Love a book with short chapters. Told by multiple people. Ending was unpredictable and it did end rather quickly. I really enjoyed it. The plot was what grabbed me in the first place. The way it was written held my interest the whole way through.

Thank you, NetGalley and The Book Folks, for providing this ARC!

Initially, the premise of this book intrigued me. However, upon reading, I found that it didn't quite resonate with me, leading me to mark it as "Did Not Finish" (DNF). The multiple points of view (POV) were somewhat disorienting for my personal taste. Yet, for those who enjoy frequent changes in the POV, this book could be a perfect fit.

Ultimately, while it didn't align with my preferences, I am sure that it has the potential to be adored by others.

After being cheated on, Alice is pressured into a speed dating event and makes a match. However, he is found dead after she arrives home from their date. The action takes off from there and it's a very interesting ride. Be warned-the book goes into some dark places. There are a lot of characters, but they are developed enough that it avoids any confusion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

The twists were good and I was hooked right away, but something about this book had me wanting to just hurry up and finish it already by about halfway through.. Interactions between Nina and Simon were eye-rollingly bad. Alice’s willingness to bend over backwards for everyone (including Simon) frustrated me to no end, as it went beyond just being a sweet, good person. The only individual she would stand up to was Diana, so there was that satisfaction.

*Spoilers from this point on*
How many crazy people could there be??? Diana’s crimes were impossibly ridiculous to me. Even with her desire to maintain the family name and “honor”, it seemed implausible to me that she would kill her own son. Equally unrealistic was her part in Bella’s demise, then her weird and creepy instagram account. Terence was just as crazy and unrealistic as Diana. Nothing to me made it seem believable or realistic that he would have fallen for Charlotte or continued to be infatuated with her after learning how crazy she was in her own right. More unrealistic and crazy creepy plot lines, by the way, with her character. Finally, all the “tying up of loose ends” with Alice’s remaining friends (Tammy and Katie) just seemed convenient, lazy, and strange.

Many parts of the book, especially the ending, felt like puzzle pieces which ALMOST fit together but not quite. Perhaps more polishing and rewriting/editing would have helped, as the premise was a decent one.

In terms of twists, they were there. So for the average thriller reader, they will love it from that perspective. But I just didn’t feel that it was believable enough in its entirety to be something I could recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and The Book Folks for an ebook ARC to be read and reviewed.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Book Folks for this ARC of ‘Lies Within Me’ by Vanessa Garbin.

I loved this book from the first page to the last. So many plot twists and no one can be trusted in this. Definitely an amazing read!

Down the rabbit hole...

But in all seriousness, would the person who committed the murder please raise his or her hand now, because this is driving me completely crazy!

This story frustrated me immensely - and I mean that in a positive way - because every now and then I had to laugh when the POV was changed again, obviously with a cliffhanger from the previous POV, leaving you no further in solving what happened here.

It is a relatively short story in terms of pages, but because of the constant POV changes - and the use of several POVs - the author builds up the tension so much that you don't really find out who the killer is until the end.

Several characters are introduced at a rapid pace: friends, an ex-husband, in-laws, police officers who have to unmask the killer from this hodgepodge of stories. Oh yes, a few Instagram posts are also included.

Written in simple language, the author changes the point of view every few pages, leaving the reader unable to 'figure out' who/what/how.
I found it a bit of a variation on the so-called "prisoner's dilemma", especially when several people make statements that are contradicted a little later in the story, either by the person himself, or because the story differs from the forensic data, or because a new statement from another person appears.

The point of view changes quickly - the chapters are short and told by the unreliable first-person narrator. So you don't get to know which of the characters is complaining, but one thing soon became clear to me: what a mess. None of the characters are likeable, and some are crazier than others.
How do you leave a babysitter friend for a whole night without notice, only to dismiss her for days on end with 'I'm too busy'? Or let your ex back into your house? What kind of morals do these people have? And what about hiding the murder weapon next to your father's house! (How can you not find a place to hide something in Australia!?)

- I really enjoyed it. - Where a simple murder turns into an improbable labyrinthine quest through the multiple POVs; the author keeps the strings constant and doesn't really give away any clues to make sure you keep reading.
I loved the ingenious plot structure, but I'm also quite glad that I don't have to have these people around me! And in my opinion, the policeman should be on his guard with his Alice.

Highly enjoyable, 4.5 stars. Thank you for the review copy, the Book Folks.

A terrific story told from multiple POV, all the more rich a story for it.
Alice is speed dating following her separation from her cheating husband only the person she dates is awful, Alice cannot recall the night before but she learns to her horror that her date is dead!
The books plot intertwines perfectly to show the full picture, such a riveting read, fantastic thriller

From the very start of this I was hooked. The storytelling, using different characters' perspectives is amazing!

There were a lot of characters and stories to follow however I didn’t find it confusing at all as each character had a unique voice.

This book had me playing detective, second-guessing every character! I trusted NO ONE!

I read another review that mentions desperate housewives vibes and I totally see that! With the drama and gossip that stirs around!

There’s some heavy topics that I would maybe check for some trigger warnings before reading!

But overall, it's a gripping read that'll keep you turning pages late into the night. I read this in a couple of hours!

I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I love books about influencer or instagram moms!
Alice needs better friends, by far! Simon needs to get it together and stop being a jerk. Nina needs to not be sleeping with married men.
The other girls need to be better people.
Alice is date raped and her ex-husband Simon saw her with the man right before it happened. He knows and hates the guy.
Alice wakes up and slinks out the house and comes home to her bestie and former mother in law shaming her for her walk of shame.
Then later that day a man is murdered!
It is just one wonderful twist after another the whole way through. I absolutely loved this.

Pretty predictable. Multiple POVs, and I mean MULTIPLE. Kinda overwhelming in the beginning and by the ending, some seemed unnecessary. The “emails” were very similar to the way Freida McFadden used them in her story of The Coworker. If you hadn’t read Freida’s book, the “emails” would’ve led to a major plot twist. Fast paced which made it a quick and easy read.

I LOVED this book! From the very first page it was intense! Definitely not a slow burn type of book, went straight in to pure brilliance. It had me guessing all the way through who the killer was, and it shocked me even more that Diane was the insta mummy and she was the one who killed her own son.

The only thing I would’ve loved to have seen is more of a back story on Diane , seems like there is more to her that could be said and why she is the way she is.

I was given the chance to read this ARC through Netgalley. I really enjoyed this book. The chapters were short and each chapter represented a different characters pov. I wasn't expecting the ending, so many twists and turns. I probably would have given this 5 stars but the ending was kind of abrupt to me. There was all this stuff leading up to the end and once at the end, it just sort of ended it all rather, well, bluntly. I definitely recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to The Book Folks and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Alice is living through the aftermath of a divorce from her serial cheater husband, Simon. One night, much to her dismay, her friends persuade her to attend a speed dating event where she meets Taite. After a series of misfortunes during the event, she awakes the next morning on the floor of what seems to be Taite's home. She has no recollection of how she got there but knows something awful happened. When contemplating going to the police to file a report, she hears on the news that Taite was found brutally murdered the same morning she left his place. After finding a bloody knife hidden in her bed, she starts to question whether she did this or if someone close to her is framing her.

This was a short book with a fast-moving plot so was easy to get into, however, the book generally lacked substance. There was minimal character development (and a few characters that felt unnecessary in general) and the multiple POV's were confusing at first as I had a hard time remembering who was who. With the book being so short, I felt like it could have handled more detail into some of the characters. Instead everything felt somewhat rushed.

I received a copy of this book from The Book Folks via NetGalley.

Alice's foray into speed dating takes a dark turn, plunging her into a nightmarish sequence of events. The morning after unfolds with a haunting lack of memory, replaced only by an ominous intuition. The stakes rise when a bloodied knife surfaces in her room, aligning eerily with news of the man she believes victimized her meeting an untimely demise.

I found the overall story to be quite engaging. However, I must admit the initial switch in points of view left me somewhat disoriented, it was crazy confusing to figure out who the different characters were.

Alice emerged as a character of considerable complexity. While I connected with her on several levels, I found myself grappling with the motivations behind some of her actions. Then again, considering the circumstances she faced, one could argue that a touch of eccentricity might be a universal response. Simon, on the other hand, stood out as an overwhelmingly reprehensible human being. Characters of his ilk never fail to irk me, and Simon was no exception.

One aspect I wished for was a bit more depth in the side characters. Tammy and Katie, in particular, felt somewhat like peripheral figures, added almost as an afterthought. On the other hand, Diana, while expertly characterized, left me with an unequivocal dislike. Her entire presence was, admittedly, off-putting, and I couldn't fathom how one could endure a mother-in-law of such reprehensible character.

The narrative's strength lay in its characterizations, even if some left me wanting more, and the portrayal of relationships and dynamics added layers of intrigue. In the end, the novel offered a compelling exploration of human behavior in the face of challenging circumstances, making it a worthwhile and easy read.

Lies Within Me
Written by Vanessa Garbin,

Blurb:

Your attacker is murdered. Did you do it?
When her friends drag Alice out to a speed-dating night, she has no inkling just how bad it will turn out to be.

The next day, Alice wakes up in a stranger’s house with no memory of the night’s events, just a terrible feeling.

After returning home, she finds a bloodied knife in her room. And hears the news that the man who must have drugged and assaulted her has been found dead.

Alice falls under suspicion. Not least from herself. But was she really capable of such an act?

And if she didn’t commit the crime, who did?

LIES WITHIN ME is a nail-biting standalone mystery suspense thriller by bestselling Australian writer Vanessa Garbin.

My Review:

I found this book easy to get into, & an easy read, throughout. It had a good pace, & it had me hooked, from start to finish, was so hard to put down, - I literally sped through reading this! - & it kept me guessing right through to the very end! It had some great twists throughout, & had a very satisfying ending.

Based on a rating of 1-10, where 10 is the highest, I would give this book a rating of 10 out of 10! I can honestly say that this is one of the best Psychological Thrillers I’ve read in a good while, - it was such a compelling read! & is an absolute MUST-read! Very highly recommended!

Note: This book does contain the sensitive topic of date-rape, & of course, murder.

"Lies Within Me" is an emotionally gripping psychological thriller that gives you insight into a murder from the perspective of all those close to it.

Alice, still sulking over the separation from her cheating husband Simon, is dragged out into a night of speed dating by her friends. Unfortunately for her, the man she ends up going home with that night ends up dead and she is in possession of a knife covered in blood. With no recollection of the events that transpired, Alice is looking for answers.

Vanessa Garbin created a story that takes you on a wild ride through revelation after revelation and the painful Alice experience. Pleasant read for anyone looking forward to a story short enough to read in one sitting, yet detailed enough to keep you enthralled.

Thank you to Vanessa Garbin and The Book Folks for the ARC. Hopefully I can add the physical copy to my collection soon!

This was great. I loved the atmosphere and the vibes. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review

First I want to thank NetGalley, The Book Folks and Vanessa Garbin for my ARC of Lies Within Me.

This was my first book by Vanessa Garbin and it certainly won’t be my last! Right from the prologue this book drew me in. I liked the different POVs and how we got to see the story unfold from each character. Alice was a great main character and made me feel all the things. I was sad and hurt by everything this woman endured. I was also proud of how strong she was for keeping it all together for her kids.

This book had me hooked! I was guessing and second guessing every single character in it! Everyone has secrets and everyone will do whatever it takes to protect their families. I never saw the ending coming! This was a great read and I look forward to reading more from Vanessa. If you’re looking for a fast paced thriller that you wont be able to put down, this book is for you!

Another amazing book by vanessa garbin!!!! Couldnt fault it very good and twisty chapters ...love love love love!!!!

Lies Within Me by Vanessa Garbin. Just published 22nd January.
It was an easy read , I finished it in a day.
I liked the different viewpoints from different characters in each chapter, however there wasn't a great deal of character depth or development and the ending was a bit rushed. It gets a 3/5 from me. Just an OK read. It doesn't make me rush to read her other books.