This latest book. by Tarryn Fisher was a bit harder for me to get through. There were some twists in the novel and lots of suspense. The story follows Rainy and her mom who fall on hard times after Rainy's dad dies. They move to Las Vegas to live in a compound with an old friend of Rainy's mom. Her mom had hoped he would be an answer to their problems. The compound ends up being a cult. The cult aspect was uncomfortable reading and left me feeling a little anxious. The story moves back and forth between the past and present. Rainy is now an adult, and a girls' trip brings her past back to the present. The plot took a turn that felt like a bit of a reach to me. I was eager to finish the book in hopes that there would be resolution to Rainy's story. The author did tie up all the loose ends. I am not too sure about this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review!

For full transparency, the first thing that grabbed me with this book was the cover. I loved the bright colors and the intriguing title, and then I noticed it was written by Tarryn Fisher. Many mystery/thriller fans probably know Tarryn Fisher from The Wives and The Wrong Family, both of which I read and enjoyed overall and I was so excited to be approved for this ARC. Written from the perspectives of an adult artist living in Washington and a child trapped in a cult led my an evil narcissist in Nevada, An Honest Lie is a new level for Tarryn Fisher.

The writing was smart, with vivid characters and beautiful setting descriptions throughout. It was atmospheric right from the start, with two distinct timelines that I felt equally absorbed in. I loved reading Summer and Rainy’s perspectives, and I loved the way that they were telling two nearly distinct stories for the majority of the book. I actually preferred Summer’s story (the “then” timeline), but really enjoyed both. While the whole book was quite dark, I thought it was so smart for the main character to be named Summer during her sun-drenched desert childhood and referred to as Rainy during her adult life where she is hiding in the shadows in the rainy mountains of Washington. For most of the book, Summer and Rainy seemed intentionally disconnected from each other, until the stories came crashing together. I read this compulsively and couldn’t wait to see how it ended.

Like The Wives, I could see reviews on this unique book being a bit polarizing, but it is one of my new favorites and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an intense thriller and doesn’t mind a bit of suspended belief.

I wanted to love this the way I loved The Wives, but much as The Wives was polarizing, maybe this one is too, and I ended up on the other side? I couldn't get to a point where I cared about these characters. Maybe it was just too different from my own life and I couldn't get past that? Regardless, this was a DNF for me. I did NOT post a review on GoodReads out of respect for the author.

I’m a fan of Tarryn Fisher and have read most of her books. Usually I can’t put them down and finish them in one day. This was the opposite for me. I had to force myself to pick it up.

I was excited for this as I love cult stories, but it just wasn’t my favorite. My biggest issue was with character development. I didn’t feel attached to anyone, including the main character. Their personalities weren’t consistent at all and I couldn’t get a feel for any of them or like them.

The “now” chapters also didn’t really play into the overall story until halfway through the book so I found it hard to focus on or care about those until the second half. I will say it picked up well in the second half and I got more into the story. However, a lot of questions were left unanswered. Especially about her mother and her motives, which I was really interested in.

Regardless, this won’t stop me from reading more Tarryn Fisher and I always look forward to her books.

Bravo, Tarryn Fisher! This was a definite win for me! While loving The Wives and almost hating The Wrong Family, I was very open minded going into An Honest Lie. Straight off the bat I loved how it was so female driven and thoroughly enjoyed how Fisher brought us along on Rainy’s journey to her self empowerment. I caught myself desperately wanting to know what happened back in the day and that story was so brilliantly tied into the present day. The story itself was juicy and twisty, making it a fast-paced read, but I actually enjoyed Rainy’s journey where she overcame so much more. Well done!

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .5

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas or does it? Rainy is a mysterious artists who has moved from New York to Tiger Mountain to live with her boyfriend Grant. When the local Mean Girls of Tiger Mountain, who also happen to be some of Grant’s closest friends and the only “friends” Rainy has in town, invite her to Vegas for a girl’s trip she declines only to find out a ticket has already been purchased for her. While one or more of the Mean Girls plot against Rainy, there is something more sinister out in the desert lurking in the shadows that Rainy can’t hide from forever. The cult, the man and the nightmares she escaped from all those years ago.

Tarryn Fisher’s An Honest Lie had me on the edge of me seat and I couldn’t put it down, I had to know how this would end. She weaved themes of women confronting misogyny, feminism, cults, abuse, but ultimately it’s a story of rebellion, friendship and it’s heart love wrapped in tense mystery with lots of suspense.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HTPBooks (Harlequin Trade Publishing) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TarrynFisher #AnHonestLie #HTPBooks #NetGalley #mystery #thriller #generalfiction #feminism #friendship #cults

I will read everything and anything by Tarryn and with each release, I become a bigger fan.  This gripping thriller had me within the first few pages, hooked and reading Up All Night.  

Rainy has a secretive past, one she hasn't shared with anyone, not even her boyfriend Grant.  She has moved across the country to live with him in a little town. Everyone knows everyone so coming in as the "new" girlfriend is challenging, coming into a tight-knit group of couples proves challenging. 

The girls invite Rainy to a fun-filled weekend in Vegas...only one problem.  Las Vegas is the LAST place that Rainy ever wants to be again. 

This book is told in the past and present.  Rainy's past was in a cult, in Las Vegas when she was known as Summer.  I was fascinated by everything that happened in her past even more than what was happening in the present to be honest. A life that I couldn't imagine is the life that Summer leads as a child. 

This thriller is an absolute FIVE BLUSH read and I have already recommended all my friends to get it as it's a MUST READ of 2022.

Rainy lives in constant fear that people will find out about her past or it will come back to haunt her. When Rainy, formerly Summer, was little, her mother took her, and they joined a cult. Little did her or her mother know, the head, Taured, would eventually kill her mother and prepare to take Rainy as his wife. Through the ups and downs, we see Rainy's present life where someone she used to know not only comes back, but also kidnaps her friend. Through flashbacks, Rainy realizes what really happens and uses it to not only save her friend, but defeat Taured once and for all.

The ending of Rainy’s story definitely helped bring closure. It took me awhile to really separate all of the characters and figure out who was who. I can 100% get behind the strength of women coming together for the greater good - fighting the patriarchy. I’ve always marveled at the movies of these men creating “cults” and having followers - how one can be so brainwashed to follow - it was an interesting take I totally wasn’t expecting based off the cover of the book.
Vegas - Secrets - Murder - Cult

Her name was Summer during her childhood, and she changed her name to Rainy as an adult - we meet Summer as she and her mother left their home and moved into an old prison that was turned into a compound controlled by an abusive man named Taured.

We now meet Rainy as an adult who moved from New York to Washington to be with her boyfriend and lives in an exclusive neighborhood called Tiger Mountain.

The women in Tiger Mountain pretended to want to be friends with Rainy and invited her to go to Las Vegas for a girls' weekend. Rainy didn't want to go because of bad memories from her childhood.

Her gut feeling about something going wrong and not wanting to go to Vegas turned out to be exactly what she thought....a bad situation.

Rainy was a very strange girl and a very strong woman. Her past keeps her from being able to make friends and to trust anyone.

I definitely didn't like Taured, and the women she went to Vegas with all seemed fake.

AN HONEST LIE is very intense, dark, and chilling.

Be aware that a cult and disturbing situations are in this book.

Well written and definitely for those who enjoy thrillers, tension, and an evil male character. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks to @netgalley for my 19th read of 2022. This turned into a very fast-paced novel that ended up almost being like reading an action movie. I always enjoy @tarrynfisher books, and this one was no exception. The back-and-forth timeline wasn’t my favourite at times, but it did help provide insights into some other characters. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 read in my books.

An Honest Lie is the latest book by Tarryn Fisher. Ms Fisher tells the story of Summer/Rainy by going back to when Summer was 13 years old and to Rainy's life now as an adult. Summer spent a few years in a compound which was a cult. Rainy has been running ever since. I want to thank NetGalley and Graydon House for an early copy to review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This excellent thriller was full of surprises. I loved Rainy's strength, her determination and how she was able to reinvent herself. I felt a lot of sympathy for all that she went through growing up. The action scenes toward the end of the book were intense and entertaining. This is a must read.

A truly unique thriller, AN HONEST LIE expertly ties together two timelines, one in a violent cult and the other day in modern, glittery Las Vegas. Fisher is a master of character development, and Rainy truly shines in this book.

An Honest Lie
by Tarryn Fisher
Pub Date: April 26, 2022
Graydon House
Thanks to Graydon House and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
While I'm one of the many that have become enthralled with Tarryn Fisher's online persona, her books have all been hit or miss for me. Regardless, I keep grabbing for her newest releases, so clearly there's something about her writing that keeps me intrigued. An Honest Lie was a refreshing surprise after The Wrong Family.
Good Book!
4 stars

Twists and turns and creepily fabulous! Like it was taken from the headlines. Loved this story and know my readers will too!

Tarryn Fisher's newest offering is a twisty treat!

When Rainey moves from the bright lights of New York to a small, insular mountain town to be with her boyfriend, he encourages to find female friendship in the town and put down roots. Soon the women of the town invite Rainey on their yearly girl's trip.

With a buried past and new curious friends that may or may not be what they seem, Fisher lays a web of suspense that dazzles the reader through many red herrings and some slightly unrealistic scenes.

All in all, this was a good book, and I can't wait to read the next Tarryn Fisher book.

Taryn Fisher always writes a fast paced thrilling book and her latest, An Honest Lie, does not disappoint. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, kept me guessing and kept me turning page after page until the end.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to preview this title for our Independent Bookstore! Tarryn has done it again! I could not put this book down. The dual timeline allowed the story to move along at a wonderful pace. Our customers have really enjoyed stories like this in the past and they'll be so excited to get their hands on this story this summer!