You just never know what people are capable of. I really enjoyed this story and watching events unfold. This novel takes some twists i did not expect. It showed that we don't actually know what's going on behind closed doors even if someone is sharing their lives on the internet. I recommend giving this novel a read when it releases in April of 2023. Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of Where They Lie by Joe Hart

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.
Wow really enjoyable read totally gripping and totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
I just reviewed Where They Lie by Joe Hart. #WhereTheyLie #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. This review is wholly my own.

The characters are likeable for the most part and you're invested in the pretty early on, which is great writing by the author to get you hooked in the very beginning so that you don't become bored from the get go.

The book was written well and checked off all the boxes.

The twist ending was great.

Compared to other books in this genre, it wasn't "amazing," but it was pretty good and I would likely recommend it.

Review of “Where They Lie” by Joe Hart *Some Spoilers*

The Bad

- Weak World, Weak Characters
o Nothing was fully fleshed out
o The main character’s understanding of her trauma and motivations felt very surface level and did not add any intensity, gravity, or weight to her character
o Her backstory felt very haphazardly put together – the cohesion was lacking, the corporal ghost of her brother added nothing to the plot, and the entire subplot felt like trauma porn
o Speaking of characters that added nothing to the story, the little brother in the Volk family was only there to show that Andrea was a normal teen and that Justin had anger issues
o Julia and her son, Sam, showed a true depiction of what happens across the US and how people in DV situations need support and community to leave and start again. I loved these characters, but the problem is that they were irrelevant to the plot and did nothing to influence, change, or challenge our main character
- Weak Writing
o In the beginning, it felt very tell-not-show. The reader was spoon-fed what to think/interpret/glean from certain situations and scenes
o The main character, whose name evades me now (a sign of a weak character) felt unrealistic. She was definitely a Woman Written by a Man, if you catch my drift. Her emotions were felt and understood by her, but instead explained to the reader. Her interest in certain things and detachment from others was consistently and conveniently explained away by her previous trauma
o The setting was so unimportant and de-emphasized
- Unexplored Potential
o The rise and impact of family channels over the last decade is so interesting and worth diving into – the author barely acknowledges that it’s a part of the story other than using it as a story-telling technique in certain situations (in older books, these would be diary entries)
o This could’ve been an opportunity to dive into how family channels influence and effect the psyche of their children
o The dissociation between the public image of the Volks and their reality could’ve been utilized in a more powerful way that added weight to the story, but it falls short
The Good
- Well-Paced
o I don’t think the story rushed anything and I don’t think it spent an inordinate amount of time on anything either
o In the second half, the story chugged along at a good pace that kept the reader going and curious
- The (first) Twist
o Well-done, realistic, slightly unexpected but not without foundation
o Interesting and topical to the situation and the dangers of a predatory foster system
- The (second) Twist
o Also surprisingly enjoyed this. The moment that you think that the main character has succeeded is flipped on its head a moment later
o Realistic and shocking, but again, not without foundation that was well-laid in the beginning of the book

All in all, not the greatest read. Wouldn’t recommend but I didn’t hate my time with the book. I just think some more time and thought could be put into developing this into something great. 2/5 stars.

Joe Hart is a phenomenal writer. His writing never fails to bring you right up close and personal with his characters. This one is no different. Fast read. 4 stars

A creepy, gripping and visceral story that is so timely and poignant. I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to talk about it with my peers!

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It gives rare (at least for me it was a first) insight into the workings of a mind of a Child Protection Services worker. Based on turmoil related to this really demanding job we are served a mystery with all that this genre demands. Prose of this book is to me just as it should be - it describes enough of the characters, surroundings and action for your mind to fill the gaps, giving you a chance to imagine the rest of the world and immerse yourself in it. A truly enjoyable experience and I can highly recommend it.

This was better than I expected. I really didnt wanna put it down. I will be recommending this book to my viewers.

Nora is a child protective services agent with a very fraught family history of her own. When a popular family blogger, Kaylee Volk, is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills her husband Justin, along with foster children Bethany, Mason and Andrea, Kaylee makes the stunning accusation that Andrea caused the crash.

Nora had briefly interviewed the family recently for an altercation between the two older children - Andrea and Mason. Because of this, Nora is drawn to the case and uses her police connections to further investigate on her own what was really happening in the Volk family home when the cameras weren’t running.

<i>Where They Lie</i> has an interesting plot and though one glaringly obvious lead the MC misses, I'd round it up to 3.5 stars. Nora's backstory is very prevalent in how she treats her current clients (and love interests) and I felt it helped propel the story forward and give it depth.

The story follows a child protective services agent, Nora, who tries her best to save every child she's assigned. When tragedy strikes a family with kids Nora had helped settle in, she finds herself digging deeper to figure out how it all went wrong.

I like how the book doesn't only focus on the Volk's family mystery as it gives clear insight into most of the characters and why they act the way they do. The protagonist herself, had trauma in her childhood which molded her in a way. It illuminated most of her character but didn't overshadow her. The mystery and thriller aspect was also handled well as I kept turning the page to see what would happen next. Overall an enjoyable story with likable and sympathetic characters.

Wow. Just… WOW. I had high hopes for this book, but that ceiling shattered. I was glued to my seat the whole time!

Kaylee Volk is an influencer whose focus is on her family. Three foster children and her husband, who is the son of a very wealthy businessman.

A fisherman sees the small aircraft that the family are travelling in crash into the water, and notices two people fighting each other through the cockpit window.

Kaylee is the only person to survive the crash and continues with her videos online. She maintains that Andrea, her older foster daughter was responsible for the crash.

Nora McTavish is a social worker who is familiar with Andreas troubled past. She investigates, and is attacked and stalked. She finds evidence that the 'perfect family' were far from perfect, and far from happy.

All in all, a very good book, I enjoyed the whole story, it was fast paced and all the mysteries tied together in the end.
I would like to read another book by this author, his characters have compassion and the suspense is evident throughout the book.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me this advanced copy!

You know what, this book is exactly what you think it's going to be based on the description. It may as well be called Old Reliable for all that it doesn't remotely deviate from the genre's established formula.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. A regular Mystery/Thriller reader will know exactly what they're getting. It's a bit routine, but I cannot say the book does anything badly. It's perfectly fine. Three stars.

"People aren't always ruled by their pasts, but they never really escape them either." #WhereTheyLie, my first read of a Joe Hart novel, was excellent. I loved how he explains Nora's penchants for detecting and saving children. She says that social workers use the same techniques as detectives, "know how to interview and ask the right things". And her childhood having been one very close to hell, she identifies with her clients and their families, esp. when she has to do the hard things. Especially when she finds it almost impossible to work within the very rigid system ("Someone once said we don't have a justice system, we have a legal system.") of social services. At times difficult to read b/c of the subject matter, there are some very fine moments of true creepiness and suspense. And Nora is so fun to root for. I'll be checking out the rest of @AuthorJoeHart catalog! Highly recommend.

P. S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Kaylee’s personal life is fodder for her vlog and she recounts the stories of a seemingly perfect life with her husband and three foster kids. Until the private plane they’re on crashes into the ocean, leaving Kaylee as the sole survivor. Kaylee blames the crash and loss of life on foster child, Andrea. Nora McTavish is the CPS worker overseeing Kaylee’s foster kids and she knows that Andrea has been a troubled child, but this seems a bridge too far. Nora begins looking into Kaylee’s perfect life and discovers that things were far from the idyllic picture painted online. Hart’s book looks at the ugly side of social media and our need to overshare

I think it's a safe sign of a good writer when I'm invested in the lives of the characters in the opening scene and they're not even part of the actual story, but in fact witnesses to the unfolding drama at the centre of the novel.

At around 200 pages, this is bordering on being a novella I guess, but it didn't feel like a short story. The characters and plot were fully developed and I didn't feel any more needed to be added.

There was plenty of mystery and intrigue, an interesting cast of players and enough tension to hold my attention. The characters were portrayed in a way that drew on my empathy and/or ire depending on the circumstances. I found this so easy to read and a perfect blend of mystery and drama. I will definitely be seeking other books by this author.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. It was very realistic and had me constantly wanting more. I loved the u unexpected ending and i can appreciate a good non-happy ending!
I thought for sure Nora was going to be able to stop Andrea in the end but that twist with the gunshot really threw me for a loop and I’m here for it!
I really loved delving into Nora’s background and i felt like the book was really well rounded.
I give it a solid 3.5 stars.

Intense page-turner! Complex mystery with characters so rich can be called a character study. Serious issues of child abuse, handled with care, but watch for triggers.

Where They Lie- a gripping thriller about the secrets of an 'influencer' family that also weaves in much about abuse, neglect, and childhood trauma.
*Warning: Review contains spoilers*
I got the chance to read this advanced copy from NetGalley on my Kindle, and boy did I fly through it. I though the twists and turns of the story were extremely well done. The author did an excellent job of putting me in the scene, watching as childhood trauma unfolded through the memories of the main character, Nora, who works in child/family services and removes children from abusive or neglectful homes.
I thought the beginning of this book was very well done- beginning the book from an outsider's POV and basically diving into the story from there was a great move. However, I did not like the writing of this book at all. I am the type of reader who really likes straightforward writing, and this book just got confusing and muddled with the narration sometimes. Nora was an excellent MC/Narrator though-- her traumatic past laced with the need to help this family, the Volk family, whom she had worked with before was very well done.
I honestly wanted more answers from this book. I would have preferred to have read about what actually happened on the plane, who actually forced it down and what Kaylee's real story was. However, I did get bits and pieces of what happened, so I will settle for that.
The biggest gripe about this book is definitely the writing and the pacing. At times I found myself bored with the pacing and wondering "Ok when are we going to get some answers?" I enjoyed Nora's backstory, I really did, but at times it seemed to take over the whole plot and be the main focus of several chapters at a time. I think this book needs a nice balance between Nora's backstory and focusing on the main goal of the book-- which is discovering what exactly happened on that plane.
3/5 stars

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope he writes more! I am totally hooked!