The Lies I Told by Mary Burton
Mystery / thriller. Multi viewpoint both past and present.
Two sisters, twins, yet very different even if they look alike. One is dead. The other doesn’t remember the days surrounding the incident. It’s a cold case, but nearing retirement has the case reopened.

Suspenseful and twisty. Social issues and views from “him” make this thrilling to read. Pay attention. You don’t want to miss anything. ( )

The story is filled with mystery and suspense. dangerous secrets, lies, and manipulations with a fair amount of mystery and suspense. There are a lot of people that could be guilty, and there’s no way to tell who’s telling the truth. The author made her main characters extremely unlikeable and entirely unsympathetic. Actually, all of the main characters came with their own load of bone-crushing baggage. A therapist could have spent their entire career sorting through. Despite there being a lot going on, the plot kind of meandered throughout the story. Some scenes were fast paced and interesting while others dragged on and on and were just boring. The ending left me a bit on edge. There was a conclusion to the case, but there were so many other things going on that were left unresolved and unanswered. It wasn't an entirely bad book, and I'm sure there are many people that will have no problem with any of it. I have just read better by this author. ( )

The Lies I Told by Mary Burton

My, my, my - What a dark twisted story this is! I could not put this book down and had to find out what happened even though it meant staying up later to finish the last page.

What I liked:
* The plot, pacing, and setting with superb writing
* The way the secrets and lies, and there were many, that came out through the telling of the story
* Marissa Stockton: twin, daughter, sister, artist, photographer, addict, survivor, committed to finding her twin sister’s murderer…no matter what
* Clare Stockton: Marissa’s twin who died too soon
* Detective Richards: seasoned policeman and detective in charge of cases involving two Stockton family members, never gave up on solving Clare’s murder, nearing retirement age
* The look into the dysfunctional family the Stockton’s were – it was rather overwhelming when all was revealed
* The points of view of more than one character in this story, including the murderer
* The flashbacks to the past that fleshed out the story
* Paul: Marissa’s neighbor, lawyer, potential friend, and possible love interest
* Wondering what would have happened if one or more character in the story had done something other than what they did OR if the secrets kept and lies told had come to light earlier
* That it made me think and care and hope for more good than bad days in Marissa’s future
* Hoping that Karma would come back three-fold on those who had done evil and smack them HARD
* That all the threads of this tangled story were tied together so well by the end
* Thinking about what happens after the last page of this book

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The dysfunctional Stockton family and how it impacted them all
* That evil people got away with so much for so many years

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

I found the perspective switching between characters, and the past and present, added a layer of emotion that draws you in and showcases the frustration and confusion Marisa herself was going through, as well as her struggle with her relationships past and present.

Having recently lost part of her memory in a car accident, believed caused by a slip in her sobriety, Marisa is trying to prove to her sister, Brit she can keep it together.

Fourteen years ago Marisa Stockton ceased being an identical twin, was thrown into a tailspin of substance abuse and unable to process the loss. Now she finally has got her life together and is sober. Her sister's murder is about to become a cold-case as the lead detective is retiring, she is determined to delve into the past and prevent that from happening.

What really happened that night, and who is lying? As she pushes for the truth, and at the same time trying to recall the lost days leading to her accident, will she herself survive?

This read was unique and definitely interesting!

Thanks to Montlake for the ARC e-book on NetGalley

#MaryBurton #NetGalley #Montlake ( )