(This review is based off of an uncorrected e-galley of this novel)

I really enjoyed the pacing of this novel. There were twists and turns as well as multiple POVs and timelines, so readers have to pay attention to make sure they have all the facts. I had fun trying to work out who was and was not a reliable narrator. However, I wish that the author had left more of a cliffhanger at the end of each character's POV to make it less predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel. Review will be posted on Insta (@ellie.reads.a.lot) by or before the publish date.

A triumph
But firstly got to say the cover is in no way representative of this amazing book and tbh can’t fathom why this has been used to show and sell such a dazzling read
And it is amazing, it has elements of thriller, crime, psychological, family, Rom Com and pretty much everything else wrapped up into one of the most surprising books, for me, this year….’lying by the pool is probably less than 1% of the book, there’s no time for that such is the action that thrashes you from page to page
There is FBI insight, wonderful descriptions of L.A. and Beverley Hills, ‘happy writing’…this for me means you can feel the authors excitement of the story and happiness at writing ( sounds a bit weird but you will see when read it ) and also ‘welcoming to the reader’ writing ( I loved the style 🤗 ) all bringing us to the conclusion that these characters we are getting to know have in different ways bitten off much much more than they can chew
Its a bit different, a bit quirky, a lot great and reminds me why reading is such a great and varied hobby
I loved it ( but please change the cover! )

Thoughts~
I could not put this down! It felt like there was a new twist at every swipe (reading on my kindle) that was shocking. I did not see a lot of it coming! My heart hurt for Bree who was barely making ends meet while living out of her car. Her entire life crashed down in one day, and she lost it all. However not all is what it seems which makes this one you should not wait on!

Pacy, Tension Fuelled..
A completely irresistible invitation is the catalyst which sparks a series of unimaginable events in this pacy, tension fuelled tale of suspense. At a luxurious Beverly Hills address, Bree is living the high life. Unfortunately, the address is not hers but her presence is soon to be her downfall as she becomes quickly involved in a bizarre situation leading her to become prime suspect in a murder case. A plot populated with a fast moving timeline, a cast of credible and well drawn characters and a perfect backdrop make this a compelling and engaging read.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book by Susan Walter! It grabbed me from the first page and was a real page-turner! I enjoyed watching the story unfold and was genuinely curious about the story behind Bree's recent and mysterious homelessness. This story is told from multiple POVs, including Bree, Sophie, and Sophie's brother Carter. I really liked Bree as a main character a lot and liked Sophie as a side character. I was definitely wrong about Sophie's motives in the story and that was a fun twist. Overall, this was an excellent book and I will definitely be picking up more from Walter.

As much as I enjoyed the book, there are two small gripes I have about it. First, I never quite understood why we had Carter's POV in the book. We don't really see a lot of him throughout and he was really more of a side character as we learn little to nothing about him. I feel the story didn't need his POV chapters and could have been covered by Bree or Sophie.

Also, as a last gripe - I really hate when book blurbs blatantly lie to the reader. In the book description, without giving spoilers, there is a blatant lie that the reader is expected to go into the book reading. It's not a misdirect, just a blatant lie. I wish the book description could be rewritten to make this more mysterious. As I realized the book description was incorrect, it confused me as to why they would have written it that way in the first place. I'm not sure what it tried to achieve, as the story doesn't follow it at all.

Lots and lots of unnecessary details to a rather boring and predictable story.

I don't care what Bree was adding to her stir-fry, or the brand of shampoo in a shower......details like this do nothing to bring the story forward, but rather add extra words. Bree was 'innocent'....or, as I found her, ignorant. Not knowing about bank accounts, or that you shouldn't leave large amounts of cash in an easily accessible part of your car......come on.

This needed more work to become something enjoyable and readable. Thriller, this was not.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review the book.

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC!

This wasn’t at all what I was expecting! I thought I was in for the usual domestic thriller but this was so much more.

There is so much going on in this book and I was sure I knew where it was going, but boy was I wrong.

Bree lives in her car and is doing her best to scrape together enough money to rent a flat. Her luxurious life is but a distant memory. A few months ago her world changed drastically plunging her into despair and without a clue as how to procure her next meal.

One night, she sneaks into the pool house of an unoccupied house on Rodeo Drive, to get some well-deserved sleep.
When Sophie, the owner of the house, finds her there, instead of asking her to leave, she invites Bree to a party the next night.

During the party, a thunderstorm breaks out and the power goes out, so Bree decides to stay the night. But when she wakes up the next morning, there is a body floating in the pool.

This was told from multiple POVs, which was an interesting way to explore what was happening from all sides.
Loved the quick pace and the whole cinematic feel it gave, especially the cat and mouse chase toward the end! I think I was expecting some huge twist at the end but instead everything fell neatly into place leaving me quite satisfied with the outcome.

If you fancy an action thriller set against the beautiful backdrop of Beverly Hills, don't miss this book!

What a wonderful read.

Bree a very talented piano player gave up a career in music to live the life she has with Luke, whom is the love of her life. Living by limited means Luke surprises Bree with an upscale home in Beverly Hills and life is blissful for the couple or so it seemed......now Bree is homeless, alone, hungry, and scared.

Bree is teaching piano lessons and keeping her situation hidden from the paying parents as that money is what is keeping her fed. Saving money to get an apartment is her goal but she ends up falling victim to theft and now she is desperate. She takes shelter in a pool house on Beverly Hills that appears to be vacant or so it seems,,,,,

Sophie is the daughter of the man that owns this house in Beverly Hills and wants to host a Halloween party in her parent's absence. She talks her brother Carter, into helping her with this and so the party begins.... once Sophie comes face to face with Bree hiding out in the pool house, she invites Bress to the party and provides her with a costume to wear, Bree is confused but accepts.

The party is such a big hit and Bree even entertains using her talent playing the piano. All goes wrong the next morning when a dead body is found in the pool.

What a suspenseful read and with so many delicious twists kept this book entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the multiple POVs and the writing style in this one. It was such a quick moving story, and the surprises were excellent. Great thriller.

This book is very original- it is neither a story I’ve read before or a way of telling it. The multiple character and time points of view made it fresh and I couldn’t put it down (waking up in the night desperate for one more chapter). Unusually I really liked and was routing for all of the characters and as such I revelled in the resolution. I’ve never read this author before but will be looking up her previous work now. I’d also love to see this adapted on screen and hope it gets the advertising it deserves!

Lie by the Pool was gripping from page 1. There were so many moments where I thought to myself "where is this going? How does this all fit together? Can I trust what I think I know?" I can answer that last question for you... no, I couldn't!

This book really surprised me and that was definitely Walter's intent which I love. The characters had a lot of depth and I loved the different points of view so we could get to hear each of their stories personally. The different timelines also added so much complexity to the story and helped set the stage.

I really enjoyed Walter's writing and her descriptions. The house on Rodeo Drive was picture perfect in my mind and I could envision Bree stealthily sneaking in, looking for a safe space to rest her head for a few brief moments.

Sophie was such a complex and unique character. I loved her depth and easy it was to write her off. It was fun seeing beneath the facade and getting to know her better.

The music aspect was also really unique. It was so hard to understand how a successful pianist could fall down on her luck so hard that she was living out of her car and only had a few hundred dollars to her name. Coupled with her citizenship and the slow burn unfolding of what happened with her husband, the mystery started to unravel.

This book definitely went in a direction I never could have even dreamt when I started. It was a fun read and tough to put down. Many of the chapters end with ominous last thoughts like "if only I had known just how bad it would get" or "and that's the next person that was close to me that ended up dead" - it kept me flipping pages and wanting to know what happened next.

I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Thriller Lovers Book Promotions and Lake Union for the copy.

From the moment I opened this book, I was drawn in completely. The story took me on a journey of emotions that touched my heart and left me feeling truly connected. I found myself deeply invested in the well-being of the main character, hoping for their happiness every step of the way. Even though there weren't any big, flashy events, the book's ability to make me feel a range of emotions made it truly special.

As the story unfolded, I was kept on my toes by the mystery surrounding the characters and their connections. This element of intrigue added an extra layer of excitement to the reading experience. What really caught me by surprise was the characters who came forward to lend a helping hand to the main character. It reminded me that sometimes, it's the unexpected people who play the most significant roles in our lives.

This book made me realize that a story doesn't always need extravagant twists and turns to be impactful. Rather, it's the emotions we feel for the characters and the relatable moments they experience that leave a lasting impression. This story did just that, becoming a literary friend that guided me through a whirlwind of feelings. I'm genuinely thankful for this enriching reading journey.

This is a really interesting book that I thoroughly enjoyed by a new author to me, who I would be keen to read more of their work.

The title is a double meaning, with the majority of the action based in a mansion in Beverley Hills set by a beautiful pool.

Bree is homeless, living out of her car. She has lost everything, her home, husband and her hope. Sophie is from a wealthy family who own the beautiful home set in the Hills. One day Bree and Sophie meet, although only one of them knows who the other is.

Great storytelling and I was completely not prepared for the outcome and unfolding of the story. Great description of the world of the FBI and organised crime. A pacy thriller which delivers on content, thrills and surprises at every turn.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bree is homeless, penniless and recently lost her husband. Living out of her car, she can’t resist the allure of getting a good night’s sleep so she hops the fence of a fancy Beverly Hills home and sleeps in the pool house. When Sophie, the owner’s daughter, finds her, Bree is surprised to be invited back for a party. The party is fun but best of all, Bree gets to sleep in a real bed for the first time in months. But the following morning, she wakes to see Sophie’s body floating in the pool. Now terrified, because her husband’s death was mysterious too, Bree runs thinking she could be the next target.

I was eager to read this book, thinking it would be an entertaining summer read. While it definitely fit that bill, it was also SO much more! From the very first sentences, I connected to Bree. My heart broke for her and I just wanted her to be okay. Told in alternating viewpoints of all the main characters, we learned how Bree came to be in her current situation while the present day unfolded as well. And how it unfolded, both past and present, was so engaging that I read the first half of this book in one sitting! It held my attention the entire time and there were several twists I didn’t see coming - one, I admit I was hoping for and it actually brought tears to my eyes when it happened.This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year and I can’t wait to dive into this author’s backlist now!!

Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC! “Lie By the Pool” releases September 12, 2023! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

In Lie by the Pool, Bree, Sophie, Carter, and Luke's lives are unknowingly connected. They're all harboring secrets in Beverly Hills, California, and they're all running from something. When their paths finally cross, secrets are exposed and lives are endangered.

This book was so twisty! It's a multi-perspective POV which really kept me guessing the whole book. I was dying to know about the incidents that other characters mentioned, and it was a fun ride to see them come together. There were some twists that were predictable, but there were others that caught me off guard. Each character was written well, and their stories tied together pretty flawlessly, which is no easy feat. It was obvious that the author had done her research as there were a lot of complicated plots and details that were explained well.

Bree's had a rough few months, living in her car, a few teaching jobs with a paltry wage and washing in shopping centre toilets. How has it come to this only months after moving into her dream home on Rodeo Drive?
Squatting overnight in a pool house, she's discovered by the daughter of the owner, inexplicably instead of throwing her out, Sophie invites Bree to a Halloween party. Just as she thinks life might be picking up, the next morning she discovers a body floating in the pool. But as a squatter she realises she will be the prime suspect so has a decision to make, run or stay.
I found this book took a long time to get ne interested, so many times I was debating whether to continue, but I'm glad I did because around the 30% point the story was less about Bree's misfortune and more around the back story. The pace certainly picked up after that.
3.5 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Susan Walter for an ARC of Lie by the Pool. This was such a fun read! It had no idea what was going to happen until about mid way through the book and I had the ah-ha! moment. Even with figuring it out, I loved seeing how everything played out and the moral of the story. There were a couple times I was very anxious and no matter what was going on had to get to the next page to see what happened. The main characters were great, story fantastic, highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Bree and Luke have the perfect, happy life together. Until suddenly they don't and really they never did. In the blink of an eye everything they had is gone and Bree is finding out it was never really theirs. Now homeless and alone she's going to have to do everything she can to survive what she's done.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. The story was good, the characters were likeable. It's a multi-pov and really tells the story perfectly. This would be a good book to read by the pool or cuddle up on the couch with some hot cocoa and a warm blanket this fall when it's released.

Ugh this book had such an interesting premise, but it just takes off the wild path when it introduced the overall cause of everything happening in the book
All of it seemed wildly unbelievable and I got pretty annoyed with the constant jumping between characters

Wow, what a page-turner! I really sincerely, honestly, could not put this one down. If you read this, get ready for a sleepless night! LIE BY THE POOL is a blistering, fast-paced thriller, confidently plotted and executed. Walter’s trademark verve for cinematic, propulsive storytelling shines in this L.A. story that will hold you in thrall until the very last page. Fiendishly clever. I even put off my own work to finish it!