Mind-blowing. Captivating. Enthralling.
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It's been long since I've read a thriller that made me question the sanity of the author 😅
I mean, you can't write such a complex, detailed book, featuring serial killers, psychologists and forensic linguist, and not expect me to be disturbed😂
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But, for real though. It was a literal masterpiece, the plot was extremely strong, I loved how the author added different excerpts from psychology evaluation reports, articles and even chat forums, which made the reading experience much more rich and hooking. It was as if I were searching and investigating with them.
Throughout, I never felt the storyline dragging, it was well balanced and consistently interesting.
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The characters were well written, Raisa and Callum were fantastic characters. With Callum, I liked his bond with Shay, his relationship with her, told through the POV of Shay l, was bittersweet. I've never read about a couple who had such matching love languages, they weren't carbon copies of each other, some would even call them incompatible, but they worked. Their love and appreciation for each other made for a beautiful five years, even if it ended with a tragedy.
Raisa was a character I felt myself idolizing. She was super mature and smart, her respect and care for Callum made her a precious friend and work partner. I can't deny my bias toward people who don't let their trauma define their lives.
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The book relied heavily on the side characters, and while usually a risk, this one has been successful. They added layers and depth to the stories, and they all had scenes where they were the main characters, which I loved.
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While the ending wasn't the level of earth shattering I expected, it wasn't bad or weak. It just didn't wow me the way the rest of the book did.
Definitely one of the best thrillers I've read.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed Brianna Labuskes’s first Raisa Susanto book - The Lies You Wrote - and was so happy to receive this NetGalley ARC with the continuation of her story. Serial killer Nathaniel Conrad is known as the Alphabet. Man because of the codes he tattoos on his victims’ bodies. Just before he’s due to be executed on death row for his crimes, he denies being responsible for the murder of Shay Kilkenny, the wife of FBI forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny - Raisa’s colleague and close friend who hunted down the Alphabet Man for five years. Raisa analyzes the serial killer’s coded letters about each victim and concludes that there is indeed another killer on the loose. Raisa and Callum’s investigation into Shay’s murder uncovers many lies and deceptions. This one wasn’t as twisty and surprising as The Lies You Wrote, but it’s also really good. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and can’t wait to read more of Brianna Labuskes’s books. Thanks to #NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer and #BriannaLabuskes for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the Advanced Reader copy. This was exactly the kind of thriller/mystery that I like to read; a psychological jigsaw puzzle where I never knew exactly what was going to happen. The constant tension kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending also didn't disappoint, which is where many other books like this can fall apart. Makes me want to go read the first in this series and to look forward to the next book.

Wow! This kept me guessing until the very end. A couple of times I thought I'd figured out the "who" of the mystery, but I was definitely off and didn't see that twist coming.
This is told in alternating timelines/viewpoints with different characters and is a bit of a slow build, but keep at it--you won't be disappointed. Serial killer vs. FBI, lots of family drama/trauma, complex characters, etc.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

I started The Truth You Told not realizing it was the second book in the series. However, there was enough back story on Raisa that I was able to follow her point of view. The story alternates between past and present with Raisa and Shay’s narratives. Raisa is recovering from her own trauma but when the Alphabet Killer drops the bombshell days before his execution that he did not kill Shay, Raisa takes a look into the coded letters and comes to the conclusion that there were two different authors.

There were a lot of characters to follow, but I loved the look into the investigation from Callum and Raisa’s point of view. The flashbacks from Shay’s perspective before her kidnapping kept me on my toes trying to guess who did it. This had me hooked and I could not put it down. The nature versus nurture and psychology of the killer backstory was so interesting to watch through the different characters and definitely kept me guessing up to the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found out about halfway through that this is a sequel (so if you want to read it, read "The Lies You Wrote " first). It kept me on my toes in a way a book hasn't in a very long time. You do need to be able to pay attention to the introduction of characters...had I paid just a tad more attention to one of them, I probably would have solved it before finishing, however it was still a very good read. I highly recommend it!!! I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for a review. (Book will be released July 2, 2024)

This book was jam packed with action and was such a wild ride. I enjoyed it from start to finish and I would recommend to anyone looking for a page turning, quick read!

I accidentally began this novel without realizing that it is the second book in a series… However, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! I am definitely going to read the first one (featuring Raisa Susanto) because this story was so compelling, and I want to see how closely they (one and two) relate to one another!

I really enjoyed this book. This was book two of a series I didn’t know was happening. I did not read book one. This book was about who did it. The whole time I was left wondering, who killed Shay.
Raisa Susanto is an FBI linguist and Callum Kilkenny is an FBI profiler. They team up when the serial killer, The Alphabet Man, claims he did not kill victim 23 of 27, Shay. Callum’s wife.

They are on the hunt to find out who her killer is.

I loved the whole chase. The mystery. The loose ends. No crazy twist. There were a lot of people the author led you to believe may be suspects. All of them were considerable in the case too.

I didn’t read the first book. It had some references. Like I stated in a previous review, whether you read book 1 first or not, is personal preference. It is not required to follow this plot line. However, it’s advisable. Somehow, her sister is connected to the serial killer in this book. You will know she is but not the how unless you read book one.

This plot kept me hooked. I loved it. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in 36 hours. I read it while I worked. I read it while I cooked dinner. I didn’t watch any evening shows because I had to finish. Ha!
Once you got to the end, it kind of just…ended. A lot of loose ends were loosely thrown together. I liked the end but not the other ends. [Shay’s sister, Shay’s brother, another source that I won’t mention because it’s kind of a spoiler, etc]. That’s why I gave it less than 5. It was a great book. But so many of the “could-have-been” suspects were wrapped up in a few pages.

Overall: Highly recommended. Read! I enjoyed this whole heartedly and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Truth You Told by Brianna Labuskes. I loved the first Raisa Susanto book so I was really excited to read this one because Raisa is such a good character and I love learning about her job as a forensic linguist. I like how her relationship with Callum is evolving, and having his wife as a main character was amazing. As usual, Labuskes’ writing was almost hypnotic,and drew me in right away. The story was clever and really kept me guessing until the amazing end. If you’re looking for a well-written, intriguing book, don’t miss this one.

The Truth You Told by B. Labuskes, published by Thomas & Mercer, is the second installment in the Raisa Susanto Series.
Raisa, a FBI forensic linguist is assigned her next case. The story picks up where the previous book was left off.
After being shot by the Alphabet Man she now is in for another bonechilling crime thriller of its finest, suspenseful, action packed, full of unexpected twists andturns that had me guessing till the last page.

This is book 2 of a series and I have come to really like Raisa and Kilkenny. Their friendship has grown into something amazing to read about. However I'm not sure how I feel about this book itself. I didn't like Shay. And I think that made me not like the story as much as I would have if I actually liked her.

I'm stuck at a 3 star rating but wish it was a 4 star. I just didn't like her and I feel like if the series continues, I'll need Kilkenny to move on from her. Or I won't move on with the series.

I loved the first book in this series, and I knew I’d love this one, as well! Forensic linguist Raisa Susanto is back with forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny, this time because of some last-minute claims made by a serial killer about to be executed. Not just any serial killer, but the Alphabet Man, the one who killed Callum’s wife, Shay. Or at least, the one they always thought killed Shay.

Of course, they are loath to believe anything the man says, but just for due diligence, Raisa analyzes the letters about Shay that the killer sent to the authorities, along with the letters he sent for other victims. She can’t help but admit the truth – the letters have different authors. Which leaves Raisa and Callum in a bind. The execution is only days away and the Alphabet Man isn’t spilling any more secrets. Somehow, they’ll have to unravel the truth on their own, for a case long believed to be solved. And what does that mean for Callum? He already holds so much guilt for Shay being targeted by the killer he was chasing, but now he doesn’t even have closure on what happened to her. Who else would have wanted to harm Shay? Have they been free all this time, out there taking more victims? And will Raisa or Callum be next?

The narrative is composed of both Raisa’s point of view in the present and Shay’s in the past, leading up to the time of the kidnapping. So the reader is clued in a bit ahead of time and has to see how Raisa and Callum put the pieces together without what we know. I have to say, the more we learn about Shay and her life, the less likely it seems that she and Callum would have worked in the long run, as I didn’t really understand her appeal. Not just the ‘opposites attract’ cliché (which she and Callum were) but also her easy dismissal of criminal acts if they’re done for what she considers to be the right reasons.

That’s a recurrent theme in this story together with nature vs. nurture. Why is it okay for some people to kill and not others? Who is to say what a good enough reason is? Whether you’re interested in these questions or not, this is one book you can’t let pass you by.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC. I very much enjoy this book, which was the second in a series. After reading, I do not think you have to read the first book to understand what’s going on, but I did, and I would recommend it just so you have more background and clarity. The world of forensic linguistics was very fascinating and I was left guessing until the very end. All in all an entertaining series and I would recommend it to others.

Oh, MY GOD!
ok, let's just start by saying i LOVED this book.
I'm a sucker for anything FBI related.
This book was custom-made for me. I loved every second of it.
So the book begins when the serial killer that the fbi had hunted down for five years(who also happens to be on death row and in his final days) reveals that one of the victims which was also forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny's wife was not killed by him. After analyzing the killer’s taunting, coded letters to authorities—one for each victim—FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto believes him. And so Callum and Raisa are now pulled into an investigation racing time to find the truth.
Now, although i don't usually like third-person pov, i actually loved it here because it gave us the whole picture, every pov that mattered. It just made sense. It made me feel like i'm part of the investigation, i actually made a crime board to try to figure out who's the killer 🫣
I loved Callum and Raisa's partnership/ friendship. Raisa is a very smart woman, and she takes no bs. I enjoyed reading about her and i'll happily read more books about her ( so technically this is the 2nd book not the 1st one, and i didn't know until i was like 15%in, so if you want you can read the 1st book first)
Now let's all agree there is no big plot twist, this book was all about the chase, and how they tried to decipher and figure out the killer. It made me suspect every single person the writer talked about. It was a slow start, though, like in the first 20~30%, i took so much time reading, but then the rest of this book, I don't even know how i finished it. It flew by so fast i felt like i was watching an episode of Criminal Minds( that's my favourite show, by the way ☻️) .So If that's your vibe, then i 100% recommend this book

The Truth You Told is the second book in the Raisa Susanto series. Like the first book, this one is told via two points of view: Raisa's and Shay's (Agent Kilkenny's wife). Raisa's "voice" is a lot quieter than in the first book and she kind of takes a backseat to Shay's narrative. Raisa has been through some trauma so that didn't bother me at all. Several twists and red herrings had me unable to put this down. I was even trying to sneak a couple of chapters in during the down times at my daughter's basketball game!

I read my fair share of mysteries and thrillers and usually figure out well ahead of the ending what's going on. With both of the books in this series I found that I was sort of on the right track but was still blown away at the full reveal. Brianna Labuskes has now become a "must read" author for me!

While I don't think it's necessary to have read the first book in the series, I do feel like it would help and there might be a few spoilers since this book takes place 3 months after the first.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Truth You Told by Brianna Labuskes Killkenny and Raisa are evolving into an efficient team. Case includes additional information on the application of forensic linguistics to crime solving. Multiple points of view and timelines that are all skillfully linked together. Another fast-paced, and gripping read with numerous twists and turns and an unexpected ending. Thank you to Brianna Labuskes, Thomas Mercer, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

4 stars ⭐️

Omg!! This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm so glad I got to read this arc! This book had action in every chapter, this is one of those books where you start reading and eventually forget that you're reading a book. The plot wasn't predictable, there were so many twists throughout the story.

One of my favorite things about this book is the different povs/elements in chapters. It made it more engaging for me to read and I felt like I was a part of the story too! :o)

I definitely recommend reading the book when it comes out!

This is a twisty and complex serial killer story which juggles multiple POV and timelines. Nevertheless, the writer does an impressive job of keeping all the balls in the air.

This is the second book in the series and I have not read the first one yet. That might be one reason why I had a little trouble keeping up with the sheer number of aspects to this plot. But it was very interesting.

After Callum's wife Shay is murdered - apparently by the same serial killer he was helping to track down - he is hoping for closure when the killer is put on death row. But as the execution looms, the authorities are finding inconsistencies in the murders, and the chances of a copycat killer or some other person being responsible for Shay's murder becomes a very real possibility.

FBI forensic linguist Raisa and Callum are both drawn into the hunt for the truth - with the potential for traumatic consequences for them. But if a killer is at large, do they really have a choice?

This is a solid police procedural which uses forensic linguistics in an interesting way, And introduces the reader to some unusual crime solving methods. There is a lot of action, so it's worth reading with some attention to detail.

The Truth You Told by Brianna Labuskes Killkenny and Raisa are evolving into an efficient team. Case includes additional information on the application of forensic linguistics to crime solving. Multiple points of view and timelines that are all skillfully linked together. Another fast-paced, and gripping read with numerous twists and turns and an unexpected ending. Thank you to Brianna Labuskes, Thomas Mercer, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.