The Dead Lie by Ivanka Fear was an intriguing read. Right from the beginning, the reader is thrown into several mysteries that continue to twist and turn themselves around each other as the book goes on. Just as the main character questions what she thinks she knows about her parents, the reader questions what they really know about Lana. The book also takes a detour to Croatia, which was a delight to read as Fear describes the scenery and sites with such beautiful imagery that it felt like the reader was really there. The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I look forward to the next book in the Blue Water Mystery series.

Lana has left home to escape her past. In order to protect herself and her family, she had assumed a new identity without losing those connections from back home. Returning against her husband's wishes, she finds that her past hasn't left her. She faces death many times and loses her parents in the process to find peace. 
This story was very hard to get into. Just as I felt comfortable settling in, Lana would do something that had me shaking my head. So many of the decisions Lana made didn't flow with a woman who had kept her distance from her parents for years. Not even her children had met their grandparents. Lana had done much to protect herself but then does everything to invite danger. 
In addition, the main character too many times acted like a teenager with a bad attitude. Here she was a grown woman who had lost her parents and she kept using her real identity. It was like all those years of hiding was for nothing. The crying and "tantrums" were too much for me. 
This story lost me over and over as I struggled with the main character and her actions. None of it made sense. The character couldn't decide if she was a grown adult or a temperamental teenager. Over and over, she'd waffle on her actions and focus on her own emotions which were very volatile. If I was as scared she claimed to be, I wouldn't do anything she did. Inviting trouble to face it head-on is one thing. To invite it out of stupidity is something else entirely. Turned me off each time I encountered the character's odd actions. 
This was not a good read for me. Others have enjoyed it, but this was not a book I'd recommend. But try it yourself. Share your opinion. You can get your own copy here.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

Kind of fell short on the delivery - just an okay read to me.

I did not finish this book because of the narrative style. It was easy to see where the story was going, but I kept hoping something might change.
I liked the idea of visiting a whole new (to me) country and culture, but the story was not for me. I think people who read more thrillers than I do might appreciate it better

"The Dead Lie" promised a gripping tale of secrets, identity, and a mysterious past, but unfortunately, the execution fell short of expectations. Lana, a character with a traumatic history, returns to her hometown after more than a decade, only to face a series of mishaps and the tragic death of her parents.

The novel takes an intriguing turn as Lana delves into her family's Croatian roots, hoping to uncover the truth behind her parents' demise. However, the narrative fails to live up to its potential.

One major hiccup lies in the character development. Lana, meant to be a mature woman with a complex past, comes across as inconsistent and, at times, even bratty. Her actions and decisions don't align with the gravity of her situation, making it challenging to empathize with her journey.

The storytelling also falters in its attempt to weave together various elements—family secrets, a cold case, and a decades-old curse. The dialogue comes off as stilted, contributing to the overall sense of juvenility.

Despite a potentially engaging plot, the execution leaves much to be desired. It's not a bad book, but it falls short of being truly engaging or memorable. For those seeking a suspenseful mystery with well-rounded characters, this one might not make the cut.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow!! What a ride!! This was a compelling mystery I couldn't put down. Fantastic atmospheric writing made me feel like I was in the heart of the story. Great debut novel that would highly recommend. Looking forward to more from this author.

The premise of this book held so much promise for me... unfortunately it just didn't deliver.

I found the book to be full of half formed ideas which at some points made it confusing, at the same time some elements were incredibly repetitive. The protagonist (Lana/Cheryl) I found incredibly irritating - she was meant to be 30 but her language and actions reminded me of a teenager?

I didn't connect with any of the characters in the book and the writing felt like reading a school essay - our MC is going through some incredibly traumatic times and none of her emotion is actually portrayed? **spoiler alert** Her parents die and it's like she just goes - okay cool that was sad now lets throw out their stuff. And she keeps bumping into the same two people mysteriously and she's like like "ah that's weird - anyway they seem nice".

I really wanted to DNF this one but I persevered.

Awesome book. It was a real page turner. I would definitely recommend this book to readers that love a good mystery. Some moments were emotional, which I really enjoyed. Would love to read more books by this author. Kudos.

There are so many things to love about this debut novel! Imagine suddenly and unexpectedly losing both your parents, and then learning your entire life was a lie. I was immersed from the beginning both in the dark, fast-paced mystery that is full of twists and turns, and in the well-drawn settings of Canada and Croatia. Author Ivanka Fear has a way of putting readers in the center of the action. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was a good book full of mystery, questions to answer and puzzles to solve. The scenes were vivid and made me visualise the Croatian parks.

Good debut book. Lana finds out that her whole life is a lie. Good mystery will keep you guessing till the end.

I really enjoyed this novel! It was beautifully written and incredibly descriptive, you’d think you were there with the characters. I loved the mystery and twists in this novel! You will have to check it out!

Thank you NetGalley!

Though I'm admittedly not a reader of mystery, I found myself bouncing back and forth between wanting to know the truth and being so annoyed with Lana for her continued search. She is reckless and dogged in her hunt for information despite her guilt and complete abandonment of her family. While I didn't like her very much, especially all her careless flirting for a woman supposedly devoted to her husband, the tangles and twists of the mystery kept me reading.

Ivanka Fear's debut novel, "The Dead Lie," is a captivating mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The story follows Lana, a young mother who has been living under an assumed name after a traumatic event 11 years ago. When her parents are killed in a car crash, Lana blames herself and sets out to uncover the truth about her family's past.

As Lana travels from Canada to her family's native Croatian village, she encounters obstacles and suspicious behavior from the villagers. However, she perseveres in her quest to unravel the secrets of her parents and the curse that haunts the village.

Fear's writing is descriptive and immersive, bringing the Croatian setting to life for readers. The book is structured in a way that makes it easy to get lost in the story, and there are plenty of twists and turns that keep readers on their toes. Although the main plot is revealed in the title, the journey to uncover the truth is what makes this book intriguing.

Overall, "The Dead Lie" is a well-written debut novel that showcases Fear's talent for crafting a compelling mystery. I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre, and I look forward to reading more from this promising author.

Overall, the book isn't bad, but it's not really that good either. The writing is a bit juvenile and the character's conversations seem forced. Though the plot was good, it was a bit repetitive. The protagonist isn't relatable and often times acts very childish.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with some great twists this is the read for you. I couldn’t put it down.

Lana’s parents are suddenly killed in a car accident, leaving Lana with questions when she finds their Birth Certificates in their belongings that don’t match what she’s believed all her life. Lana sets out back to where her parents were born, a small native Croatian Village. While searching for information from the local villagers, Lana is shunned and told by her maternal grandmother to leave the past the past. Lana soon uncovers a decade old curse that brings more questions than answers as to why no one seems to “remember her father” as a boy. Soon Lana is in danger and by luck, dodging mysterious accidents.

A rollercoaster ride of a story, The Dead Lie introduces us to Lana, a young Canadian woman still trying to come to terms with her own past. When a horrific event happens, she travels from Southwestern Ontario to a small village in Croatia in her attempt to find some answers. What she discovers there will upend not only the past she thought she knew, but also what her future holds in store for her.

A great, rollicking read of a book with lots of twists and turns. Much enjoyed, especially the unique flavor of small town Croatian life and the background of the historical enmity between Serbia and Croatia.

The title, description, and five star ratings were all factors in my selection of #TheDeadLie. The idea that the past is never really behind us is a compelling one. It's an idea that has been successfully used for mysteries since the beginning of the genre.

It's been more than a decade since Lana had been back to her hometown. She's been living under an assumed name and hopes enough time has passed so she can reclaim her identity and her family. But only days after her return, her parents are killed in a car accident that may not have been an accident. Lana discovers that she's not the only one who has been living a lie.

With questions swirling, Lana travels to her family’s native Croatian village to visit the grandmother she's never met with hopes of learning the truth about her parents and the reason they died. She uncovers secrets not only about her parents but about herself.

#TheDeadLie is a hodgepodge of ideas that never come together to make much of a mystery. Lana is supposed to be a twenty-nine year old who has spent more than a decade on the run but she acts and frequently talks like a thirteen year old brat. She is at turns suspicious and completely trusting often within the same paragraph. She brushes off the rash of accidents that are putting her life in danger and makes ridiculous choices that are more akin to a child than an adult with a family and responsibilities. The dialogue is stilted, the characters flat and juvenile, and the descriptions of Croatia read as if they were lifted from a travel guide.

Overall #TheDeadLie was neither suspenseful nor was it a mystery. Definitely a one and done on this author for me.

Thanks to #Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little hesitant that it was so short for a thriller as I thought it wouldn’t have enough time to build suspense… but I COULD NOT stop reading! I had so many theories for the ending and I was way off. I felt so connected to the main character and felt all her frustrations while I was reading. If there was one thing I would critique and possibly take off half a star, I would say it was the backstory to the main character changing her name. It got mentioned in the first chapter and forgotten about a little bit throughout before coming up for maybe two paragraphs towards the end. I would have loved for it to be woven into the story a little bit more to understand even more about the main character. But overall a good read!