Karin Slaughter does it again with a Will Trent/Sara Linton mystery set at a remote series of rental cabins in North Georgia. Slaughter's trademark mix of wit, violence, and twisty mystery is in fine form here. Even newcomers to the series will find something to love.

Will Trent is back!! But he isn't supposed to be working, he is supposed to be enjoying his honeymoon! That's right Will and Sara finally got married! But you know it will be anything but a calm honeymoon. Will surprises Sara with a honeymoon at a mountain resort, McAlpine Lodge. When they first arrive something feels slightly off but they push it aside. They meet the resort manager, Mercy and the rest of her family but a dinner things take turn for the worse. Fighting breaks out and family drama begins. Will and Sara take a hike to the lake but are interrupted when they hear screams for help. Rushing through the trails towards the sound of the screams Will finds Mercy who has been stabbed multiple times. Who could have done this and why? Will calls in Amanda and Faith to get the GBI team on the scene.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and incredible author for my ARC!

Another addictive twisty turn my book. Gotta love me some will Trent. This one was a nail biter bc legit everyone was a suspect. This book was well thought out and I appreciated that immensely. So good

I am so emotionally invested in Sara, Will and Faith at this point that I would probably read about their grocery shopping and be content. That aside, this was still a kickass installment in the series. Agatha gone much, much darker. I fell for all of the red herrings, it’s true. It all clicked for me the same time that it clicked for Will. The family in this book is so disturbing and complex, it was fascinating. I couldn’t stop reading.

The only way to describe this book is by saying it’s full of suspense and is a dark story. I really enjoy mystery , murder stories and this book kept me glued to the pages for a good amount of time. I can say I had it figured out since half the book, but I still liked the end.

Wow wow wow. This was incredible. I'm so attached to these characters and this one was no different. Trying to figure out who the killer was while having such terrible people as the entire cast of side characters was a trip. I always love Karin and her books and I'm excited for everyone to read this one

I haven’t read the Will Trent series prior to this but really enjoy Karin Slaughter and her writing. I ended up moving forward with the book and overall enjoyed despite not knowing all of the backstory of the two main characters. Good twists about family ties and corrupt law enforcement that led to a fun summer read.

This is a great thriller than you won’t want to put down. So many manipulative people, the family dynamics are beyond understanding, crooked law enforcement, plus a whole lot of twists. The ending was unexpected. Thank you to net galley for n advanced readers copy.

I didn’t know a police procedural could be this good. Slaughter really nails it with her ability to really pull you into a story. Where I might be begging other authors to get on with it already, she sucks me into the details. There were scenes that were so perfectly played out, I felt like I was watching a movie in my head. The dark and disturbing moments are felt in the deepest pits of my stomach. When it comes to the disturbing topics, Karin Slaughter does not hesitate to go there.

So why isn’t this a 5 star read?
Will gives me the ick. Him getting mad at Sara for taking a sip of alcohol was super icky. One minute he’s mad she’s overstepping her role in the investigation, the next he’s asking her to go interview somebody.
Sara is cardboard. Nobody can convince me they have chemistry. This could be a reflection of this being the 1st book I’ve read in this well-established series. So maybe take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Oh but Faith? She’s my girl.

I did figure out the killer early on in the book but Slaughter still managed to catch me by surprise multiple times. It didn’t detract from fully enjoying the book.
Overall, this book is a fantastic murder mystery and I definitely recommend.

An okay installment in this series. Will and Sara are on their honeymoon (!), staying at a remote wilderness resort run by a truly depraved family. It was just thing after thing with this group, and I had a bit of a struggle maintaining empathy.

“...An Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist.”

4.25 stars

This is Why We Lied is a dark mystery/thriller involving murder and vile characters at a rural mountain lodge that happens to be the romantic honeymoon destination for GBI Special Agent Will Trent and Medical Examiner Sarah Linton.

The plot is summed up best by GBI Agent Faith Mitchell, as she describes the mystery as a combination of an Agatha Christie novel with some of VC Andrews mixed in, as once the murder occurs, guests and family members are somewhat trapped at the lodge. The VC Andrews element involves the sick and twisted family who own the lodge.

The structure of the narrative surrounds the death of Mercy McAlpine, lodge manager--from the hours that take place before her death to the events after her death.

There are many characters to keep track of, including the McAlpine, Lodge guests, the McAlpine family members, Will, Sarah, Faith, and Amanda. Only the POVS of Mercy, Will, Sarah, and Faith are shared, making it manageable to keep track of all the characters. Outside of the GBI agents, all are suspects.

The beginning was a little slow, especially as I was eager for more of Will and Sarah, but the early chapters focus on laying out the McAlpine family and their drama. The pace picks up as events develop, and the final 20% is tense and suspenseful. It is also pretty long at over 460 pages, but it is very readable, and I couldn't put it down.

It was not as brutally graphic and violent as other Karin Slaughter novels until the end, and wow. Slaughter goes to the deep, dark depths that I don't even want to imagine--I was sick to my stomach already from some of the revelations, but the ending detailing Mercy’s death made me even sicker. It was extremely uncomfortable and hard to read.

Almost every character, at one point or another, can be considered a suspect. I thought I had this figured out and even had alternate theories, but I was not even close to figuring out the truth, and when it was revealed, I was shocked, to say the least.

This is a DARK and compelling read, full of surprising twists and turns. The intricate mystery unfolds through multiple layers, revealing a truth that is both complex and difficult to accept.

Trigger Warnings Galore for physical abuse, sexual assault, verbal abuse, and graphic violence.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow.

This Is Why We Lied A Will Trent Thriller by Karin Slaughter
The McAlpine family members were reprehensible but there was little depth to the characters or backstory. Slow paced, lacking the tension and suspense of the previous books in the series. Found myself skipping over many passages to get to the ending. Not a favorite Will Trent book. Was missing Betty.
Thank you to the author, William Morrow, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This Is Why We Lie by Karin Slaughter

Sara Linton and Will Trent have just tied the knot, and Will has gone above and beyond to surprise Sara with a honeymoon at an idyllic mountain retreat. The cabins are furnished with quality furniture, marble tile in the bathrooms, and refrigerators stocked with food and beverages per request of the guests. Wi-Fi and phone service is spotty, which could ensure the privacy the newlyweds want. Will has done his utmost to ensure that everything will be perfect for them. Will, an investigator for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Sara, a medical examiner, have falsified their professions so they may have privacy while on hiatus from the everyday grind as they begin their married life.

Their serenity is short-lived, however. While dipping in the lake for a forbidden nighttime rendezvous, the newlyweds hear a tormented scream! Will and Sara rush through the dark woods, taking different routes. Will comes upon the manager of the property, Mercy McAlpine, who is mortally wounded. After she dies, a torrential storm strands most of the McAlpine family and guests of the lodge until the storm ends and the roads are repaired. Will and Sara reveal their true identities, and now Will has a big problem.

The town’s law enforcement officials resent the interference of the state officials. Perhaps an even tougher issue is that the McAlpine family puts the “dys” in dys

functional family. Dys-, a combining form meaning "ill,'' "bad,'' used in the formation of compound words: dysfunction. (WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English 2024. Mercy was no saint by any means, but she did not deserve to die.

Enter reinforcements from the GBI in Atlanta: Amanda Wagner, Will’s boss; his partner Faith Mitchell, and another agent, Kevin Rayman. They have quite a task ahead of them; they need to find the murder weapon, which is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They need to get someone to tell them the truth, which is even more difficult. Also, one of the family members has disappeared. Then another. Since there is no way to leave the lodge, it's a locked room murder mystery, and everyone there seems to have something to hide.

Are there clues? Yes. Did I get them right? Many of them, but not all. I was so close! Let’s just say I wasn’t surprised. See if you can figure it out. I hate to use these words because they sound cliché, but it’s true; I was riveted. Spellbound.

I received a digital copy of This Is Why We Lied in return for my honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, publisher William Morrow, and the author, Karin Slaughter. My opinions are my own.

5 stars

This is Why We Lied is the 12th book in the Will Trent series from Karin Slaughter.

"Will and Sara are on their honeymoon at a secluded off-the-grid mountain retreat. At night they hear a scream and discover Mercy, the manager of the lodge, has been killed. A bad storm traps everyone on the mountain. Will and Sara want to find the killer before anyone else dies. Everyone has a story, but they are all lying. Can they find the killer?"

This is a bit of a "locked-room" mystery - the guesta are trapped on the mountain. But who is telling the truth and who is lying. Slaughter has written some of most unlikable characters ever. The father - the mother - and worst of all - Dave. Dave is someone from Trent's past. And he doesn't know how different Will is now. He gave Will the nickname, Trashcan, when they were in foster care together. And it's not an affectionate nickname. You know a guy like Dave - Everything he touches turns to junk. He has to pull everyone in his orbit down to his level. You will hate him. Long time readers of KS know how much damage Lena can do. Dave is that times a hundred. There are some disturbing revelations that you expect from a Slaughter novel - remember that she doesn't hold back or sugarcoat it. And I like Trent's decision at the end.

One of the best stories in the Will Trent series. Don't miss this new crime fiction from Karin Slaughter.

Slaughter’s crime thrillers never fail to hook the reader. This is an excellent thriller pairing an investigator and medical examiner daughter in the midst of a crime during their honeymoon. A race against the clock thriller

Wow! Karin Slaughter truly has a way of story building. I was hooked from the beginning. This may be a lengthy book, but it's worth every moment. If you're not paying attention, you'll miss some of the minor details that turn into larger details later on in the story. It kept me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out who did it. I loved the suspenseful aspects of this book! It truly makes you feel like you're there with the characters! 4.5 stars!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

After the wedding, Will surprises Sara with a honeymoon in a rustic resort. The mountain lodge and cabins are in the north Georgia mountains, removed from civilization.

Mercy McAlpine, the family member running the resort seems harried and badgered by her family, the resort's owners. In the middle of a storm, Mercy turns up dead and suspects abound. To complicate matters, one of the family members is known to Will. They were in a children's home together and were childhood enemies. He seems the most likely suspect for killing Mercy, his former wife. The lodge is cut off by a washed out road during the storm and as Will and Sara dig deeper into the events leading to Mercy's death, motives abound for nearly everyone at the lodge.

With the help of the GBI, Will and Sara are granted permission to dig into the mystery, since the local sheriff is wrapped up in the family and its drama. As ever in a Will Trent mystery, Sara and Will are themselves in physical danger as they navigate the twists and turns of the mountain paths and unraveling the secrets of the inhabitants of the lodge.

Kathleen Early narrates this, as she does other titles in the Will Trent series. Even if you are not a follower of the series, this can be read as a good stand alone mystery. Recommended for all mystery fans.

So I’ve always said Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors - and just last fall I had the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak about her last Trent/Linden book. It all started with Pretty Girls for me…and then I was hooked.

But NOW - after having finished This is Why We Lied, I’m fairly certain I’m about to download the Trent and Grant County books that I missed because they were 10-20 years ago and I was still in my Patterson phase 🫣

This may turn into a Slaughterfest readathon of her backlist because I cannot get enough.

Her latest - a locked “mountain mystery” - taking place on what is supposed to be Will and Sara’s honeymoon 💋 turns into yet another murder for them to solve. Will they ever get to just relax? Probably not but with the two of them on the case, I always feel assured that they will serve justice to whomever deserves it. And maybe a good swift kick to the balls.

Their honeymoon takes place in a mountain resort - very isolated and private with very limited access. Run by the same family for years, the McAlpines, the management now falls to the youngest daughter, Mercy. And it’s clearly an ironic name, as from the jump, the reader knows that no one in her backwoods, sadistic family has ever shown her any in her life.

TW: this one is chock full of abuse - of all varietals. Physical, sexual, psychological - so reader beware.

I love Karin Slaughter and Will Trent mystery books. This was another to add to the list.

I cannot say enough good things about this story and how the characters are layered and portrayed so beautifully. Each of the characters had their own flaws and redeeming qualities that lead to their actions. I loved this book you should read it

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 How many thrillers will I read before I stop hiking into the woods? Would Karin Slaughter’s new novel This Is Why We Lied finally be the one that got me to stay out of the woods? Karin Slaughter delivers an absolutely gripping locked door mystery of a honeymoon gone wrong, where the characters are complex and as twisted and convoluted as the turns in the book. Everyone is a suspect and the writing is deliciously dark, leaving you turning the pages furiously until the very end! While this is a book in a series, I 💯 believe it certainly stands alone and lends itself to just wanting you to go back and binge more. And will I go hiking in the woods again? Yes but most definitely not alone and never in the dark!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!