This book definitely didn't disappoint. I love David Baldacci books. I love his characters and plots. Grabs you from beginning to end. Love, loved this book.

Try as I might, I just could not get into this Baldacci offerings I have read nearly everything the man has written. But this time I hit a wall. And try as I might, I could not get into this book. I may try again, but alas, it’s just didn’t do it for me.

I'm late to the David Baldacci game, but I can see why his books are so popular! This was very CSI meets Jack Reacher. It was a fast paced, fun read that really kept me guessing right up until the end. Perfect summer read.

Hope this is the first in a new series. The relationship between Mickey and Francine was off to a rocky start, but has a great deal of potential. Baldacci has another winner.

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective who now works for a global investigation company.
She has a hectic life juggling the two . When she receives a call that she thinks is for her job she is drawn into a murder investigation that threations her life, her family and her job. There is nothing to do but try to solve the crime and find out who set her up!



Thanks to David Baldacci and Grand Central Publishing

I found the beginning of the book slow going and was losing interest. However, I pushed through and, by the end, was thoroughly captivated. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing but the main characters were not as engaging as those in past books.

David Baldacci's Simply Lies is a twisted psychological thriller that follows two entirely different, one a former detective (Mickey Gibson) who is now divorced with two small kids, and a con artist (Francine Langhorne) who pits said detective in a game of cat and mouse that push Mickey to the limits. Mickey Gibson is a former crime scene investigator turned street cop turned Detective who walked away from her job after her ex dumped her and her two young kids.

Mickey works for a company called ProEye, specializing in hunting down assets of a company that searches for wealthy credit and tax cheats. As a private investigator, Mickey the freedom of working from home while taking care of her children. When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled.

That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body (Daniel Pottinger) in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems. Turns out the person who called Gibson did not work for ProEye and thus begins an odyssey involving many people who also wanted to find Pottinger (which of course is not his real name). Prime among those is Clarisse who only communicates with Gibson by telephone pushing her to use her police skills to uncover the “treasure” supposedly hidden by the dead man.

Mickey finds out that she's been set-up by a woman who's has her own scores to settle with both herself and the victim and that's where the author tries to fill the reader in to the mind set of Clarisse, and her own strange journey of revenge. Mickey has no clue as to what she may have done to the mysterious Clarisse. Before Mickey knows it, she is involved in who did it, where is the treasure, who is the good guy/gal? You will be kept guessing as to who is who - many of the characters histories are troubling so their motives (and real names) in the overall plot take some time to emerge.

I think the only disappointment for me was the ending which, honestly, doesn't make any sense. The only character in the book that made any sense was Mickey's father who was a former New Jersey cop who warned Mickey that she was playing into a dangerous cat and mouse game with an unknown character with an axe to grind, and plenty of money to push many buttons.

I've read every book written by David Baldacci and have always found them to be fast paced, interesting and hard to put down. This one was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free e-arc. All opinions are my own**

In the past few years, I've come to be a big fan of David Baldacci and this release does not disappoint. I know this is technically a standalone (last I heard), but I would love for it to become a series. I enjoy the premise and really enjoyed the characters, especially Mickey. She felt like a real person and I enjoyed being in her perspective. I'd gladly read more book books to see how she evolves as a character. In the beginning, I had more difficult time becoming invested in Clarisse, but I eventually found myself intrigued with her. Even though the language doesn't evoke it, this book felt more technical. In the last few Baldacci books I've read, there has been a lot of action and traveling from place and to place, and this story was less action packed and felt more centered. Mickey and Clarisse are tech-savvy so I was interested in that aspect of the novel.

My only real negative is that the pacing was a bit slow. I was invested in the story, but it was easy for me to put it down and not go back to it for a few days. It's a good read, but it wasn't the most exciting in the beginning, which does make sense since there is a lot to set-up.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to Baldacci's next release.

Baldacci with another thrilling ride. With his trademark pacing combined with twist and turns that keep the reader guessing, this is a fantastic read.

I may be one of the few people in the world who, before reading Simply Lies, had never read a book by Mr. Baldacci. I am absolutely blown away. This crime novel was highly engaging, adventurous, thrilling, and suspenseful. It would be safe to say that I will now be reading more books of his in the future and cannot wait to see where he takes his readers next. This book was mysterious in that it had a complex web and layer of characters, but it was not impossible to follow. The complexity is what made it so engaging. This read like a fast-paced suspense blockbuster and it came to life through the brilliant writing and character development. I highly recommend it whether you're an old fan of Baldacci's or whether you're a new "convert" like me!

Before I start this review, I would like to thank Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. I will give it my honest opinion.'

One of the best things I like about Mr. Baldacci is that he does not fall in to the “one character trap” that so many great writes do, Tom Clancy had Jack Ryan, Clive Cussler had Dirk Pitt. both continued to write books with the same main character long after the character should have been retired simply because they knew their fans would buy the books.

I liked the book; however, it was very convoluted. More than is needed to tell the story. The interplay between Mickey Gibson and Arlene feels forced. In the course of the story, why Mickey continued to follow Arlene’s instruction was the key (weak) focal point of the book. This interaction between the two characters is the main focus of the book with the murder victim, Harry Langhorne more as a side note. For me the way the detective allows Mickey to include herself into his investigation is very unrealistic.

Mr. Baldacci allows the reader to view everything through the eyes of the characters, which draws the reader into the story which makes the book a very good read.

I have loved Baldacci’s books forever, with the understanding and knowledge that the dialogue always feels a little forced and awkward. No difference here, however the story was still good. I enjoyed the characters, plot, and setting. I did feel there were parts that just kept dragging on, it could have cut those out, but otherwise solid story. I’ll anxiously await his next book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

I am a fan of David Baldacci novels but Simply Lies seemed to drag on particularly with the teasing between the Mickey Gibson and "Arlene". Though I persevered to the end, the pace could have been a bit increased as great mystery/thrillers normally are.

With that said, I did enjoy the story line and it kept me guessing up until the end between the varied characters and their involvement in the mystery. Who was this guy Harry Lancaster? Who is this mystery woman "Arlene" or "Clarisse" and why is she playing this game with Mickey Gilbson? You will just have to read or listen to the simple lies - as the title indicates!

I’ve been a huge fan of David Baldacci since Total Control. Simply Lies lives up to Baldacci’s reputation. Interesting characters, action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and thrilling story.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I have loved David Baldacci’s previous crime fiction novels. Simply Lies is his most recent release and though it’s entertaining and quite a wild ride of a read, it’s also highly complex. There are so many characters and ties between people that I had a really difficult time keeping track of who was who and what was happening, and because of that, I found myself disconnecting. And while his previous books haven’t been light in content, this story seemed particularly dark with some horrific crimes being bantered about.

I did enjoy the character growth of certain key figures in this novel and the friendships that formed. I appreciated Mickey Gibson, a former detective, now employee of ProEye, a global investigation company that focuses on financial fraud. As a single mom, she made a change of careers in order to spend more time with her two young children. Mickey is a positive, ethical and hard-working protagonist and also named after the legendary Mickey Mantle.

The plot takes place when Mickey is called by a colleague from a different division of her company to inventory a house to see what valuables can be recouped, something she normally does not do. While there, she finds a dead body and a cryptic message on the wall! Mickey soon learns that this mandate was not made by anyone from her company. The twists and turns, secrets and sabotage begin from there!

Though there were times this story felt rather incredible and far-fetched, it was tension-packed and a fast read. It is a twisty mystery and you never know who you can trust, which serves to build suspense and keep you guessing. The conclusion was also rather sweet, especially in light of the unpalatable nature of the content throughout the rest of the book.

David Baldacci's "Simply Lies" is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. The story follows a single mother and former detective named Mickey Gibson who works remotely for a global investigation company called ProEye. When Mickey receives a request from a colleague named Arlene Robinson to inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye's clients and fled, she doesn't think anything of it. However, when she arrives at the mansion, she discovers a dead body in a secret room and realizes that nothing is as it seems.

As Mickey delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the arms dealer doesn't actually exist and the murder victim, Harry Langhorne, has mob ties and used to be in witness protection. To make matters worse, Mickey becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation and must fight to clear her name and keep her job at ProEye.

The novel is full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Baldacci does an excellent job of developing the characters and creating a tense and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the book. The battle of wits between Mickey and the mysterious woman with no name adds another layer of intrigue to the story, leaving readers wondering who will come out on top.

Overall, "Simply Lies" is a well-written and exciting thriller that will keep readers hooked until the very last page.

Thank You NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy.

What is there not to love about a book by David Baldacci!! I've been reading his books since he started writing and I honestly I've enjoyed every book I've read. Kudos for staying true to your writing format & thanks for the advanced read!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of the new David Baldacci thriller, Simply Lies. This stand-alone novel features a new protagonist, former Jersey cop and single mom-of-2 Mickey Gibson, an asset tracker for ProEye. She's drawn into a local Hampton Roads murder by a call from a work colleague that she's never met. What follows is one of the best Baldacci novels yet. Lots of twists and turns, excellent details about some less well known parts of federal law enforcement, and memorable characters galore made this a great read. Most highly recommended!

I've been a big David Baldacci fan for years; if you can get past the implausibility and lack of logic of some of the storylines they're really quite entertaining. He always has some great characters, and Mickey Gibson is an interesting one. She's relatively likeable and sympathetic, and Baldacci did a good job of developing her character of the course of the story. There are also some great "love to hate" characters as well, but they're not so hateful that you want nothing to do with them. They're just bad characters taking part in a great mystery with twists at every turn. As a typical Baldacci book, the plot line is pretty illogical but it keeps you guessing up until the very end. If you enjoy figuring the ending out mid-way through and then getting validation at the end, this isn't for you. What I love about this book (and his others) is that they're just so out in left field, it's difficult to spoil the book by figuring things out too early. So, totally recommend this if you want a pretzel-twist of a storyline (though implausible) and great characters.