Intriguing pageturner but a messy plot

An Honest Lie, a cult thriller by Tarryn Fisher lured me in with an interesting theme. The story follows Rainy, an introverted artist pressured into going on a Las Vegas girls trip. Unfortunately, Rainy struggles to get close to people due to her past trauma escaping a cult. This cult being within spitting distance of Las Vegas causes her to have flashbacks while on the trip, and some of her worst fears are realized. Something about this concept is attractive, but I felt like the delivery fell short. A majority of the story is her talking about the strained relationship between her and the women of the posh Tiger Mountain Club. Then, there are flashbacks to her time in the cult. No real action happens until the last 25% of the book and there's minimal buildup to the climax. There are actions Rainy takes that don't make sense with her personality and trauma. For instance, she makes such a huge fuss about anything reminding her of the cult verging on panic attacks, but she takes a pit stop in the town the cult is in? The plot holes were the only thing I disliked about this story. The author does a great job of giving personality to each character. Rainy is likeable and relatable. I liked that she is a strong woman in an environment of misogyny. Her descriptions of how she felt in certain situations made this a page turner for me. I empathized with her and was really invested in how everything would play out. I would recommend this to readers interested in cult themed thrillers and favor character development over plot.

3.5/5 Stars

I did not know this was a cult book when I picked it up.

This book had a solid start. Annoying, nosy neighbors invite the main character on a trip she does not want to go on seemed appealing. However, this book was just a bit confusing. It was almost as if there were two different novels written and then the author decided to tie them together. I like this author. I have read her previous thrillers. I like the way the author creates characters and the setting. I love the dialogue and the male characters in a female driven thriller. However, the endings are just not logical and I wonder how this seemingly smart protagonist decided the ending was the only possible solution to the problem. I just did not believe the ending.

Thank you to Harper audio and htp books for my copies! I get so excited for Taryn fishers books they always seem amazing, but they keep falling short for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one I found it slow and a little difficult to follow on audio because it didn’t keep my attention. I thought the audio was pretty good narrator wise, and the beginning of the book did get my interest, but the last half I just couldn’t focus on the story anymore. I never want to tell anyone not to read something because we all have different taste, so if you do read I hope you enjoy!

I enjoy Tarryn Fisher’s fast paced thrillers and An Honest Lie, was another great read for me by her.

I am so fascinated by cults and what could possibly lead them there; however, in this book the reason this mother and daughter showed up was unlike many others. I wasn’t sure what type of cult it was, because it was very similar sounding to many polygamists compounds.
Summer as a child growing up thought her mom was a fool for disrespecting the leader and the man who saved them. However, she soon realizes that may have been a mistake.

Told in two different timelines from Summer’s childhood to now as a renewed version of herself taking a girls trips with her boyfriends friends wives.

Thank you for the gifted copy

An Honest Lie

⭐️⭐️
Rainy, previously Summer, has a new life with her boyfriend and a town with a group of women she’s trying to blend with. As her friends try to push her to go on a trip to Vegas, Rainy is extremely reluctant, due to her past. Rainy escaped a cult years ago and going anywhere near there had strong repercussions. She reluctantly goes, and when her friend Braithe is kidnapped, it’s up to her to face her past & right all the wrongs to save her friend.

I like the idea of the cult escape & making it out and becoming this whole new person; but sadly for me I just felt like it was very loosely tied together and lacked real “gusto”. I wasn’t dying to turn the page like I had with her previous novel “The Wives” (which I highly recommend). The lure of the premise failed to deliver for me and I somewhat forced myself to finish.

But every book is worth your own opinion so check it out!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me the chance to read this first & review!

(Reviewed on IG : nic_reads_at_night)

An Honest Lie is a psychological thriller that is a very plodding book.
Told in the present and the past by two different characters that don't quite mesh.

An artist with a tormented past goes to Las Vegas with some "friends" (aka mean girls). An innocent person becomes caught in the sins of the artist's path.

A cult figures in and a lot of nasty characters float around.

It isn't a book I cherished.

My first 5 star read of 2022! I loved this book and I loved the MC Rainy! Definitely so much more than the synopsis!

There was a lot to like about this book, but for some reason, it just didn't really work for me.

Rainy moves to Seattle for her boyfriend and his friends try to fold her into their group. When they take a girls' trip to Las Vegas, Rainy tries to get out of it, but is ultimately compelled to go even though Vegas holds secrets to her past she isn't willing to reveal. Once in Vegas, Rainy can't help but open old wounds and invites trouble into the girls' trip. When one of the women goes missing, Rainy must accept the consequences of her actions and do what she needs to do to bury the past.

I've read several books lately with cults and while the premise in general interests me, I often get bored with the plotlines rather quickly. That wouldn't have been the case here because I loved how the past and the present storylines were alternated to keep the plot moving and the story feeling fresh. However, the plot went off the rails for me in Vegas and I really didn't need all that action or drama. It made the story feel too unrealistic and "out there" and I just couldn't really connect.

Ultimately, this was an enjoyable read, but not one that will stick with me.

Thank you to HTP and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel.

Lorraine aka Rainy has moved across the county with Grant and now lives at the top of Tiger Mountain, in Washington. It is remote, a sanctuary, a new life, where she can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget. She is not sure about the women who are the wives of his best friends, but she does her best to fit in. When she is invited on a girl's weekend to Las Vegas, she really doesn't want to go, but agrees to please Grant. After one night of drinking, one of the women, Braithe, doesn't return to their suite. She sends a message saying she is staying longer, but Rainy knows something is not right and also stays behind to return with her. What is really going on in Vegas?

Tarryn Fisher is known for her twisty stories and this one didn't disappoint. It is told in both the past and present. We learn about Rainy's past while living in a cult, about her mother's death and how she escaped. It seems, the cult is located close to Las Vegas, and Rainy can't resist trying to find out if the leader is still around and if the group is still in existence. She has made a new life for herself as a well respected artist, but inside she is still a scared teenager. I really liked Rainy's character. She was hiding things, yes, but she was caring, smart, talented and just trying to fit in. Most of the other ladies were spoiled, mean, and catty women trying to be the queen bee. They talked about Rainy behind her back and tried to get dirt on her, the "new girl." I am always amazed at how people get taken in by cults and their leaders. This group was particularly nasty, and the treatment of the members/prisoners was horrid. It was obvious that religion had nothing to do with this group. Once Braithe is missing the tense moments kicked up. There were several twists and lots of unexpected moments and secrets. This was a crazy ride that I just went with, because it was over the top. I enjoyed my time with An Honest Lie, but you definitely have to suspend belief. If you like a twisty thriller, or a book dealing with cults, I recommend you pick this one up to read.

First line: At the end of the highway sat an old town, not completely dead, but on its last breath.

Summary: Rainy has recently moved in with her boyfriend in Washington. In an effort to get to know his friends she has started attending their weekly get together but has never really felt a part of the group. When she is guilted into attending a girl’s weekend in Las Vegas she knows that it is going to bring back all the painful memories she has spent years trying to hide.

My Thoughts: My first introduction to Tarryn Fisher was The Wives. It was full of crazy twists and a thrilling read. And at the beginning of this one I felt like we were going to be going through another wild ride. It has a charismatic cult leader, the excitement of Las Vegas and a group of women who seemed determined to learn more about this new addition to their group. As a reader I expected many secrets to come out as they always do. But it happened in a strange way. I cannot describe it without giving away much of the plot but it was just not what I was expecting. That may be a good thing but it was not as satisfying as I would have liked. I did enjoy the book. It was quick and had an interesting plot but it lacked something that I cannot place.

FYI: Definitely read The Wives for a crazy story that will keep you guessing!

Publication: April 26, 2022

Rainy is trying to forget her past. Reluctantly she goes on a girls’ weekend to Vegas, after a wild night her friend Braithe goes missing. When Rainy gets messages from Braithe’s phone she knows someone has Braithe. Rainy sets out to save her friend by bringing her past back into her life.
I was not expecting so many before/flash back chapters. The main synopsis of the book didn’t start till after 70% of the book, and at that point I didn’t care about the now time.
Being someone that loves to read about cults, that was the only thing that kept me reading. Even though it wasn’t as in depth into the lifestyle. I didn’t like the ending of the book.
The overall writing is easy to read.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I really had so many different thoughts on how the ending was going to be. I really had an idea but was thrown for a loop hole. I really felt sorry for Rainy and what she went through and how her past caught back up with her later in life. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed being on the ride through out the whole novel. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

I didn't know what this book was about going into it. I just knew I had liked this author's previous books. This was not my favorite of hers. First of all, I am just not a fan of cult storylines. Secondly, although it was a really quick read, the story never really seemed to pick up and keep the reader wanting more.

Tarryn Fisher never disappoints. This book kept me guessing right up to the end on how she would untangle all of the threads involved. The writing was tightly woven and fast paced storytelling at its best. I love how this author's mind works! I highly recommend this book but do not start it until you have time to finish because you will not want to break away from this book.

Enjoyed this story very much. Poor girl can't catch a break, from her backstory to the new life she is trying to make for herself. Was a good read.

<em>An Honest Lie</em> is an on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of book. Rainy has escaped a brutal past and finds herself with a wonderful boyfriend named Grant. They end up moving to the mountains where Grant grew up and Rainy is really trying to get along with all of the women in town who grew up with Grant. After Grant convinces Rainy to go on a girls' trip to Las Vegas, Rainy finds herself wondering about the awful man, Taured, whose cult in the Nevada desert she narrowly escaped from so many years ago.<br><br>I found that this book really got under my skin. Being sucked into a cult and not being allowed to leave is one of the scariest things I can think of. Rainy finds herself in trouble when she decides to see what happened to the people in her past. The pace of this book was excellent and told in alternating chapters of past and present. The climax of the book happens in the last third of the book and carries on until the very end. The action is exciting and the characters are the perfect example of good versus evil. Fantastic from cover to cover.

The first line of the book “I’m going to kill her. You’d better come if you want to save her.” - caught my attention. Rainy recently moved to Washington and is reluctantly part of a group of neighborhood wives. During happy hour one evening she is invited to a girls trip to Las Vegas. Although she doesn't want to go, he husband essentially guilts her into going. Nevada holds a bad place in her memory from her time living there with her mother as part of a cult. From there Rainy returns to the town of her youth and then is caught up with the abduction of her friend. This starts out slowly then moves quickly from the point of the abduction forward.

Tarryn Fisher has a knack for creating dramatic suspenseful novels and this one delivers yet again. Full of intrigue and deception, this one was a page-turner that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat.

This was my first book by Tarryn Fisher and it most definitely won’t be my last. Just, WOW.

I was hooked from the beginning, but had no idea what to expect (I tend to go in blind). This book had a bit of everything though. A fantastic suspense filled with thrilling twists, I couldn’t stop turning the page.

From cults to desperation, family loss and longing, to secrecy and discovery … these characters are put through the ringer. Especially when life eventually moves on, and some of them manage to find themselves right back where they started. And what’s worse, they might be expected to rely on the absolute last person they ever thought they’d turn to.

AN HONEST LIE is gripping and a fantastic look at the inside of a cult – but more than that, it’s describes someone’s experience of accidentally finding themselves trapped and fighting to find their way out. Most definitely worth reading.

Tarryn Fisher is an auto buy author for me. I loved An Honest Lie. Loved the alternating timelines. This book kept my interest and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.