Book Blurb
Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…
Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.
For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.
Details
- This is How I Lied
- Author: Heather Gudenkauf Website / Twitter / Instagram
- Publisher: Park Row; Harlequin
- Publication Date: May 12, 2020
- Categories: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
- Read a Sample
- Pages: 336
- Audio Sample
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 59 minutes
- Narrator: Brittany Pressley
My Thoughts
I think an audiobook has the ability to make a fair book better and a good book worse. Perhaps that is a roundabout way of saying narrators play a very important part in an audiobook. And Brittany Pressley did a very good job of bringing this story to life. But don’t jump to conclusions, in this case, the narration made a good book better, not a fair book better.
The town of Grotto, Iowa is full of some very interesting people. And Detective Maggie Kennedy-O’Keefe is assigned to a cold case when a new piece of evidence is found, a boot belonging to her best friend, Eve Knox. Eve’s murdered body was discovered in a cave by Maggie 25 years earlier. Eve was only 16 years old.
This mystery has our very pregnant detective searching everything and everyone that might have been overlooked earlier when she too was just a teenager. As the storyline switches between 1995 and the present, stories and secrets begin to unravel.
And as the story unfolds, the finger rotates around pointing to nearly everyone as a viable suspect. Even a person you probably wouldn’t normally consider.
What Concerned Me
While I was always concerned that Maggie was doing risky things being 7 months pregnant, it concerned me even more as I continued listening. I learned that her pregnancy happened only after lots of time and money. So that fact makes her risky actions even more concerning, though all pregnancies should be protected as blessings.
Here’s where it becomes important to point out that I listened to the audiobook. I believe the narrator made the characters come to life, but I wonder if I had been reading the book would I have cared for them. Even with the various voices, they felt a bit hollow and I really can’t say I bonded with any of them.
Though I wanted to like Maggie, I felt no attachment to her or her husband. And Nola’s character, Eve’s sister, felt a bit over-the-top-odd to be a veterinarian.
What I Liked Most
With all of my concerns, I still couldn’t stop listening. The story had me changing my mind and trying to guess the ending all throughout. And the more I listened the more I wanted to identify who killed Eve.
However, the suspense and mystery don’t end with some wild twist, but rather a satisfying, okay don’t overanalyze, ending. And just to keep the suspense high, Maggie is forced to reveal some things about herself and deal with some important decisions.
Without a doubt, I will be reading more books by this author, or listening. The sign of a good story is one that keeps me guessing, wanting more, and the ending can’t feel liking pulling a rabbit from a hat. Bottom line: this book kept me listening and no rabbits showed up.
Rating
About the Author
Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.
Check out other suspense novels by bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf:
The Weight of Silence
These Things Hidden
One Breath Away
Little Mercies
Missing Pieces
Not a Sound
Before She Was Found
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