A Marriage of Lies was a page turner! I partially figured out the twist pretty early on but I enjoyed seeing how everything would unfold and when certain things would come to light. I also really loved the ending! Sometimes people get exactly what they deserve.

This was my first book by Amanda McKinney and it won’t be my last! “A Marriage of Lies” is an intense, dark, and twisted thriller. Buckle up for a wild ride! The levels of intensity keep coming and they don't let up. This book keeps you turning pages until the very end. I was engaged from start to finish and I couldn’t wait to discover how each character was connected. I was blown away by how the storylines were woven together. McKinney's effortlessly blends elements of domestic suspense, psychological thriller, and police procedural, creating a story that is as complex as it is captivating. The characters are flawed and multifaceted, each with their own motivations and secrets, adding layers of depth to an already complex plot. This thriller has it all….secrets, lies, jealousy, suspense, drama, and murder! If you enjoy domestic suspense/drama, psychological thriller, and police procedural books, you’ll want to add this to your must list. 4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley, Amanda McKinney, and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

TW: child abuse, suicide attempt, foster care, violence

A great 4 star thriller for me! This book kept me intrigued the entire time. I kept trying to guess what would happen or come next, and I didn't guess correctly! Personally, I like books that show different POVs and loved the take that this author had using Rowan's and Amber's POV. She made the emotions of the characters very believable. It really kept me guessing!

While the ending was good and all loose ends tied up, I was expecting more of a twist. I am left satisfied, but since there were multiple turns throughout the book, I figured the ending would be more of a twist as well. With that said though, I still really enjoyed it!

I would definitely recommend this book to all my thriller-loving readers!

Interesting plot and connection of characters. Kept me guessing till the end.

Thank you @netgalley

Erm what a crazy ride! I loved it

Really embarrassing but I didn’t read chapter names for like the 1st few chapters so I was so confused when they had different husbands and jobs then I realised oh it’s about two different women.

Anyways on to the book. We have this Detective called Rowan who is married to this guy Shepherd. She is investigating these cruel murders while dealing with her marriage that use to be one from the books and has now become unbearable.

Ok so this book was crazy. I had my inklings on what might happen but I think I can safely say I did not predict that ending. There were times I could feel the danger in my stomach. Anticipating what was to come. It was a great thriller that kept me on my toes. I loved the different points of view although I did get confused sometimes. I also enjoyed the glimpses of Rowan and Shepherds past.

I wish that there was more in the bulk of the book than the end. Everything came to a climax right at the end like bam bam bam and I wish it happened a bit slower but hey maybe that actually made the book better. The not knowing what was happening had me hooked.

Great book and I think of you are a fan of crazy murder mysteries and thrillers or just wanna try something new to pick it up!!

The beginning is so horrifying and intense. The book has dark secrets. It’s the kind of book where you can’t trust anyone. The writing is gripping. The book is part Marriage and part police investigation. It has twists and turns. This is a fast paced thriller.

There are secrets between husband and wife. Their bond is not how it should be. Things have changed between them. The book has been narrated in dual timelines; past and present. The characters have a painful past and loved how the author has connected their present with the past. While the book has shocking twists and revelations. Along with twists, secrets and truth, the dark revelations come in light too. The ending was jaw-dropping. Victim’s body tells a dreadful story. The book gripped me from page one and kept me at the edge of my seat till the end. This is a great page turner.

Many Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley

Rowan is a smalltown homicide detective. Together, her and her partner Kellan are investigating the homicide of a woman in a wealthy part of town. At work, Rowan is competent and has everything together, but her personal life is falling apart. Her marriage to her husband, Shepard, is filled with lies. They no longer talk, they don't love each other like they used to, and Sheppard frequently comes home late at night intoxicated. As Rowan navigates her homelife and the investigation, two more women turn up murdered and she finds herself pleading guilty for murdering one of them.

Told in multiple POVs, A Marriage of Lies is a book that keeps you turning page after page, not knowing how each character story arc would connect. I was addicted to this story from the very first page. I had no idea how the storylines would weave together, but once they did, it completely blew me away. I do not want to give too much about this one away and spoil it, but this one is insanely good!! It's so good that I finished it in one day.

Thanks to NetGalley, Amanda McKinney, and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of A Marriage of Lies in the return of an honest review. I received an advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The levels of intensity in this book kept building and building on top of each other. Just when you think it can't get any higher, another layer forms. The characters were all great and I enjoyed reading from each perspective throughout the book. It was a great psychological thriller. Highly recommended.

This will appeal to fans of the genre, with its rapid changes of narrator and teasing details. It starts slow, to set the scene, but then doesn't pick up until quite near the end, when everything tumbles out. As a foray into this genre, it's probably a good one to start with, but for readers who read a lot of domestic thrillers, I think there may be disappointment as those readers work out the layers of what 'really' happened, quite quickly.

This story started off strong. It opens with Det. Rowan Velky confessing to murdering her husband’s mistress. I was intrigued. The primary narrators are Rowan and a woman named Amber, interspersed with a few others. Both Rowan and Amber are having marital trouble and are looking for ways to escape. The murder of a wealthy woman sets off a chain of events that affects both Rowan and Amber personally and professionally. Everything builds nicely until around 65% when the plot falls apart. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll just say that the way the mystery is resolved is far-fetched. The “big reveals” aren’t tethered to precious plot points, and the ending feels rushed. There are some inconsistencies that bothered me as a teacher who lives in Houston. The story is supposed to be set near Lake Conroe, which is about an hour away from Houston. There is a scene in which the sun is observed setting over a mountain, which isn’t topographically accurate. A subplot involving testing Amber’s young son for a genetic mutation and developmental delays is so far off base it’s almost comical, and Amber and her husband have a knockdown, drag-out fight in front of their six year old child, which feels weird for a therapist concerned for her child’s wellbeing to do. Overall, the resolution to the story feels forced. This book will be available though Kindle Unlimited on March 29. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

Amanda McKinney is again a new author to me and I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I read in a few hours.

Rowan Velky is a police detective who is a Texas resident. There is a murder in a town called Mirror Lakes and Rowan is sent to investigate, she discovers a grisly scene where a young woman has been killed and strangely the victim has the letter X carved on her eyes and she has died from strangulation, what on earth could this mean? Soon after another body is found also with an X carved into her and then a third, Rowan now has her hands full. Rowan is married but this is not currently a stable relationship, loveless and Rowan fears what her husband is up to in his spare time. She works with a partner named Kellan who she very much enjoys working with, they balance each out creating a strong team of two.. Kellan is also a very good looking man, he is the local bachelor with many women wishing they could make him a part of their lives but it seems he only has eyes for one. Rowan is also attending therapy with a psychologist Amber and this creates a side story, eventually these two stories will collide and the author has done an excellent job in tying these together.

I am not going to say any more about the plot as I feel like it is best if you go in blind and then draw your own conclusions regarding the information you are being provided with. What I will say that is everyone is keeping secrets and there is deception coming from all angles. As we approach the end of the book everything is being tied together which is very satisfying, then another twist is thrown at us. Loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! The story had multiple POVs, and while they were connected, it wasn't clear how they were connected at first. As the story went on and more pieces came together. The plot was intense and kept me hooked the entire time. The ending was fast paced and I couldn't wait to see how it would all unfold.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by Thriller Book Lovers Promotions. The opinions are my own and freely given.

This book is told from mainly two POV: Rowan Velky, the detective and Amber, the therapist. Amber is coming to terms with her life with her husband, and through the support of her friend, Emma decides to meet with a lawyer to get a divorce. Rowan finds herself not in love with her husband anymore but can't seem to get a divorce.

Then, a woman is discovered murdered in her home with Xs carved into her eyes, and Rowan and her partner, Kellen Palmer, start to investigate before the FBI swoops in and takes over. Rowan has been seeing Amber at first, it was a mandated appointment, but Rowan decided to stay on longer and talk to Rowan.

This book explores Rowan and her husband Shepherd's time in foster care, a transcript of a child interview with an FBI therapist, and a journal of a patient of Amber's. I love when all pieces that you can't seem to figure out connect, and this is exactly what this book did. From the beginning of the story when Rowan is arrested to the very end.

Review is live on:
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2829768617
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6233034651
https://www.librarything.com/topic/356318#n8449049
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e1e45bcb-95e8-4679-ae8b-43fc3a4fa515
and will be on instagram @kuhlreads on 3/8/24

Thank you to @thrillerloverbookspromo, Storm Publishing and the author for the #gifted copy of the book.

Publishes March 29, 2024

I HATE LIARS. Don't you? And what would make that worse? A lying husband! This was the perfect read for me after reading a couple of romancy books. I devoured it. If you enjoy detective mysteries this one is for you!

4.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Damn! What a rollercoaster ride!

This was my first dive with this author and she did not disappoint!

This is my idea of how a psychological thriller should be written. Not only was it twisty, dizzying, and dark, but the interweaving story lines had me guessing all the way to the end. Also, what an incredible cast of characters. I found them all interesting. I was never bored. Throw in the short chapters and you’ve got yourself a winner! I kicked off a star for the same reason as many other reviewers - the ending. Still great, but could’ve been better.

There’s no shortage of thriller delights in this one - secrets, lies, jealousy, and murder - just to name a few. I simply cannot wait to dig into some of McKinney’s other books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda McKinney for my advanced copy to read and review.

A Marriage of LIes
by Amanda McKinney
Pub Date: March 29, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
A jaw-dropping, twist-filled emotional rollercoaster of a read for fans of Gone Girl, The Perfect Marriage, and The Girl on the Train.
New author for me but I was not disappointed.
I loved how the story weaved through different perspectives. We have what appears to be completely unrelated stories that all ultimately converge in a shocking twist! Those are my favorite kind of thrillers. I was hoping for a bit more in the ending, however.

I plan to read Amanda McKinney’s series Mad Women next.
4 stars

Thank you @amandamckinneyauthor @thrillerbookloverspromotions @stormpublications for the #free ebook!

What it’s about:

A husband and wife not being truthful to each other. She suspects he’s not being faithful or that something more is at play because he can’t even look her in the eyes. He doesn’t show much interest in her and can’t explain for the hours he’s not around. Is he really that dumb to think she couldn’t figure it out? She’s a detective! And much smarter than he gives her credit for. As she tries to hold her marriage together she also is thrown in the middle of 3 brutal murders. Each victims body tells a gruesome story. She’s not so sure how much more she can take between her job and her husband and before we know it, the tables turn and she is the prime suspect in these murders! This is one twisted ending to a crazy story!

WOW! This one knocked my socks off! I devoured this in one sitting because you know, ya girl needed to know what the heck was happening. I decided I really love books that have dysfunctional marriages. 🤣 It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Let me start with how amazing the characters and cast were. All were perfectly executed and although I had suspicions about some of them there was so much more depth that I hadn’t figured out! This one felt like a wild rollercoaster filled with tangled relationships and dark intentions. This has literally everything I want in a thriller, fast paced, characters that keep me guessing, intertwined lives, with a dynamite plot! I highly recommend this one and the great thing is you don’t have to wait long! If you’re a thriller lover, make sure to add this one to your TBR!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the book #AMarriageOfLies by #AmandaMcKinney. A marriage of secrets that turns deadly. This book is such a roller coaster ride with murders and lies that I could not put down. I never expected the ending and I highly recommend this book.

The premise of this book grabbed my attention and then after the reading the first chapter, I was all in! What appeared to be a psychological domestic thriller, turned out to be so much more! It’s also a family drama and a police procedural! Each character had a story with some baggage which made for a relatable narrative. Rowan, the main character, was my favorite and reading about her struggles both past and present really added to the depth of her character and added to the intrigue! This was a fast-paced read with electrifying twists! I’m keeping the details vague because I don’t want to even hint at spoilers in this one!

Omg, I LOVED this book! It is so twisted amd tangled. It’s about a Detective that is called to a gruesome murder. Even though her personal life is in shambles and she is battling the demons of her childhood, she throws herself into the case. You do not want to miss this one!