Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I read a lot of thrillers and this one kept me guessing until the very end! I loved the multiple points of view. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say… wow.
To be completely honest the beginning of this I was intrigued by the premise and the linguist FBI agent plot.
The middle of the book I got a bit bored.
But holy twists the last 1/3 of the book blew me away. I read a lot of thrillers and often see twists coming but wow. She got me good. If you like a twisty little mystery this one is for you!
I am excited this is listed as a sequel I will definitely be looking out for the next one!

"The Lies You Wrote" by B. Labuskes is a gripping thriller that delves into the twisted depths of a decades-old crime. Forensic linguist Raisa Susanto and forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny make a dynamic duo as they unravel the chilling mystery behind a double murder. With skillful storytelling and cleverly intertwined timelines, Labuskes keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The multiple points of view offer a deeper understanding of the characters and the intricacies of the case. This book is an absolute page-turner, earning a well-deserved 5-star rating.

Holy Guacamole!!! I don't even know what to say about this book!! It literally kept me guessing until the very end! Just when your thought it was over BAM!!!! Please tell me there's a second books to this series! We need more of Raisa!!

The Lies You Wrote by B. Labuskes, published by Thomas & Mercer is the first stand.alone in the new Raisa Susanto Series. Introduction to characters and story are made perfectly.
Raisa is with the FBI and gets assigend a case of double murder with ties to a 25 year old case.
Callum gets paired with Raisa and he's more than set to find out what happened, to find a conclusion to this maze of a case.
Told in multiple povs the story jumps between decades of timelines. An excellent read, 5 stars.

This book gripped me from page one. A clever murder mystery involving a serial killer whose method of killing is repeated 25 years later. But who is the copycat killer and why have they waited so long to kill in the same way. Forensic linguist Raisa and FBI agent Kilkenny are part of a team assembled to investigate the latest murder and to re-examine events of 25 hears ago with unexpected and surprising outcomes. Great read for anyone who likes crime stories. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

This book is fast paced and delivers well. It is forensic thriller that has a multitude of characters with complex back stories thrown into the mix. The author had a good knowledge on the specialty which was show evidently in her descriptions.

The story had a lot of exciting turns and there was so much happening that I could not entirely guess the ending. Each chapter answered enough questions but still left a cliff-hanger enough for me to keep reading. I would not classify it as unquestionably realistic but it is a work of fiction and delivers an entertaining story. I would have enjoyed it more if there were fewer background characters as sometimes I would lose track of people and had to flip back.

Overall, I did enjoy the read and would recommend it to readers who are looking for a fast-paced thriller. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This book really deserves a 3.5/5

The premise is a novel take on the forensic specialist sub-genre, and the author obviously spent a good amount of time researching it to make it feel real enough for the story. So much so that explaining it, combined with telling the backstories of not one, but two new characters, in the first 50 pages or so of the book, makes the writing feel very clunky. I honestly did not know if this book would end up in the DNF pile or not.

Thankfully I pushed through, as the writing picks up significantly once the story gets going and the case(s) start to unfold. The main character is interesting enough, and the switch between perspectives (which I will not get into as they are integral to the plot) are used well to draw you in without giving too much away. The plot twists and turns along the way, with an ending I did not see coming, which is always a pleasant surprise.

Overall, I would recommend this to someone who likes FBI/detective novels and wants a fresh take on the rather well tred path. This is listed as the first in a series, and I will be interested in the next installment

4.75 - 5 STARS

“The Lies You Wrote” is a fast-paced crime novel featuring an FBI forensic linguist working in tandem with a forensic psychologist to help capture a copycat killer that ties back to a 25-year-old, open-and-shut, murder-suicide case.

Right from the get-go, I was drawn into this unique and compelling story, finishing it just one day. Boasting a multitude of characters, potential suspects, and theories to explore, things did get a bit confusing at times, causing me to revisit previous chapters for clarification. Yet that was but a small price to pay, as I was now fully invested in trying to solve this complex, perplexing riddle that the author had meticulously laid out before me.

I’ve previously enjoyed Brianna Labuskes’ Gretchen White series, so I was very excited to delve between the pages of this first installment in her new Raisa Susanto series. This book definitely didn’t disappoint, and I look forward to reading more Raisa Susanto stories in the future!!

The Lies You Wrote by Brianna Labuskes Multiple POVs and mutiple timelines which are all well written and expertly interwoven. Information on forensic linguistics was very interesting as to how it is used to help solve crimes. Raisa has quite the history and it will be interesting to see how she evolves in the series. Kilkenny was a good match as a partner to Raisa. Very entertaining, fast paced and gripping read with many twists and turns and an "I didn't see that coming" ending.

Thank you to the author, Brianna Labuskes; Thomas & Mercer, publisher; and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
You have to pay attention in this book because there are a lot of characters to keep up with. There is a lot going on in this book that keeps you interested. The story is based on murders that took place twenty five years ago in a very small town. Put together a linguist with a lot of baggage and an FBI agent that has a sadness about him that goes deep and you have a pair that wants to trust each other but can’t. There are violent incidents that are pretty descriptive so just be aware.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I loved this book because it was similar to Girl Forgetten but better. There were too many characters too keep track of though so I didn't see the ending coming. I could not put this book down because of all the cliffhangers. I did find the main character a bit annoying becuase she lacked confidence and let the other FBI agents steamroll her. I will definetly be reading the next book in the series.

I was given this book as an ARC and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I am pretty good at guessing the end of books but this one was a bit different. It followed similar patterns to other thrillers but it held my attention so well I didn’t think too much about the ending. The ending did cross my mind a few times throughout the book, where I would thinking maybe this was this person, or so and so committed the crimes.

While I think this was similar to so many thriller books it also had different elements that made me love it. I enjoyed the flash backs and journal entries, that held my attention the entire time. I also really enjoyed that the author uses real psychology terms and gave real background to linguistics. Not that it was completely believable but it also wasn’t so far fetched that I was left with more questions or plot holes. The chapters were a reasonable length and I felt they answered enough but left me guessing so I needed to keep reading. I’m so grateful I got an advanced copy, I will be recommending this to those I know who love this genre.

This is one of those books where you'll have to tread carefully over the suspension of disbelief bridge. By that, I mean, it ends up being a little too coincidental if you think too much about it. I'm a Hot Dummy, though, so I don't do that. If the story is good enough, as it is here, then I'm perfectly willing to accept a little coincidence. And I'm also looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

SO good! I am so excited for this new series by Brianna Labuskes. Dynamic characters with tragic backgrounds, I can't wait to see how they develop in the future.

This first in a new series kept me interested all the way through - I couldn't put it down!!! Well done!

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the eARC.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down, I read it in one sitting. I anxiously waited to see how this would end and let me tell you, I didn’t see it coming.

I would say there were too many characters and it was hard at times to keep track of them. But the development of the main characters was spot on.

I’m hoping there will be more books and the author can develop the two detectives a bit more, maybe add a bit more chemistry and romance? Who knows but I certainly want more of them.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, on the edge of your seat, thriller this is definitely the book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy!

I loved this book! A thriller that involves linguistics and true crime podcasts? Count me in. Twenty-five years ago, Alex Parker killed his parents and then committed suicide. Now there appears to be a copycat killer, as a married couple is found murdered in their home in the exact same way. Of course, there are those conspiracy theorists who claim that Alex didn’t kill his parents and was actually the third victim. With this new crime, they feel vindication and the message boards about those murders are blowing up. There was already renewed interest in the Parkers story because of a true crime podcast that teases new discoveries in the case. The FBI immediately seeks to keep the podcast host away from their investigation but also requests that they share any relevant information.

Raisa Susanto is a forensic linguist brought on to assist along with a consultant forensic psychologist named Callum Kilkenny. He was my favorite character and one of the most likable throughout the story. He’s one of the few people that respect Raisa’s work and doesn’t write it off as mere speculation. She has studied the Parker case and Alex’s suicide note which confesses to the crimes. She has no doubt that it matches a short story he wrote for school that basically foreshadows the killings. He wrote both and was therefore not a victim and the confession was legit.

But of course, it’s never as clear-cut as it seems. The deeper they investigate the current murders, the more questions they have about how they tie to the Parker case. There are so many clever little twists that you don’t expect. And I just love the linguistic explanations. It’s fascinating evidence and so different from the typical DNA, fingerprinting, video footage clues, etc. used to solve mysteries. I didn’t want to put this book down, it’s one of those that you must keep reading to get to the end as soon as possible. I will read anything by this author but this book in particular was incredible!

The Lies You Wrote is hopefully the first book in a new series. Raisa is a forensic linguist, and Kilkenny a forensic psychologist both working for the FBI.
A couple is brutally murdered in Everly, a town, known for a gruesome murder/suicide that happened 25 years ago.Alex Parker killed his parents, Timothy and Becks, then committed suicide. There has never been any doubt that he committed these heinous crimes by law-enforcement. But, there are numerous lay people who believe he is innocent.
Jenna Shaw is a podcaster, who is happy to fan those flames, if it brings her viewers. What Raisa and Kilkenny see though, is a copycat killer. But why? If Alex was guilty, what’s secrets lurk underneath this old solved case? What does this copycat killer know and what is their end game?
I really enjoyed getting to know Raisa. Did I figure out who the killer was? Yes I did but not until very close to the author reveal. There was one twist that I didn’t see coming that totally surprised me. I didn’t feel like I had a true understanding regarding Kilkenny, but if there is another book, I believe we will learn more about him.
I love loved the authors books featuring Dr. Gretchen White. Call me intrigued with these new characters. I learned so much about what a linguist does! Fascinating. This doesn’t publish until the end of the year, but I’m already looking forward to the next book.

My Rating: 3⭐️⭐️⭐️ fairly average, had more potential but I like the author and I powered through.

Raisa Susanto is an FBI Forensic Linguist who is called into a small town murder that mirrors that of one some decades ago. It appears there is a copy cat killer out to reenact the killings on the 25th Anniversary.

Everything is absolutely not as it seems. Alex Parker, 25 years earlier killed his parents and committed suicide leaving a damning confession, one that was never in question… perhaps until now.

Callum Kilkenny, brings Raisa into the investigation to use her specialist skills to decipher clues that are being left on message boards online. There is never any question of Alex’s guilt from the original murders… but something is just not quite right that will make you question everything you know.

Ok, so I will start off by letting you know I love this author and I love her Gretchen White series, I eat that up (and as my friend Pink would say NO CRUMBS). So I was PUMPED to say the least about a brand new series coming out from this author and I scooted over to NetGalley toot-sweet to get my copy.

I abandoned two books I had started reading to get stuck into this one expecting at least a 4 or 5 star beauty… BUT as you can see I have not had that luck. There are a few reasons for this and I will go into it below, but I will say that many many of you lovely GoodReaders will like this one and you will be like …. Giiiiiirl you are on crack this is fire!! But for me it fell flat.

Firstly, I did not like Raisa, that is normally ok, but you are supposed to like this one. She is supposed to quirky, and funny and tough but for me she was ANNOYING AF!! She came across childish and boring and not really that tough and funny… she seemed to need attention from everyone and from the first pages was playing cheap parlour type tricks to prove she is an expert… but the author explains this away as her trying to show “men” that she is worthy in her field. Pfft girl you have your PhD you are in the FBI F*ck those men and just be a Badass B*tch in your own right… I just found it really wimpy and whiny the way she was doing it.

Now I will throw in a bit of the good stuff that I did like, multi-POV, as you know I am a sucker for this… there was some timeline switches and there were also letter/suicide note/podcast excerpts and interviews which were mostly done well… perhaps except the podcast stuff that was a bit lame. But I did really enjoy hearing from other characters especially Delaney - not gonna lie if she wasn’t in it I may have DNFd it… I dont want to think about that cause like I said I am rooting for this author…Delaney did not make it so I could rate it higher though unfortunately.

Podcast excerpt

STEVENS: Hmm, I’m forgetting her name at the moment. Clara? Cara. Something like that She was a quiet, studious girl. Wanted to be a Marine Biologist.

SHAW: Don’t we all go through that phase?

STEVENS: Perhaps, perhaps. But she had a real gift for the field of study.

I am sorry WHAT!!! We all go through the phase of wanting to be a marine biologist… I think not… I know I didn’t. Fish are ICK!!!

Back to the meh parts - Callum Kilkenny did not light me on fire… he was absolutely average and honest kind of pointless to the whole story. He has a trauma background that seemed to be thrown in for fun… it was a bit eh. There were also SOOOOOO many characters and it wasn’t that I got lost throughout it was that the main storyline of the original killed family was actually so boring that I had trouble remembering their names. I honestly thought the original murders had not much to do with the point of the story until perhaps the last 20% so it was a bit lacklustre.

Also the writing was nowhere in the ballpark of what Brianna Labuskes can do… she is awesome and this was basic. It was a bit childish and I have decided that it was because she put SOOOO much effort into researching being a Forensic Linguist (and my hat is off to you… I know nothing about it but you got the research done) that she forgot it wasn’t a book about how to decipher word codes. There was a lot of telling us what happened and why instead of leading us to our own conclusions. The research of the field really overpowered the whole novel and there was so much repetition to get the point across I really didnt have to think at all while reading this one which for me is always a bit of a shame.

Repetition… and DUHHHHH moments

Despite the fact that Raisa knew they were playing the killer’s game, she was as helpless as the rest of them. They had to figure out who the next victim was. To do that, Raisa needed a list of names. She couldn’t search for hidden messages without having something to compare the results to.

Raisa too one of the little cafe seats at the table on her cabin’s back porch and pulled out her tablet to access the Parker file. She could tell Kilkenny and Delaney were doing the same. Delaney had taken the other seat at the table, leaving Kilnenny trying to look professional in the Adirondack Chair.
Somehow the ridiculously flawless bastard still accomplished it.

The key to finding something fresh was to return to what she knew best. The Words.

OMG are you serious with that play by play!!! Come on!!

Finally I will finish with something good… the final 20% saved this book from being a total dud for me. I don’t need John Wick action all the time but if there ever was a book that needed a bit of bang bang it was this one. We did get some and we got some twists (some of them I did not guess after all that) and some of them were OTT MEGA but it was alright cause most of the rest of the book was a bit of a snooze fest… I know I am not selling it but honestly its an average book.. if this is your first Brianna Labuskes book then good… cause they get better as you go backwards.

Overall: would I recommend this… yeah if you have some time for a bit of repetition and basic writing… if you want something easy to read and you like the author.. but having said that her Gretchen White series is far more entertaining with better characters so just head over to those instead if I were you.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley an the author for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Well, Brianna Labuskes is certainly one of my go-to authors now. In this book, she expertly combines the drama of a domestic thriller with the details of a police procedural. I was drawn along so quickly, I finished THE LIES YOU WROTE in one sitting, and while I was proud I figured part of it out, there were more than enough twists to be highly entertaining. Some of which I should have figured out sooner, because, dang, Labuskes plays the game well. Altogether, much fun.