Member Reviews
This book is part of a continuing story arc and the preceding books are essential to read before beginning this one.
The story continues with even more secrets having been revealed about Rowan DuPont’s family. This time it’s her mother, Norah, who committed suicide shortly after her daughter and Rowan’s twin Raven’s death. The body of a man is delivered to the funeral home and a shocking tattoo is revealed when Rowan begins her procedures. Even more distressing are the secrets discovered about the man. All of this, combined with the continuing threat named Julian Addington, has everyone off balance.
It seems that the small town of Winchester has become the murder capital of Tennessee! There are two additional murders that are unconnected to Julian that Rowan is assisting Police Chief Billy Brannigan in investigating. Meanwhile, she’s not being completely open with Billy about her recent discoveries involving her mother and the accusations Julian made about her father. I enjoyed seeing her in action with the murder investigations but was plenty frustrated with her withholding from Billy. It seemed inauthentic though I understood her motivations.
I had lots of issues with the repetition and pacing with the last book and that seemed to disappear in this one. The pacing was great, so much so that I had to stay on my toes to keep up with all the juggling balls in the air. I have some sneaking suspicions as to where all this is leading but don’t have everything worked out yet. It ends with something shocking (yes, again) but it fits with my suspicions. I just don’t know how it was all managed. I can’t wait to get started with the final conclusion. And, I’m glad I stuck with the series. It got good!
An interesting book that is full of suspense. I hadn't realized there was a previous book to the series and if I had known I would have read the first book first to get a better understanding of the characters and their relationship with one another.
Having said that, this book was still a good read that left me entertained and it was an enjoyable read.
Forensic shockers and relationship changes had me speeding through this story.
The story picks up a few months after book one and we see the community is facing some new murders and the finding of a new serial killer. The FBI is still visible as the task force to find Julian is still in effect. Along the way of solving these cases a slew of questions arise and point to Julian who still has not been found. We also find out more about Rowans parents and what Norah was up to before her death.
The writing is captivating and the whole time I wondered what else would Rowan and Billy have to face. The community development is fantastic and I love the introduction and views of other townspeople. Along with the suspense of who is watching and what will happen next, there is a new development in Rowans relationship with Billy and I am excited to see what happens next!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and share my opinions.
Awesome Series! I really enjoyed this book. I recommend reading the previous book and you'll love it even more. Recommended!
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and MIRA in exchange for an unbiased review.
I finished book but have to compose my thoughts to organize my review. I hadn’t realized it was part of a series. I had started to read it as a stand alone but too many references to past events had me wanting to know the background! So, I read all the preceding books to get a complete picture of all the characters. She has book 3 coming out 4/2020 The Darkness We Hide so I am delighted I read all the previous books.
I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this series because as a stand alone it would be annoying not knowing all the nuances of the referenced plots.
This is the second book in the Undertaker’s Daughter series. Dr Rowan DuPont is a forensic psychiatrist who assists with homocide investigations. In book 1, The Secrets We Bury, Dr Rowan DuPont finds bones in lake where her sister was found dead. Rowan is adjusting to taking over family funeral business after moving back to Winchester, TN from Nashville. She is still reveling in the mysterious deaths of her sister and mother and eventually her father. The biggest betrayal with which she is grappling is the discovery that her friend/confidante Dr Julian Addington is a serial killer. In book 2, the story continues with Rowan determined to track down Dr Addington who remains on the run.
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The Undertaker’s Daughter (Book 0.5 novella) 12/27/18
The Secrets We Bury (Book 1) 4/30/19
The Lies We Tell (Book 2) 9/17/19
The Darkness We Hide (Book 3) 4/2020
The Lies We Tell by Debra Webb is a great suspense novel. There is this layer of deceit, betrayal, and buried secrets that one woman is trying to dig up. Most of it leads to her family. What were they hiding and why...and what is real? That's the big question. When Rowen's research leads her to only one man. She's not ready to ask him for the truth, if he's telling the truth. But he's all she has in getting closer to the answers. There has been so many murders that never went solved and this was a good story. I liked how one thing led to many being discovered...and how one determined woman is set on bringing the truth out. Catching the killer, is a dangerous game. I liked the blossoming romance between Rowen and her male partner. Romantic suspense novels are my favorite and this worked for me. I found this book intriguing, realistic, and entertaining. I have to read the next book which comes out in March.
It wasn’t until more than halfway through this book that I realized it was part of a series but I enjoyed the story on its own but was really disappointed in the ending. It would have been nice to be provided a sneak peek of what’s to come in the next installment.
The Lies We Tell is definitely a story chock full of high drama. Dr. Rowan DuPont has recently returned to the family business in the small town of Winchester. As the daughter of an undertaker, Rowan has spent all her life surrounded by death. Not only was the family business a constant reminder, but Rowan also underwent the additional tragedies of her sister’s death in high school, and her mother’s suicide a few months later. After a rough patch, Rowan goes to school for psychiatry, and studies under a paternal like figure named Julian. Julian ends up being a prolific serial killer. After an encounter in which Rowan shoots and wounds Julian and he disappears, Rowan hopes she can move on, and she throws herself behind her work. Small town funeral planning should be slow, but Rowan continues to catch a series of bizarre cases including two bizarre local homicides. There is so much happening in this story and it certainly keeps us as readers riveted. If there is one small disappointment it is that the character of Julian is such an overwhelming figure in the background that I kinda wish he had made an actual appearance, but since this appears to be part of a continuing storyline, this story isn’t over. Thank you to Netgalley for the early copy. Review is posted on Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Amazon.
When I requested this galley I did not realize that this was a sequel. Upon starting the book it quickly became apparent that these characters had histories that I was not privy to. Yes, there were some hints. But I still felt out of the loop. There was indeed a knowledge gap. I pressed on because the plot was intriguing and the prospect of a female investigator always tickles my fancy. But at the end I still felt as if I was missing something. It was certainly worth the read but would have been more enjoyable if I had read the series in sequence. My recommendation - Read [book:The Undertaker's Daughter|41460382] first, then pick this one up.
<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin-Mira and Debra Webb for access to this book.</i>
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.
This is the second book in the Undertaker's Daughter series; I did not read the first book and felt that while I now want to read the first book, I did not need to read it to enjoy this book, This could easily be read as a stand-alone right up until the cliff hanger ending which will leave you needing to read the next book to follow this multiple serial killer story-line. While I enjoyed the book, I felt that there were times where I felt like I was not sure what was going on and maybe this is where having read the previous book would have helped. I will say, I really enjoyed the characters and have already put the previous book and upcoming sequel in my TBR pile.
This book finds Rowan Du Pont taking over the family business as undertaker after her father's murder, for which she feels responsible. Rowan has had a tragic life, her twin sister drowned when she was young, and her mother hanged herself 5 months later, it turns out her sister was murdered. As people around Rowan are not who them seem and more deaths take place, she wonders if she has brought all this death to her hometown or was it always been there and current events are bringing it to light? Lots of twists an action, but that ending, ugh. I hate/love a cliff hanger ending. I cannot wait to read how this series continues and see where Rowan and Billy's story takes us.
Thankyou to NetGalley, Harlequin Mira and the author, Debra Webb, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Lies We Tell in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided a good, quick read. The storyline was fast paced and intriguing with well defined characters.
Worth a read.
I was unable to read and review the book by the publishing date due to other commitments. I will update the review immediately upon completion of the book. Thank you NetGalley and publisher.
It wasn't until I'd read this that I figured out it was apart of a series. I do believe that I enjoyed it well enough on it's own but plan to read the whole series; I believe I'll enjoy it more. On it's own it was an okay thriller and readers if thrillers will orobably live it.
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Johanna Sawyer's review Nov 13, 2019 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: netgalley, series, serial-killer
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.
This is the second book in a series about an undertakers daughter and a harrowingly gruesome tale it is. I did not read the first book in this series and it did kind of take the pleasure away from the second book but it was manageable. Rowan is the undertaker’s daughter and seems to attract death. Not only does she see it every day but it seems to visit her hauntingly. This book has a double murder and various hints point at the serial killer from book one.
What did I like? It’s an engrossing story, just wish book one had been included. I’m a fan of this type of story, and love the fact that while each book is its own story, all the stories are linked. Rowans blooming love of the chief is also a high point, author did a good job of bringing it slowly to light. Still a lot of things not answered but I enjoyed it.
Would I buy this book? Yes, although I’d probably buy book one first to see what I missed. It’s a good story and the blurb definitely sucked me in.
Thoughts for the author? Would love to be gifted book one, but otherwise a good book. I’ll keep an eye out for the series continuation.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
After reading the novella and the first book in this series, The Undertaker's Daughter and The Secrets We Bury, there was no way I couldn't go on to read this book! I only got this one for review, but gladly obtained the other titles. Well, Dr. Rowan Dupont was getting way too close to the truth of discovering secrets from years long past. Now she is in a serial killer's crossfire.
By now, Rowan has been working at her funeral home, all the while drawing closer to friend and police chief Billy Brannigan. Rowan cannot let her sister's drowning, and her mother's apparent subsequent suicide go. Then, there was the brutal murder of her father. She knows there was more to it. Things no one ever discovered. Could everything be tied to the very funeral home that she was raised in and that her father ran? Is her working there now going to expose a true barrel of rattlesnakes?
Oh boy! What Rowan unravels is unspeakable. Things went on for years, costing way too many lives. Rowan indeed has the key, no matter the danger facing her. I devoured all three books so far. I love Debra Webb's writing and how she kept me captivated three books in a row. Now, however, I have to wait for the next book, The Darkness We Hide, to be released in March. I will be (in)patiently waiting.
Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.
This was a great book. A mystery/thriller that will keep you wondering and on edge throughout. I didn’t read the first two books but feel like I didn’t lose anything in this book. I will go back and read the other eventually as I love a good thriller.
The characters were great and the story kept up a great pace. I didn’t want it to end. A serial killer book is something I don’t usually read but was very open too. If it adds to the thrill then it’s a plus. The author did a wonderful job with this book.
Thank you NetGalley for this book. The review is mine and in no way reflects the gift of this ARC.
A big 4 stars from me and I do recommend it. I also can’t wait to read other books by this author.
The suspense builds from page 1 in this story that includes most elements that you would find in a shelf full of thrillers. Debra Webb has mixed in a serial killer's presence, both past and future, in a young woman's return to her childhood home after her mother's suicide. The lies in the title "THE LIES WE TELL" could be from many different characters in a story that moves quickly from building background to running for your life. What a ride!!!!!
Oh my god! Serial killers, funeral homes, dead parents and a spine tingling mystery all wrapped up in a creepy package!! My favourite and first genre I adore! I love all this kinds of stuff and cut my reading teeth on the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz at a young age! This story was well paced and plotted, suspenseful, twisted and captivating! I really enjoyed it and want to read more by this author! Didn’t know it was a series but now I will definitely go back and read from the beginning.
Creepy take about deception and murder and trust. I liked the characters and the writing was good. I’ll definitely be buying books by this author and so should you!
Not my typical type of book. Nor did I know that it was the second book in a series. That being said, i did enjoy this suspenseful story. I am not typically a reader of books with serial killers. Might go back and read the 1st book to see if that adds to my opinion of this type of book going forward. Thanks to Net Galley and the published for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.