This is an enthralling fast-paced thriller, and I definitely enjoyed it more than Scottoline's last book. I am thankful that the publisher sent me a link to this book so that I could give her work another shot. This had all the elements of suspense, mystery, and intrigue. Each character is well developed, even the minor ones. It seems Scottoline let's the cat out of the bag right at the beginning of the book regarding the master plan. Then she use the rest of the book to lay the groundwork and unfold the layers or the plot. Except things may not be as they seem.

There is a huge plot twist 1/3 into book. You will not see this coming, and it will completely change your perceptions and train of thought. After the plot twist Scottoline drops hints of foreshadowing here and there, helping you to build a new theory about what is going on. But, again, you will be wrong. Just strap in and enjoy this book, but be prepared to be reading long into the night.

I would recommend this book to fans of mysteries and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from St. Martin's Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was one crazy roller coaster of a read. Chris Brennan, high school government teacher and baseball coach, is not who he portrays himself to be. The first section of the book has you thinking one thing, and then there is a huge twist that shakes up everything you thought, and then even more twists from there. This a fast-paced story with lots of twists, turns, and surprises that keep you on your toes as a reader. It reads like an exciting action/thriller film, and I would love to see it adapted for film because it is so suited for it. I think it's a little different than the usual from Scottoline, while still being true to some of the hallmarks of her writing.

My only complaint with it would be that I wish more time was spent developing the relationships between Chris, the students/baseball team members, the other teachers at the school, and with Heather, the mom of one of the students/baseball team members, Jordan. The relationships and thoughts Chris has about these people don't read as completely believable because of the short time and section of the story spent on it. The book is almost 400 pages, though, so it would have been more like 500 to give it the level of development I would prefer. It didn't even feel like close to 400 pages when reading it, though, because the story moves so fast and is such a thrill ride. It was likely pretty comparable to what you would get with a film script, though, so maybe this is just me being picky. It didn't ruin the book for me at all, but it is enough to keep me from giving 5 stars. If 4.5 were possible, I would go with that.

Otherwise, loved the book and do recommend it. Scottoline's readers may be women more often than men, but I think men would love this one too, and I know it would be a hit as a film. If you thrillers and fast-paced books with lots of action, this is a must read.

This was a slow burner for me. It took a while to get going and for the suspense to start building but once it did I was into it. There is a lot going on besides the arrival of Chris Brennan who is not at all who he claims to be. There are multiple back-stories happening at once including Heather struggling as a single mom, Mindy who is suspicious of her cheating husband for all the wrong reasons, and who had my suspicions aroused as well!

Well, this book really surprised me time after time. Scotterline has a knack for thrilling books that also present some interesting thought about life, and this was indeed the case here.

And this one definitely threw me for a total loop. I'm used to not being able to guess what will happen in a book; however, I'm not used to books crossing over to entirely different genres than I thought they were in.

Chris as a character had much more depth to him than I initially thought. The way that his background led him to be the type of person he was really sad to read about but made him a more well-rounded person. At first, I definitely thought that he'd be pretty flat and predictable, but he was far from it, and the kind of psychopathic tendencies he had were fabulous.

I can't say I adore Scottoline's writing style; there's something a little bit too fatalistic to it though I can't place my finger on why. However, the curves this threw me for (one so much so that I had to reread five pages to make sure I hadn't missed something) were a lot of fun. Still, though there was some gore, I didn't feel completely on edge.

There were politics to this also that were intriguing. I'm not going to add much more so as not to spoil anything, but yeah.

This is a pretty solid thriller. Would recommend.

Chris Brennan is one of my favorite characters. I really did not like him at first but then as the storyline progressed...Wow! This is one of her best! It kept me on the edge of my seat! This is one stand alone that I hope to see the characters again. Evan, Mindy, Jordan, Heather, Raz, Susan, even the Rabbi....So many more stories to be told! Loved this book!

At the start, all we know is that nothing about Chris Brennan—including his name—is real. He’s applying for a job as a teacher and coach in a town where there is a deep divide between the haves and have nots. He wants to befriend a junior boy on the baseball team for some nefarious purpose.

There are three boys he focuses on, and thus, three stories of mothers and sons and their complex relationships.

This novel gets more fast-paced and exciting the more you read, with all the twists and turns of any great suspense novel, but unlike most suspense novels, this one delves into the challenging relationships between mothers and sons, giving it more substance. (It does not make being the mother of teenage boy look like any fun, especially in the age of cell phones.)

One of the mothers seems a little too perfect—the hardworking, blue-collar single mom, Heather. But the other two moms are satisfyingly flawed people.

I can’t say more about the plot without giving anything away, but trust me, this was super fun—I even got a little teary in places toward the end, which I’m pretty sure I’ve never done in a suspense novel.

It had been a while since I’ve read Lisa Scottoline, but I’ll definitely be reading more.

Wow! I don't want to spoil any of the plot but I will say that for the first third of the book, I had a really sick feeling in my stomach about where the plot might be going. But then the twist...I definitely didn't see that coming! Very well done! This was a fun read! Thank you for the opportunity to read this in advance!

A fast paced edge of your seat kind of story. Terror that sits like a pit in your stomach. I had a hard time putting this book down, and when I did I kept thinking about the characters and storyline. Kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. I am just getting into Scottoline's books and can't wait to read some of the older titles.

I enjoy Scottoline’s writing and have read all of her books featuring attorney Bennie Rosato. This is outside of that series and with it, Scottoline has hit a home run! The development of all the various characters is excellent. There is good insight into the mind of a (non sexual) predator and a twist (well more than one) that has you guessing and makes you not want to put down the book until the end. As a bonus, you even learn a little about our government! The climax was a little over the top, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. Be prepared to read this book well into the night……

Well paced story. Intriguing. Read it in two sittings.

This was a great mystery. I was drawn in from the beginning by what I thought was a creepy and scary man in an unsuspecting town. About half way through, you learn that what you thought you knew isn't what it appeared to be making the mystery even more intriguing. This book is exciting to the end!

Good but not great storyline. I liked the characters but they weren't well developed.

Thank you for this free preview of this book! I could not put this book down. I even set aside my housework and work from my job so that i could finish reading this book. I was hooked from the first page. There were multiple surprises throughout the book. I was sorry when I reached the ending. Despite the abrupt ending, ( i would like to have known more - like 6 months to 1 year later about some of the characters) I still found this to be an excellent read. Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors and i always look forward to reading her books.

wow what a great read. very interesting storyline. good twist and turns and really enjoyed this

Wow, what a phenomenal book. In it, Chris infiltrates a high school as a teacher and coach. He quickly begins looking for a loner boy to serve as his "unwitting" patsy. This novel starts out with that disturbing premise, then quickly takes off in directions that I couldn't predict.

This is one of those books that will haunt you long after you've put it down. The author has meticulously researched the setting and details, making the novel feel very credible and real. This is different from her legal thrillers, but fans will not be disappointed as this is one of her (IMHO) best books yet.

This is a must read novel that fans of the genre will love.....and if you're not a fan of the genre, this might just change your mind. The author is on my must read authors' list.

After reading a few chapters of One Perfect Lie I was tempted to set it aside. Despite the story putting me on edge, Scottoline's wonderful writing drew me back time and time again. And I'm so glad. This is a "hold onto your hat" thrill ride that delivers an unusually deep character study. Yes, some of the twists and turns are a bit forced or under-developed, and at times first name usage gets confusing, but Scottoline rises well above the ordinary in giving us this terrific read.

This is one of those stories where you automatically think the worst within the first few pages of the book. You think you are reading a story about a sick pedophile or murderer yet the story turns on you quickly. Overall very great read. The characters are believable yet complex and well developed. One of those great reads that intrigues you from start to very climactic finish!

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book that I dropped the other book that I was reading and immediately picked this one up. Scottoline's stories never cease to leave my mind scrambling to identify the twists early (I'm hardly every correct though!). In this instance, the story took such an unexpected change, that I literally thought I had read the first part of the book incorrectly and missed something. Nope - just that unexpected twist!

The reading is fast paced and was a quick read for me as I wanted to understand the full plot and mystery. The ending got a little unbelievable and "action packed" for me, which nearly caused me to rate the book a little lower. Overall it was another good story from Scottoline.

This story was entertaining but it also seemed like there was way too much going on that was put together in a rather disjointed fashion.

Scottoline literally "hits this novel out of the ball park"!!! Well done Lisa! A page turner from first to last page, with so many twists and turns. Just as you think you know a character - WHAM! - you find out they're not who you think they are. Well researched and GO GREAT VALLEY!!!