Infuriatingly twisted!

I thought I knew where this book was going from a fairly early point. It was so infuriating knowing Joe had not committed a crime but seeing him framed. However, I did NOT see the ending coming. Totally threw me for a loop! This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time wanting "Ben" to get caught. I don't want to spoil so I won't say any more!

Fantastic read...very gripping! I don't want to give anything away so it's hard to really review this one. Highly recommend for anyone interested in a mystery.

Joe is your average guy with a beautiful wife, Mel and four year old son, William. One evening while driving home William spots his mother’s car and wants to show her an achievement award from school. Joe follows Mel’s car, but is suspicious when she pulls into a hotel parking garage. Rather than flag her down he watches her and sees that she’s meeting Ben, an acquaintance of theirs, and having a heated discussion. Joe’s reaction as he watches Mel speed off is to confront Ben, but he uses a little too much force and Ben is on the pavement unresponsive and bleeding. William is having an asthma attack, can’t breathe and medication is at home. Joe leaves the scene, but when he comes back Ben is gone. From here things start to go very wrong. The police show up and want to ask Joe a few questions at the station about Ben, he’s missing. A photoshopped picture of Joe appears on Facebook walking into the police station in handcuffs. Joe is sure tech savvy Ben is behind it.

Joe needs to find proof that Ben isn’t missing to clear his name. The plot thickens when at dinner with friends in a crowded restaurant, Beth, Ben’s wife bursts in and screams at Mel for having an affair with Ben and she has hundreds of texts and naked photos Mel sent him to prove it. The disappearance of Ben, the shock of an affair, mysterious messages, and the police hot on Joe’s tail had me invested in this book. Lies build on lies. It’s a great title for this book and they just keep coming at you. The ending dragged somewhat, but that didn’t keep me from fully enjoying Lies and anticipating the next book from T.M. Logan.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.

‘Lies’ is a riveting psychological thriller. Joe thinks he has experienced the worst day of his life on the day that he learns his wife is having an affair, but that is really just the beginning and from there everything is downhill.
Ben, the man she was having the affair with always said, ‘If you mess with the bull, you get the horns’, and since Joe has, Mel, something Ben can’t have, he decides to show those horns, or so you think.
There are a lot of twists in the story to keep the reader engaged. The premise is similar to ‘Gone Girl’ but there are enough differences to keep the story fresh.
I felt sorry for Joe. He was very happy and content with his life up until this point and did nothing to deserve this turmoil that he didn’t see coming.
I did not see the ending coming and really enjoyed the story.
I received an Advance Review Copy, all opinions are my own. Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review ‘Lies’.

Lies is a psychological thriller about an unassuming man who finds his world turned upside down after a chance encounter. He becomes caught up in a sinister plot - will he figure out what's real and what's a lie before he goes down for a crime he didn't commit?

T.M. Logan's Joe Lynch is happy with his life as a husband, father, and teacher. Driving home one night, he spots his wife Mel's car entering a hotel parking garage. When he tries to surprise her, Joe witnesses a heated argument between Mel and her best friend's husband. Mel leaves quickly and Joe gets into a scuffle with the husband. Joe knocks him unconscious; he then makes a split-second decision to leave the garage.

From that moment on, Joe's world starts to unravel. The bleeding and unconscious man he left in that garage disappears. Joe becomes the prime suspect in his disappearance. Not only will no one believe his story, but Joe is soon taunted with pictures, messages, and social media posts from whoever is setting him up to take the fall.

It's an interesting premise and a fast read. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I appreciated how Logan used social media to communicate information in real time. Technology is everywhere and would definitely play a large role in a situation like this.

I have two complaints that kept me from loving it. First, it's pretty clear from the start who's involved in the deception. This isn't a deal breaker for me but it elevates my second grievance - it's hard to be sympathetic to Joe because he keeps making stupid decisions. Is he confused and in over his head? Absolutely. But it's fairly obvious who's lying to him - he just can't or won't see it. So he keeps making dumb decisions. 

This leads to a frustrating reader experience. This isn't the story of an average Joe who, when faced with this crazy experience, rises to the occasion and saves the day. This is the story of our Joe who can't figure out what's going on, makes poor decisions, falls into the killer's trap, and only survives because he's rescued by someone who never should have had to rescue him. 

I think thriller fans will appreciate the book, regardless of Joe's detective skills. 

Pub Date: 11 September 2018
Price: $27.99
ISBN: 9781250182265
Page count:
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

I received an ARC of this work from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and TM Logan for the opportunity to read this great book! 4.5 stars! I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game, made all the more prevalent with today's social media thrown into the mix.

Joe and Melanie (Mel) are happily married with a small son, William. Joe is a teacher and does the lion's share of work raising William, while Mel has the more high-powered job. Joe is taking William home from school one day when William spots "Mommy's car" and wants to follow her. They find her at a hotel and when Joe briefly leaves William in the car to investigate, finds Mel and a family friend, Ben, arguing in the lobby. Mel slips away and when Joe confronts Ben in the parking lot, a fight ensues, leaving Ben on the ground, bleeding and unconscious - or worse? Just then, William has an asthma attack and Joe makes the decision to rush home for his inhaler. When he returns to the scene of the crime, as they say, Ben is gone. And so it begins.

In typical psychological thriller fashion, you will question everyone in this book to see where all the lies come into play. A good read - and scary social media thoughts too!

What if your whole life was based on lies? Lies by T.M. Logan takes you down the rabbit hole. The layers of deception are totally worth it as you are able to see how far back the lies go. I really enjoyed Lies and would recommend it as a great weekend read.

“Lies” by T. M. Logan is a first person narrative by Joe Lynch. He is schoolteacher who has a three-bedroom duplex in an OK London neighborhood, a ten-year-old car, and a son, William, age four and a bit. He also has an awesome navy T-shirt featuring a speech bubble with white text saying, “I’m silently correcting your grammar.”
Joe tells the story. He talks to himself; “Don’t show your hand.” He talks to readers; “Do you really believe that?” What does everything add up to?” He asks himself questions; “What the hell do I do now? He asks readers questions; “What do you know? What do you actually know for sure?” He shares his thoughts; “It is better to know. Worry about the rest later.” He gives himself advice; “Just get back to the car. Get the hell out of here, and don’t make the same mistake again.”
Chapters delineate the day of the week to keep readers on track and to facilitate tracking time progression. Joe finds out that a lot can happen in a week. “I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t seen her car that day.”
While picking up his son after school, he sees his wife Mel’s car. He makes a spontaneous decision that changes everything. “Let’s go and surprise Mummy.” Unfortunately, something is wrong, very wrong, and this is only first piece in a long series of wrongs. He struggles to make sense of everything, or of anything.
He does not understand why his wife would lie, or why anyone would lie. He opens social media, and there is the lie on Facebook, for the entire world to see. He needs to find answers, and yet he encounters lie after lie, bubbling to the surface like a volcanic eruption. He knows there must be an explanation for this, a reasonable explanation. Yet, there are more lies.
“It was like finding a trapdoor under the rug in your living room, and you lift it up and there’s a whole other world down there right beneath your feet, hidden wheels and cogs and gears all moving, shifting your life one way or another without you even realizing it.”
Joe’s life unravels little by little. Social media gives Joe a strange view of his own life as well as the lives of other people. The storyline is sprinkled with cell phone calls, text messages, social media posts, and e-mails. Joe encounters lie after lie after lie, and eventually there is no way to tell the difference between the truth and what Joe just wants to be the truth. Things deteriorate on every page, and after a long week for Joe, come to a screaming finish that will surprise even the most perceptive reader.
I received a copy of “Lies” from T. M. Logan, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley. It is a captivating book, and it was hard to put down. It is a thriller filled with big lies, little lies, and big, big surprises.

An interesting tale that has a very good surprise ending. What would you do if you followed your wife to a hotel where she was meeting another man? Enjoy!

This book was definitely a thrill ride! Very fast-paced with a good story line. In a lot of suspense/thriller novels I've read recently, I sometimes wonder why characters do stupid things. Like instead of going to the police or someone else for help, they decide to take matters into their own hands first. I suppose that's what makes it more thrilling, though, right? I find myself yelling at the book at times saying, "why are you doing that?" or "don't go there!" Well, even though I did find that Joe Lynch wasn't always making the right decisions, I was completely engrossed in this story. I had a couple of theories on how it was going to end and who was involved and I was kind of right but not completely. I won't say any more about the ending as I definitely don't want to spoil it for readers, but it was a complete surprise. This is an excellent debut novel, and I'm hoping T.M. Logan will bring us another thriller soon.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic! It had all the makings of a thriller and was a suspenseful read. At times I couldn't put the book down it was so interesting. All I can say is poor Joe! To watch your life go spiraling down hill in a matter of days.
The only reason this book is not getting a 5 star is the ending was just didn't sit right with me. It could have gone in so many different directions than it did. Don't get me wrong it was a good ending just not for me. I will diffidently be reading more of this author in the future!
I received an ebook copy of this book from Netgalley and a paperback for #stmartinspress.

This was a very entertaining psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Joe is basically a stay-at-home dad who is out driving with his young son when they see his wife driving and on the spur of the moment decide to follow her into a hotel parking lot. What he witnesses is his wife having a heated argument with a family friend and when he intervenes they come to blows and punches are exchanged and the friend, Ben, is knocked to the ground where he hits his head and is left unconscious. In the meantime, Joe's son suffers an asthma attack and he leaves to seek medical attention and when he returns Ben and his wife are gone. Are you hooked yet? This is just the start. There are so many twists and turns to keep the pages turning and a well developed story it was hard to put this one down, so I didn't. I recommend this one!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I received Lies from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Lies is one fast paced. thrill ride, complete with all the twists and turns one would need. I was constantly guessing until the end of the book. I didn't completely love the characters, Joe, Joe. STOP BEING SO NAIVE! This is a good psychological thriller that you can't put down.

<u><b><i>Lies</i></b></u>


<b><i>I Picked Up This Book Because:</i></b> The blurb showed so much potential.

<b><i>The Characters:</i></b>

<b>Joe Lynch:</b> Father, confused gentleman
<b>Mel Lynch:</b> wife, up to something???
<i>William (son)</i>

<b><i>The Story:</i></b>

I feel so much urgency from Joe but NOTHING is happening. Well a lot happens but I feel like he’s too amped up. Or the writing is, I’m not sure. I do know I’m not enjoying myself so I’m calling it quits.

<b><i>The Random Thoughts:</i></b>

*DNF so no rating

First thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy. I thought the book was a good mystery novel. I had
My suspicions of who the instigator was and I was right sort of. Couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know how it ended. The main character kind of bothered me a little as he talked to much and kept repeating. Some of the stuff with the police seemed a little far fetched but overall 4 out of 5 stars. Def worth reading.

Lies is a good story, but I personally had a tough time with the characters, they're not quite believable....in my opinion. I also thought the ending was a little "slow" or maybe "lacking". The ending wasn't one that keeps you in a book hangover for days. I would recommend that anyone questioning whether they should read this or not....read it!!!! happy reading!! :)

I just finished Lies by T. N. Logan and thoroughly liked it. This is a thriller not just about lies and how they affect people but also about absolute betrayal within a family. The book has fast paced action and moves quickly towards the end. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that hooks you right into the story and before you know it the book is at the end with a totally unexpected ending at least for me. I can sincerely say I was shocked by it. There were a few annoying character flaws in Joe but he is so great with his son that you totally forgive him. I am happy to give this book 4 stars and will happily recommend it to others. I thank NetGalley and T E Logan for the chance to preview this book and am looking forward to more books from the author.

Joe has a quietly successful life with his wife Beth and their son Will. Or, he thought he had. Things begin going askew when he witnesses his wife arguing with a co-worker at a hotel. Joe confronts Ben and a minor scuffle knocks him out. In a panic, and with his son nearby, he races home to await confronting his wife. But Beth lies. She never saw Ben at a hotel.....surely he knows her better than this. With some pushing Joe finally gets her to admit that, yes, she was there, but it was all a business 'thing'. Enter Mel, Ben's wife, who comes to them a couple of days later, while Joe keeps getting bizarre and potentially disastrous postings to his Facebook page, to tell them tearfully that Ben has left her. And taken a gun with him. The more information Joe gets, the more lies he uncovers. Has Beth been Ben's lover? And what is Mel's role in this? Is their entire life a lie? This book has some wonderfully unexpected twists!

Lies is a well-paced, entertaining thriller that managed to surprise me. The chapters were short and snappy and mostly ended in cliffhangers which made me keep saying “just one more, chapter” every time I thought I would put the book down. I thought the mystery was pretty well done, as well. I definitely guessed some of it, but not all of it, so I really enjoyed the reveal at the end. I did think it dragged just a bit in the middle, though, and could’ve been a little shorter.

While I liked Joe, I did have some issues with him. Here’s the thing about a lot of books with the whole “ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances” thing. They try to play detective and think they know better than everyone else and EVERY. SINGLE. THING. they do makes them look bad. Joe fell heavily into this trope and he kind of drove me crazy for most of the book. I just couldn’t believe how he couldn’t realize he was basically shooting himself in the foot every time he opened his mouth or followed up some lead. That said, he was still a sympathetic character I couldn’t help but root for.

Technology and social media is an important part of the book and it’s really made me want to go live off the grid. Things like Amazon’s Echo products that listen to you all day every day already kind of freak me out, but I don’t usually think much of all the information my phone records. Technology is terrifying and the way it was so easy to manipulate it to make Joe look so guilty was chilling.

Overall, I enjoyed Lies. I loved that the chapters were so short and suspenseful. While Joe did frustrate me, he was still a likable character that I wanted to see vindicated. I’m upping my overall rating a bit because the end managed to surprise me. I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a fast and entertaining mystery.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Twists on twists! It has been a long time since a mystery has kept me this enthralled. Joe was just a regular “Joe” leading his comfortable life until the fateful day he followed his wife. The days that followed were like a crazy nightmare where you never wake up. Definitely a book you cannot put down until the end!