Little did she know, he's been following her and taking pictures of her every move.

The cops believe that she's a suspect in her mom's death, but when Eva does some digging and finds the answers that she's been digging for; her while world is about to be forever changed. Her life as she knew it was nothing but a lie.

When their past finally catches up to them, life will never be the same again for Eva.

A must read..

I could not put this book down. In fact, I finished it in one afternoon. McDonald weaves a fantastic tale of past and present, of murder and deception, and one of families.

Eva wakes up in the hospital, after being struck by lightning, with no memory of the evening before. She’s informed her mother has been murdered and she’s likely the prime suspect.

The novel takes us back, to 25 years before, to Eva’s mother’s Kat’s life in England. And flash forwards to present day, with Eva desperately trying to put together the pieces of her memories.

I’m highly recommend this book. It’s intriguing, suspenseful and though you may think you’re heading down a road towards the big reveal, you’re truly blindsided at the end!

This was a great edge of your seat book! This book kept me captivated the whole time! I could not put it done!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book by this author. I thought it was just ok as far as thrillers go. Premise sounded good but not the page turner I was hoping for.

Identical review posted on GoodReads.

Revenge stories don't interest me much. Therefore this story was just an okay read to me; well written and crafted, but I couldn't find myself invested in it like I'd been in her debut novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I will keep checking Christina McDonald’s future books because I think she's a great storyteller.

What a intriguing, suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the last pages! There was so much going on, it was hard to keep up with everything. Talk about family secrets, family abuse, lies and mother-daughter relationships....this book has it all.
I had to get use to the story going from past to present telling both the daughter and mothers point of view. But once I got into the rhythm of it, I liked it.
I loved Christina Mc Donald’s first book, The Night Olivia Fell and was glad I was offered a chance to read and review Behind Every Lie. Definitely recommend you read this book.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review Behind Every Lie.

This sophomore effort from Christina Macdonald is utterly engrossing. From the first chapter all the way to the shocking conclusion, I was completely invested in Eva and Kat’s journeys. All the twists and turns gave me whiplash, but I couldn’t put it down.

As with The Night Olivia Fell, Macdonald deep-dives into a complex, complicated mother-daughter relationship and grapples with the question, “can our memories be trusted?”

Eva is the witness to her mother’s murder, but as she flees into the night, she is struck by lightning. She awakens in the hospital with no memory of the previous night, and soon becomes the main suspect in the ensuing murder investigation. Propelled by random snatches of memory, Eva is determined to discover the truth—but how do you figure out the truth when you realize your whole life is built in lies?

Macdonald again employs the dual narrative—switching between Eva and her mother Kat, moving seamlessly between past and present. I guessed about halfway through where the story was heading, and I was anxious, wondering how she’d piece it all together. The ending was redemptive and beautiful. It wasn’t perfect, tied up with a bow, but it was real.

If you are the survivor of an abusive relationship, this book may be especially triggering. Macdonald handles sensitive subjects with tender care and shows that healing is possible, but I feel that it’s best to be aware of the subject matter going in.

Additional Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, assault, rape, murder, PTSD, suicide, death of a loved one