Rating 3.5 rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this nicely paced thriller with nothing over the top, which I really appreciated. I found the MC likeable and down to earth. I would be interested in reading the next in the series.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I was bouncing around between 3 and 3.5 stars, but I’m settling on 3. I liked the writing and the book flowed really well, but it also felt pretty rushed. There seems to be a lot going on with so little time. We get little bits of Nora’s trauma throughout, but I didn’t really feel like we got the full story so I’m curious to see if that we would continue to get more throughout the series. Nora is a CPS worker who absolutely cares about the children she works with, and even helps out a mother when her job tells her she really can’t.

The plot twist was unexpected for me, but not surprising. I’m also super over mommy vloggers and how they exploit their kids for content, so Kaylee rubbed me the wrong way most of the book.

I think I would recommend this one!

The first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as it kept me turning pages and on the edge
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Well .... I love a good fast paced thriller/mystery/suspense whatever you want to classify this book as.

It was well written, fast paced, and kept you reading. Which is always a plus to me.

Nora was likeable in the most genuine way. Made fora great mc.

Now the con....I knew immediately what really happened. It was a typical plot twist that has occurred in many a book.

And that's why it got 3 stars. I would however read another book by this author.

I was blessed and so thankful to get an arc of this book from netgalley. I definitely want to get a physical copy for my collection. This book was so twisted and sad and intense and will leave you questioning things that you had no idea there was a reason to question. The characters were great, even the bad ones. The trauma is so realistic and I felt that it was happening to me. I literally cried reading this. It is a great thriller that everyone should read.

This is the 3rd book I have read by this author and it is the 3rd book I have enjoyed! I really enjoyed the main character Nora. It looks like this will be the first in a series and I would definitely read on. The story was fast paced and interesting and had some surprises I didn't see coming. A recommended read!!

What a great start to a new series! When an influencer’s plane crashes into the ocean with her husband and foster children, Nora McTavish, a child protective services agent, knows that there’s something very wrong. She had been called to an incident with the kids, and things are off. She may be projecting her own horrific childhood into these children, since the boy reminds her of her dead brother. But she may be right. The more she finds out, the more she seems to be in danger herself. I honestly had no idea where the plot would go. The characters are so well written that I didn’t remember that the author is a man. Nora is so compelling and her psychology is so perfect that it almost seems like she is a real person who wrote the book. The plot is addictive and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see where Nora, and her adorable canine sidekick go next.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer!

Kaylee is a famous influencer. She uses her family, husband and three foster children, for her vlogs. They are a picture perfect family. But a horrible accident leaves Kaylee as the only survivor of this family. Nora, who works for the child protecting service, was involved with the family. She can’t believe what Kaylee is telling about what happened. Nora, who suffered abuse as a child herself, has the feeling that something is strange about that accident and she begins to investigate.

This story is a character driven domestic drama. So there is much tell and less action. But it is still gripping and haunting. Unfortunately I could not connect to Nora. She had a traumatic childhood and she is still haunted by it. She wants to help other children and women who suffer something similar. But she is a difficult character. She is stubborn and self-righteous. The title of the book suggests that this will become a series. I am not sure if I want to follow Nora on her way. But I would recommend this book even it is very dark and sad.

What a reminder of how traumas that people suffer in life shape their whole world. And some can rise above, and some are forever stuck in the past, unable to move on.
Kaylee is a popular blogger who seems to have it all. Nora is a social worker whose days consist of trying to help children survive childhood.
Their lives intersect after a horrible accident that may or may not have been on purpose. How far will Kaylee go to save her reputation and current status? Can Nora overcome her own childhood to uncover the truth?

When The Volk family plane gets down off the Oregon coast during a storm, only family blogger Kaylee- the young, blonde foster mom who documents her family's triumphs and struggles for hundreds of thousands of viewers online - survives. When social worker Nora hears about the crash she is immediately concerned. Not just because the Volks were one of "her" families, but because just two months prior, she had documented a physical dispute between two of the children - including the oldest, the troubled teenaged Andrea. When she goes to figure out if she missed something, Kaylee declares that "Andrea did it." But as Nora searches for answers, the truth appears to be far more complicated.

TW: Childhood abuse, Domestic violence

This book is a great domestic thriller/suspense novel, that doesn't have a lot of direct action, but is heavy on the twists and turns as Nora investigates what has already happened, and for me that was more than enough to keep me interested throughout the entire book. I took only about two days to finish the entire thing, because I became more intrigued with each new plot turn.

I can't say the ending and the overall theme is the most uplifting in the world, but it is definitely realistic. I think with the themes covered in this book, if it took a sunny, happily-ever-after approach, it wouldn't have been realistic and it wouldn't have done the subjects right. After reading the book, and investing in their stories, it's important that their stories aren't glossed over just for kicks. So I like that the author ws realistic in their approach.

Overall, this was a tough but really good read. It had plenty of suspense and a realistic plot with characters that were well drawn and shown in depth. I would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you so very much for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

What worked for me:
- Great foster care rep.
- Story kept me flipping paged

What didnt work:
- Felt a little overwhelming. There was a lot of chaos of backstories that I was like ... what? I need more information.
- The characters didnt have a lot of depth? Everything was extremely surface level. Even with their traumatic backgrounds, it still didn't feel very deep.
- That ending got a little wild and goofy.

However, with all of that, it did keep me turning the pages and guessing!

I went into this one blind. I have never read one of Joe Hart’s books before. I read a lot of thrillers, and I am very critical of them. I am especially critical of the plot twist. A disappointing twist, ruins, any enjoyment that I got from the book initially. This book had a lot of potential, but I figured out the twist very early on. I also found that it was lacking in depth. I feel that the characters could have been more developed and that may have changed my opinion on the book. I do think his writing is fantastic, and I will give other titles of his a chance. I think he has talent. The story in particular, however, just felt rushed and phoned in.

Family is content for Kaylee Volk. Her vlogs celebrate a happy home with her husband and their three foster children, Bethany, Mason, and Andrea. Everything is perfect until the day the family’s private plane plummets into the ocean. Only Kaylee manages to survive—with a shocking revelation: Andrea did it.

This is particularly devastating for Nora McTavish, a child protective services agent who is already familiar with Andrea’s troubled history. Given Nora’s own traumatic childhood, how could she not have sensed the profound darkness festering within the girl? What did she miss? Could she have stopped Andrea?

As Kaylee struggles to cope with the crushing loss, Nora’s investigation begins. But her guilt soon turns to unease. Secret by secret, Nora pieces together a Volk family puzzle that’s more twisted than anyone saw—one far from the picture-perfect life Kaylee sold to the public. And the closer Nora looks, the more disturbing it gets. I’m so sad it's over. I could have read another sixty chapters . . . A fantastic read!

A heartbreaking and hopeful book, both poetic and philosophical in a matter of fact way. Nora a social worker for abused children., with her own painful abusive childhood, tries to find out what happened that caused the death of some of the foster children she placed. What is the fault of the system, what is her fault The system that fails . Who is responsible,and how her own trauma and grief drives her, to help others , what rules need to be broken to save herself and how to deal with the brokenness and strength that remains

4.5/5! I liked this book a lot... it was a fast read and I finished it in one evening. There is quite a bit about child abuse in this book so anyone that is triggered by this, I would be weary. The plot was easy to follow and interesting, but I did not find myself actually liking any of the characters. I would definitely recommend it!

Because humans are learning machines. We learn by what's done to us, not just what we're taught. We learn to injure and touch and wound what we shouldn't. We learn to abuse and abandon if we're hurt and lost. The past imprints on the future like a typewriter slowly running out of ink.



Nora McTavish works with the state in child services. Working on the Volk case - the perfect family. Wife influencer, husband - successful family business - with their three adoptive kids. However, when a terrible tragedy leaves everyone but the wife killed, Nora is haunted that she may have missed something. Going to their house to uncover clues she discovered a child Ipad and a stranger that is also looking for clues. What happened to this family? Was there something sinister going on.

She becomes obsessed with good reason. Her brother and her had survived neglect and abuse. She is frequently reminded of her own story trying to uncover the Volk's story. She could not save the children that was in the Volk's care.

Nora's character is multi-level. The only relationship she can endure are her brother and her dog. She is married to her job-saving other children with a system that does not work. With people that are broken - just like her, but with one thing that pushes her- she will not give up.

A special thank you to Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Last year, I discovered Or Else, a twisted thriller I enjoyed so much that I went back and read another 3 books from the author’s catalogue.

Where they lie is a character driven thriller.

Nora Mc Tavish is a child's protective services agent, and she gets involved in the family drama of one of her foster house family.

She feels like there’s something she just can’t put her fingers on for Kaylee and her family of three foster children and her husband. After the plane accident, everything shows to Andrea, the girl that seemed to attract trouble at any second. Because of her own past, I can see her why she is so driven to discover what happened and trying to protect Andrea till the last minute.

I can’t say that I didn’t have a crazy moment when I thought the husband had more to do with the accident in the beginning. But after halfway through, the plot thickens, and the story held me captive even more.

I loved how the bring to light that what happens behind the camera and closed doors, reality is way more heartbreaking.

I’m not the one to watch reality tv or follow influencers that post their picture perfect family and let you believe that life is so sparkly and wonderful. But I was captivated by Kaylee and her character. She is someone I wouldn’t want to have around me or my friends. The ending left me gasping because it was unbelievable how she pulled that stunt again after everything that happened. Some people have no conscience, remorse or guilt at all.

Whether you enjoy addictive thrillers or you are seeking a great family drama in this “sparkling, everything must be posted on social media society”, this book is unmissable.

Gripping, heartbreaking and a must read story.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

This was my first book by Joe Hart and I really enjoyed it. It sucked me in from the beginning with the video transcripts. This book kept me guessing until the very end. I really enjoyed the characters and their development. This book definitely shows that not everyone is perfect, despite the front they put up. I look forward to reading more of Joe Hart's books!

Author Joe Hart has written a heart wrenching, disturbing, and complex tale with his newest thriller, Where They Lie.
Hart shows that he is a master of suspense and throws in a touch of horror through the stories of abuse that are revealed as the book progresses. Through his main character Nora McTavish and her job at Children's Services, as well as her own history, the reader is shown truly disturbing and horrible background stories of characters. He addresses the almost obsessive need for 'likes' online, and how that need can make one blind to what is happening in the real world. Yet none of this comes across as heavy handed, and the book flows smoothly from beginning to end, with many different solutions to the mystery at the heart of the book.
Well-written, fast-paced, and full of fascinating, flawed, and tragic characters, Where They Lie just may keep you up at night!
I received an ARC of #WhereTheyLie from #NetGalley .

I picked this book out without knowing anything about it. I found the whole thing to be...flat. The characters were pretty one-dimensional and didn't seem to grow much throughout the story. I felt like I was being led through the story point by point, rather than allowing me to work things out. There were so many characters that seemed to just be added to explain things about other characters away. Show me things. Don't just tell me. And don't throw more things into the mix in order to tell me things. The twists were pretty good, but they didn't really play off of things that had happened in the book previously. Overall, not my favorite.