In her disturbing and haunting debut novel, “Where the Truth Lies,” author Anna Bailey shines a spotlight on small town bigotry, rage, secrets, and gossip—all of which is shrouded under the guise of religion. In the process, this author also delivers a compelling story that is more character-driven than it is suspenseful. While I found myself drawn into this slow-burning, dark and unsettling story, I also found myself wishing that there was a bit more “light” thrown into the mix just to balance things out. As in life, however, that is not always the case, so I understand the desire for this fictional story to mimic reality. Despite the depressing undertones, “Where the Truth Lies” is a very thought-provoking story, and one I will not soon forget.

This is Bailey's debut novel, and it shows that the author has promise. The writing, overall, is solid, but it fell a bit flat for me.

There was a lot of repetition, which could've benefitted from a tighter edit. The story line of a missing girl is interesting, but the characters, in general, aren't all that likable, which makes it a bit hard to care about what happens to them.

WOW!!! This book right here!!!

I wish I didn't have responsibilities, because I would have been able to finish this one in one sitting! In the rural mountain town of Whistling Ridge is the setting for a 17 year old girl disappearing. You're taken into the lives of her family and the people that knew her. You'll be swept away trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to Abigail. and learn about everyone's secrets.

Anna Bailey, please release another book! I'm having withdrawals already!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Anna Bailey for providing me with an ARC.

Good book with engaging characters and beautiful setting that drag you into the plot and keep you engaged. Very good book

This is going to sell well, and it's impressive for a debut. It's pretty dark and suspenseful, and includes interesting characters. The author doesn't yet have the polish of a more experience author, but she writes well. Most mystery and suspense fans will likely enjoy this one.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

While the book starts off with a bang and a missing girl, it slowed down to a very slow burn about the secrets in a small town and what everyone is hiding... and where could Abigail be?! At about the 65% mark, the book really starts giving away information small bites at a time, which made me frantically flip pages to get to the end to find out exactly what was going on! Heart-wrenching and poignant, yet a mystery still at heart, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Atria puts out some incredible titles in the genre, and I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Where the Truth Lies.

In the small town of Whistling Ridge, Colorado, seventeen year old Abi goes missing from a party in the woods. Her best friend was one of the last people to see her alive and becomes determined to get to the bottom of what happened that night. But everyone in Whistling Ridge has a secret, and the deeper she looks for the truth, the more twisted it becomes. From Abi's brother's secret relationship with a Romanian immigrant to the racial undertones carrying through the church and law, it seems everyone has a reason to keep Abi's disappearance a mystery.

I had mixed feelings about this one.

The initial premise started off strong. I loved the mystery surrounding Abi's disappearance and her friendship with Emma. I also liked the alternating past and present narrative choices, getting layered information about the characters in an interesting format.

I had a difficult time with the execution. The timelines became muddled, with flashbacks threaded throughout the present and multiple narrators speaking at once. There was a large cast of characters, and while I think their attributes were established well, the times when each one was speaking or thinking were not always clear; because of this, I would've liked to see a little more structure given to chapter breaks and transitions.

I also struggled a bit with the characters themselves. Per the author's notes, Bailey claims to have written this about her experiences working for a short time in Colorado as a barista. From the racist sheriff to the abused wife to the pastor spouting homophobic vitriol, there was a lot of reliance on stereotypes and tropes. Now, tropes in and of themselves are not bad. They exist for a reason, and done well, they can make valuable points about cultural or social changes that should very well be examined. However, in this case, it felt like every character was a caricature. This was a heavy read, the kind of book that makes you feel edgy and hopeless, and seemed determined to showcase the worst of humanity.

Which again, isn't a bad thing. I love a book with a cause that wants to make a statement, but in this instance, the violence, racism, judgmental religious fervor, and abuse felt gratuitous and voyeuristic at times.

There were some lovely tender moments that came with baggage and sorrow, and I finished the whole book in two sittings because I wanted to know what happened to Abi, but overall, Where the Truth Lies slightly missed the mark for me. That's not to say it won't find an audience with other readers--I think many will find this book to be raw and emotional--and I'd probably recommend to fans of Ozark or bleak literary fiction.

Big thanks to Atria and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I read a lot of psychological suspense novels, but this one is the most frustrating book I have ever read! The author lays a lot of groundwork, using a lot of characters, to tell the story of the disappearance of Abigail. The problem is that it takes so long for any of the foreshadowings and clues to be explained that I began to lose interest. The characters are very hard to like or even care about, except for young, innocent Jude. An author note explains that the story was inspired by the author's time spent living and working in a small Colorado town. I wonder how those citizens will feel when they read this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC.

While this had beautiful writing and a smoky atmospheric setting, this one was not for me. The characters were definitely well developed, but something about this did not pull me in.

I love a good dark, gritty, twisty thriller but this book was not that. The book overall was just miserable. Nothing good at all comes out of this story, dreadful things just keep happening over and over. If you have any triggers at all, stay away from this book. This story contains instances of, hate crimes, brutal child abuse, racism, domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, and incest. None of the characters in this small town did anything at all to stop any of the violence. In fact, most of the town participated in it(except for a select few).

None of the characters were very likable at all. Every single character in this book either knows of something horrible that has happened or has done something horrible themselves. The only reason I continued reading was that I kept hoping that something good would finally happen.

The author is not a bad writer, but this story and its characters were not well developed. I felt as if all characters were one-dimensional and the story just fell flat.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Netgalley, and Anna Bailey for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Convoluted Mystery with Unpleasant Characters

On the surface, Whistling Ridge, Colorado is a church-going quiet little town with a close-knit population. When Abi suddenly disappears without a trace from a teen-age party in the woods, her best friend Emma seems to be the only one who is convinced Abi didn’t simply run away from her abusive father. As the characters are developed, the story vacillates from “NOW” to “THEN” back and forth, describing their histories and current state of their interactions. No one in this town is a saint but you will find there are plenty of sinners. The one notable exception is Abi’s young brother Jude who is simply afraid to get involved.

I had a very difficult time finishing this book. Although the writing itself is excellent, the author delves into such arcane detail about past events and background that it was easy for me to lose interest in the actual story of what happened to Abi. In addition, the events described are sometimes so unpleasant to read that I just wanted it to end. I note that some of the reviewers loved the book, so if you really like getting into the heads of all the characters this may well be a great book for you to read.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for an ARC of Where the Truth Lies, this is my honest review.

I was excited to read this story and its interpretation of small town America. Growing up in a small town myself, I'm always interested in these types of stories - all towns are different, and they all have their own unique stories that can be entertaining to watch play out. But the story of Whistling Ridge, CO, is VERY dark. Surprisingly so - this story was bleak, and I had a tough time making it through because there was not much positive, no light at the end of the tunnel. The story was also tough to keep up with because it would switch between perspectives, both character and time, from chapter to chapter. Overall, a good read, but not my cup of tea - I like stories that make me feel happy, or at least content, at the end.

Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey was a random pick from NetGalley last month. I had seen it listed in a few places and watched it being promoted a lot, so I read the description. I liked the concept and was in need of a good thriller. It ended up being more of a suspense novel with a horribly caustic group of characters that incited major emotions in me. I definitely enjoyed the book and will be reading more by this author in the future.

Small town full of racists, homophobes, bigots, abusers, and religious freaks. They all hide behind what God intended. And they all deserve punishment, honestly. Most of these people were irredeemable. When parents, and especially a minister, hide behind doing something evil in the name of religious beliefs, we've found the root cause of why so many people in this world are horrible. A boy has darker skin, let's kill him. A kid thinks he's gay, let's use shock therapy to change him. YET... a man beat his wife, and the minister asks "what did she do wrong?" A father slaps his kids until they need a cane to walk, and neighbors say, "oh, God wants parents to decide how to discipline their children." How can anyone rational think this is acceptable because someone supposedly wrote a Bible and documented things millions of years after God was supposedly first around? Get with it people... you can't pick and choose your beliefs from the same set of documents. It's an all or nothing thing!

Truly, I can't fathom people's stupidity, but what I can fathom is how amazing this author wrote these characters to evoke such emotion in me. Hot topic that annoys me, sure... but Bailey makes each family unique and believable. The teenagers are conflicted and try to stand up but they are still young. The ending... a nice slight opening to doubt what we're told has happened. All of it really brings together a carefully constructed story of insanity and reality, all in a four-hour read. Some people have said the book paints people into corners and no one is really like this anymore. Um... are you living under a rock in the darkness; yes. Many people do act like this, and as much as it angered me, I was glad to see the non-PC version of this story playing out. Reminders are important or we forget how easy it is to turn a blind eye.

A few parts were contrived; one or two items were left too vague and should've been tighter to create ripen conflict. Some holes were open between time periods and relationships. All minor, and maybe it knocked off a half star for me to settle at 4.5. Either way, one of my top reads so far in 2021. Highly recommended if you can handle reading about violence, abuse, evil-minded people, and recognize half the world still thinks this way. That's what a book like this is good for - reminding us that no matter how far we come, there is always work to do to practice what God truly intended - love thy neighbor and mind your own damn business if the person isn't actually hurting someone else!

Whistling Ridge, Colorado, is, I hope, not your typical small town America. The high school kids party, drink too much and get high too often. Their families are the poster children for dysfunctional. Abi and Emma are best friends. When Abi disappears at a party in the forest, Emma tries to learn what happened and why. The entire town is unbelievably hypocritical and most everyone is hiding something. The novel tells the story in partial chapters of then and now. The reader gradually learns what has happened and why. The book is atmospheric and suspenseful and will definitely hold the reader’s interest. Thanks to Net Galley and Atria for an ARC for an honest review.

When Abigail goes missing after a party, her best friend is determined to find her or find out what happened. As she begins to get to know other community members, a side of Abigail she didn’t know is emerging.

This one was difficult for me to get through. I liked the story and stuck with it because I wanted to see what had happened to Abigail. The story itself was a good mystery, but the way it was told was disjointed and hard to follow. Whenever I started getting interested in a thread, it would change. It jumped back a lot and forth and I felt it was hard to connect with the characters. It was always difficult to read because pretty much ALL the adults in the book were horrible. The ones that weren’t abusive, were neglectful.

“By the end of the week, Abigail’s face will grin emptily from a hundred flyers tacked to telephone poles and church billboards,
flapping in the Rocky Mountain breeze.”

Where the Truth Lies comes out 8/3.

Since they were little, seventeen-year-old Emma and her best friend Abi have done everything together. Abi’s home life is far from ideal, while Emma’s father left her behind when he returned to Mexico when she was a child. As a result, the two of them depended upon each other for happiness. One night, during a party, Abi disappeared into the woods and was never seen again. Emma is wracked with guilt because she let Abi go. She is determined to find out what happened that night so enlists the help of Hunter Maddox, a local boy who used to party with Abi.

As Hunter and Emma try to find out what happened to Abi, characters in their small town make their debut. Abi’s mother and brothers have been severely beaten by their father for many years, as he’s still suffering PTSD from his time in Vietnam. They all have something to add to Abi’s story, but have their reasons for staying silent. Hunter’s father has his secrets to keep too. Noah, Abi’s brother, has a huge secret he’s not willing to share. As the townspeople’s secrets are revealed, we begin to realize this town is a place where only Americans are wanted, where a fanatical preacher willingly leads his congregation to religious fervor that can lead to death, and where being different or an outsider can cost your life.

A maelstrom of anger, guilt, prejudice, lust and fear, told through flashbacks and the present time, will keep readers anxiously turning pages to find out whodunit. When the shocking truth of what happened to Abi is finally revealed, you will be left dumbfounded. The many clues Bailey scattered throughout did nothing to prepare me. It won’t prepare you either.

Highly recommended for ages 17 and older.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Based off the synopsis, I was really excited to read this. However, this ended up being pretty bleak-abuse, homophobic behavior, etc. It was also clunky in some spots when transitioning between characters and when switching between "then" and "now".

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is full of hidden secrets and discovering who is real and who isn't. There are twists and turns that you won't see coming. I loved it.

So pretty much every character in this book is a horrible person. They all have terrible secrets, and in the town of Whistling Ridge, Colorado, homophobia, racism, spousal abuse, child abuse, religious extremists and dirty cops abound. The only person how didn't come off bad is Jude, and he is a young child. The story revolves around 17 year old Abi, who disappears after a party. Did she run away from her terrible life, or has she been murdered? We learn about all the town's secrets on the way to finding the truth.

This could have been a good book, but the abrupt time jumps and multiple points of view were too much for me. The big reveal just felt inevitable, given the rest of the book. This book was not terrible, but not great either.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Whistling Ridge is a small town in Colorado. It has a very strong leader in Pastor Lewis and everyone attends his church. A young girl, Abigail disappears while at a party with her best friend, Emma and now Emma is being ostracized for leaving her.

This is as much about the small town and it's inhabitants as it is about the disappearance of Abi. The author gives you all the dark and dirty secrets that exist with all the townfolk. Bailey gives you teasers in each chapter that keep you reading until you find out the truth, making it a book hard to put down. There are some very likeable characters that you would like to befriend, and others that make you glad you don't know them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.