Adam and Sophie Warner rent a cabin for the Memorial Day weekend at Hood Canal, Washington. While Adam and his three-year-old daughter are out on the water, Adam witnesses his wife being abducted on the shore. Adam can't see his wife's abductor clearly and the area is full of transient vacationers, including another couple, Kristen and Connor Moss, hoping to relax during the long weekend. Police detectives Lee Husemann and her partner Zach Montrose are assigned to the case. Lee has an unexpected connection with Adam, so her partner and even Lee herself questions her objectivity on this case.

This is the first book I've read by Gregg Olsen but I enjoyed the book and hope to read more by this author. The story is told from multiple points of view, and the case is much more complex than it first appears. As more and more secrets are revealed, it's impossible to know who to trust. The book started out fantastic, but then started to drag a bit in the middle as the story became complicated and sometimes confusing. Although the major questions are answered by the end, I was still unclear about a few things even after I was finished reading.

Although I guessed part of the truth of what happened, the author offers plenty of surprises before the end. In spite of some uneven pacing and unlikable characters, the book is suspenseful and was a quick, entertaining read. I don't know if this is the start of a new series or not, but I would enjoy reading about future cases with Lee and Zach as the investigators.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Thomas and Mercer. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a solid, self-contained mystery thriller with a good balance of police procedural and domestic thriller elements. I liked the character development, the interconnected stories, and the overall theme of secrets and trust.

This book had a little bit of everything for me, which made for a satisfying reading experience. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and was surprised at how the multiple points of view creating good tension and unpredictable twists.

What I really liked about this story were the three main points of view, Adam and Sophie, Kristen and Connor, and Lee. I enjoyed getting to follow Adam, Kristen, Connor, and Lee through the case and seeing all sides of the puzzle helped fill in blanks and increase the tension. There were some great reveals and they packed a two-fold punch, first when they’re revealed and then later when the other characters learn of the details and developments. I really appreciated seeing how each character was connected to the case and how their personal story played into the larger story arc.

There are several stories being told at once here, the main abduction of Sophie, but also the relationships of Sophie and Adam, and Kristen and Connor. There’s secondary relationships as well but I won’t ruin the surprise. The relationships are what give this story a domestic thriller flavor, in addition to a detective mystery. I liked how both sides were balanced and I could get to know each character, how they fit into the story, and how the element of secrets and trust affected each character as well as the overall plot.

This was a great self contained story, which is saying something coming from me as I appreciate series, especially where detectives are main characters. By the end of this I felt like everything was resolved, the ending wasn’t rushed, and I could see why certain plot points took their time, or were weighted as they were earlier in the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes character driven stories with a mix of domestic thriller and police or detective mystery. This story was about relationships, trust, secrets, and an active police case. It was a satisfying, fast paced read and is a good anytime mystery.

Title: Lying Next to Me

Author: Gregg Olsen

Genre: adult thriller/mystery

Pages: 396

Thomas & Mercer

Pub : May 21, 2019



No matter what you see, no matter what you’ve heard, assume nothing.



Adam and Sophie Warner and their three-year-old daughter are vacationing in Washington State’s Hood Canal for Memorial Day weekend. It’s the perfect getaway to unplug—and to calm an uneasy marriage. But on Adam’s first day out on the water, he sees Sophie abducted by a stranger. A hundred yards from shore, Adam can’t save her. And Sophie disappears.



In a nearby cabin is another couple, Kristen and Connor Moss. Unfortunately, beyond what they’ve heard in the news, they’re in the dark when it comes to Sophie’s disappearance. For Adam, at least there’s comfort in knowing that Mason County detective Lee Husemann is an old friend of his. She’ll do everything she can to help. She must.



But as Adam’s paranoia about his missing wife escalates, Lee puts together the pieces of a puzzle. The lives of the two couples are converging in unpredictable ways, and the picture is unsettling. Lee suspects that not everyone is telling the truth about what they know—or they have yet to reveal all the lies they’ve hidden from the strangers they married


My thoughts: rating: 5

Would I recommend this book:yes

will I read anything else by this author : yes

WOW what they was right when they said No matter what you see, no matter what you’ve heard, assume nothing. Because you have no idea who to truest , who to believe, and what you thought you saw or what anyone else thought they heard or seen,there are twist and turns and once you think you have it figure out something else comes along and knocks it out of the ballpark, the story is gripping and makes you want to just set there and keep turning the pages , just so you can find more pieces of the puzzle, and the ending was a complete shocker to me , wow what an ending , never saw it coming . With that said I wan to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion ,and I can't wait to read more by this author .

Lying Next To Me is one of his best books ever! He has done research for appropriate descriptions of locations. The story has you not knowing the end until you are there. When you think you've figured out the ending, nope there is another twist. Adam's wife has been abducted as he watched in horror while he's out in the boat with his young daughter. Adam goes threw the interviews knowing as her husband he's going to be the prime suspect. His father in law sees it the same. Where does the investigation go from here? What peices of of information needs to be brought to light to solve this?

Lying Next To Me by Gregg Olsen is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
It’s Memorial Day weekend, and the three flower-named cabins on Hood Canal are rented.

In one cabin is Teresa Dibley with her two grand-children that she is raising. Her daughter prefers drugs to looking after her children.

In the second cabin are Kristen and Connor Moss. He is slowly working his way into becoming an alcoholic, and she is determined to have a child.

In the third cabin are Adam and Sophie Warner, who are enjoying a mini vacation with their three-year old daughter Aubrey, until the unthinkable happens. While Adam and Aubrey are rowing back to the cottage they rented, he spies his wife fighting with a man near their cabin. The man hits Sophie, slings her over his shoulder and takes off. Adam doesn’t get back to shore in time to see where they went.

As the police start to investigate, a number of troubling things come to light.

One of the police officers is Lee Husemann, an old friend of Adam’s. Adam saved her life many years ago, and Lee is convinced that Adam cannot be the one who abducted his wife. The Adam she knew had no violence in him.  The Adam she knew cannot be the one that everyone is talking about. He can’t be.


My Opinions:
This one is hard for me to describe. First, no matter what I say below….I loved it.

At times I actually hated reading it. I hated the turns that the characters took, even while their actions pulled me in. I wanted to like one of them! I couldn’t…because I didn’t trust any of them. The writing was brilliant…it just sucked me in to a story I am not really sure I wanted to read. I kept thinking about Aubrey. With every turn, I was thinking about Aubrey.

This book is full of lies, and affairs, and nothing was as it seemed. It is filled with suspense, and twists and more twists. It is told in multiple points of view, and short chapters, and it’s hard to tell who is telling the truth. Everyone lies, and motives abound….so do suspects.

Gregg Olsen is an amazing author, and I have been reading his books for a long time. I know I have missed a few of them, and when I get a minute, I’ll be delving into those. I would recommend his books sight unseen (or unread).

This one is worth the read. It is a fast read, an easy read, if not always a pleasant read as it knocks you off the edge of your seat.

This is an addictive fast paced mystery. I loved the setting because of my deep love of the northwest.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

From a 100 yards away Adam and Aubrey watch as Sophie was abducted. Over Memorial Day Weekend the Warner family planned a little getaway in one of three cabins in Hood Canal.

This story contained four points of views: Adam, Lee, Kristen, and Connor. The reader follows the lives of the three main characters. As the reader delves into the personal lives of each character these characters we discover some shocking truths and secrets.

Characters:
Adam and Sophie Warner and Aubrey their 3 year old daughter
Kristen and Connor Moss occupants in the cabin
Teresa Dibley and her grandchildren occupants in the cabin
Axel Bakker and his dog walking along shore
Lee Husemann and Zach Montrose the detectives

Overall:
As I sit here and process that story I reflect back to the thrilling opening scene. This scene set what I thought would be a fast pace thriller. Instead the execution of building the personal lives of three characters was slow and tedious. I just couldn’t get into these characters.

I couldn’t find one redeemable character in this book. They all had issues that caused suspicion. Their personal issues were depressing to read. This is turning into a depressing story with characters complaining about themselves and others. Is no one happy?

This story centered around trust and victimization.
Knowing what I now know I can appreciate the story from this angle. Although, the execution was slow and tedious. Great concept I just wish it was delivered differently.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Gregg Olsen for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this addictive, fast-paced novel and would have read it in one sitting if not for that pesky thing called sleep.

It starts with a distressed man, Adam Warner, who has just seen his wife abducted. Adam is frantic, begging the police to get out there and find her. Detectives Lee Huseman and Zach Montrose are in charge of the investigation and despite witnesses to the crime there seem to be few clues and no suspects. Where is Sophie Warner? And who would snatch her from the beach in broad daylight?

Lee Huseman is determined to find the answers. Not only because she’s still reeling from a recent failure to solve a case, but because she owes Adam; he was her brother’s best friend and saved her when she was twelve years old. But will this skewer her ability to investigate Sophie’s disappearance? Could she miss vital clues because of her affection for him, or will it allow her to see more clearly if he’s deceiving them or holding back? As she delves deeper into the lives of Adam and Sophie she finds surprising clues that will hopefully lead her to the truth.

What a fantastic book. I really enjoyed that it was written from so many points of view. It allowed us to see the events from almost all the character’s perspectives and find little clues in their chapters that we’d not have had otherwise. The only main character we didn’t get any chapters from was Sophie. She remained a mystery who we only saw through the eyes of others. I loved this choice as it made the truth subjective and elusive as we only know as much as each character does about her life, although we obviously have the advantage of taking these multiple viewpoints to create a fuller picture.

For me, Adam quickly became a morally ambiguous character and I would go back and forth in my views of his guilt or innocence. I thought he was expertly written as the author repeatedly manages the difficult task of making him someone you one minute have sympathy for, and then someone deplorable. His actions often didn’t make sense but a grief looks different for everyone so you view all his actions through that lens. In terms of villains, Sophie’s father, Frank, was so vile that although he was never a suspect I almost wanted him to be so that there was no reason to feel even a grain sympathy for him. There were no redeeming qualities to him, not even his grief for his daughter, and I could relate to Adam’s venomous feelings towards him. Unlike Adam I pitied his wife, Helen as abuse and control changes people and makes them act in ways others often can’t understand.

“What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light”. That quote reverberated in my mind many times while reading this book as we saw how many of the characters acted very differently in secret than when with others. As the story went on some of these secret actions were revealed to others but what I liked is that the author showed the human side to them in their motivations. With one character this was especially true. I feel like saying their name will be a kind of spoiler so will just say that I felt great empathy for this character even though I disagreed with their actions.

This was my first read by this author but certainly won’t be my last, and I now have the urge to go and buy his entire back catalogue. The multiple characters and narrators never felt confusing, even at the end where it was particularly fast-paced, frantic and full of opposing commentary. The bombshell finale had my jaw on the floor and it is a testament to the writing how I can instantly recall lines that now have a completely different meaning and were a subtle foreshadowing of the truth.

Lying Next To Me is a story about family, love, lust, sex, secrets, betrayal, desperation and revenge. I highly recommend this dramatic, layered, tense and twisty thriller. Just make sure you have plenty of time spare as you won’t want to put it down.

This was a good twisty mystery about a wife/mother who is abducted in plain sight and then found dead. It seemed to be a somewhat random event but then Mr. Olsen starts adding in little oddities and comments. Combine that with a time line that bounces around and multiple points of view, and you have a somewhat disjointed reading experience. I even wondered at why certain characters were getting voices during the course of the book. Sadly, that helped me realize where the story was leading and ultimately I beat the story to the conclusion. I really liked the actually story (with the serious fingers-crossed hope that a certain really rude character would somehow be the guilty party). I wish Mr. Olsen had considered how it was all presented.

Title: Lying Next to Me
Author: Gregg Olsen
Genre: Thriller
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Multiple
Expected Publication: May 21, 2019

4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own @gwendalyn_books_

Quote
“believe nothing that you hear or see, even salt looks like sugar."

Adam and Sophie Warner and their three-year-old daughter are vacationing in Washington State’s Hood Canal for Memorial Day weekend. It’s the perfect getaway to unplug—and to calm an uneasy marriage. But on Adam’s first day out on the water, he sees Sophie abducted by a stranger. A hundred yards from shore, Adam can’t save her. And Sophie disappears.

In a nearby cabin is another couple, Kristen and Connor Moss. Unfortunately, beyond what they’ve heard in the news, they’re in the dark when it comes to Sophie’s disappearance. For Adam, at least there’s comfort in knowing that Mason County detective Lee Husemann is an old friend of his. She’ll do everything she can to help. She must.

But as Adam’s paranoia about his missing wife escalates, Lee puts together the pieces of a puzzle. The lives of the two couples are converging in unpredictable ways, and the picture is unsettling. Lee suspects that not everyone is telling the truth about what they know—or they have yet to reveal all the lies they’ve hidden from the strangers they married.

In this psychology thriller, Gregg Olsen makes you question and doubt everything, and this book is one of them. The story hooked me from the beginning with the desperation of a family that turned more devious as the story progressed. This book is non-stop trilling, suspense, mystery that takes place during Memorial Day weekend.
Adam and Sophie Warner venture to a quaint waterfront cabin in an effort to relax and recharge their strained marriage. While Adam and his three year-old daughter are boating offshore, they witness Sophie being attacked then abducted in broad daylight. Despite other vacationers in nearby cabins, the only two eyewitnesses point to one direction. As the investigation develops into Sophie’s disappearance, Adam is comforted by the fact his childhood friend, Detective Lee Husemann, is leading the case. However, Lee soon discovers all the clues beget more questions.

“It is always easier to sleep at night if the monsters outside your house only knock when you give them cause.”

Told from multiple POVs, each character has a unique role as the plot develops and it becomes clear that many of these characters act differently with others and when alone. As the investigation continues, probing into these characters humanizes them, as we see their darker sides, but also points to possible motivations.

Quote
“Everyone makes a choice on what they want to do with what was done to them.”

Between the first and last page, there were multiple times when I believed I solved the case, yet there were always a couple details outstanding. By the end, the plot points are fully reconciled and with a creative slant. This book will capture your attention and keep engaged, all the to the thrilling end.
One thing I really enjoyed was the character development, along with multiple POVs,
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading crime, mystery books ,psychological thrillers, and crime detective books

Gregg Olsen is a amazing author, who I look forward to reading more of his books.


Lying Next to Me is a thriller that will cause the reader to continually question every character’s motives. This book will appeal to those who enjoy investigative thrillers that also delve into the dark psyche of its complicated characters.

This was a starter right away... Greg Olsen never ever fails to build up nail- biting suspense.... The build up of the characters was so realistic and well developed, that I felt I knew each one of them.... till the suspense climaxed.... and then I realized I knew them not....!!!!

A winner from Gregg Olsen. Told from different viewpoints in the first person, everyone turns out to be guilty of something.

Sophie Warner is abducted from a lawn chair at a resort in view of her husband, Adam, her three year old daughter who are in a boat too far from shore to help. A neighbor walking his dog along the beach also sees Sophie struggling with a man who the drags her into the woods. Adam rows frantically to shore but is too late. The police are called and a search insues. Only weeks' later is Sophie's body found floating in the water near the resort.

Another couple in an adjacent cabin say they arrived late the night before and were still sleeping when the abduction occured. A grandmother and her three grandchildren in the other adjacent cabin heard and saw nothing.

Lee, a childhood friend of Adam's, now a detective, fails to see Adam as anything other than a bereaved and traumatized husband. He partner is not so sure. However, when Adam's account and the dog walker's match, the police are stumped as to motive.

As the couple in the adjacent cabin begin to tell their stories and Adam his own, it becomes obvious there is more to Sophie's abduction than a stranger taking an opportunity. The author cleverly reveals the thoughts of the characters which reveals hidden secrets, sins and motivations. He keeps the best for last, of course. Great read.

Holy cow!!!! This book is amazing!! I have read just about every one of Gregg's books but THIS book stands out for me! I particularly love his books that take place in the puget sound area. As I live in the area, it makes it that much more exciting to "know" the area. Without giving too much of the book away, this is a very well put together book that starts out with a couple and their child in a weekend getaway. The events that follow took me through so many different emotions. It was scary knowing that these things really do happen!! The one thing I love about the book is that I was sure I knew what was going to happen next and in true Olsen fashion he proved me wrong every time. It's order I definitely recommend this book for any Greg Olsen fan or anyone who loves True Crime! You will not be disappointed with this one!!!

This is my third Gregg Olsen mystery thriller book and it did not disappoint. Lying Next to Me is a page turner right from the start! Anxious to figure out what happened to Sophie, a woman with a husband and a three year old daughter, I rock 'n rolled right through this book. Sophie was kidnapped in broad daylight, right out in the open, on the beach where her husband and daughter watched helplessly from a row boat. Lying Next to Me provided plenty of twists and turns to keep the momentum of the story moving forward at a quick pace. If you've read other Gregg Olsen books, you'll love Lying Next to Me. If this is your first Gregg Olsen book, you'll love Lying Next to Me.

A very interesting read . Twists and turns to keep you engrossed. Wondering which way the author is going to take it. Nice and easy to read. Flows well. Enjoyable to read

I will review on Amazon on May 21, 2019

Title: Lying Next to Me
Author: Gregg Olsen
Genre: adult thriller/mystery
Pages: 396
Thomas & Mercer
Pub : May 21, 2019

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. This was my first Gregg Olsen read, and wow it was quite a read. The book was full of twists and turns, who do you believe what actually happened that is the question. I did figure the storyline out finally before the end of the book but it was way toward the end. For those that enjoy suspense/thrillers you will definitely want to read this book.

Gregg Olsen is a personal favourite of mine and this book didn't disappoint. Child abductions are always good for a chill and fright kind of book. This is a stand-alone and will definitely do well with the public. Great book

Which of the multiple narrators of this twisty little thriller is the unreliable one? And what really happened to Sophie? Adam claims he saw her abducted and there was a witness but, well, others aren't so certain. What's the deal with the Moss family? Everyone has an angle here, even Lee, the detective. There are lots of secrets and lies (all the best thrillers have them!) so no spoilers. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. A page turner!

I got into this book very quickly and I was excited about it. Unfortunately half the way through I found the story became less exciting. The characters were vain and self obsessed which for me ruined the book. I was looking forward to reading this book but I was disappointed in how it progressed!

What a ride! I love this author’s work and he did not disappoint with this book. I was kept on my toes from page one. Nothing is as it appears......There are many twists and turns with a staggering conclusion that I did not foretell. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to Thomas and Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.