Review of eBook

Documentary filmmaker Theo Snyder learned the hard way that success is fleeting, especially in Hollywood. His first film, “The Basement,” earned him critical raves and commercial success, but a humiliating public blunder not only knocked him from his pedestal of fame and adulation but also caused the cancellation of his latest film.

Determined to reclaim his standing and prove his talent, Theo sets out to make a documentary on the infamous “Halo Killer,” Jasper Ross-Johnson. But as Theo’s investigation provides him with new source material about the depraved serial killer, he becomes more and more obsessed with the truth of his film. Is his obsession pushing him into dangerous recklessness or will he finally find the truth about the night of Jasper’s capture?

The narrative, divided into four main sections [The Halo Killer, Miracle Jones, The Question, and The Hero], focuses on Theo as the central character in the telling of this sometimes-convoluted tale. As the story progresses, Theo develops a continually-escalating phobia as he attempts to put together the serial killer documentary that he believes will return him to his previous glory. Several chapters are presented as portions of the screenplay for the film, bringing a strong focus on the legitimacy of Theo’s ambitious documentary.

Although all the characters are reasonably well-defined, none are particularly empathetic; as the story unfolds, several unexpected revelations change what the reader has come to understand concerning certain people who play an integral part in the telling of the tale. Unfortunately, these revelations tend to seem a bit contrived, as if created solely to force the story in an unexpected direction.

This is a relatively quick-read, a story with a decided creepiness woven into the narrative’s suspense. However, despite the story being both captivating and mesmerizing, readers may find it difficult to accept that the depth of Theo’s passion for documentary filmmaking would allow him to fall into such a crushing paranoia.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley
#LetHerLie #NetGalley

A book I wanted to love, but didn't. Very interesting and different approach to the serial killer genre where a documentary filmmaker is trying to get back to the top by interviewing the Halo Killer. Slowly he gets sucked into a dangerous web but he is determined to finish his project to get back the fame and credibility he lost on a previous documentary.
It didn't work for me, I didn't get sucked into the story and couldn't understand the motivations of Theo at certain times. The story is fast-paced with some twists and turns, but there were also plotholes and illogical turns. Considering the different reviews it is obviously loved by people as well so be sure to check out those as well if you think about reading this book.

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

#LetHerLie #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Bryan Reardon for an ARC to review
When the once famous documentary film maker Theo falls from his throne after a scandal, he tries to start over by making a documentary about the Halo Killer. That's when Pandora box opens and sucks Theo's life in its dark depths. A fast paced page turner that will keep you on edge.
For me it had some plot holes though I didn't care for them as I really enjoyed the writing style and loved the book lots.

Hm. This is difficult to write. It was very difficult for me to care about any of the characters for the first third, so that part of the book really dragged for me. But then it got exciting and interesting. I wanted to know who was behind everything. I would give this book a 7/10, but since we are on the 5 star system, I’ll round up.

This was a very well written book that was full of surprises. I loved the way the story was told and found I couldn't put it down x

Another one I did not love. The advanced readers copy was NOT formatted for my ereader. I tried to update the text size and zoom but the chapters still began mid page there were weird breaks etc. regardless this book had Much potential but focused too much on the side characters. Disappointing overall

A well-written narrative that held some intriguing aspects. Definitely off the beaten path from the typical mystery/suspense trope which was refreshing. However, the plot pace that started off as a slow burn never really picked up pace to hit the climatic end that most readers expect. This did leave the storyline feeling convoluted. 3 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #LetHerLie which was read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Bryan Reardon, and NetGalley for an ARC of Let Her Lie in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest in saying that the cover for this book is what sucked me in and gave it a go. The plot blurb for the book was just icing on the cake. True crime documentary, and an odd police eluding serial killer? Sign me up.

Let Her Lie is a very well written book, with a fabulously unique storyline, however parts of it are so disconnected that it made reading confusing and difficult to understand exactly what’s going on in the story. So really, it’s a great story, I certainly don’t regret reading it, just maybe it wasn’t executed the best.

I did notreally care for this book to start off with. The story seemed a bit disjointed and I found it hard to concentrate on what was happening. The narrator becomes obsessed with the Halo killer, who is in jail forthe murder of young women. As the book moved on, I was in the grip of the story and enjoyed the suspense and the action and could not put it down.
Theo gets swept along by making a film about the killer, the people he is working withurge him to let it go, that he is being played but the writing means that, as a reader, you are taken on his journey and understand his need to find out what happened and to tell the story. Emotions, both of the narrator and other characters are well described and you come to understand why he drewsome conclusions. There were some unexpected twists in the story which added another dimension.
Thankyou to Net galley for the ARC in exchange foran honest review . Not always an easy read, but worth the effort

A fast paced read but somewhat a confusing read. Theo is a filmaker who was doing very well until things took a turn for the worst. He's obsessed with getting back on top again. The book just kept getting more jumbled as you read on. Very complicated to stay focused on this one. Just not for me.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

A thriller without thrills does not a thriller make.

Theo Snyder is a documentary filmmaker, whose first film was a massive hit. After a public blunder while making his next film takes him off the hot list, he decides to refocus...and sets his sights on filming a documentary on The Halo Killer.

Jasper Ross-Johnson is the serial killer in question, and he’s currently serving a life sentence in jail. Things are looking up when he agrees to participate in the documentary. As Theo, along with investigator Zora Monroe, delves deeper into the story, he finds that there is someone with more information out there....Someone who might be able to explain how Jasper got caught before killing his next victim.

I was really looking forward to this one, and thought it had all of the makings of a fantastic serial killer thriller. Unfortunately, it was not a page turner for me. The moments I found interesting ended up having little or nothing to do with the main plot. I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters, and I thought it was easy to spot one of them who was hiding things. As the story ramped up (you can also read that as: As things became more convoluted), my interest waned. The final twists seemed really implausible, and I’m pretty sure there were some plot holes.

There are some strong reviews out there, so I definitely recommend reading those too when deciding if this book is for you.

This was a buddy read with Catherine. Although neither of us loved the book, we had fun guessing our theories and plot points, and discussing our struggles as things went downhill.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Bryan Reardon, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Different and strange

I wanted to like this more. It was clever, cutting in and out of “movie scripts”. The narrator, Theo, has kind of a frantic energy and it unnerved me at times. He is in his head a lot, and how reliable his voice is is uncertain. There were surprises and the final one was quite the doozy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Crooked Lane Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

First of all, thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. I have to like at least one of the characters in a book to stay engaged. Sadly, I didn't like anyone in this one. The story was interesting and very different from any other serial Killer book I have ever read. It kept getting more complicated and by the time I finished the book I was kind of confused about who was who so the ending wasn't as shocking as it probably would have been if I had been really into the book. If you like lots of twists and it isn't important if you like the characters you would probably like this book.

I have heard a lot of good things about the]is author and this book has inspired me to read his other works. The plot is that of a genuine thriller - I could feel my blood pressure going up as I read it! I found the characters hard to like but that is not always essential when a story is a good one.

Let Her Lie by Bryan Reardon was a mind trip Of a book! Theo is a famous documentary filmmaker who has fallen from grace. His name and reputation have been ruined due to a mistake he made. He once was the toast of Hollywood and now barely anyone will speak to him, much less fund his films. Theo is trying to get his mojo back. He has decided to do a documentary on The Halo Killer., whom has recently been captured and is in prison. He agrees to speak to Theo and what happens from there is a twisting, intricate, mystery. I want to say too much more about the plot but trust me when I say it is crazy in a good way! You never knew what was going to happen and also I wasn’t too sure how reliable of a narrator Theo was. I have read some of the author’s previous books and they are way different than this one. I really enjoyed his previous and this latest book. I think you should definitely check it out. It would be good for fans of podcasts, documentaries, and books about serial killers or crime, or just thriller lovers. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I felt like this was a strange read- extremely fast-paced but at the same time, the main character's thoughts and actions were hard to understand and sometimes hard to follow. The story centers on Theo, a disgraced filmmaker looking for a story that will get him back on top. He decides to focus on a serial killer dubbed "the Halo Killer", who killed a score of women over a couple of decades and was recently caught. The Halo Killer, Jasper, agrees to talk to Theo, who tries to figure out who he really is and what the slip-up is that eventually gets him arrested.

Theo pretty quickly becomes obsessed with the story, to the point where he barely sleeps and becomes paranoid that one of his peers, or Jasper, is out to get him. While I love an unreliable narrator story, I often couldn't tell if Theo was really unreliable or whether he really was losing his mind and/or had a good reason to be paranoid. Also, all of the tertiary characters in the book seemed really beholden to Theo and I couldn't figure out why- he didn't seem like the type of person that so many people would be drawn to. Maybe it was a lack of character development, but I just had trouble figuring out what was so endearing about him other than his drive to solve the mystery, which really isn't that uncommon for people in his industry.

There was some definite creepiness to the story from the way Jasper interacted with Theo to the backstory of the miracle baby who was abandoned in an outhouse moments before her mother was murdered-- and the end contained a really clever and unique twist-- but overall I feel like I didn't really "get" the story, overall. It's a fast-paced, quick read but I think the issues I mentioned earlier about not fully connecting with Theo inhibited me from enjoying it as much as I could have. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the first page! I loved how fast past and action packed it was. Itbwas written wonderfully, and has such an interesting premise.

I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

What a strange read this was. I was drawn to the book because the plot sounded interesting - a filmmaker decides his next project will be a film on the imprisoned Halo Killer. Once the project begins, it's a crazy roller coaster ride, and we're never sure whether the killer is after our lead, or if it's all in his head (I have to say that throughout, I really thought that the whole thing was imagined).

The story ends up being a convoluted mess involving last-minute cross country trips, strange phone calls, and an ending that had me saying, "really???" Not only did I not buy the ridiculous ending, I found it hard to believe the way in which lead was being manipulated to the extent that he was mentally falling apart.

One of the best books I’ve read this year! Grabbed me from the beginning with its unique, but amazing writing style, format, and plot! Full of chills, ones that might hit the bone and send shivers down your spine! It seemed to be a very tangled web, the author with a suspenseful and thrilling style unraveled the multi layers of it throughout! Full of thrills, chills, and shocks! A unique thriller that is sure to bring all the highly required criteria to those who love this genre! I highly recommend, but be prepared as it is quite chilling and more than a bit addicting, so plans or sleep are likely going to be put on hold!
Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

This is a book about a serial killer with a distinct calling card and the people trying to stop him. It’s really relieve you on the edge of your seat guessing.