Great addition to the Will Trent and Sara Linton series. A honeymoon at a mountain top retreat with, yes, murder and mayhem. Trapped on the resort, surrounded by secrets and lying guests, and a killer on the loose, Will and Sara must stay alive and catch the killer. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

4.5 stars

Talk about dysfunctional families! Everyone in Karin Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied has secrets, but only one of them is a killer. From the first scream at McAlpine Lodge, the tension never lets up. This locked-room mystery—the 12th book in the Will Trent series—had me hooked from the start.

Will Trent and Sara Linton just wanted a quiet honeymoon. Instead, they stumble upon a murder and a web of lies so tangled it’s hard to know who to trust. Mercy McAlpine, the lodge manager, dies whispering her last words to Will, and every family member and guest quickly becomes a suspect. Mercy’s abusive ex, her ice-cold parents, and even the creepy family friend all have motives. Slaughter makes it impossible to pin down the truth until the final pages.

The story dives deep into some heavy topics—abuse, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to protect secrets—so brace yourself for disturbing moments. I had to skim past a gruesome autopsy scene. That said, the mystery is engrossing, and Slaughter’s pacing keeps you turning pages.

Will’s personal connection to the case adds emotional depth, and his dynamic with Sara is a grounding force in the chaos. While there are a lot of moving parts, the ending delivers a shocking and satisfying twist.

If you love dark, intense thrillers with complex characters and razor-sharp suspense, this one’s for you. A solid 4.5-star read—I couldn’t put it down!

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary review copy. The opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This one was itense and enjoyable. Lots of twists and kept me intrigued the whole time. I enjoyed the characters and plot development

Will and Sarah have tied the knot and are on their honeymoon. Will was surprising Sarah, and ended up taking her to a little off the map camping resort. But don't worry, it's not tents and using the bathroom in the wilderness, but beautiful cabins that are stocked and have a luxury to them.

Will is surprised when he runs into a guy he used to know back in the orphanage. He wasn't a good egg then, and something doesn't feel right with him now either. When one of the owners is found dead, Will and Sarahs honeymoon will end up turning into a work trip.

I enjoyed how this book had multiple point of views. It helped to see the whole picture and understand all the characters well, because there were quite a few. As always, Karin did not disappoint. She is always a must read for me, but in this season of life, some of the gruesome descriptions are hard with being a mom to young children.

I’m an idiot and didn’t realize how far into the series this book was so I paused it to go back and read the entire series! 😂😂 my own fault on that one but the writing was so good that now I am convinced I have been missing out this whole time.

In This is Why We Lied, the latest installment in Karin Slaughter’s beloved Will Trent series, newlyweds Will and Sara should be basking in the glow of their honeymoon. But trouble has a way of finding them—even on vacation. When a violent incident disrupts their getaway, it pulls the couple back into the world of crime-solving they can never quite escape. As they confront the shadows of Will’s troubled childhood and navigate a disturbing new case, they must rely on their skills—and each other—to uncover a web of lies and deception.

I read This is Why We Lied the summer, and as expected, I devoured it in a single night. Karin Slaughter’s books are always page-turners, and this one is no exception. While it’s not my absolute favorite in the series, it has a lighter tone compared to some of the previous books. I did find myself missing the team being in the city, but I loved the deeper dive into Will’s childhood. I also read this one at in the same month as The God of the Woods and the felt a little similar.

If you love gritty, complex detective series, I highly recommend starting with the Grant County series before moving on to Will Trent. Though you don’t have to read them in order, it helps you truly connect with the characters and their histories. And if you’re an audiobook fan, you can't go wrong with the narration by Kathleen Early.


This is Why We Lied comes out August 22, 2023. Huge thank you to William Morrow and McMillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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3.75 stars rounded up
Will Trent and Sara Linton’s honeymoon at a cozy mountain lodge takes a wild turn when the manager, Mercy McAlpine, is found murdered — and a brutal storm traps everyone on the property. As Will and Sara dig into the messy lives of the guests and the McAlpine family, it’s clear that everyone’s hiding something. Full of twists, secrets, and suspense, this fast-paced thriller keeps you guessing right up until the end. It’s the kind of story that makes you double-check the locks — even on vacation. I always enjoy Karin Slaughter's novels, and this was no exception. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

This is an interesting thriller, but it felt a bit too long. The story has a lot of twists and suspense, and the characters are well-developed, but at times, it dragged on. It’s a good read if you enjoy detailed thrillers, but I found it could have been a bit shorter to keep the pace moving faster. Still, it's a solid book for fans of the genre.

Will Trent is back and him and Sara have just got married!! Now they are on their honeymoon in a remote location where Will has wanted to go since he was a kid in the boys home. They start to hike to their final destination at the camp which is quite the hike. Will has tried to surprise Sara with the trip so she doesn't know where they are. A couple, Keisha and Drew meet up with them while hiking and they start chatting. The scenery is idyllic, the hike is cathartic and everything seems like its perfect. When they arrive at the camp they are greeted by the manager, Mercy and she shows them to their cabin. The perfect cabin and the perfect view make this seem like its going to be the best honeymoon ever. Then the chaos begins.
I'm a HUGE fan of Karin Slaughter. I've been reading her since the very beginning of the Will Trent series and her novels just get better and better. This one set in an isolated camp site was the perfect scene for the murder that happens while everyone sleeps. Will, of course can't help but get involved. He even calls in reinforcements from his GBI team. His boss, Amanda is not impressed that he can't seem to enjoy his honeymoon and keeps finding ways to get himself in trouble. His partner, Faith was taking vacation this week as well so she is not pleased when she gets the call that she needs to start driving up to where Will is, but Faith hurries so she can help out Will and hopefully get him back to his new bride.
With many characters that are morally grey, is was hard to figure out who would have murdered the victim. There were many that had a motive and opportunity. I loved the fact that no one was able to leave the camp during the process as there was a big storm that blocked the roads plus it wasn't easy to begin with to get in and out of the camp. Everyone was stuck! The GBI team used this to their advantage. Twist after twist made this psychological thriller the best I've read this Year.

Another Edge of Your Seat Thriller by Karen Slaughter!

This is Why We Lied is another novel in the Will Trent series, also featuring Sara Linton. In this installation Will and Sara are celebrating vacationing in the mountains to celebrate their honeymoon. Both are hoping to rest, relax, recharge, and revel in each other. Unfortunately the universe has other ideas as all hell breaks loose when one of the owners of the resort is murdered and Will, Sara , and the rest of the GBI are called into investigate.

A tense, taut thriller, This is Why We Lied kept me fully engrossed. Though this is a Will Trent novel, it focuses more on the peripheral characters than it does on Will and Sara (which I found to be a nice change).

Huge thanks to NetGalley and William and Morrow for the arc.

Poor Mercy. Oh my goodness what in the world is all I can think about that family. I am so glad we get to see Will and Sara have a happy beginning together. I love them as a couple and I love when they work closely with each other. Definitely a great read and series. Went quick. Couldn’t believe some of the characters. They were so bad. Can’t wait for the next Will Trent book.

As the twelfth installment in the Will Trent series, this novel delivers a gripping narrative that intertwines a secluded setting with a murder mystery. Everybody has a secret, and I we get all the claustrophobic atmospheric vibes reminiscent of classic locked-room mysteries. The isolation of the lodge, a raging storm that washes out the only access road, and lots of tension as Will and Sara realize that the murderer is among the guests. I don’t feel like the execution was as up to par as most of slaughter’s other novels. I know the pacing was intentional to set the scene, but while the murder mystery is engaging, certain aspects of the story were less compelling, and that affected my overall interest and rating.

Thoroughly enjoyed this latest chapter in the Will Trent series. I wonder if anyone else had the same experience of yelling at the characters for honing in on this character or that one as the suspect. It did truly keep me guessing until the reveal.

I finished this book yesterday, but I needed a moment to sit on it because I didn't know how to rate it. But after thinking about it, this book is a 5 star read. I just wasn't sure because it was so gruesome and disturbing that I felt weird reading it, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a fantastic read.

I truly don't want to spoil anything, but I don't even know how to review this without giving anything away. I'll just say that this packed the plot twists, I kept changing my mind on who had killed Mercy, the ending was pretty shocking and disturbing. Mercy deserved better.

Karin Slaughter writes really hard things to read and also gives a lot of gruesome details, that just make you feel so icky and sick, if you feel like you need to, please check out the trigger warnings before starting this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter!

Loved this Will Trent novel - even though it is in a series it reads well as a standalone.
Did not predict the ending which is one of my favorite things about a suspenseful thriller.

Great job Karin Slaughter.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

If you know me at all you know my QUEEN is KARIN SLAUGHTER and she is a MAJOR reason I fell in love with reading. Will Trent is the BEST thriller series out there, and it's just the icing on the cake that my favorite series is now one of my favorite TV shows. If you aren't watching you should. The one bad thing about my favorite show turning into a show, is the WILL TRENT that lived in my head for years, now plays out in my head exactly like the characters in the show, which is not a bad thing because they are all amazing. This is book 12 in the series and the most fun one yet. Will and Sarah are on their honeymoon, when all hell breaks loose. This is a closed door who-done-it with the most fucked up cast of characters yet. I was seriously grossed out the entire book!! I couldn't believe this family. Overall, I don't want to give too much away, but I am already clearing counting down to the next WILL TRENT book.

Another excellent Will Trent mystery. The setting was good but the family is so controversial and an absolute mess. The pace dragged in some parts but the twists and turns of who committed the murder keeps you guessing until the end. There are some content warnings that may trigger some. 3.5 stars

This is Why We Lied is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Slaughter’s ability to build suspense and develop complex characters makes this a standout read.

Karin Slaughter delivers again! It's dark and twisted as all Will Trent storylines are. There were a lot of troubled characters, and it had me guessing until the end who the guilty party was.