“The Lies I Tell” expertly subverts your expectations. It allows Kat to make the reader believe Meg is nothing more than a money-stealing con artist, but as the story unfolds you find yourself rooting for Meg. The people she targets are well deserving of what she leaves them with. Kat having this realization is what makes the story exceptionally better than if she had just been against Meg without any give. When Meg hands Kat the reigns to take her own vengeance you feel powerful and just and completely in the two women’s corners. This story screams “girl power” in a way I’ve never seen other books accomplish. The intricacies of how to con someone and how to be different people are so in depth and fool-proof that even the reader begins to believe they could do it.

I read Julie Clark's The Last Flight a few years ago and absolutely loved it! When I saw she had a new book out, and had hear lots of hype, I couldn't wait to read it. I loved it! I could not put this down and read it in one day. So many twists and turns and kept me entertained. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. I look forward to recommending this next month.

THE LIES I TELL is a fast read. Con-artist and revenge stories are a newer sub-genre of crime fiction for me but I will definitely be reading more. Meg and and Kat’s determination to finish what they started make for a fun and thrilling read. I love reading from both points of view throughout.

Oh no, she didn’t! What a novel! This is a story of deception and lies, but the reasoning behind the lies will leave you with your mouth wide open! I thoroughly enjoyed this, and had a hard time putting the book down! Along the way, I found myself cheering for both Kat and Meg, which really makes no sense. Do yourself a favor, and definitely read this one!

What a roller coaster of a thriller. A psychological mind game between two incredible women. Once you start reading you won’t stop until you reach the end!

I loved this book! Such a compelling, satisfying and juicy story about women taking back their power that I found impossible to turn away from. Even though some suspension of disbelief is needed, I enjoyed and lapped up every moment.

The story is told in dual perspectives and while both women shine, Meg is the ultimate show-stealer. Was she meant to be a morally grey character? Because I had no problems rooting for her right from the start while Kat needed some time for me to warm up to.

This was a solid 4⭐ for me all the way until the last few chapters, which were just soooo irresistibly good! Once again, Julie Clark sure knows how to end a story! That Easter egg / little nod to The Last Flight had me so excited and happy. Omg!!! Love love love.

Overall, this book has everything I love in a thriller. Strong and well-developed characters, an addictive and bingeworthy plot, feminist themes handled well, and an ending that packs a punch.

I still prefer The Last Flight - aka one of my all-time favourite thrillers - a bit more. Nevertheless, The Lies I Tell lives up to the very high bar that its predecessor has set. Yet another brilliant book from Julie Clark and I can't wait for her next one!

A deliciously tangled web I couldn’t put down. I read this in one sitting because I just HAD to know what came next. The Lies I Tell features strong female leads leading semi-relatable lives weaving a web of lies with a side of vigilante justice. This is the first book in months that made me forget I had basic needs like eating and hydrating! My hips ache, but I’d read it in one sitting again in a heartbeat!

It's been awhile since I read this novel but I remember I enjoyed this novel. There weren't many unexpected twists and turns but I enjoyed the read and both female leads.

I received an e-ARC through NetGalley.

I rooted for both Meg and Kat throughout the story. I enjoy the author’s writing style, and look forward to what she writes next.

Oh this is good! If the rumors are true and this is an option for June's BOTM, you need to pick it! And if it isn't just go ahead and pre-order!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's quick and bingeworthy. With the popularity of scams and conartists lately like Inventing Anna and Cover Story, I was worried that this would just be a repeat of the same plot, but it was not! This book and this story is by far the best one that I have experienced!

The unique take with alternating POVs between Meg, the conartist, and Kat, the investigative journalist, who is trying to expose her was *chef's kiss* perfection! I loved how you really root for Meg and how she's a conartist with a conscience. You see why she does all of her conning and I was so torn on who I wanted to win in this situation, Meg or Kat. I was rooting for them both, but you know they both can't win or maybe they can!

The author did a great job keeping Meg sympathetic with the reader! I love being in the minds of the person and knowing what makes them tick and why they do what they do and you get that with this book! The depths of both characters and the storyline she has for both as separate people and weaved together, was perfect. I love how this book spanned a time period of ten years so you get the depth and the growth but this book never felt drawn out or too long. It was the perfect amount. Highly recommend. This will be a hit and perfect book for this summer!

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

In this tale of two women, Meg and Kat, one is a con artist and the other a reporter seeking revenge. Their stories are woven together in the past and present in a web of lies. Meg’s hard life has led her to be a clever con artist, swindling corrupt men out of their fortunes. But it’s her motivation and what she does with the money that make things interesting.

Meg Williams has a few aliases because of the nature of her “work.” She is a very successful con woman. Her exploits have taken her across the country but now she has finally come back to California for what may be her final ‘job.” Kat Roberts believes she was brutally victimized by one of Meg’s cons, that goes back a decade. That act destroyed Kat, uprooting her identity and dreams. So now Kat wants revenge.

Since Kat is an aspiring journalist, she wants to expose Meg for all her cons. Kat wants to write a true crime piece that garners fame and fortune for herself. To achieve that goal Kat must get close to Meg, but not let her know what she intends. Therein lies the danger: what will Meg do if she realizes Kat wants to take her down. On the other hand, a successful con has skills not only to get the money, but to push people to do what she wants. Can Meg be charming and potentially lethal? Kat wrestles with her own demons as she begins to fall under Meg’s spell of friendship. Kat cannot figure out the endgame, and she can’t quit the investigation. Truth seems fluid and obstacles accumulate in Kat’s quest.

As chapters alter the narration in time and between characters (Kat or Meg), Clark engulfs the reader in a cat and mouse game of who will succeed. The focus is also on journalism (Kat) and real estate (Meg) as the chosen area for each character to use. Back stories of both women explore motivation. As the web closes in, the reader is not sure who will have the upper hand. In spite of all this intrigue, the characters seemed somewhat flat for me. At times I was unsure whose voice was whose – but that may have been the whole point. Saw the end coming, but kept reading to verify. Not in the majority here as far as book reviews go, but sure others will be satisfied. Appreciate the author for taking a chance on an interesting premise. So 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title.

If you are looking for an edge of your seat page turner, look no further because this is the book for you. I was hooked from the first few pages and my interest never wavered clear to the end. The story is told from two points of view. Kat is a journalist hoping for a big break at the newspaper where she works and Meg works at the Y signing in people and living in her vehicle. When their paths cross, all sorts of things happen! That's all I want to tell you because I do not want to give any spoilers in this fast-paced riveting book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this spell-binding book that kept me up way past my bedtime.

I've seen so many great reviews for this but man...I was kind of disappointed. I loved The Last Flight, and couldn't wait to read Julie Clark's newest! But I had a hard time getting into the story or connecting to the characters. They all felt flat and un-relatable to me, and the book seemed to drag on a bit. I considered DNF-ing towards the end, but powered through. I think I went in expecting more of a thriller feel. It's more of a slow-burn drama. Not quite for me, but I know many loved this!!

Meg Williams is back in town after flying off the radar ten years ago. A former journalist for the LA Times, Kat, is there to witness Meg's next con artist scheme the second the alert goes off on her phone that Meg has resurfaced. While Meg has it out for a greedy politician that ruined her life as a young girl, Kat has it out for Meg whom she blames for a traumatic event that happened in her life.

Following both women's points of view, we learn more about each of them along a wild ride of tricks, schemes, and lies. The entire novel was a roller coaster of a ride, and I found that I could NOT put this book down. I had to know what happened next, and I had to know the how and the why behind each betrayal and plot.

I felt that the two main characters were extremely strong, yet unique, women. The pacing was incredibly fast, as I flew through the story in only a day or two. And honestly? The justice dealt to some of the greedy and morally devoid men that deserved it was the icing on the cake. The epilogue was one my favorite parts.

Add this one to your to read list for the summer! You don't want to miss it!

I'm just on a roll with these arcs right now.

I really really loved this one. Think a dash of Catch Me If You Can, with a revenge plot, and a smidge of Robin Hood's "steal from the rich to give to the poor" ethos. When Meg Williams' family home was stolen by an unscrupulous business, she and her mom ended up living in a car, until her mom died of cancer. Meg has spent a decade reinventing herself, and honing a craft as a confidence woman until she can finally take her revenge upon the man who ruined her life. Now, she's back in town for the first time, using her real name for the first time in years, and setting up a house of cards. Journalist Kat Roberts has been keeping an eye on Meg Williams for years, ever since Meg's first revenge, against a creepy teacher who she exposed. Back then, Kat went for an interview with the friend of said teacher, an interview that Meg recommended, and ended up being drugged and sexually assaulted. So she thinks she knows who Meg is and what she stands for. But she's about to learn more than she ever dreamed of, as she gets closer to Meg and Meg starts sharing her past and intentions.

I read The Last Flight by Julie Clark about a month before this and also really enjoyed this. I think the thing that resonates the most with me, and that takes her books to the next level is the development of her characters. All of her leading characters are women, and they are so real and relatable. Add that to the extremely well-crafted and paced underlying story, and there are few authors whose work I find as satisfying.

Can't wait to share this one with my readers.

CW: Death of a parent, cancer, sexual assault/rape, gambling addiction

I loved The Lies I Tell as much as I did The Last Flight.. It is a fast paced mystery about a female con artist. I enjoyed reading from the perspectives of both Meg and Kat. I also really enjoyed both of these characters. The mystery had me trying to guess what, when, and how things were going to happen next. The ending was a perfect ending for this book. I will be recommending it!

An atypical and brilliant con story that has it all—including a momentary crossover with The Last Flight.

Justice or revenge? ("The difference between justice and revenge comes down to who's is telling the story.")

Con artist or hero?

Grifter Meg Williams, 31, is in pursuit of a man who swindled her mother a decade ago. Investigative journalist Kat Roberts is in pursuit of Meg for derailing her life at that the same time.

"I'm struck with the irony of two women, each of them trying to spin a web of lies and manipulation around the other, never knowing whose strings are wrapped around whom."

Told in a first-person dual narrative over a 22-week span in 2019 (and taking the reader ten and two years, respectively, into the past), the story is a bit meta, with parts mirroring the action in it.

The author keeps adding to the twisty plot, layering and intertwining, and injects astute observations about people, places and things. So many quotes to pull from it!

Set in L.A. ("the capital of lip service and illusion"), there's a lot of substance, making it ripe for book club discussions: two sides of the same coin; fate; second chances and reinvention; mother-daughter relationships; women's intuition.

The title (spelled out for the reader at the 93% mark) befits both narrators ("[N]o one is a reliable narrator. Reliable narrators don't exist") in this story that is reminiscent in a way of "Pretty Things," with a soupçon of "Too Good to Be True." It's quite *con*vincing, utterly gripping, and has a perfect ending.

Bottom line: Julie Clark has outdone herself with this cat-and-mouse Robin (she/her) Hood tale that will have readers flipping the pages with one hand and flying the girl-code flag with other.

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CW: rape; gambling addiction

Note: "Sarah Jessica Parker's gorgeous brownstone on the Upper East Side" was her SATC character Carrie Bradshaw's.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Bookreporter.com for the advance copy

The Lies I Tell is not a mystery nor a thriller. I would not even say it is suspenseful. Did that prevent from enjoying this book? Not at all. In fact, it was just what I needed right now while I am angry about current events. If I had to classify The Lies I Tell, I would call it a feminist revenge story that left me feeling smug and satisfied.

The Lies I Tell is a novel about a con woman seeking revenge and an out-of-work journalist seeking justice whose stories are intertwined by their past. The Lies I Tell quickly sucked me into its pages. I initially was intrigued with its premise and then became invested in Kat and Meg's lives.

Told through both women's perspectives and flashbacks, this book was easy to read and left no confusion over timelines or speaker. Clark did an excellent job constructing and structuring the story. The main characters were well-developed for the most part. I came to feel like I was IRL friends with Kat and Meg.

I also thought that Julie Clark depicted trauma and PTSD in a compassionate yet objective manner. I cannot think of anything she could have done better in that regard.

Overall, The Lies I Told was like putting together a puzzle amid a web of lies, which brought be much joy. I will be recommending it many and encourage any BOTM member to snag a copy in June.

I love a good con and I just may have a new favorite con artist - Meg Williams. A woman who finds herself at the mercy of a society that does not value young women and finds a way to succeed no matter the cost. And if she can take down a few bad men along the way, all the better.

This is a deliciously juicy cat and mouse tale of a con woman and the journalist hot on her trail. I love the relationship between the two women and the time jumps back and forth to reveal the twists. Perfectly paced and unputdownable, this is one of my favorite thrillers of the year!