Cover Image: House of Lies

House of Lies

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Member Reviews

This is the latest in the Cat Carlisle series, and is as good as the others. The author creates mysteries with dastardly deeds but without them being gory in any way.
In the latest instalment Cat has set up a refuge for abused women which her fiancé, although admiring her work, is a little uneasy when the wife of a notorious criminal needs shelter. Coupled with smuggled artifacts, Cat soon finds herself embroiled in yet more mysteries.
The characters that the author creates makes you interested in their lives and want to read more.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this latest instalment about Cat Carlisle and keen to read the next!

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This is the first book in this series that I have read, so that fact may have led to my initial confusion about what was happening. The time period is the 1940’s and the setting shifts between three places in the British Isles. At the beginning, I was put off by the number of characters as well as the jumping around from place to place. There seemed to be totally different and unconnected stories. About halfway through, the strands of the two or three stories came together, and I was a much happier reader since I was finally understanding more. I felt that the book was slow-paced but it was entertaining. I particularly liked the main character, Cat Carlisle, because she is like a Robin Hood figure, giving her riches to the poor and abused women and helping them to find new lives. The murder that occurred at first seemed to be an offside story, but as I understood more, it took center stage and helped to weave the story together. I will definitely look for more books by this author and really need to read the first two books in the series. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book as long as they stay with it and don’t expect a quick resolution.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

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This book was hard to put down. I devoured it in two sittings. The story was so captivating it made you not want it to end. I love it!

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Loved this book it has a great plot and characters that that make it so enjoyable and i look forward to more from Terry Lynn Thomas 5*

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I have to say that I quite enjoyed reading this book. I’m a fan of historical fiction novels, mainly the ones that are set in the WWI and WWII, so I’m a bit picky about them, and that’s why I can say that this has been a really good choice. Cat Carlisle is a very likeable character, smart and kind. She's very well depicted, as well as the other characters. The story is quite interesting, and it makes you want to know what's going to happen next. Therefore, I’m quite thankful to HQ Digital (a division of Harper Collins) and NetGalley for providing me with this digital copy which I’ve received in exchange for an honest review.

Cat Carlisle has settled a house for mistreated women. Along with her friend and housekeeper Bede, they give those women a safe place to stay, as well as the opportunity to study at a secretarial school, and find a job in order to start a new life.

Thomas Charles, Cat’s fiancé, is worried about her security. He thinks that what Cat does for those women is a noble cause but also risky. He’s afraid that one of the husbands may do something to Cat in revenge. Thomas isn’t the only one who thinks like that, Bede is quite worried too. And they are right; one of the women’s husband, Michael Grenville, a dangerous criminal, has arrived in Rivenby in search of his wife, and won’t leave Cat alone until he knows where she is. But he's not the only one making trouble.

There are several characters, which may be a bit confusing at first, at least for me, because I didn't know where this all was going, but then, as you go forward in the story, you will realise they are all connected.

I must confess that I didn’t notice at first that it was book number 3 of a series, but I was so interested in the story that I didn’t mind. In fact, I think it can be read quite well without having read the previous two. Now, I will definitely read the previous two books, because I want to know more of Cat's story.

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House Of Lies By Terry Lynn Thomas

A historical fiction set in the period around WWII, this book is a third installment in the series of Catherine Carlise, who is finally free of an abusive husband and running a safe house of sorts for women who are facing similar situations.

All is fine until the severely abused wife of a well known criminal shows up looking for help and soon after there is a murder and not everyone seems to be who they appear to be.

The first half, introduces a myriad of characters and feels a bit disjointed and confusing, to anyone who is new to the series (like me) but halfway through things begin to fall into place and everything is wrapped up nicely at the end.
I did feel like the incident towards the end was completely unnecessary and just elongated the story.

A good thriller and a definite page-turner.

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I enjoyed this book set in the midst of WWII between London, the north of England and Scotland. It follows the further adventures of Cat Carlisle. While the different story strands appear separate at first the tales weave together smoothly without too much of a leap of coincidental faith. The story isn't particularly fast moving but well-painted descriptions of characters, place and events don't make the book feel slow or boring.

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