Loved it! Great thriller/mystery. I kept trying to guess who killed Eve, there were so many suspicious people to choose from. The number one being NOLA!!! There were so many things wrong with her. So many animals and people would be safer if she was locked up in a mental institute. Her "interactions" with animals were hard to read. She usually wasn't petting them or giving them cuddles, but holding a knife and ready to dissect them. She was crazy and scary and would never want her as my neighbor, especially since she has a "fondness" for the neighbor's corgi. That dog better be able to run fast. I thought there would have been something more sinister and shocking in Nola's basement, since she was so intent on hiding it from others. Nola and her mom were prime candidates for hoarders.

Even though I enjoyed the story and writing style, I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. Just didn't love any of them, except maybe Eve. Unfortunately, the reader knew how her life turned out. Also Winnie the corgi, just because she's a corgi. It felt like Shaun was hiding something. Did Maggie do any police work to find out what happened to Eve? It seemed like she reinterviewed maybe three people. It was the DNA test that identified Eve's killer, not Maggie's detective work. Maggie was never at work, she was always leaving to be with her father. Shealso made terrible decisions. Why wouldn't she tell anyone where she was going??? She was ready to give birth at any moment. If I was her, I would never go into another cave again. I don't think where she gives birth was part of her birth plan. So traumatic and scary.

Definitely recommend the book. There were so many twists and turns. It was hard to figure out who would be the killer. Never expected what Nola reveals she heard between Maggie and Eve. That was definitely a huge twist to the story. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is How I Lied is another great one by Heather Gudenkauf. It captivated me within the first few sentences and I couldn’t put it down after that. 25 years ago Detective Maggie O’Keefe’s best friend was murdered and now Maggie has taken on the case to finally find out who did it. Like any other mystery there are few suspects, but this one will keep you guessing until the end. Great read.

Based on my reaction to the books I've read previously by this author, it's safe to list her among my favorites; not one has been anything close to disappointing. And by golly, she's gone and done it again.

I've said many times, though, that I'm really not a fan of books in which chapters constantly switch between time periods and among characters. On the other hand, it can be a very effective technique, especially when the shifts are clear - as they are here. In fact, I doubt the story would be half as powerful were it not for the the backstory "reveals" - in this case, to 1995, when Maggie Kennedy O'Keefe discovered the body of her best friend, Eve Knox, in a secluded cave in Grotto, Iowa. Maggie's father was police chief at the time, but after a lengthy investigation, the killer was never identified.

Today, Maggie herself is a police officer, with a husband Shaun and a soon-to-be-born daughter. She gets the shock of her life when some kids find a boot in the cave where Eve's body was found - and everyone, including Maggie, recognize it as being Eve's. Shaun isn't happy that Maggie will be reopening and working the cold case with her partner; but Maggie is determined to get to the truth about what happened 25 years earlier.

But clearly, it won't be easy. For one thing, she must deal with Eve's sister Nola - considered by many to be, shall I say, mentally unbalanced back then, possibly even dangerous. These days, she's a veterinarian who specializes in large animals, and she's got her own ideas about who Eve's murderer is as well as what should be done about it. Knowing what the woman is capable of, though, Maggie has the Nola at the top of her own suspect list.

There are a few others on the list, too, and it's pretty clear that Maggie herself has some secrets she'd rather not have come to light. Slowly, readers get a peek into what really led up to Eve's murder - and who might be willing to stop at nothing to make sure their own secrets stay hidden. Very fast-paced and exciting right to the end - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy for review. Well done!

Oh boy, this is a doozy! In a small town in Iowa, 16 year old Eve’s body is found in a cave by her best friend Maggie. Now, 25 years later, Maggie is a detective in the same town, and has been assigned to reinvestgate her best friend’s murder. What follows is a one wild ride of a story, told in part with flashbacks from the various characters in the book, with suspects galore, unbelievable secrets, one bat-crazy sister, and lots of twists. This is a book you’ll want to read in one setting, as it’s absolutely impossible to put down without knowing how it ends. Great read!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read ALL of Heather's books
I LOVE ALL
I RECOMMEND ALL
I am EXCITED to read everything that Heather writes!!

This book kept me glued to the book
from the first letter to the last word!!!
I could not put it down, it was so intense and interesting that I could not stop.

Another great read from a talented author. I thought I had this one all figured out, but I was wrong. This book will keep you enthralled late into the night. I highly recommend your giving this one a try.

This book is about a police detective named Maggie who grew up in a small town. When Maggie was a teenager, she found her best friend Eve brutally murdered. The case remained cold and unsolved for many years. Now, we’ve caught up with Maggie years later. She’s happily married, successful and about to go on maternity leave with her unborn child. Until one day, a new piece of evidence in Eve’s murder resurfaces, and its up to Maggie to investigate. Old secrets come to light, and the reader is left wondering who killed Eve? Does her weird and crazy sister Nola have something to do with it? Does her abusive high school boyfriend? Maggie is on the case, although, she has many secrets of her own.

I genuinely liked this book. I am a big fan of the author and this book did not disappoint. I was hooked early on. I love the writing, the interconnected details that come together and the well-developed characters. I read it quite quickly because I was eager to find out what happened. Some notes, I did not love how some aspects of the past were revealed fairly early on. However, there were still twists and turns, I was left surprised at the end. I liked how the reader was able to read from different perspectives, especially that of Eve. Great read!

I received a free ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by Heather Gudenkauf. I have always liked her writing, so I was happy to be able to review her latest book, The characters were well-developed and relatable. The ones that you were supposed to hate, you really hated. I felt like I was reading about people I knew, rather than characters in a book. I thought the story flowed well. There were a couple of places where I was thinking "this is so predictable, I know what's going to happen" and bam, it wasn't what happened at all. It kept me guessing to the very end. Good book, fast read, page turner.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is How I Lied is well assembled story about the mystery surrounding the death of 15 year old Eve. The book shifts from past to present and introduces you to several characters with both means and motive. The main character of the story, Maggie is a pregnant detective and childhood best friend of Eve. Her father, the former Chief of Police, had struggled to solve the case while Maggie was growing up, but ended up retiring without a resolution. Maggie has now been handed this cold case to finish up while she prepares for maternity leave. When a new piece of evidence is discovered in a cave, Maggie uses this new evidence to revaluate the case. Was it the jealous ex boyfriend Nick or her angry younger sister Nola? While thought this story was a bit longer then it needed to be, the ending was fantastic! I really enjoyed the twists and turns and thought it was a great read.

This was such a twisty, keep you on the edge of your seat, thrilling ride. I was gripped to the story from the first page and couldn't put it down. I had numerous theories in my mind about who killed Eve and the ride to finding out the truth was quite a roller coaster. Loved learning about all the characters and their secrets. Highly recommend!

The newest thriller from Heather Gudenkauf gripped me at the beginning and had me sitting in suspense until the shocking conclusion! This is How I Lied was a twisty mystery with intriguing characters that left me suspecting every last one. The author threw in some well timed, shocking, and unexpected twists. This book had me frantically turning the pages as the suspense builds throughout. This is told in dual timelines, with the events of that fateful day blending with the investigation twenty five years later. This added a fascinating element to the storyline and ramped up the feeling of anticipation for the reader. I sat in rapture as the story unfolded before me. 4⭐️ Thank you @park for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

A suspenseful thriller set in a small town where everyone seems to be hiding something! 25 years ago Eve Knox was found dead in a cave. The death was ruled suspicious, but no one was ever convicted for her murder. Now 25 years later, Maggie is thrown back into the past to reexamine the evidence for clues to her best friend's murder. Everyone involved seems to be holding back something.
Great read. Fantastic character development. I was hooked right from the beginning!
Highly recommended!

*I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley and HARLEQUIN in exchange for my honest review!

Wow, just wow!!!!! This book really took my breathe away. I have read a few books by Heather Gudenkauf and she sure does not disappoint. As soon as I saw this one I knew I had to read it. I just can’t get enough of her books.

This book was about past secrets that will not sleep. Many years ago there was a murder that went unsolved and rocked a small town. Now there was new evidence and who best to investigate than the best friend of the victim. What really happened to Eve?

I first want to say that I really loved this book. This book had it all wrapped in a nice tight bow. There was a murder, domestic abuse, a scandal and so much more. You didn’t know who to trust and what was going to happen next. I was turning the pages as fast I could and was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next. There were characters in this book that I couldn’t believe would do such terrible things but did. What a twist at the end!!!!! It through me for a loop. Who you thought did it was not it at all. What an amazing end to an amazing book. This one will stay with me for a long time. What I learned from this book is secrets will always come out in the end.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The characters and development of the story sucked me right in. I enjoyed the alternating time lines between 1995 and 2020. This book had twists and turns and drama. The story follows Eve, who’s been haunted by the murder of her best friend for 25 years. Now a detective and about to give birth, she decides to investigate the cold case.

#netgalley

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Evie is murdered in a cave near her home and no killer has been found although there are many suspects.
-her crazy sister, her friend who she had an argument with, her abusive boyfriend.
Maggie, Evie's friend begins to investigate and the closer she gets the more dangerous it becomes.
Someone knows and wants it hidden!
Grab this book - you won't be disappointed- it is a thriller!

I received an ARC kindle copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing via netgalley in exchange for my review.

I haven’t previously read anything written by Heather Gudenkauf, but am adding more of her novels to be ever growing to be read list. She draws you in with characters through story telling of alternating through the past and present as well as different points of view.

I felt emotionally connected to each character especially Eve since you knew her ultimate demise was coming you just weren’t sure how quickly. As the story unraveled from Eve’s last day and you got closer to what you know happened in the caves. Everyone becomes a suspect and shows a different motive that makes you question what you’ve learned from the present day story telling of the characters that are still alive.

Nola is a character that is described so well through the other character’s points of view that you understand just how odd and downright creepy she is. When the story comes to her perspective telling it still shows her creepy side but gives a little more insight into her “interests” and mannerisms. You still think she’s somewhat of a nut job, but do start to understand her just a little but more.I’d love to hear from the author how she came up with this character of it was from a personal connection or a story of some sort.

The book kept me guessing until the end and ultimately I read the second half in one sitting because I just had to know what happened and who was truly responsible.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3222993182

I adore this author and this book was everything I expect from her. Full of suspense and plot twists. Maggie is given a chance to solve the decades old death of her childhood best friend but can a murder that old be solved? A new piece of evidence is found and Maggie must follow through with investigating, but maybe Maggie herself has something to hide. There are definitely characters in this book with surprising skeletons in their closets (literally). But with so many possible suspects and people acting strangely how will things play out? One thing for sure is that nothing is as it seems.
This is a read in one sitting, unputdownable book. The characters are so well done and there are plenty of plot twists and turns. Highly recommend this read!

Heather Gudenkauf once again brings suspense to life in her latest suspense. And old murder of a teen girl is re-examined when new evidence comes to light. The murdered girl’s best friend is now the lead detective and, as she searches to find answers, she finds some long buried secrets that some people would rather remain hidden.

Gudenkauf’s ability to create atmospheric suspense is a gift and her character development is phenomenal. I was particularly drawn to the murdered girl’s very eccentric sister. Her personality was like so well developed that she became alive on the pages. I couldn’t decide whether I liked her or not, but she is definitely someone that I will not forget. The plot had me captivated from page one and the story moved along quickly, right up until the heart-pounding ending. I recommend this and all of Gudenkauf’s books to fans of Lisa Unger, J. P. Delaney and Wendy Walker. A definite must-read!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Park Row and Heather Gudenkauf for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

336 pages

5 stars

I'm not sure how a simple review can do justice to this book. Lots of surprises, lots of action and bone chilling suspense. This is a remarkably well written and plotted book. It is written in two timelines: 1995 and the present. It clearly and brilliantly speaks of the mid-teen angst from which all teenage girls suffer. One girl fancies herself in love with an older man and another has an abusive boyfriend. And the secrets these situations engender. I truly enjoyed this story (as soon as my fingernails recover), and definitely want to read more from this author. Very well done, Ms. Gudenkauf!

Detective Maggie Kennedy-O'Keefe who is married to Shaun is seven months pregnant. She gets the request from her boss, Sheriff Digby, to re-open the murder case of Maggie's best friend Eve Marie Knox who was sixteen at the time of her death in the winter of 1995. Maggie and Eve's younger sister Nola were the ones who found the body in a cave near their homes. Nola is a very odd child.

Maggie is uncomfortable investigating Eve's case, but feels duty bound to see it through. Soon, strange things begin to happen: obscene phone calls, origami creatures left around, arson at her home and outright hostility from her neighbors. Why?

Maggie is also trying to cope with her father who is suffering from dementia. He sometimes wanders and throws the whole family into panic. As he pregnancy progresses, she begins to feel more uncomfortable – for many and varied reasons.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin – Trade Publishing (US & Canada)/ Park Row for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.