During a holiday 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 into Sophie’s disappearance commences, 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.

“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 slant that I quite enjoyed. Gregg Olsen is a new author to me and I definitely plan to read more of his books in the future.

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.

Gregg Olsen has done it again! A fantastic suspense-filled thriller - at the center- a murder.

Gregg daringly weaves the characters together in a powerful way. As Sophie and Adam's truths unravel, so does the truth about the other characters. Their strengths and flaws are depicted well.

Had me spellbound throughout the entire book!

Many Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a twisty, un-put-downable read

4.5 stars

Adam and Sophie Warner planned to spend a relaxing time with their toddler at a cozy lake cabin on Memorial Day weekend. What supposed to be a break from the daily grind and hopefully reawaken their marriage quickly turned into horror when Sophie was abducted in plain sight. His only hope was his childhood friend and now detective Lee Husemann to help find his wife and the perpetrator, but things got complicated when nothing appeared as it seemed.

As a reader, I love books that made me 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.

I loved the multiple POVs and the short chapters because it “forced” me to pay attention. I enjoyed forming my own theories which were a challenge in this book due to unreliable narrators. I had a favorite character right from the beginning and satisfied with the ending.

Lying Next to Me is a story of ambition and deception that reminds us we never truly know the person beside us. The story would appeal to readers who enjoy an engrossing thriller with unlikable characters.

One of my favorite quotes is "believe nothing that you hear or see, even salt looks like sugar." I thought of that quote often while reading Gregg Olsen's latest thriller, Lying Next to Me. Absolutely nothing was what it appeared to be - nothing.

Adam and his wife Sophie, along with their 3 year old daughter, have rented a cabin on a lake. Next to them is another couple, Kristin and Connor Moss and on the other side, a grandmother with her grandkids. On the second day of the trip, Adam takes his daughter out in a row boat to go crabbing. While on the water, he sees someone abduct Sophie who is sitting on the shore. An elderly walker also sees Sophie being abducted. The grandmother and her grandkids arrive home to see Adam and his daughter frantically rowing toward shore and calls 9-1-1. The Moss' couple. sees and hears nothing. But what really happened that morning. What did anyone truly see or hear? They all experienced the same thing, right? Right!?

Admittedly, I adore Gregg Olsen. I've read everything he has written, including his true crime novels. When it comes to crime - real or fiction - I think no one does it better. Lying in Wait is a tense, stay-awake-to-finish thriller that had me hooked from the very first line. While I suspected who might have done it - but wait - there's no way they could have done it - it was a locked room mystery and too many variables and too many unsolved questions as to why. Until the answers were there before us in the end and then … just WOW. This is a suspense novel that makes you really hate everyone while at the same time hoping that at least one of the bad guys isn't as awful as you think they might be. There is a child involved, surely someone is good. They have to be! In the end, I sat staring at my Kindle and wondering about what I had just read while knowing that is exactly how I like my thrillers! Leave me in awe. Leave me in wonder. Leave me speechless and Lying in Wait absolutely did just that!

Obviously I highly recommend #LyinginWait to anyone who enjoys a great crime novel. I also encourage you read Olsen's other work. It's all fantastic. Lying in Wait will be available May 21 at Amazon

Thank you to #Netgalley, #Thomas&MercerPublishing and #GreggOlsen for my copy of Lying in Wait.

Lying Next to Me is a solid, page-turning thriller. The multiple points of view and time jumps make it hard to piece together who is guilty immediately while simultaneously creating more suspense. It would have been interesting to have a chapter or two or even the epilogue told from the victim’s perspective. That might have also helped balance out some of the negativity of the book's many deplorable characters. But overall, it was a fun read and I'll check out more books by this author. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Gregg Olsen does it again! Grabbed from page one, I didn't want to put th he book down. The betrayal and plot twist were simply delicious.

Review of advance reader eBook

The Warner family’s Memorial Day weekend vacation in a cabin at Hood Canal ends in tragedy when a stranger abducts Sophie Warner. Her husband, Adam, and their young daughter, Aubrey, are out on the water and, although Adam makes a supreme effort, he cannot row their canoe fast enough to reach the shore before Sophie is gone.

The occupants of the two other cabins, a grandmother and her grandchildren on one side, a husband and wife on the other, saw nothing, but an elderly dog-walker on the beach saw the abduction. Why would someone grab the young mother? And will detectives Lee Husemann and Zach Montrose find Sophie before it’s too late?

Most of the characters in this taut tale are self-absorbed and unlikable; readers will find little reason to sympathize with their situations. The story, told in flashback scenes by multiple narrators, employs unexpected twists and turns to move the story in unpredictable directions. Astute readers are likely to identify the final twist before its reveal late in the telling of the tale, but the ever-present tension in the unfolding story keeps the pages turning despite an annoying [and unnecessary] oft-repeated expletive that detracts from the otherwise skillfully-woven narrative.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley
#LyingNextToMe #NetGalley

I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all. This one was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast paced and easy to read. I highly recommend this book.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Adam and Sophie Warner and their three-year-old daughter are vacationing in Washington State’s Hood Canal for Memorial Day weekend. Adam sees Sophie abducted by a stranger, Adam can’t save her. And Sophie disappears.

A fairly good mystery that kept me reading to the end. Everybody lies and the truth is loosely wrapped.

3☆

I loved this book! This is my first book byGreg Olsen, and I will definitely be looking into his other books.

On Memorial Weekend holiday, Adam and Sophie Warner, along with their 3 year old daughter have decided a quiet weekend at the lake will do them all some good.

As the book opens, we learn that Sophie has been abducted. I mean, first page of the book. Talk about getting right to the point! Poor Adam watched the entire abduction with his daughter from the boat as he tries feverishly to get to shore.

As the police arrive, Adam is frantic, wanting nothing more than to find his wife. As luck might have it, a friend from the past shows up as the lead detective on the case. She knows Adam and knows what a good guy he is even though the other detective seems to think Adam may know a little more than he is letting on.

As time passes more of the story unravels, adding mystery to who the killer could be. The story is told from different points of view including Adam, Sophie, the detective, and neighbors witnessing the event.

This was definitely a page turner. Each chapter I needed to read “just one more.”

This is a story about a murder of a beautiful woman, that leaves behind a young daughter and her husband. The story unfolds trying to determine who killed Sophie.
This is a book that has more twists and turns that you can get dizzy. It is a struggle to keep the story straight. It is unexpected which keeps you reading.

In true Gregg Olsen style, this story is filled with suspense and plot twists. The reader finds him or herself questioning the sanity of the main characters and knowing that things aren’t always as they seem. Very strong plot and characters!

Adam and Sophie are on holiday to rest and also to mend the few fractures that have appeared in their marriage.
One morning while fishing with his 3 year old daughter, Adam witnesses his wife’s abduction by a stranger. By the time he reaches the shore, they are gone. Police are called but their investigations lead to nowhere. Sophie is gone without a trace, her husband has a solid alibi and there is a witness who saw the whole incident.
Who took Sophie? Why?
Whom can we trust?
Who is the liar in this intricate game of cat and mouse?
Lying Next to Me is a well-written book with an engaging story-line.
It would have been a 5 star read for me if the characters weren’t extremely hateful and irritating. The first chapter gets you hooked, but as the story continues, it gets long-winded with too many inner dialogues that become repetitive and boring. Different points of view, all of them in first person also do little to lessen the annoyance and the confusion.
Thanks to the author, Thomas & Mercer and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

This was a bit of a departure from the typical Gregg Olsen styled novel, but I enjoyed it none-the-less!

Adam and Sophie Warner have chosen to spend an idyllic Memorial Day weekend at a beachside cottage for some much-needed downtime to nurture their marriage. While Adam and their daughter Aubrey are out in a boat offshore, Sophie is outside sipping wine – and Adam watches in horror as she’s abducted, unable to get to shore in time to help her.

When the police arrive, Adam is grateful to see that a childhood friend, Lee Husemann, is the detective sent in response to his calls for help. Along with her partner, Zach Montrose, they listen to his story, and begin to interview other cabin occupants, including Connor & Kristen Moss to start their investigation.

But how well do you really know someone? Lee is assured of Adam’s character as he was her rescuer years ago, but as the inquiries start, nothing is as it seems, and cracks appear in the stories of Adam, Kristen & Connor, leading Lee & Zach down a crooked path full of cunning, treachery and betrayal...

As told from the perspectives of Lee, along with the three remaining cabin occupants, the story is gradually revealed from the perspectives of each player, and the reader is drawn in to a web of deceit and a startling, if not somewhat expected conclusion…

Not his best, but great none-the-less! Definitely worth the read!

Adam and Sophie Warner are spending Memorial Day weekend at remote cabins. While Adam is out on the lake with his daughter he sees his wife abducted and despite his best efforts cannot reach her in time. The police are called and the female detective Lee, has a history with Adam.
I struggled with this book because Adam is such an unlikeable character. His bitterness and hatred is difficult to understand even as secrets are revealed.
The author dropped enough clues that readers will figure out “ whodunit” before the final reveal. I was tempted to skip a few chapters but stuck it out.
Thank you to #netgalley #thomasmercer for the ARC in exchange.for my opinion

Gregg Olsen is one of my favorite authors. His work never disappoints, and this book is no exception.

A nicely written, fast paced, suspenseful novel. I felt the characters were very well developed and played out. The alternating POV throughout flowed very well. The plot is top notch. There is nothing negative that I have to say about this book.

This is most definitely an edge of your seat - thrilling - page turner. It’s riveting, suspenseful, and full of mystery, deceit, lies, love, yearning, murder. It contains the worst of the worst, in the best, most desirable way. This book had me hooked, guessing, wondering, and thinking about it constantly, when I wasn’t reading it. (Which wasn’t often.)

This is a 5 star read for me. It had everything I love in a thrilling novel. Will definitely be recommending!

Thank you Netgalley And Thomas and Mercer for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie and Adam have gone to the lake with their little girl to work on a troubled marriage. Sophie is kidnapped in broad daylight with Adam as a witness. Sophie’s controlling Father is out for vengeance, convinced Adam killed his wife.

This book is full of twists and turns that will leave you guessing. I didn’t figure out the ending. It is written in the first person with alternating chapters from each characters view point. Not my favorite style of writing, but I still enjoyed the book. Thank you to net galley for an advanced copy of this book.

Do we ever REALLY know the person lying next to us??
Sophie and Adam are on a weekend getaway to try and save their shaky marriage. While Adam is out on the boat with their young daughter, he witnesses Sophie being kidnapped by an unknown man. He tries to get back to shore but by the time he does, she is gone. Detective Lee Husemann is an old friend of Adam, and assures him she will do everything she can to bring Sophie home, but when Sophie turns up dead, Lee begins to question everything she has learned about this crime so far, including eyewitness testimonies. Someone is lying.

Great thriller! Lots of twists and turns.. Told in different POVs, which makes the story more interesting.. Gregg Olsen is fast becoming one of my favorite thriller authors.

I generally enjoy Gregg Olsen's books but this one just didn't work for me.

Lee is pretty much the only likable character in the entire cast. I kept hoping Frank would have a heart attack. Adam is a narcissistic prig. Kristen is a loon. You can't even feel bad for Sophie.

The "twists" weren't even surprising. I'm also disappointed at the ending. Adam's final words do nothing but add more confusion to what was, in my opinion, a hard to follow tale with too many stories at once. The flashbacks do little to help since many conflict each other.

I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me in on this prerelease copy.