At this point in my relationship with Alessandra Torre books, I am a HUGE fan of her A.R. Torre thriller books. I can’t think of one that she has written that she hasn’t just knocked out of the park. The Good Lie was no different. I think she has really found her groove with this genre! I hope it’s here to stay.

No matter how many times I tried to predict the ending– I just didn’t see it coming. And that was my favorite part about this book. There were so many different ways that it could have gone and well just when you thought it was one thing, it was something completely different.

Another incredible part of this book was how the story was constructed. The POVs all tie together in some way and when they all click– it was genius. For a complex and fast paced thriller, I think Alessandra is really out here killing it. The Good Lie was not what I was expecting but still seemed to knock me off my feet. I think when it comes to a GOOD thriller– you can’t ask for anything more.

Absolutely amazing story! I've been a fan of this author since The Girl in 6E. Totally recommend this author to friends and family!

I pushed this one to the top of my TBR list with no guilt whatsoever. This author used her full name of Alessandra Torre while writing erotica/romance novels and abbreviated it to initials when switching to domestic noir/psychological thrillers. Soon it will be just a dash, representing the bar in the A if they become any darker than The Good Lie. Fresh off the heels of Every Last Secret, the writer gifts us a deeply troubling tale of a psychiatrist, her patients, a grieving lawyer, and the kidnapping and torture of teenage boys. Dr Gwen Moore is the psychiatrist and although she is astute, she can only give advise to patients who tell the truth, of which there is very little here. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters, their strengths and flaws and had absolutely no indicator of how this story would play out and why. Tense, but not stifling, my attention was grabbed at the onset and never let up. Can’t wait for the next one. A R Torre gets better and better as she hones her craft. Highly recommended.

Six teenage upper class boys have been murdered. The Bloody Heart serial killer just happens to let the last one escape.
Gwen is a psychiatrist that just happens to have an unusual clientele. She specializes in some whacko's. She treats the guy that wants to murder his wife and people like the snobby Karen who wants to stab her one-upping sister in law.
Little Miss Gwen had a one night stand though. With one of the murdered teenage boys daddy. Who happens to be a high powered criminal defense attorney.
This was me reading......


I'm not spoiling anything but they end up trying to help the old guy accused of the murders.

And things start twisting everywhere. Everyone is lying.


I'm going with a 3.5 stars for this book.
Why? Well I liked it but I did not love some stuff.

One thing I liked is that my current reading speed is about a book every two months. I read this one in a few days because the author CAN write her butt off. I wanted to see where she was taking this.
So yay to my loser ass for reading real fast!!


Then boo to my loser ass for wanting more.
I wanted more insight to these characters and I felt like it just wasn't there.
For none of them.


And the romancy part? It was just pretty people banging other pretty people. I think it would have worked out better with no bang bang. I don't even know myself anymore saying that.


*bleck*

All the bitching aside. It's a good read and hell yes I'll read anything this author puts out.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Unfortunately I will not be reading this book at this time. There are quite some problematic issues that have been brought to my attention and I don't feel comfortable reading this in its entirety. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced copy.

I literally had no idea who the criminal was. This never happens to me so I think I need to read all of A. R. Torre’s books! What a wild ride. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. If you love mysteries, please pick up this book!

Be prepared to clear your schedule for The Good Lie by A.R. Torre. Once you begin reading her newest suspense thriller, you won't want to stop until you've turned the last page.

Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist specializing in clients with personality disorders and violent ideations, is the type of unique female character that has become Ms. Torre's hallmark. When Gwen meets criminal defense attorney Robert Kavin after the funeral of one of her clients, it sets the stage for an explosive professional and personal relationship that will ultimately lead to the discovery of the identity of the Bloody Heart Killer. The gruesome serial killer has been targeting teenage boys, one of whom was Robert's son.

This book hit the ground running and did not let up until the very end. It had me guessing the entire way through and although I really thought I had it figured out, it managed to surprise me not once, but twice. Lots of fun and just a little different from the average suspense novel. Ms. Torre's novels may surprise me but they never disappoint.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love A. R. Torre but I has a hard time getting into this one.. I ended up not finishing but plan to go back. The plot was slow, not like her normal storylines

NOTE: 1) This review contains spoilers. 2) Please see my Goodreads review for links and references that I couldn't include in this review. 3) Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.



1–2 stars, with the potential for more. Get ready, folks! This is gonna be a long review.

I feel weird about The Good Lie. It wasn’t horrible. The prose was actually quite readable and flowed quickly. But certain parts left a terrible taste in my mouth, and these moments completely ruined the rest of my (fairly decent) reading experience.

At the end of the day, this book and I just didn’t alchemize well together; hence my rating.

Mind you: I read an uncorrected advance proof generously provided to me by Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. What I’m about to describe may very well be edited, changed, and maybe even removed by the time this book is published in July 2021. In fact, I would like for that to be the case. Barring one particularly callous and problematic part, this book could’ve easily been 3 stars.



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✅ First, the good!

➟ I requested this ARC from NetGalley because I’d really enjoyed A.R. Torre’s The Girl in 6E, and I was excited to see what else she had up her sleeve. Like 6E, Torre’s writing in The Good Lie is very readable. It’s sleek and flows seamlessly from chapter to chapter. Sometimes it’s a little melodramatic for my tastes, but the prose is nonetheless easy and addictive to consume.


➟ There are lots of moving pieces in this mystery, different good lies and good liars, varying pieces of seemingly unconnected tragedies. That meant that even if certain parts of the story were fairly predictable, there would always be something that took me by surprise.



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🤷🏻‍♀️Next, what didn’t work for me personally.

➟ Again, some parts of the mystery were really predictable. I guessed who the killer was within the first few chapters. Then, At 65%, I had a hunch about the final plot twist—and was right about that one as well.


➟ Gwen and Robert weren’t particularly interesting characters.

Gwen is sexy rich brilliant. Robert is sexy rich brilliant. Sexy rich brilliant psychiatrist can’t help but fall in lust with sexy rich brilliant defence attorney is so unoriginal. So tired. I’m tired of reading stories about charismatic hot people. They’re unrealistic and idealized in so many ways. And if they aren’t unrealistic, then they’re definitely overrepresented in fiction. Worst of all, they are boring to me. As such, the sexual tension between Gwen and Robert didn’t feel taut and compelling; I found it lukewarm and trite.


➟ Gwen narrates with the confidence of a real psychiatrist who has extensive knowledge of mental disorders. One way that she makes it clear she’s knowledgeable is by correcting the reader/layperson’s assumptions:

<<<[Stockholm] syndrome wasn’t an official diagnosis but a mental coping strategy, one exploited by Hollywood and novelists but still very real.>>>>

Yet Gwen herself is a fictional character in a titillating novel that 1) requires a substantial amount of suspension of disbelief, and 2) contributes, whether intentionally or not, to the already immense stigmatization of a disorder—dissociative identity disorder (or as it’s sometimes known, multiple personality disorder).

Gwen’s profile of the BH killer says that he likely has either paranoid schizophrenia or DID. She didn’t consider even once that there might, in fact, be TWO killers—which is just as valid a reason to explain the “difference in personality” that she noted between the violent assault vs. tender aftercare behaviours. In fact, that's where my mind went, and I ended up being right. Instead, she jumps to the conclusion that the killer very likely has DID.

How is that any better than a sensational Hollywood film, or an “exploitative” novelist? The irony was not lost on me.


✨✨✨ If you’d like to learn more about dissociative identity disorder from someone who has DID, PLEASE check out DissociaDID’s channel on YouTube. From their "About" section:

<<<DissociaDID is challenging the stigma surrounding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and trauma-based mental illness by creating scientifically supported and insightful educational content. Together, Nin and her Alters debunk the negative connotations surrounding DID, promote understanding and awareness of scientific, medical and psychological evidence, and explain the psychology behind this greatly misunderstood disorder.>>>



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❌ Finally, the scene that really put me off this book. (Note that this quote was taken from pages 71-72 in the uncorrected advance proof.)

<<<Around the fifth victim, social media turned its back on the boys, fueled by the vicious and cruel bravado that came with internet anonymity. A ripple of discontent grew over the more important issues that these pretty rich boys were pulling attention away from. Over the last three years of BH victims, the world had experienced school shootings, systemic racism, an economic crisis, and gender-bias protests. In the face of all that, did seven missing boys really matter? Was anyone, other than their individual families, affected?

Seven privileged white males against all of America. They lost the battle before it ever turned into a war.

I sucked on a red gummy bear. The city and media may have grown bored, but I never had. Even the aftermath and the public reaction had been an engrossing case in human behavior. It would have been fascinating to see how much public perception would have changed if one of the victims had been Black. Or undocumented. Gay, or a transgender girl.>>>

I don’t profess to know exactly what the author intended by this passage; let me be clear: I’m not reading into the author’s (or even Gwen’s) intentions or motivations. But I WILL talk about the implications and insinuations of such a statement.

❌ First: <<<Seven privileged white males against all of America. They lost the battle before it ever turned into a war.>>>

Immediately—why does this make it sound like America disadvantages white men?

Next—this is a scarcity mindset that pushes the idea that there is only enough airtime for certain people—and if we’re representing people who are NOT white men, there is suddenly less space for white men.

This passage explicitly states that because resources and headlines were devoted to “school shootings, systemic racism, an economic crisis, and gender-bias protests,” these seven “privileged white males” ceased to matter. I hate the implication that the boys killed by the BH killer were cast aside because the rest of the world devoted time, effort, and media coverage to those other events that Gwen’s named.

ALL victims deserve justice. Instead of pointing fingers at limited media attention or resources being "taken away" by other groups, underscore the ways in which we need to do better by ALL victims. That would be both less harmful and more helpful than claiming that these boys did not receive justice because resources/media coverage were allocated to people of colour, victims of school shootings, poor people, and women and queer folk.

Moreover, saying that little attention was paid to seven missing rich white boys is unrealistic. I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just saying, statistically speaking, it’s unlikely.

A Canadian study published in 2020 found that certain victim characteristics make the victim more “newsworthy” and “sympathetic” than their poorer, non-white counterparts. These characteristics included: white, female, educated, high social status, homicide taking place in wealthier neighbourhood, and victim uninvolved in criminal activity. Barring “female,” the victims of the Broken Heart killer fit these characteristics to a T.

❌ Second: <<<It would have been fascinating to see how much public perception would have changed if one of the victims had been Black. Or undocumented. Gay, or a transgender girl.>>>

The insinuation, intended or not, is that media coverage and “public perception” somehow advantage and privilege the murders of Black, undocumented, gay, and trans (“girl”? lol oddly specific but ok) folk over the murders of rich, attractive, white men.

That is SO immensely harmful, because the opposite is true.

The murders of marginalized people are underreported. Efforts toward seeking justice for marginalized people are underfunded and understaffed. (See links I’ve provided in my Goodreads review for citations and more information.)

Black murder victims are especially likely to be represented as “criminals” (or as individuals somehow more “deserving” of their fate). Trans victims are consistently misgendered and referred to by their dead names. Trans folk of colour are severely underrepresented in media coverage. I can’t find any sort of statistics about undocumented murder victims—my Google search only turns up results about undocumented immigrants being accused of murder (please link me some articles if you know of any!). And members of the gay community have long called for better, more accurate, and straight up more media representation of gay victims, who are often the targets of lethal, abhorrent hate crimes.

❌ Third and finally: This is not a thought experiment.

This is not “an engrossing case in human behavior.” It would NOT be “fascinating” to see how people react to Black, undocumented, gay, trans victims. This is such callous language that does not honour the fact that these are people’s lives we’re talking about.

Moreover, Gwen is discussing a serious issue with real-life outcomes. As I've already mentioned above, there exists a dangerous disparity in the 1) quality and quantity of marginalized victims’ representation in media, and 2) treatment of these victims’ killers (see, for example, the murder of Timothy Caughman—a Black man killed by a white supremacist, only to have media drag Caughman’s arrest record while touting the killer’s life accomplishments).


BOTTOM LINE: I am grateful to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. At the same time, I can’t in good faith give this more than 1 star. It has the potential for at least 3, but the execution was sorely lacking in certain spots, to the point where they overshadowed, for me, the rest of the good.

This is my second book from her. And let me tell you, this book doesn't dissapoint. I love her creative writing and how dark and twisty this book was! Thanks to netgalley, the author and pub for this arc.

I don't even have words for how much I love this book! It deserves all the stars ⭐ If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I absolutely would.

The plot as well as the characters are deeply layered, vividly drawn and stunningly done. The stakes are high from the beginning, the suspense is heart-rate inducing and never lets up, and the many twists and turns left me breathless.

This is such a great book (probably the best book I've read so far this year), and I highly recommend for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Good Lie by A. R. Torre A captivating thriller told in different POVs. A fast paced mystery with twists and an ending that I didn't see coming and a multitude of secrets and lies. Beth and Robert are an interesting couple. My first book by Ms Torres and will looking for her back-list and future stories.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I had to finish this book in one sitting..I could not put it down. A fast paced, thrilling story woven through the lives of victims and killers. Sometimes making me question which one was which. Gruesome but wickedly entertaining!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy of The Good Lie by A. R. Torre. This is my second read by Torre and I loved every bit of this book. The writing style keeps you in suspense the entire time and you quickly learn that everyone has a secret they don’t want to get out. You won’t want to put this book down until you get answers.

4.5 stars.

“Could this be a copycat killer? A hoax? Or a weak moment in strategy and execution?”

I ADORE this author’s writing. THE GOOD LIE is about a psychiatrist (she specializes in treating killers) who makes it her mission to unmask the notorious “Bloody Heart Killer” who targets teenaged boys. I was DEEPLY immersed in this story and I was never in a rush to get to the ending. The “whodunnit” aspect wasn’t entirely unpredictable at the end, although the twists that came right after were absolutely surprising, and creepy. I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work!!

Was the book well-written? Yes
Nail-biting? Yes
Had elements of suspense that had me turning pages way past my bedtime? Also Yes

The reason I've rated it 3.5, is because even though I couldn't guess the killer (love it when I can't, but also a tiny bit annoyed at myself 😛), there was a major plot hole that wasn't addressed anywhere. I'm not sure if people will notice it, but I did and the fact that it wasn't resolved left me a little disappointed.

Still this is a pretty good thriller, and I had a much better experience with this book than I had with one of the author's previous works. So I definitely believe in the power of second chances now!

The MC was a very interesting character, who addressed her shortcomings openly to herself despite her critical job, and I loved that about her. The book is told in 3 POVs of characters who are extremely important to the story.

Recommended to thriller fans and fans of serial-killer reads!

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓 Thomas and Mercer 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

The good lie had me captivated from page one. The intricate detail in every page leaves you begging for more and completely consumed with the story line, and characters. A violent impulse shrink & high profile lawyer are a perfect match. The wit and banter between the two intertwine for the perfect story. The secretive teen, with clear untruths leave you turning page after page to find clues hidden for the whole truth. The entire novel is like two mysteries rolled into one final chilling twist that you won't see coming. A.R TORRE pulled together a wonderfully written story that keeps you longing for answers the entire way through, you should have seen it all coming but you are so wrapped up in the hope and story that you don't until it is literally right there. Fantastic .

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

The Good Lie is suspenseful and spine-chilling, and a perfect epitome of what a mystery-thriller ought to be. It keeps the reader at the edge of their seat, giving little away from the brilliant mystery that builds up piece by piece, and unveils it in the end, through an intelligent plot and writing by A.R. Torre.

For me, as a reader, a perfect mystery-thriller must have the following aspects: early foreshadowing that doesn’t give away any secrets, unpredictability, complexity of the ‘main plot mystery’ and a unique way to deliver the climax. This thriller fulfilled all those requirements, along with having complex and morally grey main characters who are still easy to vouch for and a perfect length, which means that it will be easy for readers to finish it in one sitting.

Synopsis:
Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist and an expert on killers, is hired by defence attorney Robert Kavin to draw the profile of the Bloody Hearts Killer, a notorious murderer of six teens in the state of California. However, he is representing the suspect and the alleged killer of his own son, also a victim of the Bloody Hearts Killer, who he claims is innocent. But, for Gwen, the lies have only just begun, and there is a deep sea of secrets to uncover.

Characters:
Gwen’s career as a psychiatrist and the stresses and risks that come along with it are explored. Her relationship with Robert has a catch, and both of them are visibly distrustful of each other. More individual character-depth could have helped the story, but it all worked out at the end.

Plot:
Again, the author has intelligently constructed the plot of the story. The foreshadowing is perfect. The sub-plots, such as Gwen and Robert’s relationship, Gwen’s struggles with her own clients and Robert’s grief, are sufficiently explored. A wider plot range could have helped the story a bit more.

Final thoughts:
It is mysterious, steamy, unpredictable and enjoyable. There is almost nothing more one can ask for in a book.

Thanks Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I immediately related to this book as I am therapist named Gwen, just like the main character in the book. However, I do not specialize in people with personality disorders and violent tendencies. And for good reason apparently based on this story...yikes...it was a wild psychological thriller, perfectly paced, and just a lot of fun! I thought it was even better than Every Last Secret...looking forward to more of this author’s books!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.