Karin Slaughter has done it again!! What a thrilling read. Will and sara have gone on honeymoon but it doesn't go as planned. In a remote, luxurious camp run by the mcalpine family, mercy mcalpine is murdered. Both guests and the family have secrets, lies they've told, some much much worse than others. Will is determined to catch the killer, and when he finally does, it will shock you!!
Would absolutely recommend this book.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This Is Why We Lied is a long read like all of this authors books are but kept me interested al, the way through.
This is book 12 in the Will Trent series. Will has finally married Sara. Will has decided to surprise Sara with the honeymoon, Sara’s sister has even packed her bag for her so she truly has no idea where she is going. Will has booked an outdoors type holiday, it’s set in secluded mountains and they have to hike to get there. McAlpine Lodge is supposed to get them both to relax with some outdoors activities but with luxury accommodation. Unfortunately it looks like they won’t be chilling just yet as the woman who runs the Lodge, Mercy is mirdered and both Will and Sara can’t leave it to the local police who don’t know what they are doing and are also going to be biased on who submit. So in they step with help from Amanda and Faith who we know from previous books to get to the bottom of who is the suspect.
This was a good read that I enjoyed, I love Will and Sara as characters, the book was very long and I did knock a point off or that as I could have been a little tighter but it doesn’t put me off reading the next instalment which no doubt there will be!
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best thrillers I've read this year!

Set on a luxury campsite in the forest surrounded by trees, trails, and lakes, the setting was perfect for this story!
From the beginning, the reader finds out about the crime before the story comes full circle to reveal the events that lead up to it and the investigation that follows.

Now, I'm usually pretty good at sussing out how these books are going to go down, but not in this case. The author has a special ability to make every single character look guilty, and for suspicion to fall on everyone at certain parts of this book. I honestly didn't see the end coming (not all of it anyway!)

With twists and turns aplenty, this book has everything you could want from a 'locked room whodunit and I'm very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Even though I've read other books by this author, until this one, I'd not read any of this series. However, this will certainly not stay the case!
This is the twelfth installment featuring Will Trent from the GBI (Georgia bureau of investigations) but can also be read as a stand alone.

This Is Why We Lied is a compelling story. That features a locked-room mystery and the honeymoon of GBI Agent Will Trent and Dr. Sara Linton.

Who have arrived at a secluded cabin retreat for a relaxing and quiet honeymoon.

But soon find out it's anything but.

As Mercy McAlpine has been murdered, and the list of those who want to put a knife in her back is endless.

Yet, Will, who found Mercy just minutes before she died, is determined to get answers and pass on a final message to her sixteen-year-old son Jon.

But the ability to get answers in a family where secrets are prevalent is easier said than done. As very few truly care about Mercy's brutal murder or that she was subjected to years of abuse by her ex-husband Dave. Who has an interesting history with Will.

And the story unfolds brilliantly. Revealing past memories and horrific secrets. That out some truly despicable characters and a killer I was not expecting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Plus, with the added familiar faces, this story had everything I needed, and I would happily recommend it to all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of the Karin Slaughter books, I read them for the shock value and because they make me feel incredibly uncomfortable, but the good guys usually win in the end. They're a journey and one I love to hate.

That said, this for me was a 3.5-4 star read. It just didn't quite measure up to others in the series.

I felt that the character of Christopher was autistic coded and it played into several problematic stereotypes. It could just be my interpretation of course, but the emotionless, non eye contact, hyper organised to OCD levels as well as incel tendencies were all there. These are harmful and untrue.

Will I wait with baited breath for her next novel, yes! Will I remember this as the greatest story ever written, no!

This dark, complex story kept me hooked from beginning to end. Well developed characters, unpredictable twists and turns, and a remote mountain retreat that added to the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. Karin Slaughter is such a talented crime writer. Brilliant!

I mean, what do I say here? Karin Slaughter just knows what she’s doing. Always an amazing time with her books and this was no different! I loved it and thank you for letting me read it!

I love author Karin Slaughter, but being honest I haven't kept up with all these novels so I read This is Why We Lied as a sort of standalone novel and it made sense.

Main characters Will and Sara are newly married and for their honeymoon they are off to the lovely yet remote McAlpine Lodge. Run by the McAlpine family who learn are not exactly close knit and the parents of Mercy are planning to sell the lodges and Mercy is not happy.

There are other couples on the week long trip and we are thrust immediately in to a dead body being found - that of Mercy McAlpine and Will and Sara are on the hunt for how it happened.

This is a fast-paced novel with a fair few different characters and I really enjoyed it.

The characters are exactly how I remembered and it has left me feeling like I need to go and read the novels that I missed.

Excellent writing by author Karin Slaughter which many people will enjoy.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for letting me have an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is Why I Lied Karin Slaughter

5 stars

This is one of many books involving Will Trent, a Georgia FBI agent and Sara Linton a Medical Examiner. I have read 5 of these books and have seen how their relationship has grown and at the beginning of this book they have finally got married and are honeymooning at the idyllic McAlpine Family Lodge.

On the very first night of their honeymoon, one of the owners of the lodge, Mercy McAlpine is found murdered in a particularly vicious way. Her whole family are totally dysfunctional, her parents, her brother, her ex-husband, her son all of whom could be guilty of her murder for various reasons but there are also 6 other guests with motives.

Will cannot help but become involved and as the story unravels it reveals what an awful life Mercy has lived and how anyone of her family or the guests could have been responsible for her murder. Ms Slaughter is always a great read if you are not put off by graphic descriptions of violence both physically, sexually and mentally. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, although unpleasant are brilliantly described and the ending was shocking.

I just hope that Will and Sara get to enjoy a second honeymoon with less drama in the next book but, somehow I don’t think that will happen!

Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net galley

When honeymooners Will and Sara arrive at their honeymoon destination, a remote and rural lodge in the mountains, it seems idyllic. However, it soon becomes clear that the family-run place is a business in conflict as the McAlpine family struggle through historical and new conflicts. When a body is found, the finger of blame can be pointed in multiple directions. But who had the most motive for the cruel and vicious death of owner Mercy and why?

This was an interesting narrative with lots of flits between chronology and perspective of different characters. The backstop of the McAlpine family is complicated but this added to the confusion of who could have committed the murder - family or guests.

A little slow in places but overall a real page turner.

Thanks to the author, Harper Vollins and @Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Only read one other book by this author, so gave this one a go. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. However, I'm afraid I didn't love it. It was fine. I did like Will as a character and his new wife, but I felt the overall plot was far too long and complicated for what turned out to be a simple ending. Did I guess it? No, but looking back now it was obvious. I didn't like any of the other characters either. I found myself skipping big paragraphs because there was too many descriptions and not enough action moving the plot forwards. However, this is my personal feelings of the book and I can see many lovers of the author racing through it.

This is the second Will Trent and Sara Linton book I have read and preferred this one to the previous book. Karin Slaughter is a Sunday Times bestselling author and as such will gain many readers of this genre. I found the twists and turns in this book slightly confusing at times and as with the previous book I think it could have been edited down a little. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

This Is Why We Lied is essentially a locked room murder set on a mountain resort in Georgia. If you haven't read Karin Slaughter's series on Dr Sara Linton and her new husband GBI Agent Will Trent, a lot of this book will go over your head. I find with this series that it continually reverts back to Will's awful childhood and the repercussions of that. At this stage of the series it's getting boring and predictable. However, I did read this and for the most part it was fine but just fine. Our victim is Mercy McAlpine, she runs the lodge where Will and Sara are honeymooning. There are a host of characters who had reason to be angry with Mercy, her ex husband and extended family in particular. Virtually everyone there is a suspect and remain in situ until the killer is caught. Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.

I've read a few of the Will and Sara series now and have to say that this one was by far the worst so far.
My opinion was that it appeared to be a bit dumber down compared to normal with lots of repetition outlining the current facts by bringing in new characters or reflecting on the situation by the present protagonists. It did get a little annoying in this regard in the end.

Will and Sara have finally got married and despite the setting of an idyllic honeymoon ahead on a remote resort a murder straight away gets them back to their normal routine. The vast majority of the book then unravels around the family that live and run the resort plus a few different people staying at the resort at the time.
You get narration from lots of different characters, a few too many if totally honest.

Overall this one didn't quite grab me. There were a few twists and turns in working out who the murderer was and a rather sad underlying theme around the victim and her family but this was the weakest Karin Slaughter book I've read unfortunately.

5/5 - I’m not sure Karin Slaughter can write a bad book! I was so excited to get an ARC copy prior to release, I’ve read all the Will Trent and Grant Counties series and this latest book in the series is so good. Will and Sara have finally gotten married and are on honeymoon and find themselves investigating a murder. The usual twists and turns and I just couldn’t put the book down. The characters are all excellent and I hope there is many many more books to come in this series!

An interesting novel with lots of suspects that could have carried out a murder in a remote location.i found it a good read although I did find the storyline a bit repetitive. Keeps you in suspense but.,a somewhat disappointing ending. Still worth a read..

Fan’s of Karin Slaughter will be eagerly awaiting this book.It feels different to her previous books. Maybe because it’s a ‘locked room’ mystery. 

Of course, Will and Sara couldn’t just enjoy their honeymoon. In fact, the honeymoon was off pretty much before it started. 

Will and Sara fight against the elements, fellow guests, the residents of McAlpine Lodge, locals and try to solve the crime. 

There is definitely no shortage of suspects: despicable parents, ex-husband, aunt, brother's friend. It could be any of them. 

In my mind, it’s always the least expected. There were a few red flags throughout the book, and I was right with my choice of suspect. What I didn’t get right was the reason for it, and it left me reeling

The letters that Mercy wrote to her son Jon tug at your heartstrings. The McAlpine are the most vile family I have ever encountered. 

Please be aware of the triggers if you are reading the book. Karin Slaughter doesn’t shy away from heavy subject matters, and it’s a dark story. 

I highly recommend This is Why We Lied to anyone who enjoys complex & dark thrillers that will leave you reeling.

I love all Karin Slaughter books and particularly the Will and Sara stories. This is an un put downable book, with Will and Sara on honeymoon at the remote McAlpine lodge estate. The McAlpine family who run the lodges are a mixed bag and things soon turn sinister when the daughter Mercy McAlpine is murdered and everyone is a suspect.
Will and Sara are soon involved in trying to discover the killer with lots of twists and turns, loads of action, a great read and a real page turner.
Look forward to the next book in this fantastic series from the terrific Karin Slaughter.

Will thinks he is taking his new wife,Sarah, to the perfect mountain retreat for their honeymoon. The lodges are only reachable by hiking in. The site has been owned by the McAlpine family for years and therefore there are many secrets. When Mercy the daughter who now runs the site is murdered, Will, who is a detective and Sarah,a medical expert soon find that finding the killer is a much harder job than they expected and ofen puts their own lives at risk. Just when you think you have solved it..............

Whoa. This is one of those books that gives me pause... I've never been a huge Karin Slaughter fan, not because I don't like her books, but more because I haven't read many of them, and those I did read were years ago. (Maybe starting on Book 12 of the Will Trent series wasn't the best idea, although I'm not sure it matters).

I'm also not sure I'll pick up the first, at least not for a while. The story started off slowly, and to be honest I thought 'ho hum' more than once. But when it picked up, well. It was horror after horror. These are unspeakably awful people, I cannot stress that enough.

You need a fairly strong constitution to process these characters, so if you have triggers - sexual abuse, child abuse, drug abuse, rape, extreme violence against women and children - anything vaguely along those lines - this isn't for you. I always look out for animal abuse, if there is even a sniff of it I give it a wide berth.

There was nothing like that in This is Why We Lied. Having said that... Let's just say I got through most of it fairly unscathed, but one particular incident gave me pause. And more than a few hours of going between despair and horror (there were a few but this was especially awful). Side note, my extreme thirst for vengeance sadly wasn't fulfilled on this point, which I feel was a bit of a loose end on the author's part. I can't say who or what as it will spoil it, but oh my, had I been there eye drops, kitchen knives and rope burns would have been the least of their concerns. Just saying.

There is that class or genre of books that really cuts to the chase of human nature, I'm not sure what you call it. Tall Bones, The Last Thing To Burn, The Dry, that ilk... this veers that way. It's shocking, it's sad and it's very, very brutal. A curve ball was thrown in at the end that I did not see coming. But in retrospect perhaps I should have. I'm still turning the events over in my mind, even though I finished the book two days ago. That tells me something. I might pick up the first Will and Sara book after all.