I enjoyed this. There were a few parts that were hard to actually picture what was being described as going on, and a few parts where I thought the main character acted stupidly because she wasn't sure who to trust or who was lying to her, but those were pretty minor complaints. I'd read more by this author.

Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Southern women can tell a story. Dark and off putting at times this novel was a page turner. Carpenter is a go to author for me

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

Wow! I’m not using into thrillers, but I got swept away by this story. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

The main character of this novel, Megan, is the daughter of a famous author who wrote the (fictional) cult classic horror novel "Kitten." When Megan is approached to write a book about her difficult relationship with her own mother, she also starts researching the real-life inspiration for the book Kitten and the fictionalized murder therein. The book is very atmospheric and suspenseful, but also a little confusing at times, and kind of went off the rails at the end. 3.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter.

Meg Ashley is doing everything she can to get out from under the huge empire and reputation of her mother, of whom she has a strained relationship at best. So intrigue hits her heavy when offered a chance to write a tell-all about her literary legend of a mother and finally break free.

Man, this had so much promise, but it took a lot of work to really get through it. I had to re-read and re-read for the story to really stick, which tells me of it's readability. It has twists and turns, but none of them are ever solid enough to really stick an interest. Being one who read A LOT of thriller and suspense novels, this was not my favorite.

I enjoyed parts of this story, but other times I found myself really struggling to stick with it. I can't say that it was a great read, but it wasn't terrible either. Just slow, and not quite as exciting and gripping as I had hoped.

I liked the twisty, confusing nature of this story! I was not a huge fan of the romance-it felt very tacked on and I thought it was unnecessary. This is one of the few books I’ve read recently where the twist really surprised me, and I loved that. Having the book within a book was a really nice touch that I haven’t seen much before, and that really brought it up a level.

Meg Ashley has a task when she travels to a small and secluded island in Georgia. She is going to discover the truth behind Kitten, her mother's cult best-selling novel, decades old.

While Meg believes Frances is definitely the main antagonist throughout her privileged, yet love-starved life, she has many lessons to learn about how the other half lives. She never seems to quite be able to adjust and seems to insult the natives at every turn, despite her best efforts. She does, however, manage to befriend the matron of the house and her male helper.

The Weight of Lies is definitely an apt title, as they all carry the weight of many lies. I enjoyed the tale, the twists and the end. Definitely worth the time.

4.5 stars
Excellent everything! I really enjoyed this one especially because of its unique premise. It wasn't the same old plot and characters. The characters here were deep and flawed. And I really couldn't guess the plot twist. But at the same time, the end was believable and felt right with the rest of the novel. Do you ever read a book and think that ending didn't go with the first half? I think books try to hard nowadays and come away as being inauthentic. I will be reading more from this author as soon as I can get my hands on one of her books.

Meg Ashley, poor little rich girl who grew up ignored by her rich and famous author mother, finally has the chance at revenge. She has been asked to write a tell all memoir about her mother. In order to do so, she must visit the island on which her mother's famous book is based. What is the true story behind her mother's famous murder mystery, Kitten? Who really killed the child? What is her mother hiding? Did members of the Kitty Cult stumble upon the truth? Will Meg be able to find out the truth and survive it? This is a fun mystery suspense novel and I enjoyed it very much.

I regret to say (especially after reading all the positive reviews for this title) that I just couldn't seem to get into it. Every time I started to read it, I found myself drifting off and finding other things to do. Perhaps this one just wasn't my cup of tea...

Getting to the book. It's about Megan Ashley, daughter of Frances Ashley- a Author of great repute, known for her book "kitten"... Kitten comes with a lot of controversy, and Megan who has always had a bitter relationship with her mother is given a chance to uncover the truth behind the book.
This leads Megan to Bonny Island where Kitten is based. The book runs between chapters of kitten and the main story. This is my second book where another book ( actually two) is kind of the protagonist. First of all, kudos to the Author for weaving two stories so seamlessly.
It's a thriller that is lush with drama, hints of romance and twists and turns that keep you on the edge. The past of each person is so twisted and mysterious, it's almost a challenge to keep up! But boy, is it worth it!!! I couldn't get to the bottom of things till the very end because every single character is so mysterious and untrustworthy in their own ways.
The touch of Native American rights, hints of magic and tons of mystery keep the book going brilliantly!
Right from the plot, to the character building- this book is a real winner and I can't imagine how tricky it must've been to put this one together. It's books like this that make you want to chat up with the Author and just understand more, about the sheer brilliance that's gone into it.
This has been such a wholesome read, am still recuperating from it, and picking my next read is going to be tricky!
Overall, I loved this one! One of the bests this year for sure♥️😍. High on drama, excitement and mystery- you sure should check it out. .

What a rollercoaster ride of a book, and of a life for Megan, our protagonist. Raised by the self-absorbed author of a bestselling 70s-era horror novel, Megan feels adrift and resentful of the havoc her mother and her mother's cult classic book have wreaked on her life. Deciding to write a book of her own - the true story of growing up an Ashley, and the true story of the people her mother used (and destroyed) for the basis of her novel - Megan heads to run-down Ambletern to figure out what really happened there. She quickly realizes that nothing and no one are what they seem, and we follow her down the terrifying rabbit hole of not knowing who to trust, who to fear, and who is a killer.

Well-written and full of suspense, the story is interspersed with "excerpts" from Kitten, the campy horror novel Megan's mother wrote, adding another layer of originality and mystery. I do wish the ending had a little more explanation for <spoiler>how they got off Bonny Island, how Koa and Frances managed to survive their injuries, and why Megan decided to mend fences with her mother</spoiler>, but overall this was a really enjoyable read.

WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SOONER?! This book was great! I love a great page turner. I didn't want to put this one down. This was like a story within a story and I had to keep reading to get to the end. I would definitely recommend this to EVERYONE. I hope this author writes SO many more books.

"The Weight of Lies" was an absorbing and enthralling book (for me). A young woman decides to investigate a long ago murder that inspired her mother's novel that turned out to be a bestseller. She has more on her mind than investigating the murder but I don't like spoilers.
I liked reading this unusual novel but was distracted from time to time and would put it down for a bit. There was just so much going on. Don't let that deter you from picking the book up. I really did like the story and am looking forward to reading more by Emily Carpenter.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Another stunner from Emily Carpenter. The highest praise I could give a book is that it reminds me of either of my favorite authors - Kate Morton and Agatha Christie. The Weight of Lies had tones of each of them. The story-within-a-story reflects what I love about Morton's The Distant Hours. And the you'll-never-guess ending is so Christie.

The Weight of Lies had me bouncing from one theory to another, enthralled with the plight of Megan's character, all amid the lush backdrop of an island rich with Native American history.

Do yourself a favor and order this one today.

Thank you to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.