This was my first book by this author and I loved her writing style. The story focuses on three women, all who live in the same apartment complex. Rikki is a second grade teacher working at a private school where the parents rule the school. In addition she has a huge crush on her neighbor’s and friends husband. Embry has two small kids and has no clue how she’s going to balance raising two kids on her husbands earnings while he’s trying to make it in LA. And Sylvia thinks she has the perfect man until she learns he’s been lying to her. Her goal then is to get revenge.
This book gripped me from the beginning to the end and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

This book really fell short for me. The description was misleading. The story begins with a body at the bottom of the stairs. Readers are then introduced to Riki, Embry, and Sylvia - three women connected by the complex they live in. The book follows them by switching between their narratives. Their stories were tied together well, however, so much of what I was reading felt like I was just following their day to day lives. The details did not really lead up to a "moment" that made the story for me. Many of the details that had taken up so much of the story were never followed up on. By the time I was 67% of the way through the book, I realized the body at the bottom of the stairs was still a long ways away. I almost put the book down several times, as it was not really keeping my interest or leaving me wanting to pick it back up. However, I decided to continue and I was not completely disappointed, as I felt like it picked up 75% of the way through. Embry and Ricki were likeable characters, however, Sylvia's storyline left me sick. She was just completely unstable. Maybe that was the point. I enjoyed the way the narrative switched between characters effortlessly. It really tied the characters' perspectives together nicely.

What a display of female characters! Wise masterfully unfolds this story, exposing a cunning woman amongst the cast of characters. While I don’t wish to know her, her devious ways are delightful! I also thoroughly enjoyed the Southern belle that reminded me so much of girls I knew in high school and college. A good read!

Wise has created a polarizing story. The story follows three women who all reside in a small apartment complex in California. Rikki, Embry, and Sylvia could not be more different--from each other that is. Different from Big Little Lies characters? Not as much. They felt all too familiar, as did the story. Instead of truly being it's own entity it felt like a poor imitation of Big Little Lies--down to a fall down the stirs during an argument. Sylvia has absolutely no redeeming features. 2/5 stars.

I was pleasantly surprised by this, it’s an entertaining read! The three women who live at 1054 Mockingbird Lane have secrets and with a body at the bottom of their apartment building’s staircase, those secrets need to stay buried. Riki, Sylvia, and Embry each very different from one another but like able & relatable. Which one has motive? Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

Unfortunately for me, I think this was a case of right book, wrong reader. The blurb for me was a little misleading - I definitely expected this to be far darker and unfortunately I really struggled to feel empathy for most of the characters. A fun book, but not for me.

Thank you for providing me a copy of this book.
Sorry I wasn't able to go on and finish this.
It just didn’t work for me.
I'll try again next time and leave a feedback.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The tension slowly builds and each characters story plays out separately until the end when they converge. The characters are different to each other but are all relatable and very well written and explored.

Leider ist "Lie, lie again" nicht das Buch, das ich erwartet habe. Der Klappentext klang so vielversprechend. Drei Frauen, grundverschieden, leben in einem Wohnhaus und haben alle ihre Geheimnisse. Dazu gilt es einen Mord aufzuklären. Aktuell sind solch seichte Thriller total im Kommen und auch ich habe mein Spaß daran, ab und an zu einem solchen Buch zu greifen, daher hatte ich mich sehr auf die Geschichte von Stacy Wise gefreut. Nur leider hapert es schon daran, dass alle drei weiblichen Protagonisten absolut unsympathisch sind. Ich konnte mich mit keiner der drei Frauen auch nur im Geringsten identifizieren oder gar anfreunden, was sehr schade ist, da dadurch mein Lesevergnügen absolut getrübt wurde.
Spannung kommt meines Erachtens nach auch nicht wirklich vor und die Wendungen sind so klischeebehaftet, dass es auch keinen überraschendne Moment gibt, den man nicht vorausahnen konnte. Zudem kommt ein etwas holpriger Schreibstil, der den Leser auch eher stocken lässt, als dass man in die Geschichte gesogen wird.
Schade, es klang so gut und war es dann leider doch nicht!

I generally really enjoy this type of book but I found the characters were very difficult to get to know which made it a bit difficult to connect with this book. It was a tad slow moving also. However I did like the way it was written so I do think I would read more by Stacy Wise.

A slow burn suspense novel that ends with fatal consequences!

Sylvia, Embry, and Riki have one thing in common: they are all residents of Mockingbird Lane. The book begins with a tragedy, then we jump backward in time to follow each woman over the course of a few weeks - enough time for their secrets to change their lives forever.

This book is not your typical thriller - there's a lot of character development that happens in the first half of the novel before we get to the twists and turns. But don't worry, there's plenty of excitement to come in the last half of the book. Each woman is well-drawn with a unique backstory, but I found Sylvia the most compelling. Without saying too much, she definitely has a few tricks up her sleeve.

I tend to prefer faster-paced books, hence the 3-star rating, but this would be a great read for someone who likes more character-driven suspense.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three women's secrets come crashing down as a result of murder in their neighborhood... Lies, drama and a character-focused slow-paced mystery.

The action takes place in a California apartment complex as we follow three of its residents:
- Sylvia - a working professional with a great boyfriend, except that his ex-wife is doing her best to get under Sylvia's skin
- Embry - married with two children to a bartender and aspiring actor whose career just can't seem to pick up.
- Riki - a teacher with a loving boyfriend, although she's also really into their neighbor.

Something unexpected interrupts their lives: a body is found in their complex. We read about it from the points of view of the three main characters, which in my opinion gives the novel a unique and spicy nature. The best part about it is that each of them has something to hide, and revealing their dark secrets would lead to dire consequences.

Much of the book is dedicated to character development, which is quite a lot. given how we have three main parts to follow. I got really involved in their lives and even picked a favorite, which to me is a proof of a well-written drama. But that being said, as a result it's a rather light mystery filled with personal drama, or perhaps a cross between a mystery and women's fiction. I liked that, but I wished there was a smidgen more suspense around the murder.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 women, each with their own secrets and a body at the bottom of the stairs. I was intrigued.

This is a slow burner but i really enjoyed it. I loved the way the story was set out. It starts with the body at the bottom of the stairs but you dont know who it is.

The story follows the lives of Syliva, Embry and Riki, each with their own problems and men who deceive them. The books keeps you guessing, I wonder if he ends up at the bottom of the stairs.

This book wasnt what I was expecting but the characters, who reminded me of the girls from Sex and the City, kept you wanting to read more.

This was an easy, intriguing and fun read and I would recommend picking it up.

Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and Stacy Wise for allowing me to review this book ahead of publication.

This book is a fantastic book of thrills, surprises, and mysteries that captivate you from the very first page! It keeps you hanging on because the events and characteristics of the people in the book are so lifelike, and because of the tragedy hinted at at the beginning of the books makes you desperately curious to know what led up to it. I think readers would enjoy it because the characters are very personable and relatable so it’s easy to envision their lives, problems, and dreams. I think readers would especially love this book because we have all known someone who reminds us of the characters, situations, and events. Stacy Wise did an incredible job telling you enough information and details without it dragging on any, so it was altogether a great book! It wasn’t overkill suspense that is unrealistic, but had a heightened amount of suspense, intrigue, and mystery that made it impossible to stop reading.
It reminded me of a large storm that starts brewing before it turns into a monstrous hurricane. Everyone watches as the storm grows in intensity, unsure of where it’s going or how much devastation it’s going to cause. People stay guarded as it gets closer and second guess about whether or not they’re prepared, knowing there is no limit to the damage it can cause once it reaches land. The only thing people can do is watch helplessly as it finally reaches disastrous proportions and wrecks havoc. From the beginning of the book you can see that trouble is brewing, and the events and actions are only the beginning of the storm...until disaster strikes, just like a hurricane.
Plot: At the beginning of the book you find out that a tragedy has occurred, but very little information is given. The 3 women who witnessed it are the main characters whose point of views are told throughout the book. They all live in the same building complex, but they are mostly causal acquaintances more than friends. That adds even more curiosity to the story because knowing they really aren’t necessarily friends makes you wonder how they ended up at the same place and time when the tragedy mentioned at the beginning occurred.
Embry is a young married woman in her 20s. She loves and adores her husband, and they have two very young children together. Her husband is a bartender by night, and a desperate actor by day who just can’t seem to make his break into the business...until a possibility comes up that’s just too good to tell his wife about yet. Secrets are dangerous though. Although they eagerly left their small town and families for the dreams of Hollywood, Embry starts to reconsider whether or not they should move back home when she finds out she is pregnant with a 3rd child. Finances are tight enough as it is, and with two young children that are at a constantly demanding age, she is overwhelmed with what to do and how to make ends meet. Embry is excited about her pregnancy, and wants the baby, but she doesn’t know how to go about telling her husband. Not to mention she feels somewhat of an outsider because she doesn’t feel comfortable in the “mommy and me” type of environments because most of the women are older than her by the time they have that many children. She’s overwhelmed and doesn’t have any best friends, so she’s pretty isolated. She has a huge heart though. Although she knows how committed her husband is to getting a break into an acting role, she starts to notice little things that make her wonder if he’s cheating or not. Surly not, but maybe so? Is it possible that he’s cheating with an actress he met? Or, worse yet, could he be cheating with someone much closer to home?
Riki is a teacher who knows she wants a future of being married to a man she loves, but as hard as she tries, she just cant imagine that type of life with anyone other than Embry’s husband. Even though she and Embry aren’t necessarily great friends, she feels tortured by guilt because she’s beyond obsessed with him. Not to mention she’s uncomfortable with her out of place job as a 1st year teacher at a private school where the parents are snotty, and make sure to let her know that they aren’t supportive of her. Try as she might, everything seems to backfire. Her boyfriend is nice enough, but she can’t bring herself to see a future in her relationship with him because all she can see is how much she feels towards Embry’s husband. She has a heart of gold, but her heart keeps repeating all her feelings for him. No matter how hard she tries she can’t seem to get him out of her mind. Is he flirting with his small gestures, calls, and texts, or is she reading too much into it?
Sylvia is a strong willed woman who is smart, hard working, and vindictive. After growing up in an unstable home environment, she swore she would never let a man hurt her in the same way her father did. She’s happy enough in her relationship with Hugh that she starts imaging what a marriage and family would be like with him, but she also makes sure that she has the upper hand. Hugh travels frequently for his job, but they’re able to make it work. On a Friday afternoon when they have plans to meet at his apartment, she is shocked with a revelation the neighbor reveals and sneakily finds ways to learn more and more about him. Come to find out, she didn’t really know him at all. From that moment on she decides that he needs to be punished. She lives for the “eye for an eye, tooth for al tooth” mindset and begins extracting her revenge on Huge piece by piece to make sure he pays. Her actions remain somewhat of a mystery throughout the book, but she views people as “a means to an end,” leaving you wondering what she has in mind. At one point she decides to buy a fish, and the store owner leads her to a betta fish. He explains that they’re in individual bowls because they’re fighting fish and would kill each other if they’re in the same bowl. She immediately views them as “beautiful little killers,” so is she only an example of a disturbed woman? Or is she the one responsible?
All they while, each woman learns that the son of the recently departed widow who owned their complex has intentions of selling their units. He’s sneaky, rude, corrupt, lazy, and intrusive, but he has his mind set on making big money from selling it.
Gradually the intensity builds until tensions are high, and anything can happen. The ending will blow you away! I loved it, and highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to review this book. My review is voluntary, and expresses my honest opinion.

Reading the synopsis of this book I was HOOKED. I figured it was going to be styled after Big Little Lies and I was READY for a multi-pov women-led mystery. Sadly this was not it and honestly I felt little jilted because I felt it didn’t deliver the juicy mystery story I expected. Maybe my bar was set a little high? Although it was full of lies revenge plots and jealousy, all of those were 2/5 on the crazy scale and seemed anti-climactic after reading the synopsis. Not to say it wasn’t interesting, I actually did enjoy this book and it was for sure a quick read. The characters were likable and relatable and I think that is what kept me hanging on till the end. The story ended in a way that there is definitely a possible continuation of the story and I’d be interested to see if it becomes anything.

Lie, Lie Again is so fun - I flew through it!

Told from the perspective of three neighbors in LA, the book opens with a body at the foot of their stairs. I had guessed who the body would be by the end (even though there are definitely a few options), but I still enjoyed the ride so much. And even though this story is book-ended by this ominous event, it never felt like a deep, dark thriller. It was a look into a few weeks in the lives of these people, struggling to work through a big challenge. There are many lighthearted and funny moments I was charmed by.

Riki is a second grade teacher, dating a guy she isn't sure she even likes.
Embry is a mom of two, married to Brandon, a struggling actor.
Sylvia is dating Hugh and planning their future, but she soon finds out he isn't what he seems.

These characters are all painted with wonderfully different strokes, and all are hiding things from their peers. The book does treat all of the secrets with the same severity, even though they are wildly different (and some much more harmful than the others).

Overall, a really fun read.

I liked the premise of this book and typically enjoy thrillers. But this one felt slow moving to me and the characters were hard to get to know. One character in particular I couldn’t decide if she was a good guy or bad guy, even at the end! I think it has promise, and I would read this author again, but this one just fell a bit flat for me. Two of the main characters I did like and was interested in their stories and how they were woven together.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book had a really interesting synopsis, but I felt like the execution was greatly lacking. This is about 3 women who all live in the same apartment complex and their lives and "friendship" with each other. We know from the beginning that someone is dead at the bottom of the stairs and the rest of the book is an exploration of how nobody is all good or bad. The 3 women in the book have varying degrees of darkness, but all are harboring secrets.
Embry is married to a wannabe actor, Brandon. He's got movie star good looks, they have 2 kids and their life seems pretty perfect from the outside. She is a great mom, but we know from her internal dialogue that she struggles with the same insecurities we all do. She is the most wholesome of all of the characters.
Riki is a 2nd grade teacher who has a huge crush on Brandon. She's got a boyfriend who treats her well, but she can't get Brandon out of her head. She's pretty obsessive the whole time, but I felt like her character was a little bland and underdeveloped.
Sylvia is the darkest and most manipulative of them all. She has a boyfriend that supposedly has a really needy ex girlfriend, but when she finds out the truth behind his stories, she goes to many lengths to get revenge.
Overall, I thought this book was DEFINITELY not a thriller. It was very slow paced for me and if I was going to classify it I would say its a dark women's fiction. The murder is mentioned in the first and last chapter and thats it. I wouldn't really recommend this book, but I think it may just be not my taste.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Embry is pregnant again by accident and she's scared to tell her husband because they're struggling so much financially that another baby is going to be a huge stress on them. She makes Honey Pops candy and she gets a big contract at the end to make a ton for a pop star and Brandon gets a big job so they'll be fine.
Riki gets over Brandon and ends up with a doctor that just happens to be Embry's brother.
Sylvia's boyfriend was actually married with a kid so she spends the whole book setting him up for a huge exposure. She gets a burner phone and pretends to be him and threatens and blackmails her, etc. to make him seem like he's dangerous. She befriends his wife and in the end, he comes to the apartment complex where they both are and his wife pushes him down the stairs and he dies (hence the dead body).
There's also the story line about Jonathan. His mom owned the apartment complex and has recently died. He's a gross human being and is trying to sell the property for as much money as he can with no care for all the people he'll be leaving homeless. In the very end, Sylvia finds a letter in a book that the owner gave to her and it says that she was leaving her the whole apartment complex. She decides to sell it and give each of her friends $15k to help with relocation issues and then she starts scouting out wealthy property owners for places she can move. Presumably, shes going to go manipulate her way into his life, just like she has done throughout.

A tragedy occurs.
The three women who witnessed it live at, 1054 Mockingbird Lane they all have secrets of their own, and those secrets need to stay hidden.
Sylvia Webb has found a potential Mr Right who is kind, caring and dependable, and he has no idea of her plans. Unfortunately, Hugh comes with baggage a needy ex-girlfriend, who is getting in the way of Sylvia's dreams, Sylvia can not let that happen.
Riki McFarlan has a great career and a loving boyfriend who wants her to settle down. She, however, has feelings for her neighbour, her good friend's husband. Why is Riki flirting with something so wrong?
Embry Taylor loves her family, but with her husband's career not taking off and tensions running high, even Embry has something she has to keep hidden.
This book has plenty of suspense and surprises, and it keeps you wanting to know more, the characters in the book are so identifiable, it's easy to relate to their lives, problems, and dreams.
I thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author Stacy Wise for allowing me a pre-publication copy of this book to review.

Stacy Wise writes characters who get under your skin; whose secrets and lies set off land mines beneath seemingly ordinary lives; and who will stay with you long after you finish the last page of this clever, satisfying, and ultimately hopeful book.


I would love to read more of the author's work

**Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review*