Georgia and Sean are a loving couple with a young son, Sam, and then is a blink of an eye, everything is changed. Sean is killed in a hit and run accident, and Georgia is left to pick up the pieces of her former life. But in the ensuing months, strange and unnerving things begin to happen. And Georgia fears for her life and her sanity. Above all, she must protect Sam. Author Siri Mitchell paints a tense and suspenseful tale that pulses with intrigue and danger. Georgia must decide whom she can trust, when no one seems trustworthy. Well written dialogue, well drawn characters, and a masterfully devised storyline are artfully woven together for a cohesive and enthralling tale. ( )

Siri Mitchell has been a favorite author of mine for a long time. Always one to create a good story, she has ramped up her game with the suspense novel, State of Lies. This book caught my attention from the opening lines and never let go. It is one of the best suspense novels I have read (listened to) causing me to gasp out loud and to stay clinging to the edge of my seat. If you are looking for a great book, this one is a must-read.

State of Lies is told from the first person perspective of Georgie Brennan. I felt so connected to this character through her honest voice as she navigates first grief and loss and then doubts, anger, and fear. She is a very strong character you will love. Georgie’s perseverance and analytical mind help her in her quest for the truth. The reader, along with Georgie, is taken on a twisting journey with no one to trust. Georgie’s methodical investigation kept her focused in the midst of some very unsettling circumstances. Other characters emerge from Georgie’s observations and interactions. Mitchell did a great job of bringing them to life as well. The suspense is non-stop which I really, really liked. The setting of the book was also perfect for me. My son’s family lives in the Arlington, Virginia-area, and many of the scenes took place in familiar locales, many of which I have visited. Of particular note to the audiobook: the reader/narrator was excellent. She made Georgie very real. The dry humor that helped to balance the suspense was naturally conveyed. I also loved the other voices she included, especially Georgie’s boss. If you listen to the audiobook, you will understand what I mean.

For fans of suspense, State of Lies is an excellent choice. It has it all — great characters and a page-turning plot. It is highly recommended!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Title: State of Lies
Author: Siri Mitchell
Pages: 368
Year: 2019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Georgie Brennan is a widowed mother of a young son. Her husband was killed in a car accident eight months ago. She is a physicist by trade, but her job is in jeopardy. Her son doesn’t seem to be coping too well with his father’s death according to his teacher at school. She has yet to clean up her husband’s belongings, so she begins that task in the home office. She discovers a notebook of her husband’s with strange notations made after a list of names. Also, his laptop is missing. That night she thinks she hears noises coming from the crawl space underneath her house. She chalks that up to nerves, but then she receives a mysterious message on her phone from her dead husband’s cell phone and she begins to question what her husband was involved in before his death.
She is close to her mother and father. Her father is a four-star general and has been offered the position of Secretary of Defense. He first must undergo confirmation hearings, but it seems he will soon have this job close to the President of the United States. Georgie’s questioning leads to half truths or non-answers that cause her to dig deeper. She soon realizes that she has brought danger to her home, her son and herself. Who can she trust to help her discover the truth?
Please, please, please write more books in this genre! I was engaged from the get-go. There is plenty of action, intrigue and political espionage happening to keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Readers won’t get bored with this suspense-filled tale. The writing is such that my attention was grabbed and held from beginning to end. There are surprises in the plot that will keep readers constantly on their toes, trying to figure out which characters are the good guys and which ones are the bad guys. I look forward to hopefully many more books in this genre from this talented author.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Intriguing plot. Well written. ( )

State of Lies by Siri Mitchell is a political thriller. Our protagonist, Georgia Brennan is a physicist who works on contracts for the government. She is also a wife and mother. Her husband, Sean works for the Department of Defense as a historian. One day, Sean goes out to pick up a part for their leaky faucet and never returns. He was killed in a hit-and-run accident which devastates Georgia. When she realizes Sean told her lie, Georgia begins searching for answers. I thought it contained good writing with twists and surprising revelations. I did feel it was a little bit of a slow starter, but the pace soon picks up as Georgia begins looking into her husband’s death. She begins to hear noises around her home at night. There are some slow sections in the middle with the pace increasing later in the story. The mystery is intriguing with its complexity. It dives into military operations and political figures. Georgia is not sure who she can trust. She wants the truth, but Georgia needs to keep her son safe as well as their beloved dog. There is violence and some gory details. It can be solved depending upon the number of mysteries you have read. While State of Lies if put out by a Christian publisher, it is not a Christian story. I did find the sections on Georgia’s work to be a little dull with their detailed explanations. State of Lies is a suspenseful novel with one woman searching for the truth amid political conspiracies, mistrust, riddles, falsehoods, and espionage. ( )