NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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Where They Lie by Joe Hart was a solid read! 3.5, really but I don’t do half stars.
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Nora is a social worker for Child Protective Services. Follow her personal story, a story of an influencer’s tragedy, and a story of a mom and son trying to escape an abusive husband.
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I think I would’ve gone up to a 4/5 if there had been a little more character development and guessing games within the story. It was missing a little something but was still enjoyable.
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I would still recommend. This novel is set to be published May 1, 2023!
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Big thanks to Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!
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#netgalley #joehart #wheretheylie #thomasandmercer #advancedreaderscopy

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

This book really kept me hooked and guessing what was going to happen. I loved the concept of the influencer family gone wrong. While maybe some of the plot was a bit more far fetched than others, I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

I felt so strongly for the individuals that Nora worked with, and for Nora herself. Such tragedy and darkness really hurts a persons heart. Looking forward to more in the series.

Also, the last update. I was enraged! Ha.

Nora McTavish suffered a traumatic childhood. One that has caused severe survivors guilt due to the death of her older brother. Today she makes her living as an agent for child protective services to not only help assuage some of the guilt she has but to also help other children that are suffering.

"Everyone has something to fight for but not everyone has someone to fight for them."

Kaylee Volk is a vlogger and influencer. Her brand is her amazingly perfect family - her husband Josh and their three foster children, Andrea, Mason, and Bethany. One day, while taking a trip in their private plane, it crashes into the sea. Kaylee is the only survivor and she claims that it was Andrea that caused the crash.

Nora can't believe it. She's the one that placed Andrea in their care. Did she miss something? Was Andrea more disturbed than she believed her to be? Nora takes it upon herself to delve further into the Volks family dynamics and what she stumbles upon is far from perfection.

I have read two previous books by Hart and enjoyed them so when I saw this pop up on NetGalley I didn't hesitate to request it. Apparently this is the first book in a series starring Nora.

There's no doubt that Hart's a great writer but this story didn't really wow me at all. I had to suspend my disbelief right from the get go, some of the plotting seemed a little too convenient, and for a seasoned thriller reader like myself this was predictable. Nora's not unlikable but she's not likeable either. I remained completely indifferent about her the entire book so I can't say that I'm too eager to continue this series. I'm also growing tired of the influencer storyline. I just don't get curating your life for all to bare witness to. I love my privacy too much for that. The ending really beggars belief. 🙄

Thankfully this was a short book. I read 85% over the course of my work day yesterday and then finished up this morning. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. If you read a lot in the thriller genre then I'd say you can skip this one without fear of missing out. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.

I was fascinated by the plot and it had a lot of potential. I also enjoyed Joe Hart's writing style. However, I was ashamed by the lack of character development and shortness of the book. In my opinion, the author had multiple opportunities to expand - but chose to do otherwise.

It's a decent book with a good plot... and I would probably pick it up in the bookstore to re-read again. But it wasn't a new favorite.

Where They Lie by Joe Hart is a highly recommended domestic mystery.

Kaylee Volk is a vlogger and influencer whose focus is family life. She is unable to conceive so Kaylee and her husband, Justin, have three foster children Bethany, Mason, and Andrea. The children are a focus of her content. When the family's private plane crashes into the ocean only Kaylee survives. She claims Andrea caused the plane crash.

Nora McTavish is a child protective services (CPS) agent who had a troubled childhood herself. She is also familiar with the Volk family from an earlier call she had to investigate a fight between Andrea and Mason. The police are satisfied with the answers they have for the plane crash, but Nora suspects there is more going on and begins her own investigation.

Since this is the first novel in what will be a series featuring Nora, the trauma from her troubling childhood experiences are covered to help establish her personality and reactions. There is plenty of room left to further develop her character in future novels. She is a sympathetic but damaged character and readers will trust her judgment as she investigates what happened with the Volk family. There are also some fine clues to how much Nora really cares about the people she is helping.

The mystery within the novel is interesting and Nora uncovers secrets within the Volk family. There are threatening incidents to Nora personally and a break-in at her home after she brought home a broken iPad from the Volk's home. The iPad wasn't taken, and her dog wasn't hurt, but the threat of violence increases the tension. As she uncovers clues it becomes clear that the iPad may contain information about the case that someone is trying to hide, but first she will have to find a way to get the information off the broken device. A quick, satisfying mystery.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Rating 3.5 rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this nicely paced thriller with nothing over the top, which I really appreciated. I found the MC likeable and down to earth. I would be interested in reading the next in the series.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I was bouncing around between 3 and 3.5 stars, but I’m settling on 3. I liked the writing and the book flowed really well, but it also felt pretty rushed. There seems to be a lot going on with so little time. We get little bits of Nora’s trauma throughout, but I didn’t really feel like we got the full story so I’m curious to see if that we would continue to get more throughout the series. Nora is a CPS worker who absolutely cares about the children she works with, and even helps out a mother when her job tells her she really can’t.

The plot twist was unexpected for me, but not surprising. I’m also super over mommy vloggers and how they exploit their kids for content, so Kaylee rubbed me the wrong way most of the book.

I think I would recommend this one!

The first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as it kept me turning pages and on the edge
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Well .... I love a good fast paced thriller/mystery/suspense whatever you want to classify this book as.

It was well written, fast paced, and kept you reading. Which is always a plus to me.

Nora was likeable in the most genuine way. Made fora great mc.

Now the con....I knew immediately what really happened. It was a typical plot twist that has occurred in many a book.

And that's why it got 3 stars. I would however read another book by this author.

I was blessed and so thankful to get an arc of this book from netgalley. I definitely want to get a physical copy for my collection. This book was so twisted and sad and intense and will leave you questioning things that you had no idea there was a reason to question. The characters were great, even the bad ones. The trauma is so realistic and I felt that it was happening to me. I literally cried reading this. It is a great thriller that everyone should read.

This is the 3rd book I have read by this author and it is the 3rd book I have enjoyed! I really enjoyed the main character Nora. It looks like this will be the first in a series and I would definitely read on. The story was fast paced and interesting and had some surprises I didn't see coming. A recommended read!!

What a great start to a new series! When an influencer’s plane crashes into the ocean with her husband and foster children, Nora McTavish, a child protective services agent, knows that there’s something very wrong. She had been called to an incident with the kids, and things are off. She may be projecting her own horrific childhood into these children, since the boy reminds her of her dead brother. But she may be right. The more she finds out, the more she seems to be in danger herself. I honestly had no idea where the plot would go. The characters are so well written that I didn’t remember that the author is a man. Nora is so compelling and her psychology is so perfect that it almost seems like she is a real person who wrote the book. The plot is addictive and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see where Nora, and her adorable canine sidekick go next.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer!

Kaylee is a famous influencer. She uses her family, husband and three foster children, for her vlogs. They are a picture perfect family. But a horrible accident leaves Kaylee as the only survivor of this family. Nora, who works for the child protecting service, was involved with the family. She can’t believe what Kaylee is telling about what happened. Nora, who suffered abuse as a child herself, has the feeling that something is strange about that accident and she begins to investigate.

This story is a character driven domestic drama. So there is much tell and less action. But it is still gripping and haunting. Unfortunately I could not connect to Nora. She had a traumatic childhood and she is still haunted by it. She wants to help other children and women who suffer something similar. But she is a difficult character. She is stubborn and self-righteous. The title of the book suggests that this will become a series. I am not sure if I want to follow Nora on her way. But I would recommend this book even it is very dark and sad.

What a reminder of how traumas that people suffer in life shape their whole world. And some can rise above, and some are forever stuck in the past, unable to move on.
Kaylee is a popular blogger who seems to have it all. Nora is a social worker whose days consist of trying to help children survive childhood.
Their lives intersect after a horrible accident that may or may not have been on purpose. How far will Kaylee go to save her reputation and current status? Can Nora overcome her own childhood to uncover the truth?

When The Volk family plane gets down off the Oregon coast during a storm, only family blogger Kaylee- the young, blonde foster mom who documents her family's triumphs and struggles for hundreds of thousands of viewers online - survives. When social worker Nora hears about the crash she is immediately concerned. Not just because the Volks were one of "her" families, but because just two months prior, she had documented a physical dispute between two of the children - including the oldest, the troubled teenaged Andrea. When she goes to figure out if she missed something, Kaylee declares that "Andrea did it." But as Nora searches for answers, the truth appears to be far more complicated.

TW: Childhood abuse, Domestic violence

This book is a great domestic thriller/suspense novel, that doesn't have a lot of direct action, but is heavy on the twists and turns as Nora investigates what has already happened, and for me that was more than enough to keep me interested throughout the entire book. I took only about two days to finish the entire thing, because I became more intrigued with each new plot turn.

I can't say the ending and the overall theme is the most uplifting in the world, but it is definitely realistic. I think with the themes covered in this book, if it took a sunny, happily-ever-after approach, it wouldn't have been realistic and it wouldn't have done the subjects right. After reading the book, and investing in their stories, it's important that their stories aren't glossed over just for kicks. So I like that the author ws realistic in their approach.

Overall, this was a tough but really good read. It had plenty of suspense and a realistic plot with characters that were well drawn and shown in depth. I would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you so very much for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

What worked for me:
- Great foster care rep.
- Story kept me flipping paged

What didnt work:
- Felt a little overwhelming. There was a lot of chaos of backstories that I was like ... what? I need more information.
- The characters didnt have a lot of depth? Everything was extremely surface level. Even with their traumatic backgrounds, it still didn't feel very deep.
- That ending got a little wild and goofy.

However, with all of that, it did keep me turning the pages and guessing!

I went into this one blind. I have never read one of Joe Hart’s books before. I read a lot of thrillers, and I am very critical of them. I am especially critical of the plot twist. A disappointing twist, ruins, any enjoyment that I got from the book initially. This book had a lot of potential, but I figured out the twist very early on. I also found that it was lacking in depth. I feel that the characters could have been more developed and that may have changed my opinion on the book. I do think his writing is fantastic, and I will give other titles of his a chance. I think he has talent. The story in particular, however, just felt rushed and phoned in.

Family is content for Kaylee Volk. Her vlogs celebrate a happy home with her husband and their three foster children, Bethany, Mason, and Andrea. Everything is perfect until the day the family’s private plane plummets into the ocean. Only Kaylee manages to survive—with a shocking revelation: Andrea did it.

This is particularly devastating for Nora McTavish, a child protective services agent who is already familiar with Andrea’s troubled history. Given Nora’s own traumatic childhood, how could she not have sensed the profound darkness festering within the girl? What did she miss? Could she have stopped Andrea?

As Kaylee struggles to cope with the crushing loss, Nora’s investigation begins. But her guilt soon turns to unease. Secret by secret, Nora pieces together a Volk family puzzle that’s more twisted than anyone saw—one far from the picture-perfect life Kaylee sold to the public. And the closer Nora looks, the more disturbing it gets. I’m so sad it's over. I could have read another sixty chapters . . . A fantastic read!

A heartbreaking and hopeful book, both poetic and philosophical in a matter of fact way. Nora a social worker for abused children., with her own painful abusive childhood, tries to find out what happened that caused the death of some of the foster children she placed. What is the fault of the system, what is her fault The system that fails . Who is responsible,and how her own trauma and grief drives her, to help others , what rules need to be broken to save herself and how to deal with the brokenness and strength that remains

4.5/5! I liked this book a lot... it was a fast read and I finished it in one evening. There is quite a bit about child abuse in this book so anyone that is triggered by this, I would be weary. The plot was easy to follow and interesting, but I did not find myself actually liking any of the characters. I would definitely recommend it!