The Last Time I Lied is a twisty, turny read that had me HOOKED from page 1. I didn't know if I would like it as much as Final Girls but this one EXCEEDED my expectations. This is going to be the book of the summer, I'll tell you that! I will now be adding the author to the TOP of my "must have" list and always keeping an eye out for future novels.

4.5 stars (full review to come closer to release)

I am really enjoying the books by this author. This one had a huge surprise at the end that I NEVER saw coming. I look forward to more books.

Final Girls by Riley Sager was one of my favorite books from 2017 so when I saw that the author had finished another book for publication in 2018, I immediately reached out to the publisher for an ARC.

The Last Time I lied follows Emma Davis, both in the present and in the past, 15 years ago, at Camp Nightingale. When Emma attended Camp Nightingale the first time, she was 13 and after arriving late, is placed in the Dogwood cabin with 3 older girls, Vivian, Nataie and Allison, all around the age of 16. One night, Emma awakes to the girls sneaking out of the cabin in the middle of the night and Vivian telling her to go back to sleep. The girls are never seen again. Fast forward 15 years and Emma is an artist living in New York. Her paintings are very popular, but the only thing she seems to be able to paint is the 3 missing girls, which she also paints over with trees, branches and leaves so no one else can see them. Her paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the owner of Camp Nightingae, who then asks Emma to come back as a painting instructor, as the camp is finally reopening. Emma decides to return, hoping that she can find some answers and maybe more on from what happened 15 years ago, as it still haunts her. However, after arriving Emma starts noticing things don't seem quite right; there is a security camera pointed right at her cabin door and Emma starts to find clues Vivian left behind about the disturbing orgins of the camp. As Emma continues to investigate, things take a startling turn and she finds herself in a seemingly familiar position.

I immediately loved this book from the very begining. Emma is an interesting and well developed character and I enjoyed the fact that she is pretty open about what she is feeling. The book is told from her perspective and occurs during the present, with chapters flipping back to 15 years ago to tell the story of the first time she was at camp. Franny is another interesting character, along with Chet and Theo, Franny's sons. There are also some other characters that attended camp with Emma 15 years ago, such as Becca, who also return for the camps reopening. As the book progresses, you start to wonder what is true and what isn't. What is actually happening and what isn't. I really enjoyed the plot and the book moves along a steady pace the entire time. I love the author's writing and could picture the entire camp and surrounding lands easily while reading. The plot twists in this book are excellent, as is the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but if you haven't already, definitely add this to your TBR. Riley Sager has easily become one of my favorite authors with these first 2 books.

Thanks to Dutton Books for sending me an ARC of this book.

A little bit of a slow burner but I enjoyed it. I loved the summer camp setting. I thought the story was all wrapped up but the final pages surprised me!

I was instantly drawn to idea of an adult returning to her summer camp after something terrible had happened there when we was young. The book started off slower for me, but I loved the back and forth between the past and present. I also enjoyed slowly getting to find out what happened instead of it all coming out at once. I got really worried that this thriller would end up the same way as so many but it completed surprised me. One of the twists I did see coming, but wow that final twist I never would have guessed!

I really loved the ending and thought it wrapped up everything nicely, although I still have one question (that I won't share as it is a spoiler). I liked the relationships and distrust between the adults at camp, it really made the story more dynamic and keep me guessing who really was to blame. The 3 new campers in Emma's cabin were fantastic, and very believable as young girls who looked up to their older counselor.

I defiantly need to go back and read Sager's first book and I can't wait for more from him.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dutton publishing, and Riley Sager for my copy.

The start of the book was slow and flipped from past to present a lot, to me that is distracting. But the middle of the book quickly grabbed my attention and the ending was a complete surprise. I love a book that keeps you guessing till the end and then you are completely wrong about who did it

What a tre,me Foy’s read, and what a sensational twist at the end. I was a huge fan of The Final Girls, but I just say, this book is much more so,I’d and astute. The psychology is bang on and the characters live and breathe. Really marvelous, and I thrilled to hand sell for sure.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first part was to slow and drawn out., switching back and forth from past to present was a little confusing. Then the story picked up and was really good and I didn't want to put it down. The end I felt was rushed and choppy. All the questions were answered but it seemed like the author just wanted to get it over and done with.

Amazing, but will leave a much better review near deadline, in a large group and if possible change here as well. Highly, highly recommend!

Review: THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager

I leaped to read this psychological suspense novel because I had loved Riley Sager' s first pseudonymous novel, FINAL GIRLS. This one started a little slow for me, and I never really warmed up to the protagonist, whom I considered whiny and far too self-absorbed. However, it wasn't too long before I became engrossed in the story, and I thought both the denouement and the penultimate conclusion made the wait worth while. Then the final conclusion! Let me just add, this plot line is seriously twisty. Like the X-Files mantra, "Trust No One" is the order of the day here.