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A Novel
by Julie Clark
Book Reviewed by:The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.
The new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight!
She's back. Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be―a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.
Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.
Kat
Present—June
She stands across the room from me, in a small cluster of donors, talking and laughing. A jazz quartet plays in a corner, the bouncing, slipping notes dancing around us, a low undertone of class and money. Meg Williams. I take a sip of wine, savoring the expensive vintage, the weight of the crystal glass, and I watch her. There are few photographs of her in existence—a grainy senior portrait from an old high school yearbook, and another image pulled from a 2009 YMCA staff directory—but I recognized her immediately. My first thought: She's back. Followed closely by my second: Finally.
As soon as I saw her, I tucked my press credentials into my purse and kept to the perimeter of the room. I've been to all of Ron Ashton's campaign events in the past three months, watching and waiting for Meg to make her appearance—called there by a Google Alert I set ten years ago. After a decade of silence, it pinged in April, with the ...
Olivia’s father tells her, “Very rarely do people like what they find when they go digging into the past.” How did you feel about his statement here? Do you agree with him?
All families probably have some secrets- I personally would rather know the truth than be brought up believing a lie. I was raised with a lie and when the truth came out I was very upset. I would rather have known the truth from the beginning.
-Elise_B
Overall, what did you think of The Ghostwriter? (no spoilers, please!)
While, i'm not sure it was as good as The Lies I Tell, I did like it. I like the atmospheric quality of it..kind of spooky…the house, the woods, the murders..almost storytime around the campfire vibe. Clark does a great job building plot but at times it's a little too slow. Her real gift is in cr...
-Helen_B
Olivia feels her family’s past and secrets are so harmful to her that she hides them from everyone, even her closest partner. Do you think she’s right to do so? Are there things you keep from your loved ones?
I think it is fine to walk away from a painful past and to keep that private. But not from those you love and are in a trusting relationship with. Once she knew she loved Tom, she should have told him. He would have understood the initial lie as a protection and matter of privacy. But loving rela...
-Susan_L
This novel is a lot of fun to read and also raises important questions about money, power, revenge, and justice in modern America (Rebecca H). What I enjoyed most was the insight into what makes a con work. I recommend this suspenseful thriller that will hold your interest to the ending. It will make you question, is doing the wrong thing for the "right" reason OK? The Lies I Tell is sure to be a great beach read this summer (Catherine H)...continued
Full Review
(652 words)
(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).
Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive
A meticulously plotted mindbender, with a last page I can only describe as a triumph. Do not miss it. Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of A Good Marriage and Friends like These
The Lies I Tell is a uniquely riveting cat and mouse game with two artfully nuanced female protagonists that is at once a razor-sharp, page-turning mystery and a brilliant, thought-provoking exploration of what it truly means to do good in the world. Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Julie Clark has done it again...taking you straight into the collision course of two dynamic, complicated women. Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
Clark knocks it out of the park with The Lies I Tell. A modern-day Robin Hood with a feminist twist. This is one of the best books you'll read this year. Unputdownable! Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
The Lies I Tell is a knockout. Smart, savvy and so duplicitous with a propulsive storyline and two of the most beguiling female characters I've ever met. Julie Clark does it again! Sarah Pekkanen, co-author of The Golden Couple
Another terrific nail-biter by Julie Clark. The Lies I Tell weaves together the stories of two strong, complicated women: a brilliant con artist, and the journalist determined to unmask her. Fast-paced and beautifully plotted.
In Julie Clark's The Lies I Tell, main character Kat's boyfriend Scott struggles with a gambling addiction, which affects the two of them and their relationship. When asked in an interview what she wanted readers to take away from Scott's gambling problem, Clark stated, "I want readers to see the complexity and heartache of loving an addict. That they are more than the worst thing they've done."
Sometimes referred to as a gambling disorder, or compulsive gambling, this type of addiction is characterized by the ongoing urge to gamble, even when it leads to consequences that have a destructive effect on one's life and the lives of others. Poker or other card games, playing slots and betting on sporting events are all activities that ...
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