Georgie Brennans Mann Sean verunglückt eines Abends auf dem Weg zum Baumarkt tödlich, der Verursacher des Autounfalls flüchtet und wird nie gefunden. Sie bleibt mit ihrem Sohn Sam alleine zurück. Einige Monate später bemerkt sie dann zufällig, dass ihr Mann gar nicht auf dem Weg zum Baumarkt war und entdeckt zudem noch, dass er dem Sohn ein seltsames Versteckspiel vor bösen Männern im Haus beigebracht hat. Derweil steht ihr Vater, 4 Sterne Admiral, kurz vor der Auswahl zum neuen Verteidigungsminister.

Dann entdeckt sie auch noch, dass einige persönliche Dinge ihres Mannes nach der Autopsie nicht aufgetaucht sind und Sam malt in der Schule immer wieder seltsame Bilder in Schwarz. Dann kommt noch dazu, dass sie seltsame Geräusche unter dem Haus hört.

Die Geschichte beginnt gleich sehr spannend, man fängt sofort an mitzurätseln. Dank der Beschreibungen kann man sich gut in Georgies schwierige Situation hinein versetzen.

Bald kann sie niemandem mehr trauen und die Ereignisse spitzen sich zu. Alles hat etwas mit dem damaligen Kriegseinsatz ihres Vaters zu tun. Viele dramatische Entwicklungen weiter eskaliert die Handlung beim trick or treat am Halloween Abend. Es kommt zu einem sehr spannenden Ende und alles wird aufgeklärt.

Das Buch lässt sich flüssig lesen und kann einige sympathische Nebenfiguren aufbieten.
Politisch ist es für mich sehr nah an einer leider möglichen Realität. Auch wenn ich die Handlung einiger Personen teilweise etwas unrealistisch fand, konnte ich mich mir Georgie sehr gut identifizieren. Ein Pageturner, der einen sehr gut unterhält.

Rating 4.5

WOW!! Departing from her usual genre of historical fiction, Siri Mitchell created a thrilling suspense novel that kept me wondering from start to finish. High-tensioned suspense that kept you tingling throughout this novel. In today's high-stakes political world, her premise was very realistic and the characters and actions quite believable. At times the story was so convoluted that it was hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

I knocked off 1/2 a point for two reasons. Siri Mitchell's books usually contain a good spiritual thread whereas this had none. Also, I felt the conclusion was rather abrupt and did not give me full resolution especially since this appears to not be book 1 of a series.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Wow! I have just read one of the best espionage, suspenseful books ever. We here all the time about spies, people taking bribes and secrets being passed along enemy lines. It isn't every day that I come across a book that is so good, I wish I had a contact in Hollywood. What a wonderful movie this book would make. I even pictured who would be good as each character.

Georgia is a great character with brains and attention to detail. When her husband is killed in a car accident, she starts to suspects something is wrong. Could it be that she sees cars following her, or that her house is broken into that brings her to look over her shoulder? Her husband was involved with the FBI somehow, but he kept his assignments secret, which makes Georgia grow uncomfortable when she finds something suspicious hidden in the house.

The story takes us to the desert over seas during a time when our soldiers were fighting to preserve our freedom. Something happened out there that causes chaos and turns high ranking officials into deceitful people who commit the ultimate act of treason. There were times I thought I had the story figured out, but the author put twists in and I had to rethink my guess. The characters are strong and there is a good amount of information about the different branches in the government.

Georgia had a very hard time trusting anyone and at times wasn't sure if she should even stay around her neighborhood. Get ready for some explosive surprises and unexpected suspects in this very intriguing book. I did wonder why this is classified as a Christian book because there was no mention of God, scriptures or faith that I remember throughout the story. At the beginning of the book is a scene about intimacy between a married couple. I didn't find it offensive, but some readers may so I wanted to mention it in my review.

I did enjoy the story very much and it was a non stop action filled book with plenty of secrets that could take down very important leaders. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed but overall the book was intriguing enough to keep my interest.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

This is a wonderful novel of suspense. I did not want to put this book down. I was mystified every step of the way. There were lots of twists and turns. You were not sure who were the good people and who were bad through most of the story. I loved the characters and how they worked with each other. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I made a big mistake! Then I made it all over again! First, I took advantage of a short window of time before heading off on a team outing to get started reading State of Lies. All day long as I was with my team, while I was supposed to be building relationships and having fun, I kept thinking about the story. Sure, I was doing the other things as well, but still. The story was lingering in my mind and I was wondering what was coming next.

When I finally had a chance to read again that evening, it wasn't quite enough time. And I'm not one who can stay up all night reading. Knowing I had a long day coming, with lots of driving, I forced myself to put the book down with about an hour to go in it, and I went to bed. I'd like to say I fell asleep right away. That would be a lie. There I was, trying to stop thinking about what I had read and what was going to happen next. Arrgghh!!! (In a good way, of course!)

What a wonderful story!

I loved the quirky physicist, Georgie, who wore t-shirts with pithy science jokes. Her scientific bent helped her to ferret out the mysteries her deceased husband Sean had left behind.

Some of the author's chick-lit snark did make its way into this story and kept it from becoming overwhelmingly intense. Flashbacks provided a touch of romance and more question marks about the mysterious man she married.

As Georgie delved into the past, seeking answers about what really happened in Operation Desert Sabre and Bosnia, tidbits of history were shared – just enough that I learned some new things and not so much to make it a history lesson.

Here are a couple of things to note:

While other books Siri Mitchell has written are Christian fiction, and while publisher Thomas Nelson is a "Christian" publisher, this story is not Christian fiction. I wouldn't even put it in the "Inspirational" genre. It is a great book, it is clean, it simply doesn't have any spiritual references or a particularly Christian message (that I can recall).

As I mentioned, the story is "clean". Don't be turned away by the opening lines. I am pretty conservative in what I feel is appropriate in terms of sexual innuendo in the books I read, and this one stays well on the side of okay. Another scene later in the story gets closer to that line but, again, it remains clean.

There is drinking. Georgie's friend, Jenn, drinks quite a bit. It is neither encouraged nor discouraged, it simply is. I know this is a problem for some readers, so if that is you, heads up.

If you enjoy suspenseful stories with a political bent that keeps you guessing, I can highly recommend State of Lies.

Highly recommended fast-paced read. This suspense novel that will engage you all the way to the end. I liked the shore chapters

I love a great book that takes you on a journey. This one will leave you breathless. Your husband has been killed in hit and run, something you believe to be just an accident, but when you find a mysterious notebook and that all your life is a lie, your world turns upside down. This is what happens to Georgie Brennan.

I was blown away by how good this book was. Siri Mitchell kept me guessing all the way through until the end and twisted my insides with the thrills of betrayal and intrigue. This is a great thriller and you may need to leave a light or two on when you read it. KUDOS!!

**thank you Thomas Fiction for the ARC. All opinions belong to me. ***

A word of warning before you even read the review. It is wisely suggested that you only start reading the book State of Lies when you have time to read the entire book but that is exactly what you will want to do. You will not want to put it down until you have pieced together all the pieces.

Reading a few pages into the book, you discover that Georgie’s husband has died in a car accident. As the pieces of the accident are revealed, the pieces don’t seem to make sense and there seems as if there is more to the story. Georgie begins to investigate and more things don’t seem to add up. Suspense, mystery and espionage fill the pages that follow as the reader tries to solve the mystery.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and could not put it down. There were times I had to reread some of the technical information more than once but it was more out of concern that I would miss an important aspect. While it is a book by a Christian author, it isn’t necessarily a Christian novel. There is no mention of God or anything spiritual. In times of grief, she could have turned to God but nothing was mentioned. That part was
disappointing to me personally.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel. I have read other books by Siri Mitchell and was intrigued by the different genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

State of Lies tells the story of Georgie Brennan who becomes a single mother when her husband is mysteriously killed. She finds that things are beginning to not be what they seem. Her husband leaves clues that she is determined to find out what they mean. She soon to finds out that she herself may be in danger.

State of Lies was one unpredictable read for. It was a thrilling, scary, but yet a fun roller coaster ride I did not expect. This story is one that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was full of action, adventure, mystery and suspense. My head was constantly spinning with all of the twists and turns.

I am giving State of Lies four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy a well written, suspenseful filled and clean novel. I look forward to more books like this one by Siri Mitchell in the future.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

My Thoughts on State of Lies:
State of Lies will leave you spellbound as you race the clock to finish the book before you become part of it forever. . . . or maybe that was just how I felt.

Wow. Just wow. This book was amazing. I constantly found myself wondering what would happen next. No cut and dried know who done it from the first-page type book. No, this one is so intense and twisted and full of suspense! Wow. Just wow. Cannot recommend this book enough.

Georgia Ann, Georgie is quite the lady. Love her character. I found myself so drawn to her and wanting to see how life turned out for her. She grew and became such a different person throughout the story. Her son Sam is also a favorite of mine with his firm holes. So cute and love his insistence that his dad is not fully dead.

I was so invested in this story. Really I didn’t want to put it down. My husband was like are you ready for bed? I just want to read just a little bit more. The baby wants to nurse. Sigh. Okay. So I would nurse the baby and then I had such a hard choice to stay in bed because this book was calling to me. And it was so hard to resist the siren call.

Siri Mitchell is an amazing author. I am now going to be following her and her pseudonym so that I can read them all! Definitely going to be a new favorite author I can tell.

Okay, so a few little bits that I have to say but don’t want to say too much. Someone is spying. There are cables that shouldn’t be where they are. Georgie’s house explodes! Say what? Yeap it explodes but don’t worry she gets out. And why does she get out? Because her husband taught her son to play a game of what if the bad guys come in the house! Oh yeah. It’s so good guys. Go read this book now!!

But maybe don’t read it if you’re home alone. And maybe don’t read it if there is a thunderstorm. Or if it’s dark. So read it during the day with the lights on and the doors locked. You’re gonna love it!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

What a thrilling book! I have always loved Siri Mitchell’s historical novels, so it was so much fun to read her latest suspense story. The writing is very well done, which allows you as the reader to easily devour the book. I could not put it down! There were definitely twists and turns that I did not expect, especially one pretty large reveal that caught me completely by surprise. I also appreciate the amount of research that the author put into the novel with regards to the character’s job as a physicist and the political climate that serves as a backdrop to the story. I do no think the Christian message was strong in this novel, but it is certainly still a clean story. I really enjoyed this book overall and recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

One of the best books I have read in 2019! I absolutely loved it. When I saw that this book and author had been compared to Terri Blackstock, I had to give it a whirl. I am so glad I did. I could not put this book down. I read it in two days. The story was well written and easy to read, The descriptions were vivid and not overly done to where I wanted to skip sentences and paragraphs as I pictured each scene in my mind. I kept thinking this would make an amazing movie. This was a clean read and no curse words. My only disappointment would be there was no Biblical context or inspirational message like Terri Blackstock. But other than that, It kept me on the edge of my seat as I turned the pages. I look forward to reading more from this new to me author in the future.
4.5 Stars
*I was given a copy by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it definitely won’t be the last! Everything about this book should place it on a bestseller list for Christian mystery/thrillers.

The author does a wonderful job of characterization, creating a family of likeable characters. There’s the husband, Sean—loving husband to his wife Georgie and young Sam. Georgie gets most of the page time in this book, and I have to tell you, she is a very strong female trying to keep everything together for her son and herself, no matter what happens to them. The book takes a number of twists and turns, leaving me unsure of who to trust. I like that in a book! As the story unfolds, and more details come out, the dangers escalates until everything is laid bare in the end. This is quite the page turner.

Sex is mentioned (between a husband and wife)—but there aren’t any graphic scenes; the book even begins with the husband and wife in bed. I’m not used to reading that in Christian novels and would honestly prefer that it didn’t crop up at all. Keep our books clean please.

State of Lies is quite frankly one of the best books that I have read a long time. The first night I started reading it, I stayed up reading until 3:30 am. I was so aggravated to have to sleep but sometimes you have to listen to your body, right? So, after sleeping a few hours, I got up, grabbed a steaming mug of coffee and happily finished reading this excellent novel.

First of all, I am very familiar with the location the author chose as her setting for this book so that was a happy coincidence but it was the fascinating storyline and the compelling characters that kept me reading as fast as I could. Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be anymore intense moments, Ms. Mitchell proved me wrong by throwing another super intense moment my way but boy did I love each and every single one. I loved the importance of each character and how involved they are in this intriguing story, including the family dog.

This book is a real page turner and totally worth the read as you'll discover when you read the story of Georgie, Sean and their young son. The things their family experience in this artfully written book will have you on the edge of your seat while you try to figure out what is going on and if things will ever be alright for them again This book deserves more than five stars and will definitely be on my top ten favorite books for 2019.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I signed up for reviewing this book, I didn’t look at who the author was, I try to be unbiased and decided which books to read based on story line alone. I was extremely excited when I realized this book was by Siri Mitchell though. I had read some of her historical novels, but this would be my first Mystery by her.

Let’s just start with the first chapter in this book. Can I say WOW?. Siri Mitchell gives us one of the best first chapters I have ever read before. It grabbed my attention as nothing else has in a long time. I picked it up to read when I only had a few minutes and boy was that a mistake. I could not stop thinking about the story and what was going to happen next.

In the first chapter, I got introduced to some of the intrigue, relationships, and mystery that Siri Mitchell weaves with great skill. It made me think in what-if scenarios (i.e. what if I was in Georgie’s or Sean's shoes?). As I picked it up to finish the story, the book continued to unfold much like that first chapter. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It was such a thrilling ride to figure out how all the clues fit together and seeing the ending. I mean Wow. This book left me giddy smiling to the point my husband asked me what was wrong. I, of course, had to explain the plot and told him he really would only understand if he read the book.

The whole book flowed at a believable rate, not rushing, but letting you get a feel for the thoughts and emotions of the characters. After reading the first chapter I was hooked. The rest of the book kept that same momentum for me, and I highly recommend reading this book. I give this book a 5 out of 5 Stars (If I could give more I would), for the great attention-grabbing first chapter, how Siri Mitchell weaved in a military/political/mystery/romance with such easy, and for the strength of the characters in not giving up in the face of overwhelming odds. Thanks for the wonderful read.

I received this book from Celebration Lit in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

What a fantastic read! I loved everything about it—from the constant twists, turns, and surprises to the way the author incorporated concepts from physics to create vivid metaphors for the character’s situation. (Don’t panic, they’re perfectly easy to grasp, even for this physics dunce, and sooooo illuminating.) I’ll let you discover those for yourself, but I will share something Georgie says early on in the novel, just after she’s discovered that her husband lied to her right before his death:

“In order to make sense of our unanswerable questions in physics, we scientists have begun to think we might have to jettison all of our assumptions and leave behind everything we know. The answers are staring at us, they are right in front of our eyes, everyone knows they are; we just can’t see them because they’ve camouflaged themselves in our reality. The key to unlocking the mysteries has to be things we’ve seen a million times and always managed to overlook.”

That describes Georgie’s journey in this novel so well. All the answers ARE camouflaged in her reality, and while I occasionally had suspicions that were realised, for the most part, I didn’t see what was coming. And even when it came, I often didn’t see what it really meant any more than Georgie did. THAT was what made this such a good read, I think. Not only was I constantly wondering what was going to happen next, but my assumptions were constantly being challenged. Even when the big picture was revealed there were still surprises coming!

I can’t really say more than that, because it would be far too easy to give spoilers. My only other comment would be that some readers may be put off by the first scene in the novel—a scene that pretty much any married couple with children will relate to, I might add! I thought it a strategic choice by the author plot-wise, setting the reader up to feel the maximum emotional impact of what is to come in a very short amount of time, and it conveyed everything it needed to (and nothing it didn’t) without being graphic. That said, readers who don’t like even the suggestion of what takes place in the marital bedroom may want to skim the first few pages.

All that’s left for me to say is: brilliant!

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Title: State of Lies
Author: Siri Mitchell
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

Georgie Brennan is a physicist, a mother, a wife, and the daughter of the next possible secretary of defense. Then her husband Sean is killed by a hit-and-run driver, and she can barely make it through each day. Her son is struggling to cope with his father’s death. Her parents are consumed with their ambitions for her father’s career. And getting out of bed sometimes just seems like too much effort.

Then Georgie discovers that Sean was lying to her about where he was going the day he died. She realizes his computer—and his knife—is missing. She hears strange noises under the house and starts seeing strange faces in the neighborhood. Soon Georgie realizes she can’t trust a soul: not her parents, not her friends, and, as the mysteries pile up, maybe not even herself.

I liked Georgie from the first page of State of Lies. She’s smart—very smart, which is always a plus in a protagonist—and even when dealt a crippling blow, she keeps moving forward. The writing is tight, and the plotting kept me guessing what was really going on up until the end—and there were several surprises I never saw coming. This will keep you reading even if you’re supposed to be doing something else.

Siri Mitchell has a business degree and experience working in the government. State of Lies is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

In a genre inundated with unreliable and unlikable narrators, it was refreshing to read State of Lies and find myself immediately rooting for the heroine. Set in Washington D.C. and revolving around the highest levels of the American government, this novel serves as a timely reminder of just how precious and fragile democracy really is.

It’s a typical weekend for the Brennans, which means they have too little time and far too many errands. It’s ordinarily Georgie who does the home repairs but since their son Sam is sick, it’s her husband Sean who runs to the hardware store that afternoon to pick up supplies to fix a leaky faucet. Many hours later, after she has put Sam to bed, Georgie sits anxiously on the couch still waiting for Sean’s return when the police come to the door and advise her he has died in a car accident.

Months later, Georgie sets out to fix the problem faucet and makes a startling discovery. The part Sean claimed he was taking to the store with him is still there which means that he lied to her about where he had been going that day. Georgie has been in a survival fugue until that moment, trying hard not to think about all she’s lost but she suddenly finds herself wide awake and questioning everything she’s been told about Sean’s accident. A look at the police report reveals the crash couldn’t have happened the way it purportedly occurred because the street the hit and run driver was on doesn’t intersect the street Sean was on. Favorite items that Sean routinely carried with him were never returned by the coroner. An additional search of his possessions reveals that Sean’s computer is missing from his attaché case, along with the security badge for his job at the Department of Defense. Georgie makes phone calls, and sends emails to try to track down answers, but the enigmatic responses she receives just leave her with more questions. More importantly, they paint a very different image of the last few months of Sean’s life than the one he had given her.

Frustrated but uncertain where to turn for the truth, Georgie is contemplating what to do next when Sam leads her to an important clue. While he is running around the yard with a friend, she realizes that the spider lilies they had planted as a family have been removed and replaced with fall crocuses, a type of flower she despises. Digging them up reveals a metal box containing a cryptic notebook with jottings written in Sean’s hand.

No longer certain of who her husband was and concerned as to what he’d been involved in, Georgie determinedly seeks answers to the numerous questions raised by his death. Before long she makes two startling discoveries – she can trust no one, not her friends, her neighbors, not even her politically ambitious parents. The second shocking revelation? Someone is willing to kill her to keep her from learning what Sean was up to.

State of Lies gripped my attention from the start and didn’t let it go till the very end. Ms. Mitchell does a marvelous job of creating and maintaining an atmosphere seething with peril and perplexity. She weaves doubt into Georgie’s every relationship, skillfully isolating her in a menacing, eerie world where she begins to question every aspect of her reality. There is a romance here, which I can’t talk about because of spoilers, but even that contributed to the heroine’s danger and sense of solitude since we aren’t sure we can trust the hero. As I mentioned before, I liked that from the start Georgie was a reliable narrator; it gave me a rope to cling to as I fell down the rabbit hole of high stakes international intrigue with her. I also liked how the mystery was set up: it was obvious once you looked for it but it was so common place and so well blended into the fabric of everything happening around it that it was literally hidden in plain sight.

While this novel is published by a Christian publisher, the text contains sex scenes and makes no mention of faith aside from Sam saying prayers before bedtime. Ms. Mitchell used to write inspirational historical romance so this is a departure from her usual fare.

For those in love with the current psychological thriller market, I should warn that this is not the typical story of the post Gone Girl era, where deeply dysfunctional people take us on a bizarre, terrifying journey into the darkest parts of the human psyche. Georgie is sane, kind, intelligent, honorable and highly moral. The villains here are average people driven by typical desires like greed or need, and while their behavior is horrifying it is also understandable. They aren’t mentally ill, just selfish and I found that chillingly realistic.

On the other hand, I found several other facets of the tale simply unbelievable. One aspect in particular, which I can’t go into here for spoiler reasons, broke my suspension of disbelief. It took a bit for me to get back into the flow of the story after that event because I found it so implausible. The ending also has a twist that borders on preposterous and had me once more eyeing the text with extreme skepticism.

While those imperfections kept me from awarding this novel DIK status, they didn’t keep me from thoroughly enjoying State of Lies. The story reminded me of beloved classic romantic suspense novels written by Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag and Lisa Gardener, so if you are a fan of novels by those ladies, I would urge you to give State of Lies a try.

This mystery/suspense story is an international intrigue with a bit of a psychological thriller vibe. I was drawn in from the very beginning and really got into this story. While I did kind of saw the villain reveal coming, Lots of twists and turns, and plenty of tension and danger in the plot to keep it interesting. Not your typical Christian suspense as it reads more like a secular thriller, it is still a clean read. This book had me hooked and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For fans of thrillers, I recommend this one.

This novel could be right out of today's headlines. Conspiracy theorists will love the plot centered on political intrigue. It made me really think about how an adversary country might blackmail some political leaders and gain an influence in our government.

I liked that the heroine, Georgie, is a physicist. Mitchell included some information about quantum physics, relativity, and other topics in physics and related it to the developing plot. I like to learn something when I read fiction and there was quite a bit about the U. S. involvement in Bosnia as well as the bits about physics.

I could have done without the initial bedroom scene. Although PG rated, it was an odd way to start a novel like this. It didn't add anything to the story and I would have preferred it not be there. Also, while this is a very good political thriller, there was no Christian influence or message in it, even though it is published by a “Christian” publisher.

This is a good novel for readers who like political thrillers where the future of the nation hangs on the work of an amateur uncovering the truth. It is well written and very interesting to think about with respect to current events.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.