Monday, June 6, 2022

The Lies I Tell

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
6/21/22; 320 pages
Sourcebooks

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark is a very highly recommended fast-paced, intriguing story of revenge. The narrative alternates between the point-of-view of two women, one which has used many aliases over the years.

Meg Williams has gone by many names as an adult. She carefully uses a different name and history in whatever new town she has moved to for each new con job she is pulling. Meg is very intelligent and meticulously plans out each long con job. She will mold herself to be exactly who she wants you to see and will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Now she has returned to Los Angeles and is posing as a real estate agent. Her target is Ron Ashton, the man who swindled her mother and stole their home forcing the two of them to live in a van.

Kat Roberts is a journalist who blames Meg for ruing her life. For the past 10 years she has been looking for Meg, wanting to expose her for her crimes. Kat tracks Meg, becomes close to her under an assumed name, and Meg offers her a job with her company. As Kat investigates, though, the lines begin to blur between revenge and justice.

This well-written narrative uses the altering points-of-view and flashbacks to develop the characters and their background while keeping the pace quick throughout the novel. This results in fully realized characters and an intriguing, compelling plot. Meg does lie. She is clever and believable as she spins her story but exactly who are her target victims and toward what final purpose? As more information is disclosed readers will be questioning everything and everyone, including Kat's vendetta against her.

The pages will fly by in The Lies I Tell and hold your attention throughout the entire novel. The chapters from the past and present work together to create complex characters, a credible backstory, and work seamlessly to develop the intricate plot. One you start reading it will be hard to put it down, but it won't matter because the pages will fly by. This domestic story of revenge is entertaining escapism and should please a wide variety of readers. 4.5 rounded up

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley.

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