This was a surprising little find on netgalley by a new to me author but the cover, title and description all said “thriller” and I had to read it. It did not disappoint from being edge of your seat to the twists and turns

So, I went into this not know what exactly to expect. I thought the synopsis sounded wonderful but I was a little bit confused but reading it, I was a whole lot confused because to me, it didn't match.

I'm not into Mafia reads or Mob reads and BEWARE: this is exactly what this is based on.

While I enjoyed the short chapters, the cliff hanger chapters, this wasn't the best read of the year by far. Not the worst either.

I LOVED this book, one of my favorites this year!

All of her books read like movies and this is her best one yet!

It’s about a broken woman named Bree that has lost everything and is now living in her car.

Bree decides to sneak into the backyard of an empty home to sleep on the outdoor furniture by the pool.

The owner of the home finds Bree there and invites her to a party at the house later.

The next morning, someone is dead in the pool……. 👀

Trust me, you do NOT want to miss this one! It’s juicy, clever, fast-paced, complex and set on the beautiful back drop of Beverly Hills.

What a ride! I love Susan's style of writing - this was such a great read. Perfect summer /beach read. 4 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It's a fast-paced thriller told by four characters--you'll want to notice which one's speaking by looking at the name at the top of each chapter. I was particularly partial to Bree, who is surviving by her wits, living out of her car. When she decides the spend the night in a pool house at an empty home on Rodeo Drive, the action really begins. By the time I was midway through the book, I could not put it down and ended up reading it all in one day. It's exciting but not gory--exactly my kind of beach read.

I was apparent from the first page that I was going to love this book. It draws you in immediately and you just have to read as fast as you can to uncover all the truths...... and all the lies. I couldn't put it down! What a twisted and delicious meal of a story that simmered non stop.

I loved it! This story is told by each of the main characters Bree, Sophie, Carter and Luke. I was drawn in immediately and as they each weaved back and forth between the present and the past, the intricacies of what was happening unfolding layer upon layer, the suspense had me hooked all the way to the end!
The author does an amazing job of describing the atmosphere in just the right amount so that you feel as though you're right there with the characters and she makes you care about each of them. All along the way, just as you think that you know how each character is linked to another and what has brought them to the current situation they are facing, you suddenly realize that you Don't know. She gives away just enough to keep you hooked because what comes as a new revelation in the form of one simple sentence from a character changes everything each time, and it leaves you wanting more.
This isn't a beachy read on a sunny day. This is a "grab your coffee and wrap up in a cozy blanket in a little cottage on a stormy night, and settle in" kind of read.

This was an interesting and suspenseful read. I liked the way each character revealed their point of view. I kept thinking there was going to be this huge twist and although some things did surprise me, it wasn’t a huge plot twist. I didn’t really enjoy it either way and was totally worth the read!
Thank you Net gallery and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

My Review 🫧

📖 Lie by the Pool by Susan Walter

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Excellent thriller. Little deeper than a popcorn, but also very fast paced.
There were a few inconsistencies and little plot holes also a few things in regards to the police investigation that either would never happen or were incorrect, so I dropped it down a star.
Walter has an amazing job of writing more than just your average thriller.
I was given so many clues and red herrings throughout the book I had no idea what was going on.


Book 101 of 2023

Lie by the Pool by Susan Walter is a gripping and suspenseful whodunit that will keep you hooked until the very end. From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the story of Bree, a widowed and penniless woman who finds herself living in a luxurious Beverly Hills home that doesn't belong to her. The chance encounter with Sophie, the absentee owner, leads to an invitation to a party that changes everything.

The author skillfully develops the characters and weaves multiple points of view into the narrative, adding depth and intrigue to the story. I found myself invested in Bree's journey and the twists and turns that unfold as she becomes both the only witness and the prime murder suspect when Sophie's lifeless body is discovered in the pool. Susan Walter keeps the suspense building throughout the book, delivering unexpected reveals and keeping me on the edge of my seat. The pacing is excellent, and the multiple layers of the plot kept me guessing until the very end.

I was particularly impressed with the author's ability to create a sense of empathy for Bree, a homeless woman trying to rebuild her life while facing the mysterious circumstances surrounding her husband's death. The story delves into themes of trust, survival, and the lengths one will go to clear their name. Lie by the Pool is a fantastic read that combines elements of mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted whodunit with engaging characters and a gripping plot.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley UK & Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an early copy of this book. Susan Walter's storytelling had me captivated from beginning to end, and I eagerly await her future works.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Lie by the Pool!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🎹 love to play the piano
🏊‍♀️ are a pool person
🌴 enjoy the warm LA weather
🇨🇦 are originally from Canada

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

Bree is on the streets after something terrible happens to her husband, something that she believes was all her fault.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Bree and her husband Luke have been married for 3 years when they buy a beautiful home together, but when things go wrong, Bree finds herself living out of her car and sleeping in random neighbor’s backyards. When she discovers one empty house, it instantly becomes her new favorite spot, a place she’ll visit again and again. Told from four different POVs, Bree, Luke, Sophie, and Carter will end up crossing paths in dangerous ways.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a really fun read. I loved the different POVs we got and the way the story was told. Susie is an excellent writer, and her books would make great movies or tv shows! I really felt bad for Bree, but also didn’t know if she was more than a victim. While not all of the twists were mind boggling, I was pleased with others. I had zero idea what way this entire story was going and found myself pleasantly surprised! After reading another book just recently that involved a woman living out of her car, this one just added to my sympathy for people who go through that. Overall, I highly recommend bingeing on this one!

Review: A page turner that I loved for ¾ of and then it became a bit too farfetched and perfect. I longed for more character depth, but the writing was good.
Recommended For: Anyone who wants a quick somewhat twisty mystery book.

Bree and Luke where living in a new home on Rodeo Drive and one night their whole world changed. They lost everything.

Carter cut ties with Bree and now she is living out of her car. She is barely making it by giving piano lessons. She would find herself handing out at her old home.

The home is now owned by Carter and Sophie's father. Carter discovered the home, cars in the garage and the home looks occupied. Why has his father not said anything? Sophie decides they should have a party at the house on Rodeo Drive as their parents will be out of town for the weekend. The party ends with someone lying dead in the pool.

So many possibilities and scenarios had me going in a different direction. Always a pleasure when I am stumped.

I enjoyed this story!

Lie by the Pool was a buddy read suggestion and not knowing anything beyond the publisher's premise, I was happily surprised by the plot veering into unexpected directions. Identifiable characters and several unknowns added to my experience.

The writing was mostly a hit with a few misses for me. The author’s biography states that she was an accomplished violinist which seemed par for the course because of the impassioned way that she encompassed the main character’s love for the piano.

She also wrote a passage explaining the connection artists feel with each other even though the forms are different. This resonated with me and elevated my overall opinion despite a few clunkier sections.

As a buddy read with Jayme and Ceecee, it was fun bouncing various scenarios off each other along the way. Please take a look at their reviews for a more complete perspecitve.

Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Walter, and Lake Union Publishing for my Advance Electronic Copy.

3.5 rounded down

All Bree (Aubrey), Sprayberry wants is a decent nights sleep, sadly, as she is out of options, she crashes in a pool house of a luxury pad in Beverly Hills. How has her life come to this, homeless and sleeping where she can? The house belongs to Sophie and Carter‘s father and is currently empty. They decide to hold a Halloween party there, and when Sophie discovers Bree camped out there, she surprisingly invites her to the party. If only Bree had known what the invitation would lead to.

The premise is good and we certainly get variations on the lie by the pool theme. The storyline does have you asking a multitude of questions from the start and there are warning signs that are very intriguing. There are some good tense and suspenseful scenes and the plot is twisty in places, these are a bit of a stretch bonkers but are entertaining and the finale is also good. The female characters are likeable and gutsy.

However, the story is told by several different perspectives and this leads to the pacing becoming irregular, although it is fun working out who is likely to be unreliable. It’s a pity too that the author didn’t choose to leave each point of view on a cliffhanger, instead of which she almost tells us what’s going to happen next, spoiling the surprise.

Overall, it is certainly a good lie by the pool novel as it’s easy to read and has plenty of entertainment value.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Lie by the Pool is a double entendre and it’s fun to find out why…

“A DESPERATE WOMAN, AN IRRESISTIBLE INVITATION AND AN ESCALATING NIGHTMARE OF SECRETS, LIES and MURDER”

OCTOBER (the present)

Bree has been living in her car for three months and she is hungry and tired. She knows it’s wrong to trespass but the chaise lounge in the Rodeo Drive pool house looks so inviting…

How did it all go so wrong? Just 5 months prior she was happily married to Luke and they were exchanging gifts in celebration of their third wedding anniversary.

Carter has discovered that his father has bought a home on Rodeo Drive that he hasn’t told his family about. What could he be hiding there?

Carter’s sister, Sophie, knows all about the house. And, a lot of other things. She loves discovering people’s secrets….


Susan Walter, an award winning screenwriter delivers her third entertaining novel, another which I could picture translating well to the big screen.

Told through the alternating perspectives of Bree, Carter, Sophie and Luke, in both the past and the present, the quick chapters and generous use of foreshadowing keep the story moving quickly.

But, that same foreshadowing is probably why I did guess one major plot point prior to the 50% mark, so the first half filled with MANY surprising revelations was stronger than the second half for me,

Although this was my least favorite of her books, I HAVE enjoyed all three that she has written so far, and look forward to reading whatever she pens next!

AVAILABLE September 12, 2023.

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing, for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

It's an okay read. It was a fast read. The writing was smooth and the characters were okay. They all played the roles perfectly. It was a common regular read.

#NETGALLEY #LIEBYTHEPOOL #SUSANWALTER

This was my introduction to Susan Walter’s work and WOW, this immediately hooked me in! I’m already a fan of different POVs but I felt it added something else here, you were able to glimpse of the world that Susan had created but it also helped with the twist and turns of the plot! Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, the next chapter had me looking a different direction. It was a thrilling, well written crime fiction! It felt a bit mixed up at first and as the reader, you’re a bit confused on how everything will fit together but it came together like a puzzle!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by Susan Walter and I can’t wait to read her previous books. Lie by the Pool had me HOOKED! I loved the different POVs, short chapters, and especially loved the little bits of teasing foreshadowing that kept me dying to know what happened next.

Thank you to Susan Walter and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this twisty thriller, publishing in September 2023.

Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more.

Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect.

Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

This twisty tale fully immerses the reader in Bree’s world, telling her story from both her own perspective and of those who’s lives intertwine with hers. I really enjoyed how Susan so cleverly builds the narrative through these multi POV’s, slowly adding key details in a still faced pace way.
Jumping between time periods to add context and back story, this book is detailed, compelling and very well written and I flew through it in a couple of days!

You’ll enjoy this book of you like:

📚 Crime fiction
📚 Multi POV’s and story tellers
📚 Twists and turns throughout the story

A very strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️