Member Reviews

She Lied She Died is the first book by Carissa Ann Lynch that I have read and it did not disappoint. I found the storyline and the characters to very interesting. I liked seeing how the murder of the young girl changed the lives of everyone in the town and not just her family’s.

This was a well written whodunnit that has unforgivable secrets which have been woven throughout the story. The twists and turns had me trying to guess what was going to happen next. The ending was surprising and I never saw it coming.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

She Lied She Died is certainly filled with lots of twists and turns, this was my first book by this author I have read. I was very well written, kept you reading to see what was going to happen next. I certainly wasn't expecting the outcome of the book. I would recommend it to others that enjoy this genre of book

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I did not expect this book to pull me in the way it did. I didn’t put it down. It consumed me. There was a sense of urgency to get to the end. The pacing of the story is great. I was engaged the whole way through. It’s very well written. The characters were interesting and a bit sinister. I really liked Chrissy. I probably wasn’t supposed to but I hardly follow the rules. There is way more to her than people know. That ending....mind blown! I did not see that coming.

This is a highly enjoyable read and also the kind that will consume you. It’ll grab a hold of you and won’t let go even after you’ve finished. I enjoy this authors writing style and look forward to her next book! I give this 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Loved it! So many twists and turns that kept me reading! I had a hard time putting it down. the ending was built up and didn't disappoint! I rate this book a 4.3

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. The book moved quickly. I loved the story, I thought it was intriguing. Then I lost interest. It might have been when I realized I didn't like any of the characters. If there isn't at least one character I like or root for I lose interest. I was still interested in the story so I skimmed a few chapters. The ending was unexpected! All in all this was a pretty good book. People who don't care about the likability of the characters will enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘She Lied She Died’ by Carissa Ann Lynch in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Natalie Breyas is nine years old when Jenny Julliott’s body is found in a field on her parents’ farm. Chrissy Cornwall, fourteen, confesses and many years later is released from prison returning to Austin where it happened. Natalie contacts her as she wants to kickstart her career by writing the true story but if Chrissy’s innocent and she was forced to confess to the crime, then who did kill Jenny?

‘She Lied She died’ is the story of a family’s secrets and lies. It’s well-written with a notable plot, drama and twists and turns, and the characters are interesting although I didn’t particularly warm to any of them. It’s an entertaining thriller with no big revelations except for the final twist that I thought was a bit far-fetched and hard to believe, but it’s an enjoyable novel and well worth spending a few hours reading.

Was this review helpful?

I’m still not sure what I just read. The end felt a little rushed but I was glad for it. I needed to know how it ended!!! This was a very fast interesting read. I wanted more and that’s a sign of a very good book IMO.

Was this review helpful?

Quite a few twists and turns but variable pace. This book was either rushing forward or slowing right down. I did enjoy it though and the ending fitted the book nicely. Recommended.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book! It was my second or third by this author and I thought it was a good one. Natalie is obsessed with a murder where the victim was left on her family's property. The killer confessed, was sentenced to prison and is now getting out...and claiming her confession was a lie and she was innocent the whole time. Natalie, who has a creative writing degree, decides to write a true crime book based on Chrissy's new story - and found out way more than she bargained for.

I read this book in one two-hour sitting. It was a fast read that kept me very enthralled, as I wanted to know who did it and why. I was definitely surprised at the end, both by who actually did it and the chain reaction their confession caused. It was shocking and all too plausible. If you like a good thriller, pick this up! 4 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this advanced reader's copy of She Lied She Died by Carissa Ann Lynch.

She Lied She Died tells the story of a woman who witnessed the afermath of a murder as a young child, which destroyed her family as well as the small town that she grew up in. As an adult, Natalie Breyas finds herself back in the same small town of Austin, Indiana, living on her defunct family farm where the murder victim was discovered and trying to find some meaning for her life. When the convicted murderer, Chrissy Cornwall is released from prison Natalie thinks that telling Chrissy's story may help her sort out her own life but the fallout may be more than she can handle.

She Lied She Died was an interesting, fast read. I was hooked from the very beginning and get trying to find time to read a chapter or two, which is always the sign of a good book in my opinion. There were some parts of the plot that made me roll my eyes but they didn't detract from the overall enjoyment I got from this book.

For thriller fans, this is a good, solid choice. Enjoy!

Was this review helpful?

Natalie was nine when Julie was found murdered in a field on her family property. Chrissy, who was 14 at the time, confessed. The murder has reverberations through Natalie's family that she's never fully understood- her mother left and her beloved brother Jack later committed suicide. How, all these years later, Chrissy has been paroled and she claims she didn't do it. What changed in the thirty years since? Natalie wants the truth because, sadly, it will also tell her the truth about her life. What she finds, though, is a raft of ugly secrets. This is a tautly written page turner that never tips into the implausible. The characters will keep you guessing about their motives, among other things. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

Was this review helpful?

A solid four star read. Good premise. Great characters. Enjoyed t writing style. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. It even had a twist that I didn’t see coming. Only criticism that the ending could have been embellished more. Definitely look forward to her next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Was this review helpful?

This book was not what I was expecting it was so much more. Once I started reading it was hard to put down. So many secrets and lies, the reader is constantly be lead to conclusions which are soon dispelled. Red herrings, tension and suspense and a conclusion which literally blew me away. A fantastic five star and a MUST READ!!!!
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I couldn’t put this book down it was absolutely brilliant. The storyline and characters where fantastic. Although it kind of went too fast near the end. I would love to see more of chrissy and jack. I think their story would be brilliant. A reall great book well done. 5 stars from me. I will recommend this book to friends.

Was this review helpful?

She Lied She Died
Carissa Ann Lynch
December 4, 2020

Natalie Bryers was 9 years old the summer her life changed. She had few friends in school but she loved her brother Jack. He would take her fishing and hiking. He loved to tease her but once he was in high school he had things to do and thoughts he didn’t want to share with his little sister. He started to lock his bedroom door so no one else in his house would look in his room while he was out. One weekend she found the door open, Jack was planning on going to visit their Aunt Lane to help her with some chores. It was the day after he left that Natalie’s parents told her to stay in the house. She didn’t know what was happening. She heard cars and saw red lights flashing. She went downstairs to find a window that faced the field. Jack’s door was cracked open. She went to gaze through the pane at the chaos happening in the field. She grabbed the old pair of binoculars that Jack kept in his room. Looking through the scratched lenses she saw the girl, burned and piled obscurely in the field. It was frightening yet she couldn’t look away. Her parents stood in the drive hanging on to each other. They looked angry yet overcome with sadness.
Years later after her father had died and her mother had left the house, Jack was left to run the farm. Natalie was finishing up college studying journalism. After graduation and working for a while she decided to visit home and catch up with Jack. She was met with another horrifying sight. Not long before her arrival, Jack had taken the shotgun and commited suicide. Natalie gave up working and returned to the small town home of Austin, Indiana. She planned to write a book, perhaps the story behind Jenny Juliott’s murder. This brutal tale picks up with Natalie’s life after Chrissy Cornwall is released from prison. At 14 she confessed to killing Jenny.
She Lied She Died by Carissa Ann Lynch is published by HarperCollins Publishers of Great Britain. It will be released on December 4, 2020. I thank HarperCollins Co/UK for allowing me to read and review this mystery novel via NetGalley. I found it to be an interesting but frightening read. Conclusions were surprising. If you are a mystery lover be certain to find She Lied She Died.

Was this review helpful?

Wow great book. I loved the way she writes a book. Great book, great author. I will try to find more if her books. Great job Carissa. This was a page turner.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 this book was almost a 5 for me but the ending just wrapped up too quickly. Overall an better than most mystery, a woman out of jail claiming she was innocent being interviewed by a woman who was a child when the body was discovered on her property. She decides to write her story and much of her life unravels as she does

Was this review helpful?

Creepy and dark and very very good. This is a short story that really packs a punch. I was hooked the whole way through. I just wish it had been longer.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?

Natalie Bryers grew up on the family farm with her brother and parents. As a child her world crumbled when the body of a local girl was found in the family’s field close to the house. She watched the events through binoculars in her brothers room. However, the image of the body scarred her mind.
Events also led to the collapse of her family and her friends. Gossip points towards her father. As a teenager her mother leaves never to return and her brother commits suicide. A friend of the girl later admits to the crime and is sent away to prison.
Natalie is no in her 40’s and living in the family home. She never had the career she wanted as a writer. Her job just about keeps her feed. Then Chrissy Cornwall is released. She wants Natalie to hear her story. What is the truth. What really happened to Jenny?
A brilliant read that turns up new clues as the book progresses.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

Was this review helpful?

Wow. What on earth did I just read?! This book was OOZING with lies, and the ending was so full of twists my head spun. Exactly the kind of thriller I love to read!
Great characters and a strong premise, I love true crime books anyway so the idea of someone investigating a murder on their family farm decades earlier was so interesting to me.
Couldn't put this down and will definitely be recommending it after it's publication.

Was this review helpful?