JT Ellison is always a bit hit or miss for me; unfortunately this one was a miss. It felt "done" in a way that I've read a lot of lately.

Is it just me or is secluded weddings with a killer the mystery theme of the year? I’ve been reading a lot of these lately. Thankfully I love these types of locked room mysteries so I’m happy to read them!

Her Dark Lies follows Claire and Jack who are getting married on a beautiful private island owned by Jack’s family. Of course nothing is as it’s seems as past secrets come out and threaten to ruin their big day.

I really enjoyed all the mysteries and secrets that Claire and Jack had to face. It wasn’t a simple mystery, there were multiple layers that had me hooked on finding out who was behind it all.

4 calculators out of a potential 5. One of my favourite reads so far this year!

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Full of interesting twists, this story feels a little bit like Rebecca in some of the best ways. Set on a private island holding a wealthy and secretive family's castle with a wedding imminent, it was very fun to see how J.T. Ellison used her characters in this story, and there was a good mix of surprises and moments readers will see coming.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I have been a fan of J.T. Ellison's stand-alone books for quite a while now. She manages to create such wickedly addictive reads and this one is no exception.

Right from the start, I was pulled into this one and had immediate Rebecca vibes. The destination wedding set on an isolated clifftop villa during a crazy storm just set me on edge and I loved just how much the setting comes into play here in this book - it's almost as if both become characters in this story. And then there's the characters that you just know have their secrets...they all have that sense that they are hiding something, every last one of them and I found myself wondering just who was trustworthy and who was not.

I loved the way the story was told, using multiple points of view and short chapters. It just keeps you completely engaged and wondering what the heck is going on. There are little twists along the way, some of which are a bit shocking and some that you might be able to see coming but still keep you hooked because you need to see how it is all going to play out.

This is such a dark, twisted book and I loved how it takes a common story and turns it upside down. This isn't a story you know. It is so cleverly plotted and filled with such deliciously dark and fun characters. And the gothic vibes just add to the overall suspense and tension, giving you that creepy feeling with a sense of foreboding always looming. I highly recommend picking this one up...it does not disappoint!

A pulse pounding mystery! HER DARK LIES by J.T. Ellison takes the reader on a journey of mystery and intrigue as danger mounts and secrets are uncovered. The premise is exciting and there are some good characters in the mix so even though the overall book fell a bit flat and disjointed in carry through, the suspense held my attention throughout.

Claire was a strong character from the start. She is embarking on the wedding trip of a lifetime to begin her life with Jack, but secrets she didn't even know existed are throwing a wrench in her joy every time she turns around.

Jack and his family are full of secrets, lies and more surprises than expected.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mysterious read filled with danger and intrigue. Even though it wasn't my favorite by this author, it holds your attention throughout and keeps you wanting to know more.

What a fun, escapist thriller! Loved the isolated setting snd the whole locked room vibes. I found it to be pretty fast paced and wholly entertaining. Definitely predicted a few twists but wasn’t really that bothered, there’s something about the authors style that really captivated me

Dark, atmospheric and exciting. JT Ellison's new book... Her Dark Lies is everything you could ask for in a thriller. A wedding between two beautiful people...a beautiful island setting....what can go wrong? Alot! It appears someone is out to stop Jack and Claire's wedding. Claire is subjected to a home invasion before they even leave the states, bones are discovered on the island, the electricity goes out and a huge storm is descending on the island....the mystery of what happened to Jack's first wife is hovering over everything and there is a major security breach. And the secrets and lies start flying. I love JT's Taylor Jackson and Samantha Owens series but her stand-alones have been hit or miss for me. This book is a definite hit!!
Thank you to Netgalley and JT Ellison for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Addictive, thrilling, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thrills and chills are all great words to describe this book! I was hooked from the first page and flew through the pages to see what would happen next.

First we read about a wedding invite, inviting you to the wedding of Claire Hunter and Jack Compton. Jack's family are very wealthy, they have their own security detail and have a lot of power and influence. They also are a family full of secrets, lies, deceit and betrayal. Then we read about a woman in a white dress who is running away from a man. He is chasing her, and she is desperate to get away. Who is this man and woman? Why is he chasing her?

The story then goes into the life and love of Claire and Jack as they prepare for their wedding. So much is going on, there are so many revelations, which raises so many questions, you won't know who to believe. Are they all hiding secrets, are they all telling lies? Who can you be sure to trust? What if you trust the wrong person?

I loved this book! I enjoyed reading about the many different characters in this book. Claire was an enjoyable character to read about and I enjoyed reading about her love for Jack. They seemed great together and brought out the best in one another. Jack also was an enjoyable character to read about. Rich, charming, handsome, he is the perfect catch to Claire. At the wedding of their dreams, one things after another goes wrong. What or who is behind everything? What happened to Jack's first wife? Who would be out to get them, on their wedding day of all days.

Lots of surprises, twists and turns, that will have you gasping and hooked to the very ending of the book, you need to get your hands on this book now! You will devour it and love it as much as I did!!

Well done J.T. Ellison. I have enjoyed many of your books and I am excited to see what great book you come out with next!

Claire is marrying into money and finding out even before the wedding exactly how far his family will go to maintain their reputation . At the family villa, isolated off the coast of Italy, with a storm killing power, Claire doesn't know who to trust as those around her are killed. This is an excellent thriller and I highly recommend anything by J.T. Ellison. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher MIRA through NetGalley.

I'm always excited for a new release from J.T> Ellison, so I was super excited to receive an early copy! This one was so well written and hard to put down--I loved the Italian setting and vibe of the island. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and the feeling like you couldn't trust anyone. Though I was pretty sure I knew what was going on, I still had to keep reading to find out how everything pieced together. However, it was a bit to murder/blood/yuck for my taste--BUT I'm a bit sensitive to that and don't read a ton of mystery/thrillers for that reason. If that doesn't bother you, you'll love this book!

What's meant to be a beautiful, private wedding turns into a dark, atmospheric thriller you cannot put down. Talk about a book with a body count! Claire Hunter has done everything to fit in Jack's life, she isn't there for his family's money, she truly does love him, but she's holding onto some secrets. Jackson Compton has secrets of his own, including that he might have liked Claire more with her tattoos, but his biggest secret might just ruin the idyllic Italian island wedding. The weekend is marred by disaster after disaster, with the family and Claire threatened from every angle. More than that though, Jack's long deceased wife has some secrets in the crypt that could upend everything.

Slow, descriptive, and haunting, Her Dark Lies is a wedding thriller with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue. I loved the historic location and the naturally mysterious atmosphere that comes with a location rumored to be haunted. Jack and Claire are both intriguing characters, I enjoyed getting their individual backstories over the course of the book rather than all up front. Plus, the mysterious third perspective makes the two all the more interesting. I asked myself several times, "what do I not know her?" With the power out, the wedding plans threatened, and secrets spilling from every mouth I could not put this book down.

So, I admit I had my hesitations when I saw this book. Its cover and general premise sounded quite similar to a book I loved last year, but I like J.T. Ellison quite a lot so I had to give it a try. I am quite happy to report that outside of the cover, similarities in location, stormy weather, and of course, the wedding plotline, Her Dark Lies is a standout, unique thriller. This one gets dark and the danger lurks in every corner, so go in prepared to be surprised.

In J.T. Ellison's newest thriller, Her Dark Lies, Eliza, an emerging artist from Nashville is about to marry Jack Compton, the scion of a wealthy industrialist family. From the beginning of the festivities, things go wrong.

When Jack takes Eliza home from their engagement party the night before they leave Nashville to go to his family's remote private Italian island for the wedding, they are attacked by a masked intruder. Eliza shoots the intruder dead, but Jack convinces her to lie to the police and say that Jack's bodyguard killed the man.

Eliza hopes that once they get to the island, everything will be fine. She is bowled over by the beauty of the island and can't wait to paint there, her future home with her beloved. After her beautiful wedding gown is discovered defaced with the word "whore" written in blood on it, Eliza begins to wonder if her wedding is jinxed.

There is a lot going on this story, and people are hiding secrets and lies. Jack and his family's successful computer business is not exactly what it seems. And what is the true story behind the death of Jack's first wife on their honeymoon? Jack's parents have a strange reaction whenever her name is brought up.

Eliza is no Cinderella either, plucked from obscurity by the handsome prince. She was involved with some bad people in her younger days, and her sister blames Eliza for a car accident that killed their father.

As Eliza's family and other guests arrive for the week-long wedding celebration, the bodies begin to pile up. It has become clear that someone desperately wants to stop this wedding, and there are so many suspects and motives. Ellison puts lots of red herrings in the story that will test even the most clever sleuth to figure out exactly who is behind this and why.

Her Dark Lies has a mysterious island, power outages at the wrong time, a grandfather with dementia who yells out cryptic accusations of murder, family dysfunction, and a brunch filled with such delicious descriptions of food it would make Downton Abbey jealous. If Rebecca and the 1980's TV show Dynasty had a baby, it would be Her Dark Lies. Thriller fans will enjoy trying to figure it all out.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on J.T. Ellison's tour.

Who has more lies? Claire? Or Jack? They're set to marry at a private family villa on an island off Italy. Claire is marrying into the ultra wealthy Compton family and Jack hasn't revealed the source of their money. In JT Ellison's, new thriller HER DARK LIES (MIRA) the storm of the century is pounding the island and death is in the air. What should be the wedding of their lives turns into a nightmare.

From page I was off with Claire and Jack. First to Nashville and then to the weekend from hell. I loved the twists and turns and the layers of plots! JT creates such a real atmosphere on the island that I felt like I was being pelted by driving rain. I'm new to JT Ellison and look forward to reading her new novels and back list.

Claire Hunter is a young up and coming artist. Jack Compton comes from the wealthy family who created Compton Computers, known around the world. They are set to marry on the family’s private island in Italy with some of their closest friends, but death and secrets lurk in every corner of the expansive island.

This book hooked me from the first page but carried on slowly for a bit. Once Jack and Claire get to the island though, it started to get really intriguing! The Comptons are full of secrets, one being Jack’s first wife who died and is never EVER talked about. Odd and horrible things start happening, there is a terrible storm, and the power is out. Not a great start to a fun wedding getaway!

The author does a great job getting the reader into the characters. It’s clear everyone is hiding something, and it’s hard to know who to trust.

Her Dark Lies has a lot of death and a lot of drama, and enough secrets and twists to keep my heart pounding well after I finished reading!

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and MIRA books for the chance to read this and take part in the blog tour!

Wow!J.T. Ellison the author of “Her Dark Lies” has written a dark, suspenseful, captivating, and compelling novel. The genres for this story are Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, and Fiction. There are betrayals, lies, threats, and murders. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as flawed, quirky, moody, complex, and complicated. Any of the characters could be suspect of anything at all. The setting is off the Italian coast. It all begins with a wedding celebration if that comes to pass. As J.T. Ellison states,” At the wedding of the year, a killer needs no invitation.”

I love the way the author visually describes the characters, scenery, plot, and sounds. I can actually hear thunder and lightning and can also see it.

Claire Hunter is engaged to marry wealthy Jack Compton. Both are deeply in love and have deep secrets from each other. There is someone or something that seems to be sending messages and threats, Several things have happened that are really very strange, and dangerous. Claire feels protected by Jack. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop the ruined wedding dress, sightings of a ghost, and interfering forces. As a matter of fact, there is a dark foreboding feeling.

It does feel like something will happen, but will it be Claire and Jack’s wedding? I would highly recommend this edgy and thought-provoking novel!

I really wasn’t sure what to think of Claire at the beginning of the book. Was she a good protagonist or one you secretly hate. I really couldn’t tell if she was one of those superficial cute shells of a person, or if she had depth. I liked her more as the book went on, but it was complicated for sure!

Claire and Jack are getting married. And it’s your typical love story, except that his family is insanely rich and their wedding is taking place on the family’s private Italian island. The Comptons are just what you would expect a rich family with old money to be. They have traditions, they have standards, and luckily for Claire, they seem to like her. Claire’s family will be in attendance too- and they are kind of the polar opposite of the Comptons. Her mom is a raging alcoholic and she has a strained relationship with her sister.

There’s more going on her though. There’s a break-in at Claire’s home in Nashville right before they leave for their wedding, Jack has never really openly talked about his first wife. And then there’s the whole matter of the body that is found on the island as the weekend kicks off. It’s the perfect setting for real-life game of Clue. And when things start happening, it becomes clear that someone is out to sabotage the wedding, or perhaps worse.

Her Dark Lies is a an amazing atmospheric mystery with enough going on to keep the pages turning long past bedtime. This one is a must read. Special thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is out Tuesday.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for an opportunity to read Her Dark Lies.

Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Cover rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

A wedding in an Italian villa... a wealthy family with secrets ... a missing first wife declared dead ... a big storm ... a wedding party stuck on an island ... and the bodies start to pile up

What I liked:
✔️ there were definitely some unique aspects to this story.
✔️ I liked that we knew early on who was behind what was going on and then watched the story unfold
✔️ I definitely wasn’t expecting all the dead bodies and that made for some 😮 moments

What didn’t work for me :
✖️ at times, the story just seemed to move really slow - it just didn’t capture me the way I would have hoped

Title: Her Dark Lies
Author: J.T. Ellison
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets.

From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife.

Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…

The idea of this much wealth kept throwing me off as I was reading, but excellent description and characterization. For me, there was never any mystery over who was really behind everything. I was intrigued by how everything would play out, but the reveal about Claire’s background felt very clunky and deus ex machina, since the entire novel had never dropped the slightest hint. And…we never really find out the truth about what truly happened to the first wife…

J.T. Ellison is a bestselling author. Her Dark lies is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/10.)

A young couple fly from Nashville to Italy for their wedding in the family villa. There are so many deaths, it is difficult to keep straight who really died and who didn't.
JT Ellison likes the word Lie/Lies in her book titles: Sweet Little Lies, Good Girls Lie, Where All the Dead Lie, What Lies Behind, Lie to Me, and the newest Her Dark Lies.
I recognized the name of a woman who was in a book club with me in Her Dark Lies. However, this woman's name wasn't mentioned in the acknowledgment section where Ellison thanks people for letting her use their names as characters in her book.
I have liked Ellison's books in the past, I hope the next one is better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mira Books for the opportunity to read the latest thriller by JT Ellison - 4.5 stars for a book where you won't know who to trust!

Artist Claire Hunter caught the eye of wealthy Jack Compton and they are set to be married on his family's villa on their private island off the coast of Italy. But before they leave their home, there is a break-in and the intruder is killed. Not the best way to start your wedding trip! A storm is also brewing as the couple arrives in Italy and that's not the only trouble that awaits them. Everything is going wrong - the family is receiving threats, Claire's dress is ruined, a body is found on the property. And what really happened to Jack's first wife?

Told in alternating voices, the atmosphere really stars in this book. The storm, the power outages, the creepy tunnels underneath the villa, all add to the many mysteries. There are many characters in this book and you won't know who you can trust and who is behind all the troubles. Curl up and get ready to lose yourself in this book!