Another tense, twisty suspense thriller with a strong, complicated female lead from Victoria Helen Stone.

Elizabeth (or is it Ellie? Or Beth? Or Betsy? Or Lizzie?) has made an art of her life as a travelling nurse, slipping into new identities as she tries to escape her past. But with a stalker on her trail her worst fears come to life. I loved this - both Elizabeth’s description of her many lives, and the gradual dismantling of them. I was rooting for her to come good throughout, and it was a satisfying read.

What a great read! So much to say about this book I hardly know where to begin. Elizabeth May was someone different with everyone she met. Even to the point of using different names. She was running from her past and hiding her true self. The twists just kept coming at a fast pace until about the middle of the book and then slowed down a little to give you a chance to catch your breath before one of the most unexpected endings I have read ina long while. Better buckle up for this one it is a doozy! I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes this genre. You will absolutely be thrilled.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this fabulous ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley! This was a first for me by this author. I absolutely loved it! It was definitely a slow burn but sped right up in the second half. I was shocked by the twists

Whew—talk about trust issues! Bald Faced Liar is a twisty, nerve-sizzling ride where paranoia is practically a main character. Elizabeth May (if that’s even her real name 👀) has mastered the art of disappearing… until someone decides to blow up her carefully crafted life.

Victoria Helen Stone gives us a smart, complicated woman who’s been through hell and still finds a way to fight like hell. The suspense? Deliciously slow-burn.

Thank you Victoria Helen Stone, Brilliance, Lake Union, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#baldfacedliar #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

Bald Faced Liar is a rollercoaster ride of deception, danger, and intrigue that kept me hooked from start to finish! Elizabeth May is the ultimate chameleon, constantly reinventing herself to escape a haunting past—and just when you think she’s finally found a moment of peace, everything spirals into chaos. The suspense builds masterfully as Elizabeth faces threats from all sides, making you question everyone around her. Is her new love interest genuine? Can her online confidant be trusted? Or is the truth hiding in the shadows? The twists come fast and furious, and I loved every adrenaline-pumping moment. Victoria Helen Stone crafts a sharp, engaging thriller that explores themes of identity and resilience. It’s a wild, fun ride full of secrets—and plenty of surprises. If you're craving a novel that’ll keep you guessing until the very last page, Bald Faced Liar is definitely worth the read.

Bald-Faced Liar focuses on Elizabeth, whose shady past is coming back to bite her as she finds herself being stalked even though she moved far away (and multiple times)
I had a really good time reading this. Elizabeth was such an interesting character to follow, and her inner monologue and the way she acts was fascinating. She's dodgy as hell, lies constantly, paranoid and essentially living as much as a hermit as she can while still having (shallow and fleeting) connections with other people. As soon as you start the book, you get to see her quirks and it instantly pulled me in and had me wondering what the hell happened in her life for her to act that way.
This mystery aspect of her past was done well, and I think information was fed to the reader at a reasonable pace. I appreciated that the story developed throughout the book (rather than a large dump and reveal at the end). I generally figured out who the stalker was, although I do think there could have been more breadcrumbs leading up to it. It wasn't completely out of the blue, but I think it could have been set up better especially since the author did such a good job with the other mysterious elements of the story.
Some aspects of the climax and resolution were a bit far-fetched, but this didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story. There were a couple details in the final action section that I would have probably liked a bit more detail was (the stalker did indeed go on a bit of a villain rant which was a tad all over the place and hard to follow, but it is a crazy stalker so...).
Overall, I enjoyed reading this. The suspense was well done, and I was invested in what was going on. I truly felt frustration, terror and rage along with Elizabeth. This would be a great read for fans of thrillers involving stalkers, and the vibe of 'is this really happening or am I going insane?

“𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝗿𝗮𝗻, 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/1/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, @amazonpublishing, and @brilliancepublishing for sending this ebook and audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dual immersion read: audiobook 🎧/ ebook 📖

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
Nurse May is an ER nurse on the run from her past, never staying in one place too long- and never telling the truth. Eventually her past catches up with her in this twisty thriller.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
😈 Snarky FMC
🤥 ER nurse/medically accurate information
😈 Twists and turns
🤥 Coastal setting
😈 Dogs 🐕
🤥 Short chapters

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
I admit I went into this blind, knowing it was a thriller. I was pleasantly surprised with the ER nurse element being an ER nurse myself- I also loved the FMC personality and snarky attitude. There was an air of mystery regarding her past that was eventually revealed halfway through. This started out strong, but slowed down midway. The twists and turns were good, not great. Definitely a solid read for thriller lovers… might be a bit average for avid readers. I loved the short chapters- I’m a huge sucker for those, especially in thriller/mystery novels. The audiobook narrator was ok, I felt like her narration was a bit robotic but I was still able to picture the FMC with her voice. I’d recommend this as an 👀 read though.

#BaldFacedLiar

First, thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!

I think my first Victoria Helen Stone was Follow Her Down, which I did enjoy reading, so I was of course curious about the newest book of the author.

I have to admit, I am not always a fan of slow burn, but I did like the blurb. It sounded like a promising story - I mean, who would not enjoy a good stalker thriller? - and after reading it I have to say, yes, the book did actually deliver.

Sort of pulled and all-nighter with this one as well, seeing release date had already happened. Anyway, I can really recommend the book, and surely will alse give the next Victoria Helen Stone book a chance. 4.5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.

Bald-Faced Liar was a wonderful slow burn that I enjoyed the entire time. I really liked this story and how the author gave you just enough to want to keep going but threw in some loops.

This one is a bit of a slow burn, at least the first half but the second half really picks up ! I actually really liked Lizzy - she was such a sweet character just trying to get away from a mistake she made when she was 5 ! but of course she is a liar so how much what she is telling us is the truth 🤷🏼‍♀️😉 the twist is interesting and I really found the history of the satanic panic interesting , I hadn’t heard of that before

This was a reasonably interesting summer binge. I love stalker thrillers. I do feel like this book fell into the trap that nine out of ten books about characters with shady pasts fall into, but it was a quick, bingeable read with a nice setting. The way things played out with the MC's landlord was amusing, if not entirely believable!

“Bald-Faced Liar” by Victoria Helen Stone, is a 274-page fiction book released this year. It was published by Lake Union Publishing in Seattle, its cover design produced by Caroline Teagle Johnson, and its cover image by Peter Dazeley. The paperback has ISBN 978-1-66251-464-6 and costs $16.99, and the ebook has ISBN 978-1-66251-462-3 and costs $4.99. Victoria Helen Stone, who is a renowned prolific writer and has a penchant for all things filled with dark intrigue and emotional suspense, including crime stories, is currently living in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, United States. Her author website is www.victoriahelenstone.com.

This story is about Elizabeth May, a 39-year-old single healthcare specialist in Santa Cruz, who loves to spy on her neighbors and acquaintances, both online and offline, with varying identities to protect her real personal information, and chilling at the beach. A Redditor impersonates her online, which almost ruins her career. That’s not all. Now, someone is spying on her everyday activities and taunting her online and offline. Elizabeth now believes that her life is in danger, the remnants of her past coming back to haunt her. Is this karma? Could it be a person Elizabeth wronged in the past?

Will she find out who her stalker is? Find out in this amazing book!

One notable trait exhibited by the protagonist throughout the story is the gloomy but well-crafted storytelling the author portrays. Growing up with a pretty infamous childhood life in Fair Isle for the imprisonment of the Hoffholders in a false occult massacre, Elizabeth prefers isolation and is so scared of anyone knowing about her past that she lies and pretends to her closest friends and workmates, just to get away with it. Her relationships are temporal, and she is nonchalant about it. She is also very impulsive and acts irrationally, such as repeatedly calling 911 at the least oddity, to the chagrin of the police and detective Heissen. I’m, however, glad she at least has a social life on the beach, and also with a few people she could open up to, such as Beret and Viola. Eventually, Elizabeth has to face the demons of her “devilish” childhood sins and come out victorious if she wants to live the perfect, normal life she has desired all these years.

I am happy at the author’s attempt to offer Elizabeth her redemption arc. The content of this novel is not like the usual fairytale books with female heroines, magic, and romance, but a realistic narrative with a subtly dark, mature theme, befitting the author’s preferences. I find the uniqueness of the narration quite interesting, a pleasant aspect of this book. There is nothing to dislike about the book.

I did not find any typographical mistakes or grammatical errors because this book is excellently and thoroughly edited. I, Michael Lartey, the reviewer, find this book to be filled with emotional suspense, as well as being among my favorite genres. It possesses a well-crafted storytelling. Because of this, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to lovers of fiction and psychological thrillers.

This book’s intended audience is adults because of its profane words and mild sexual content.

****I didn't realize that this is now released and it was approved today, so I won't be reading it****

****I didn't realize that this is now released and it was approved today, so I won't be reading it****

****I didn't realize that this is now released and it was approved today, so I won't be reading it****

I just finished reading "Bald-Face Liar" and wanted to share my thoughts. I found this thriller to be truly gripping and fast-paced, and I was completely hooked from the very start. The suspense was intense, with twists that constantly kept me guessing, and I really enjoyed uncovering Elizabeth's secrets as the story unfolded. The paranoia and mystery, made it impossible to put the book down.


There was one moment in the book that didn’t feel entirely believable to me, but it didn’t stop me from continuing to read and enjoy the story.
While I did find the ending somewhat predictable, as I anticipated how Elizabeth (FMC) would resolve things, this didn't take from my overall enjoyment of the book. Just because my Nancy Drew skills worked on this book doesn’t mean it won’t towards others.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆. 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕? 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓? 𝒀𝒆𝒔. 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔? 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓, 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖? 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓. 𝑰𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕, 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕. 𝑳𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓."

Special thanks you to @victoriahelenstone for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FIVE FREAKING STARS!!!!
Cmon peeps, this book is phenomenal!

Could you imagine being thoroughly embarrassed by something someone made you do, and you're only 5? Then realize everyone hates you for recanting 2 years later so for the rest of your life you live in mumtiple lies so no one knows the real you?!
Well that's what Elizabeth May had to endure and it's sets the tone with her being fed misinformation during the Satanic Panic that now haunts her dreams.
But can she run far enough away? Or does someone know, and want to make her pay?

This is such a suspenseful read. Following the many personas of Elizabeth as she runs from someone trying to take her down.
I remember hearing about the Satanic Panic but I was pretty young when that went down. That setting makes for such a great story which evolves into a cat and mouse chase for the truth. Not too many suspects which makes this for an even eerily great read.

The end has me gasping, biting my nails, and hoping. The last 20% is a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down.
As soon as i finished i was like oh em gee this was so good but holy shit this is so real!

I was like wait, hold on , she what?! The endingggggg omg my jaw dropped when the door opened.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
June 1, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ What's the last lie you told?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #baldfacedliar #victoriahelenstone #lakeunionpublishing
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Stone absolutely never disappoints. Another cracking thriller, juicy and sharp and dark and so tightly written it zips by. You won’t want to stop at one.

Re-examining the Satanic Panic of the late 20th century in America, this book offers an incredibly timely story with a cautionary tale of just how much damage conspiracy theories - and what might be considered "alternative facts" (aka lies) - can do to the individuals and communities that carried away with such ideas.

The protagonist in this story is a survivor of the aforementioned era, and one of the false witnesses of the time - even though she was only a young child. Now a very damaged adult she lives in a constant stage of flux creating multiple stories and identities to keep people at a distance, whilst observing closely lives of others.
Until, that is, she discovers that someone has been observing *her* life at uncomfortably close quarters. Terrified that her past has caught up with her, she is determine to find out who is behind this. The problem is, there are any number of suspicious characters to be considered!

This is a gripping and well-told story, acutely observed in terms of human psychology. Not to mention, consistently entertaining. Victoria Helen Stone is at the top of her game with this book, and I recommend it highly to anyone who loves thrillers, or just enjoys an absorbing human story.. It gets 4.5 stars.

Bald-Face Liar is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. Elizabeth May has spent her life running from a dark past, but when a stalker starts tearing apart her carefully built lies, she realizes she’s not as invisible as she thought.

The suspense is intense, with constant twists that kept me guessing. Elizabeth is a strong, complex character, and I loved uncovering her secrets as the story unfolded. The paranoia, the mystery, and the shocking revelations made this book impossible to put down.

You may recognize this author from the fabulous revenge thriller, Jane Doe. I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to read Stone's newest thriller, Bald-Faced Liar. (My bad not knowing it wasn't bold-faced liar. 😂)

📖: Elizabeth May (aka Eliza, Beth, Bess...) has been living under the radar after a tumultuous childhood and currently stationed in lovely Santa Cruz, CA. Within a few days, Elizabeth meets a cute new guy, is sabotaged online, and wonders if someone is following her. Are these coincidences, or is something bigger at play?

🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- "am I going crazy?!" psychological thrillers
- unexpected allies
- quirky little beach towns

💭: Bald-Faced Liars kept me guessing who was creating all the chaos in Elizabeth's life. I was mad and questioning everything right along with her. The reveal wasn't my favorite, but I like how everything wrapped up. This book would be a better fit for readers who read to be entertained rather than expecting everything to be realistic.

This is my second book by Victoria Helen Stone, and I'm officially a fan of her writing style. I enjoy her voice and snarky characters, and I will absolutely continue to pick up her books.

Thank you to Victoria Helen Stone, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook.

Guys.. you don’t want to miss this one!! Listen to this..

Our girl Elizabeth May.. Eliza.. Beth… What the hell is her name?! 😂 She has a little… problem… she lies a bit.. 😬🤫.. about her name.. profession.. her past.. you name it.. BUT she has a good reason.. 🤔.. or so she says… She had a traumatic past… annddd a stalker!! 😳😳😳… Or does she?? 😏

I had NO idea what was the truth… this seriously kept me guessing to the very end! The stalker vibes were off the chain!! This quickly got dark and terrifying. 😍 Things I loved…

✅ All the stalker vibes… it will have you checking the door locks 🔒 😳
✅ Dogs 🐕 Yes Please!!
✅ Beach 🏝 town living 🍹
✅ Gangsters 😳
✅Murder!! Yes your thriller loving hearts.. will be VERY happy 😂
✅ Date night takes on a whole NEW meaning! 😳😂I will NEVER forget that!

Okay that is a wrap!! A big 5 creeptastic stars!! ⭐️ If you haven’t read @victoriahelenstone’s books… you don’t know what you are missing!! She is the queen👸🏻of the revenge thriller… Jane Doe is one the best revenge books EVER in my opinion. That started my love of her books!!