I just finished reading A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney and wow that’s a book filled with twists and turns. The main character is detective Rowan , which I always enjoy a woman detective in a thriller. Unfortunately Rowan is in a loveless marriage and her husband Shepherd is barely even speaking to her. Rowan is called to a case involving a murder in where it turns into a serial killer. What all this is going on? She is currently in therapy for not only her marriage, but for some childhood trauma. As secret start to unravel, and things are brought to the surface …. This book takes on more twists and turns.
I enjoyed the fast paced thriller I will, however, say that I wished the ending which, by the way was mind blowing. I felt like it. needed more information to wrap up the story I felt there were some unanswered questions and a few why but over. this was such a great thriller book and I can’t wait to see and look at what other books this author has written.

This is a book you start reading thinking it is one thing, but then it turns into something else, and all you are left with days after reading it is… pain.
I know it sounds bad, but it is not. It is anything but bad.
It is so far away from bad; it might actually be the polar opposite of what the word “bad” means.
I know everyone is always looking for twists and turns in thrillers. Usually, so am I. But not here. Yes, they were there, but I wasn’t interested in them. I was there for all the raw pain and omg there were loads of it and then some more, and then some more was thrown on top for good measure.
Yes, the ending was unpredictable, and it was unexpected, and a few pages right before the last one Amanda somehow managed to tear my heart out and shatter it.
This is what this book was for me. Something unlike most reads, that’s for sure.
And now I have to rate it too? How many stars? All five and then a little sunshine and a rainbow too. And a crescent moon, just to make it more confusing. So, five stars and a handful of extras thrown on top.

This is my… I don’t know which one it is, but it is not my first book by Amanda McKinney. I have yet to read one of hers that I don’t enjoy. Honestly, this lady can write. And she writes so damn well. She deserves all the yelling from all the rooftops she and her books can get. And I will be yelling from all the rooftops about this book.

Holy whizz ! This book was a banger ! It drew me in from early on and was full of shock twists and scandals ! This was a fantastic read !! I loved !

OH.
EM.
GEE.
This book was brilliant! It blew my mind! I'm still reeling my jaw up from the twists.
I LOVE @amandamckinneyauthor already, but she has knocked it outta the park with her second full-length thriller.

So you go into this one thinking, oh another domestic thriller set in an affluent part of a suburban town, then BAM its actually a police procedural following a serial killer....
And you're like WHAAA
That's not what I get from the synopsis. Well, once you read this (in one sitting mind you cause I promise you won't be able to tear yourself away) you'll get it.
Oooooo you'll get it. It all comes back to wrap itself in a neat little bow in the very end that makes you wanna fall out of your chair and say SHUT THE F**K UP!

Trust me.
PUT THIS ON YOUR TBR NOW!

PUB DAY:
March 29,2024

QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️
What's your last, now, next?

AOTD - last: What lies in darkness by Christina Mcdonald/ now: Where they lie by Joe Hart/ next: Never Come Back by Joe Hart

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerbooklover #addictedtobooks #addictedtothrillers #thrilleraddict #amarriageoflies #amandamckinney #thrillerbookloverpromotions #tbr #bookbuzz #arcreview
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3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. This book was initially a solid 4 star for me, but the ending fell flat so I decreased to 3.5 stars. The entire story is full of twists and suspense and I could not put this book down. But then the ending the author changes the tune. The last part of the book is more of a explanation of this is what really happened instead of just letting in unfold. Still a solid psychological thriller that will be enjoyed by many.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A brilliant read! For those who’d written saying this is for fans of Gone girl, you’re all a hundred percent right!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of A Marriage of Lies!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👀 enjoy several POVs
💨 like fast paced reads
🕵🏻‍♀️ want an intriguing detective mystery
🌪️ love a lot of twists

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

My husband is lying. The minute he came home with alcohol on his breath and unable to look me in the eyes I knew it.

We used to be in love – the intense ‘I can’t be without you for a second’ kind. Where it hurts deep to be apart.

But now, we’re the couple that keep secrets from each other.

We hide the truth.

He thought I wouldn’t find out. I’m a detective – it’s literally my job to uncover clues and solve mysteries.

I know what he did.

And now I’m sitting here, in a police interview, being asked the question ‘did you kill her?’ to which I utter one life-shattering word: ‘yes.’

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a really fun story that immediately grabbed my attention. The main character, Rowan, proclaims guilt in a local murder case, but did she do it? I wasn’t sure who to trust or believe as the story went on. We see a lot of different POVs and it all adds to the overall mystery. One twist I figured out early on, but a few others definitely shocked me at the end! This is a fun, fast paced detective mystery you won’t want to miss!

This was so good! I enjoyed Rowan's character even though she had a log of baggage and often that was caused her to have tunnel vision. A woman is found murdered, but this is not anything normal as there is an odd signature that the killer left, and the husband and life style she is living does not match her past that has been dug up. When another body is found, with a similar signature they know they have a serial killer on their hands and need to work quickly to figure out the meaning behind this signature. This novel has many complicated characters, but they give this storyline so much depth! Each character has a secret they are hiding and while Rowan puts everything into this case, she is also struggling with her personal life and the truth she doesn't want to have verified. I really loved this book and would love to read more cases with Rowan and her work partner Kellan. This story was just as twisted as the characters and I loved it! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This marriage was full of secrets on both sides which kept it suspenseful for me and and me gripped throughout.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) “A Marriage of Lies” delves into the complexities of marriage, trust, and the consequences of keeping secrets. Rowan, a detective, finds herself in a web of deception when her own husband begins to hide things from her, just as she is hiding secrets from him.

Secrets and mystery are exactly what makes a great thriller. This book did a great job at grabbing my interest and holding it until the end. The multiple relationships added to the intrigue and kept me guessing.

I did find the shifting perspectives confusing, particularly when it came to differentiating between the female characters. Clarifying these perspectives would enhance the clarity and flow of the story.

I also would have preferred more development of Kellan, Rowan’s police partner. While Kellan plays a significant role in the story, I craved more backstory and depth to fully understand his character and his relationship with Rowan.

Overall, it is a suspenseful read that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the copy!

The book releases March 29, 2024.

Whoa! My head is spinning. So many dang twists that I couldn’t keep up.

We are introduced to Rowan. A married detective in her 40’s. Meet Amber, Rowan’s married therapist. Both of these women are unhappily married. Their lives are a hot mess! Shoot, their husbands are a mess of their own.

Women are being murdered in their small community. Someone is placing X’s over the victim’s eyes and mouths. Someone is sending a message. A clear and direct message.

As Rowan and her new handsome partner gather leads into these grisly murders, there are other crazy things going on. Emotions start going wack! Who is committing these crimes? All the while, Rowan’s marriage is crumbling as she is trying to piece together what in the heck is going on.

Well, I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN! I blew through this in 24 hours. I’d get to the end of a chapter and 💥 BAM! What just happened? Wait what? I found myself going back and rereading real quick just in case I got it wrong. Nope, I read it right.

When it came to the last 15% of the book, it became all tell and no show. Ya dig? Everything is told in black and white. Anyone can do that. I love to be shown, not a lengthy telling of ‘ This is really what happened’. IDK, those just bother me. Another thing I noticed was Amber’s erratic behavior. What in tarnation? She’s a therapist for heaven’s sake. All that went right out the window. I’m not giving any spoilers, just her behavior in her character.

Over all, this was a fun read that I BLEW through! Full of heavy twists and turns! This might be for you. Read the other reviews because everyone is raving about it! Unfortunately, I’m the outlier as always, my dear friends.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
3.5 ⭐️ lowered to 3 for the finish

Let me just start by saying I finished this book in just a little over 24 hours. The characters and their storylines were well thought out and described. I felt like I was living in the same town. A lot of times when books go back and forth, I find it not so easy to stay on track, but this was very well done. I am still in shock how this ended, I didn’t see that coming at all. This was my first book by Amanda McKinney and I will absolutely be reading them all! Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC!

I want to start off this review by thanking NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of this book.
There are a ‘few main’ characters in this book, but personally I think the most important one is Rowan Velkey. She is a detective, who is currently working on a case, where three women have been found killed - and what intertwines these three women together, is the letter X that has been carved on their bodies. While she is working on this case with her partner Kellan, she is having problems in her marriage, suspecting that her husband Shepherd Velky, is having an affair with someone.
The other main character is Amber, who works as a therapist, and I will end it at that.
I definitely recommend this book, have to admit and say I was so confused at the beginning and it didn’t make sense- as to why there were two main characters and why we got two povs when they lived such different lives, until a bit later when it all clicked and made sense. The writing was good too, it wasn’t too fast phased nor too slow.
The plot twists though? I did not expect one of them, but some of them I definitely did, and I was still surprised when my suspicions were confirmed. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it feels kind of boring now that I finished it. This is also the first book I’ve read from this author, and I’m very tempted to read more of her work!
The book gets published 29 March 2024, definitely worth a read! Want to note one thing too, I was not asked or under any obligation to share a review, all opinion is my own.

I enjoyed all the twists in this book. I loved how the background on the characters was written and woven into the story. This is a quick read with lots of drama and secrets. Lots of trigger warnings to be had. Those would include suicide, mental health, child abuse, Alzheimer’s, dementia, infertility, foster care, special needs. As an autism mom myself I am very picky when books talks about neurological development and autism. I didn’t like the genetic testing talk and the “freak of nature” references. I feel those chapters are irrelevant and unnecessary to the story or could have been written differently. I’m not letting the autism mom in me use these things for the basis of my rating as I feel it was a really good thriller and I enjoyed the book. Amanda McKinney is a wonderful story teller and writer. If you haven’t checked out her Mad Women series, you definitely should. They are my fave.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review via NetGalley.

Detective Rowan Velky is an excellent detective, so when a total of 3 women are killed and a killer has left a message, she is on the case, working tirelessly day and night. Her marriage has problems and she is also attending therapy.
The plot is very interesting, as are the characters. The reader starts to think that the story is pretty straightforward but a couple twists and turns that definitely were not expected happen.

All in all, an excellent, relatively quick read. I gave it 4 stars because there were spots in the beginning that were a little disjointed and sometimes slow, but in the end, it was worth reading and I loved it. I would check out more by this author.

A solid 4 star read. I was a tad jumbled for a min with the different storylines, but I caught on eventually. This one was twisty and kept my interest. I’d definitely recommend it.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
What a thriller! A marriage of love turns to secrets. — As the wife follows him to find answers.
He saved her life when she was young now she will save him! …. But to what end …guilty of murder??!

A Marriage of Lies by A. McKinney, published by Storm Publishing is a thriller of its finest.
Rowan is a 41 year old woman, a Detective who's latest case leads her to trouble and more trouble. Ad an husband who's a no good waste of space, an adverse environment, treacherous allies and a story where nothing is a sit seems, literally nothing. She's about to give up but karma has other plans.
A thrilling read that had me on the edge of my seat from start til the last page. An incredible read, 5 stars.

This book was fabulous. The plot twists had my head spinning in the best way. I truthfully had no idea how the book would end until it was over!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney due to be published March 29, 2024.
Detective Rowan Velky and her husband, Shepherd, have been together since their days in foster care. They are bound to each other through shared experiences – both good and bad.
Amber, a counselor, and Mark, her husband, are having problems, also. Not to mention that their son, Connor, is being tested for autism. Her best friend, Emma, is trying to help her with her problems and keep her new boyfriend a secret.
As I began reading, I couldn’t wait to see how all these people were connected to each other. This book did not disappoint. It had so many twists and turns it was hard to keep up. There was a new emotion in every chapter, and I read it in one day.
The ending was a total shock that I didn’t guess. This was my first book by Amanda McKinney – I will definitely be looking for more of her books!

.#NetGalley #AmandaMcKinney #StormPublishing #AMarriageofLies