Hunka Munka........

This one has teeth.

The Good Lie demonstrates exactly why A.R. Torre strikes a match and sets fire to every storyline she's ever written. And this one bites back with its creative and harrowing jaunt into those dark creepy places and hangin' webs tucked inside the mind of the Bloody Heart Killer.

We find ourselves in upscale L.A. where six high school seniors have been brutally murdered. Most of them come from well-to-do families and the majority of them were athletes. I'll hand off the descriptors of the corpses to A.R. Torre.

Disbelief sets in when one of the newly abducted young men escapes and finds his way home. His mother and the police try to get Scott to describe the surroundings from where he was held. Scott's story keeps changing details and the puzzle pieces don't quite fit together. But Scott insists that a retired teacher abducted him in a parking lot. Said teacher is arrested, but he proclaims his innocence.

The sand starts to shift beneath our feet when Robert Kavin, defense attorney, represents the teacher. Robert Kavin's son, Gabe was one of the victims of the Bloody Heart Killer. How can this be possible when a box of evidence is found in the teacher's house?

A.R. Torre kicks this one up a notch and introduces us to Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist who specializes in individuals with violent tendencies. Murderers are just her thing. But Gwen doesn't always go by the book. We'll come face-to-face with some of her current patients who move within very thin walls of sanity. Robert Kavin hires Gwen to assist him in creating an archetype for the Bloody Heart Killer. Believe me, from here on out, we'll be entering into a circus of demented players.

You've got to hand it to A.R. Torre. She has a tendency to carve out characters with personalities like sharp-ended sticks. Nothing seeps through the cracks until the final curtain. Be assured that The Good Lie will take you on a rough, rough ride to the very end. No matter how brutal the circumstances, A.R. Torre can still inject humor in her wonky dialogue and comebacks to break the tension. The Good Lie should definitely be marked as one to read. Bravo, A.R. Torre. Remarkably good.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented A.R. Torre for the opportunity.

"The Good Lie" is definitely one of the better thrillers I've read in a long time. It's brutal, complex, exciting and I truly didn't figure out the big twist. There are multiple twists and turns that left me breathless.
I like the protagonist, Gwen, too. She's a fleshed out, flawed character that I could connect with. The serial killer roaming the streets killing 17 year old rich white boys in an honestly horrifying way gave me chills, and the way Torre intertwines her different narrative threads is masterful. I read this book in one sitting and just could. not. put. it. down. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

I do have to admit that I didn't care at all about the romance subplot and the ending of it. It honestly... creeped me out a little? The story would have been better without it in my opinion, and especially in hindsight I really don't like Robert. Robert and Gwen are both a little too "rich sexy white people" for me to reallllly care about them.
There is also one passage of the book wherein Gwen theorizes the impact this particular serial killer case would have had on social media if the victims weren't cis white rich boys that I just didn't really understand. It does sound like she considers the fact that the victims were white, cis and male a disadvantage to them - like media, and society as a whole, don't really care about them. Would care more if they were anything but white, cis and male. In reality, let's be honest, media and society tend to care a lot more about this kind of victim than any other kind. So really, what kind of commentary is that supposed to be? If the intent of this passage is to say "society only cares about non-white, non-cis, non-male victims" then that's quite frankly tone-deaf and worryingly right-wing as hell. I do hope this is just a case of unclear writing.

Despite these issues I had with "The Good Lie", it's still a really addictive, well-written pageturner that's just creepy enough to keep you awake a little longer at night. 3,5 stars, rounded down to 3 because of the aforementioned passage.

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre

Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore's specialty is killers. Killers who have killed, killers who want to kill, killers who love talking about fictional kills, killers who might kill in the future but just need some talking time where Gwen mostly listens, doodling flowers on her note pad. Gwen thinks she is really good at her job, that she fills a niche in the world of psychiatry, but she's going to find out just how incompetent she really is at the important stuff. 

Defense attorney Robert Kavin's son was victim number six of a serial killer who preys on seventeen year old, white, rich, popular, athletic young men. Each teenager was kidnapped, tortured over a six-eight week period, abused in all ways, and then killed, their bodies dumped where they can be found. As the story starts, victim number seven, about the time that his body should be found, stumbles home to his family mansion, the only boy to live through his kidnapping. After the boy identifies teacher, Randall Thompson, as his kidnapper, Kavin jumps in to defend Thompson, pro bono. 

Kavin wants Moore's expertise in creating a psych profile of the killer and his victims. It's all Gwen can do to hide her excitement at getting to study all the data first hand and getting to interview Thompson. I pray I never meet a Gwen Moore...she's got some scary inner workings for her to enjoy her job so much. But then Kavin has his own secrets, things he's done and will never tell. 

I read 20% of this book the first night and then finished it the next day. This story grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I managed to figure out some things but I was so wrong on a lot of them. It's a clever story with smart characters who don't always get it right. 

This is a cat friendly story. :-)

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.

I started this book this morning and finished it right after lunch because I simply could not put it down!!!! This is a thriller with a surprising twist or three! Loved it!

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre features Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist who treats patients with violent or homicidal obsessions. She has some pretty scary patients but so far it is all just talk, none of them have ever actually acted out their twisted fantasies. Gwen has a chance meeting with a handsome stranger at a bar and has takes him home with her. The next morning she catches him going through some of her patient files and angrily tells him to leave. She finds out later he is Robert Kavin, a defense attorney, and the father of one of the victims of a serial killer terrorizing LA called the Bloody Hearts killer. This killer has abducted several teenage boys, kept them for weeks, then kills them and dumps their bodies with BH carved in their chest. Just recently, a teenage boy who had been abducted by BH shows up at home , beaten and bloodied. He names one of the teachers at his high school as the Bloody Hearts killer, Robert does not believe the man arrested is the real killer and decides to be his attorney pro bono, even thought his own son was a vicitim. He hires Gwen to do a profile of the man believed to be Bloody Hearts.
This book was thrilling and creepy. It is told from several points of view, Gwen, Robert, Scott (the escaped victim) , Scott's mom. This adds to the drama and secrets are slowly revealed. the relationship between Gwen and Robert was interesting. I really enjoyed the way this one played out. I hope to read more books by A. R. Torre. This was one was really good! Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I just love this authors writing style and how sucked you get into the stories. I had to read this one in one sitting and it was everything I needed. So good!
This will be a highly recommended book by me this year! 🙌🏻 People I think are gonna be talking about this one and love it

Dr. Gwen Moore specializes in the treatment of violent behavior in her patients, which puts her in a tricky situation when one of her patients (and his wife) turns up dead. Does doctor-patient confidentiality stand up in cases such as this? Was her patient truly capable of committing murder? Should she have said something before it was too late?

Struggling with her guilt, she visits a bar where she meets attorney Robert Kavin. The chemistry is almost immediate and they spend a passionate night together. But the next morning Gwen learns that there is more to Robert than she realized the night before.

In the news, the most recent victim of the Bloody Hearts Killer has been able to escape and has identified the vicious serial killer who has been capturing and killing teenage boys. But his mother can tell that something is not quite right with his story.

I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I have never read anything by Torre so I was not sure what to expect, but was immediately drawn into the story from the first chapter. The story didn't move to slow, and it didn't move to fast so as to gloss over details. I enjoyed how everything fit neatly at the end so that you weren't left feeling as if the story was unbelievable or that there were flaws in the storytelling. The characters personalities were real and flawed, but also very human.

If you are a fan of thrillers with a twist, I would definitely recommend this one!

Great fast read! Finished in one day!
I love a solid crime fiction novel and this did not disappoint!
Gwen is a psychiatrist who works with violent thought patients. In her town, there is a killer on the loose targeting teen boys and the latest victim manages to escape. He identifies his high school teacher, who is arrested, but there is more behind this story!
Defense Attorney Robert does not believe the teacher is guilty, even as his own son was one of the victims.
It all comes together and lots of twists ensue - loved this book!!

I love all A.R Torre books and this one was no different! So many twists and turns and thinking you have it all figured out and realizing a page later that you have no idea what’s going to happen! Loved reading this one and was really sad when it was over but man it was good!

I absolutely loved this book. A.R. Torre has become one of my favorite authors over the last few years. The Ghostwriter was my first of hers and I loved that as much as this new one, The Good Lie. I loved how all of the characters were intertwined. I didn’t figure everything out until the end, which makes it that much better. Will definitely recommend to anyone that will listen!

The ending of this was a little absurd to me, but given I enjoyed it all the way through, I give this a solid 4 stars. I wish we got more of Gwen as a human; I feel like she could lead a whole series of stories given her profession (and perhaps become a bit more confident in the process).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, wow, wow what a mind blowingly good book! It was full of suspense, twists turns, thrills, chills, and shocks! Characters were done so well, I truly had to know what would happen to them in this riveting story! A must read for my fellow thrill seekers, as it will have you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages praying you can finish, all while dreading the ending! Sticks with you for days after! A must read!

Will buzz around and use low amazon reviewer number on release date!

My thanks to A.R. Torre, Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley.
I would love to bash all over this story! But, I just cant. It's everything I didn't want it to be. Yet it's still in the hot spot!
The shrink and lawyer were too clever by half! That's what made this a "must read!"
I understand all the clever devices that authors deploy. I'm usually along for the ride.
This was fun! Even by my standards.
No not funny. But..well, you'll see. I was happy ☺ to read the half arsed end!

HOLY CANNOLI!!! I just finished reading The Good Lie and it was one of the craziest, dark, creepy thrillers I have read! And I loved that! Do yourself a favor and read this when it comes out on July 20, 2021! The description alone made me immediately want to read it and when I was given the ARC on NetGalley I was super excited. I would have devoured this in a day if life hadn’t gotten in the way. But in a way I’m glad because I got to enjoy it longer. Would love to see more of Gwen and Robert in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

4.9 Stars

Gwen is working as a psychiatrist in Los Angeles. Her patients are mostly murderers, or at least people who want to be murderers. Dream of being murderers.
Robert is a lawyer. His son Gabe was killed nine months ago. By the famous Bloody Heart Killer. Who was just arrested, after one teenager escaped and identified him.
But Robert is sure that this old teacher is not the killer of his son. That's why he's now his lawyer and he hires Gwen to create a psych profile.

What did really happen to those boys? Who is the killer? Who is lying? And why and about what?
Everybody seems to be hiding something....

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Well. I loved it. I really did.
I'm ususally more of a sexy romance reader. And we do have some romance in here... but it's mostly a thriller. A thriller I couldn't stop reading! It was so very interesting and mysterious from the very beginning. You just have to keep reading - you need to find out what is what and who is lying. And who the heck is the killer? Who are the bad guys and or girls here? Grrr. I'm not one of those readers (like my mother!) who is constantly stopping to think about who the killer could be. I just let it all flow around me and keep on reading without much thinking. I want to be surprised and amazed and shocked. I was a bit of everything here, but I also still guessed some things. But still....
Amazing story. Beautifully written - even though nothing is beautiful about the killings and the killer. But the writing makes us feel like we're right there with all of them in the middle of the story.
I really wouldn't mind seeing this on tv one day - it already felt like I was watching the whole thing on a screen while I was reading!

One of my favorite thrillers of the year so far! The ‘clues’ and storyline were so well thought out and placed together, and it kept me guessing the whole time who the killer was - is Randall actually innocent, and if so, who was the actual BF Killer? I kept going back and forth on some theories as more information was revealed but I have to say I did not guess the reveal!

I loved how we were following multiple perspectives, it kept things at a steady and interesting pace. The story is dark and a bit gruesome and that’s how I like my thrillers.

I’m late to the party, so the truth is I’ve never read a book by A. R. Torre – until now. And I’m 100% sold. Although thrillers tend to be predictable, she made good work on finding an interesting plot.
The Good Lie might just as well change its name to The Good Liars. Characters are complex and multifaceted, even tho the sexy + rich formula used for Gwen and Robert is not particularly my cup of tea.
Also, the writing is on point. It flows seamlessly, with different POVs throughout the whole plot and breadcrumbs all over it. I’d definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My review for The Good Lie is going to be different. There are a lot of different characters and multiple points of view going on in this book. Rather than lay it all out for you and possible spoil something, I'm going to give you my impressions while reading this book. 

First impression: I'm kind of confused to what's going on. All of these people are messed up. I can't tell if I'm going to like this book or not. 

Impression half way through: All of these people are REALLY messed up. I can trust no one. Why are they all so sketchy? Except Nina. She's the real sleuth. 

As things start being revealed: I saw that coming, but why didn't I expect that?  

Final impression: The Good Lie was a fast paced thriller with expected and unexpected twists and turns. It took me a bit to get into, but once I was hooked I couldn't put it down. All the characters were flawed and messy and I loved that. I enjoyed the ride this book and its multiple POV took me on. I loved how everything tied up at the end.

Another 'un-put-downable' thriller, which is my absolute favorite! The writing is engaging and the characters are relateable.

Thank you netgalley for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Why spend your days with society's most vile individuals?" "I don't see them as vile," I answered truthfully. "I see them as human. We all battle demons. If they're in my office, it's because they're trying to fix that part of them. I can relate to that. Can you?"

This is a great and twisty read. We begin with what seems like an unrelated case. Gwen, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating killers and other violent types, has a patient who is obsessed with the idea of killing his wife. He has been telling her for months how he wants to kill her, and Gwen never actually thought he would do it. But then his wife is suddenly dead, and so is he, from what looks like a self-inflicted wound.

Soon after, a serial killer terrorizing the area is finally caught, after one of his victims, Scott, is able to escape and name his kidnapper and torturer. But this supposed murder ends up being defended by the father of one of the serial killer's victims. Robert, the father, hires Gwen to create a profile of the killer, and wants her to help determine if his client is guilty or not.

This is very well done and a slow build. Normally I'm not a fan of changing perspectives, however it worked very well to swap between Gwen and Scott's/his mother's perspectives as we get the sense that this story is far more complicated than we believed.

It's not perfect, but it's really good.