Lisa is an expert storyteller. She's an established and talented author. I enjoyed this book and the characters were interesting. The plot twist felt a little bit forced. I expected something darker after the big build up.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book. It's definitely one that begins with you thinking it's going to play out one way and then tosses in a bit of information that changes the whole storyline. Great character development, a fast-paced read that I didn't want to put down, and a story that kept you guessing what was going to happen up until the very end.

I'd definitely recommend this to other readers who like thriller-type books.

I have read many of Scottoline's books, and looked forward to this latest one. There is an unexpected twist quite early in the book which only adds to the plot. There are a lot of characters and perhaps, too many, unless the author had lengthened the story. There's missed opportunity of character development. The story itself is exciting and intriguing as well. It's a definite page turner and enjoyable. It's not her best, but still worth reading.

One Perfect Lie is one perfect read! I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel by one of my favorite authors.

I don't want to give away too much about the plot of the book since there are several surprise twists.

Chris Brennan seems perfect, maybe a little too perfect. He is applying for a job to teach high school government class and substitute coach the baseball team. However his motives seem suspicious.

Three of Chris's prospective students, Raz, Jordan and Evan, along with their mothers, each have their own troubles. All three boys are members of the baseball team, but the similarities end there. Jordan is very quiet and withdrawn; Evan is the typical spoiled rich kid and Raz has temper issues and just doesn't quite fit in. Each of their mothers are also dealing with problems of their own.

At the center of all of this is Chris Brennan. What has drawn him to this town and school? What is he planning and who will get hurt in the process?

One Perfect Lie is another fast page turning read by Lisa Scottoline. I was completely blindsided by some of the plot twists in this novel and I love when an author surprises me like that. I would be interested to see if any other novels explore some of the same characters from this book. I think I'd like to read more about them and it seems like there is definitely material for another book. One Perfect Lie would also make for an interesting book club discussion.

I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Take one new high school teacher/baseball coach, three families each with a son on the team- sounds like a great scenario, right? But not necessarily so because as you'll soon find out nothing is as it seems. There are secrets, lies, suspense and action galore. You will bond with the characters and learn of their dysfunctionality through their stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and intrigue in this great crime novel. Another Scottoline thriller.

As a long time fan of Lisa Scottoline I was thrilled to receive this ARC for review through Netgalley and the publisher St. Martins Press. Ms. Scottoline has a masterful writing style that captures the reader from page one. This book is possibly her best book to date. It is equal to the task of her prior books with a fresh new premises of hidden identity, unique characters and underlying plot twist to delight the reader at every turn. The action is non stop, the underlying plots are reveled in perfect time and each character adds to the story. I was captured by page one and unable to stop reading until the end. A excellent addition to any fan of Lisa Scottoline and her work. Thank you for the advance reading copy with gratitude.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and there were many twists and turns,

For all of part one I thought I knew what i was reading, but it turns out I was so wrong. This book kept me guessing at ever turn, and on pins and needles until the very end. So, so good.

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’m pretty new to the world of Lisa Scottoline, but after listening to Every Fifteen Minutes, I knew I would keep an eye out for books of hers that sounded good to me.

So, I kinda liked that we knew from the beginning that Chris was not who he said he was. Usually we don’t find out these kind of things for awhile in the book. But I was also a little wary of Chris. I felt, in some ways, I was watching a Law and Order: SVU type show where bad things were going to happen to young men and their moms.



What I liked:

The cover. Lisa’s covers seem to have a theme and it really works.

The first big twist. I loved it.

How Lisa took a topic ( sexting) and used it to further her story in a thoughtful way and even a way that might could open a dialogue between moms wanting to discuss with their sons/daughters on why sexting is a bad idea.



Bottom line: I didn’t love this as much as I loved Every Fifteen Minutes, but I did enjoy my time in Lisa’s world and look forward to a future visit.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline is a highly recommended thriller.
When Chris Brennan moves to Central Valley, a small town in Pennsylvania, he lets us know right from the start that he's not who he says he is. His name is not really "Chris Brennan." His impressive credentials as he applies to teach at the high school are fake. He's an assistant coach in baseball, although he's never coached before, so he can find the perfect teenage boy. Chris has some kind of secret plan that involves a making a bomb with ammonium chloride fertilizer and it looks like he wants to find a teenage boy to help him pull his plans together. He's only planning to be in Central Valley for a week and he is looking at a boy from the baseball team to assist him.

There are three boys Chris is looking at, and Scottoline follows the point of view of the mothers of these boys and Chris in their alternating narratives.
Susan Sematov's son, Raz, is a member of the team. Her whole family is suffering because their father died a few months ago. Is Raz vulnerable enough to be the one Chris is looking for?
Heather Larkin is a single mother raising her only son Jordan, who is a rookie on the team. Jordan is reserved, but growing up without a father might make him susceptible for Chris's plan.
Mindy Kostis's son Evan is the star catcher of the team. They are a wealthy family. Her husband is a surgeon, Mindy leads the baseball boosters. Evan has grown up without need, was recently given a new BMW, and has a sense of entitlement. Could boredom lead him to look for something more dangerous?

The opening chapters of One Perfect Lie are pretty grim and there is an ominous, dire feeling as you read them wondering what are Chris's real plans and what boy is he going to pick to use to accomplish what must be some nefarious activity. Meeting the mothers of the boys adds to the tension and the backstory of the boys and their home life. Just before the half way point of the novel, the narrative does a huge double flip twist that will shock and surprise you. After the twist, things take off at a break-neck pace to the exciting conclusion.

The characters are all well-developed and finely drawn with a depth of emotion and reality that is nice to see in a thriller. We know Chris's inner thoughts and those of the three mothers. The family life of the boys is explored and depicted in a realistic manner. Scottoline captures the difficulties of raising teenagers today and the realistic struggles many families go through.

The writing is excellent. Scottoline will really throw readers for a loop in this one, especially with one of the twists. Some of the others were easier to predict. This is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller and is a perfect stuck-overnight-at -the-airport book which will keep you entertained for hours.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/05/one-perfect-lie.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1989487424

I have not read much by this author and it was so long ago that I did, that I can't tell if this is her usual style of writing or not. If it is then I am afraid that I won’t be reading anything else by Ms. Scottoline.

It took 40% of this book for any action to really happen, and when the ‘twist’/truth finally came out I was already to the pint of wanting to skim the rest of the book.

The interaction between Chris our main character and his bosses are, in my opinion unbelievable, and bland.

In fact, bland is how the entire book felt to me. I admit that my heart broke for those boys who had lost their fathers, but the relationships between the boys felt forced, the relationship between Mindy and her husband was predictable (and annoyed me) and the sexting and how that worked out was a bit too over the top - although yes I have heard of this happening in real life. I just felt that it added an unnecessary diversion from the main part of the book.

3.5 stars. This book started out strong and the storyline really grabbed you and kept you guessing. The story wasn't as suspenseful and tense as I expected it to be, but was an entertaining and quick read though. I liked the small town feel and the characters that made the town what it was.

3.5 Stars....While I did enjoy this book, I am not sure is will be memorable? Although It was not as suspenseful as I had hoped, it did keep my interest and kept me reading until the end to see what happens! Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for this ARC.

One Perfect Lie is the newest book by Lisa Scottoline. Chris Brennan has applied to teach AP Government at Central Valley High School. He has also requested to be the assistant varsity baseball coach. Chris has excellent resume and is quickly hired. What no one knows is that his resume and name are untruths. Why did Chris position himself at Central Valley High School? Raz Sematov, Jordan Larkin, and Evan Kostis are three of Chris’ students and they are also on the varsity baseball team. Raz is going through a rough patch. His father, Mike passed away a few months ago and Raz is acting out. Raz has a temper (as well as a hyper personality) and he has yet to learn how to control it. Evan Kostis is the popular rich kid with a doctor for a father and a mother who copes by drinking. Jordan Larkin is a quiet boy with a single mother. Jordan’s mother, Heather works as a waitress at Central Valley Country Club. Chris quickly gains the boys trust, but he has an ulterior motive. There is something going on in Central Valley and Chris (or whoever he is) is aware of it. Is he behind it?

One Perfect Lie captured my interest in the beginning. It is clear that Chris is lying (to the reader), but we do not know why. Soon, though, the truth is revealed and the novel is less captivating. I figured out the plot, the twists and the characters involved long before they are revealed. I was hoping for a novel with more suspense, mystery and surprises. I give One Perfect Lie 3 out of 5 stars. I felt that the book was too long and it had a slow pace. The pace slows down considerably in the second half of the book. I just wanted more, and I expected more from this writer. I was disappointed with the romance in the book. It was unnecessary and did not need to be included. I felt that too much of the story (especially in the second half) was devoted to possible relationship between Chris and Heather Larkin (especially the end). There are many characters in this book and the readers get background details on each one of them (I only listed a few of the characters). I did not like the scenes between Chris and his compatriots. I finished the book (finally) and was left with unanswered questions.

'One Perfect Lie' was a fun read and held some surprises. I enjoyed finding out where the story was headed (not where I thought at first!), and following its twists and turns. It is a light, entertaining read that doesn't demand too much of its reader. It would make a perfect beach read.

Well. This one surprised me. I thought I knew where it was going.. and.. I was wrong. It was a great read & I give it five stars very well deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

Agent Curt Abbott of ATF goes undercover as a high school government teacher and assistant baseball coach due to finding out a domestic terrotist plot that he is aware of. He decides to target three possible boys that he teaches and coaches. They are: Jordan who is raised by a single mom,a wealthy Evan, Raz who has just recently lost his father. Curt'S supervisors threaten to end his investigation. Why? Will Curt figure out who is behind the terrorist plot? Will he be able to stop it?

This is a fast paced thriller. There are several surprises. I think that it will be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers. It inadvertently brings up teenagers issues and parents being available to their teenagers.

Lisa Scottoline delivers another delightful, suspenseful book her fans will love. And anyone not yet a fan, will hop on board after this one.

Chris Brennan appears in small-town and applies for a position as a high school teach and baseball coach. His mission.... to befriend one of his high school students to assist him, in what??? It appears something sinister is on the horizon. Now I'm on the edge of my seat. What is this guy up to?

His focus is on three of his students. Evan, who comes from a wealthy family, a privileged spoiled boy whose parents’ marriage is in serious distress; Jordan, a quiet introspective boy, being raised by a single mother that is doing the best she can; Raz, a bit of a loose cannon whose father recently passed away. The family members of these boys add a real life touch to this story.

Each of these families are equally troubled and have struggles of their own, leaving the boys vulnerable to a man trying to befriend them for his own purpose. I loved the suspense and the twists and turns. The timing of the suspense and events kept the story moving at a quick pace. The book was on par with real life families and troubles of today. That being said, being able to relate to the story as real life, made the ending feel a bit over the top.

Great story line with just the right amount of suspense. 4 stars!

3.5 *'s. It's hard to talk about this book at all without revealing spoilers. Chris Brennan takes a job as a high school teacher and assistant baseball coach. He is neither. He seems to be looking for a certain boy on the baseball team to use for some unknown purpose. About a 1/3 of the way into this book, there is a huge reveal. I was pleased with the change and found the new direction interesting. Unfortunately, it just never really went anywhere. I think it could have been so much more with added depth. It felt a little flat at the end. The one thing that did appeal to me as the mother of a teenage boy was the stories of several members of the baseball team. I don't see a lot of teenage boys in the books I read, so that was interesting. It was a quick read with relevant topic. I would have just liked to have seen more development.