I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a thriller within a thriller. Liza is a suspense writer and trying to get back on the best seller list. However, she is dealing with a distant husband and fertility issues. This book bounces between her own story and the story she is writing. As you will quickly see, the stories parallel. Explosive, intense and very enjoyable read. Unputdownable!

This book was written in such an unusual manner, without giving anything away for future readers suffice to say that it kept my interest throughout the entire book. It held my interest until the final page. Thanks.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me read and review this ARC for free!

I really enjoyed this book. It made me glad for a 1 1/2 hour wait in hubby's doctor's office. I couldn't put it down. Told in a very interesting way. First we meet Liza, the mystery writer, and the next chapter is Beth's, the character in her mystery novel. Through Liza and the chapters of the book the story unfolds and we get to know each woman's life. The story intensifies, twists and turns and lines get blurred. By then end my head was spinning. While I loved the book, and thought it was very well written and thrilling, the end was almost a "meh" for me.

Way too confusing. It was hard honestly to tell who the "real" characters and story were versus the fictional version that was being created. I got lost so early on that I didn't want to continue reading. I vaguely skimmed through the remainder of the book to try to get a grasp on what happened. Definitely not a keeper in my library

What a rush! Liza and Beth - who's reality and who is fiction? In a brilliant parallel story line, Cate Holahan tells the tale of a troubled writer struggling to bring a character to life that will satisfy her demanding (if not totally swoon-worthy) publisher. Through both writer's and character's ups and downs, a story unfolds that may be stranger than fiction. Holahan sprinkles hints throughout the story, but leaves the reader guessing until the very last page. Her characters (and her character's characters) are insightful, complex, and real. She clearly understands the depths of pain suffered by a woman scorned, and the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her family. Just when you think you know who's who, guess again.

Lies She Told is a page turner that will suck you in from page one and not let go until it's done.

“I don’t invent my characters. I steal them from my surroundings. To be a writer is to be a thief. Every day I rob myself blind.”

These are the words of the protagonist of the novel, Liza, and indeed, the book deftly blurs the lines between what it means to be an author—what is real and what is fiction in the life of a fiction writer.

Liza is a thriller writer, although a few times she calls herself a romantic suspense writer. I’ve read romantic suspense, and the novel within the novel is not in a romantic suspense book. In the book that Liza is writing, new mother Beth is depressed because she discovers her husband is having an affair. Beth has some sex, but it’s not romantic. Romantic suspense heroines are plucky and don’t weep all the time feeling sorry for themselves.

For that reason, I liked the main storyline with Liza more—she was at least working at her career and trying to have a baby despite reproductive barriers. I definitely identified with going to writing conferences and being a midlist writer. Anyone who has been published or has seriously worked toward publication will also identify.

Liza is writing her book at the same time she’s trying to get pregnant from her husband, who has been distracted by the disappearance of his good friend and law partner, Nick. The mystery of what happened to Nick is compelling, although I didn’t buy the resolution one hundred percent. Even granting the leeway you have to give fiction, it was a stretch.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This author provides a unique way of telling a story by moving from one voice to another by chapters. I found the book interesting but a bit unbelievable.

I loved this book, its almost two for the price of one as the main character is writing a book which is every other chapter. This is another fast paced gripping read that I will be recommending!

Lies She Told was a fabulous suspense novel. Liza is an author, married to Jake, whose best friend Nick is missing. She is writing a novel about new mother Beth, whose husband is having an affair with police officer Colleen. Told in alternating voices between Beth and Liza, the suspense builds to an explosive climax in both fact and fiction. Lies She Told offers a one-two punch that I did not see coming.

Brilliant just brilliant, i would highly recommend this book

I really enjoyed this book. Liza and Beth's stories meshed perfectly to create a suspenseful mystery which kept me interested until the end. My book club will love it.

Liza is struggling; with her career, with her infertility, with her husband.

She is given 30 days to write her new novel, to prove that she has still ‘got it’, that she can produce another hit. At the same time she is undergoing fertility treatment and is suffering all the side-effects of a new hormone treatment. To add to this, her husband is tormented by the disappearance of his friend and partner, Nick and is absorbed in searching for him.

So Liza begins writing her thriller about Beth, a new mother possibly suffering from post-natal depression, but certainly suffering from the anxieties of caring for a newborn baby. She also suspects her husband, a lawyer, is having an affair with a striking police officer and decides to follow him.

I thought the structure of this book was innovative; a book written about a book being written. The main protagonist, Liza, is not only juggling her ‘real life’ but she also uses her writing as an escape from the problems besetting her in her ‘real life’. Meanwhile, Beth is clearly in trouble – things go from bad to worse for her and then she just compounds it all. Inevitably both worlds/plot lines start to merge. Liza is now clearly hearing Beth’s voice; advice, encouragement or just plain sound track. Things start to fracture and murder is on the menu; fictional, actual? What is the truth?

What a very different book. What a very different good book – with quite a good twist that I did not guess.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

A good thriller, but not a great one. Liza is stressing about finishing a novel and gets sucked into her character Beth's world of the things she wants (a baby) and the things she might not (an adulterous spouse). When the worlds start to collide and Liza finds herself mixed in a world of fiction and reality, lines get crossed, truth gets blurred, and disaster piles on. The story drew me in, but it was ultimately the ending that ruined what could've been something really great. I will also mention that I usually really enjoy books with back-and-forth narrators, but because Liza and Beth were so similar at the brining, I often found myself momentarily confused as to whose story I was following. Overall it was a good read and I'm glad I finished it, even if I wasn't thrilled by the ending.

Fan-freakin-tabulous. Yes. I know that’s not a word. I just couldn’t think of another way to describe what the author has done in this book.

Liza is an author of a bestselling book in which she describes through the eyes of a 12-year-old abuse and murder. Since having written that best seller, Liza’s other books have not been so great. She is about to embark on the writing of another book, promising her Editor, Trevor, a draft in 30 days. Oh, the pressure of getting the ideas out onto paper.

The chapters in this book alternate between what is going on in Liza’s life and in the life of the main character of the novel she is writing, Beth. As the reader continues to read, there are parallel themes happening in both the book and the author’s life. And the very small, subliminal similarities are what makes this book even better.

This piece of work was beautifully written with all the suspense, murder, mystery, and surprise anyone needs in a thriller. This is a book I could read again, thus the 5 star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Holahan, and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great twist - really enjoyed how both stories were intertwined. Slightly different but very enjoyable

Thank you to the author, Cate Holahan, the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of "Lies She Told."

I rated this book five stars because how many authors can write not just one but <b>TWO</b> enthralling psychological thrillers in one book?! Cate Holahan has managed to package two parallel and eventually intertwined psychological thriller stories into the confines of one book artfully and masterfully. Both stories are also amazingly delicious and juicy. I could <b>not</b> put this book down.

The story starts off with Liza, a moderately successful mystery/crime writer who is in a not so happy marriage to David, a high profile lawyer. Liza is struggling to write a book after experiencing a lack-luster response to her latest thriller, which has been difficult to swallow given the bestseller success of her first book. She is also struggling to get pregnant, and subjects herself to painful, mind-altering fertility treatments that sometimes leave her questioning her own sanity. David has been unwilling to be close with Liza, placing more stress on her as she pursues fulfilling her wish to conceive a child.

The second story in the book is about Beth and Jake who are also facing marital difficulties among many other issues, one of which includes Jake's infidelities. Jake, like David, is an attorney who works long hours. Beth is stuck at home caring for her baby, Vicky, and is struggling with serious post-partum depression. Stuck in the drudgery of caring for an infant in isolation while her husband is putting long hours in at work, Beth starts spying on Jake and discovers he is cheating on her with a cop involved in one of his cases.

I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but let's just say the lives of Liza and Beth collide and parallel one another as the book comes to crescendo. The scenario in which their lives intersect was shocking but completely realistic - the best formula for an exciting psychological thriller!

A <b>HUGE</b> kudos to Cate Holahan for bringing this story to a fantastic, exciting close. I literally read the book on every work break today because the ending was so fabulous. Her characters are vivid and real despite their character flaws, and the atmosphere and setting is intricate and detailed (especially for a book that is essentially a book within a book). I can't wait to get my hands on Holahan's other books!

Suspenseful and filled with multiple twists. From one page to the next, you become entrenched in a tale that leaves you wondering what is real and what isn't. A must for readers who enjoyed The Girl on the Train.

Great read! The author wove the book-as-plot into the book itself very, very well. And I loved the ending - not too pat, and certainly not rushed. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of Lies She Told through NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Cate Holahan for the opportunity.

The book alternates chapters between Liza, a “romantic suspense” (her words) author, and Beth, the main character of her latest book. The alternating storylines were a nice twist and keeps the reader on their toes by trying to keep them straight. As the book progresses, the storylines seemed to come together, have many parallels and similar/familiar characters, and I was convinced that storylines would merge into one smooth plot.

The ending was disappointingly farfetched and could have been better. The plot was strong and engaging for 2/3 of the book. But for the last third, when I expected a strong finish, loose ends tied and questions answered, I felt the end lacked the substance that the plot was building up to. The ending was very surprising. Liza discovers from her childhood friend Chris that her bestselling novel was based on her repressed, sad, and morbid memories (that Chris had to tell her, which she then recalled) and that her loving, supportive husband was cheating on her with closeted gay college best friend and law partner. These revelations are carelessly tossed at the reader at the very end with no clues sprinkled throughout to give the reader any indication that these twists are occurring.

It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but a good story with slow and steady building plot and an unexpected (and some might feel disappointing) ending.

First of all, I love the cover and title. It took me a little while to get used to the toggling between Liza and Beth and I had to concentrate so that I didn't lose focus on who I was reading about. Overall, I enjoyed this suspenseful tale of a formerly successful author trying to write her next bestseller. But the lines of fiction and reality become seriously blurred. The middle of the story and build-up had me glued although I found the ending a little weak. I would read more from this author. 3.5 stars.
I received this galley in exchange for a honest review.