After reading the synopsis, I was quite anxious to give this book a try. Like a lot of people, I like boarding school settings and the mystery seemed...well, quite mysterious. The Goode School is located in a small Virginia town. It has been run by family members for many years, even though the current Dean isn't really thrilled with her duties.

In the beginning we are introduced to Ash, a teen from England. Both of her parents recently died and she is coming to the States for a new start. Yet something doesn't seem quite right about Ash. She has a lot of secrets, ones which the Dean is willing to help her keep, and in the beginning, she isn't quite fitting in. However, when she begins a tumultuous relationship with Becca, a senior (and I mean TUMULTUOUS), things start to change.

While I kind of guessed a few of the plot twists early on, I still found it enjoyable. In fact, I think I enjoyed it a tad bit more than my friend Stormi, who read it earlier than me. The characters aren't really likable, but I don't know that they are supposed to be and I'm not kidding when I say EVERYONE in this book is lying about one thing or another. I kind of enjoyed the secret society aspect of the book but felt like it was a tad over the top for a high school boarding school.

The ending did have a few shocks and overall I'm glad I read it. I can see people who like boarding schools or closed circle mysteries really loving Good Girls Lie. This is the first thing I've read from this author but it definitely won't be the last.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars - If you like gothic vibes psychological thrillers – this one for you!

The story takes place at an exclusive boarding school, where one can expect secret passageways, secret societies, murder, to name a few. I loved everything about the setting and the atmosphere of this book! It was truly creepy and mysterious!

Also, it was very unpredictable! If you think you know what will happen, think again! I’ve never read something quite like this, a very creative premise!

Finally, the ending! WOW, that was such a great ending! Definitely, a must-read! Expertly written, and full of surprises!

Definitely twisted and undeniably entertaining, this book hit all the right notes for a psychological thriller. The author did a fantastic job of dropping subtle hints throughout, some of which were barely noticeable even though they made a huge impact. When I finished, I had to go back and re-read it to see what clues I had not realized were vital. The twists were interesting, and the end was amazing. You can see a full review at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This was written based on a digital ARC of the book.

Good Girls Lie, by J.T. Ellison

Short Take: Get in loser!! (You totally want to go for this ride.)

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Hello my lovelies! I am pleased to announce that after drowning in winter doldrums, we had a freakish seventy-degree day here over the weekend, meaning I was able to go out with the Spousal Unit and Junior Nerdling for some much needed fresh air and today I feel MARVELOUS. So I’m here to bring some of that joy to all of you, or, you know, to tell you about the book I just read which is pretty much the same thing, right?

Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Goode School began a century ago as a boarding school for unwed mothers or other types of incorrigible, socially unacceptable girls, the kind of girls who read novels and had opinions. Now it’s where the best of the best go to work their perfect little hineys off in exchange for a golden ticket - admission to the college of their choice, followed by a lifetime of success in their chosen field.

Of course nothing that fabulous is easy, as Ash Carlisle will soon discover. When both of her parents die suddenly, she leaves Oxford in hopes of Starting A New Life at Goode. Although the dean of the school, Dr. Ford Julianne Westhaven (and omg y’all THAT NAME) is willing to help her with the transition, and Ash is smart enough and disciplined enough to keep up with the work, there’s a whole ‘nother pack of problems in the form of the 199 other girls at Goode.

Let me be the cleverest nerd in the world, and point out that although these are Goode girls, they are not necessarily good girls. Despite a strict honor code, there’s drinking, drugs, secret societies whose over-the-top hazing is pure teenage girl sadism and the occasional dalliance with cute townie boys - and not just for the students. Ford also longs for escape (Ford Escape?) from the school, despite a many-years tradition of its leadership being passed from mother to daughter.

Of course, Ash herself has a few secrets of her own that could Cost Her Everything. As both Ash and Ford (seriously FORD) struggle with their place at Goode and in the larger world, keeping each other’s secrets while maybe also hastening each other’s downfall, one student then another is killed, the truth starts to dribble out, and the final set of twists slams it all home.

Good Girls Lie was a seriously fun, twisty book, with incredibly rich characters, a setting I couldn’t get enough of (I read way too much stuff that takes place in suburbia), and a killer (heh) pace. Ms. Ellison has a knack for cranking the tension, bit by agonizing bit, until everything inevitably explodes and I do love me a good tension explosion.

I really have only one complaint with this one, and it’s put me in a bit of a conundrum. There’s a character who is just TOO mastermind-y, too difficult to believe for a lot of reasons that would be spoilers. So I’m going to break one of my most iron-clad rules here, and just say that this character didn’t work for me, without explaining why. I hate to do that, because I like to imagine that I’m important enough for all authors to care about my opinion (by the way, Stephen, CALL ME! I have some very important feedback on that last one!), but this was a book I genuinely enjoyed despite that one little blemish, and I wouldn’t want to ruin anyone else’s good time with it. Because it really IS a good (or Goode)(heh) time!



The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a shot of dresser-drawer vodka. Is it spring yet??)

5/5 stars for this boarding school thriller!

Had such a great time chatting with JT over at Words & Whimsy book club, and couldn't wait to dive into this book! Such a great setting, Ellison does a great job painting a picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Also has some great morally grey characters! Loved the boarding school aspect so much! There are SO MANY twists and turns that I did not expect! Highly recommend if you enjoy thrillers! Can't wait to read more of this author in the future!

Ash Carlise is the new girl at the prestigious Goode School. Still grieving from the devastating loss of her parents, Ash tries to focus on staying under the radar and not attracting any unnecessary attention to herself. In a school like Goode it's hard to remain a ghost for long; your grades are expected to be high, appearance is everything and there are the secret societies everyone wants to be a part of. When a death in the school causes chaos throughout the school staying under the radar becomes harder than Ash ever imagined. Now with the past coming back to haunt her and secrets threatening to bubble over Ash has to figure out how to protect herself before it's too late.

Goode Prep School has a ton of secrets ranging from secret societies to murder, so when Ash Carlise goes to Goode she hopes her secrets can remain as quiet as theirs. Good Girls Lie takes us on a dark twisted journey where you don't know who to trust and who to watch.

I found myself trying to figure out the twist throughout the whole story. I knew something was up but couldn't quite figure out what. Just when I thought I had everything figured out Ellison twisted everything and it just became so much more complex. I hated to put this one down as it quickly drew me in and kept me on the edge until I could finish it. While there wasn't really a lot of character development, this book was really plot driven so the story wasn't effected by it. I really enjoyed this book overall. It was well written and fast paced. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

J.T. Ellison's latest work, Good Girls Lie, is set in an elite boarding school which is set atop a hill in the small town of Marchburg, Virginia. The students are only the best girls who are hand-picked each year by the dean. However, it is not a young adult book. It is a thriller full of secrets, secret societies, lies, and a strict honor code that is not always followed.

In the beginning, I found it difficult to get into the book but I am glad I kept reading. Several reviewers described it as fast-paced but I disagree. It is a slow burn but it does definitely burn. The twists were both expected and unexpected but worked well.

It opens with a body being found then flashes back to learn the events that lead up to the death. It is not a new tactic but, with the story, it works well.

J.T. Ellison is best known for her Lt. Taylor Jackson series. The 8th book, "Field of Graves" was published in 2015. She has teamed up with Catherine Coulter to write "A Brit in the FBI" series. The 6th book in the series, The Last Second, was published in 2019.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/10/2020.

This was an amazing thriller!

The narrative switched between first person and third person perspectives between chapters. At first, I was confused as to who was narrating. I prefer it when the chapters have the narrators labeled when it alternates. However, this was a clever way of telling the story. This narration style had a purpose in the story, and it couldn’t be told any other way.

There were so many twists throughout the story. I kept gasping at what was happening. I was surprised right until the last page. It was a fantastic thriller!

I loved this book! It’s a great thrilling read!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book. I will add it to the list and try again at a later date.

Ellison's novel is well-written with a twisting plot that keeps the reader's attention focused and keeps the pages turning. This is not only a who-dunnit, but also a who is who!

Good Girls Lie was an entertaining thriller that kept me reading and guessing throughout! I'm a sucker for books set in boarding schools - as soon as I heard about this one and that it featured a boarding school I was adding it to my TBR list. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the fact that it was written in a way where I wasn't sure who to trust. It felt like everyone in this book had secrets or was hiding something. It really helped to add to the overall level of suspense that was present throughout the book. I also enjoyed the fact that Goode school had all of things that seem to come with a boarding school. Supposedly haunted buildings and mysterious deaths? Check. Secret societies? Check. A questionable past and a present where bad things keep happening? Check, check, check. How could I not enjoy a book when it had all of these things and more? All of these things combined into a suspenseful and atmospheric read that I really couldn't get enough of! I also really enjoyed the fact that I didn't see the end of this book coming whatsoever. I had plenty of guesses of what was going on but I was completely wrong. I can't help but appreciate a thriller that keeps me guessing and manages to surprise me with the ending!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a thrilling read! I've read previous books by this author (not her standalones but a couple in one of her series that she has written) and really enjoyed them as well. This book was a great reminder of how much I've enjoyed all of her books - I need to work on catching up on her backlist more in the new year! I really think that readers of suspense and thrillers will enjoy this book. Ultimately, this book was a great way to end my reading year in 2019 and also an easy book for me to recommend!

Bottom Line: A thrilling read that kept me guessing until the very end!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley and am participating in a blog tour hosted by the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

Good Girls Lie was crazy amazing. I was hooked and enjoyed every minute of this story. So much so I was sad to get to the end and not follow the characters anymore. I am still thinking about them a few days after finishing it. Suspense, teenage/college girl drama. What is happening at the all-girls school? I was actually worried at the end, would it end how I think it will?!? Definitely a psychological thriller. The author did a great job with the character building and had me hanging on to every word. This story flowed perfectly.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 and can't wait to read more from J.T Ellison.

The Goode School for Girls is an elite prep school located in Virginia. The headmistress is Dean Ford Westhaven.

Ash Carlisle has arrived from Oxford England to attend the school starting as a sophomore. She has recently lost both of her parents and needs to get away from the sad memories in a new place. As she settles in, we learn about her talents and her background. She is an expert piano player, but with the passing of her parents, she is not inclined to play right now. She is also quite clever with computers and impresses her professor. Ash is a lovely girl who just wants to keep to herself.

When Ash’s roommate dies after falling off a roof, no one knows if she jumped or was pushed. The ensuing investigation into the girl’s death puts more scrutiny on Ash. Unfortunately, the school bully has zeroed in on her as well and opens up some things that even Ash doesn’t understand. But the tragedies don’t end there which leads to an explosive ending.

I admit that I had a little problem with keeping up with some different characters, but that simply means that the author has written a fabulous novel. I really loved every page of this book and look forward to reading even more by this truly amazing and talented author. Don’t miss this one!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

If you are a lover of YA thrillers from authors like Karen M. McManus - this is your next book!

Full of so many flipping twists and characters that will keep you guessing until the last page, this book was a freaking RIDE. Honestly, this is one of those books that the more I write, the more I will give away. But take my word for it - this book is killer!

I can tell you that the characters are fantastic, though! All of the Goode girls, including Ash, are fabulously complex and flawed. And wildly unreliable. And a special shout-out to Ford, the dean of Goode. An amazingly scripted character who steps away from the traditional roles of being a woman and an authority figure - she is full of ambition, responsibility, and a maternal instinct without the desire for a family.

After this book, I have already added Ellison's backlist to my TBR - I am ready for more!

Two in a half stars

I find this actually kind of hard to review because I didn't actually understand it...look, yes, I got the basic plot and the ending - I understood all of that, but something about the writing really boggled my brain. There was so many perspectives (they don't start with telling you who is talking), random side characters seem to even have their own chapters/perspectives. I had to flip back and forth so many times trying to figure out what I was reading. Maybe this was just me but it seemed so disorienting.

Also, I think because of this is was hard for me to really care about any of the characters. They all seemed a little flat to me - and while there were a ton of them it seemed like they were more or less all the same. I think the reason it was hard to tell whose perspective we were viewing was because all the characters voices sounded so much the same.

The mystery was okay but due to lack of feeling for the characters, it was hard to keep me interested. It was also very slow and just felt a little all over the place.

I probably wouldn't recommend but you might have better luck than I did, I just felt kind of lost .lol

Fabulous Mystery And Subdued Thriller!

There Is a boarding school which happens to be called The Goode Academy known for it's prestigious reputation of accepting only the most privledged and the brightest, talented and the most elite of teenage girls who will become the finest of young women and will be accepted into any university or Ivy League school of their desire before they graduate from Goode's doors. There will be one among their midst however, who may not belong and when the new sessions begin strange events start happening and there is tension and deception and a sense of darkness lingering in the halls and behind the walls of the academy that can be subtly felt by many students but unfortunately none of the girls or the faculty knows that there a real evil dwelling in the stately boarding school that will affect the lives of all before the first term is even finished.

Bravo, bravo to J.T. Ellison on her writing of this fabulous book! I was intrigued from the first page and was consumed by the flawless writing style and storytelling. I felt as if I was an invisible character listening and following the girls and wishing I could tell them to be careful and not so mean and spiteful. I was entrenched in the drama and the mystique of the school's underlying mysteries. This book had me from start to finish and I just wanted the story to continue and find out what would happen to many of the characters and their thoughts and feellings in the next chapters of their lives if they lived to tell their stories.

I want to thank the author J.T. Ellison and the publisher "Harlequin and Mira" (US and Canada) and of course Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel for an honest and unbiased review!

I highly recommend this book and I am giving a rating of 5 Privledged 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

This gave me Gossip Girls vibes. So if you enjoyed the TV series, I think you'll enjoy this one.

It had a great opener, but I found it slow through a good chunk of the book. At times I was even confused at timelines and who was speaking.

I think it may have just been me and the mood I was in at the time of reading this one. Overall, it was a decent read and would recommend it for those who enjoy the boarding school setting.

A special thank you to Harper Collins Publishers and Harlequin Books for the opportunity to participate in the Winter 2020 Mystery/Thriller Blog Tour!

“I thought lies had power until I saw what silence could do.”
Theres something about the allure of a boarding school that always intrigues me. I guess because I never went away for school or college so its interesting to live and go to class in the same place. And of course there is inevitably all the drama that comes along with it as well. Let’s just say that The Goode School wasn’t short on drama. From a new student with a secret, to hidden societies, to haunted parts of the campus that were said to have been the places of horrific murders and deaths.
I absolutely LOVED the spooky atmosphere to this book. The mystery behind what’s really going on kept me intrigued throughout. Its not technically a case of an unreliable narrator but it still has you questioning everything that’s going on and if its really accurate or just another version of the truth, which is ironic coming from a group of people who reside in a school where honesty and truth are the basis of the code of conduct. Still, I can’t think of anyone who has never lied and who doesn’t on a daily basis. Its a part of what makes us human and gives us the freedom we have as a species to be able to tell white lies here and there.
As a whole this book was really entertaining and pretty fast paced. I kept getting hung up on the prologue and wondering who was speaking at that part but as you go through the book things are revealed in due time, so just be patient on that aspect. There are so many different mysteries throughout as well that unfold as you dive deeper into the lives of all the poor souls residing in The Goode School. I think that this was another fun part of this book, that you really don’t know who is giving you the facts straight and who is elaborating for their own benefit. Because lord knows there were a lot of people in this book who had only their best interests at heart. Probably the result of so many bright minds in one place. Too many leaders and not enough followers.
This was a fun read and I highly recommend giving it a read! I think that it can speak to any number of people from any background, age or gender. It was mysterious, spooky, and just the right about of intriguing to keep me wondering exactly what was going on the whole time.

EXCERPT: The girl's body dangles from the tall, iron gates guarding the school's entrance. A closer examination shows the ends of a red silk tie peeking out like a cardinal on a winter branch, forcing her neck into a brutal angle. She wears her graduation robe and multicolored stole as if knowing she'll never see the achievement. The last tendrils of dawn's fog laze about her legs, which are five feet from the ground. It rained overnight and the thin robe clings to her body, dew sparkling on the edges.

There is no breeze, no birds singing or squirrels industriously gathering for the long winter ahead, no cars passing along the street, only the cool, misty morning air and the gentle metallic creaking of the gates under the weight of the dead girl. She is suspended in midair, her back to the street, her face hidden behind a curtain of dirty wet hair, dark from the rains.

Because of the damage to her face, it will take them some time to officially identify her. In the beginning, it isn't even clear that she attends the school, despite wearing the Goode School robes. But she does. The fingerprints will prove it.

Of course there are a few people who know exactly who is dangling from the school gates. Know who,and know why. But they will never tell.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

MY THOUGHTS: 'Lies will flow from my lips, but there may perhaps be some truth mixed up with them; it is for you to decide whether any part of it is worth keeping.' - Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

And lies certainly do flow from everyone's lips in J.T. Ellison's latest thriller, Good Girls Lie. The opening chapters had my pulse pounding and I voraciously flicked over the pages until my Kindle went flat. The pace does settle for a time before the climactic ending.

Ellison has written an atmospheric and creepy novel with cutting edge characters. These teenage girls are rich and privileged, cliquey and bitchy. They can be cruel and manipulative. They are adept at hiding their true feelings, preferring to be seen as 'cool', to be admired and emulated.
The culture of their school almost encourages their behaviour... until it all backfires and popular students start dying. Is it a coincidence, or perhaps just plain bad luck, that there is a new girl at the school. One whose entire family is dead...

Highly recommended.

😯😯😯😯.5

#GoodGirlsLie #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison began her career as a presidential appointee in the White House, where a nuclear physicist taught her how to obsess over travel itineraries and make a seriously good pot of Earl Grey, spawning both her love of loose leaf and a desire for control of her own destiny. Jaded by the political climate in D.C., she made her way back to her first love, creative writing. More than 20 novels later, she is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with thrillers published in 27 countries and 15 languages. She is also the EMMY-award winning cohost of A WORD ON WORDS, a literary interview TV show. She lives in Nashville with her husband and two small gray minions, known as cats in some cultures. She thinks they’re furry aliens.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin MIRA for providing a digital ARC of Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

Favorite Quotes:

Everyone lies. To themselves, to each other. It’s a way to belong, to be included. To look important.

I employ the only tool in my arsenal— silence. It only adds to the mystique. Who knew? I thought lies had power until I saw what silence could do.


My Review:

J.T. Ellison has mad word skills and is a master storyteller, her descriptive and emotive prose fully created each scene from the ground up with multiple textures, scents, sights, and sounds. I was sucked right in and fully present, sometimes, uncomfortably so. While it wasn’t an edge of your seat thriller, I was deeply invested in this twisted and tense hybrid tale that was part YA, part Women’s Fiction, part suspense, part family drama.

The main character of Ash was always taut with tension and anxiously on edge for fear of discovery and I found myself often nibbling on my cuticles with the extremely poor posture of my shoulders in my ears while clutching my Kindle with a vise-like grip. This was a long, complex, and cunningly paced tale with multiple layers and interesting textures. The storylines were rather ingenious, shrewdly plotted, and expertly populated with a cast of diabolical and oddly intriguing characters of all ages. The most heinous was, of course, the teenaged girls, who were especially vile and vicious as only teenaged girls can be. Although, and I know from personal experience, rich and privileged teenaged girls are the absolute worst of the breed.