Atmosphere 👍: Cinematic with room for imaginations if you want to.
-The songs and descriptions in the first half of the book allow you to make a reading playlist that enhances the immersive experience.
-Set in Beverly Hills with immersive and sensory writing describing the vibes, weather, and overall experience of the area
-There's an apprehensive tone overall; something more than what is being shown to the reader seems to be brewing but we aren't sure what

Main POVs:
-A contractor that takes pride in their work but ends up in a precarious situation through naivety/justification of a sketchy client and their demands
-A young adult starting out in the family real estate development business. They are eager to do well and responsible, but feel under appreciated and pressured by their family
-A young adult recently graduated that is aiming high for jobs, leaning on their family wealth to wait out that "perfect" opportunity. A little bit spoiled but also empathetic(ish?)
-A riches-to-rags homeless person living out of their car and squatting at a renovated pool house whenever possible. They recently lost their spouse and are grieving while trying to get back on their feet through teaching piano to students part-time.

Cred Rating 🧐: Not quite sure! I felt like some of the sketchy situations and criminal aspects were OTT (like, is that really how a criminal would recruit someone? Seems risky for the criminal), but it also didn't seem impossible either. Similar situation for the law enforcement angle and how they treat witnesses and criminals - it seems OTT but the author's note acknowledges getting advice on exactly how these situations unfold IRL.

Growls and Howls 🐺:
-Most chapters had a spoiler at the end. I get cliff hangers, but to end a chapter essentially saying what would happen next was a strange choice to me and made me feel like I was re-reading a book sometimes. A non-spoiler example is something like "We fled to this safe area. Except it wasn't safe because the bad guy was already there." Then we read the next chapter where we KNOW what's going to happen!
-The author wasn't tricky with the synopsis but about 60% of the way through it became an action-adventure-survivial and FBI procedural-ish type of thriller and that's my least favourite type. I didn't rate/subtract because of that since it's just personal preference, but some of you may want to know that.
-The homeless character knocked me out of the story a lot. They recognize their car could be stolen/hit/broken into but they park in strange areas and leave all their money and valuables behind (things they could easily take with them into malls/stores etc). They are literally starving to death sometimes and when they come across a bonanza of food they pig out and make zero effort to portion out the less perishable items.

Reading Journey: Watching a movie at the local theatre. Not a bad movie at all, but once the popcorn and soda ran out, I was kinda all looking forward to the end.

Good match if you like:
-cat-and-mouse action
-financial crime thrillers
-"police procedural" energy but from the POV of those adjacent to the investigation
-urban survival thriller (homelessness, starvation, petty theft etc)
-rich people mystery energy

Vibes: 😢😣😓

Content Heads-Up: Gun violence

Fomat: ARC from NetGally and Lake Union Publishing

A twisty thriller told through four different POV's. This was a bit slow for me and slightly confusing, especially at the beginning, with the back and forth. I don't think this was the right fit for me as I didn't mesh with the writing style but I do think a lot of people will love this and give it a high rating as it has a lot to offer.

Four main characters, four POVs and lots of mysteries. How are they connected? To whom really belongs the beautiful house with pool and pool house? Who is dead and who is alive? It takes a while to get some answers and the suspense is building slowly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So I ended up being pleasantly surprised by this book. At first it was very back and forth and could be a little confusing following multiple characters and also multiple timelines. However they all merged and they merged well. Bree and Sophie were both very likable characters. Luke and Carter were as well. This book kept me guessing right up to the last couple chapters. I thought I had it figured out and I didn’t at all. Great mystery and drama combo.

The second Susan Walter novel I have read. I very much like her writing style but personally found the narrative to get a little confused in this particular crime novel. Didn’t quite live up to the promising description although was still well written and tidied up at the end.


Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

LIE BY THE POOL was a real page turner! From the first chapter, I knew this book was one I would enjoy. I felt terrible for Bree, as she was living out of her car and trying to survive on what little money she had. I was hoping things would work out for her in the end. I do feel the story wrapped up nicely. If you enjoy books that keep you fully engaged and are hard to put down, you'll enjoy this book. I also want to mention that, I always enjoy reading the author's notes and she definitely did her research to get the details in this story accurate!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Susan Walter, and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to publication date.

This was such a fantastic book! I started reading it on a whim, and was so grateful that I took a chance on it. Because the story grabs the reader from the very first page and never lets up.

Tired of being homeless, and living in her car while she tries to save up enough money to get a place to rent, one-time concert pianist Bree now barely manages to scrape together a living, giving children of dubious talent piano lessons.

One day, she breaks into a Beverly Hills mansion, and takes shelter in the pool house. When she is discovered by the owner of the property, Bree expects to be handed over to the police. But the girl, Sophie, invites her to a party instead.

Unable to turn down the prospect of comfort and free food, Bree accepts - against her better judgement. At the party things go off well, and not only does her piano playing come in useful during a power cut, Bree is also a hit with Sophie's brother.

But when she wakes up the next morning to find Sophie's dead body in the swimming pool, Bree is terrified. Not only because the first person to have been kind to her in a very long time is dead under mysterious circumstances, but because she knows that the finger of suspicion will point firmly towards her as the homeless woman found on the property after a dead girl's body was discovered on the premises...

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel for review purposes.

I just finished this novel and I feel like I need to stretch! The twists in this novel were so numerous and well done.

The story line follows four main characters who are connected in varying degrees. Susan Walter deftly weaves the tales together and leaves no loose ends. I found myself reading "just one more page" until quite late most nights.

As I was reading I felt that the author was "foreshadowing with a sledgehammer" as the characters would say things like "I was soon to find out that...." But as I got more into the story I could see that was not a fair description of the writing and the statements were very much in keeping with the plot.

I will be reading more from this author.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

This modern mystery had lots of twists and turns! Walter's story moves along at a nice, brisk pace and she does a great job of drawing the reader in to a complex web of deception. The characters are well developed, especially Sophie and Bree. This multi-narrator story is full of surprises!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

A quick and exciting read that's perfect for a hot summer day by the pool. I did find some of the writing inconsistent (the Carter chapters read like they were written by someone else), but it wasn't jarring enough to take away from my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy to me in exchange for an honest review.

It is an intriguing and mysterious book which keeps you at edge and you try to find the mystery connected with intertwined lives. Somethings, some people and some places have a different vibes. And one should always listen to their instinct feeling. Bree or Aubrey had a poignant back story and her character was unpredictable while Sophie was clever enough to get out of trouble. The mystery is so gripping. The more one delve into the book and the mystery gets deeper. Sophie invited Bree for a party. There unexpected happens, the night turns into a nightmare of secrets, lies and murder. The book is twisted.
While Bree is a pianist. She had a long story with Luke, her husband. Currently she is living in her car.

There are two gripping mysteries in this book; one the mysterious death of Luke and second when Sophie invited Bree for a party, Sophie’s body was floating in pool. So as investigation takes place, Bree gets tousled in the web of inevitable mysteries. She must clear her name. Maybe the person behind all these is still out there. She must be careful or her life will also get tragically cut short. The book has twists and turns. It has parallel point of view, written in first person and narrated in different timelines. Like going back in past and then coming back in present. It was so mysterious and a little terrifying.

Okay, this book kept me intrigued from start to finish. Every single chapter kept you turning the page with hopes of finding just a little more of the puzzle. I really enjoyed the small circle of characters in this book, and not to say it was simple minded (because it wasn’t), but I find a lot of thrillers with way too many characters that you lose the plot. This wasn’t the case.
Okay, so Bree is homeless. She just “lost” her husband, Luke. All of their assets were seized because Luke was involved with some shady people. Insert Sophie, Luke’s book keeper for his contracting business. Sophie has goals of working for the FBI as a forensic accountant, so when she sees holes and discrepancies in Luke’s business she turns him in to the FBI. But her family’s name ends up on the deed to Luke’s seized house. All the while, Bree is t try info to survive being homeless. She runs into Sophie, not knowing Sophie’s involvement with her own husband, and somewhat befriends her? It all gets so sticky with who knows who and who knows what. As the reader you know exactly what is known and unknown which I enjoyed!

I would have liked to see Sophie + Carter’s dad play into this. I truly thought he was behind all the madness. With that being said, we know the killer was higher up in the mafia, but the end guy was never revealed in a big way that left you like ~woah, jaw on the floor~. So that sucks, but still it did all tie together nicely.
I have never read Susan Walter but I was pleased!

Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more.

Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect.

Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

A perfectly executed whodunit. I really enjoyed the character development, the plot, the side plots, and I will recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Lie by the Pool. This book was not for me and I realized that about a quarter in. The pacing felt extremely slow and the plot twists didn't come as a shock. I didn't like how it wasn't a very immersive as there was a lack of character development and every character was basically saying, "I did this. I saw that. I felt xyz." The end of every chapter tried too hard to end on a cliffhanger, was seemed a little unnecessary.

Alone and penniless, Bri literally hops a fence and ensconces herself in a luxurious home that just happens to be empty. When Sophie’s, the owner’s daughters catches Bri out, does she call the police? Nope, she welcomes Bri with open arms, buys her some supplies and invites her to a party. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Sophie has a motive for welcoming Bri. A cutting edge thriller that’s a perfect beach read

Well, it seems Susan Walter, got the memo and knows how to speak directly into my little black soul.

Lie by the Pool

This book is a doozie and has my tail spinning into overdrive.

My pulse raced, my knuckles turned white as I gripped my kindle tightly. What the heck did I get myself into with this book? I had no clue but I was loving every minute of it!

I read Over Her Dead Body, last year and absolutely loved it. I knew right then that I would be counting down the days until Walter released her next thriller.

My literary bookish dreams were granted and Lie By The Pool, hit the bookstagram circulation. I checked navinet daily, I had to get my hands on this book!

and there it was....

Look at this cover! Um hellloooo isn't it stunning and the perfect book to plop on the beach with?

Well, I could not wait, I could not wait for summer to read this one. I had to read it NOW NOW NOW, and so I did.

This book is amazing. There is no way once you start you will be able to put it down. I was instantly hooked within the first chapter. I knew that I would get nothing else done except for finishing this book. I have zero regrets.

This book is going to take the internet by storm and will be well loved by readers clear across any demographic.

Teaser :

A desperate woman. An irresistible invitation. An escalating nightmare of secrets, lies, and murder.

Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more.

Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect.

Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕. 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅.

When I read her first book, I knew I had found an auto-buy author, and LIE BY THE POOL completely exceeded my high expectations. This author has a way of creating characters that are so layered and vivid along with a plot that unfolds with perfectly executed twists that I often forgot I was reading a fictional story.

Bree is broke, alone, and living in her car. Her husband is gone, and she's lost her beautiful home. After circumstances make it too dangerous for her to continue sleeping in her car, she finds the perfect empty home with a pool house in the backyard. However, the owner's daughter Sophie spots her hiding place. Rather than call the police, Sophie greets her warmly, brings her some necessities, and invites her to a Halloween party she's giving. Desperate for food and a safe place to sleep, Bree agrees, already thinking of sneaking in the house to sleep in an actual bed. She wakes up feeling peaceful and relaxed...until she sees the body floating in the pool.

After the discovery, the plot unfolded at breakneck speed, and as the secrets of lies of all the characters start to fall apart, the big reveal left me speechless. Don't sleep on this author if you love thrillers because she delivers every time! Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my early copy. LIE BY THE POOL will publish September 12, 2023.

A homeless woman living in her car hangs out at an empty house's pool house, but freaks out after finding the absentee owner's body at the bottom of the pool.

What was unusual to me was the character Bree, a formerly well off woman living in Beverly Hills, suddenly become penniless and scrounging for food and shelter. Readers might like how she tries to avoid any blame while trying to clear her name. Bree is a sympathetic character, seems blameless in her life, and we want to see her regain her former status.

The issue of homelessness is brought home in this book, especially how a street person might try to survive.

One thing that stands out for me was the vagrant Bree upstairs in the Beverly Hills home, asleep in a bed that could have been once hers.

Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps…from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
******************************************************************************
A desperate woman. An irresistible invitation. An escalating nightmare of secrets, lies, and murder.
Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more.
Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect.
Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

An interesting look at how the other half lives...I mean the rich half...and how hard it is for those who are so priced out of livable accommodations that they have to live in their car. (With rents rising by 1/3rd where I live I can understand it, especially as "new builds" are no longer rent-controlled here in Ontario which is *scandalous*...it makes you end up living in a dump like I do as the rent cannot rise much at all!)
Well written and enjoyable as there is a lot of tension and a lot of envy involved: wouldn't we all wish that we were so rich and unproductive that all we had to do was lie by a pool all day?? Great characters and a great ending means I will recommend it far and wide.
#shortbutsweetreviews