Cover Image: Lie, Lie Again

Lie, Lie Again

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The book evoked vibes reminiscent of "Desperate Housewives," "Firefly Lane," and similar shows which was a joy for me as they are shoes I loved. Its storytelling strikes a balance between excitement and drama, occasionally grounding itself in realism.

While I've no idea what genre this would be classed as, it didn't matter and didn't deter me from continuing to delve into the story.

Was this review helpful?

This book gave me vibes of desperate housewives, firefly lane and other shows along that line.
The story telling is exciting but dramatic at times but also brings a level of realism at some points.

I really didn't know what genre this book was supposed to fit but it didn't put me off continuing to read the story.

I plan to pick up other books by the author now!

Was this review helpful?

I was a little confused on what this book was. Is it mystery, is it women’s fiction?? I really couldn’t say. I think if the book has been one or the other it would have been a more enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved the story of these three women! This book is beautifully written and I enjoyed the entertainment this story gave me!

Was this review helpful?

Three women who live in the same apartment complex are the center of this story. Sylvia, Embry, Riki, all have reached a crossroads. All are coming to terms with a future neither expected. All must choose how to go forward knowin* what they know and can’t face on the horizon. It’s a day to day struggle forward, and yet each sets a course tge6 cannot alter.

Was this review helpful?

Lie, Lie Again is a chick-lit mystery-thriller that revolves around three women with secrets to hide… and a body at the bottom of their apartment building’s staircase. Sylvia is overly confident and is defined by her boyfriend, whose ex-girlfriend frequently reappears. Riki is a private school teacher, struggling with the pressures of teaching privileged kids. Embry is a devoted mother and wife to a bartender-slash-actor.

The novel slowly intertwines the three women’s narratives in a way that does keep you turning the pages. I loved Sylvia and Embry’s characters: they felt distinctive and really draw you into the story. However, as twisty and turny as this was, the book reads more like chick-lit than it does mystery and, for me, the twist and ending was predictable from about the halfway point. An enjoyable little summer read.

Was this review helpful?

This started off well, and I thought I was going to be reading a twisty mystery/thriller. But this ended up being a mess from start to finish. Nothing was really coherent, or even mattered, and then end was just a bunch of loose ends and not in a good way.

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy female-led mystery-thrillers, you might enjoy this book. The lives of three women living in the same apartment building are interlinked when a dead body is found at the bottom of the apartment staircase. Cue drama as friends are explored and secrets are unveiled.

I enjoyed this mystery tale that also explores female friendship. It was quite suspenseful and gripping. I will say I found the beginning a little slow - and it took me a few chapters to really sink into it - but once I did I was really invested. The characters are well developed and the drama was pretty riveting. A little soap-like, but we love to see it! There were a few laughs in here too, so lightness when it was needed. An enjoyable read that I would certainly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

This novel starts with a bang… a body at the bottom of the stairs. But unfortunately that part goes nowhere until the very end. It seems that was used to market this book as a mystery/suspense when it is really a contemporary fiction book.

That being said, I enjoyed each of the separate stories of the woman and how they all intertwined. I didn’t especially love the characters, but I don’t think we were supposed to. The story moved along at a great pace and I found myself wishing I had more time to read so I didn’t have to put it down. At the end, we finally did find out about the body at the bottom of the stairs. But I don’t feel it added to or changed the story much.

I would definitely recommend picking this one up if you enjoy domestic fiction!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I picked up with book on a whim and I loved it way more than I though!

Was this review helpful?

So, first of all, this book’s description is very misleading. I started this book expecting a murder mystery or domestic thriller since I was told in advance there was a body at the bottom of the stairs. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Where is this dang body? Who dies? When the corpse finally makes its appearance, the book is pretty much done. Not sure there needed to be a body in the first place, at least not that body.

That issue is pretty much the only problem I had with this story. The rest of the story was riveting. Getting to know the residents of 1054 Mockingbird Lane and what a bunch of liars these people turn out to be was quite entertaining. First, we have Sylvia. She’s a hard person to get to know. She plays her cards very close to the chest. She longs to find the perfect man to father her future perfect child. The problem is that the man she has set her sights on is already married, but she doesn’t know that. Yet…she hates being lied to and when she discovers the deception, she devises a plan that she hopes will get her everything she wants, even if she has to tell a few lies herself.

Next up is Riki, a young woman who seems to have her life together. She is dating a nice guy who appears to want to take their relationship to the next level and she’s teaching at an exclusive private school. If she could just get past lusting over her neighbor’s husband and pull her head out of her posterior, she might find happiness is within her reach.

Lastly, we have Embry. She’s a stay-at-home mom with two small children. Her husband is the hottie that Riki is fantasizing about and his career consists of a lot of auditions and a lot of rejections. There’s a lot of tension and worry in the household and Embry isn’t coming clean about the new bun in the oven.

The tension in this quaint apartment complex continues to build when the property owner dies and her money-grubbing bum of a son shows up with dollar signs in his eyes, looking to sell the property as quickly as possible. Real estate is not cheap in Hollywood and the tenants are less than pleased with his plans, especially since he won’t fix the broken stair outside Sylvia’s apartment. Honestly, someone is going to take a fall and things are going to get ugly. I tell you this story just pulled me in and I was spellbound, unable to look away and in high anticipation of what would happen next.

The story flows very smoothly, for so much going on and so many people to keep track of, but the author does it well with each chapter’s focus on a different tenant. The characters are well-written, making it easy for me to get to know them and understand what is happening, even if I don’t necessarily like any of them. Each of these women have strengths and weaknesses and I would probably want to get to know them better, though I would probably agree with Riki and Embry that Sylvia is hard to get to know.

My Final Verdict: I have not read anything by this author before and will definitely be looking for more of her written works. I recommend this book to readers who like lots of drama with each layer revealed bringing more drama but keeping the story fun and entertaining.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing and #stacywise for the arc of this book.

A body has been found at the bottom of stairs at 1054 Mockingbird Lane. From this opening chapter we go back in time, following three women who live in the apartments of Mockingbird Lane.

We follow Riki, a private school teacher who is in a relationship but is secretly a little bit in love with her neighbour Brandon. Sylvia, a marketing professional who suspects her boyfriend is keeping secrets from her. And finally Embry, a southern belle mum of two who happens to be married to Brandon but is hiding one big secret from him.
None of these women are who they seem. Each are hiding secrets. What do they have to do with the body lying at the bottom of the stairs?

First, this isn't a thriller. It's a contemporary suspense novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I just went into it thinking it was a thriller.
I really liked the character Sylvia, she was a badass!

I recommend this book if you want something fun and light to read.

Was this review helpful?

I wish there were more to these women than the men they surround themselves with. But without the men, their lives might have been too peaceful. And the men do give them the push they need to get themselves out of trouble.
If you like a who dunnit, with a little romance, then this is the book for you. Told from three perspectives that intertwine throughout to tell the whole story.

Was this review helpful?

While I loved reading Lie, Lie Again (the writing is fab), I've come away feeling a bit deflated. Maybe it's my own fault: I was expecting something along the mystery/thriller genre, but this was most definitely missing the thrill.
When the book was wrapping up in the last few chapters, I kept waiting for the twist, the ah moment. But alas, nothing but an unnecessarily long ending. ...

Was this review helpful?

A story that is told by three women, each with her own aspirations, secrets, and lies. However, there is a corpse, a murder has happened. I found Lie, Lie Again easy to read, well written, and much more women's literature than a thriller. Good entertainment.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Felt a little stagnant and I kept waiting for something to happen - except it doesn't. The characters of Riki and Embry were also a little too teenage-like despite being women in their mid-20s (and Embry already married and a mother of two). It was a nice enough read, but the characters did get a tad annoying at times and this killed the vibe throughout

Was this review helpful?

Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise definitely read more like a contemporary or women's fiction rather than a straight-up thriller which was quite perfect for me. The pace of the story was quite quick which complimented the gripping storyline. It starts like a classic mystery with a dead body found in the building but then we're moved a few days in the past following the story leading to it.

I really enjoyed all three female characters that the story was built on: there is Riki, a private school teacher; Embry, a southern belle beauty and mom of two and Sylvia, a successful marketing professional. To be completely honest, Sylvia was probably my favorite character, mainly because of how interesting was her reaction to the secret she finds out about her partner. Then again I feel like Stacy Wise took the time to portray all of the characters with care, she made sure we get to know their backstories and why they ended up where they ended up. It made me even more involved in the whole story.

Not to mention that the story overall was well-written, the pace wasn't off and I liked all the play with secrets. I almost got wrapped up in their lives and forgot there was a murder about to happen.

While the whole story wasn't necessarily predictable, I was a little bit underwhelmed by the ending of it all. I loved the element of human nature and how it played to the conflict but it just didn't blow me away.

Other than that I did enjoy the story and would one hundred percent recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Lie, Lie Again was a very fun read! Who knew that women in one apartment complex could have so many secrets and would tell so many lies to keep them that way! And there's a dead body! Loved the characters - especially Sylvia! One of my favorites in a long time!

Was this review helpful?

I had a good read, but did not think it was thriller, as the summary seems to have implied. While it was a good read, going in with that anticipation made it a little disappointing.

Was this review helpful?

I do recommend this if you're looking for something fun, light, and not in the thriller/suspense genre.

Was this review helpful?