Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I leave this review voluntarily.

★★★☆☆ (3,5)

I’ve read the new and revised version of this novel and haven’t read the earlier copy.

This story was very interesting from the get go. I loved the double pov and how both characters deal with their issues in different yet similar ways. It’s about embracing a darkness that comes from years of trauma and how build up anger can manifest itself. Overall I found the story original and the writer isn’t afraid to explore the dark territory of the human mind. I did find the ending quite abrupt compared to the rest of the stories pace which felt like it didn’t do justice to the characters.

If you are looking for an original dark thriller you should give this one a go.

First off thank you to Netgalley and Death by TBR books for the advanced copy of this book!

I went in blind and read with bated breath and my jaw in the floor for most of the book! This was a gore filled wild ride and I had a great time! That ending had me GASPING! I cannot wait for more from Stephanie Rose! I still am in awe that this is a debut.

Edit after sitting on it for 24 hours: I think this could have been a 5 star read if it kept the same energy as the first 40-50% of the book. Once the insta love relationship started I feel like it lost the plot a bit. I still loved the book and had a great time but it was at its best during the first half of the book.

Hiding Lies by Stephanie Rose

4⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hi, my name is Kodak. Lydia, my owner, is a forensic photographer. Her fingers perspired as they gripped my sides. Her index finger pushed down the crown on the top of my head. As the electrical current wove its way through my chasms, I released my flash. I felt a warmth as I released energy, a focused beam of light capturing a horrific event. Sadly, I was pointed at less than savory scenes. Soon after my purchase, I began learning more about my owner, Lydia Walker. Her darkest secrets, unbeknownst to those close to her, and only I, a physical Kodak camera, knew the true sadness that lay beneath the facade. If I could talk, I would tell Lydia that she is a fantastic person. I admired her strength and resolve. The problem is that cameras can’t speak. I can hear them talking. The police are worried. A woman is found with calling cards left by the killer, signaling more victims are surely to come. Lydia is intrigued, perhaps even obsessed, with the mind of the killer. Sadly, she can relate. She is broken, a woman whose childhood has created a mind saturated with the thought of vengeance. As I ponder, isn’t she on the good side, trying to catch the criminals?

Stephanie Rose, our author, writes this novel where readers see how a child's upbringing is an important factor in their outcomes in life. Unfortunately, we needn't be reminded of how the foster parent system has some inherent flaws. Abuse on every level. Instead of crafting children whose only dream is to live and be free, it creates adults filled with fear and the inability to connect with others. Worse yet are those who take it a step further, and here, dear readers, is where that story begins.

Adam, our antagonist, or is he? Is he doing society a favor? What we know is that multiple murders are happening in the Portland area. Staged crime scenes and meticulously plotted pictures lay before the deceased in various states before and after the murders took place. What was the murderer trying to say? Lydia has an understanding of this person. She thinks like them. There is an underlying connection that belies an ability to see pain within others. Like sees like. What happens if Lydia meets this killer in real life? Is she empathetic?

In a somewhat crazy scenario, Lydia and Adam cross paths. The connection is strong and unlike anything they have had before. However, at this point in life, they seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Are they able to somehow meet in the middle, or will one give in to some hidden desires?

I lay dormant on the shelf. I look across at the masterpieces strewn on Lydia’s floor. “I produce outstanding pictures,” I thought. Lost in contemplation, I hear a knock on the door. Strange, she never gets visitors. Then it came to me. I tried to hop off the shelf to warn her, but to no avail. I was too late. Sadly, I had a feeling I was about to get more use.

A strong trigger warning to those with any issues with child abuse, sexual abuse, or animal abuse. Stay clear.

Recommended reading!

Many thanks to the publisher, Death by TBR Books, for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

2.5/5 Stars
I will say, check trigger warnings before reading this book it is definitely heavy and touches on some topics that may not be suitable for some.
This had a potential to be a very good story, but there was quite some issues that arouse within reading it. Although it is a quick read, it felt like most of the story was repetitive, I mean you're seeing the POV from Lydia, taking pictures at the crime scene then seeing the POV from the killer and how it happened almost back and forth and the same details are touched upon. I feel like more really needed to be added here for a proper story.
Another little quirk I had, was this story felt like it was mores telling, not a lot of showing of things happening. We got a lot of information early on that could've been presented later on that would've possibly made both characters have a better "development almost".
It also did drive me a little nuts the bookstore name was mentioned about 13 times. I do think it was cool that the author included the bookstore that they own irl, as the bookstore in the story, but I do think that the bookstore didn't need to be named almost every time.
Thank you to Netgalley and Death by TBR for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hiding Lies by Stephanie Rose is a fast, dark, and twisted little book that really surprised me. It follows Lydia, a forensic photographer haunted by past trauma, and Adam,who we learn very early on is the killer.

I loved the dual POVs, it made it feel tense and intimate in a very disturbing way. The writing is sharp, the pace doesn’t let up, and even though some of the emotional beats felt a bit rushed, I appreciated the way the story explored grief, obsession, and what it means to see someone clearly… even when they’re a monster.

Definitely one for fans of You or Criminal Minds with a splash of dark romance. Twisted but human.

I really enjoyed this one!
Though the writing was cumbersome and the dialogue stilted and awkward, I really enjoyed the general premise.
Following both the new serial killer and the forensic photographer who is the only one who can identify him is a really unique idea. By half way through the book I was really rooting for those crazy kids!
The ending, while disappointing for those of us who wanted them to go on a spree together, was realistic and I liked staying true to Lydia's integrity.

I wanted to love this so badly, but I don’t think I’m its target audience. It hits quite a few of my personal pet peeves—some of which come from my background in criminology and my aversion to true crime—but beyond that, I still struggled with several aspects of the novel.

The biggest issue for me was the over-reliance on telling rather than showing. The two leads felt underdeveloped, and their arcs lacked the depth I was hoping for. It didn’t help that their motivations and backstories were infodumped early on, making it hard to stay invested.

Dialogues often came off as stilted and perfunctory, and side characters had no point besides driving the story further. I was looking forward to the romance, but it felt rushed and stretched my suspension of disbelief too far for it to land.

Lastly, the book approaches certain sensitive topics with a heavy hand, and though there is an attempt at challenging some disturbing ideas, it feels too weak to truly confront earlier implications.

That said, the internal monologues were surprisingly strong, and I believe some characters had real potential. Plus, it did entertain me from beginning to end, which is a feat in and of itself.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I inadvertently requested this book again even though I've previously read and reviewed it. That's my mistake but, I must say, I love this new cover! Great job to whomever the credit belongs.

This is a fantastic book about a forensic photographer who has a chance meeting with a man in a store. She's quickly swept off her feet and they begin a seemingly nice romantic relationship. Until secrets come out and blood is shed. Now she must make a life changing decision and either way she chooses will alter the course of her life.

While this is a love story of sorts, it turns into a twisted one and it keeps getting more tense as the novel progresses. I highly recommend it.

Another 5 star book and one I have so much to say about! I love reading horror novels and being able to give them high ratings. Because so many people read them despite not being comfortable with the content and then give it a horrible rating that lowers the average rating. Few things annoy me more when it comes to book or movie reviews. This book in particular has content warnings, which are there for a very obvious purpose. About those I have a few things to say. First, I love that they were posted at the end of the book. It’s often I see them where the dedication would usually be and I read them not knowing it’s content warnings and…I don’t like seeing them, personally. To me, they’re spoilers. I appreciate it’s important to add them to books but I personally don’t find any content is too much for me and I can’t generalise and say I’ll never read books that contain SA, for example, because there are plenty in which it’s not done in an exploitative way. So I rather read the books and decide if the content is executed in a way I find distasteful or disrespectful. But I’m lucky nothing will trigger me. So placing them at the end and adding a note before the book starts pointing out where these warnings can be found is the way to go. That being said, I think people shouldn’t look at these warnings for this book and say “not for me” because it’s not that bad. I feel the way those topics were executed was one in which it’ll make it easier for people to read about it. It’s not that gory, in my opinion. It’s not exploitative. There is a reason why those topics are included in the book. And I just don’t want people to be scared of the book because of those warnings and miss out on a great story.

The author’s note made me feel quite proud of the author, even though I don’t know her personally. But I think so many of us who write to deal with real life issues, as a sort of therapy, or who dream about publishing a book but have faced rejection can relate to the author’s story. It’s nice to see someone working to make that dream come true and I will definitely be reading her future books because this debut novel was fantastic. So if the natural thing happens and the author keeps getting better…we’re in for a literary treat. And I don’t want to miss it.

I’m a fan of twisted and dark stories. I love reading books with morally grey characters and often find myself agreeing with them a lot. Then they say something truly unhinged and I stop agreeing. But I love being in their heads and seeing how they justify their thoughts and actions in such an intelligent way. They aren’t just cartoonish crazy characters. It truly is fascinating and people like that exist, hence why so many are addicted to true crime and similar media. We want to understand how their brains work.
When we meet our protagonist Lydia, we get her backstory and it’s so easy to understand how all that trauma shaped her into who she is. That’s the main topic in this book. Trauma. And how everyone deals with it and lets it affect their lives in different ways. The similarities and the contrast between Lydia and Adam was such a fascinating dynamic to read about. But deep down, they were both hurt human beings looking for someone who could accept them the way they are for once. This is why I would consider this more as a kind of psychological horror rather than just a gory story. There’s the gore too but it feels like that’s not the main storyline. It’s the result of that psychological aspect. And I love psychological horror that covers real life issues.

That’s the thing too. Going back a bit to the content warnings, this is real life stuff. Horror is a genre that allows us to explore the darker side of humanity in a different way. Other genres can cover the topic of trauma and still add heavy topics to the plot. But with horror, we can cross lines. We can really show how awful people can be. And it’s important to tell those stories, instead of sugarcoating them.

The idea behind why Adam acts the way he does was actually brilliant. I really enjoyed seeing how he reached the conclusion that there was only one thing to do. He was, in my opinion, incredibly wrong blaming the wrong people for how bad his childhood was but that also was shown in how he saw all the victims. He was clearly obsessed with blaming the women more, based on something that didn’t really happen. Whereas Lydia had a more clear idea of who wronged her and who deserved to pay for it. So that clash of reasonings was one I was excited to read about.
Even if they thought they were the same, they were so incredibly different at the same time. Their moral compass was not the same at all and the exploration of those nuances was really well done. It basically showed how trauma doesn’t always manifest in the same way and that’s just realistic. Heather and Frank also had their own personal trauma and they also channeled that feeling in different ways.

I adored all the mentions of “The Silence of The Lambs” because it’s such a good comparison with these characters. There was probably another character that came before Hannibal Lecter but I feel he was the one that became very mainstream, thanks to the success of the movie, and made people deal with that uncomfortable feeling of actually understanding and maybe admiring a character that’s clearly the bad guy. I read Lydia’s and Adam’s POVs and feel similar to how I did reading about Hannibal. I can’t help but be in awe at the intelligence shown and, again, I feel it’s fascinating to read a first person POV when the character is showing no remorse whatsoever. Given how popular true crime is, I feel this book could be a great read for many so hopefully it gets the attention I believe it deserves.

What a great read! A short book that is the perfect length (I believe making this story longer would hurt it a little. It could make certain parts a bit redundant) and that has great social commentary and fantastic characters. As far as debut novels go, it doesn’t get much better. So I’ll for sure do my part and recommend the book to as many people as possible.

Hiding Lies is a twisted thrill ride that blends forensic grit with morally gray obsession. Lydia, a forensic photographer with a taste for the macabre, finds herself caught in a dark web of crime, secrets, and disturbing chemistry. It’s Dexter meets You with a sprinkle of “this is deeply wrong and yet I can’t stop reading.” 😮‍💨

Stephanie Rose does a fantastic job building atmosphere — the tension is sharp, the pacing quick, and the alternating POVs keep things deeply unsettling in the best way. The central relationship is equal parts magnetic and horrifying (and that’s a compliment).

My only critique? The last third felt a little rushed. I wanted a deeper emotional spiral before the finale hit. Still, this is a darkly compelling debut, perfect for readers who love their thrillers bloody, morally ambiguous, and just a little unhinged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stephanie Rose’s Hiding Lies is a dark, disturbing piece of horror that dives headfirst into the darkest corners of humanity and what they are capable of. On second reading, this book has lost none of its power and in fact is even stronger with the inclusion of brilliant new ending. This ending really changes everything and turns Lydia into even more of a well rounded and powerful character.

Lydia has always had death on her mind. She thinks a lot about her own death and the death of others.

After a traumatic past in foster homes, she is now a forensic Photographer. She doesn't get close to people because they don't understand her, until she meets Adam. Someone who understands her and doesn't judge her.

Now we are following Lydia as she has to photograph the crime scenes of a serial killer.

I liked where this story went. Getting the past of Lydia was kind of sad but really explained her character and her reasoning for thinking. I loved the ending!

Thank you to Netgalley and Death by TBR books for the copy of this story!