While billed as psychological thriller, I would not say it was something that necessarily kept you on the edge of your seat as if someone was in danger of harm but rather this is more of a mystery that is slightly twisted. There are twists and turns and chances for redemption. What you think is not always what is real. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it kept me reading to find out what would unravel as the story unfolded.
Meg Wiliams is a con artist, targeting men who take advantage of woman, all in the memory of a high school friend Kristen whose motto was keeping the “girl code” and helping each other out. Kat Roberts is a reporter and would be novelist, never able to measure up to her mother’s lost dreams and whose fiancé is a recovering gambler. Kat sees Meg as her Big Story that will make her as a big-time reporter, someone she encountered 10-years before when she ruined her life. When Kat is invited by Meg to work for her, she is unsure whether she can trust her as she is drawn into a friendship that while they both dance around each other as they weave their lies and truths.
Told from the POV of both Kat and Meg, we get to see the backstories of each woman and lean how their pasts drive their futures. They are both characters that you will get to care about and realize that people are not always who you think they are. There are twists and turns and surprises that make this story really click. This story is the showcasing the power of women, the power of friendships, and reinventing yourself to live your best life. Just an enjoyable read and one I will be sure to recommend to my friends to read.

Many thanks to #netgalley #julieclark #theliesItell #sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read an advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review:

I read The Last Flight some time ago, and after now reading The Lies I Tell, I'm pretty near-convinced that writing damaged but strong female characters is Julie Clark's bailiwick. In The Lies I Tell, these DBS women are Meg Williams and Kat Roberts. Meg, Maggie, Melody - is a realtor, life coach - whoever and whatever she needs to be to gain your trust. But underneath she's a con artist. Kat is a journalist who has been tracking Meg for years. After an unfortunate interchange with Meg a decade ago left Kat hurt and reeling, Kat has been waiting for Meg to come home. When Meg finally does, Kat thinks she has Meg's number and is trying to expose Meg as the con artist she believes Meg really is. Does Meg know that Kat knows her secret? And, as Phoebe from Friends would say - Does Kat know that Meg knows she knows? And Kat has secrets of her own. As Meg and Kat negotiate around their respective secrets, their interplay and motives shift and twist and keep you guessing. Both characters sucked me in from the very beginning. I spent portions of the story frustrated with, or angry at one, the other, or sometimes both of them. Clark did an amazing job of letting me stew in my frustration, then offering a believable resolution without the ending feeling artificial or forced. And the complexity of both characters made it impossible for me to write them off as good/bad or right/wrong. Both were strong women with flaws, who each learned to overcome their weaknesses with the help of, and sometimes in spite of, the other.

The Lies I Tell
A Novel
by Julie Clark

She's back.
Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be—a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.
Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.
The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this advance copy for my honest review.
I didn't read the first book, "The Last Flight", but this is a stand-alone book. Very much cat and mouse with the two women, one seeking to catch Meg the con. It is an amazing story that makes you question what is real and what is a lie. You know that the main character is a con artist, but is she? The story is very clever and well written.

I read The Last Flight and was very excited to read this in advance. This is a twisty book of revenge. Or is it? I liked that this story kept me guessing throughout and the flashbacks helped tell a complete story of the two strong female leads. Meg is a skilled con artist and Kat is the journalist trying to expose her. But as their paths intersect, do their motivations as well? Well written story with a satisfying ending. Looking forward to more from Julie Clark. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

What is the difference between Justice and Revenge ? This book will make you answer that question, many different times & in possibly many different ways. Meg Williams is on a quest. She is a con artist who is going to make men pay for their wrongdoings and you just might root for her along the way! Kat Roberts is the journalist who is driven to take Meg down, blaming Meg for a phone call that had led Kat to become a victim herself. As each woman's story unfolds, they begin to learn more about each other and the question becomes who is conning who?
I loved Julie Clark's The Last Flight so I was more than super thrilled to have had my wish granted to read an early copy of this book and I read it in 24 hours! Thank you Net Galley and thank you SourceBooks Landmark for the chance to read this!!!!

This was a fast read for me. I like stories with multiple perspectives. I really liked Meg and began to like Kat as the story progresses. Great characters, and good story line. I’ll definitely look for more by this author.

I am fascinated by the origins of words and had no idea that "con man" was derived from the phrase "confidence man" in the mid 1800s. A con artist may bring to mind images of shady characters, but reality is quite different. A good con artist needs to appear trustworthy and likable in order to win the trust of his victim. Con artists are charismatic, intelligent, have good memories, and know how to manipulate people's hopes and fears. They attempt to blend in, to look and sound familiar, and often work diligently at appearing to be smooth, professional, and successful.

Such is the case with 𝘔𝘦𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯. 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦. She is everything you need her to be, and by the time she's moved on, she's taken everything you have.

Kat Roberts had her life turned upside by this woman a decade ago. An investigative reporter, she has the means to search out this con and expose her for who she really is. The two meet, and a cautious friendship forms between the dupe and the swindler. But pretty soon, motives become murky, and Kat starts to have doubts about Meg. Is Meg a hero is disguise, or has she just pulled the biggest deception of her career?

I thought I had the plot figured out and I was wrong, which was nice. I didn't particularly like either main character in the beginning, but they developed nicely and I grew to like them both, becoming invested in what was happening to them. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would.

Read this book on my Hawaiian vacation and I have to admit I tried squeezing in time whenever possible to get a few pages in. The idea of a female con artist who targets men who you are happy to see being taken into her web of a carefully constructed con is deeply satisfying. As the book alternates being told from the perspective of two women, Meg and Kat, both scarred by trauma, you can’t help but root for the con artist Meg. Kate’s storyline is focused on trying to gather enough information to expose Meg for what she is and I have to admit I hoped she would fail. The quote from the book “the difference between justice and revenge comes down to who’s telling the story” sums it up. Meg is a modern day female Robin Hood and I was cheering for her every step of the way! Now I’m adding Julie Clark’s other books to my TBR list.

I loved Julie Clark's debut novel, The Last Flight, and am happy to say her next release did not disappoint! It's a fast paced thriller full of manipulation and great writing.
Once again she focuses on two female characters. Both have been hurt and have plans to expose those who have wronged them in the past.
This was a quick, enjoyable read with twists along the way. Thanks netgalley for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It wasn't a book that I "couldn't put down" per se, but it was very entertaining nonetheless. It had a satisfying ending and there were definitely plot themes that kept you guessing which way they were going to go. I did question, however, the driving revenge Kat had for a mere phone call made by Meg 10 years prior; but not having ever been in that position myself, I told myself that it could be a possibility for some women. This was a new author for me, and I did enjoy her style and just went to my library's online website to put a hold on one of her other novels.

The first 25% of The Lies I Tell was very dull for me. I felt like giving up on this story. However I saw the ratings and reviews and decided to keep going.
The story follows Meg, a con-artist and Kat, a reporter and writer. Kat's mission is to expose Meg for the liar that she is and bring all of her to indiscretions to light. As we read, we feel for Meg. You want to love to hate her, but you can't. We discover later on that she's actually like a modern day Robin Hood and trying to take the corrupt down.
I did enjoy this one. It makes you think, it makes you feel, and in the end, you want to root for who you thought was the bad girl all along.

My first book by this author & I loved it! I will say I don’t think I’d consider this a thriller whatsoever though…more of a domestic mystery🤔 Something to make your brain work🤗 The story follows Meg the con(wo)man & Kat a journalist who knows Meg from a decade ago & just couldn’t leave her in the past, feeling she had some unfinished business with her I guess you could say.

I’m weird I loved Meg’s character from start to finish! She went from a struggling teen to a strong confident woman. I also really liked her & Kat’s “relationship” as a woman it made me want to be friends with Meg. The whole story was interesting seeing how Meg’s current con was progressing (or not-since the reader didn’t really know) & also following Kat following Meg while dealing with her own life problems.

This was a great read with a satisfying ending & I’d absolutely read another book by Julie Clark!!


Many thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Meg Williams has gone by many names and has had many different lives. She’s a con artist, and through precise planning, she can be whomever she needs to be to get the job done.

Kat Roberts is a journalist who has been hunting Meg for the past 10 years. Now that she has her in her sights, she won’t let her disappear until she gets what she wants from her…

However, nothing is truly as it seems, which both women quickly find out.

This is a very quickly paced domestic thriller and the story flowed well from past to present.

The characters were well described with all of their faults and strengths. They were relatable.

With each chapter we find out more and more about Meg, what she is really after and why she came back.

My favorite quote that Meg’s mother taught her “TWO WOMEN WORKING TOGETHER ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH”

I couldn't put it down

Oh my goodness oh my goodness !!!! I got my wish granted on netgalley and was given the privilege of reading this and WOW!!! I devoured it even with two full work days I finished this a little over two days waking at 430 this morning to do dog chores and finish this! I did not want to put it down it is all consuming ! I came off reading the story of Anna Delvey by Rachel Deloche Williams which made my blood boil and had me wishing for her Anna’s suffering because she took from what seemed honest people with devastating effects but this story had me ROOTING for Meg it made me think like Anna and Dexter had a baby and was Meg she uses her smarts and intelligence to con the biggest con men of them all to help balance out karma and return things to the underdog or those hurt by the person …she is like a cool, smart, kind, sexy Robin Hood … I seriously loved this story the character development is amazing the humanization and realism- it makes you believe this is real because it honestly could be !!! I felt for Kat the whole time and felt bonded to the two … I was upset with the initial blame of Meg for what happened to Kat but it all came full circle and the blame went where it should and in my mind Kat destroys Nate’s life and I’m here for it ! There are some deep quotes and meaning woven into this story the one about trauma (relating to essentially date rape / being traumatized without recollection) spoke to my soul and had me sitting with some real feelings - but it is the reality and it was like being seen or heard and having it reflected back in a way I didn’t know I needed - odd the random healing you can find in stories ….

Also loved that she draws attention to intuition and instinct ! Our bodies often tell us to use caution or when things are not right - and like her in the story - I too always tell clients to try connect back with their body and learn to listen and value it’s messages we are trained to ignore this by often being told we are to sensitive or we have to accommodate others and accept things even our view of pain and pushing through our bodies limits - we stop listening to the tingles and the hair rising ….

It was seriously a great read and if Julie Clark’s other stories are anything like this I am officially obsessed and will be a life long fan - she has been added to the TBR and instant buy list for sure ! I cannot wait to check out the rest of her stories

I’m telling you preorder now so you get a great gift and summer read - comes our June 21st!

I just finished The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark and it is sooooo good! I haven't read her other book, The Last Flight, but definitely plan to now. This one comes out June 21st and I know we will be seeing it everywhere.

Quick synopsis:

Meg Williams is a con artist. Kat Roberts, a young journalist, has spent the majority of her career trying to find Meg and figure out her motives behind tricking men, stealing their money, and ruining their reputations. She plans to write an explosive tell-all that will expose her. When the two finally meet, they form a complicated relationship and Kat starts to question who Meg really is and her end game.

You've gotta read this one! It is so well-written and I flew through it. I loved the messages of girl power, sticking it to the man, and healing after trauma. Add it to your #tbr! ❤

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookmarked for the early copy!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I loved this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole wntire time i was reading it. I read this in one sitting because i needed to know what was going to happen. I highly recommend this to everyone i know that loves books

I enjoyed this novel. It was well written and had a good twist that wasn't obvious early on.
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This could be a handbook for a budding con artist! Meg is a successful con artist and returns to Los Angeles after her mother was conned. Meg wants to put that right wiyh her own con. Kat is a journalist wanting to write a story to expose Meg. As I read I kept changing my mind as to what would happen next. I actually liked Meg more than Kat. This was a fascinating story, the end was unexpected but I loved it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.