An excellent read full of truly horrid and unlikeable characters. I liked the format of telling the story from each characters point of view which gave extra depth. Some good twists and a good ending.

I have been a fan of Alex's work for a little while now. In fact I have been a fan ever since I had the good fortune to pick up her first book 'No Looking Back'. I heard that Alex was due to release a new book and I knew that I had to read it as soon as I could. I (im)patiently waited for her third book to be released. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over because 'She Who Lies' was released on 8th April 2020. It is another superb read, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
Well what can I say about the Laird-Shaw family? Apart from thank goodness I am not related to them. Over the years, the family has risen from nothing to becoming minor celebrities with more money than you would know what to do with. As with all families, it becomes apparent fairly early that they aren't without their secrets. Something happens which puts the wind up certain members of the family and from then on details gradually come trickling out. We find out just what it is that the family are so desperate to keep hidden.
Oh my giddy aunt, ''She Who Lies' was one seriously amazing read. The name of the author was enough to grab my attention, the synopsis drew me in and the story was the icing on the cake as it were. This book cast a spell over me from the moment I first picked it up until the moment I finished reading. I immersed myself so fully into the story that I managed to shut out all other distractions and focus solely on the book itself. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. I am a bit of a nosy parker and so I had to keep reading to see what happened and to get to the heart of why this family wanted secrets to remain hidden. The pages turned over at a furious pace and despite my attempts to ration how quickly I read the book to prolong my enjoyment of the story, I finished the book in just under 24 hours, which is pretty good going for me.
'She Who Lies' is brilliantly written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Alex's work. She grabs your attention from the start and then takes you on one hell of a fast paced and interesting journey through the lives of one particular family. For me, 'She Who Lies' hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. The story itself is written using chapters voiced by certain characters. This way of telling the story works really well and the story flows seamlessly. Alex writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, 'She Who Lies' is another superb book from Alex Kane and I have no hesitation in recommending this book and this author to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Alex's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This book is a compelling psychological thriller. It is a story of the Shaw and Laird family who are wealthy and live a celebrity lifestyle. From the outside, they seem to live a perfect life but behind closed doors this is far from the truth.

This is an amazing compelling read with amazing twists and turns. It had me hooked from the very first page until the last. The characters in this book are multi layered. Some are likeable but in contrast some are very unlikeable.

I knew right from the threatening prologue this was going to be good and just my cup of tea.

The opening chapter is then an interview where we meet the Laird-Shaw family. Their landscape business has catapulted them to fame and fortune. All from a humble start by Gavin as a handyman just trying to make money to help his family. To bringing in friend Stevie as partner and his sister Eve and mother Brenda joining the business as it expands. Then we have Carla, Stevie and Eve’s daughter who runs the charity side of things and uses social media to highlight her mental health work.

Then from the picture perfect family the hints of darkness appear. A mother battling demons and a daughter knowing that without her father holding the family together it would easily tear it apart.

Are those demons because of the secrets Eve has? After accepting a friendship request on Facebook from a woman called Rebecca we learn she knows her dark secrets and is determined to destroy them all.

This is very much a case of watching people at the top fall spectacularly as the family crumbles all because of a stranger on social media. Trouble is when you are at the top there is nowhere to go but down and this shows the extent social media can play in people’s downfalls.

I thought this had great structure and pacing and can easily be read in one sitting. The characters were thoroughly believable although not all were entirely likeable. As Shrek would say this is like an ogre/onion with lots of layers and more is revealed as each is peeled away. All in all a really good gripping read.

She Who Lies by Alex Kane

Prologue: We learn that someone is out to expose the long ago cover-up of a crime against them...they are out to get the perpetrator of the crime and make that person pay...

Who is the one seeking revenge and what is that person willing to do to achieve it? Well, that is what this story is about. And, as I began reading about the successful landscaping company and the powerhouses at the top of the company I became curious about them. At first they seemed to have achieved the rags to riches dream coming up from poverty to power and money and then...I thought...what will happen and what will I learn as I get to know these not so likable wealthy people.

This is a story of dysfunctional families, lies, betrayal, delusion, obsession...and...seeking justice...or more likely...revenge.

The story is well-crafted with twists and turns aplenty. Slowly information is eked out in a way that kept me guessing.

What I liked:
* The plot and pacing
* The twists and surprises
* That those who were getting away things were exposed
* That justice might occur
* That nobody came away unscathed
* Seeing into the minds of twisted people
* Finding out how bad things can impact more than the one originally harmed

What I did not like:
* Most of the characters...for one reason or another
* Wondering what will happen to some impacted by the drama though not guilty of anything themselves

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars

This was one book which caused my insides to shiver in deliciousness. Alex Kane is one heck of a writer who can pull me in with the first line up to the end. I loved how she showed me perfection, then removed one layer after another, revealing them to be just masks. Oooh how I loved this book!! The rich and their obsessive need to cover the flaws. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

The Shaw family, matriarch gran Brenda Shaw, her son Gavin and daughter Eva who was married to Stevie Laird and had a daughter Carla. They had their own landscape company, rubbing shoulders with the celebrities and millionaires. Life was smooth and rich until a message on their Facebook group from Rebecca threatening to reveal their secrets caused the cracks to appear. Ah...they walked on wafer thin ice, didn't they? Read the book to know their dark hearts... Cackle cackle (laughing like a witch here, substitute with a B)

I have read her earlier book, so I was eager to get to this one. I took such a perverse pleasure in reading each line of the book. Secrets revealed filled me with an unholy glee. I was completely pulled into the world of Laird-Shaw family. (Remember Dallas?). I tell ya, this Alex Kane was one crafty devil whose sense of black humor was a delight to read.

From the first chapter, my head kept shaking. Nah nah that can't be true... In fact, the Laird-Shaw family sounded too good to be true. And you know the saying... A thing that glitters... Boy was I right! Can opened by a stranger and worms crawling. I love books which use that trope. The gossip girl in me wanted to dig deeper into their world to know the truth.

The book was a siren that lured me into its darker core. Come to me was all it said, and I was helpless. I had to follow. Tap... Tap... Tap...went my finger on the kindle screen, and the pages kept turning. One sitting and a few hours was all it took to read this rich candy of lies and secrets. How the mighty fell!!

It was everything I needed in these turbulent times and more. Believe me, the book helped me forget the outside world. I was completely immersed into the story for a few hours. It soothed my thriller-y heart.

Devilishly brilliant! The witch in me totally recommends this book!!

Always a Hera girl!!

Fab read. Full of twists and turns! I couldn't wait to get further into the story to see how everything developed. First book read by this author but it definitely won't be my last!

She Who Lies is the latest standalone psychological thriller from Ms Kane and boy does it play with your head. It revolves around a family that is seen as perfect from those outside of it all but when you draw back the curtain and peer inside what you see is certainly not what you expected. It is the epitome of the phrase “you never know what goes on behind closed doors.” There are lots of families like this but this time it’s the turn of the Laird (and Shaw family) family to be exposed for what they really are. Eva and Steve and their daughter Carla are at the forefront along with their wider family unit who are wealthy and successful company owners. They are well-loved, prominent in the area and live a celebrity lifestyle but all of that is about to come crashing down on top of them and not only devastate them but also shock the entire local community beyond belief.

The family facade begins to crack and the secrets and lies leak out in a slow unravelling of their lives. This was precipitated by a message Eva received on Facebook that sent her into a complete and utter frenzy. The deceit and deception keep you reading to discover the outcomes and what happens to the family members when all of their dirty laundry has been aired in public. It switches seamlessly between past and present creating a fully rounded narrative and highlights just how far some families will go to protect the ones they love; the reason this is so captivating and addictive is because we can all relate to wanting to protect our loved ones at one time or another. A gem and a real page-turner to truly mess with your head, this is a book that explores trust, family loyalty and the sides of ourselves we choose to show others as well as those we keep hidden. Many thanks to Hera for an ARC.

She Who Lies is another good thriller from Alex Kane,the Laird and Shaw families have it all a thriving business set up by Stevie and Gavin who are friends from childhood and when Eva who is Gavin's sister marries Stevie their partnership is made even stronger as they have a celebrity lifestyle others can only dream about.But they are hiding secrets from each other and their adoring public and if these secrets come tumbling out they are all in for a nasty fall from grace and as is often the case the secrets and lies do come to the surface and that is when the battle to keep a lid on things starts.A very well written book once again from Alex Kane and a good 4 star read which i would certainly recommend.

The Laird Shaw family have dream about humble roots to global turnover
But their glamour lies a web of lies secretive
Because somewhere knows the truth
I had an ARC

This book was gripping and a real page Turner. The Lairs/Shaw family business has grown and the families have become Scotland's most well loved celebrities. When Eva receives a Facebook message that threatens everything. As the story unfolds we go back to when the business was established and the beginning of the lies and deceit. Absolutely brilliant read. Highly recommend.

Alex Kane is an author who just goes from strength to strength.

If you love stories full of deceit, lies, twists and turns a plenty, well look no further than She Who Lies. The Laird-Shaw’s on the surface have it all. Love, health, wealth, they are the perfect picture of the complete family package that have done well for themselves. They are bound to have people that are envious about them living the good life.

On the surface, it looks like they have another troll on their hands but this is one that isn’t going away. The cracks within this family start showing making the reader wonder just what this family have to hide and whether the cracks will be able to be repaired or blown apart.

Flicking between past and present and key characters, we start to discover just what this family is covering up. It gives food for thought about the choices we make and just how strong a family bond can be.

She Who Lies had me hooked from the very first page. I couldn’t devour the pages quickly enough whilst the Laird-Shaw family’s world starts to fall apart. Just when you think you know everything, the author throws another curve ball that sent me reeling. An intense page turner of a read.

Amazing book. Really enjoyed it! I love this author will be looking out for more of these. So gripping

Thank you to Hera, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Absolutely blown away. This is the first novel I have read by Alex Kane, and certainly wouldn't be the last. This was a crime thriller that really tested family loyalties and trust. The secrets were slowly unravelled in the most decadent of reveals that had me skipping through the pages as fast as my heart could beat.

A thoroughly decent and well-written thriller that comes highly recommended.

Enjoyed this book although it didn't blow me away. A story about a family who appear to others perfect on the outside and shows you the reader how looks can be deceptive.

I have never heard of this author before and it was my first book by him. It was a very good read which was easy to follow and full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and will certainly look out for more by him in the future.

Another brilliant book from Alex Kane great plot and charactors and readers will love reading this book as i did 5*

This book was ok nothing exciting to keep you gripped. A family that look perfect in the outside but behind closed doors completely different

I really didn't like this book. I didn't like any of the characters and felt nothing for them. The middle and ending of the book were better than the beginning which just dragged on. There's nothing wrong with the writing I just didn't think it's my kind of book. #SheWhoLies #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book and read it in just over a day. It is about a family who, to the outside world, seem perfect. Appearances can be deceptive though and some of the family members are hiding secrets. The book is about betrayal, lies, deceit and what some people will do to keep their secrets. The characters were believable and mostly likeable. The book was told in parts by different characters and their points of view. A good read which held my attention from start to finish. It didn’t wow me though. 4 stars