I was so excited for this one, the premise and story seemed highly intriguing. It was definitely a fast paced read with some dark and gruesome themes which I enjoyed. Just something felt off for me and was missing, I felt like the ending just left me underwhelmed and there was a lack of character development and regarding the romance. Still a fun and super fast paced read.

Lydia is a forensic photographer called in to document a mysterious string of kills occuring around the Portland area in autumn. I live in Portland and found the setting to be very on brand. Even when the names of areas and establishments were modified or left out, I had a clear vision the whole time of exactly where in Portland each scene was set at.

The story switches perspectives back and forth between Lydia and our killer, which I love. I found the resolution to be satisfying, where I could see there being the possibility of continuation but it does wrap up in a way that is a solid finish if it truly ends there. The only sort of criticism I might have is that I would have loved more opportunity for emotional development between the characters, and behind the reason the killer be killin'. I will say though that I prefer a book to be more concise and fast paced as I feel this is as opposed to dragging on with too many unnecessary details, so it is a very small critique. Overall I would say 4.5 stars ⭐

I realise very early on that this didn’t work for me and unfortunately become a DNF. Yes, it is dark, which I expected, but I also found the writing to be incredibly flat and lacklustre. I only dabble in thrillers and horror and prefer ones that veer a bit more literary, which this one isn’t. If youre looking for a twisted tale with simple prose and little emotional investering, perhaps this might work for you.

This was an absolutely incredible thriller. Seeing the parallels between Adam and Lydia was so fascinating! This was an eerie, gory book, and I loved it!

In this novel, we follow a Forensic Photographer, Lydia, who is called out to a crime scene they haven't seen in Portland. She begins studying the case on her time off and becomes obsessed. The story takes off when the killer comes a bit close to home.

While I enjoyed Hiding Lies, I didn't get it. Not like I didn't get what was happening or what the gist was. I didn't get why this novel went in the direction it did. When I read the synopsis, I thought it would be a cat-and-mouse mystery/thriller about our forensic photographer and a serial killer terrorizing her town. Instead, I got a lukewarm discussion on how good and bad were malleable and the conclusion was beyond lackluster.

This was my first time reading this author, but definitely not my last. The story moved at an incredible pace, and I was fascinated by the contrasting perspectives of a forensic photographer and a serial killer. With its narration from two deeply troubled and eerie minds, the book gripped me from the opening line to the final page. I can easily imagine this being developed into a series!

This book was incredibly dark. The love the concept of such dark people finding each other, but I found Adam’s reasons for killing liars to completely lack depth. I need much more than the rationale that I was given. On top of that, the book ended really abruptly, and not in the way that left me dying for more. I ended up feeling more frustrated than anything.

This book is a dark, cat and mouse, psychological thriller that has twists and turns and really keeps you in its grips the whole time. I don't think I was expecting a love story when I started it (and I'm not super big on dark romance😶), but the dual pov added that much needed edge to the story and the twisted insight into both characters' mindsets. ***Check the trigger warnings before reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Axe Media for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

What a great dark love story! We read this from the POV’s of Lydia and Adam. They both have the same favourite book, Silence of the Lambs. It’s not necessarily to have read that one to understand the attraction Lydia and Adam feel for each other.
It’s a rather short book but it is very well written and crammed full of everything we need to know: Lydia and Adam both suffered during their childhood and both have found a nice, interesting job that fits with their character.
One day Lydia gets a call regarding a rather gruesome murder at a campsite. Lydia is a forensic photographer but she’s more – she’s very observant and besides taking pictures she really thinks about what could have happened. And luckily her boss listens to her and asks her to become part of the team that’s tasked with finding the killer.
Adam is a rare book dealer and works parttime in a bookstore (o, I’m jealous) and when he and Lydia meet their fate is sealed…
The end is a bit abrupt but thinking about it I don’t think it could have ended any other satisfying way.

Thanks to Mad Axe Media and Netgalley for this review copy.

Upon finding that this was this author's debut novel, I'm impressed. It was a bit of a slow burn for the first half, but then things picked up and the pace never slowed down. All of the way to the last page. If I had to describe this psychological thriller, I'd call it the strangest love story I've read in ages.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mad Axe Media. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A serial killer romance with a weirdly uplifting ending. While I obviously don't condone their actions or agree with them whatsoever, the characters' philosophies and arguments were interesting to read and consider. This is why I much prefer fictional stories about crime to true crime -- it feels much less gross to participate in thought experiments about fictional folks than about real life victims.

I must say that while this book has some small issues, I genuinely enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down.

Lydia is a forensic photographer with a bad childhood and is slightly more obsessed with graphic images than maybe she should be.
Adam is a newbie serial killer, seeking to rid the world of liars and cheats.
Can Lydia find the new murder in her area, and if she does, will she stop him....or help him?

This book definitely has elements that are interesting me. I do enjoy serial killer novels, especially with the POV of the killer, and I am certainly not opposed to morally gray characters. However, I do think this book doesn't hit it quite right. There is one scene (avoid the next bit if you want to avoid minor spoilers) but there is a scene with a cheating wife that did not feel authentic to me. I also feel Lydia's reaction towards the end of the book is not very realistic based off her character.

There is also some continuity errors, like at one point it is revealed that Lydia talks to her nephew almost weekly, and then later it's mentioned they talk occasionally. There are also some typos that are fairly obvious.

However, like I mentioned above I did enjoy the book and think for horror fans it is worth reading. 3/5 stars. You can hear my review on episode 38 of my podcast "The Books and the Bees" https://open.spotify.com/show/45zRPXII2T1and6WSHHuwq?si=46f5aa785e0744b8

We're following two POV's, Lydia & Adam, who both have a bit of a troubling past. Lydia is a forensic photographer who has been called in to photograph gruesome crime scenes that have happened at remote campsites. There is a serial killer who is targeting not so good people. Lydia is enamored by the killings and is possibly seeing justified motives for the murders. She's enjoying her job and feeling more alive than ever and kind of hoping the killer doesn't get caught. Adam works at a bookstore and is obsessed with collecting books and reading true crime. The two meet and are immediately drawn to each other's darkness and have hope that they may have found the person who can accept them for who they are. This gives off Dexter vibes- a serial killer who has urges to kill but only takes out bad people. The writing is decent, but I did feel like the end was a bit rushed. Overall, I had an ok time reading this.

Thank you NetGalley & author for an ARC of this book. #netgalley #hidinglies

full honesty: this one is a dnf for me. i dnfed right around 6-7%.

within that reading time we're introduced to lydia, who is a forensic photographer. a big chunk of the reason i put this down is lydia's voice. she's a gillian flynn-esque archetype, very self-congratulatory and oh so edgy. she wants to walk in the footsteps of a killer.

unfortunately, the way her voice was used to describ a very fraught childhood where an adoptive mother confessed to her that she was adopted as an alternative option for her husband so that he wouldn't rape his biological daughter came of really... lackadaisical and kinda like it was written for the sake of shock value.

when i got to the part where lydia gleefully describes photos of a dead five year old, drowned by her mother, just proudly displayed on her mirror, i put the book down. i am extremely uncomfortable reading from this character perspective.

perhaps if you're a fan of c.j. leede or gillian flynn, this will work for you, but this did not work for me.

Hiding Lies is the impressive debut from author Stephanie Rose, a cat and mouse thriller set in the Pacific Northwest. Told between alternating first-person POV, the story unfolds as a forensic photographer finds herself assigned to a case that becomes dangerously too personal.
The premise of the book is both interesting and promising, although it could have benefitted from a bit more nuance and character development. Unfortunately, the ending fumbled for me, and the deviation of the plot was underwhelming.
This was a quick read that I would lightly recommend to fans of true crime and horror.

This twisty little tale will leave you a little shocked and horrified at the same time. There are considerable things to be warned about this book as it deals with various forms of abuse and death, including children and animals. There is a nice content warning in the beginning, so the reader is fully aware of the content going in.

Lydia is a crime scene photographer, and when she is assigned to a particularly gruesome case, she becomes obsessed with the work of serial killer, Adam.

This novel is told through alternating POVs, which allows you to get into both Lydia and Adam's minds. It's such a treat to the reader to have the story slowly revealed like this, The cat and mouse aspect of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will find it impossible to put this book down.

It's such a great, quick thriller read.

I could not put this book down. The first chapter is literally perfect—sets us up with backstory, and tone, and then drops us headfirst into the story. Lydia is a forensic photographer for the Portland Police Bureau with a dark history full of abuse in foster homes.

Most of the story is told between this cat-and-mouse POV swap which is reminiscent of a contemporary romance. It works!

I wasn’t expecting to ugly face cry but the scene sneaks up on you—even though you know it’s coming—and bam! emotions! Definitely don’t want to spoil anything, just know youll be questioning your own morals before finishing.

Lydia Walker is a forensic photographer, trudging through life in the shadow of her traumatic past, when she is assigned a case centered around the gruesome murder of a camping couple. Her personal life begins to improve after a chance encounter that makes her feel like she's finally connected with someone, a fellow tortured soul named Adam.

A very well-crafted horror/thriller novel. I enjoyed the tension very much.

This book is good, really good but had the potential to deliver so much more. It is a tense, twisted read with trigger warnings - child and animal death. (Not graphic description)

Lydia is a forensic photographer and Adam is a serial killer, this is the story of their relationship from strangers to much more, the killings are gruesome but Lydia cannot help admiring Adam’s work whilst she works the case. We delve into the minds of both the main characters, whilst learning about both of their pasts.

This was a fast paced read, thrilling and tense, but had so much more it could have offered. However definitely worth a read if you like serial killer books.

Many thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I try to keep my October releases to the horror genre, as I love to take full advantage of spooky season. When I saw Hiding Lies, I initially thought I was breaking my rules by introducing a thriller - but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although technically a crime thriller – Hiding Lies tiptoes the balance between horror and thriller in a delightful, if dark way.

Lydia is a crime scene photographer with a bit of a dark past – but when she is tasked with photographing a gruesome case where the killer leaves photographs that exposes their victims lies, she starts to become obsessed…

Hiding Lies alternates perspectives between crime scene photographer Lydia and serial killer Adam. Don’t worry – this isn’t a spoiler, it’s revealed very early on in the book. Although this is an unusual narrative technique, it means you really get inside the killer’s head and even start to perhaps empathise with him to a certain extent. Please look at the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book before starting it – it is incredibly dark throughout and there’s lots of difficult themes – it is not a light read!

As you know who the killer is, the book starts off as a bit of a cat-and-mouse thriller where you are waiting for the police to catch up with Adam. However, when Lydia and Adam’s paths cross it becomes something all together different! I would say that although I loved most of the book and was gripped throughout, the ending had me a little disappointed. Although I enjoyed the idea of the twist, it felt very abrupt and ruined the stakes that we felt we had been building up to throughout the novel. It was an unusual ending for sure though and I do commend author Stephanie Rose for that!

Overall, Hiding Lies is the perfect bridge between thriller and horror – it’s very dark but a gripping read. Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Axe Media for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.