Many thanks to Netgalley, Montlake and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off on a high note and ended quite flat for me. Marrissa and Clare Stockton are twin sisters and quite literaally the opposite of one another. They live a quiet suburban life, until one day their mother over doses followed by Clare's body being found in Virginia’s James River. 16 at the time Marissa dives into substance abuse to keep her life in çontrol'. 14 years later, still with all questions unanswered, Marissa at the verge of claiming sobriety meets with an accident and loses 10 days worth of memories. This leaves her contemplating and feeling like she is missing a lot of things from her life and for her to get it all back in order, first she needs to find out what exactly happened to her sister. This journey leads her to the truth that the ugliness was not far from home.

Okay so this book had me hooked in the beginning and slowly my interest slipped away, when the stroy started dragging. There were so many possible suspects and I kept bouncing between, oh could it be them or them? I love it when a story has me guesiing, but also hate it when my intial guess was right, which was the sad reality of this stroy.

Marissa was a well written character to be fair and you could feel her frustration, agony and pain through out the book. Her elder sister however was another story, she is a certified b**tch and needs serious therapy, the manipulation and gaslighting by some of the characters were appaling to say the least. I did enjoy this book and will recommend it to people who likes stories that will keep you guessing.

TW: Factitious disorder/Munchausen syndrome, depression, substance abuse, addiction, alcoholism, gaslighting, manipulation, murder, mentions of possible sexual assault, OD, panic attacks, physical abuse, accident, blood, death

The Lies I Told by Mary Burton.
Twin sisters Marisa and Clare Stockton were sixteen when Clare’s body was found in Virginia’s James River. No arrests were made. Fourteen years later, Marisa’s friends and dedicated career as a photographer help her to cope with the open wound of the past. But Marisa still feels the hurt—and the unsolved murder isn’t the only thing haunting her. A recent car crash has erased ten days of Marisa’s memories—a black hole leading up to the accident that’s left her disoriented. Every text and phone call from that crucial missing time has vanished, along with her phone. A photograph she took of the river has disappeared. A new neighbor Marisa believes she knows introduces himself as if he were a stranger. And there’s the growing fear that her near-fatal accident was no accident at all. As dreams of Clare and nightmares of the crash begin to converge, so do two disturbing puzzles fourteen years apart. Putting the pieces together could be fatal. As she struggles to remember everything, Marisa closes in on a killer—without realizing that he’s already closed in on her.
Very interesting read. Cleverly written. Really enjoyed this book. 5*.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Interesting concept with a twin dying and the surviving twin trying to solve the crime while dealing with serious addictions. A number of errors around timing make the book feel a little disjointed and a dog gets 2 different names on the same page! Lots of plot twists and red herrings get in the way on occasion.

This book was captivating from the start and I couldn’t put it down as always!. This was a quick and easy read that had a multiple POV.

I really enjoyed this read!

Burton is a favorite of mine! Never disappoints. The Lies I Told was phenomenal. And definitely a step away from Mary’s MO. The book had a slow start but you know it was building up to some massive intricate story telling. I had a hard time liking ANY of the characters. Very dark story, with drug and alcohol abuse. Marisa was likable but wasn’t in her constant struggle with booze and her trying to piece moments prior to an accident and the murder of her twin, Clare. Is she crazy??? Her sister Brit was manipulative. Jack, David, JoJo, so unlikable. I had a hard time putting this one down. Incredible story telling!

I think I'm an outlier on this one. I found The Lies I Told to be pretty average, but the reviews look sky-high across the board. So I may not be the person you want to listen to here.

The Lies I Told is definitely twisty and complicated with red herrings galore. It just feels a little misplaced - fourteen years is a long time for a mystery to remain unresolved, all for it to reveal itself suddenly. Unfortunately, most of the red herrings are that way because the characters are unlikeable, so you suspect them all. It makes you question why any of these people stick around - they can't honestly like or trust each other.

It felt like it took a long time for Burton to find her groove here, but eventually, the narrative started to flow a little smoother, and the pace picked up. As I said, I'm in the minority here, but I didn't find anything to be particularly unique or captivating here. I'm starting to feel like I've hit a bit of a slump, but it's hard to tell if The Lies I Told is a victim or a contributor to that feeling...

Mary Burton is one of my go-to authors especially when I'm looking for a well-written, complex suspense story with a large cast. Her characters are generally toting heavy baggage from troubled pasts and often working toward overcoming a loss or weakness while trying to stay ahead of a villain. Knowing these things, I dove into The Lies I Told with high anticipation and no doubts I'd be highly entertained and find it impossible to put the book down until I finished. Chalk another win up for Author Mary Burton!

Marissa Stockton is a recovering addict who lost the past ten days of her memory in a recent horrible car crash. Her recollection of the days leading up to the accident appear to have been wiped clean, leaving her disoriented and confused. As someone who's been sober for months, she's certain she didn't drink or take drugs before driving that fateful night, and yet irrefutable tests indicate otherwise. Why can't she recall what happened? Detective John Richards is called in and by coincidence, he's also the detective who worked Marissa's twin sister's unsolved murder case fourteen years ago. Clare was sixteen the night her broken body was found on the banks of a river. The devastating loss of her twin paired with her mother's suicide were catalysts that drove Marissa to seek refuge from her pain in alcohol and drugs. The fact that she also believes she was the intended target, not Clare, haunts her and she's unwavering in her belief that the killer mistook Clare for Marissa. If she can uncover the truth about what happened all those years ago, then maybe she can finally lay her sister to rest. Marissa also vows to figure out what happened in the hours before her own accident. Could one have anything to do with the other? Do her lost memories hold the key to solving her sister's murder? Would someone kill to keep her memories buried? Marissa won't give up and with the help of Det. Richards, she sets out in pursuit of a killer.

The Lies I Told unfolds via past/present chapters granting readers the opportunity to travel back in time and observe events unfolding as they occurred. Added to that, multiple points of view in alternating chapters, including one titled "Him", enables readers to follow the case through the eyes of various players including the unidentified villain. Burton implores one of my favorite techniques as it ignites the story in a way nothing else can, and charges readers with deciding who to believe. This story encircles a large group of friends and acquaintances many who were present in the past, and thus the pool of red herrings is large and convoluted with the potential to keep readers on their toes. Lies and secrets proliferate until it's nearly impossible to recognize the truth when it's told.

While Burton's signature writing style is present, The Lies I Told appears to step away from her procedural style thrillers while concentrating more on the large cast of characters and the mind games being played. As in all of Burton's books, there are multiple plot line threads being manipulated with clues sprinkled throughout. While this book may feel a bit slow early on as the stage is set, the pace increases over time as does the tension and ominous vibes. At this point, it's impossible to stop reading.

Mary Burton strikes a heartfelt chord on several social issues in The Lies I Told among which are the dire consequences of dysfunctional families, unbearable loss, alcohol and drug addiction, abuse - both sexual and mental, and especially prominent in this one . . . toxic relationships between both family and friends. And she does so with all the finesse and grace she's known for. The Lies I Told is a meticulous, highly emotional, dark, convoluted and highly entertaining suspense thriller. Readers should set aside some quiet time before starting this one and plan on reading late. Mary Burton steps outside her norm and slays it with this one. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers!

When Marisa is 16 her twin sister Clare is murdered, her body found by the James River in Virginia. The murder has haunted her and her older sister Brit ever since and worsened by the fact that Clare's killer is never caught. Now it's Marisa's 30th birthday and the hurt is felt even more keenly, her nightmare intensified by a near fatal car accident two months earlier which erased several days of her memories. Has the accident been exactly that or a deliberate act? Is it connected to Clare's death or a random act? Marisa tries to put the pieces together. The story is told from several perspectives.

Isn't it truly amazing that the truth doesn't come out at the time but does so fourteen years later? Pardon the cynicism but this element along with the ending strikes an unbelievable chord with me. In addition, the start feels clunky until the author gets into her stride.

There are however, a number of areas that are done well. Clare feels ever present and I like how the author achieves this and you do see her clearly. Although she makes mistakes, after all she's human, Marisa is likeable and her characterisation is good. Several narratives SEEM revealing but you constantly question their veracity as after all, they have a vested interest in lying. It is easy to read and it flows well.

However, I can't get past the believability element and in places it feels very one dimensional. Some of the dialogue is not exactly riveting either. So, in essence, an ok read for me and nothing more but do check out other reviews as I seem to be the outlier on this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Mary Burton for the ARC of this book


This book was captivating from the start and I was reading chapter and chapter obsessively to get to the truth.

The chapters were in multiple POV and quick and easy to read. The storyline was addictive and you couldn't help but feel so much for Marisa.

I really enjoyed this read!

This was a solid thriller! Marisa, the lead is investigating her twin’s murder from years ago and the suspense builds throughout with multiple players that have a solid chance of being involved.

I really enjoyed the continued suspense in this novel and the level of detail given to fleshing out the characters. I didn’t love that the main character was a seemingly unreliable female recovering addict and alcoholic with (you guessed it) amnesia because it has been overly overdone. I didn’t feel particularly propelled through the book but it did speed up a bit in the second half.

Despite some heavy stereotypes, the book brought some interesting elements to a saturated genre by making the book feel like a locked room situation with a whole town

Overall this is a good book that any thriller fan would enjoy. I would recommend reading it but it is not a book I would rave about. Somewhat slow paced. Main character irritated me slightly but there were some twists to keep you guessing.

It has been 14 years since Marisa’s twin sister Claire was murdered. The murder has haunted her and her older sister Brit ever since and worsened by the fact that Clare's killer hasn’t been caught. There were some unbelievable elements that took away from my enjoyment. After a recent tragic accident that caused memory loss, she doesn't know who to trust. Although a good mystery it failed to have any action. It was just blah. Thanks to NetGalley, Author and Publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review.

This is one of the few books by Mary Burton that I don't care for. I found it slow and predictable (neither of which is the norm for Mrs. Burton). I liked the plot & the characters, but other than that it was just ok. I know it happens, but I'm bummed. If you think it sounds interesting, by all means please read it. I normally love everything she writes, but this one just didn't catch my attention.

I read almost all the stories published by the author in the past and always looking forward to seeing where she will take us next with her novels.

Right from the start, I got hooked on the story, as I literally did not know what's happening and where this story goes. It took me a while to get into it, to be honest.

The author has crafted a story that will make you wonder what's real and what's actually happening time and time again.

Trying to solve a cold case on her own, while struggling to stay sober and overcoming a car accident that left her with lost memory for days, it proves difficult and it made me feel bad for Marisa.

But also there's the why in these 14 years that have passed, this murder wasn't solved?

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this title. There are sufficient parts that were done great and hold my attention and intrigued me to the point of wanting to know how this ends. But there are also many disjointed scenes where I felt lost and did not know what's happening or where is this going.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

Twists and turns---who's the murderer? Clare and Marisa are identical twins often mistaken for each other. When they are 16 Clare is brutally murdered and her body tossed out like trash along the river. Fourteen years later the case is still unsolved and Marisa is determined to find out as much as possible about her sister's death. All their friends seem to be hiding something and the detective on the case tells her that everyone lies. This book is very absorbing, with multiple possible perpetrators and a very dysfunctional family. Older sister Brit, the perpetual caregiver, has lots of secrets of her own. So entertaining!! Another excellent book from Mary Burton!

THE LIES I TOLD is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Author Mary Burton makes abnormal seem so normal in this offering.

Reviewed for Fresh Fiction by Annetta Sweetko

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=78980

The Lies I Told by Mary Burton

My, my, my - What a dark twisted story this is! I could not put this book down and had to find out what happened even though it meant staying up later to finish the last page.

What I liked:
* The plot, pacing, and setting with superb writing
* The way the secrets and lies, and there were many, that came out through the telling of the story
* Marissa Stockton: twin, daughter, sister, artist, photographer, addict, survivor, committed to finding her twin sister’s murderer…no matter what
* Clare Stockton: Marissa’s twin who died too soon
* Detective Richards: seasoned policeman and detective in charge of cases involving two Stockton family members, never gave up on solving Clare’s murder, nearing retirement age
* The look into the dysfunctional family the Stockton’s were – it was rather overwhelming when all was revealed
* The points of view of more than one character in this story, including the murderer
* The flashbacks to the past that fleshed out the story
* Paul: Marissa’s neighbor, lawyer, potential friend, and possible love interest
* Wondering what would have happened if one or more character in the story had done something other than what they did OR if the secrets kept and lies told had come to light earlier
* That it made me think and care and hope for more good than bad days in Marissa’s future
* Hoping that Karma would come back three-fold on those who had done evil and smack them HARD
* That all the threads of this tangled story were tied together so well by the end
* Thinking about what happens after the last page of this book

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The dysfunctional Stockton family and how it impacted them all
* That evil people got away with so much for so many years

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Marissa has a lot of inner issues as a result of her past family traumas. Through her perspective we get an inner look at these in depth. The problem was there were too many other perspectives to read from. It kept taking me out of the story to switch gears. I liked the overall plot line and Mary Burton is one of my favorites but this book just was not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was another book that I had high hopes for, but that ultimately was just "eh." I didn't hate it, and I think is has potential, but it was slow moving and predictable. There were some twists that I didn't see coming, but the main one was obvious from the beginning. It's a good book to lead you into a reading slump LOL

Another solid read by Mary Burton. Great story line.

Thank you #netgalley and #montlake for the eARC.