This book was well on the way to being an ok 3-star read. I found it to be quite slow and it dragged a little in the middle.
That said, the ending blew me away, I didn't see it coming at all. Lots of twists and shocking reveals.
4.5 stars.

An absolutely, blindingly good read. Honeymooners Sara and Will go to an exclusive, family run retreat for a week away from the world. More than Will could truly afford, but worth it when he sees Sara's face light up when she realises what the surprise honeymoon is. The family has had the estate for six generations. That's plenty of time for secrets. So remote that the secrets are good and buried and the dysfunctional family members gradually come into focus as events unfold. The story is as rotten as it gets; but don't get complacent before the end.

This was a great read but not my favourite by this author. It had great suspense and lots of twists and turns. It was horrifying and gritty but seemed to lack the connection I normally have to these characters. It was still a fantastic book but this author is normally 5 stars from me and this book gets a 4. I did not love the characters (aside from the mains we know and love) and there were quite a few main players to get to know.
I also found the plot to be relatively easy to see.
However this is still a 4 star must read. This author is a great writer and this is a great book. My review is solely based on comparing her her other books. Compared to many other reads out there this one is high rated

Brilliant read. I was expecting this to be a good read but this book was something else. This is a dark, complex, crime thriller but somehow it manages to get you to think and pull at your heart strings all at the same time. This is one
of the best ‘locked room’ mysteries I have read, it seriously keeps you hooked right until the end with everyone a very plausible suspect.

Will and Sara head off to a secluded mountain getaway for their honeymoon. The getaway is run by the McAlpine family, although Mercy McAlpine seems to do the majority of the work with no thanks at all.

After hearing screams whilst he and Sara were at the lake, Will soon stumbles across the body of Mercy. Earlier that evening, she had threatened to expose the secrets of all her family - so who wanted her dead? Will and Sara’s honeymoon didn’t last long!

It was so good to have Will and Sara back again. The author always writes a great story and it was lovely to have the whole team back together.

I did guess correctly on certain aspects of the book, but it didn’t take anything away from the story.

There were a lot of layers to work through with this story, and this included many twists as well. The ending was a huge shock and the author did well at keeping the evidence from being revealed too early.

My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter (review, no spoilers) (releases 20th June UK)

"I'm not going to fail her this time"

Score 5 out of 5

It is hard to state how brilliant and devastating this book is. Karin Slaughter once again writes a deep story which includes some of the most depraved characters. I felt both excited to read this and thoroughly pained by what I was reading.

The story opens on Mercy McApline's death then for the first 30% of the book we learn what happened in the leadup to her murder. I was concerned the story was conventional until I realised what Slaughter was doing, she wasn't simply giving us context or background but was showing us a person who has been treated despicably. Instead of reading a whodunnit, we are reading a pursuit of justice, we don't simply want to know who commited the murder we want Mercy to finally enjoy some vindication.

This sets this story above many other murder mysteries. You aren't simply following a case to the conclusion, you get to desire the outcome. When we get to the conclusion it is both impactful and disturbing.

There are very few books that have made me feel visceral reactions to the characters but in this there are characters you come to despise. In particular there is one moment towards the end of the book that truly made me feel sick. This is not an uplifting read.

Finally, it needs to be said that Slaughter has yet again proven her prowess in this genre. Few people come close to her brilliance. The research she does is exceptional (there's an interesting discussion on body bags), her character development is some of the best I've read, and the story unfolds like a rancid flower. She deserves her place on the pedestal of thriller royalty. (She even manages an Easter egg to a Hulu show).

For murder mystery fans this is a must-read but it is extremely uncomfortable reading. There are discussions of rape, domestic violence, child abuse, and many other difficult areas.

If you haven't read Will Trent before this is fairly standalone with references to the character's history but little knowledge is expected of the reader. If you're intrigued jump right in.

I won’t lie this book was a hard read. The story stripped me of tears and I felt emotionally wrung out at the end. However, this book will stay with me for a long time. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to take the time to understand what a human being can deal with in the name of self preservation and unquestioning love for their child/children. A gut punching, heart warming and incredibly sad and brave tale of human endurance. Mercy!

This is the first book I have read by this author and didn't feel like I needed to have read the previous 11 books to know what was going on with these characters. This was in effect a locked room mystery albeit they are 'locked' in the wilderness. The backgrounds of some of the characters was quite sad but worked for the story. I will definitely look into the Will and Sara back catalogue.

Found this a really gripping book. Very easy to read and an absolute page turner. This was a perfect thriller

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Fiction for the arc of This is why we lied by Karin Slaughter

5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This is the next installment in the Will Trent series and Karin Slaughter has done it again! What an amazing gripping read! I devoured this book so fast within a day! It had me from page 1! Highly recommend! So gripping and had me on the edge of My seat wanting more! Karin doesn't fail to impress!!

So being me, I haven’t read all of the series but have read, I think, two of them, so have some vague recollection of the characters. I honestly don’t think it matters because the plot of the novel is stand alone and will leave any thriller fan feeling exhausted (because you’ve had to stay up all night to finish it) but satiated.

I’m not generally a big believer in trigger warnings because if you read thrillers you know that things will happen that are awful but there is genuinely a lot in this book that will turn stomachs. However, if you can accept that, this is an absolutely stonking read, with oodles of plot and brilliantly drawn characters that come off the page and make you feel that you know them.

Lots of more established writers create central characters who you come to know well and care about but few take the time to make you feel the same level of commitment to characters who aren’t going to re-appear. Slaughter really is a fantastic writer.

With thanks to NetGalley, Karin Slaughter and the publisher, Harper Collins, for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

You can quickly tell that the high quality novel that you expect from this writer, continues to ooze from the pages. Karin slaughter is full of excellent and dramatic writing and appears to invent very clever phrases consistently, Ones that you had wished you had created yourself. Individually, I enjoyed both the Will Trent and the Sarah Linton series of books and stories in the past. I did find it a bit strange or odd that the two of them had got together as a couple and this book starts with their honeymoon. I did find their relationship just a tad too perfect. As soon as I realised they were on their honeymoon I knew a murder and some forensic science was probably just a few pages away. Slaughter quickly provides at least a dozen potential candidates for the murderer, but equally, she also introduces several different reasons why the murder may have taken place. The read is not for the faint hearted as many parts of the story dig deep and if you were expecting a cosy mystery you are certainly in the wrong place. There are a variety of secrets which you will gradually learn as you turn the pages. Earlier you will have learned about some of the corruption and unlawful activities that involve the main family and the people they know. If you claim to name the murderer before they are actually revealed, then you have either been extremely lucky or bending the truth as it is impossible to separate certain characters and their motives for murder. If you thought that Slaughter’s writing was becoming in any way boring or straightforward, this novel takes you to the best of her work and I quickly look forward to the next.

Another great mystery with the brilliant Will Trent and Sarah Linton. They plan a honeymoon away on a remote mountain resort but nothing is as it seems and when a blast from the past encounters Will he’s left feeling something’s going to go wrong.
Catching up with the honeymooners as they wade through another difficult case which is personal this time,
Great read finished in one sitting.

I’ve been following Sara’s story ever since I picked up Blindsighted all those years ago, so I was thrilled to be offered the chance to ARC read This is why we lied.

If you’re familiar with Sara and Will, it won’t surprise you a jot to learn that they cannot even honeymoon without falling into a murder mystery. Though you don’t need to have read any of the preceding books to read this, as Karin cleverly writes to both old and new readers alike, without sacrificing the story. And, as ever, it’s a compelling story that keeps you engaged and guessing to the end.

Karin has long been one of my favourite authors, and she hasn’t lost any of that magic. And more so than a great whodunit, it’s also wonderful to see who Sara has become, from the early days to now. Thank you to NetGalley, Karin Slaughter and HarperCollins U.K. for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Will Trent and Sara Linton don't disappoint as they try to solve a brutal murder in the middle of their honeymoon. The tension builds as everyone in the isolated holiday lodges is under suspicion and no-one seems willing to help. But once again, nothing is straightforward and the dark foreboding atmosphere creates a threatening pressure to resolve the case.

So finally Will gets the girl of his dreams and Sara gets to concentrate on a bright future . They are spending their honeymoon at a spectacular remote retreat and perhaps the only tiny downside are a couple of slightly irritating fellow guests . This idyllic location gives them ideas and moonlit skinny dipping is oh so tempting but hearing agonised screams soon puts a stop to romance ! The murdered manager needs justice but with a family who don’t seem to care and bad weather closing in can Will solve the mystery and catch the killer ?
I always enjoy this author’s work and fair warning at times her mind can travel to some very dark places . If I think about it I don’t really believe that I liked any of the characters introduced and the motivations some of these characters have are without a doubt selfish and twisted . Yet it’s fun to work out how and why alongside this couple as we get flashbacks which add greatly to the atmosphere . I have never read a bad book by this author and thoroughly recommend this book which yes it’s a whodunnit but there are also moments of love and even humour, enjoy !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

The context of isolated holiday cottages where a murder occurs is not a particularly original setting. It means that the murderer has to be one of the family or their house guests. Once the investigation starts it becomes apparent that many of the adults present have other issues in their life that make them the potential murderer. There is so much of that that makes it hard to believe the tale. The obvious potential,culprits are ruled out quickly narrowing the search to a small number. Eventually the culprit is identified. The book is readable but not gripping.

we follow a familys dark history at McAlpine Lodgema remote getaway where the manager is found dead. This turns wills dream honeymoon into a nightmare

Will Trent & Sara Linton are on their honeymoon at a remote mountain retreat. They are looking forward to a rest from work, exploring the area and enjoying the peace and quiet. However, their plans go awry when they hear a scream in the distance, and run to find where it is coming from. They split up and Will stumbles upon one of their hosts, Mercy who is dying beside the lake. She breathes her last in his arms and gives him a message to pass on.
Will is determined to find out who killed her and why, and calls in the team to investigate.
This is a fast paced book with many suspects, and you find yourself feeling sorry for Mercy whi has lead a troubled life.
Another great instalment on the Will & Sara saga. A1

Wow. Well I think I need counselling having finished this epic and incredibly gritty tale. A lot of the subject matter is quite raw and harrowing. I had to read the first half or so in small chunks as it’s exquisitely written to the point where you can almost touch and feel the pain of the characters. There are also a lot of triggering and sensitive subjects touched such as domestic abuse, child abuse and rape to name but a few. The story centres around a very insular family which a very complex past with many secrets festering within. The run a remote retreat which makes for a fantastic locked room murder mystery. To add further fuel to the fire there is our detective lead staying at the retreat with links to one of the main characters as they were in care together as children.
This is seriously dark in places and quite hard going to read in that respect but it is definitely worth sticking with. The pace towards the end is fast and furious but gives you all the answers you need. A definite rollercoaster of emotions but brilliantly written.