Prepare for a gem of a book. Astonishing in its character portrayal and story line, I was truly amazed at the author's ability to juggle the complexity of the book's structure, but also a number of different narratives without making it obtuse or overwhelming. Meg Ashley has a very turbulent and fraught relationship with her famous author mother, Frances Ashley. When Frances was in her late teens she wrote a best selling novel, Kitten, which turned into a cult classic about the murder of a young girl. The murder took place on Bonny Island, Georgia where Meg returns to unearth secrets that the followers of Kitten had unearthed. Here she plans to write a scathing novel about her mother as she tries to unearth secrets of the past. The book is separated by chapters of the mother's book which correspond to Meg's discovery of new secrets and lies. However, this review does not even do it justice. I was swept away trying to figure out the tangled web Carpenter wove. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another layer was uncovered bringing the complexity of the story to new heights. There is so much more to this mystery than a simple tale; this could be the winner of the summer.

Wow! This is a psychological thriller that had me guessing until the very end!

Megan's the daughter of Frances, a very famous writer who wrote a classic horror novel. Megan has been living off her trust fund and avoiding said mother, who is at turns neglectful and overwrought. When Megan is given the opportunity to go to the remote island where Frances got her inspiration for the book, she jumps at the chance. She wants to take revenge and untangle herself from the shadows of Frances' fame.

Ambletern is at first idllyic, and Doro (the once little girl Frances modeled her villainess after) seems friendly and accommodating. But Megan soon realizes that she's being lied to. Who can she trust? And who committed the real life murder?

Interspersed between Megan's journey to Ambletern are snippets from Frances' horror novel, which gives us clues about what Frances experienced/saw while there.

Even with these clues, however, I kept changing my mind about who Megan should trust. At one point or another, almost everyone at Ambletern seemed suspicious!

Both Megan's angst toward her mother, and her attempts to do something worthwhile with her life, endeared her to me. I know, angst usually isn't an endearing quality. But the weary tension between Megan and Frances felt very real to me. I understood where Megan was coming from.

Tangled up in the mystery (both real and in Frances' book) is Ambletern and its relationship to the Native American community living there. We get a good, toxic taste of both cultural appropriation and obsession. This could have been problematic, but I feel it was handled very well.

And can I say again how much I loved the book within a book? I almost wish I could read Frances' novel in its entirety!

Wow! This book keeps you coming back for more then entire way through! There is a never ending list of questions to ask along the way and some pretty heavy secrets to be revealed. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good family secret!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This book kept me up late reading. Highly recommend!

I found another gem of a book that y’all need to add to your summer reading lists ASAP! This was such a compelling read, I simply devoured it and it could be the ultimate definition of a page turner. It has a totally unique and fascinating premise, characters that ranged from the relatable to the odd and scary, and a stunning atmosphere that was creepy and gorgeous at the same time. Don’t forget a crazy, multilayered mystery that goes back forty years and a hint of romance, what more could you want?!

This was a book within a book, what I like to call bookception, don’t be hesitant and assume it’s confusing because it’s not at all. Meg is the daughter of a super famous author best known for her cult classic, Kitten. It’s a classic seventies horror novel (think Carrie) and has a huge fan base. The formatting was genius and really gripped me, in between each chapter from Meg in present day you get excerpts from Kitten as well. I loved the kitschy vibe of these sections and if Mrs. Carpenter could go ahead and make Kitten a full length novel that would be great! The similarities between Kitten and what was actually happening in Meg’s life were eerie and awesome.

The atmosphere had me completely absorbed, Meg travels to the hotel Kitten was based on and it’s now a ramshackle pit with only a handful of people working there. It was simultaneously spooky and beautiful and I fell right down the rabbit hole alongside Meg as she tried to untangle a massive web of lies her mother wove. Doro is the hotels owner and part of the inspiration behind the book and was such a complex and interesting character as well.

This was a total binge read despite the complicated structure, it made me turn the pages faster as I grew desperate to know not only what Meg would uncover but also how Kitten ended. I’m blown away by how flawlessly Carpenter plotted this, it’s truly impressive. There is a lot of diversity here as the island has ties to Native American history which was a totally appreciated addition by me. I think it’s safe to say that Carpenter is the queen of Souther Gothic fiction, this book was a marvel.

I really enjoyed the book. The characters were well-developed and interesting. It had twists that I never saw at all. It is really a family drama/mystery which is one of my favorite types of books. I recommend the book!

here are family secrets and then there are family secrets....

Megan Ashley has grown up living a very privileged life. Her Mother is a best selling "Horror" writer - think the female version of Stephen King. There is a lot of angst in their relationship. In public, her Mother, the famous Frances Ashley, is loving and present. They appear to be a happy Mother-Daughter duo. In Private, there is a cold distance, manipulation, secrets, and isolation. Meg is not happy that she was constantly shipped away to boarding schools while her Mother lived in the limelight of her own success.

Success that Frances Ashley found after writing the Novel "Kitten" at the age of 19. A novel that has a cult like following. A novel which tells the story of the murder of a young girl, which happened years ago on Bonny Island, Georgia.

Meg wants to start a new life and be independent from her famous Mother. The two women have not spoken in three years. Then one day, Meg receives an invitation to attend her Mother's Birthday party which is quickly followed by tragic news. Meg, sad and alone, is approached to write a tell all book about her Mother and the story behind her world famous book "Kitten".

Meg goes to Bonny Island and soon meets the real life woman, Dorothy, who everyone believes is the inspiration behind the book "Kitten". She and Dorothy form a kinship and Meg feels like she is at home. She enjoys the people working at the once popular hotel. She begins to ask questions and delve into the murder of the young Native American girl. There are several suspects but who carried out the heinous crime? I like that we are faced with several suspects and theories as to who killed the girl. Will Meg ever get the answers she is looking for? As Meg gets closer to the truth, it appears that not everyone is as they seem. Almost everyone that Meg comes into contact with has his/her own secrets and agendas. Secrets they are willing to do anything to keep. Who can be trusted when the proverbial shit hits the fan?

I enjoyed the novel within a novel in this book. It is not a unique idea but it worked to tell some back story. This book is full of lies, plot twists, secrets, family secrets, long buried anger, suspicion and doubt. Meg is a great and likable character. She is strong yet also flawed and with a much understood chip on her shoulder. All she ever wanted was a Mom but what she got was a celebrity in love with her own fame.

This book is very atmospheric and the island itself feels like a character in this book. There is a plot twist I did not see coming - which I love. The ending had everything tied up nicely. Some may argue a little too nicely but it worked for me. I found this to be a solid mystery/thriller with a little romance thrown in.

I received a copy of this book from the Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love this story of a young woman, Meg, trying to expose the truth about her mother, author of a 1970's cult classic, horror novel "Kitten." The story really picks up once Meg arrives on Bonny Island and starts digging into her mother's past. Since Carpenter is masterful at setting a creepy scene, you better believe the island is draped in mystery -- and the dilapidated inn is fabulous! I also enjoy how THE WEIGHT OF LIES goes back and forth between current day and brief chapters from the infamous book. Finally, I appreciated the emphasis on Native American culture.. This is SUCH a fun and suspenseful read. Can't wait for Carpenter's next novel.

Megan, 24, hasn’t seen her mother, Frances, in three years, they haven’t even communicated. See, her mother, a famous writer, has psychologically abused her for her entire life, so Megan did everything she could to escape. Until she rushes back to New York when her mother invites her to her birthday and tells her that Edgar, who’s an “uncle figure” to Megan, isn’t well. When she gets there, she learns that her mother cancelled the party and fled to California to get married. She is then made an offer she can’t refuse. Asa, Frances’s agent, asks her to write a book about her childhood and everything her mother ever did to her, but not only that. He wants Megan to inquire about the behinds of Frances’s first and most famous book, “Kitten”. Frances got the inspiration for it when she was just 19 and came to live on a remote island in Georgia. The story she tells is very close to events that actually happened at that time. She talks about the little girl who got murdered and every people in the hotel too. Except the murderer in the book isn’t the same as the one the police agreed on and ever since the book came out that girl, who was eight at the time and portrayed as a dangerous psychopath, has been stigmatized and harassed.
Asa tells Megan that she too should have her revenge and tell her side of the story.
So Megan goes to the island where secrets are deeply buried and how can she know who to trust and who’s lying?

I truly enjoyed this story. I got attached to Megan and came to hate everyone standing in her way. Megan was a complex and deeply interesting character. The setting of the book was horrible in the best way and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. I basically read this in two sittings and once I truly got into the story, I couldn’t put it down. However, I felt like the story took some time to get started.

I liked that every chapter started with an extract from “Kitten” but I have to admit, I mostly skimmed those because I wanted to know what was happening in the current timeline.

The reason this book didn’t get 5 stars is because I was really disappointed by the ending. I mean I was so mad at Asa and Frances, I can’t believe they were so easily forgiven.
Also, about the ending, I guess I felt like it could have had a longer epilogue where we could have truly seen the aftermath of everything….

One of the best suspense books I've read in years. . From first page until last the plot twists and turns, and you're kept on the edge of your seat until the very end. It just kept getting better.

Absolutely addicting and hard to put down!!
I loved this book. I had not read anything by this author before but will most definitely be looking to purchase her other books.
'The Weight of Lies" takes us through the journey of spoiled little rich girl, Meg who decides to write a tell all novel about her writer Mother. She travels to a small island town in Georgia where her mother lived and where her novel is based. What she finds is anything but normal.
This is not your classic Who Done It murder mystery but a very evolved thriller that explores a decades old murder (or two) and the danger that awaits those who seek to solve the puzzle.

My only complaint about the storyline is the mother of Meg. Now that I know the plot twist (and I won't give it away), I don't really understand why she didn't try a little harder to convince her to go home and not explore this island. I also don't understand why she didn't have a relationship with her at all and why she never told her some of the information about her own novel.

In all though - this is a book worth reading! You won't put it down. I cannot wait to read Emily Carpenter's other novels.

Megan Ashley is trying to expose the truth behind her mothers 1970's cult classic, horror novel "Kitten"! Her whole life has been overshadowed by her famous, selfish and almost neglectful mother! As an adult, she has had enough and decides to right her own book revealing the truth about the 40 year old murder that inspired her mother's book.
The book goes back and forth from her current day research to actual chapters from the infamous book "Kitten" and kept me guessing on who to trust and believe the whole way through. There is a surprising twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC which I really enjoyed!

This was an amazing, thrilling, who done it book!!! A completely grab you and not let you go book!! So many lies, so many clues, but everything seems to change with each of the characters you meet. Who is telling the truth? I love Emily Carpenter's writing. Her descriptions of the scenery make you feel like you are on the beach and can pet the horses. It is a great mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an ARC of the book for an honest review.

This is a fast paced roller coaster of a book! I was gripped from start to finish. This story takes you right into its Southern Gothic setting, and keeps you there.

I was first interested in this book because of its amazing cover art. I'm glad I went past that, and got into this story as well. I spent the whole book suspecting everyone, and even now that I'm finished, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of it. Several times throughout, I had to remind myself that Kitten wasn't actually a book, and this wasn't a story I could Google to get information on. To the author - well done!

The Weight of Lies is a gripping mystery/suspense about a wronged daughter determined to investigate the truth behind her mother’s “success.”

Meg Ashley, daughter of famous horror novelist Frances Ashley, has a tumultuous relationship with her mother. While her mother is happy to play up their relationship for the camera, their relationship behind closed doors is close to nonexistent.

After three years of not speaking,Meg returns home and gets lured into a revenge plot: She can sell the story of her troubled childhood,make lots of money, and rid herself of her mother in her life for good. In order to make this book as appealing as possible, Meg sets off to the coastal Georgia islands to investigate the child, now woman, who served as inspiration for her mother’s famous horror novel, Kitten.

On Bonny island, Meg finally feels like she has found a home. She feels an instant connection with Doro, the inspiration for Kitten and Bonny island. As Meg finds herself growing closer to Doro, the truth behind her mother’s lies slowly start to come to light and Meg realizes that all is not all that she thought it to be. Meg’s life is put in danger, and she must decide whether or not to trust Frances.

There’s a lot going on in The Weight of Lies . In addition to the mother/daughter drama and the mystery behind Kitten, there’s also romance, and a lot of Native American mythology. At times, there’s almost too much going on. However, I couldn’t put this book down!! The creepy atmosphere of Bonny Island adds a layer of creepiness. I loved trying to solve the mystery behind Kitten. The ending is jam packed and wrapped up a little too neatly. Overall, I would definitely recommend.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wicked Suspense with a Masterful Touch of Horror

Meg Ashley’s young life has been overshadowed by domineering mother Frances. Flamboyant, charismatic, and thoroughly self-absorbed, Frances Ashley’s claim to fame is having authored the iconic 70s horror novel KITTEN. Categorized as fiction, dark rumors started by her legion of fans allege it to be more fact than imagination. Rumors ascribe the book’s plot to be based on an actual murder that took place on Bonny Island many years ago. When Meg is given a chance to get out from under her mother’s thumb by writing a tell-all book about life with the illustrious celebrity, it includes returning to the remote island and discovering what she can about the decades old killing. Although warned to stay away, an intrepid heart and need for revenge for a miserable childhood burn brightly in her heart. They combine to override the very real possibility of the murderer still being alive and willing to do anything to keep the secret from being exposed.

THE WEIGHT OF LIES by Emily Carpenter is a fantastically entertaining read! Ms. Carpenter is a sharpshooter of a wordsmith and terrific storyteller to boot. She weaves a tale that you will pull you into the maelstrom of this sinister world of lies and deceit, and you’ll love her for including you in it.

The central idea is brilliant, and made more so by the way Ms. Carpenter has chosen to let the story unfold. The chapters are written in tandem so we are treated to tastes of the fictional best-selling KITTEN in between vibrant throbbing slices of Meg Ashley’s sojourn into the past. The clashes between mother and daughter reek of desperation and isolation from the most important person in their lives. The supporting characters are exceptionally well-defined, as is the chief suspect Doro Kitchens. Doro is the person that Frances’ cultish fans have pegged as Kitten, and finding out exactly how much she’s like the fictional character is half the fun.

There’s nothing I like better than a spidery dollop of the macabre with my mysteries, and that’s what happens here. I was screaming for Meg to get off that island from the moment she set foot on it, but luckily Ms. Carpenter didn’t listen and kept right on writing! The result is a story that’s rich, complex, and designed to let you simmer in the juices of intrigue. I sped through, turning pages as fast as I could process the clues, and guessing right along with Meg as to who did what to whom. What happens is made worthwhile by a slam bang of an ending that comes out of the cleverly crafted tale and slaps you silly.

Five stars to Ms. Carpenter and THE WEIGHT OF LIES! Wait, does that make ten? Well, it should! I highly recommend picking this one up and sinking into a remarkably original story. Now all Ms. Carpenter need do is finish writing KITTEN! I would love to purchase such a companion piece and keep them on my bookshelf as a matched set! Seeing her in a red wig and winging it in a Frances-type pose on the back cover would be too much!

In keeping with the rules of full disclosure, I received an ARC copy of this novel on NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow. The cover of this book is what had me interested originally, after reading the description I knew it was a book I needed to read. I could not put it down. I found myself wishing I could actually read the book this book is centered around, Kitten. There are chapter excerpts from Kitten between every chapter of The Weight of Lies, and it's a book I would definitely read if it actually existed. Carpenter keeps you guessing throughout the entire book about who you can and cannot trust. It's never really clear until the last few pages. Then there's the life-shattering twist that I never saw coming. Emily Carpenter is a brilliant writer and I'll definitely have to check out her first novel as well.

Whew-The Weight of Lies was suspenseful and creepy.

Brief description: In this gripping, atmospheric family drama, a young woman investigates the forty-year-old murder that inspired her mother’s bestselling novel, and uncovers devastating truths—and dangerous lies.

Strangely, the excerpts from the bestselling cult novel were less interesting than I would have expected, but the story of
Meg Ashley's digging into her mother's past and her attempts to discover how much truth was involved in her mother's "fictitious" account of a murder was suitably Gothic, convoluted, and weird.

Carpenter is no Stephen King, but I was glued to the pages.

NetGalley/Lake Union Publishing

Mystery/Suspense. June 6, 2017. Print length: 382 pages.

art mother/daughter novel, part murder mystery, Meg goes to Bonny Island off the coast of Georgia to research her a tell-all memoir. After growing up with money and a narcissistic mother, Meg is asked to write about her mom, a woman who became wealthy and famous for a novel based on a real-life murder of a child on Bonny Island. Frances had been a nineteen-year-old visiting the island when the murder took place. She named the protagonist Kitten based on a real girl, Dorothy, who is now the owner of the hotel, which is now closed to visitors.

For years the hotel made money off of the rabid fans of the Kitten book, but the fans became increasingly deranged, and Dorothy, who is now forty-eight, closed the hotel to all but three employees who help keep the hotel from falling into complete disrepair.

We know as soon as the ferry captain tells Meg that cell and internet reception are spotty that something mysterious and possibly dangerous awaits Meg on that island.

One of the people who works on there is handsome Native American Loa. The romantic tension between Loa and Meg is great.

Meg is a likeable character despite being a spoiled and bitter young woman. Stateside she has struggled to get a career going; a trust fund means she’s not reliant on work to survive. If she writes this book, her mother will cut her off. Initially Meg doesn’t want to do it, but then thinks it might be cathartic to write about what it was like to be Frances Avery’s daughter as well as possibly find out who really killed young Kim Baker.
Meg is likeable because it’s not her fault her mother ignored her and focused on her books, fans, and multiple marriages. I liked the dynamic of the self-absorbed and manipulative Frances and her troubled-but-trying daughter. The hotel and island made for a great setting for the mystery of what really happened to the young girl, and also the mystery of Meg’s misguided relationship with an older married man when she was just sixteen years old—Meg is also finding herself on this research trip.

This wasn’t my favorite novel of the year, but the writing is good and I was compelled to keep to reading to resolve the many questions raised.