Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC for review. My review opinions are my own. I have not read the first two books and did not know this was a series. I was able to read it as a stand alone book and understand the basis of the story and charcters.

This is a gritty scary thriller of the type I do not usually read. The subject matter does shock you as it is about a serial killer . Do be forewarned if this subject matter upsets you.
Rowan returned to her small home town to run the family's funeral home after the trauma of having her Father killed by her friend, Julian Addington, a serial killer. He is a prolific serial killer that was obsessed with her mother when Rowan was a child! . Now he may be back and obsessed with Rowan. This memory of these trauma's reoccur when more murders happen in her town.

This is not my usual book as I do not read violence but agreed to do a review. Cross posted.

The Undertakes Daughter series is exactly my cup of tea. After MIRA Books/ @HarlequinBooks provided me with an advanced copy of The Lies We Tell, I found the first 2 books in the series, The Undertaker's Daughter and The Secrets We Bury and read them first so I knew what I was jumping into.

First of all, it's not necessary to read either before reading The Lies We Tell but I'd definitely recommend it! They are both great and provides back story about Rowan, Julian and Billy's relationships.

Now, as for The Lies We Tell, Debra Webb has swept me up into Rowan's life and now I need to know what happens! When is the next book coming out? No, really, when?

Rowan has returned to her small home town to run the family's funeral home after some VERY traumatic events. Her father was killed by her longtime confident and friend, Julian Addington. Oh and on top of that, he also turns out to be a prolific serial killer that was obsessed with her mother when Rowan was a child! . Just as Rowan starts to believe things have calmed down and she starts to let herself acknowledge her feelings for her handsome best friend, chief of police Billy Brannigan, there are more murders in her small town. Has Julian returned? And what exactly was her mother involved with so many years ago?

Thank you to @Netgalley and MIRA Books / Harlequin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rowan is still dealing with serial killer Julian Addington and this worry colors every part of her life. Even the part where she and long time friend Billy Brannigan are stepping lightly around starting a romantic relationship. Ms. Webb obviously has some long running story arcs planned and the seeds for those were planted firmly in this book. I have to admit, that worries me. While I like continuing themes, I am already a bit tired of the tension brought about by Julian and would like some variety in the tension level and story. Everything seems to come back to Julian and either Rowan or her mother Norah. I'd love to see Rowan dealing with something else and hope to see alternate story lines take more prominence in future books.

Thank you NetGalley and Mira for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Lies We Tell
By: Debra Webb

*REVIEW* 📚📚📚.5
I do wish I had known that this book is a second in a series because I would have read them in order. The Lies We Tell is, nonetheless, a gripping suspenseful read. Rowan has been surrounded by murder and death her entire life, and that felt a bit forced to me. That's a whole lot of serious stuff going down with this woman tied to all of it and hard to believe. Beyond that, this is a dark menacing story with a creepy vibe to it. I was interested to see what was going to happen next. Rowan is an undertaker, family business, and it's just a weird scenario. A suspension of disbelief is required to fully appreciate the story. Overall, I liked the story, but some things were over the top for me personally. I don't doubt that fans of thrilling murder mystery will love this story.

Nous avons ici une enquête a priori « normale », qui se rattache à la réalité du quotidien et puis une trame secondaire qui, on le devine, se poursuit sur toute la saga, concernant les mystères familiaux de Rowan. Or, lorsque les deux quêtes se rejoignent, c’est là que notre intérêt est piqué. On se demande ce qui entoure Rowan. On devine confusément quelques faits mais nous ne savons rien pour sûr.

Dans le même temps, l’action suit un rythme qu’il ne faut pas lâcher. Alors, si jamais vous avez le malheur de quitter les pages, il faudra re-entrer dedans sans perdre de temps sous peine de décrocher. Et même temporairement, il est facile de louper des éléments de l’intrigue.

Moi qui apprécie beaucoup ce genre de thrillers, je pense que je n’ai pas été aidée par le fait que ce soit un deuxième tome. Peut-être que si j’avais découvert cette série depuis le début, je n’aurais pas été si prompte à décrocher. Je suis convaincue que j’aurais pu nettement être beaucoup plus captivée que cela. En reste alors un sentiment de frustration, d’occasion manquée. Je suis vraiment sur ma faim car je suis sûre que j’aurais pu être captivée par ce roman. Je suis certaine que je l’aurais plus aimé que cela.

Another thrilling episode in this series and we are still no closer to the truth. Rowan and Billy are great characters but will they ever be a couple?

Thank you Netgalley and Mira for the copy of The lies we tell. I recently read the first book of The Undertaker's daughter and was eager to continue with the series. This book continued the tension from the end of book one with Julian still be on the loose, while bringing a mystery front and center to Rowan's life. I really enjoy relationship between Ro and Billy. I am looking forward to more books.

I missed out by not reading the first book of the series before reading this one, but I liked this one so much I had to buy the first one and get more of the story! This is a great series and I can't wait for the next one to come out!

📚📚📚📚 out of 5
I went in thinking this was a romance but found out soon enough that it wasn’t. But by that time I was already well and truly hooked on the mystery! There are some elements of romance in the story but it is a mystery novel first and foremost. It’s book 2 in a series but everything was described well enough that I didnt feel like I had missed out on anything.

Rowan is a former psychologist and profiler, but since the death of her father at the hands of a serial killer she has take over the family funeral home and is an undertaker. Her whole life has been surrounded by death, with the murder of her twin sister when she was young then the following suicide of her mother. Not only is she being stalked by a serial killer but new murders start popping up in her town.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book and genuinely didn’t want to put it down. And how’s this for a recommendation- I want to email the author because I need an advanced copy of the next book regardless of if it’s finished yet! There were a lot of different plot elements in this book but the finish was seamless and has me wanting more!

The Lies We Tell is a gritty, fast paced thriller! Although there is a book before this one, I was able to keep up pretty well with the story. There are definitely some nail-biting moments and creepy scenes throughout. I will certainly pick up the first book in this series!

Rowan DuPont has had more than enough betrayal and heart break. When she moves back to Winchester and takes over her family's business, she begins unearthing dark secrets from her parent's past. Her sister was murdered at a young age, her mother committed suicide shortly after and more recently, her father was murdered 5 months prior by someone Rowan trusted; Julian. Julian has watched Rowan since she was a child and has a obsession with her. She shot him before, but they were never able to find him. When a man requests that his body be sent to DuPont Funeral Home upon his death, Rowan begins unraveling a dark secret. This man may be the key to unlocking many things from her past...but now he's dead. When Rowan spots a tattoo on his back with her mother's name, her world soon opens into dark secrets and soon the bodies begin to mount up again.

The Lies We Tell is a great thriller and a perfect read for the Halloween season!

Thank you to Harelquin and Netgalley for this ARC.

This series was a GREAT find. When I was contacted about reviewing it I noticed this was the second-in-series. The publisher graciously sent me the first so that I would be able to follow the storyline - from the opening pages of that first book, I was hooked.

There's a gritty darkness here that you often find in these types of thrillers, but that is somehow magnified in this case. I don't know if it's the twin factor, the best friend who turns out to be an even scarier breed of serial killer (I didn't know such a thing was possible, but it is!), or the atmospherics that Webb has crafted around her characters, but something makes these particular spine-tingling for me. The interplay between past and present secrets is definitely a component; Webb teases the reader with revelations buried in seemingly innocuous details, and the suspense throughout is top-notch.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book. This one ended (as did the first) with a Big Reveal, and I can't wait to see where it takes Rowan - and us readers!

I had read Book one in this chilling suspense and was disappointed that this is just the middle book raising many more questions than providing answers.
The story is very dark but I'm committed. I want answers just as much as Rowan does and the plot thickens as the body count mounts. The sheriff and his deputies are swamped with matters not being helped by the FBI who want to take down the serial killer obsessed by Rowan.

I didn't read the first book in this series. I wish I did but that is because I'm fascinated by Julian. You can read this as a stand alone but if you're like me you will want to read book one first. Rowan cannot catch a break. Billy is awesome and wish I knew him in real life. Rowan goes through a lot in this book but it seems that this is just the beginning for her. She does learn some more about her past but not nearly as much as she would like. I want to know what happens next.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Title: The Lies We Tell
Author: Debra Webb
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5

A serial killer is after her. Dr. Rowan Dupont knows this. And she’s ready for the waiting to be over. But first, she wants answers. She was just a child when her mother took her own life, and now she realizes she didn’t know her mother at all. How well did the killer know her mother? And what secrets was her mother hiding?

When a bizarre double murder leads to even more horrible discoveries, Rowan works with her lifelong friend Billy, now chief of police, to uncover the truth. But Rowan’s childhood home—a Victorian funeral home—has seen more dark secrets than Rowan can imagine. And her desire for answers only leads to more questions.

I have not read the first book in this series, but that didn’t significantly detract from reading this one. I had no problem catching up with the backstory and settling myself into this story. Rowan is struggling with the horrors from her past—and there are a lot of them—as well as waiting for the serial killer she’s known for years to come after her. She knows he’s watching, but she can’t just not seek to find answers to her questions. This a is a solid suspense read, with just a hint of romance.

Debra Webb is an award-winning, bestselling author. The Lies We Tell is her newest novel, the second in The Undertaker’s Daughter series.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Mira via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I had no idea this was a series so I’m bummed that I didn’t start with book one. While book two certainly worked as a stand alone, it sounds like book one was a suspenseful, thrilling ride! Unfortunately, too much was given away in The Lies We Tell for me to go back and read the first in the series.

I enjoyed The Lies We Tell! It was dark, twisty, chilling, and suspenseful! With multiple storylines and fast paced action, this was a speedy read for me because I couldn’t put it down. I’m left with many questions and look forward to book three. 3.5 stars. My thanks to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Lies We Tell
(The Undertaker's Daughter #2)
by Debra Webb

ebook, 384 pages
Published September 17th 2019 by MIRA



Goodreads synopsis:
Nothing hurts like the truth.

Doctor Rowan Dupont knows a serial killer is coming for her. Julian Addington has been waiting. Watching. And it’s only a matter of time before he strikes. But what Julian doesn’t know is that Rowan is ready for him. And more than anything she wants answers. How well did the depraved killer actually know her mother? And how many lies have been spun in the years since she took her own life?

Working alongside her childhood friend Police Chief Billy Brannigan, Rowan is determined to get to the bottom of her mother’s puzzling suicide once and for all—even if it means exposing an unsettling past. It certainly seems like her family’s Victorian funeral home has borne witness to more than one dark secret, but when a recent double homicide leads to an even grislier discovery, separating the truth from the lies might be the last thing Rowan does.


***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Undertaker’s Daughter series by Debra Webb.

Okay, I am going to tell you right from the beginning. Go and read book one first. This will make so much more sense if you do. It is an on-going plotline that continued from the previous book. This can be read as a standalone but you have to get up to speed pretty fast on the backstory in order to make it all understandable.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Rowan and Billy. They have these romantic feelings for each other but they fear if they take that next logical step that it might ruin their friendship forever.

I didn’t really get a good feel for this Julian character. He felt like more of an outside threat that never seemed to make an appearance in the flesh than a real bad guy. And the other threats were sure abundant in this book. There is a point three-forths through when Billy finds Rowan missing and you can physically feel how ill this makes Billy feel. His head is reeling and he is truly scared for the woman he knows he loves. That is craft-full writing right there.

There are a whole bunch of subtle undertaker one liners that I found so fun and they snuck up on you during the intense moments of the story that you just had to laugh. I am surely going to read book one and find out more of what I felt I missed by skipping this integral part of the plotline.

Great stuff. Definitely on the must read list!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

4.5 stars - I did not know what to expect when starting this book and oh boy did I love it! I couldn’t put it down! This story is about Rowan, and how her whole family died in weird circumstances and she is trying to find out the truth about what really happened.

I knew this was book #2 in the series and I was worried that I would be missing chunks of information, but I wasn’t lost at all. There was some recap in this story to help me understand what had happened. However, I do wish I would have read The Undertaker’s Daughter and The Secrets We Bury beforehand, but I would still like to read them, even know I know what happens. It was that good!

I also really love book series, so this is my jam! I cannot wait to read the next one!

To really get me hooked on a series I really must love the main characters, and I got to say I fell in love with Rowan and Billy as the very beginning! I absolutely love how Rowan is a fighter and how Billy is always there to protect her! I wanted more of their dynamic, but that’s okay, there’s still the next one!

Another thing I really loved was how there were multiple storylines, that way it always kept my interest up. There was a mix of a current mystery to be solved, an old mystery about a serial killer and the mystery of Rowan’s family.

There was some repeating in the story, and I still have so many questions that were left unanswered, but that’s okay, I will find out in the installment! Highly recommend!

This book kept me reading, and had a lot of twists and surprises. The main character is an undertaker, although she used to be a police consultant before her encounter with a serial killer (who is still active and obsessed with her). There were a lot of twists and turns, and I liked the characters. However, the reader should be aware that the ending is pretty much a cliffhanger - although one mystery is solved, the primary events remain unresolved, and there are even more (very interesting) questions.

Rowan wants answers. Answers about the death of her twin and her Mother. Her Father is gone and there are rumors about him she doesn’t want to believe. She has also attracted the attention of a serial killer who is obsessed with her. Her lifelong friend Police Chief Billy Brannigan is by her side trying to protect her and at the same time help her find answers.

This is the 2nd book in the Undertakers Daughter series but could be read as a stand alone. There is plenty of suspense along with a few twists I didn’t see coming. I look forward to the next book in the series.

This is the second in the Undertaker’s Daughter series. I felt I should have read book #1 before starting this one as insufficient transitions and not enough back story included, so I was unable to get comfortable in the characters and setting. Also, I hate books that end on cliff-hangers, and this one certainly does that.

Overall, I felt this attempted to be another series akin to Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series; however, the Undertaker’s Daughter series lacks the sophistication of the Scarpetta series as well as the quality of writing. This is built as romantic suspense, but the romance is minimal (which I am okay with), but if you are a romance reader, you’ll be disappointed. There are abundant twists and turns, many of which don’t feel intrinsic to the storyline. Typically I can get so involved in a book like this that I stay up all night reading it. I was able to put this down without difficulty at bedtime and, due to its multiple inconsistencies and erratic quality of writing, had trouble wanting to pick it back up the next evening.