I enjoy Elle Marr's writing: I've read their works before and will continue to read their works in the future. However, this particular book wasn't for me. The plot's pacing was slow and didn't flow well, and I couldn't connect with the main character because they kept making questionable decisions. The flashback scenes were intense, so be aware of that if you give this a read.

This flowed quite well and I liked the alternation between past and present. This was quite a gripping read and I enjoyed it

Lies We bury was my first book by Elle Marr and it won't be my last

Two decades ago Marissa Mo escaped a basement prison—the only home she’d ever known. At twenty-seven, Marissa’s moved beyond the trauma and is working under a new name as a freelance photographer. But when she accepts a job covering a string of macabre murders in Portland, it’s impossible for Marissa not to remember.

I loved the alternating chapters between past and present. If you enjoy dark and twisty psychological thrillers, you will enjoy this one. This one was fast paced and kept me engaged

This was my first book by Elle Marr. Lies We Bury kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. If you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers, be sure and check this one out. I will be reading more by this author in the future. I highly enjoyed it!

Marissa now Claire was born in a basement in captivity with her sisters and mom. A serial killer with revenge on their mind starts sending her notes so Claire is on the search for who could be doing the killing. Lots of mystery and great writing. Kept me interested. I would definitely recommend.

a page-turning and well-plotted thriller.
Lies We Bury is a tale that creeps into your bones, a sneaky story about the danger of secrets and the power the past holds to lead us into present.

Oof. This one was tough to read at times!
Bouncing back and forth between past and present the reader is immersed in a thriller that is powerful, chilling, and eerie! I binged this book partly because I HAD to know what was happening, and partly because the pacing it’s self is brisk! I’d think, “just a few more pages” and then an hour would pass on accident!
Although the events that take place in this story could be considered pretty triggering I felt like they were handled carefully and in a way that didn’t feel too violent. All in all a fast paced read that will keep you captivated!

This was a very intense read! I don't want to say too much because I went into this blind and I think that's the best way to approach it. But the writing was so good, almost making me claustrophobic at times. For fans of atmospheric thrillers with intense topics.

I enjoyed the story line of the victim becoming the hunter. Marissa was born in a basement, but then she takes pictures of murders and helps the police solve the murders. Recommended for anyone who loves a great read.

I really enjoyed the entire premise of Marissa being born in a basement prison and now taking pictures of murders. Getting involved in finding the murderer as she gets notes and clues to reach the murder scene before the cops. Very intense and pacy thriller!

I started reading Lies We Bury by Elle Marr without much expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

With two alternating timelines (present day and from twenty years ago), Lies We Bury follows Claire trying to navigate her adult life while completely ignoring her past trauma.

Claire is not particularly likeable. Her actions were not well thought through, especially when it is apparent that she is wrong. Well, that could be off putting and annoying after a while.

I am a sucker for books with psycho/serial killers, Lies We Bury seems to have it all. It made me guess and then second guess every person. Trust me, there were many out there. Though the ending may have been duller than what I had in my mind, it made sense. No complaints there.

What worked for me
Reading the past based on a seven year old’s version made it all the more real.
I liked the broken and dysfunctional relationship that Claire has with each of her sisters and the love for all the mothers.


What may have been better
The main lead may get on the nerves with her bad decisions and may be off putting for a few.
Content warning
Physical and sexual abuse, imprisonment,

Bottom line
Lies We Bury by Elle Marr is fast paced thriller that will keep you hooked till the end. Yes, it is similar to “Room” but with a darker future. I will definitely be on the look out for the author’s other books.

Lies We Bury is another hit by Elle Marr. This twisty novel will have readers racing along with Claire Lou as she tries to outsmart what she suspects is a serial killer targeting her. This isn't Claire's first brush with danger and madness; she and her sisters were born in captivity in a basement prison and held there for the first years of their young lives. After escaping, she changed her name to be more unrecognizable as the country was fascinated with their story. Now living in Portland, and close to the 20th anniversary of their escape, strange murders are occurring with subtle messages for Claire. In a race against time she must be two steps ahead of the perpetrator or become the next victim.

Elle Marr crafts a twisty novel that is slow burning to start until the action picks up and the reader is breathless while Claire is uncovering the most sinister of plots. I love how she prominently features Asian-Americans and diverse characters. A great follow-up to her debut!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Elle Marr - 4 stars for a creepy dual timeline mystery that will keep you glued.

Twenty years ago, Chet kidnapped three women who bore three children in captivity, locked in an underground room. For Marissa, life in the basement with her three Mamas and sisters Janessa and Lily, is all she's ever known. In the present day, Marissa, now going by Claire, is back in Portland trying to work as a newspaper photographer. However, she's started receiving clues that lead her to a murder in an underground room. As Chet is set to be released from prison, the clues ramp up and Claire is desperate to figure out who is to blame.

Told in alternating timelines between the past when the family was held captive and the present day, this is a taut thriller with lots of questionable characters. All of the women held captive are struggling to make sense and peace with what happened to them, with varying success. I didn't figure this one out until the end, including a major twist that I didn't see coming.

Thank you NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of the book is beautiful.
The writing is easy to follow and truly keeps your interest.
The storyline is emotional, powerful and so so great.

I was honestly impressed with this book and would gladly read others by this author.

Book Review for Lies We Bury
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

A woman with a tragic past has to confront her horrible history.

It's part Room, part SVU episode. And I've seen both - way too many times.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First I've read by this author. I enjoyed parts of it but felt like something was missing. Honestly, once I read it, I thought about it for a couple of days and then forgot about it. I've read so many in between that were so much better and more captivating. I would like to read more by this author just to see if anything grabs me.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomas&mercer for the eARC.

Lies We Bury started out strong for me but I felt the middle was slow. The book redeemed itself with the ending. Would love to read more books by this author. Thanks Thomas & Mercer, Elle Marr and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my review.

This book was so much more than a mystery. Reminiscent of the book Room this book went deeper and farther in the study of a captive survivor.

The story is about Marissa. She was born in captivity and raised with her two other siblings and their moms in underground place. Yup. That went dark real fast. These moms, were captured by a man as young women, and used sexually, kept under control, torture, abuse, everything. Marissa and her sisters escaped, but are dealing with after effects of such abuse.

Not only is there emotional damage to deal with, but how about all the weirdos obsessed with her and her family history, especially her captor. And not only that, there seems to be a serial killer on the loose that is focused on Marissa's family history and is trying to get involved.

This character study was really intriguing. It was interesting to see how much we as humans bury due to stress and pain. How our own minds cover things up, as well as make things up to make ourselves feel better.

In the end, the last twist got me. Not that it was surprising, but it was painful to watch unfold - poor Marissa.

Elle Marr is a good writer, and I can see how her other books have been popular. She is very easy to read, and her characters are interesting and sympathetic. This book follows a woman, Marissa, who was raised in Room-style captivity and rescued in a media firestorm. Years later, it appears her captor (or someone related to her captor) has returned, as a series of murders have a similar setting to her captivity, and she begins to receive sinister notes.

This was a really intriguing premise, but the story moved too slowly for me and had some puzzling plot choices. Ultimately, for me, the author was not able to build the same sense of fear and claustrophobia that made other books like Room so chilling and scary. It was almost a little too UNscary, particularly the callbacks to her captivity. I understand the idea that for a child born this way, there’s no knowledge of any other way life can be, so I get why the author did this, but ultimately it didn’t make for a scary read.. I’d try this author again in more of a traditional mystery, as I like the way she writes, but this thriller didn’t really have the thrills for me.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.