This wonderful debut novel and burgeoning mystery series begins with a murder, a self defence killing and an attempt to end Sloane West’s life. It also opens up a world of magic and secrets that Sloane’s mother had kept from her. The family she never knew she had are dying off at an alarming rate. Sloane will need all her experience as a private investigator to find out who is trying to kill her and why.

Lies are Forever is an enjoyably well written novel with plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning. Downer does well in creating a magical world (Cheryl, my GR friend, beware!) that we see revealed through Sloane’s eyes. Mixing the magical with a whodunnit is ingenious resulting in an intriguing story. The mystery is resolved by the end of the book but there are so many questions still unanswered as well as a possible romance for Sloane.

I am anxiously looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received an advance review copy  from Bella Books through NetGalley.  I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found the plot of the novel to flow extremely well. The world building was smoothly initiated, with character development a central factor that kept me absorbed throughout and desirous of access to a sequel immediately. Sloane's history as a law enforcement officer was valuable in helping her to contextualize her immersion in the world of magic and the mystery that had to be delved into. The supporting cast, particularly Dorathea, was a valuable complement to the MC. Strong effort on the part of the author.

Thank you so much for the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I thought it was okay and would rate it a 3/5 stars.

Thanks to Bella Books and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for my review.

Have you ever read a book in a series and as soon as you finished it wished you had the next one?

Because that is this book for me. Lies are Forever is a gripping story that follows Sloane West as she follows the trail of what she believes to be a botched attempt on her life, and finds an entire world of magic and creatures she never knew existed. A world she herself is a part of. With the help of her cousin Dorathea and her familiar Elvina she begins to unravel lies from not only her own family, but that of the multiple generations. She's thrust into a plot of murder, and revenge and struggles to not only solve the mystery, but learn the powers denied her since birth by her mother.

Downer did such an amazing job of fleshing out and creating this world. The world building and magic system was so good and well thought out. The characters they populated the story with were extremely entertaining, both the good and the bad. I love Dorathea so much, and really hope she gets to be with her beloved in another book. And Elvina is sassy and extremely protective of her ward, Sloane. Not to mention all of the townsfolk of Denwick who hold their own secrets, both magical and mundane.

Cannot wait to see more from this author and highly recommend this for someone who loves mysteries or magic worlds, or both.

This book introduces Sloane West and is labelled as Book One, so having read it, I’m now waiting for Book Two. Sloane is an ex-New York cop who has anger issues and is mourning her recently dead mother, with whom she had a complicated relationship.

A lawyer turns up in Sloane’s office telling her of an inheritance from the Canadian family she knew nothing about. So far so cliche but Ms Downer takes us into a world of Wicca and spells and deception and very cleverly creates a plot with many red herrings and potential suspects.

Sloane works with her cat and her cousin to find the person killing seemingly randomly. Add in a priceless painting and a love interest and alternative worlds and the whole story races along. Sloane is credible, likeable and acts exactly as you’d expect an angry ex-NY cop suddenly confronted by protection spells, moving objects and books that want to be read, would act. I liked her a lot and look forward to spending more time in her company.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book! I can’t wait for the next one! The characters were so much fun and I loved how they interacted with each other. The paranormal aspect just added the right amount to the story! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a great mystery going on and how everything worked with the characters. I enjoyed getting to know Sloane in this book and the rest of the characters. C. Jean Downer wrote this perfectly and it left me wanting to read more from them.

A great read and an amazing plot. I thought C Jean did an amazing job pulling this one together. I loved the main character Sloan and thought she was an amazing PI. At the end I kept thinking who is her dad? Is it the man in the shadow across the street? I can't wait to read the next book.


Thank you, Bella Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🕵🏻‍♀️🩸🐈‍⬛🧙‍♀️🪄

Ok, so my most favourite things in the world are wrapped up in this sapphic mystery. 1. It has WLW in it. 2. It's a murder investigation. 3. Witches! Though, Dorathea will say "Wiċċe, not witch, dear. Such a common term."

I loved everything about this book. From page one I was hooked on Sloane's no-nonsense attitude and feisty temperament. I loved how each page had something to keep me engaged and wanting more.

I loved all the characters, each with their own quirks and mannerisms that made up Sloane's found family. My favorite was Dorathea, Sloane's distant cousin and high priestess of the West Coven. She's a stickler for names and hates it when people shorten them, and she definitely doesn't let Sloane get away with much. She is followed closely by Elvina, Sloane's familiar, who until recently Sloane thought was her very intuitive cat called Bear.

The investigation was so well done that I had no idea who did it until it was revealed. It meant that it had me wondering who it could be all through the book, which made me want to not put it down until I did find out.

And Rose. Oh, Rose! Our redheaded love interest. Though the relationship wasn't the focus of this book, I loved the way the author made the two grow closer. I can't wait to see where their relationship ship goes after *that* scene.

Thanks to Bella Books and Netgalley for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

Slone West is a private investigator grieving her mother’s death, when she gets a visit from a solicitor regarding her family’s estate. This revelation propels the story into an exploration of long-buried family secrets and a realm of magical beings. The mystery intertwines with the revelation of the fantasy aspects of the world. Some aspects of the magic systems left me confused, especially in terms of hierarchy. Knowing this was the first in a series, I hope future books shed more light on the magical systems. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Sloane is private investigator who is mourning her mother even though they had a complicated relationship because her mother was so secretive. Sloane is annoyed when her ex and ex best friend send her invitation but she can’t dwell on that because someone wants her dead when she learns she had grandparents who left her everything. She decides to go village of Denwick where her family is from to learn who wants her dead and to get justice for Harold who came to tell her about her family. While there she learns she a Wicca and her cousin Dorothea who is high priestess of the family coven and her cat who she calls Bear aka Elvina was her mother familiar is now hers. While investigating she meets Rose who she feels an attraction to as she dives into honing her magic she learns their other supernatural but as a rule can’t know who it’s is. This was a good read it’s left it opened ended in a way because we still don’t know who Sloane father is why her mother really shield them from everyone and the romance with her and Rose and nice twist with Rose.

Sloane West PI heads up to Canadian village Denwick, to investigate the deaths of her grandparents as well as get away from her exes wedding.

Hitting town she discovers her mother kept many secrets from her, and that there's a inheritance worth killing for.

More of a fantasy novel than a mystery, but I found it pretty good. Sloan is a interesting main character, and the investigation went interesting places. The supporting cast was also entertaining.

The one downside of it being book one of a series is there's dangling plot threads, I assume saved for the next book. But I did find the conclusion satisfying.

Sloane West is a former NYC officer and works as a private investigator. A lawyer from Canada comes to tell her that she has an inheritance from grandparents that she didn’t know existed. She arrives in Denwick, a small Canadian village and learns that mother kept her hidden from family and friends alike. And more than that she is a protector for her family coven. In a short week her world is turned upside down as she learns her grandparents and mother were murdered. As a PI she thinks she can find the killer.

I love mysteries but don’t usually venture into the world of fantasy. I enjoyed this story and world building is great. Having Sloane be unaware allows the reader to learn along with her the role of magical creatures and powers. If you like paranormal or fantasy mysteries you will enjoy this debut novel. It seems to be the beginning of a series and while the case is solved the ending is left open for further adventures.

Great urban fantasy debut
This debut novel by Canadian author C. Jean Downer, really excels at world-building. We discover the hidden magical world of witches, protectors and more through the eyes of Sloane who is clueless about her magical heritage and has to quickly gear up to defend herself and solve a murder case.
Sloane, the private investigator from New York, has to travel to the Canadian West Coast and a remote village to claim her heritage in more than one sense - and to discover who is on a murder spree. The magical world Downer is painting is rich and detailed and a joy to read. I had fun esp. with Dorothea and Elvina - only the excessive consumption of alcohol by Sloane was a bit off-putting. The ongoing investigation and the urban fantasy are well-blended with a pinch of (budding) romance thrown into the mix.
The start has a lot of action and information, but then the story settles down and unfolds at a more tranquil pace. This is book one of a series and the immediate story arc and the murder investigation are resolved, but I look forward to more installments of this promising new urban fantasy author.

I received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

I did not want this story to end! I felt totally immersed in the world built by the author. The plot was as magical as the world of characters. I love the mystery; the twists that kept me guessing.
To say that this is a real “page-turner” of a story doesn’t do it justice, IMHO. I never give spoilers, but I think this is a book every fan of paranormal fiction will enjoy. If you love the magical world, I believe you will want to read Lies Are Forever.
The chemistry between the MC, Dorothea, her cousin, and Elvina, her familiar (remember, no spoilers) is truly wonderful to read. Mystery, suspense, humour, and imagination are only a few descriptors I’d use to describe this story. Just sayin’.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for providing this book for my review consideration—opinions here are mine and mine alone.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC! I’ve read more than 230 middle grade and children’s books this year, so it is nice to sink into an adult mystery. My comfort zone is mystery and thriller, so the addition of the sci-fi/fantasy element is newer to me.

In this book, Sloane West is an ex-New York City cop turned private investigator who has a mystery dumped right into her lap in the first chapter. The recent death of her mother – and her grandparents who she never knew – lead her to a peaceful Canadian town where she finds not only a love interest but also vast supernatural powers (thus, the introduction of witches, shapeshifters, and other powers!).

The author pulled it off. The clues for what’s to come are weaved in and make me want to keep reading. The cast of characters is diverse and engaging. And, can we talk about the love interest? The normalizing of lesbian relationships is (finally!) happening, and this text does a great job of it. I found myself wondering what Rose was doing all day when she wasn’t at the tavern (turns out you have some clues by the end!). I wanted this relationship to be developed a bit more.

The best part is that this is Book 1 of the Sloane West Mystery series. We are set up for more by the end. My hope is that an entire book with Jane’s story appears! If you love mystery, fast pace, interesting characters, and some magical elements, or if you want something new this book is for you! #LiesAreForever

Immersed in a captivating world of magic and mystery, this book weaves a spellbinding tale featuring witches, shapeshifters, vampires, and more. The author skillfully constructs a secretive realm where even the magical beings are in the dark about each other's identities, adding layers of intrigue to an already compelling narrative.

Sloane West, an ex-NYC cop turned private investigator, becomes the central figure in this mystical adventure as she navigates grief over her mother's timely death. The arrival of a stranger propels her into the heart of a murderous plot, leading her to the tranquil Canadian village of where she learns more about herself. Here, Sloane discovers not only her own vulnerability but also learns of her long-lost cousin, the High Priestess of her family's coven.

The story unfolds with a perfect blend of suspense and supernatural elements, as Sloane is confronted with the dual challenge of solving a murder while embracing her newfound connection to witchcraft. The narrative brilliantly explores Sloane's internal struggle as she grapples with the choice between accepting her role as a protector or shying away from the magical legacy she is just beginning to comprehend. As the book concludes, the anticipation for future installments is high, promising readers a continuation of this grand, mysterious journey.
There’s just so much more to discover about Sloane and her lineage as well as whose behind all this chaos.