Another home run for Julie Clark. I was riveted. This is sure to be a book club favorite...I highly recommend it.

Rating 4.5

This book was so enjoyable! It was a fast paced thriller that had you rooting for both characters. It was really well written and the characters were so well done. It was told in dual pov and I could easily tell who was talking when. I wish I could say more but this is one you must go into blind. The less you know the better. I would definitely recommend this book!

Retribution, Circumstances, Webs of lies, Fate

“The Lies I Tell” is a story of manipulation, of payback, and of never knowing truth from lies. This tale of retribution unfolds in alternating narratives told by each of the two characters. Present-day stories are interspersed with multiple sections of past narratives; readers learn how each character arrived in the present-day and what baggage each carries. Time is important; there is an election coming. Events are on a schedule; dates are documented, and the days count down. Events from the past are pertinent to the present; “things” must be in place on time. The pace intensifies, and everything takes on urgency.

Julie Clark created characters who are complex and complicated; they play roles destined by their circumstances. Together, these two women are a force to be reckoned with; however, they do not know they are a team – yet. They are not necessarily outright liars, but “facts” in any situation depend on who is telling the story. Readers suspect deliberate webs of lies but at the same time, feel empathy and understanding.

“The Lies I Tell” unfolds like a maze. Readers travel one way only to find a false lead, or a deliberate dead end, necessitating a reversal and reexamination of the way. I received a review copy of “The Lies I Tell” from Julie Clark, and Sourcebooks Landmark.

“The Lies I Tell” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.

I really enjoyed this twisty tale. I read a lot of thrillers, so when one comes a long that is unique, I am hooked. This one had that. I really enjoyed the characters of Meg and Kat. The story builds up to a very satisfies and shocking ending.

📚#thrillerfriendsbuddyread 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰📚
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎 & 𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙸 𝚃𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚢 @julieclarkauthor
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛: @bookmarked
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 21, 2022
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𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to Sourcebooks for a complimentary ARC!
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The Lies I Tell was the book that won the voting rounds for our Thriller Friends Buddy Read in August. While the title was catchy, I did not know what to expect going in as this was my first read of this author’s.
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My verdict is I enjoyed this wild cat and mouse game between 2 women, Meg and Kat, who are on the opposing spectrums of morality. Meg (and the numerous other con names she goes by) is a brilliant con artist who has lived by several identities in different professions and places, and always…always gets her way. Nobody has traced her except Kat, a budding investigative journalist who’s yet to make a standing in society. So when she comes across Meg, she grabs the opportunity for a sensational story.
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Without spoiling anything, something happens to Kat for which she blames Meg. This was an interesting point in the book that led to different opinions in our discussion. But this event further sparks Kat to expose Meg for who she really is. But who really is Meg and what is her agenda in conning people? That’s where this book takes an interesting turn because Meg is not your regular con artist. Every action of hers has a purpose. Kat, along with the reader, eventually unravels Meg’s character. And then Kat has to decipher what to do with these new pieces of information. It was a very entertaining book with a cheeky ending, that we all enjoyed in the discussion.
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Some of us found this book to be more “drama” than thriller. I personally felt it didn’t have any major jaw-dropping twists you see in thrillers but I was still satisfied with the ending after furiously turning the pages.
P.S: I hope this book is adapted into a major motion picture!

Detail Snapshot — Domestic Thriller/Suspense, 4.2 ⭐️ average on GR, out now from Sourcebook Landmark, Contemporary Fiction with Audiobook Available

🌸 This release came out this week on the 21st! It is a new thriller/suspense from Julie Clark, who also wrote The Last Flight. Currently, it has a 4.2 star average on Goodreads with over 6,000 ratings already! This comes at no surprise considering this book has been consistently listed among many “most anticipated thriller” lists this year.

🌸 Quick Summary - 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.

Two women. Many aliases.

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.

Thoughts --- I thought this book was an excellent thriller. I loved the multiple POV. I have read a book similar in theme to this one recently (published a few years ago though) and it felt unbelivable to me... however this one is a lot better in this regard! The pace as good and it has a strong hook with the narrators. I will recommend to those who like thrillers/suspense.

This was an intense book of cat and mouse. I enjoyed both characters - Kat and Meg both had depth and it was easy to be drawn into their stories. Overall, an enjoyable book from an author I will put on my must list!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark.

Meg goes by many names. It depends on where she is and who you are. And if she's targeted you, she will know WAY more about you than you ever will about her, especially if she stands to gain something through you.

Kat has had her life upturned by Meg, but has never been able to find her. But now that she has, she wonders if perhaps she can play Meg at her own game. That is, until it becomes fuzzy who Meg is actually trying to con, and what she is trying to accomplish.

Yeah, this was pretty good. It got a bit muddy through the middle, and nothing about it blew my mind, but I did enjoy it. The ending was very satisfying. 3.5/5 stars.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my honest review.*

Con-artist or revenge seekers? It is a fine line, one could argue. As one woman begins her journey as a con-artist she inadvertently sets another woman up for tragedy. And then the second woman wants revenge. A tangled web, indeed!

I appreciated the set ups for the cons and the reasoning behind it. And the naivety of the people being conned. But it also brought to light how someone can be so single minded that they overlook things that are right in front of them.

I enjoyed this novel!

I thought that the story was well written and I enjoyed the back and forth timelines as well as the alternating POVs of the two main characters. The story hooks you immediately. lts not necessarily a thriller but a cat and mouse suspense to see how this story will turn out. Who will come out on top the con artist or the writer when both of them know what the other is up to. Clark is a amazing at creating
a detailed story that hooks you with characters that you enjoy, I felt that way when I read The Last Flight and I felt it again reading this one. I have to say I think this is one of my favorite reads this year. The audiobook version was also great! I definitely think Julie Clark is an autobuy author for me now and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

From the cover, it’s not a shocker this was told from two different women.

The first chapter of the book, was a present day version of Kat seeing Meg for the first time in apparently some time at a swanky party. At this point, I was hooked and envisioned this going so many ways.

We then get to see the past from pivoting POVS, between the two mixed with the future and how they connected.

Meg is a con artist and Kat blames Meg for ruining her life because of this and she has becomes obsessed with taking her down.

All in all, it was entertaining and a fun read…but it wasn’t anything that was super twisted or dark.
3.5 stars

Thank you so much NG and the publishers for sending me an arc of this book! I absolutely loved it and my name is also Meg so that was fun! I really loved the female criminal and it was a different aspect. Almost Robin Hood vibes I just really enjoyed it! I even had my book club do this book!

Years after her life and sense of safety are shattered, Kat Roberts finally has an opportunity to expose the person who caused it all: Meg Williams is back in California. The con-woman is now using her own name, and Kat begins her own con to find out what Meg is really up to and to bring her comeuppance. She doesn’t expect to like Meg, and her feelings get even more complicated when she learns Meg’s true game.

This wasn’t so much a thriller as a cat-and-mouse character study. I couldn’t put down this clever spin on taking on a con artist. Meg and Kat’s relationship is complicated and believable, and the story is fast-paced and interesting. I loved it.

The Lies I Tell is a fantastic tale of a female con artist unlikely any I’ve read before.

It’s what I would call a story of poetic justice, and I loved Meg for ingenuity and cunning, and her as an entire human though I couldn’t say exactly why.

Kat is a side character who plays a large role in this story, and I hope against hope she gets her own book.

Highly recommend this one!

I did not expect to like this book so much! I really enjoyed this author's previous novel and didn't think that this one could top it, but it did!

This revenge thriller is exceptionally written. It was fast paced, with an original and clever storyline. Meg was such an interesting and complex character and I just loved her! Watching the relationship develop between Meg and Kat was intriguing and exciting.

Although this book doesn't have all the twists and turns you find with other thrillers, there are a lot of surprises along the way. I thought the ending was perfectly done. You will have a hard time putting this book down!

--twisty
--fast-paced

My first read by this author. I will look for more from her in the future. Thanks NetGalley!

The Lies I Tell is a fast paced read with great character development. I like how the author gave us the back stories of the two women at the heart of the story little by little. Meg and Kat, driven by trauma, pain, the desire for revenge and so many lies. This one was difficult to put down.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Wow! Very well written and interesting.

Meg isn’t who she says she is but neither is she not. There’s a reason for everything.

Kat isn’t who she says she is either, but why? As these two women intersect paths and follow a narrative they each have set in their heads, they find they have some things in common.

A suspenseful, almost woman’s lit, I recommend this story. You will be saying, “They got what they deserved.”

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pub. Date: June 21, 2022

The book centers on two women, Meg Williams and Kat Roberts. To help the reader "supposedly" comprehend their relationship, it uses a dual narrative with a past/present storyline. They did not know one another in the past, but they did share a common history. However, before moving on to each next chapter, be prepared to go back and forth to figure out who did what to whom—very frustrating. The two women have highly different backgrounds. They come together because they want revenge on those who have wronged them and changed their lives. In the present, Kat is studying to become a skilled con artist like Meg, who has always been one. The author portrays the masculine characters as one-dimensional villains. In addition, she does the same with women, but they are the good guys. There is no character balance. Even though years ago Meg hurt Kat with one phone call, they still use the moral "girl code," meaning women need to stick together. Towards the novel's end, it is fun to wonder which one conned the other. Still, most of the plot is flat and unbelievable. Not sure what all the fuss was about for this book.

Journalist Kat Roberts has waited 10 years for the return of grifter Meg Williams.

Who should you trust? This is a story of revenge, lies, manipulation and finding your own justice. I felt a lot of sympathy for Meg and the choices she made. She was smart, meticulous and knew how to play a long game. The story builds slowly but I read the last third of the book in one sitting and found the conclusion satisfying. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.