One Perfect Lie

This ARC was provided complements of NetGalley. My gratitude sent to Headline Publishing Group for making this edition available.

Nonstop Action kept me on the edge of my seat. My favorite place. Lisa Scottoline painted a doomsday scenario that loomed over America. A terrorist attack of epic proportion that could result in the death of thousands. Too real to imagine. An uncanny plot unfolded before my eyes that moved me in a fearful way. This superbly written narrative gained momentum from the very start. It ended with a dramatic bang of a finish that you'll have to see for yourself. I would heartily recommend this book.

The leak of a viable bomb threat led government agents to a High School in Pennsylvania - Central Valley High School. In response, the ATF arranged for top undercover agent, Chris Brennan, to infiltrate the school as a baseball coach and teacher. In particular, intel pointed to the baseball team. Subjects unknown. That's where Chris came in. As part of his undercover, he would be the new assistant coach in Operation Varsity Letter.

It was suspected that the terrorists would be using ammonium nitrate fertilizer for the bomb. Easily obtainable. The same deadly explosive used in the Oklahoma City bombing. Perhaps by no coincidence, it's anniversary date was only several days away. Chris had to work fast. Time was not on his side. Or ours.

The government had pushed the wrong people too far. They intruded upon their land - their lives. Their Aggressive actions caused their businesses to fail. Their livestock died. Their health suffered. Yet with their continued pleas, the government took no pity or action to rectify matters. They had had enough. It was time for Payback. Big time. Do unto others...

One of the baseball players and a teacher had become unwitting accomplices in this act of terrorism. The target had already been picked out. If accomplished as planned, it spelled out utter destruction. The estimated death toll would be in the thousands. It would throw the country into a tailspin. Time was running out. Would the cavalry find out the location in time? Had it been too late to stop them?

Chris Brennan arrives in Central Valley with stellar references, a passion for teaching and a commitment to helping students. His All-American good looks and friendly personality make him instantly popular in the small Pennsylvania community, especially with the players on the local high school’s varsity baseball team. But everything about Chris is a lie. His commitment is to using students, not teaching them, and his interest in coaching has nothing to do with baseball.

Chris isn’t the only one who has created the perfect lie, however. The town itself is a perfect suburban facade. On the surface it’s a safe place filled with happy families, good students and caring teachers. The reality is a little different. Heather Larkin is a disillusioned waitress whose son Jordan has never known his father. Susan Sematov is a successful career woman who can’t stop grieving her husband’s death or take control of her family, especially her “wild child” Raz. Mindy Kostis is the wealthy wife of a surgeon and the mother of the town’s proverbial golden boy. At first glance, Mindy seems to have it all. In truth she’s insecure about her looks and has resorted to rifling through her husband’s credit card bills when he’s asleep. And while Chris’s new co-workers may seem satisfied, that isn’t always the case. Everybody in Central Valley, it seems, is lying to the people closest to them and even to themselves. As the story unfolds, readers can’t be sure whose secret is the most dangerous one of all—a secret that threatens hundreds of lives.

"One Perfect Lie" is the first novel I’ve read by Lisa Scottoline so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and look forward to reading more of her work. Told mostly from Chris’s point of view, this is a fast-paced, expertly plotted book that manages to develop interesting, nuanced characters without sacrificing the suspense element of the novel. Even the “bad guys” have their motives. There are quite a few plot twists and a dash of romance, which makes "One Perfect Lie" a great beach read or a fun way to spend an autumn night (with or without caffeine, since the ending is pretty high octane all on its own).

Much thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chris Brennan arrives in a small town in Pennsylvania to teach Government at a high school and be assistant coach for their Baseball team. From the outset it is made clear that Brennan will not be staying long in this role and that he has some dark plans for his time at Central Valley High School. I found the first few chapters of this novel quite challenging as I really had no idea where the story was going. As it develops further it becomes more clear that Brennan is absolutely not what he seems and that his plans may not be either.
I'm a huge fan of books set in small-town America and it surprised me how much this was an element of this book. We get to know the Brennan's fellow teachers at the school and the young people that Brennan teaches and their families. Brennan needs help from one of the young people on his team and he identifies Jordan, Raz and Evan as the most likely to be able to fulfill the role he will demand of them. Each boy has family issues and these are explored through their mother's points of view. Ultimately each mother is trying to keep her family together and do the very best for their boy but each woman is on a different path and this impacts on each boy too.
It's very hard to discuss this novel without giving away the massive twist within the story and it would be unfair of me to do so. Suffice to say that I actually couldn't put this book down. I read it on a recent camping trip and couldn't rest until it was finished. It's a tightly plotted, dramatic and action packed book, with a thrilling denouement. Scottoline weaves the story's web so skilfully. I would highly recommend it..

Great storyline, strong characters, mysterious drama that kept me hooked all the way through.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lisa Scottoline for the copy of this book. I voluntarily gave my unbiased feedback.

"One Perfect Lie" was an enjoyable, well-paced read. It's hard to talk much about the plot as it changes and surprises throughout the book, not just at the end. It starts with Chris Brennan trying to insert himself into a high school by getting a job as a teacher and a coach in the middle of the school year. It seems far-fetched that he should so easily get this job and this is one of several events in the book that seem to rely a bit much on luck or coincidence. However, this is counterbalanced by well-fleshed characters: mothers and high schoolers that ring true and sympathetic in their actions, reactions and dialogue. Overall, an entertaining thriller and mystery. This was my first book by Lisa Scottoline and I would definitely read other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Well upon beginning this book, I thought I knew what I was expecting, then, BAM, all of a sudden, the story flips and I was hooked! A well written, and though out thriller, thoroughly enjoyable.

This is another fantastic book by a great author. I am always excited when Lisa Scottoline has a new book comimg out because I know it will be worth my time and this one certainly was. It is hard to give a review and not give away any of the story. This book will keep you reading, thinking and wondering. One may not look at school coaches quite the same after this read.

This book was fantastic! I enjoyed the twists and turns and the surprises throughout the story. There was also a feeling of suspense from page one through to the last page. The book was very suspenseful, but not too much in the way of graphic violence. I devoured this book in two days. Chris is starting a new job as a coach and a teacher at the high school. We get to know his students, especially those who are on his baseball team as well. We also get to know these boys’ families and the struggles they have at home. As the story progresses, everyone seems to have some secret they are hiding from everyone else. And people are starting to question other people around them. Everyone’s characters are portrayed in the third person point of view. We get to know the students through Chris’s eyes by what he observes of them. And we get to know the mothers more deeply through their thoughts and actions. One of my favorite things in a novel are unexpected events. Well, Lisa does an amazing job of throwing some major surprises right in your face. And it is an emotional roller coaster, good feelings, then bad, then good feelings, and then bad. It’s only a matter of time until something big happens. Will you know what it is? Or will you be stunned at the ending?

Very good book, I loved it! I really enjoyed the characters and the twists, definitely gave me a surprise at the end!

Always like a Scottoline story. Believable characters. Chris seems like he's only in it the solve a potential crime, but then you realise he really does care. You know the death was murder not suicide, but the reason is hard to connect to the case.

Very good book, kept me reading on. Don't want to give away the plot, just try it !

I have been a huge follower of Archie Mcnally character for a long time. I have read and re-read all of Archie's escapades and cases multiple times. It it great to see them in E book form and in a three volume set !

Lisa Scottoline gets it right in this fast paced psychological thriller. Chris Brennan is a charming man applying to be a high school government teacher at Central Valley High School and also to be the assistant baseball coach. He seems to be the perfect and ideal candidate but Chris is hiding so much, particularly his dark agenda and ulterior motives! The narrative is delivered through multiple perspectives but primarily focuses on Chris.
This is a gripping thriller that keeps you hooked. The characterisation is strong and keeps you interested and reading on. An entertaining novel that is full of intrigue and suspense. This is the first book I have read by this author and I would read more. Thanks to Headline and net galley for the advance copy.

I absolutely loved this book!! It is a very quick, unputdownable, page turner!! It deals with very real issues that we face today, as do a lot of Lisa Scottoline books. This one deals with domestic terrorism. That is all I will give away. It is fast paced and your heart will be pounding, your adrenaline rushing to get to the end. You just have to know what happens. It is a very pulse pounding novel! I read this book in 2 days! You will love the main character, Chris. He is a strong, male lead in this story. The characters are well developed and believable, the main characters as well as the secondary ones. The story flows at a good clip and you will definitely be engrossed in this story. This story reflects how life is in todays' society. I felt such a wide range of emotions, anger and sadness, to name a few. I highly recommend this read! I have loved every single Lisa Scottoline book that I have ever read and this was no exception. She is an exceptional storyteller. Please read this one, you don't want to miss out on a great story.

I have been a fan of Lisa's for years and have every single one of her books. I was SO excited that she began writing 3 books a year because it was so hard to wait for her one book a year. I realize that this is probably difficult to do but I am so thankful that she does it!! One Perfect Lie was ONE PERFECT BOOK!! I absolutely loved it. She just gets better and better with each book. Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review her book. I look forward to many many more with Lisa

Single mom Heather Larkin is living her quiet life as a waitress and mom to 17 year old Jordan.
Jordan is a star on his high school's baseball team and really connects with new assistant coach Chris Brennan. Mr. Brennan is also the new government and criminal justice teacher and the kids are really connecting with him.
But Mr. Brennan is not who he says he is. He has secrets.
Mindy Kostis is learning that her husband and son are not who they say they are either. They have secrets.
Susan Sematov is learning that her sons are not who they say they are. They have secrets.
The secrets of these families and individuals begin to come out and start to unravel the quiet town of Central Valley and lead the town and its inhabitants to find a larger secret that was hiding right under their noses.

I devoured this book in 2 days and that is saying quite a bit because I'm normally not a Lisa Scottoline fan. This was by far one of the most suspenseful novels I have read in a long time. It kept me wanting to continue the book to find out more information. I did not see the secret of Chris/Kurt coming (should have been fairly obvious to many mystery readers). I did see how Evan would play into it but I was a bit disappointed with the characters that were introduced in the story that ended up playing a role in the final "secret". Their lack of characterization throughout the book left me not engaged with them when they played a bigger role at the end. However, this book kept my interest and I think it is a must read for police procedural fans.

Review: ONE PERFECT LIE by Lisa Scottoline

My heart did not drop from my throat throughout this novel. That is how highly the suspense is tuned. Author Lisa Scottoline successfully brings her trademark talent of bringing readers into the plot and setting subtly, enwrapping us unaware, so that we must see the plot through to its conclusion. The theme here is domestic terrorism, horrifying in itself. To see the ways in which formerly innocent individuals trap themselves in crime is also terrifying, and the last-moment suspense blows the reader away

I have read and enjoyed a couple of this author's books so I had high hopes for this one. I was especially quite intrigued by the blurb as it sounded quite different to the books I have been reading recently.
So, Chris Brennan goes for a job as a high school teacher. He has an ulterior motive though which soon has him scoping out certain members of the baseball team. It becomes apparent quite quickly that Chris is there to do a little more than just teach and coach and, as the story unfolds and starts to give up small parts of the puzzle that is Chris, it all starts to come together.
I was swept away by the story initially and followed meekly as the author took me down certain roads, but it was not until a couple of key pieces were uncovered that made me go back and reassess certain assumptions that I had previously made, that I soon started to see the bigger, rather shocking picture.
We meet quite a few characters on our journey, all of them came across as quite real and on the whole credible. The main ones were easy to connect with and that always makes for a better read for me. Obviously some are more open than others but hey, that's true in life too so why not fiction?
Having recently just been to the States to watch my first live baseball match, I was especially interested in the baseball parts of the book. Don't worry, for those with no interest in the sport, they don't overshadow the book at all; I just liked the connection I made with it.
The three boys that the story focuses on are all from different backgrounds. They have different home lives, have suffered different things, and have different relationships with their respective family members. We follow each boy and their mother too and get a glimpse of what life is like for them. I am usually bad with a lot of main players in a book but each character was well drawn and distinct enough so I didn't have any trouble distinguishing them and remembering who went with who!
Pacing was also good. It starts off quite slowly with a bit of scene setting and character development but when the action starts, it goes off at a pretty fast, action packed pace. This is also where Chris really holds his own. And that's all I will say as to explain would provide spoilers. It all culminates in a rather thrilling finale which left me breathless as it wrapped up.
All in all, another great book from someone I now have on my watch list. Must revisit her back catalogue and fill in my gaps.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.