Posted on: https://readingbetweenthepagesblog.wordpress.com/
Posted date: 4/12/2017

This is my first book by Lisa Scottoline. The description of the book caught my attention right away, I loved the book cover, and I’m always looking for a good mystery.

Right from the first paragraph I was intrigued. Chris is applying for a teaching job but he isn’t as he appears to be. He gets the job and befriends three of his students, Raz, Jordan, and Evan, and plans on using one of them – for what, we don’t know. Along with learning about the lives of these three boys we also learn about their families, specifically their moms who all seem to be dealing with some kind of personal struggle.

I always find it enjoyable when you’re reading a book and feel one way about a character, then a vital piece of information is revealed about them and what you thought you knew completely changes. The book is broken up into steps indicating that things will be intensifying and they did just that. I enjoyed the shorter chapters because they encourage you to read “just one more”. At the same time I feel like these shorter chapters, in combination with so many characters, did the story a disservice. I found it hard to really connect with any of the characters or storylines. I felt at times the story lost its focus, but held out hope that in the end it would all make sense. The last two-thirds of the book picked up for me and the flow felt much better. This may not be my favorite book of all time but I won’t hesitate to pick up another Lisa Scottoline book in the future.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Lisa Scottoline for an opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

As always, Scottoline has written a pretty darn good page turner that's hard to review because of spoilers. Suffice it to say, she's used the suburban environment and the importance we place on our kids and team sports to create a thriller that will make you question how well you know your neighbors. Good writing, a twisty plot, and intriguing characters (Chris is so creepy but why oh why does no one see it early on?) made this a good, fast read that's perfect for travel, the beach, or a lazy day. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm a fan of Scottoline and you will be too after this one!

Chris Brennan gets hired at a local high school near Philadelphia as a teacher and a baseball coach assistant. Chris is not his real name though and his whole life story is a fake. He quickly befriends three boys from the baseball team who have troubling home conditions and has a plan for them.
The book is divided into two parts, Step one where Chris bonds with the community and Step two where his reasons and master plan is explained. Along with Chris’s story we get involved with the three boys and their domestic situations.
I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline and was real excited when I got approved for the the ARC. Though not a big thriller the book had enough twists and turns to keep me intrigued. Not one of my favorite Lisa Scottoline books but a quick fast entertaining read. A solid 3.5 stars
Many Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I believe this is the second book I have read by this author and I am a fan! What a fabulous heart pounding thrill this was to read! Chris Brennan has established himself as a high school teacher and new assistant baseball coach with a fake resume and background. He has done research on the students he has chosen, as well as the other teachers and the parents. Everything he needs is in place, he only has to gain the trust of the three boys so that he can follow through with his plans. He is very determined and nothing and no one is going to stop him. This author kept me guessing what Chris was actually up to for a long time but her ingenious story line assured there was never a dull moment. From small town charm, to small town gossip, high school drama and heart breaking personal lives, I was riveted to the very end! You won't be able to put this one down for long, if at all!

It's difficult to tell too much about this mystery without giving away some of the surprises. The plot is nothing unusual...the hero saves the world and gets the girl, and the bad guys are brought to justice... and that's exactly what you expect will happen from the beginning. Its not a gripping, white knuckle story. It's an easy, comfortable read and if that's what you're looking for, you will be pleased.
I gave it three stars, because I didn't consider it bad or good. It was a little slow and predictable for me, but I think there are lots of people who like that. It didn't bore or annoy me, so I couldn't call it bad either. Maybe adequate is the way I'd describe it, and suitable for certain people or circumstances.
Note: Thanks to the author and publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One Perfect Lie was a real page turner. Lots of suspense with many twists and turns.

One Perfect Lie is an emotional thriller, set in Central Valley, Pennsylvania. Featuring a suburban domestic terrorist, this action-packed and family-centric drama will keep the reader guessing even after they finish. At first glance, the protagonist appears threatening, seeking to use the trusting community as pawns in his own evil and mysterious chess game. However, as Scottoline unravels the story, she enraptures the reader’s psyche as only she can.

I’ve been a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline for over fifteen years. I love her novels! Her in-depth characters are relatable, her stories hook the reader right off the bat, and there’s always a thrilling ride of twists and turns along the way. “One Perfect Lie” did not disappoint. I was hooked at the cover blurb, “The most perfect lie is the one you tell yourself!”

I love that the first half of the book keeps the reader guessing. Lisa never gives away too much, too soon. From the start, the reader knows Chris Brennan isn’t who he says he is, which immediately arouses numerous questions. The story starts revealing tidbits of information as you read, but never too much. You fight to fit the pieces together all the way to the end. The sub-plots add a lot of depth and intrigue to the story. It reels you in as you read.

This book is full of lies, deception, twists, turns, intrigue, mystery, and a lot of action! This is an exciting and suspenseful crime drama you will definitely want to pass along. Lisa is a masterful storyteller whose novels prove to be quite addicting!

This was my first Lisa Scottoline book, and it was well worth it! Set in a high school with all of the kinds of kids and adults you would expect in a great storyline about a suspected terrorist bombing. The book was well written with well developed characters that you would love or hate! Great book! I will be checking out some of her other books now.

This book is full of action and keeps you reading! I found that I was reading faster and faster towards the end when the action got fast paced.
The story begins with Chris Brennan who sends out a great resume for a teaching job and also assistant baseball coach. He gets the job, but we soon realise that Chris is not the person he appears to be. He has thoroughly researched all the staff and several of the kids at the school and seems to have an ulterior motive for taking on the teaching position. The book also focuses on 3 of the students and their parents and as we get to know them, we realise that they also have secrets in their family lives. What do all these people have in common and why does Chris find it necessary to find out all the details of their personal lives. Then one of the teachers dies and the story takes a turn and takes us on a different path.
This book is well written, one of those stories that flows well and keeps you intrigued. There is action, adventure, sport, romance and everyday family life all wrapped up in one story.

Quite a few twists and turns that make things not what they seem. I have read a few books by this author and she to me is a hit or miss author. This is a hit. I enjoyed it and only took one day to finish this book. I can't really give a good description of this book because it would give a lot away. There are 3 families and Chris that are main characters and they are all very active in the book.
Enjoy!!

Chris Brennan is too good to be true. He’s handsome, young, and intelligent and he steps right into the unplanned teaching vacancy with no problems. Better still, he volunteers to be the assistant coach for the boys’ varsity baseball team. But several hints are dropped along the way that something nefarious is going on in Chris’s mind. He purposely causes anger between three friends in order to single one out. You’re hooked to keep reading, your interest is piqued.
Lisa Scottoline does a good job developing the characters of each young man that she centers on; Raz, Evan and Justin, and their respective mothers. But you can’t shake the threat of impending doom. You know from the hints of massive bomb making, chances are great someone is going to die, and you can’t look away.
I thoroughly enjoy reading Lisa’s books, my favorite being “Every Fifteen Minutes”. So I find it hard not to give this book my typical five stars. About two-thirds in, things start unraveling a bit. Personal feelings develop between Chris and Justin’s mother, which is a boring boilerplate plot that cools my interest. Also, Chris’s larger than life and a bit too unbelievable heroic antics are over the top. I still wanted to keep reading, and I certainly did enjoy this book, but it’s not my favorite. I would encourage others to read it, though. Just be sure to continue reading Lisa’s books. Don’t judge her on this read alone. I’ll certainly keep grabbing up her future books!
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

Lisa Scottoline excels at making people look past everyday, ordinary events and see what lies underneath. Her new thriller, “One Perfect Lie,” is no different – filled with twists and turns, you’re left turning the last page and thinking, “What are the people I know hiding?”

I’m going to try to keep spoilers out of this, so it may be vague, but trust me, you’re going to want to discover them yourself.

From the first page, we know that Chris Brennan, who is applying for a teaching position in a Philadelphia suburb, is lying to everyone. He’s not really a teacher, he’s part of a plan and he needs to find a student from the baseball team to help him with it. He soon targets three friends, Jordan, Evan, and Raz. Each comes from a family whose mother is struggling while trying to maintain the illusion of perfection. What follows is a tale that weaves its way into these suburban homes and exposes a plan that could have major implications.

The book took me about 5 chapters to really get into, but once I was hooked, I was HOOKED. The twists and turns are a mile-a-minute, with each one making you pause and think, “Could this be someone I know?” That’s really the theme of the book: that what you see on the surface may not be the whole story.

I like books like that, that make you think and keep you guessing. Especially with social media these days, everything may seem out in the open, but it’s really not, is it? Texting, Facebook, etc., feature heavily in the novel, which was interesting. I like that Scottoline is able to incorporate things that people deal with everyday into her work, not only that, but it feels fresh, not boring.

I’m hoping Scottoline does some follow-up with these characters, since there is an opening there for more. I would love to see how things look months down the road for these people, who I really got invested in (a sign of what a good writer Scottoline is).

If you like mysteries and classic “whodunnits,” this book will hold your attention to the end and keep you guessing. Her novels aren’t “blood and guts,” they’re classic suspense and thrills all around!

Highly recommended.

This book is a great read for anyone who likes a compelling mystery or who likes to try to understand people that seem too good to be true. Lisa Scottoline draws you into single mother, Heather Larkin's life. Heather, like many single mothers of sons is worried about her son fitting in and having the right male role model.s and a potential bully from a wealthy well known family.. Enter the new government teacher and coach, Chris Brennan he looks like he might be able to guide Heather but is he what he seems?

This was an exciting thriller with lots of twists and once I started reading it I just couldn't put it down.
Chris Brennan is the new teacher at a high school; as well as teaching Government he is also the baseball team coach. However all is not as it seems and right from his job interview to the first classes he teaches and his first attempt at coaching it is clear to the reader that Chris has something planned and it certainly isn't teaching students. Why has he inserted himself inro this high school and what is he plotting.? As the novel moved along it sent a chill down my spine. Chris has a hidden agenda and I could not work out what was on it. He seemed very cold and calculating and I found it difficult to feel any sympathy for him.
I cannot reveal too much of the plot as this will spoil the novel. The characterisations were great and the reader learnt a lot about the teenage protagonists as well as their parents. Each student had a back story and difficult family situations which I found just as interesting as other aspects of the plot.
My only diffuculty with the story were the sections that were about baseball as I am an English reader who knows little about this sport!
This is a fast moving roller coaster of a read and I would recommend it to all thriller fans who enjoy sharp and clever plots. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Lisa Scottoline books, so when I saw One Perfect Lie on NetGalley I had to request it. I was fortunate in being approved. I am very impressed with the book as whole, in the beginning I found it Abit of a slow burner but once I got into it, the suspense built and built .The twists and turns was truly a thrilling and wonderful ride . Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-Arc

Lisa Scottoline never disappoints me. I really enjoy her family mystery/thrillers each time I read them. This one was no different. I have been ill (see previous post) and this is the first book I picked up and read in over 2 months and I finished it pretty quickly. I'm glad I chose this one to get me back into the swing of things. Anyway, Chris Brennan is a likable character even though you have no clue what he's up to for quite some time. Sometimes, he seems evil and I almost didn't forgive him for something that I thought he did (vague, I know, but can't give away spoilers), but still likable regardless. I enjoyed the whole cast of characters, especially Jordan's mother, Heather. She was a woman you wanted to root for for some reason. I went into the book not knowing any details and person and Scottoline kept me guessing throughout. I had no clue that certain people would be involved. It was pretty fast-paced, but highly detailed as well. I highly recommend to friends and family. I do buy these for my high school library as well, because a lot of our teachers enjoy my recommendation of this author.

One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline

Going into the story we know that Chris Brennan is not the same man on paper as he is in real life. Is he good? Is he bad? What is he up to? As he spends time finding out more about the school he teaches in, the community he is living in and the people in town he learns various tidbits of information that are like bread crumbs leading the way to the finale. There are some deaths, some bad people to uncover, some people to save, a bit of romance and ended up being a solid story that ultimately dealt with a “what if” that has happened before and very easily could happen again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1963523571

Perhaps Scottoline's finest work to date, One Perfect Lie grabs the reader from the first page and doesn't let go until the last. One giant plot twist challenges everything the reader has come to believe -- and changes everything. At that point, the already fast-paced story moves even quicker to an exciting and unexpected climax, and provides a satisfying ending.