Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Lisa Scottoline’s latest stand-alone, One Perfect Lie.
As with most of Ms. Scottoline’s works, this was a gripping, can’t stop, don’t want to stop reading book which takes place in Central Valley, a small affluent suburban town in Pennsylvania. Chris Brennan is the new teacher and assistant coach at the high school, but who is he really? We learn early on that he isn’t there just to teach, he’s is plotting some scheme that seems like it may be somewhat terrifying. He tries to get close to a core group of boys that are both in his class and on the baseball team in order for his scheme to work. We are introduced to these boys and their families, and of course to their back stories which play a pivotal role in how the story plays out.
Filled with many twists and turns, One Perfect Lie is another winner from Lisa Scottoline. I highly recommend!

Lisa Scottoline has written another compulsively readable book with One Perfect Lie. We learn early on that Chris Brennan is lying. Almost every single word he says is a lie, but we do know that for som reason, he's taken a job at a high school and is closely evaluating some of his students. Throughout the first section, as we see him carefully watching these students, it was very eery and disturbing as it was clear he was planning something horrible, and wanted to pull one of his troubled students into his plans. As the book goes on, we learn more about Chris and his plans, but also about the troubled students and their families that he's working with. Scottoline masterfully keeps the tension up throughout the book, never letting the story lag. A very compelling mystery/thriller from one of the masters!

I thought enjoyed this book thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this.

This was not the level of excellence that I have come to expect from Lisa Scottoline. While the events leading up to the climax were good, the ending left me disappointed. Predictable ending with no surprises.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. It was very slow for me in the beginning. Seemed like too much detail with a lot I wasn't interested in. Then it picked up and became much more interesting about one third of the way through. I thought it was going one way and it changed directions, which turned out to be a good thing. I enjoyed the read; not something I would have picked up to read, so was happy to get the chance with this one with Netgalley.

I like Lisa Scottoline books, but this one missed for me. At first, I didn't want to read another school-bombing, teacher-lying book. It turned me off. But then, Chris Brennan is nothing like what he seems. It did have a good twist in the middle, but the ending was so far-fetched. Not a book I would recommend.

In One Perfect Lie, Lisa Scottoline divides her book into steps. In Step One, we meet Chris and he admits everything about his life is a lie. Well he admits it to the reader and no one else. So in reading Step One, I had a definite idea where this book was going. So much so that I never expected the twist of Step Two. I don't want to say anything more than that because that twist totally changes the scope of the entire novel and frankly just proves the writing talent of Lisa Scottoline.
I must say one of the things that I really enjoy about all of Lisa's books is that they are primarily set in and around the Philadelphia area. Being from this area, I always get a kick and how detailed her descriptions are of the setting since it's basically home for me. That said the chase scene at the end of the novel was even better because I could totally visualize the action and it made it that much more exciting. The scene was exciting anyway but even more so when you know the area.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

Woah! What a heart stopping book!
I could not stop reading, because I HAD to know what was going to happen!
Chris Brennan has gotten a job in a high school and has become an assistant baseball coach.
He has to get the boys on his team and in his classes to trust and share information with him.
Why? What is Chris planning? Is he a part of this strange, devastating plot?
Read to find out how this small town becomes more than just a quiet place to live.
You will not believe what is going to happen!

I have read and enjoyed a couple of this author's books so I had high hopes for this one. I was especially quite intrigued by the blurb as it sounded quite different to the books I have been reading recently.
So, Chris Brennan goes for a job as a high school teacher. He has an ulterior motive though which soon has him scoping out certain members of the baseball team. It becomes apparent quite quickly that Chris is there to do a little more than just teach and coach and, as the story unfolds and starts to give up small parts of the puzzle that is Chris, it all starts to come together.
I was swept away by the story initially and followed meekly as the author took me down certain roads, but it was not until a couple of key pieces were uncovered that made me go back and reassess certain assumptions that I had previously made, that I soon started to see the bigger, rather shocking picture.
We meet quite a few characters on our journey, all of them came across as quite real and on the whole credible. The main ones were easy to connect with and that always makes for a better read for me. Obviously some are more open than others but hey, that's true in life too so why not fiction?
Having recently just been to the States to watch my first live baseball match, I was especially interested in the baseball parts of the book. Don't worry, for those with no interest in the sport, they don't overshadow the book at all; I just liked the connection I made with it.
The three boys that the story focuses on are all from different backgrounds. They have different home lives, have suffered different things, and have different relationships with their respective family members. We follow each boy and their mother too and get a glimpse of what life is like for them. I am usually bad with a lot of main players in a book but each character was well drawn and distinct enough so I didn't have any trouble distinguishing them and remembering who went with who!
Pacing was also good. It starts off quite slowly with a bit of scene setting and character development but when the action starts, it goes off at a pretty fast, action packed pace. This is also where Chris really holds his own. And that's all I will say as to explain would provide spoilers. It all culminates in a rather thrilling finale which left me breathless as it wrapped up.
All in all, another great book from someone I now have on my watch list. Must revisit her back catalogue and fill in my gaps.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me hooked from the beginning. It was fast paced and thrilling. The story bounces between several characters, but was easy to follow along. I read well into the night, as I couldn't wait to uncover the climactic ending.

From the very beginning, I was drawn into this story. The twists & turns of the plot & the timing of certain revelations kept me on the edge of my seat, reading feverishly. All I can say is that nothing is as it seems. The story begins with Chris, his background & interactions with the others. We know from the beginning that he is blending in as a school teacher & baseball coach. His "targets" are boys on the baseball team. Everything about him is false. What is his purpose for being there? Why? Good or Evil? Why is he so interested in Jordan, Evan & Raz?

We also gain insights to the families of the boys. You begin to see that the elaborate facades of the perfect family aren't always representative of their true lives. It sometimes takes drastic happenings to wake up family members to what is going on. Evan's mom, Mindy isn't aware her husband & son have been hiding secrets from her. She's been hiding behind her society facade & too many gin & tonics. Jordan's mom has been raising him single handedly, working a dead end job to get by. Raz's dad died unexpectedly several months ago & the entire family is floundering. His mother has been grieving & not stepping up to force Raz & his brother to face what's going on. Will Chris gain their confidence?

This is an excellent thriller set in a suburban community. Unfortunately, the threat is on that is realistic & relatable. Ms. Scottoline does an excellent job of setting the scene & using descriptive prose to make it all realistic. The interactions between Chris & the boys are intense. You can feel the tension ratcheting up as the story goes along. I really didn't see the ending coming!!

One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline takes the reader into the life of an undercover ATF agent named Chris as he dives into a possible domestic terrorism situation in Pennsylvania. Chris uses his cover job as a high school teacher to gather intel on some of the possible participants in what could be a deadly attack. This book has many twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up to the end. Read and enjoy!

I would like to thank Lisa Scottoline, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review!
Review By Stephanie
4.5 Stars
I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline so I was excited to see One Perfect Lie on Netgalley!
The story starts with a handsome stranger moving into a small town. But as the story moves forward we learn this “stranger” isn’t who he says he is. Best part is his is acting as a teacher and baseball coach at the high school but that is a lie too; everything about this stranger is a LIE! He forms a bond with three boys from the baseball team who become the perfect missing pieces for his master plan!
Then there are the mothers of the three boys. Heather, whose son is the newbie on the team; she’s a single mom. Then there is Mindy who has it all; surgeon husband and baseball superstar son. Lastly there is Susan, a widow who is trying to do her best to raise her boys. These mothers and their families are also struggling to keep their secrets and skeletons locked away in their closets.
This novel was amazing! It was jammed packed with everything you could want in a novel. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat, the thriller aspect of the novel had me glued to my kindle and Lisa even tossed in some romance which I LOVED!!! Lisa Scottoline is an amazing author and this book rocked! I look forward reading more from her as she is always a sure thing for an action packed, can’t put down book!

Lisa Scottoline pulled me into One Perfect Lie from the very first chapter.
I was literally stressed out in the opening chapter when Chris Brennan so easily duped the high school staff where he becomes a teacher and coach. I was completely convinced he was the bad guy, and I'm pretty sure that was Scottoline's plan all along.
For the second novel in a row, I've had the opportunity to read Lisa Scottoline's book before its publication. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of One Perfect Lie.

Another slam dunk from Scottoline. This book will resonate well with any preexisting fans and will without doubt garner her some new ones.

This is a stand alone story and a classic suspense/mystery. I wouldn't classify it as a thriller, even though it had it moments, only to try and keep from getting her unnecessary criticism.

The characters are unique and relatable, making the story even more enjoyable and at times nerve wracking. I wanted to write a long review because I enjoyed this so much but every draft I did gave too much away.

Long story short, if you want a fast paced and character driven mystery this is a must read.

Hands down one of the best books I've read this year. I loved the tension created between the characters and the suspense throughout. The twists were great and would not allow me to put the book down! A MUST read for 2017.

Chris Brennan had passed his previous interviews with flying colours – his final one with the principal of Central Valley High and he was a fully-fledged teacher with assistant coach to the Varsity Baseball team also on his payroll. Now he had to get to know his students – he had a plan and not long to implement it.

Trio of friends Raz, Evan and Jordan were obviously close – it was also clear to Chris that Evan was the leader in their little group; Raz was the trouble maker and Jordan a follower. He knew he could make use of the dynamics of the group, and as he learned more about each individual, he started to lay his plans. Raz’s dad had died a few months prior from cancer and Raz had slowly gone off the rails, while Evan seemed to be hiding things behind his bravado. And Jordan had never known his father; his mother had brought him up alone since his birth. Chris would use this knowledge…

As tensions mounted for Chris, cracks started to appear in each of the students’ family lives. Unbeknown to the three boys, Coach Brennan had an agenda and they were included in it. What was going to happen? Why had Chris Brennan appeared in the little town of Central Valley? And what were his intentions?

Wow! Absolutely brilliant! A gripping, intense, gut wrenching psychological thriller which I absolutely loved. Twists, turns, intrigue, secrets, cover-ups – it has it all. One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline is my first by this author in quite a while, and I’d forgotten how expertly she weaves a plot! Filled with nail biting suspense, I was held enthralled until the incredibly dramatic finish. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

Wow! This book had me hooked from the first page. Chris is the new teacher and baseball coach at Central Valley High School in Pennsylvania. He is a popular teacher and quickly befriends a trio of young boys who are all on the team. From the beginning, readers are made aware that Chris has a potentially deadly secret that involves the students and residents of this small town. But what is the secret, and whom will it impact? We soon realize, though, that Chris is not the only one with secrets. Each one of the three boys also harbor deception that has the potential to impact not only themselves, but the community. After a murder in the town, the race begins to find out who the perpetrator might be. Is Chris the loyal and trusting coach that he pretends to be, or are his intentions more ominous?
I knocked this book out in three days, and it would have been sooner, if I didn't have to work. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the plot had many unexpected twists and turns. The climax was a real nailbiter too. Another fantastic novel by Lisa Scottoline!

Chris Brennan is the new government teacher and baseball coach in a surburban high school. He singles out three particular boys for a project he is working on - each of them wounded or vulnerable in their own way. The problem is, everything Chris says is a lie. Scottoline's latest is fast and slick and would make a good movie. It doesn't have quite the depth of some of her earlier works but it was entertaining.

Couldn't put this book down. Fast paced and well written. Highly recommend this book.