This is Why We Lied is Karin Slaughter’s take on the “small-cast-in-isolated-location” crime thriller. Will and Sara are enjoying their honeymoon at an isolated mountain retreat, with the only contact with the outside world being via a telephone in the owner’s office – forbidden to guests. The retreat is run by the dysfunctional MacAlpine family, one of whom is found brutally murdered. Who was responsible? Her family or one of the guests?

We really take the time to get to know the murder victim and the complete cast of characters here. It makes all the difference when that murder finally occurs – when it happens, we care. The plot that follows moves along at a rapid pace and keeps the reader guessing.
Fans of Karin Slaughter will be more than happy with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Elliott & Thompson, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will Trent is back, this time he's on his honeymoon with Sara at a secluded family run lodge.

Shortly after their arrival a scream in the night leads Will to a woman dying from a brutal attack.

This is another 5* read from Slaughter. It's a story full of secrets, lies and suspense.

Absolutely brilliant from Karin Slaughter. The plot is very fast paced and as you would expect there are more than a few suspects along the way.
I absolutely reccomend this book.

At a luxurious mountain resort, familial tensions are reaching an all time high. The McAlpine Lodge is hosting a number of family members who are increasingly at odds with each other.

Just how bad things are getting becomes evident when Mercy McAlpine, generally considered the 'good girl' of the bunch, finally snaps and tells her family members what she thinks of them.

So, is that what gets her killed within 24 hours? And if so, who was responsible? The problem is, there are so many contenders to choose from...

This is a gripping read and maintains a level of tension that makes it hard to put the book down before you finish the story. A terrific read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Wow, wow, wow this is one very thrilling and atmospheric read. I love the main characters Will and Sara who are on their honeymoon which takes an unexpected turn and they find themselves investigating a murder. Karin Slaughter has a wonderful way of weaving a story in my opinion and can connect with her readers easily. I think her writing is very good, the story flows seamlessly and is wonderfully descriptive. I could picture the mountain, cabins and characters in my mind. I hated most of the MacAlpine family, really hated them and felt like I was unwrapping layer after layer of secrets, lies and deceit and I kept changing my mind as to who the murderer was. The story deals with child/domestic abuse, grooming and coercive control really well and I had so much empathy for Mercy. The plot line is intricate, well thought out and went off in so many different ways that makes this such a moreish read that I found hard to put down. Karin Slaughter grabbed my my attention and interest right from the start and held it until the last page. I love how the author really ramped up the tension and suspense in the last part of the book as it raced to its ending. Overall a fab read which I would highly recommend. I loved this book, just loved it.

4 stars

Karin Slaughter ramps up her storytelling skills to explore a family’s dark past in This Is Why We Lied. From the start, she wastes no time in presenting the reader with a complex plot that’s twisted and extremely dark. Will Trent and Sara Linton investigator and medical examiner are on their honeymoon at McAlpine Lodge: a remote mountain getaway. Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the lodge, is found murdered following a family argument where she threatens to expose long buried secrets, turning the honeymoon of Will’s dreams into his worst nightmare..
Anyone who has read a Karin Slaughter book will know she doesn’t shy away from exploring dark themes. This Is Why We Lied is no different as it explores drug addiction, child cruelty, domestic abuse, and alcoholism. The plot relies on a closed circle of suspects which in the wrong hands could have made the narrative somewhat predictable. Thankfully, This Is Why We Lied is far from predictable.
Set in an isolated location, the plot feels intense and claustrophobic from the off, which adds to the overall tension.Marcie’s family brings a whole new meaning to dysfunctional! They’re the worst kind of humans, users, abusers, manipulators, liars and the list goes on and on... Karin Slaughter pulls no punches in sharing Mercy’s tortured life with the reader. I felt a desperate sorrow for how her so-called family and husband treated her so badly. Their lack of empathy for her death made my blood run cold. This Is Why We Lied is the perfect title for this book, as there are so many betrayals and dark secrets shrouded in lies and half truths!
Will and Sarah remain two of my favourite characters in a crime series they complement each other perfectly. Thankfully Karen Slaughter never takes the obvious path and as the plot gains momentum, it takes a dark twisted turn that I never saw coming. Although I guessed who had killed Mercy, when the ‘why’ was revealed, it surpassed anything my imagination could conjure up, in terms of horror! This Is Why We Lied is everything a thriller should be: dark, multilayered, suspenseful. Highly recommended.

My review will published to my blog nearer to publication day
Blog: https://thebookreviewcafe.wordpress.com/

Drawn in from the very start to another Will and Sara story. They're on their honeymoon when things start to go wrong and what follows is a complex family tale to unravel. Kept me guessing to the end, fab.

The ‘And Then There Were None’ style premise drew me immediately to this book. However Karin Slaughter elevates the locked room trope, plunging readers into an isolated mountain retreat, the scene of a brutal murder, with a family and guests so twisted my head was spinning.

Immersed the action within the first few chapters, my heart was pounding from the start, and as a result I’m writing this review on the wrong side of midnight! This was such a fast paced read, with exceptional character development and a truly gripping plot.

Usually I can’t wait to get to the pay off at the end of a mystery, but I had such a great time in the very tangled threads of this story, I didn’t want it to end. I loved that I could feel clever about picking up clues and anticipating certain plot points, whilst still being shocked by the ending.

Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Karin Slaughter is a master of her craft- I have read all of her books and love the Will Trent and Sara Linton series. I was so excited to get a review copy of “This is Why We Lied” and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
Finally GBI Agent, Will and Medical Examiner, Sara have married and Will has arranged a surprise honeymoon in a remote lodge in the mountains.
Things seem to be going so well when suddenly there is a brutal murder at the site and Sara and Will are first on the scene.
Having lied about their true occupations to avoid unnecessary questions from the other guests they now have to reveal their true positions as investigators and they are determined to solve the case with the help of the rest of their team including Faith and Amanda.
This is not an easy story to read- there is a lot of misogyny and abuse as well as a character that Will knew from his time in the Children’s Home- an awful reminder of his terrible childhood.
This is what is known as a locked room mystery- the murder has occurred in a remote location with a limited amount of suspects, making the story all the more intense and intriguing. Only someone at the lodge could have committed the crime. Everyone is under suspicion and there are many false starts.
The author’s characters are so well rounded and realistic- I really felt as if I was catching up with old friends and was slightly disappointed I hadn’t been invited to the wedding!
This was the sort of book I just couldn’t put down, which I had to just keep reading and also the sort of book which left me sad at the end with the realisation that it would be quite a while before I would be able to read any more about Will Trent and Sara Linton!
A five star read which comes highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Thanks so much to Netgalley UK and Harper Collins books for the chance to read an early copy of of this one. I'm a big Karin Slaughter fan, so this was a huge privilege and very exciting for me!

I'm going to do my best to avoid all spoilers...

Will and Sara are finally on their honeymoon! Will had surprised Sara with a remote mountain lodge, part of a complex where he longed to go as a child. A two hour hike to get there wasn't quite what Sara had in mind...

On meeting the other couples at this exclusive retreat, it would seem that everyone has a secret of some sort to hide, particularly the family running the retreat. Soon, Will and Sara find themselves in the midst of a murder investigation - not what they'd planned for on their honeymoon.

We welcome back stalwart characters Faith and Amanda as well as meeting some quirky new folks along the way. The complex itself is a character in its own right and provides a stunning backdrop to the story.

There were many unexpected twists and turns throughout the book and, after a while, it felt as though it was never going to stop! Also, some of the characters were deeply unlikeable and in some cases it made it difficult to care about that happened to them. I also wanted the main perpetrators to get more of what should have been coming to them than they did, hence my rating of 3 stars.

I've read all the books in the series, and just because I was a little disappointed in this one does not mean I won't be looking forward to the next.

I have read all of Karin Slaughters books and particularly enjoy the series about Sara Linton and Will Trent. This latest offering has not disappointed at all. I am sure the book could be read and enjoyed by someone who has not previously met the characters. The setting was so well described and as usual I did not work out what had happened until almost the end. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I love Karin Slaughter and her masterful way of weaving storied that leave you horrified, traumatised and satisfied.

That another Will Trent book has dropped so close to the last ,was a joy to find, Will and Sara are finally married and on their honeymoon, but of course a honeymoon for law enforcement is not completely without a few murders and obviously Will and sara have to be involved.

This like many of her book carries a heavy subject matter, that may triggered many, but her writing and the way she layers the story and intertwines the characters is so well done, that this books is just as fantastic as her first.

I would strongly recommend reading any of her books, but Will Trent will forever be my favourite series and if you haven't you should read them now.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me an early copy for an honest review.

WOW. A locked in mystery on a mountain with Will & Sara on their honeymoon, what could possibly go wrong!! Another brilliant story from Karin Slaughter, which will keep you guessing right to the end. Brilliantly written with some fantastic and some truly nasty characters. It's one of those books you really don't want to put down!

We should have guessed Sara and Will could never have a normal honeymoon, but I wouldn't have predicted a locked-room style mystery up on a mountain! Slaughter blew me away again.

I'll never get tired of the Grant/Atlanta series, the character progression laid out across previous books ensures my immediate investment every time. Here again we are gifted the appearance of Faith and Amanda alongside Will and Sara at an isolated camping ground.

It was refreshing to have familiar characters in a brand new setting, McAlpine Lodge made for a beautiful yet sinister location for the GBIs latest case and we even get a map this time! Who doesn't love a book with a map.

All of the characters are murder suspects, every one of them with well hidden secrets and conceivable motives. I had a great time trying to guess who killed Mercy and wow was I wrong at every turn.

The final reveal delivers an absolute jaw drop moment that punched me straight in the chest and left me wishing I could read this for the first time all over again.

I continue to recommend this series as well as Slaughter's duologies and stand alones to anyone willing to listen and with enough stomach to handle the dark dark material she creates.

The Will Trent series is one I’ve read every book of so I was desperate to request the newest installment. As with all of Slaughters books, the pace and suspense is truely there!
We follow Sara and Will on their honeymoon, to a remot cabin retreat where it all goes run.. another 5* Karin book for me, thank you for the ARC!

A brilliant setting best described in Karin's own words as "an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a V.C. Andrews" feel.🕵️‍♀️📖
You'll love this book if you've enjoyed the others featuring Will Trent. 📚❤️
Something new I learned: the projectile vomiting 🤢🤮 that can occur if you kick a man hard enough in the testicles. 🫣😱
Something that stayed with me: 
"I doubt she had the words...didn't grow up with fear. This was before the Internet took away our innocence. We didn't have twenty zillion podcasts about beautiful, young women being raped and murdered." - Was there ever a time like this?
Thanks, NetGalley, for the early copy—it was like catching up with your favourite relatives - Will, Faith and Amanda! 🎉📚

I love Karin Slaughter, I love Will Trent & Sara Linton so this was a request ASAP.
Will & Sara's romantic getaway in the woods sounds like my idea of hell, and of course it goes horribly wrong.
But I love the way they deal with it and get on with solving the case in their brilliant way.
I read this so quickly that I had to read it again!

This is why we lied by Karin Slaughter is book 12 in the Will Trent series and it is another enthralling read. In this storyline Will and Sara are finally married and on their honeymoon. Of course, there is a death and then another, both of the victims are part of the McAlpine clan that own the lodges.
Marcy is the ex wife of Dave and Chuck, was Christopher’s friend, Mercy’s brother and they both die but it is two different crimes. The storyline is long and very involved, with many twists and turns before the team of Amanda, Will and Faith manage to solve all of the criminal aspects.
I did enjoy the last conversation Will has on the phone before the book is finished.
Highly recommended

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will Trent and Sara Linton have finally gotten married and are on their honeymoon at a remote North Georgia mountain retreat. They haven't told the others staying there their real occupations, as a GBI agent and medical examiner, to ensure a relaxing time. But the retreat is run by a dysfunctional family and by the end of the first night, someone has been murdered and Will and Sara are thrust into action.

I love Karin Slaughter and I love this series, but this, as is true of many of her other books, was too long. It took me over a week to read it and at times I didn't want to return to it because I felt like everytime I read I wasn't getting anywhere close to the resolution. Beyond that, it is a good mystery with an interesting conclusion. I just wish we could have gotten there a little quicker. There were a lot of characters and shockingly I was able to keep them all straight fairly early on. The family running the place was awful, almost everyone of them, so there were plenty of secrets to be revealed. It was a solid read. I will continue reading this series because I love the characters and the stories are always solid, I will just hope they get a tad shorter.

Another great installment from Karin Slaughter featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton. We begin with Will and Sara on their honeymoon - in a surprise location planned by Will. It appears to be idyllic. But the family running the resort are disturbing - and there's quickly a murder for Will and Sara to investigate.

Having read a few of Slaughter's books featuring these two characters, I was really eager to see how their relationship has progressed. There were interesting aspects of this in This is Why We Lied - including some tension based on the desire to work versus the desire to keep each other safe. There are also lots of elements of old insecurities and fears resurfacing, particularly on the part of Will, who is in a place connected with his childhood and is also around someone who traumatised him at that time.

The McAlpine family that runs the lodge Will and Sara are honeymooning at are truly appalling, and Slaughter has done a great job in creating a cast of troubling, sinister and downright terrifying characters. It's all totally believable, unfortunately. Mercy, the daughter of the family, has been credited with making huge improvements in the business since she took over following her dad's accident. But her family don't seem to see it that way, instead looking for any opportunity they can get to undermine and attack her.

The story of Mercy's life is sad and infuriating. She's clearly been a victim of abuse at the hands of men since she was a child. The discoveries that Will and Sara make are shocking, and Slaughter does a good job of introducing twists even after you think you've already had the twists.

This is a very easy book to read and once again, it's made me feel I should really go back to the start and read the whole Will Trent series. It's good to have familiar characters that you are interested in plunged into a completely new environment with a cast of different people to figure out.

My only slight criticism is that at times the writing becomes staccato, which I think is the author's intention, but to me read slightly jarring at a few points. But this is a minor point in what was a really enjoyable read.