Will Trent and Sara Linton return and celebrate their honeymoon in a secluded cabin retreat. It is a chance to relax until owner Mercy McAlpine is found murdered. Soon they find themselves thrown into examining the guests and owners, while finding a lot of hidden secrets.

I know this series has been going on for a while now and I have to admit this is the first I have read by this author. I have been meaning to pick up her books for ages due to the hype. After reading I can definitely see what all the rave reviews are about. This was a well written, dark thriller, which keeps you guessing. There’s quite a few interesting, and unlikeable, characters to get to know, which keeps up the suspense and drama.

Although this can definitely be read as a standalone, I feel I would have gotten a lot more out of this if I had read the others in the series and that the overall story may have been dragged out too much. Saying that, I appreciate what the author was trying to achieve and I would be intrigued to read the others in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

A fantastic locked room murder mystery, loads of twists & red -herrings to keep you guessing right to the end. There’s not one likeable character amongst the suspects & the reader is sent down all manner of paths by all their many wrong doings. Not my favourite Will Trent novel but still good.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s just brilliant. Book #12 in the Will Trent series but can easily be read as standalone too.

One toxic family. Eight suspicious guests. Everyone is guilty. But who is the killer? Welcome to McAlpine Lodge, a secluded mountain getaway where everyone is lying. Will, a GBI investigator and Sara, a medical examiner are on their honeymoon. When they hear a scream and Mercy McAlpine is found dead, they want to help with the investigation. But with the killer about to strike again, it’s a race against the clock to solve the investigation.

This book doesn’t disappoint. It kept me guessing throughout with so many twists and turns until it reaches an unexpected end. I couldn’t put it down.
I love the authors writing style as it’s so dark, unsettling, multilayered, full of suspense and interesting characters.
It’s definitely a rollercoaster ride of emotions with its clever storyline and difficult subjects but executed brilliantly. I enjoyed the Gotcha Day letters as these added to the story.
The characters all feel so real, most of them are not likeable but this just adds to the tension and dysfunctional family atmosphere. The setting is described in a way that you can imagine it. Surrounding you. This book is fast paced and edge of your seat reading.
Definitely recommend this if you enjoy locked room mystery thriller, you’ll love this. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Will Trent series @karinslaughterauthor
With thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollinsUK @harperfiction for an arc of #ThisIsWhyWeLied in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 20 June 2024.

Readable but not her best. Some parts are ridiculous and pathetic, Will and Sarah eye rolling moments. Bring back the old Karin.

Will and Sara are on their honeymoon in a lodge in the mountains miles from anywhere! There are other people staying too and they are expected to join in with the activities which are on. witnessing an explosive family argument in the dining room to them finding a murder scene near the lake, it's not the quiet honeymoon they were expecting. As Will is a detective obviously he wants to help with the case and Sara is a doctor with the police so she wants to do her bit to help as well. How many suspects can there be? It seems as though everyone had a motive and all are lying or keeping secrets.

Loved this book, hasn't realised it was part of a series, but don't let that put you off. Can see this being made into a film!

Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this will be highly recommending would give more than 5* if I could.

I usually love a Karin Slaughter book, especially a Will Trent book however, this one took a while to start for me and almost felt like a bit of a disappointment.

The book is long, but that is not unusual for a Slaughter book. However, this one felt long. Too much time was focused on the scenery and not the characters - I wanted to understand those back stories. However, I wanted something new, not just the same recaps again and again. I felt a good 100 pages could have been lost and you wouldn’t lose the storyline.

So, the relationship between Will and Sara - whilst I’m glad they have finally got together, the obsession they have for each other just doesn’t feel realistic.

Faith is brilliant and her character is coming on leaps and bounds - she is a strong, flawed character that so many people will be able to relate to. And she’s funny!

Unfortunately, I guessed ‘whodunit’ as soon as the murder happened. I didn’t find the red herrings to be such - in fact, I found myself wanting to scream at the characters for their lack of observation.

This was a good book, just not the excellent book I was expecting.

Very enjoyable if maybe a bit overlong. I’ve never read any of this series before and didn’t even know it was a series when I began it, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. Nice and twisty and I didn’t guess who done it at all. Recommended.

This is Why We Lied is an absolutely exciting locked room mystery thriller by Karin Slaughter which was a page turner that I just could not put down until the very last page.

McAlpine Lodge situated in a remote mountain area is the perfect getaway retreat as it has everything a guest could ask for except there was no wi-fi, and no mobile phones were allowed in order for guests to unwind and enjoy the many activities that were on offer.

Will Trent investigator and his new bride Sara Linton medical examiner for the GBI are on their honeymoon when they hear a woman crying out for help and discover that it is Mercy McAlpine who is at death's door after having been stabbed.

Will and Sara's investigation leads to eight suspicious guests including the McAlpine family who are are all telling lies including Will and Sara. There is a murderer in their midst and Will and Sara are on a mission to uncover the murderer.

This thriller should be made into a movie which would be spectacular.

GBI agent Will Trent has taken his new wife, Dr Sara Linton, to a retreat in the mountains for their honeymoon. To avoid questions neither of them want the other guests to know about their real occupations however when a vicious murder occurs they are unable to continue with the deception as they seek to solve the crime.
Family relationships amongst the resort owners are strained and their reaction to the murder is not what they should be. Added to that a number of the other guests are acting suspiciously too; everyone appears to be hiding something.
I must admit Karin Slaughter can do little wrong in my eyes, I've read every one of her novels so far and this is amongst the best of them. Well developed characters and a cracking storyline make for an unputdownable read, brilliant.

It's a mixed bag for me. This was a slow burn that I found really hard to get into and, although it was a good story, it just didn't grip me in the same way Karin Slaughters previous novels have.

First off thanks to netgalley for the chance to review this book

Wow This book was brilliant forgot how good the will trent series was. Will trent and Sara go away on there honeymoon into the hills and a murder happens lots of suspects and so many pieces of information and things going on that keeps you guessing all the way through. And it all comes together at the end. Throughly enjoyed it will definitely be recommending this book to others.

Five stars 🌟

This author never lets me down. This book as brilliant from start to finish. I lost sleep over this book as I had to get through it. Amazing .

This is my first Will Trent book but I definitely need to go back to the beginning- I can see he's a character to fall in love with. This was a clever locked room murder case, only set on a luxury lodge resort up on a mountain, the only access by hiking in. It's run by the creepy dysfunctional McAlpine family and things take a bad turn on the first day of Will 's honeymoon with Sara.
There are lots of sensitive subjects touched on (dv, child sexual abuse, alcoholism, addiction) but in a way which makes your heart achieve fir tge deeply flawed characters.
An amazing read. Mercy will stay with me for a long time.

Absolutely brilliant. I always enjoy a Karin Slaughter book and it's been a while since I read one.
The twists and turns are so unexpected, characters that make you feel for them, even if it's just disgust and loathing or pity.
The ending is out of nowhere.

This was my first Karin Slaughter book and I am looking forward to reading other Will and Sara books . The book was at times a disturbing read but Will and Sara who are on their honeymoon brought some normality. The hotel is owned and run by a very dysfunctional unpleasant family with lots of secrets. Other guests, some of whom have visited the hotel before have their own secrets. There are lots of twists. I will admit that I worked out who the murderer was but not the whole reason for the murder. Karin Slaughter fans will not be disappointed. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of publication.

One of my all time favourite authors and once again she does not disappoint. The novel opens with Sara and Will embarking on their first night of honeymoon at a lodge. The place has a certain reverence for Will as nearby is a campsite he always wanted to visit but was denied by his church appointed care home.
The lodge is owned by the McAlpine family who immediately radiate a dark and foreboding tension. There is a division, as they want to sell up and move into town, whilst Mercy their daughter vows to do everything in her power to stay. It is a legacy she wishes to pass on and she really has no other option of earning a living.
The action begins on the first night with a terrible fight between Mercy and her son Jon. Hours later Mercy will be found murdered lying in the lake. Her dying words left with Will to communicate.

Will and Sara must break cover to help in bringing the killer to justice. There are many triggers in this: child grooming, rape and domestic abuse etc., which are unveiled through a series of letters, diary entries and interviews. This is one dysfunctional evil family whose crimes seem to span generations. Slaughter isn’t for the faint hearted but boy is she a powerful writer delivering high-octane tension and suspense this thriller will remain in your mind long after the final page is turned.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

What a roller coaster of a read, I loved every twist and turn!

This was my first time reading a Karin Slaughter book and I was a bit dubious about reading the book, as I thought I might not understand the character relationships.
However, it didn't matter at all as their background was explained nicely.

This is Why We Lied is the 12th book in the Will Trent series. Will and Sara are on their honeymoon in a remote location up in the mountains, on what should be a nice relaxing break from their day jobs of investigator and medical examiner.
It is only there second day there when a violent murder takes place and it is up to Will and Sara to solve the crime.

This is a fantastic locked room mystery that will keep you on your toes.

I’ve loved all of the Sara Linton/Will Trent books and this is no exception. I don’t think you have to have read the previous books as it is a self contained story, but it does help with the background of the characters.
I read it in one sitting.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and to netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy.
Highly recommended

Karin Slaughter has always been one of my favourite authors and I have devoured both the Grant County and Will Trent series. That being said this one wasn't my favourite. It might have something to do with it being a locked room mystery which isn't my cup of tea. As with all Slaughter's books, it's long which I normally love but this one dragged a bit. It's definitely a slow burn. I think the constant mentions and descriptions of the Lodge and the various trails took me out of the story. Will & Sara's honeymoon level relationship felt a bit awkward as well but I am so happy they are getting their happily ever after. Well at least for now because you can never trust Slaughter

There are a lot of characters to keep track of which also gives us a lot of suspects. Pretty much every character is hiding something. As the book goes on more and more secrets are uncovered which adds so much drama. The McAlpine family is seriously messed up. I did have my suspicions about the killer but I couldn't work out a motive and damn was that reveal dark. We all know Karin Slaughter loves a dark topic so just be aware of the trigger warnings before delving in because there are a lot of traumatic events involved. I loved getting to know Mercy more through her letters to her son but it made her murder even more devastating.

I would say this is probably one of the few books in the Will Trent series that can be read as a standalone but obviously, you would miss out on some of Will & Sara's growth. As always Faith was my favourite character and I would love to see more of her. The same for Amanda. They both add so much to the series and always make me laugh. While this book wasn't my favourite from the series, it's still a fantastic read and I will always read her books. I think Slaughter has set the bar too high for her books and the slower pace threw me off.

This is Why We Lied is the newest book in the Will Trent/Sara Linto series by Karein Slaughter. It's different from prior books in the series becasuse it's a locked room mystery set at a resort where Will and Sara are on their honeymoon.

On the first night of their honeymoon, Will and Sara are relaxing in the lake when they hear scream. Mercy McApline, a member of the family that runs the resort, has been stabbed multiple times and is near death when Will gets to her. Who murdered Mercy? Was it someone in her family? One of the guests?

This was a good read, not as heavy as some of Slaughter's other works, though it does delve quite a bit into abusive situations. It felt a little slow in the beginning and definitely was not my favorite, but if you're a fan of the series, you don't want to miss this installment!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley!