After so much hype about Where the Truth Lies, I was incredibly excited to read it. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me and I was not able to get into it.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Anna for an advance copy of Where the Truth Lies & I apologize for taking 3 years to read it…

Seventeen year old Abigail goes missing from a party one night in a small Colorado town sending her best friend Emma spiraling with guilt. Determined to prove that Abi wasn’t just another small town runaway, Emma convinces officers to do some digging and upon finding some evidence of foul play starts an investigation that can reveal secrets and destroy lives.

Just a heads up to check trigger warnings because this book is dark for YA. It’s very bleak, hopeless, and one of those books that you put down when you’re done and feel significantly worse about life.

I really wasn’t a fan of this one. I feel like this came out around the same time as a bunch of other YA thrillers that fell flat for me too. It’s nothing against YA writers or YA story-telling, but I think it took awhile for YA to find it’s groove with thrillers. This story could’ve been amazing if it were an adult thriller. Instead it wasn’t as developed as it should’ve been and despite my warning that it was dark for YA…it wasn’t * as * dark and gritty as it should’ve/could’ve been. It could’ve been a Karin Slaughter - Pretty Girls if the author had committed to making it an adult thriller.

I do love a cast of unlikable characters, but I want to relate to them - I like to see the worst parts of myself in unlikable characters. Not only were these people unlikable, but I also couldn’t relate to them which made me care a lot less about them. Not to mention some of the characters were just straight up monsters.

I wouldn’t swear this author off at all - there’s definitely potential for good messed up storytelling there - but it’s going to take a leap into adult thriller & a better job flushing out the story for me to really be excited.

Slow story, but interesting. Characters could have been a bit better developed, but captured small towns to a t. I think older teens and young aduts will enjoy this book. I enjoyed it for the most part. I liked the diversity of the characters and the story's setting, Nothing like a good mystery on a lazy day!

Where The Truth Lies is a slow burn of a mystery involving a missing teenager girl who disappeared after a summer party. As we learn more about the missing girl, we see the extreme dysfunction in her family and the prejudices in the community. There is a lot of religious bigotry and domestic violence that is talked about in this book so if those are trigger warnings for you maybe this book won't be for you.

Although I didn't mind the slow burning nature of the book, it did take me awhile to get into the novel. I wanted so much more for so many characters in this novel. I found it stereotypical at times, which was disheartening.

I don't feel like this will be a novel that will be sticking with me in the long run.

Oh small town secrets. I've had enough of them and I also CAN'T get enough of them. While it can be overdone, I think it's the characters of this one that really sold it.

I am a sucker for teenage disappearances stories, and this one did not disappoint. This was a rollercoaster of an emotional ride - whoa! Loved every minute! Will read everything that Anna Bailey writes!

This was a very tense thriller. The characters weren't super likable but I needed to finish it to find out the conclusion. It's super suspenseful and just a very sad book.

I have tried multiple times to get into this book but unfortunately its a DNF for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it. This one just wasn't for me.

When a teenage girl disappears, a small town’s carefully guarded secrets are brought to light. This is a well written suspense thriller with many characters having secrets to hide. I enjoyed the book and the author.

When troubled teen Abi goes missing everyone becomes a suspect in the disturbing thriller, Where the Truth Lies.

Whistling Ridge, Colorado is a small, God fearing town full of dark secrets. Abi’s disappearance has many of the town’s residents trying to uncover the truth. Her best friend, Emma, harbors guilt after leaving Abi at a party in the woods, but she also doesn’t believe Abi would run away. After all, she knows Abi best…or does she?

But there are other stories to tell, too. Abi’s older brother is a closeted homosexual, secretly in love with Rat, the new boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Could either one of them know the truth? And what about Jude, Abi and Noah’s younger brother, shielded somewhat from the town’s horrors, but old enough to know some things just aren’t right.

Where the Truth Lies weaves back and forth between “then” and “now” in its attempt to paint the whole picture of what really happened. But writing alternating timelines can be tricky. In this case, this proved to be true as the crowded cast of characters took a minute to get straight. This, in addition to a controversial cocktail of homophobia, incest and abuse had Where the Truth Lies just lying there in its overarching storytelling.

A dark, intense book that really takes hold of you! There were so many vile questions that made it hard to read, and it was really hard to follow the characters, but definitely worth the pull.

An amazing thriller that I could not put down. This book is the true definition of depression. A haunting soul crushing sad story of a town and their missing girls and a web of lies.

This story was well built, high tension and though provoking with very memorable characters.

A slow start, but once it took off, "Where the Truth Lies" drew me in and kept me up late! Unexpected twists and turns reveal the dark underbelly of small town life.

This is a really heavy, complex story, full of emotion.
It takes place after a teenage girl goes missing from a party.
Her friend is determined to find out what happened to her, but the entire town is full of secrets and lies

Reader beware: Where The Truth Lies by Anna Bailey features themes of physical and emotional abuse as well as violence, drinking, drugs, and more. In a world becoming more and more polarized along stereotypes, a book that pulls on the ideas creating that divide, for me, is a challenge to get through. This is a depressing and dark story, and it is nothing of what I expect from the title or the description. I walk away, completely not the reader for this book.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/12/where-truth-lies.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

This book is is hard to review because so much of it was so sad, and so icky - but I'm so in awe of the phenomenal writing and storytelling.

I didn't love the story - not because it wasn't written well, or didn't hold my attention - but just because it was such an unlikeable cast of characters, and such heartbreaking and difficult storylines. I mean, she really went there, and dug so very deep - and I applaud her bravery and courage for tackling such difficult things.

I think the hardest realization that I took from this story is that there are towns like this. There are people like this that are so awful that really truly exist. There are victims just like those in this story.

A fantastic debut. Remarkable storytelling. Excellent character development. Very impressed.

This was an interesting, quick page-turner that was unfortunately lacking a lot of depth for me. But it's a good read-it-in-one sitting book!

I got to 27%. I tried, but I didn't retain anything and I couldn't connect with any character. I unfortunately did not finish.

I've seen some mixed reviews for Where the Truth Lies but I really enjoyed it. The story is dark and atmospheric. I would recommend this one.