Mickey Gibson is an ex-cop now working remotely for a private investigation firm, when she’s contacted by a co-worker, asking her to take a property inventory of an abandoned house near her home. When she arrives, she finds a dead body in a secret room, apparently murdered. When the police arrive, they try and contact the co-worker, only to discover no one by that name works at the firm, and the firm has no knowledge of any investigation at that house. So begins Simply Lies, a complex, intelligent thriller with layers of intrigue and tons of suspense. The reader is kept in the dark for most of the book as the plot unravels piece by piece, as Mickey tries to solve this intricate puzzle. Plenty of characters to keep track of, but the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading Baldacci with Memory Man, and I continue reading that series, as well as the Atlee Pine series.
I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book immensely. Who were the good guys, who were the villains? He kept us guessing. There was a particularly horrendous backstory for one of the main characters, called Clarisse for most of the book. We see a lot of the book from her point of view. The other character is Mickey Gibson, a woman named after Mickey Mantel and an ex-cop. She is now a single mother who does investigations on her computer. The book begins with her son puking on her as she works. She gets a call from Clarisse and the fun begins. I believe this is the start of another series.
My only complaint is the book went into way more detail about bitcoin, NFT'S and cryptocurrency than I ever cared to learn.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is an honest review and I highly recommend this book.

3.5🌟
Get ready for an action-packed thriller!

Mickey Gibson sacrificed her career as a detective to stay at home with her children. She now works remotely for a world-wide investigative company.

Mickey’s just received a request from someone other than her boss (hmm...first red flag) to investigate and log assets at a home nearby. She jumps at the opportunity. Big mistake Mickey! Her first discovery in the home certainly won’t qualify as an asset. She just found a dead body!

Now Mickey is in way over her head, and must prove her innocence. And the only way to do that may require her to solve the murder herself. But who is she supposed to trust? The woman that set this all into play? Or the detective casting suspicious eyes on her?

This latest release has a lot going on so you need to pay attention. Lots of characters and aliases thrown in. If you can keep it all straight you’re in for one heck of a ride. While I didn’t always agree with Mickey’s actions or behaviors it was still a fun ride.

It’s been years since I’ve picked up a David Baldacci book. Not sure why, I’ve always enjoyed his books in the past. And now I realize I’m going to need to go back and start in on all the books I’ve missed out on!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the latest work by David Baldacci I exchange for an honest review.

Baldacci introduces us to a new heroine in this stand alone novel , but it has the potential to become another series.

Mikey Gibson is a single mother of 2 toddlers, who is an ex-cop working as a data analyst., when she receives a call asking her to go to an old mansion to inventory its contents. This call leads her into a wild and unpredictable alert. When she arrives, she discovers a dead body, and the multiple story lines start.

This is a multi-level investigation to discover who murdered the man that Gibson found. There are various characters who are followed. Baldacci does a good job by introducing us to these characters and by the end of the book, I found myself routing for these characters to succeed.

The writing has some exciting moments and some slow moments. I found the story dragging in some parts. Having read a lot of Baldacci novels, this one scores in the middle of the pact.

3 stars.

What a wild ride. I finished this well thought out and utterly page turning read in one day! Baldacci still has what it takes to write an original story line that twists and turns like a snake on speed.
Mickey Gibson, former police officer and single mother of two, is currently working mostly on line so that she can be close to her small children. Daughter of a retired cop, she can’t resist the alleged phone call from her boss which asks her to go to an address for business.
From the moment Mickey arrives nothing is as it seems. There is a dead body at the location whose identity and background are mysterious. Phone calls continue from a woman who identifies herself as Clarissa, but who is she really? And why has Mickey been chosen to be this woman’s gofer? Mickey falls into a routine of phone call- mystery-action-about face- with the determination to figure out what is going on. But who can she trust?
Baldacci writes descriptively with an expertise that create credible characters and a plot that doesn’t disappoint. Wish the ending were a little less cut and dry but maybe the reader is being prepped for a new series. If so, I would read the next installment in a heartbeat.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Simply Lies by David Baldacci
Another twisty tale from a great author. I loved this book, there were twists and turns that kept me turning the pages to see where it would go. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher and author for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion.

As a huge fan of David Baldacci, I hit request very quickly to read this newest book, with a new main character. Unfortunately, as some other reviewers have mentioned, this one fell short for me. I just didn't connect with Mickey or the storyline. It was confusing to me, because of all the alias' that the characters had in the story and I found it hard to keep the people straight. For me, not his best, but I will try again with his next book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in exchange for my review.

David Baldacci never disappoints. Simply Lies was a fun read. I mysterious the conversations between Mickey & ‘Arlene’. While I did figure out some of the clues, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. This isn’t just a who dunnit, it is also a ‘who is it’. Long hidden secrets, witness protection, corrupt government officials, hidden ill gotten gains, The cat & mouse exchanges are intriguing. And who doesn’t love a single mother that goes sleuthing in her mini van?

The book is also a reminder as to how life choices made by parents can adversely affect their children. Also, a story about false perceptions.
And, I always enjoy stories that are situated in my backyard.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be a departure in ways from other David Baldacci books. For one, the two main characters were both strong, independent women, which was a fun fact since I read this during International Women’s Month.

The story itself is crafted in usual Baldacci style, lots of twists and turns, mysteries within mysteries, false leads and dead ends. It was a bit slow starting and convoluted at times but I enjoyed it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Every book by a favorite writer can’t be a masterpiece; sometimes a not-so-good book makes one wonder if that favorite author even really wrote the book. So it is with David Baldacci’s Simply Lies. Mickey Gibson, former cop and detective, is now working for ProEye, a company that chases assets of mega-rich deadbeats. As a single mother of 2 toddlers, she happily works from home to be with them. That is, until she receives a call to check out a mansion without checking with her boss, and becomes involved in finding the murderer of a former mob accountant who turned state’s witness and is going by an assumed name. The race is on to find the money left behind.

While Baldacci is usually an excellent storyteller, this story is convoluted, long-winded, and frankly a bit boring. The characters are quite well developed, but they are not exciting, and there were several times that it got mundane to the point of putting the book down for good. There are several sub-plots that aren’t really necessary. Baldacci fans are used to his ability to tie the sub-plots together; that doesn’t happen in this novel. In fact, after the dénouement, the book seems to be like an Energizer bunny and keeps on going, and going, and going ad nauseum with a sappy conclusion.

Reading this book is actually painful; possibly Baldacci’s worst, and it is not recommended. Fans of Baldacci will be disappointed and will look forward to the next novel he actually writes. Baldacci novels usually get five stars; this one deserves no more than two.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Ann Margolis's review Feb 28, 2023 · edit
liked it
Read 2 times. Last read March 1, 2023 to March 6, 2023.

Thank you NetGallery and publisher Grand Central for the arc ebook.I have read all of David Baldacci’s novels and found this one subpar to the others. The main characters Mickey and Francine were both interesting to a point.As a team I could see them in future novels but this starter book introducing us to Mickey was so convoluted,confusing as to whom was sending emails or on their phones at any given time to someone else. I found the bitcoin info informative as well as the licensing agents jobs to incorporate businesses but if I read one more time about Mickey raising her two little ones as a single parent I would scream.I wonder if DB had someone help co-write this book as so many seem to be doing these days?

In the latest novel by David Baldacci, Simply Lies, Mickey Gibson is an ex-forensic tech/ cop now working from home for an asset recovery firm. Finishing up her latest case she receives a call from a mysterious woman sending her out on a new job. Full of twists Mickey becomes involved in researching the past to solve a murder with a supposed hidden treasure. Not my favorite by Mr. Baldacci but a fast paced thriller.

Another great book by David Baldacci! I will say that there should be a TW posted for mention of child abuse/ pedophiles. I enjoyed the female leading characters and I really liked the ending.

Such a mixed bag of feelings on this one. Mikey and Clarisse grew on me. The plot was intriguing and I can totally see this becoming a series. I spent the entire book (all long 4 hundred and something pages) giving it 3 stars in my head, but the ending finally happened and I don't know if I was just happy to see it finally end, or if I really enjoyed it, but regardless, it was enough to bump my rating up to 4 stars. It's a long winded book. It dragged, it wasn't my favorite Baldacci book, and I didn't find it really all that plausible in the slightest, but, I would read another one featuring these two - can't promise I would read a third, especially if it drags like this one, but I'd give it another go.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5314247534

Let’s start by saying I’m a huge Baldacci fan. Read nearly all his books. I’m a big fan of his stories and think there is a ton of intrigue from start to finish. I think this book started strong. It had a good hook, and I was really eating every word. My issue came with the late middle. It seemed to get too confusing for me. Too many characters, too many storylines, too much going on. I think the general gist was enough but the story took a turn and just was hard for me to follow. I’ll keep reading the books/series but a little bummed out.
Thank you to David Baldacci, grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley For providing me an advanced reading copy.

This is one of the best David Baldacci suspense stories in quite some time, and they are all good.
Former Police Officer and an alleged colleague and current mystery woman become completely
entwined in a brilliant story comprised of lies and deception
that kept me glued to the book until the end. There is not point to
trying to figure out where you are going here, but it will be worth it, guaranteed.
I recommend this book to fans of David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, etc
My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and
Net Galley for a downloaded copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant!’ I rate this book four out of five stars.

A particularly creative and simply impossible one to figure out until the end by David Baldacci. He consistently writes great stories but has really outdone himself this time. Great characters - with two female protagonists...and lots of bad guys! Lots of more modern detective tools. A very touching story at its heart. And possibly a sequel???

When I start reading a David Baldacci book I know I’m in for an adventure. This book doesn’t disappoint at all. While I feel he has written several others a bit better, I was drawn in and gave it my full attention. The Camel Club series was my absolute favorite, followed up by The Winner. However, Simply Lies is a must-read because Baldacci has written an exciting and intriguing novel. The novel is expertly written with just the proper amount of suspense and a plot that is full of surprises. Not to be missed!

4.5 Stars! David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors ever. This book, while a bit different than some of his others, was a great read. Character developement and the storyline made for a somewhat intense, twisty-turny, fast paced journey but one I very much enjoyed. The plot and the way the story changed directions made this book very hard to put down. The only part that bogged down for me was all the "crypto" talk but I think it's more due to my lack of understanding of this currency than how it was worked into the story. I loved the camaraderie between the female characters and expect we might see them again. My sincere thanks for receiving an ARC of this book from NetGalley, the publisher and the author - all opinions are mine.