Widowed Bree is homeless and seeking somewhere safe to spend the night. It seems she has found a friend who not only lets her stay in the pool house of a nice home after finding her there but also invites her to a Halloween party, complete with costume. Bree wakes the morning after the party to find her benefactor at the bottom of the pool.
Great mystery that keeps you invested. You try to figure out exactly what happened and how this is going to end. I did not guess the ins and outs. I truly enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author.


Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fast-paced, compelling, and stuffed to the brim with nerve-shredding doubt, Lie by the Pool took me on quite the ride. Told from multiple POVs through two timelines, the complex plot was easy to follow and provided plenty of blind turns, keeping me in suspense throughout. The format was engaging with the timelines going back and forth from present to past in sections, giving tantalizing glimpses of where the plot was headed. The entire time, however, it was a maze of misdirection.

But the best part of this novel, in my opinion, were the utterly jaw-dropping twists that had me whispering “What?!?” more times than I could count. Even better, the first revelation came early on, turning the entire premise of the book on its head.

Rounding off those twists, though, was an adrenaline-pumping, fist-clenching climax that had me reading as fast as my eyes could go. Stretched out over a deliciously large percentage of the book, my pulse was definitely elevated by the game of cat-and-mouse. Who was going to come out on top: the good guys or the bad?

Now on to those characters. With four narrators, I was pleasantly surprised to find each had their own clear voice and identity. On top of that, their interactions rang true, creating some rather delicious exchanges between them, specifically with Luke and Bree. Sadly, however, I had a hard time connecting with any of them, rooting only really for Bree.

That, unfortunately, wasn’t the end of the bad news either. While I absolutely adored the start plus the last third or so of the book, the middle dragged on considerably. Filled with a bit too many running internal dialogues, I found myself skimming quite a bit. From the running list of lasagna ingredients to the required camping paraphernalia, I just didn’t need to know about it all.

Ultimately, though, I was sold on this one by the end. Addictive, unputdownable, and action-packed, this is definitely a dynamite summer read. If you haven’t read anything by Walter yet, be sure to throw this one on your TBR, because it is definitely not one to be missed. Rating of 4 stars.

Trigger warning: homelessness, loss of a spouse, money laundering, death by drowning kidnapping, organized crime

Lie by the pool
✍️: Susan Walter
Release Date: September 12, 2023

🌟🌟🌟.7/5 Overall Rating
🌪️🌪️🌪️/5 Twist
😱😱/5 Suspense
📖📖📖📖/5 Page Turner


I really enjoyed this one! It sort of reminded me of “the last thing he told me” but better! The characters I felt were all well developed and intelligent and I felt invested in their story. Even Carter, although he was a bit of an entitled baby at times.
This is an exciting mystery with multiple POVs and flashbacks but I never felt lost or confused.
I was hooked and felt like the writing style and short chapters made it such a page Turner.
I did feel like the big reveal had a hint of a plot hole it was still a pretty epic twist!
For all of my suspense fans, I would highly recommend this book!

Lie by the Pool by S. Walter, published by Lake Union Publishing is a mystery/ thriller of its finest and had me right from the start.
Bree is out of luck, yes one could say she hit rock bottom. Anyway, she needs a break, bad. And then an offer comes that seems too good to be true.
The story is told in multiple povs, a story I immediatedly connected with, loved storyline, writing and characters, heaven, what's more to say, nothing - 5 stars.

LIE BY THE POOL by Susan Walter is a thrill ride of domestic suspense that would be great to read while you, well, lie by the pool.
When twenty five year old Bree finds herself living on the streets of Beverly Hills after her husband, Luke, is gone, she begins sneaking into the pool house of her former home for shelter. When Sophie, daughter of the new owner and hopeful future FBI agent starts to leave little gifts for Bree, she is grateful but cautious. When Sophie invites her to a costume party and there is a body found at the bottom of the pool the next morning, Bree is even more afraid.
Sophie has her own reasons for helping Bree. It’s because of her whistleblowing about Luke’s money laundering that Bree finds herself homeless and teaching piano lessons to survive. Throw in Carter, Sophie’s clueless brother who after one meeting is enamored with Bree and everyone is on the run from the Russian syndicate who was forcing Luke to clean up their money. What a rollercoaster of a ride!
This one had me hooked from the beginning and I kept thinking “just one more chapter”, then read well into the night anyway. The twists and turns just kept coming and I had whiplash following it all. Just the kind of book I love. I love the way the author writes so smoothly and seamlessly from one chapter to the next. This is my first Susan Walter book but I already had to buy one of her previous books. This is an author of psychological suspense I will definitely be watching and adding to my ever growing TBR pile. Great job!

A dead body, a hard life on the run, and a web of deceit connecting all of the characters. If you are in the mood for a well-written mystery thriller, look no further! Lie by the Pool reminds us that things can always get worse, and if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Loaded with twists and turns that will satisfy your inner detective. I had so much fun piecing things together! I highly recommend this fast-paced and engaging page-turner. Susan Walter is officially on my radar!

"What makes a place a home?" Is it the 90210 address? You will soon find out even though Bree had a home with an expensive address, her loving husband and was on working on obtaining her green card that it can all be taken away in an instant.

Living in her car now, homeless, husbandless, and little to no money what is she to do? Bree grew up a child prodigy playing the piano even went to Juillard on full scholarship after loosing her mother. But now as she sneaks into a pool house on that popular Rodeo Drive address just to be able to sleep in safety however her life is far from safe. She is soon caught in the pool house by the owner Sophie. Unknown to Bree Sophie knows exactly who she is. Bree feels guilty that she just might be the cause of Bree being homeless and invites her to a Halloween party that she is hosting, even leaving her a costume to wear. Twists and turns at the party leave Cleopatra dead in the pool, leaving Bree to think why is everyone I come in contact with end up dead.

Carter, Sophies brother thinks she is nothing more than a tictok queen doing nothing all day but sitting around, while he works the family business. That is far from the case, Bree likes to keep her options open for what she really wants to do with her career now that she is out of college. In the meanwhile she takes a part time job for her fathers friend and this just might be the ticket she needs to get her that dream job but at what expense?

A 5* Suspense, Murder, Thrilling and Heartbreak Lie by the Pool has it all. Thank you to Netgalley, Susan Walter and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for a honest review, I really enjoyed it.

I loved the double entendre meaning to this book.It kept my interest throughout Would you take some big risks to possibly lose it all?This is a read that will tell you what can happen.I would highly recommend this psychological thriller. Many twists to keep you entertained.Thanks to the author ,Susan Walter and publisher for providing this ARC in return for my honest opinion.This is my first read by the author.#Netgalley #goodreads #LiebythePool

A desperate woman. An irresistible invitation. An escalating nightmare of secrets, lies, and murder.

Told from multiple POV’s & alternating timelines, Lie by the Pool was definitely a page-turner with its quick pace, misdirection & dark corners.

I did find some scenarios slightly implausible, but nothing that would deter me from reading more of her work in the future. In fact, I look forward to it.

Thank you NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 9.12.23

i thought the ending was confusing and unsatisfying, although it was a fast and easy read. didn't feel very thrilled during the book

Lie By The Pool written by Susan Walter was a fast paced thriller, I really enjoyed the writing style, but some information we got in this book wasn't really needed, like <b>I didn't need the main character to teach me how to make lasagna, I can go to Pinterest for recipes</b>. Susan Walter kept me guessing throughout the entire story, but in the end none of my theories were right. I thought the dual POV's were done correctly, we got glimpses into what the characters were thinking about, and we got backstories on each of the characters, which was really helpful. The cover is so captivating, but the synopsis truly kept it's promise, it gave me everything I wanted in a thriller. The only thing I would change about this book is some of the dialogue, there were times when there was <b>too much</b> information we didn't really need. If you're looking for the perfect read by the pool this summer, then look no further than Lie By The Pool. I have never read a book by Susan Walter before this one, but after having so much fun reading this novel, I will definitely check out her other works. I can't recommend this book enough, but be careful of the TW'S.

TW'S: <b>gun violence and death</b>.

Thank you to my girlies Cecelia and Rebecca for buddy reading this book with me, I had so much fun sharing our thoughts and theories with each other, LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH💕.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND LAKE UNION PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

<b>A desperate woman. An irresistible invitation. An escalating nightmare of secrets, lies, and murder</b>.

Bree is widowed, penniless, living out of her car, and out of options. Day by day, Bree tries to make it by, by teaching piano lessons to make extra money to get a new apartment. Bree has nothing to her name, she can't get an apartment with no job, and she can't get a job without an address. My heart instantly went out to Bree, she lost her luxury house, she lost her husband to a crime he was involved in, and she lost her mom. When Bree is out of options, she has climbed a fence and crashed in the pool house for the night. All Bree wants is a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed with blankets instead of sleeping in her car, but when Sophie, the absentee owner of the pool house finds Bree, she gets a whole lot more than she could ever ask for. Sophie invites Bree back for a party. Sophie knows Bree, but Bree doesn't know that. Sophie leaves behind a little care package for Bree, an invitation to the party, a costume, wine, and cheeses. When the party winds down and the power has gone out, Bree can't resist going upstairs of this Beverly Hills mansion and getting a good night's sleep.

The next morning, Bree wakes up to find Sophie's dead body floating in the pool, who could do this to Sophie and why would they want to do it? Read this book for more information. As the only person around at the house, and the one who called 911, Bree is both the witness and the prime suspect of the murder. Bree tries to make a run for it to keep her name cleaned, but with cops guarding the perimeter of the house, Bree's only option is to hide in the pool house. As Bree is hiding, she learns of so much information she can't wait to share with Carter, Sophie's brother. During the party, when the power went out and the speakers were cut off from playing music, Bree sat down at the piano and started playing the music herself, when everyone hears the music from the piano, they all gather around Bree and make their own music for the night. No one knows how or why the power has gone out, but they know they are going to make the most of it. Bree knows she must get away from the crime scene, but there's no where for her to go, and she must come clean with the truth of her past and who she really is.

This was a really great beach or pool read. Light enough to be relaxing, but enough substance and characterization to keep me interested. Really well done novel.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59362269

Lie by the Pool was a suspenseful read that kept me wondering what was going on. The book is told through multiple perspectives and some I liked more than others. You'll have to decide who is more reliable. There were some parts that were pretty unbelievable, but I liked that the title Lie by the Pool has two meanings and it did surprise me with its direction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review 😊

I love a thriller which has different chapters told from different points of view! I also really liked the different timelines in this book!

Living in the UK, the glamours setting of Beverly Hills really drew me in! I liked the characters and their back stories too!

I did expect maybe a few more twists tbh. For example, the character of the shooter at the end, I thought was going to be a big shock/twist, but it just kind of fell a little flat. I also felt a bit suspense could've been built into the writing style but overall an enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and The Publisher for the arc!

The premise is about Bree who was homeless and crashed in the pool house but suddenly the owner of the house, Sophie found her and instead of calling the police to report her Sophie invited Bree for a party and the next morning Bree woke up and found Bree’s lifeless body floating in the pool.

I just don't feel it; the writing style is not really my type. It has different povs, which I'm okay with, but the pacing is so weird and messy. The inner monologue was too long and there were so much unnecessary informations that didn’t relate to the story at all. I can tolerate one or two, but it’s just way too many. For example, I don’t care how the people in the mall looked, what the people who were sitting in the piano at the mall looked like, or the detail information about the piano, like how shiny and graceful the curves of the piano were like.

There are a couple of chapters that are not relatable to the story that make the story so slow at first.
The story line seems ridiculous and feels forced; there is no natural connection between the characters. There’s no character development at all; each character is just "oh, I did this, I did that, I feel this". The ending is very predictable, which actually doesn't matter if the storyline is interesting, but for this one, it's just flat. I don’t really get the thriller to the point where it feels like it tried too hard to be a "thriller". It honestly has potential if the story has more depth.

This is going to be one pool party everyone is sure to be talking about!

Bree's life took a turn she never could have imagined - homeless and alone. She is scared to death with nothing to her name.

When she feels it’s no longer safe to sleep in her car she finds herself poolside in the backyard of a Beverly Hills home. Well, let’s get comfy shall we? This plush chaise should do nicely for the night.

Eventually discovered by the owners’ daughter Sophie, Bree finds herself being treated more like a welcomed guest! Offered scrumptious food and even invited to a pool party rather than being turned over to the police. What a stroke of luck!

Not so fast Bree. The following morning after the party a body is discovered in the pool. And poor Bree is the only one left at the home, the only witness to finding the body. Bree, it’s time to run for it!

A super-fast read that grabbed me immediately, keeping me entertained right to the end!
This will make the perfect poolside read this summer!😎

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing

"The problem with letting yourself be saved is that you forget how to save yourself"

Bree is down on her luck, homeless and broke she has been squatting in the pool house of a vacated luxury mansion in LA. But when a seemingly kind offer comes her way to provide her some respite from her daily grind it actually makes a bad situation worse and turns her life upside down. Now someone is dead, and no one is who they claim to be and nothing is what is seems.

"If your life is nothing but smooth sailing, the gifts along the way are water droplets in the ocean-indiscernible and unimpactful."

The multiple POVs and the writing style of this thriller were done really well, and I really enjoyed how the story kept moving forward and giving you breadcrumbs and surprises the deeper into the plot you went. It definitely kept you guessing! I will admit that only one of my theories panned out, so I was pretty surprised by the end of certain revelations which was really fun! I think the pacing could have been a little tighter in certain parts but overall, it was a really enjoyable fast paced read.

There is no such thing as celebration without disappointment, triumph without failure, dark without light; one defines the other."




Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the gifted arc

I was so torn on how to rate this book. I liked it but didn’t love it! I liked the first half more than the second half. First half is full of suspense and has you guessing. Second half takes on a crime aspect I just didn’t like. Overall a decent read.
3.5 ⭐️

Okay, let's start with a confession: I'm a huge fan of author, Susan Walter. I loved her two previous books, "Good As Dead," and "Over Her Dead Body," and "Lie by the Pool," more than lived up to my high expectations. In fact, I think it's her best book, yet.

Walter's biography points out that she is both a film director and an award-winning screenwriter. That makes complete sense as she writes in such a visual style, you feel as if you're watching a movie. Her storytelling devices -- including telling the story from multiple characters' pov -- feel cinematic and heighten both the intrigue and the dramatic tension for the reader. And, those twists and turns! As is typical in Walter's work, they are aplenty and they are impressive.

"Lie by the Pool" feels tailor-made for a feature film adaptation (in fact, all of Walter's books would make great movies). So, read the book now so that you can brag about having read it before Hollywood ruined it. But, mainly, read it now before someone spoils the twists and turns for you.

Highly recommend.

A good little thriller, some good twists and overall a fast and easy read!
Bree is a piano teacher who lives in her car, she has not a lot of money and finds a nice house to squat on rodeo drive in LA. The whole story starts to unravel from that house! The story is from the point of view of different protagonists which is always fun, as it does play with our understanding of events, perspective and minds.
A few things I wasn’t so keen on: a little too dramatic when there’s no need, like we don’t need to know how small was her last “bungalow” a hundred times, the last twist could have been more impactful, I thought it was Jared or something, but instead it was a bit of a flop.
Overall I would recommend this book because there was suspense and drama!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.