Abi, a 17-year old is missing from town of Whistling ridge and her friend, Emma is determined about investigating and finding some answers as she was the who left Abi in a party after she went missing. As she starts asking questions, a lot of scandalous and buried secrets of various people of the town are out in the open. Abi's father is extremely abusive towards both his sons and his wife and this behavior has absolutely horrible consequences. Also Noah, Abi's brother has another story going on and makes him look mysterious all the time. There are some characters I absolutely hated and they evoked really strong feelings so I definitely found the writing impactful.

Overall, a. engaging, slow-burn, small-town mystery that will make the readers question how so many people can be so evil in a small town!

Abigail, a 17-year-old from Whistling Ridge, is missing. Her friend Emma feels as though it’s her fault because she left her alone at a party, so she is determined to find answers. Emma is positive that Abigail wouldn’t have left on her own.
As the police (and Emma) investigate, all sorts of secrets about residents of the community begin to emerge. Abi’s brothers, Noah and Jude are each hiding something. Her father hides his temper and abusive nature; her mother hides behind silence. A town preacher and a well-known businessman also come into play.
When it all comes out, the entire town will change.
A well-told story.

I very much enjoyed the small town setting of this book. From a small town myself, it’s true that everyone either knows everything about each other – or at least they all think they do.

When Emma reluctantly leaves her best friend Abi in the woods after a party one night, Abi is never seen again – and it’s all anyone can talk about. Everybody has an opinion about what happened.

The characters are well-written and adequately mysterious, and there is a dual timeline plot that keeps the narrative moving. All in all, this was an entertaining mystery.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book before its August 3 publication date.

17 year old Abigail goes missing, and her BFF Emma is filled with guilt because she left Abigail alone at a party in the woods. So Emma starts searching for the truth. Police think Emma ran away, but Emma knows Abi wouldn’t go without her.

The small town is filled with secrets. Abi’s older brother, Noah, is in love with Rat. A Romanian immigrant has recently moved into the trailer park. Abi’s dad’s temper.

As Emma starts searching for her friend, she finds that Abi had many secrets of her own. Did Abi run away? Was Abi abducted? And if so, who took her?

An interesting read that had me guessing until the end.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #WhereThe Truth Lies in exchange for an honest review.

It seems like I am going to be one who is giving the unpopular opinion on this WHere The Truth Lies by Anna Bailey I just had a hard time reading it and staying interested.

The book holds a lot of triggering in it, such as child abuse, domestic violence, hate crimes, rape and more, so if you are sensitive to that type of thing, you might not want to pick up this book. There also seems to be a lack of concern from the small town that it takes place in, the townspeople preferring to spread rumors and gossip.

It was a very slow burner, and I need a thriller to catch me fairly quickly. I didn't care for any of the characters, so maybe that was one of my problems with reading it, they were just not engaging or likable.

I believe this is the author's debut book, and I do think her writing has good potential, as I think this book had potential, but somewhere along the way she just lost me.

A small town and monumental secrets. Will they ever be uncovered? What will happen if they are? And someone is missing. This was a very good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Well written.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"When a teenaged girl disappears from an insular small town, all of the community’s most devastating secrets come to light in this stunningly atmospheric and slow-burning suspense novel - perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng.

The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi's older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi's father's mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God's love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark - the truth of what really happened that night - to change their community forever."

I am ALL IN for mysteries tearing small towns apart!

Abi and Emma are best friends who have no secrets from each other. Or do they? Abi insists on taking off into the woods after a party and Emma lets her go. Abi is never seen again. Emma feels responsible for Abi’s disappearance and she sets out to discover what happened to her best friend. Along the way she realizes Abi was not the girl Emma thought she knew. As Emma discovers Abi’s secret life she also discovers the town holds terrible secrets of its own. Evil bigotry lurks in the souls of many of the townspeople including the much-revered pastor. This suspense filled novel was hard to put down and kept me guessing until the very end. Thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars.

This book absolutely wrung me out. I am exhausted from all the worry and tension and anger I felt while reading it. But it was good pain! So powerful.

Emma and Abigail live in a toxic small town where everyone has secrets and no one is safe. I loved the depth of both of these characters, but honestly every character was so complex! Each person in the story is messy and complicated and awful and redeemable. (Well, most are redeemable…)

There were a few plot points that seemed just a hair past believability, but I’m not doubting that there are surely shitty people out there who might act in these ways. In fact, nothing happens that doesn’t have historical precedent, it just seems like a lot in one small place.

Do not read this if you struggle with stories of sexual assault. It’s only hinted at, but still so raw.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Anna Bailey achieves what few authors do.....beautifully written and hauntingly stunning. Growing up in a small town in america I found the setting depictions both breathtaking and spot on. The plot is a intricate web of small town thinking and learning to rethink your beliefs. Homophobia is a real problem where I am from and I enjoyed seeing the events play out and help reshape a small towns thinking.

This story is a stunning novel great for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste ng. This is great story I couldn’t put down. It is chilling and compulsive. Anna Bailey explores the deep secrets and family rauma w a sharp yet tender gaze. It’s beautiful written and spell binding.

I wanted to like this one but unfortunately I couldn’t finish it. The characters were horrible people. I felt like I was reading the same page over and over and retaining nothing. The writing style just didn’t interest me.

Seventeen year old Abigail was last seen at a party in the woods, which she was with her best friend Emma. Emma left her there at the party. And Abigail goes missing. Little do they know the town is drowning in secrets and Abigail's disappearance threatens to unveil exactly what everyone is hiding from, her family and other important people of the town. As it becomes clear that Abigail led a secret life that Emma knew nothing about, will Emma ever find out what really happened to Abigail that night? Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Wow!! This book was incredible! I never saw any of the twists coming. This book was brutal, beyond disturbing. I had to stop at parts, really letting it sink in the huge events unfolding. The truth of what happened was a huge twist that I would never have seen coming, leading from lies and trouble, an awful thing that really made me feel so sorry for Abi. It becomes clear Abi was betrayed by so many.

Anna Bailey’s debut novel is a well-written, slow-burning, character-driven suspense story. It alternates between then and now to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of Abigail, a teenager who vanishes after hanging out in the woods with her best friend Emma.

Bailey’s strengths as a writer are providing just enough descriptive detail to immerse you in the story without being overly flowery. Her story captures life in a small town really well. Like a polite small-town gossip queen, she has a way of telling you about bad things that happened without spelling it out.

Be prepared for a disturbing, heavy read. The book contains numerous episodes of domestic violence, racist and homophobic scenes, and several characters with no redeeming qualities.

Despite the heaviness, it was a compelling read. I would definitely read another book by this author.

I received a free ARC of this book via Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

"When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened." - Good Reads

As Emma starts investigating the death of her best friend, the towns secrets are exposed, you will be left in complete awe when this novel concludes.

Where the Truth Lies, was right up my alley. I love a good murder mystery thriller. The writing style flowed easily and although I would consider this a slow burn, I actually really enjoyed this from start to finish.

Overall, Where the Truth Lies is a very enjoyable and addictive read! I loved all of the life changing revelations, twists, turns and unexpected plot twists.

I would highly recommend this novel to all my thrill seeking murder mystery lovers!

Anna Bailey crafted such a thoughtful, compelling story with Where the Truth Lies. The writing was crisp, the dialogue was natural. I couldn't believe this was a debut novel!

The book is set in a small, rural town called Whistling Ridge, which features a fairly large population of religious zealots. That is to say, they lean too far on the fear of God when condemning anyone who isn't white or straight. It is quite a heavy read, exploring multiple trigger warning-worthy themes -- religion, racism, abuse, sexual trauma, homophobia.

But this twisty suspense kept me guessing through the end, and I never wanted to put it down.

I'll be honest: When the promo materials said this book was good for Celeste Ng fans, I got a little worried. I am pretty squarely in the category of NOT being a fan of Celeste Ng's writing style, but I went into this one with an open mind. And I am so glad I did! If you love dark and twisty, don't mind heavy subject matter, and enjoy a nail-biting plot, add this one to your list!

Forking yikes with the racism. I was really excited to read this book and quickly was disappointed with the use of racism to move the plot forward.

Abi is one of those girls who you just know is going to make it out of her small town. She’s beautiful, she’s independent, she’s got spunk and she can take care of herself. All the essentials are there. But sometimes, you can’t overcome a dysfunctional. It’s in her family, it’s in the town, it’s even running rampant at the church. So what happened to Abi?

As we learn more about everyone she left behind when she disappeared, there are many suspects that it’s almost impossible to tell. And beyond that, there’s so much reason why she would just disappear on her own too. We’ve got her alcoholic dad who is seriously messed up from his time in Vietnam. Her mom, who, despite being abused for years, stays with her abuser and allows her children to suffer too. We have the hot, but slightly criminal boy from a good family and the quirky independent Persian guy who the whole town hates just because he’s different.

There’s much going on in Where the Truth Lies, it will keep you turning pages far past your bedtime. Special thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is out August 3.

This review will be posted on July 22, 2021 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

In the small mountain town of Whistling Ridge, church is everything, secrets are everywhere, and xenophobia abounds. These tensions simmer until the disappearance of Abigail Blake forces them to boil over. What worked for me: the window into small town life in Colorado, the tension of teens trying to figure out their own lives, and the exploration of effects of domestic abuse and child abuse on a family. What missed the mark for me: the "villains" felt like caricatures (they just felt like extra awful monsters) and the ending felt unresolved and a tad unsatisfying. #WhereTheTruthLies Rating: 😐 / meh, it was ok
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This book is scheduled for publication on August 3, 2021. Thank you @atriabooks for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Abigail "Abi" Blake goes missing in Whistling Ridge, a small town in Colorado, we follow the people closest to her as they try to work out what has happened. Secrets are revealed as we learn more about each character and their checkered past lives.

This book feels like it's split in half. The first half, for me, was slow and difficult to follow. The character map was foggy. We had reveals without much build up and a plot that plodded forward. By the halfway mark, we'd picked up steam and it felt like the story really came to life. We finally actually hear from Abi, and plot points start to feel less disjointed.

If you're looking for a thriller that has lots of twists, gimmicks, and guessing games this might not be satisfying to you. Similarly, if you would like to read a book mostly centered on the missing person and the search for that person, this book may feel too dispersed. However, if you're okay with a dissection of small town life, dogmatic belief systems, and romantic relationships and how they fail, this would be enjoyable.

I especially enjoyed the discussion of religion in a small town. Mob mentality occurs, we learn about the outdated views on marriage, relationships, raising children, and femininity, and we see the town split clearly into an "us vs them" dichotomy.

The author, Anna Bailey, specifically based this book on her time in small town America, and it feels like the fact that it is a thriller is an afterthought. I am looking forward to reading more from Bailey and hoping for more general and literary fiction since the cultural discussions in this book were beautifully woven into the story.