A huge thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not the intended audience for this book even though I do love and read a lot of mystery/thrillers. I did not like the opening. A fictional plane crash should not be boring and the opening about the plane crash was. I did not like the main character, I believe she was weak and did not jump off the page. I wished the book was told from Kaylee's and Andrea's point of view, alternating between the two. The plot twists were not that strong to me.

What I did like though was the commentary on foster homes and families, abuse and YouTube family content creators. I do love the idea of a book talking about the lies, creepiness and weirdness of most YouTube family channels, so if it focused more on Kaylee and Her family and Andrea I would have loved this book more.

I do recommend this book for those who like a mystery thriller involving families.

Joe Hart is a hit or miss author for me. Sometimes I just love his books, and others are a bit of a miss. So I am cautious about what I read from him.

This story sounded really interesting. A murder of a family via plane crash - and it turns out that maybe this was done on purpose? Woo hoo - count me in.

So I had some really good thoughts on this book, and some not good ones. Therefore, I am going to just spill and let YOU decide if it is worth a read.

THE GOOD
The story was really interesting and caught my attention from the beginning.
There was real drama and I love a good revenge story!
Joe Hart can write and write well
There were some real issues addressed such as domestic violence, social media and its impact.


THE BAD
It felt like Joe was telling us how the characters felt, not letting us feel it or decide for ourselves.
It also felt like this was a book about a woman being told by a man. Men might understand how a woman might react or feel, but many don't actually GET it.
It felt like many of the characters were there for no reason - like the brother.
I felt like the important issues that were addressed could have been given more attention - more of a platform.

Overall, I liked the book. However, in about a week I will probably forget most of what I read and in 6 months I will think "did I read this book?"

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

As a longtime fan of Joe Hart I’m always excited to see a new book of his on the horizon. Whether its horror, mystery, sci-fi or a thriller, which I feel is a definite strong suit for Joe Hart, I know I’m in for a good read. Personal favorites, The Liam Dempsey series and Obscura were excellent and still stay with me. Where They Lie is yet another great read, and one I won’t forget any time soon.
The writing is fantastic, and the plot is excellent. It kept me guessing well into the final chapters, and I couldn’t put it down, nor did I want to. Joe Hart took his time to build his protagonist, giving her depth and a backstory that is deeply constructed. As we learn about Nora’s youth and the horrors she has survived it is impossible not to become connected to her, and feel her pain.
Where They Lie starts off with a bang as the scene of the plane crash is told in a griping fashion. Then the mystery is laid out before us, taunting us to try and solve this puzzle. As Nora works to answer who and why behind the tragedy there are plenty of tense moments, and one in particular that had me flipping pages until the outcome was exposed. I was shocked as key elements of the mystery became clear. And I was further stunned at the conclusion, which I sure as heck didn’t see coming. For me, Where They Lie is one of Joe Harts best. For fans of his work, I highly recommend this one along with my favorites previously mentioned.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my first read by Joe Hart. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

The pacing of the novel was enough to keep me captivated with minimal slow parts that left me wondering when we would get answers.

Nora was a good MC/Narrator but sometimes her back story overshadows Kaylee’s story.

I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse and Domestic Violence.

This was an excellent book! New to me author and I can’t wait to read more! This was non stop good! So glad I could be able to read this early! It will be a hit!

3.75/5 ⭐️

Note: I feel like this book should come with a trigger warning as it covers a lot of sensitive topics- ie; child abuse and domestic violence.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I felt like it went at a good pace that kept me intrigued. There were a few very suspenseful chapters that I just flew through! The plot was different than most stories that I’ve read before. I was, however, able to guess two or three of the plot points.

One specific chapter really got my nervous! It was chapter twenty. During the chapter, Nora thought someone was on the porch and she saw something go past the kitchen window. Then she wondered if her basement door to the outside was locked…The whole scene made my heart race. Maybe it’s because I was reading on my phone in the pitch black, but I thought it was a job well done!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy of Where They Lie in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure: I found myself slagging through this book and felt that even had I finished it, I wouldn't be able to give it any review that wasn't bitter and biased, so I gave up while still ahead.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A social worker acts as a detective to uncover the secrets behind mysterious deaths in one of her cases.

Married couple Kaylee and Justin Volk foster 3 children. Obviously, they have some struggling. Until once, 4 of them were died in air crash. Only Kaylee survived. And she appeals with shocking news  - Andrea, the older child, did this.  And Nora, a child protective service's agent, wants to find the truth. 
This book consist of a lot of triggers. Mostly everything will come up near child abuse and neglect. Lots of characters were physical or emotional traumatized in the past. It's interesting to see how different each of them worked with the own trauma. Nora, I think, has the deepest wounds.  
As for the plot, my predictions were wrong. But the twist in the end was good. Also, I liked the relationship between Nora and Byron. For me, they were perfect. The tense in the book were constantly increasing, each new chapter added the tension. It was not overhype, just a good, steady one. This book is perfect if you like to read about child protective services or foster family.

I really liked this book. Not often the mystery isn’t obvious from the start, but this one surprised me! I liked it. Will def. Recommend to patrons. Lots of surprises here.

So with my third attempt at typing a review and not being able to outsmart my laptop's desire to sabotage my efforts (yes, I completely know it's user error), I'm going to concede the victory to the damn laptop and just say this was a great read based around a timely topic related to social media and influencers. I'm not a fan of either of those two things, so I really enjoyed this story. And while I figured out the who of the whodunnit, I was swept up in finding out the entire backstory. There were some seriously scary moments for me, and this author has the ability to put you directly in the moment. Our heroine was one tough cookie with an incredible need to slay a few personal demons, and I sure did enjoy taking her trip with her.

The first book I have read by this author and I have to say I really enjoyed it! It is by no means the greatest literary work of art, but the premise was interesting and it has a great pace. I felt like the characters could have done with being a little more developed, especially those of the volk family but all in all the plot was enjoyable. A book with a bit of everything- murder, heartbreak and tragedy. I found it easy to get sucked into and enjoyed the little twists along the way.

This is a great read. Well written and the storyline flows.
Adults with childhoods that make them hurt in adulthood.
Nora is in child protection but gets way too involved in her clients lives, even after they are settled.
A plane crash destroys a family with 3 foster kids, but not all is as it looks.
Great read. You will enjoy it

I’ve enjoyed many books by this author, but this one didn’t quite measure up to his usual standard of excellence. I felt like I was being talked to more than experiencing the events of the story. The plot was well done, and the characters well developed, but there was just something that didn’t quite “click” for me.

This book is full of it!!!
It is full of-Drama, outrage, justice- murder, revenge and heartbreak.
It is full of- characters with traumatic pasts, uncertain futures and shaky relationships.
I loved it!
I am now in search of the rest of his novels!!!

A page turner from the beginning! Nora McTavish is a complex character who you can empathize with as she wades through her own traumatic childhood experiences to try and make the world a better place. Nora’s instincts lead her into a increasingly dangerous situation, and as a reader you can’t “look” away as she is drawn deeper into a dangerous tangled web of lies that she feels compelled to decipher. Great story, and I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Where They Lie. This was a really good story that was probably more suited to a Lifetime movie, not a book. Many people love sneak peeks into the lives of ‘influencers’ and the vlogs were well done. Nora was a good, caring character, and I loved how she took care of her clients. I didn’t love the writing, and found myself losing interest every so often. I also didn’t really understand the significance of the final ‘Update’ which, once again seemed more suited to a Lifetime movie. fIf you’re looking for a great female protagonist and a story with a surprising ending, you will love this book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

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.

My review: I'm not sure what to think of this one. The plot is interesting, and somewhat unique. There's a nature vs nurture theme running through the entire story (which I like). The first part of the book is a little hard to get into, but it picks up nicely later on.
None of the characters are particularly likeable, which is sometimes ok but here it irritated me a little. I wanted to like Nora more, but couldn't.
The twist was pretty obvious early on, but there were a few well-done surprises at the end! I'd read another book by this author.

Though Nora's childhood holds some horrific events, it was refreshing to read a book where the main character isn't an anxiety, PTSD ridden mess.
The story was interesting and kept me guessing, unsuccessfully the whole way. I would certainly recommend this thriller.
Thank you Net Galley, publisher, and author for a copy.

Great book that kept me entertained way past bedtime. While I guessed the outcome fairly early on the writing and insights into a CPS caseworker kept me reading.